Stars Beneath Hellfire

Chapter Two

"Seraph? Not only did you get me a sitter, you got me a holy goody two shoes," Vespera scoffed, rolling her eyes.

"Excuse me?" Cassiel said, a tad bit offended. A strange feeling passed through him.

Never had he been offended by anything. Demons had called him worse names, but none seemed to pass as Vespera's did.

"Oh, would you look at that? It talks too," she added, tilting her head to the side.

"Sire?" Cassiel turned to the headmaster who watched in silence. "You have been assigned to act as a guide to our newest addition," Ortheon explained.

Cassiel glanced at Vespera. His eyes found her staring at him, expressionless.

"Sir, what exac-" Cassiel began, but Ortheon cut him off. He knew what Cassiel would ask. 'If Hell doesn't know, who am I to know?' he thought to himself.

Moving to open the door, Ortheon spoke again. "Now, I need you to help the... er... young lady to settle down well here, so off you go," he said, signalling that they exit. Vespera moved first, muttering, "Finally."

Cassiel cast a glance at the headmaster then followed Vespera.

As soon as they left, Ortheon felt like he could breathe again. Being in the presence of Cassiel was heavy, as expected of the presence of a Seraphim.

Being in Vespera's, however, was suffocating, and he felt it worsened when Cassiel had stepped into the office.

Ortheon drew in a deep breath, and let it out slowly.

This was all wrong. Very, very wrong.

Cassiel walked ahead of Vespera, silently contemplating. He was rattled by Vespera, and the growing feeling of uncertainty was getting heavier and heavier.

He nodded to students who bowed to him as they passed, and noticed when they saw Vespera, they suddenly became fearful. 'What kind of being inspires fear like that?' he thought.

They ascended a staircase, heading to the East wing of the Academy where the girls residences were housed. Cassiel threw a quick glance over his shoulder. Vespera had her eyes on his back, but they were empty. 'She's cold,' Cassiel mused.

He turned back and led her through the hallway of the girls' rooms. He stopped before a brown oak door, and knocked twice. The handle turned and a red haired girl opened the door.

"Seraph Cassiel," she greeted respectfully. He heard a scoff behind him and resisted the urge to turn and ask if anything seemed to be amusing. He nodded at the girl and stepped aside to show Vespera. He watched the smile on the girl's face freeze. 'Same reaction,' he noted. Raising a hand to Vespera, he said, "This is Vespera Ithraya. She is new, and will be your roommate during the entirety of her stay at the Academy."

"You make it sound like a prison sentence, Your Holiness," Vespera said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. The girl tenses, obviously shocked by Vespera's words.

Cassiel narrowed his eyes at Vespera. A feeling of anger began to form, but he pushed it down. What was happening?

No one could get under his skin easily, and yet this girl, standing in front of him with no expression on her features, seemed to break through his composure easily.

"Please make yourself comfortable. I will escort you to your first class tomorrow morning. Take time to settle and unpack," he said, his voice level. Vespera lowered her gaze slowly to his feet, then her eyes snapped back to his face. On her face was a look of disguised annoyance, but it was quickly erased.

'So she's not so stone-faced,' Cassiel thought.

Vespera moved past him and entered the room, the girl moving to let her pass. As she passed Cassiel, she stopped before him and leaned in.

"Next time you're uncertain, ask, angel. Your uncertainty doesn't smell too nice, and that's something I usually enjoy," she whispered. She leaned back, then stepped past the girl.

The girl cast a nervous gaze at the stunned Cassiel, and shut the door slowly.

"Uhhh... hi," the red haired girl said. Vespera turned from inspecting the room and looked at the girl.

"You're a witch," she simply said. The girl shrugged, a small smile gracing her face. "You must have smelled the potions," she replied. "Not really," Vespera said, which made the girl freeze again, but she recovered.

"I'm Lyra, an arcane witch," she introduced herself. "The angel told you my name, I don't think I'll need to repeat it," Vespera said.

"Oh no," Lyra replied quickly, shaking her head. "Your name is beautiful and unique, I won't be forgetting it in a long time," she explained. Vespera stared at Lyra in silence.

"Why do I feel like I know you?" she asked. "Oh, we technically met in the halls earlier when you arrived," Lyra explained. "You struck the fear of the Arcane Mother in me," she adds with a giggle.

'Strange, the fear's not there anymore,' Vespera thought. "I remember now. But you don't seem afraid now," Vespera replied. Lyra strolled to her side of the room. "I was, your presence seems to incite that kind of reaction. Now I'm just intrigued, and excited," she said, a bigger smile forming on her face. She turned to her desk and picked up a stack of books. "Excited?" Vespera asked. Lyra turned back to her. "I get to be roommate and possibly best friend to the girl that rocked the academy the very second she stepped in," she explained happily. She moves to the door. A cloak hung behind the door suddenly levitated and wrapped around Lyra.

"Now, I got arcane class right now, so we'll properly get to know each other in the evening."

Vespera hummed in response. "Your luggage has arrived, but I'm sure you've noticed," she said as she pulled the door open. Lyra turned back as she stepped out.

"It's a pleasure meeting you, Vespera," she said meaningfully. Vespera nodded, and the door closed.

"As was you," she said, more to herself.

Cassiel couldn't stop pacing in his room. Vespera had him stumped, and he didn't like the feeling of not knowing what he was dealing with. As one of the highest rankings of Seraphim, he prided himself in his rock solid composure, his certainty in everything and everything, and his presence that demanded respect whenever he entered.

And yet, a single unknown person named Vespera Ithraya came along, and shattered everything. For the first time, he had felt a surge of anger, and that was an equivalent to a sin amongst his kind. Seraph never got angry, and yet there he was, getting angry over sarcastic comments from a girl he couldn't identify.

"I've never seen you agitated," someone said behind him, and Cassiel turned to find Kaelen, his long time friend and fellow Seraph, leaning against the doorframe, arms folded over his chest.

An amused expression sat on his features. "I just wonder what got our great Cassiel so bothered," he drawled, then smirked.

"It's nothing," Cassiel said gruffly. Kaelen moved from his position and walked to Cassiel's bed, plopping down on his back when he reached it.

He turned his head to look at the serious Cassiel. "It surely isn't nothing. Suddenly, you know how to lie," he pointed out. Cassiel turned away and moved to the window. "The new student," he said briefly. "I heard the students talking about her. Seems like she struck the fear of gods in a lot of them," Kaelen answered dismissively. Then he suddenly sat up. "Don't tell me you're afraid too," he said, incredulous. Cassiel scoffed, then turned to face his friend. "As if," he simply said.

"Then what's the issue? Because there definitely is," Kaelen pushed.

"I don't know," Cassiel answered. Kaelen is stunned for a moment.

"Now that? That right there is a cause for concern," he said, his face serious. Cassiel turned back to the window.

Even Kaelen could see he was rattled, and it worried him that he attempted to lie about it, small as the lie was.

Vespera was something else, and Cassiel mentally made it his duty to find what it was. Perhaps that would put an end to the strange feelings he had begun having.

He had better begin soon, he really didn't like them, or what they did to him.