Wicked Wings

20

Callan wants the girl gone as quickly as possible, and doesn’t care what he has to do to achieve that goal. He’s always been the type to set his eyes on something and make it happen, no matter who he has to shove out of the way to get it done. Marcus, on the other hand, thinks we should get to know her in order to learn about her connection with Jonah. But Marcus always thinks with his d**k, and it’s clear he wants to f**k the half-human too. He’s not exactly picky, after all.

And me? My eyes narrow as Olivia saunters away, her hips swaying enticingly as she grabs some gym clothes in her size. I want to study her until I uncover her secrets. I’ll tear down every wall she’s hiding behind, until her past is laid bare and all of her truths are naked and on display. Then I’ll know what to do with her.

Chapter Thirteen

Olivia

T

he next morning, I wake with a hard pit in my stomach. Classes start today, and my gut churns at the thought of attending Angelic History. There’s nothing I can do about it other than leave the school, which I’m definitely not going to do. I’ll just have to hope that Professor Kassiel doesn’t recognize me. It’s been four months. Maybe he’s forgotten me entirely. I doubt it, but I don’t know what else to do. If he does bring up that night, I’ll deny everything—although I can’t imagine he’d want the Headmaster to know he slept with a student either, especially not when he’s just started working here.

It takes me a while to get ready because I have to work around Araceli. I haven’t lived with another person since I turned eighteen and got out of foster care, and I forgot what a pain it is to share a bathroom. Demons get their powers at eighteen, and when you have a new guy or girl in your bed all the time it’s a lot easier to deal with when you live alone. On the other hand, it’s also a lot less lonely with Araceli around, and trust me, it’s hard to forget she’s there. She’s constantly singing to herself, dancing around the place, and generally filling the suite with her presence. I can see this getting annoying fast, especially because angels are all morning people and I am definitely not, but at the moment I find it somewhat charming.

I chug a ton of coffee, we grab a quick bite to eat in the cafeteria, and then we head to our first class, Combat Training. Araceli and I are both wearing our gym clothes, which have the Seraphim Academy logo on a white t-shirt above dove gray shorts. Araceli is practically bouncing as we head to the gym, while the morning sunlight shines down on her skin, making it glow a little. She’s got her brown and purple hair tied back, and I can see the slightly pointed tips of her ears from her fae heritage. She must not feel the need to hide that side of herself, which I admire.

“I can’t wait for Combat Training,” she says. “Mom taught me a little, but she’s a healer and not a fighter, so her skills are a bit rusty.”

As we walk, I tie my hair back in a quick, messy bun. The morning sun warms the back of my neck, and my angelic side drinks it in. “You’ll do better than me. My skills are nonexistent.”

“The humans didn’t teach you any form of combat?”

“Not really. I took a self-defense course once, but somehow I don’t think that’s the kind of fighting we’re going to do now.”

“Probably not. Professor Hilda is a Valkyrie and a former member of the Angelic Army. I heard she’s tough as nails.”

“What are the Valkyrie exactly?” I ask. “Everyone talks about them like they’re a big deal, but all I know about them is from mythology. I never imagined they’d be real.”

“Valkyries are a division of the Angelic Army with all female warriors, known for their fighting skills and for being damn near impossible to kill. They once served directly under Archangel Michael, before his death anyway. Now I suppose they serve under Michael’s replacement, Zadkiel. And speaking of Zadkiel, I see Tanwen is in our class also.”

I groan at the sight of the blond girl walking into the gym ahead of us. “Just what I need. I’m sure she’ll remind me many times that I don’t belong here thanks to my human half.”

Araceli holds the door open for me. “Tanwen is a total b***h, but to be fair, she does have more reason than most to hate humans. Her mother was the leader of the Valkyries, but she was killed by human hunters when Tanwen was a kid. Those are people who search for any sort of supernatural and wipe them out.”

“I didn’t realize there were humans who did that sort of thing. But that doesn’t mean she should hate anyone with their blood.”

“No, it doesn’t. I think she just gets off on being the meanest girl around, and she’ll use whatever makes you different or lesser to bully you. I’ve known her my whole life, and have gotten pretty good at avoiding her or ignoring her. Unfortunately her father is Zadkiel, and now that he’s taken the empty spot on the Archangel Council, she’s going to be insufferable. She’s the only daughter of Archangel, even if he wasn’t one when she was born.”

Except, she isn’t the only one, and my father’s been an Archangel from the beginning. But I’ll keep that little secret to myself.

We head into the gym, which looks like every other gym in every school I’ve been to, except there are old-fashioned weapons hanging on one wall and armor on another. Professor Hilda stands in the center of the room with her arms crossed as she watches the students file in. She’s a large woman, built like a Viking with broad shoulders and wide hips, and has white-blond hair cropped close around her head.