DEVIL'S HIGH

CHAPTER 10

SAMAEL’S POINT OF VIEW

“You good?”

Asmodeus asked Leviathan as he handed him a bottle of beer. Levi was silent ever since we returned to the basement and we knew that he was scheming something.

We didn’t head back to the class like his father suggested, instead just snitched the entire day to collect our thoughts. Azazel ruined our entire plan, and he must have also asked that b***h to stay away from us. All the other teachers knew what we were doing, and they still did not show up, so what was with this guy?

Leviathan chugged down the entire bottle and it was our first time seeing him so disoriented. His eyes never stayed in one place and Damien glanced at me, concerned. This was not the Leviathan we were used to.

“Did you see the way he looked at her? It was so f*****g annoying. He even grabbed her shoulders tenderly, as if he was afraid she would break anytime. What does she have that I don’t? Why can’t he care for me just like that?”

Leviathan threw the bottle onto the wall and it shattered with a loud noise because of the echo. The three of us peered at each other, not knowing how to face this side of our best friend. Levi was always mature, and we never thought he could exhibit such strong emotions.

“If I am right, your father hated heaven once, and he even planned to destroy it. What happened later?”

Damien asked, something which we were all curious about but didn’t have the heart to talk about it openly; especially when his mother died around that time.

“I don’t know, I was little that time. But I remember our house being in chaos whenever he comes home and he wouldn’t even look at me in the eyes. I thought it had something to do with work pressure, but one day he just ripped off my mother’s head and smiled like a maniac. I would never forget his bloodied hands and my mother’s limbs sprawled on the floor.”

Leviathan’s eyes turned red as he recollected old memories, and Asmodeus gulped down in apprehension. He has never opened up to us about that day and we have never asked. But now he was so into his past that it was difficult to bring him out of it.

“Why her and not me?”

He growled and stormed out of the exit, leaving us all startled.

“Wow. That was scary.”

Asmodeus muttered, still staring at the door.

“I wonder what will happen tomorrow.”

Same here Damien. Same here.

...........................

Leviathan looked normal enough the next day, and we decided to dust the topic under the carpet for now. We were in the school parking lot, smoking a cigarette and going through our phones when Damien broke the silence.

“Only five more minutes for the bell to ring. I don’t think that b***h will show up again.”

Damien gave a high five to Asmodeus, and I smirked on seeing their happiness. The entire school was waiting for her to come, but apparently they will all have to head back without watching any drama. After all, she is just an ungraduated Angel. What did the council think?

Leviathan stood silent, his eyes lingering on the open gates. He wasn’t joining the little celebration, and he kept on shaking his legs as if he was disturbed.

“What? You think she will make it?”

I inquired, scoffing. There was no way she would be able to face us after going through such a humiliation. Angels are not that strong.

“I don’t know. But the way father behaved this morning is making me a little anxious.”

He turned to me with doubtful eyes and scrunched his eyebrows.

“He asked me to take care. It’s like....”

Leviathan’s voice faded as the students’ shout increased abruptly. We shortly followed their line of vision and I heard Damien curse out loud.

The first thing I noticed was the silver blonde hair cascading down her waist. The light blue colour dress came up to her knee calves, and it covered her entire arms and neck. Although her figure was slender, she seemed strong enough and the way her piercing blue eyes assessed her surroundings told me that she was not here to play victim. She was taller than most of the girls from our school and she looked nothing like the quivering coward from yesterday. This was an entirely different person.

I could hear cuss words and cat calls amongst the crowded boys and I realized that her angelic face was having an effect on them. She was indeed the most beautiful girl I have ever seen and for some annoyingly strange reason, my heart beat started to quicken.

“I thought you left.”

I shifted to see Keres coming out of the group with an angry face and a machete in her hands.

“Keres, no.”

Asmodeus called out from the car park, but that girl was too frustrated to hear her boyfriend. She was the queen bee of our school and it’s genuinely understandable how she would feel after seeing such a beautiful girl whom the boys are head over heels for. Wait, did I just address her as a girl? F**k her stupid powers.

Keres dragged the blade behind her and smirked at the calm looking Angel. She definitely has some plan, otherwise she wouldn’t look so smug.

“Wasn’t the welcoming party enough for you?”

Keres shouted and raised the weapon to hit the other girl, but in that instant a bright light blinded all of us and I shielded my eyes from it with Leviathan’s back. What the hell was that?

“Samael.”

It was all silent for a while until Damien called out my name in a barely audible whisper and I looked ahead with squinted eyes, only to become speechless. What in the unholy ashes!

Bright golden wings that were larger than anything I have seen before unfurled from her back and it emitted a special glow that could light up any darkness. She looked proud of herself and tied her arms to her chest, daring anyone to come forward.

Keres was literally shaking, and the machete looked about to slip from her sweaty palms. But she regained herself after sometime and began to take small steps towards the large form.

One flap from her wings and Keres flew back on the ground, hitting her shoulder. Shouts and loud bickering filled the entire place, and no one bothered to help Keres up, afraid that the Angel would harm them. Even Asmodeus stood still next to us and in that second I realized that he wasn’t in love with her like I assumed.

The b***h rose from the ground for several feet and looked at everyone with a small smile.

“I am Kiara Snow Michael, and I recently got transferred from Angel’s High. Even though both of us are not interested in my presence here, this is an order from the Council and I am bound to obey them, so do you. Hence, I hope we could maintain an ethical relationship and not cross each other’s path for the next whole year. I am ready to forget about yesterday, but I will not tolerate such pranks in the future. I am not looking for any trouble, and I want you to respect my privacy. That’s it. Thank you.”

No one spoke as her feet touched the ground again and with a gawking expression we saw her wings folding and disappearing.

Kiara took bold steps towards the entrance of our school and the crowd parted in two, giving her enough space to pass by.

“Now that’s what I call a grand entrance.”

Damien’s words felt distant, as my heart was still not ready to settle. Her voice. Why is it making me on edge?

***********************************

KIARA’S POINT OF VIEW

I tried to breathe in as much as air I could once I entered an empty class room. My entire body was shaking as an aftermath of my courage display and I felt like my knees would give up anytime.

Someone knocked on the door and I steadied myself before opening it a little to see a grinning Azazel. He entered the room and took me in for a bear hug, surprising both of us. He left me after a few seconds and patted my head just like how my father did. Why is he behaving so unusually?

“You did great, child, just like how I instructed. Even the teachers were so shocked that they didn’t move from their place.”

Oh my God, the teachers were there too. Of course, Kiara; this is a school!

“Is that girl hurt? I didn’t expect my wings to be that powerful. It was my first time using it in public.”

I smiled, despite the guilt of scaring my colleagues. I never thought such boldness was in me and expressing myself in front of hundreds of students just shot my confidence level to infinity.

“I know and I was surprised, too. Your father mentioned to me that your wings were special, but I never knew it had such a glow.”

My wings began glowing when I was ten years old and from then on it got more and more brighter after each year. Father never told me why I had different wings from the others, but maybe it’s because God already knew what was to come.

“Am I going to be okay, Sir?”

I asked, recollecting all the angry and awestruck faces.

“You will be fine as long as you don’t show your weakness. And that girl, Keres, she is going to be alright. Her pride has hurt a little, but I am sure she is not as bad as you think. And stay away from Samael and his friends.”

Yes, Samael. Where was he? I thought he would come out and challenge me or something, but he was nowhere to be seen. Is he plotting anything more dangerous? Am I ready to face him yet? Right then, the bell rang, and the boosted up confidence in me dissipated like dust. Can it ever be consistent?

“Time for your classes.”

.....................................