Sinful Things

9

“Just like there are different types of angels and demons, there are different types of fae,” Raziel continues. “They’re divided into four Courts, based on the seasons. Each Court has its own king or queen, but they’re all ruled by the High King of Faerie, who united the courts after the Faerie Wars. We’ll talk more about those wars in upcoming weeks, but first let’s go over some basics. What do you know about the fae already?”

Jeremy raises his hand. Ugh, he’s in this class too? “They have pointed ears.”

Raziel nods. “Yes, they do, and a few of them even have wings, although that’s pretty rare and mostly found in the royal families. What else?”

“They’re weak against iron,” another student calls out.

“They can’t lie,” someone else adds.

“All very true,” Raziel says. “Although they’re very good at misdirection and twisting their words, so that even though they’re speaking the truth, they’re not actually being honest. You must be very careful to never make any bargains with them, especially since they’re famous for being tricksters. They’re also known for being cruel and inhuman, mainly because they see themselves as better than all other races, which makes them somewhat callous.”

I could say the same thing about some of the angels I’ve met so far, like the ones in the Order. I wouldn’t be surprised if there are demons like that too. Then again, even among humans there are people with superiority complexes and hatred of people who are different. Discrimination and prejudice seem to be universal traits, unfortunately.

Raziel continues giving a basic introduction and overview of the fae, until our time is up and the students begin to file out. I’m starting to think Bastien and I might ignore each other forever, but as we exit the room he gives me a little nod. “See you in class tomorrow.”

Before I can reply, he turns on his heel and stalks away. I check out his ass again, because hey, why not. A succubus can look, can’t she?

My next class is Ishim Training, taught by Nariel. I met him briefly last year, and he tested my Ishim abilities about a week ago. I debated playing inexperienced again, but decided I didn’t want to get stuck in the First Year class with the newbies. Thanks to my father’s training, I suspect I could have been placed with the Third Years in skill level, but I’m happy to be in this class with the other Second Years.

When I enter the room, I’m surprised to see Grace there, since she’s a year ahead of me. Her normally pale skin has a nice tan, and her strawberry blond hair seems especially bright, like all the Florida sunshine over the holidays made her even more beautiful.

She gives me a kind smile and a light hug. “How have you been?”

“Good. How was your trip to Disney World?”

“So much fun,” she says. “My little brother loved it, and it was a nice distraction from everything that happened last year.”

Grace was my brother’s girlfriend, and she seemed to really care about him and worry about his disappearance. However, she’s also a member of the Order of the Golden Throne, so I can’t entirely trust her, even though I wish I could. She knew he went to Faerie, and knew I was his half-sister, and didn’t tell me anything until I found out on my own. I can’t forget that, even though she might have had her reasons.

“What are you doing in this class?” I ask.

“Nariel let me test out of the Third Year class, and now I’m working as his teacher’s assistant in the hopes of becoming a professor someday. With the way the school is growing every year, they’re going to need a lot more teachers soon.”

“That’s great. It’ll be nice to have a friendly face in the class.” The only other student I’ve heard of testing out of classes is Callan with Combat Training. I bet it helps that Nariel is Grace’s uncle. I don’t see any resemblance between the two of them though. Nariel almost looks like an albino, with very light hair and very pale skin. He must have lathered on the sunblock while in Florida, because he didn’t get even a hint of a tan while they were there.

Ishim class goes by quickly, and after a small lunch in my dorm, I head to my fourth class of the day—Angelic Studies. Kassiel gives me the subtlest of nods when I walk in, and I raise my eyebrows at him. Last year he only taught the 101 class, but now he must be teaching this one instead. Did he switch to 102 because I’m in it? It feels arrogant to think so, but it feels right too. I’m pretty sure he did it to be close to me, even though it would be a lot easier for us if he wasn’t my teacher anymore—no more s****l tension distracting me in class, for one thing. But at the same time, I’m relieved to see him standing at the chalkboard. He’s a good teacher, and I like being around him, even if it’s torture of the best kind—his classes are always a mixture of barely contained desire and interesting stories.

I sit in the front row and cross my legs, and his green eyes drop down to them. He swallows hard and looks away for a moment, but then he looks back, like he can’t help himself.

Oh yeah, he likes the torture just as much as I do.

Light Control is my last class of the day, and it’s out by the lake, probably so we can soak up the sunlight. They chose this mountain in northern California for Seraphim Academy because it’s one of the sunniest places in America, and today doesn’t disappoint. My angel side wants to stretch her wings and soar over the lake, but I settle for taking off my sweater and letting the light sink into my skin.