Wicked Wings

12

By the time I get back, Araceli has almost finished her food. “I see you’ve already met the Valkyries,” she says, as I sit down.

I throw a dirty look at the group of women, who have taken over a large corner table. “Lucky me.”

Grace walks up to our table holding a tray and gives us a smile. Beside her is a curly-haired guy wearing a purple polo shirt and those hipster jeans that are just a tiny bit too short. “Can we sit with you?”

“Sure.” I scoot over a little so they can both join us at the table. I’m happy to see them. Grace knows my brother, so hopefully the guy does too.

Araceli looks surprised by our new guests, but smiles. “The more the merrier.”

“This is Cyrus,” Grace says, gesturing to her friend. “He’s a Second Year like me, and an Ofanim.”

“Nice to meet you,” I say.

“Good to see you again,” Araceli says.

“How do you all know each other?” I asked.

Araceli leans back and pushes her empty plate away. “We all grew up in the same community in Arizona, near Yuma. Lots of sun there. How do you know Grace?”

“She was kind enough to save me from the Princes this afternoon, and she showed me around campus.”

Araceli’s dark eyebrows shoot up. “What do you mean, she saved you?”

“Shh, there they are now,” Cyrus says, and we each turn to look.

All three men walk into the cafeteria like they own the place, and people practically leap out of their way as they move toward the buffet. The big, muscular blond guy is at the front, charging forward like he’s on a life or death mission to get food. I don’t think he does anything by half. The tall, black-haired one is just behind him, shooting daggers with his cold eyes at anyone who dares look at them. The third guy, with the olive skin and sexy mouth, walks more casually and flashes a smile to the crowd, like he’s trying to reassure everyone they’re not really so bad.

As I watch, the leader spots me and his eyes narrow. He stares at me with open hostility, and the two other men follow his gaze. Great, now everyone in the cafeteria is staring at me too, probably wondering why I’ve caught the interest of the Princes. At first I’m annoyed, until the lust and desire gives me a little boost. Even angels can’t resist the allure of a succubus—including the Princes.

It’s an eternity before the three men turn away to get their food, but the damage is done. I can already hear the hushed whispers going around the room, no doubt talking about me. If anyone in the school didn’t know about me before, they most certainly do now.

“What was that about?” Cyrus asks.

“The three of them surrounded me when I arrived and told me I don’t belong here,” I say.

“Wow, I had no idea they hated half-humans so much,” Araceli says. “They’re even worse than I heard.”

“I never thought they did either,” Grace says with a sigh. “But people change.”

Cyrus leans forward and says in a loud whisper, “She should know, she used to date one of them.”

“Really?” I ask. “Which one?”

Cyrus waves a hand. “Not one of those three. There was a fourth Prince last year.”

Grace’s head drops and the sadness in her eyes returns. “His name is Jonah. He disappeared at the end of last term.”

I’m thrilled the conversation has already come around to my brother. “Really? What happened to him?” I ask, as though this is the first time I’m hearing about Jonah, like it doesn’t rip my heart out every time I think of him missing.

“No one knows,” Cyrus says. “He vanished without a trace, and no one has been able to find him. Some people think he ran off, and others think demons took him.”

“Do you think the Princes had anything to do with his disappearance?” I ask.

“No, they were like brothers,” Grace says, as she picks at her food without really eating it. “But they changed after Jonah disappeared. They’re harder now. Meaner.”

We quiet down as the Princes finish getting their food, cast me one last hostile look, and then walk out of the cafeteria with it. The room seems to collectively relax as soon as they’re gone.

“Well, one thing hasn’t changed—they still never eat with us commoners,” Cyrus says.

“What else can you tell me about them?” I ask.

Cyrus grins, and I can tell he loves to gossip. “The blond one is Callan, and he’s the son of Archangel Jophiel and Archangel Michael. He’s an Erelim and basically the leader of the Princes, just like Michael was the leader of the Archangels, and he doesn’t let anyone forget it.”

My eyebrows shoot up. “Was the leader?”

“Michael was killed two years ago by Lucifer. It nearly ended the truce between angels and demons, but no one could prove it was actually Lucifer who did it. He had an alibi, but we all know it was him.”

“Of course.” It sounds like something I should agree with. I have no idea if Lucifer killed Michael or not, but it’s not really relevant to my search for Jonah, so I move on. “What about the others?”

Cyrus leans forward, clearly enjoying this. “The one with black hair is Bastian, and he’s an Ofanim and a cold, unfeeling jerk. He’s Headmaster Uriel’s son, which is why the Princes get so many perks.”

“What kind of perks?”