Sinful Things

12

"That’s definitely not in the textbooks."

“I’m not surprised. Few know that Lucifer and Michael privately debated for a long time on how to best end the wars. The Earth Accords were in development for many years before they actually happened.”

“Really?” I raise my eyebrows at him. “Do you think Lucifer killed Michael?”

Kassiel’s eyes narrow. “No. I know he didn’t. And why would he? Lucifer and Michael were friends, or as close to friends as they could be, considering the circumstances. What reason would he have for killing Michael now that the war is over, anyway?”

“I don’t know.” Unlike the angels at the school, I don’t have an opinion on the matter. It does seem odd to me that Lucifer would kill Michael now that angels and demons are at peace, but maybe I don’t have all the facts either.

Kassiel’s face darkens. “The angels want to believe he did it, but they’re rarely rational when it comes to demons. It’s easy for them to blame Lucifer for everything bad that happens. They’ve been doing it for centuries, after all. Why stop now?”

He has a point. How many sayings are there about Lucifer? The devil made me do it. A convenient excuse, for sure.

Kassiel seems pretty worked up about this topic though, so it might be time to change the subject. "What about Ishtar?" I ask. “The shifter Archdemon?”

"He's angry, as most shifters tend to be, but he’s good at controlling it. He’s also one of the few Archdemons who doesn't live in Vegas. He prefers to be in the background, usually in the wild, staying out of sight and controlling his kind from the shadows. Lilith is like that, too. A true nomad."

I sit up a little at the mention of the Lilim’s Archdemon. "What can you tell me about Lilith?”

Kassiel pauses, like he’s considering what exactly to tell me. "She’s very old and very powerful. Also, she's smart. Probably one of the most intelligent creatures I've ever met."

"Oh, really?" I've never heard anyone talk about her except with a negative connotation. Her reputation is almost as bad as Lucifer’s, but maybe that’s more angel propaganda.

"She’s very mysterious as well, and is always on the move. I’m told she's impossible to track down, unless she wants to be found. Even though she’s technically the Archdemon of the Lilim, she lets Asmodeus handle most matters for her.”

“Asmodeus?”

“Her son.”

My mouth falls open, although I quickly close it. “She has a son?”

“Yes. I believe she’s had a few children over the years. I’m not sure how many are still living though.”

“That’s unusual, isn’t it?” I ask. “For one of our kind to have so many children?”

“It is, although she does get around a lot, if you get my meaning.”

I do. I very much do. "Why does she move around so much?"

He shrugs. "Most Lilim are nomadic. They can't take a human lover for more than one night, and they would need multiple demon lovers to survive, so most don’t bother with that. Traveling allows them to feed without repercussions.” He pauses and his brow furrows. “Speaking of that, are you...? No, never mind, inappropriate question."

I'm very tempted to ask if he wants to give me a snack. The truth is, I’m hungry, and I’m going to need to feed soon, and not on Bastien again—but I can’t tell Kassiel that. So all I say is, “I’m surviving.”

He nods slowly. “Good.” A moment of awkwardness hangs between us before he says, “I think our time is up.”

I practically jump to my feet, because now that I’ve started thinking about feeding on Kassiel, it’s hard to stop. “Thanks for this lesson. I wasn’t sure if I’d learn anything from these meetings, but I did.”

“I’m glad,” Kassiel says, as he walks me to the door. My arm brushes against his, and a bolt of lust shoots through me. I’m not sure if it’s from me or him. “We’ll meet next week at the same time.”

As soon as I escape the room, I breathe a sigh of relief—and regret.

I’m starting to think going to Hellspawn Academy would have been easier than this.

Chapter Nine

Olivia

I

t’s becoming increasingly obvious that people are terrified of me. Grace usually has a table full of people sitting with her at dinner, but the minute I sit down, the place becomes a ghost town. Students who would've come to eat with Grace veer off in a different direction. But Grace doesn't seem to mind, and I'm used to people treating me like dirt. At least they aren't actively trying to kill me. Yet.

When I get back to my dorm, there’s an invitation to the next meeting of the Order of the Golden Throne sitting on my bed. My first one as a true member.

I still can't believe they kept me in, but I suspect they have ulterior motives. Their main purpose is to rid the world of demons, after all. How can they do that and allow a half-demon in their midst?

Kassiel’s words come back to me. “Be careful. Everyone knows who—and what—you are, and both angels and demons will want to use you…or they’ll want you dead.”

Good thing I’m always careful.The next night, I pull my new golden robes out of my hiding spot behind my desk, along with my mask. Last year I was only an initiate of the Order of the Golden Throne and wore a white robe for these meetings. As I pull the shimmering material over my head, I’m reminded of how far I’ve come since then. I passed all their tests and proved myself to them, even with my demon blood.