Fallen Academy: Year Three Page 3

  I simply nodded again. Raksha had drunk the punch; I wouldn’t be winning her over anytime soon. The simple act of hearing the word ‘obey’ had every muscle in my being resisting, but I forced myself to stand up and get ready. Raksha had me brush my teeth, put on fresh clothes that consisted of a too big, black silk, knee-length skirt, and a black silk blouse. I looked like I was going to a funeral.

  Maybe I was.

  She pulled out some half-used makeup I’d never seen before, and made me apply blush and mascara. I was starting to worry this was actually a date, or something equally creepy, but then she also put on makeup, which she never wore. She was also wearing black slacks, leather loafers, and a red silky blouse.

  “So this is formal, then?” I asked her, as I grabbed my cane, and prepared to take the short walk to his office.

  She shrugged. “It’s a matter of respect. Play your cards right tonight, and he could order me to take you off the medication completely so you can start your training.”

  Being off the damn meds actually sounded thrilling, but the thought of ‘playing my cards right’ with the Devil was terrifying.

  I just nodded. What else could I do here but nod? If I called her a brainwashed bitch, she’d smack me upside the head, drugging me again. If I talked back to Lucy, he’d never lift my medication protocol, and I’d never be strong enough to get out of here.

  ‘Lucy? Hah! I love that,’ Sera interjected, and I grinned. It was so good to have her back.

  Raksha made quick strides down the hall while I followed, nerves tightening in my gut as I wondered what the dinner would be like. Did the Devil eat? If so, what did he eat?

  ‘Small children and kittens?’ Sera offered.

  Another smile curved my lips, but when Raksha looked back at me, I wiped it from my face.

  When I went to adjust the grip on my cane, I noticed my ring for the first time in a few days. It had become so much a part of me recently that I didn’t feel it there anymore. My heart dipped in my chest at the sight of the tiny blue and white diamonds.

  Lincoln.

  The mere thought of him, what he must’ve been feeling since I’d been taken, had my stomach in knots. He’d been through so much loss already. If I could just get word to him, tell him I was alive, it might make all the difference. For both of us.

  Before I knew it, we’d reached the large double doors that led to Lucifer’s lair. As far as I knew, he rarely left this place.

  Raksha knocked.

  Am I going to be able to get through dinner with the Devil?

  She turned and stared at me, her eyes questioning. “Are you ready?”

  Only one way to find out.

  Chapter Four

  “You may enter!” the Dark Prince called out, and Raksha opened the doors wide.

  I did a quick sweeping glance around the room, and wanted to vomit. A large rectangular table had been set up in the middle, adorned with black candles, and varying skull shapes. Lucifer stood at the head of the table, behind an ornate chair. A black silk suit and red silk bow tie clung to his muscular frame, and he was irritatingly handsome, in a vile way.

  I peered at his suit and the table decorations. “Is it Halloween or something?” I asked dryly.

  Lucy grinned. “Isn’t every day Halloween in Hell?” He winked.

  How dare that bastard wink at me! Only Lincoln and Noah were allowed to wink at me. And Archangel Michael. Oh God, what I would give for Michael to fly in here right now and save me.

  I wondered then what the actual date was. Time was different here.

  “Thank you for inviting us, sir. It’s a great honor.” Raksha bowed her head.

  Lucifer smiled down at her like she was a beloved child. “Of course, dear. I always enjoy spending time with you.”

  Barf.

  ‘I wonder if they’ve done it,’ Sera interjected.

  Oh God, double barf.

  He asked us to sit down. There were only two seats, one on either side of our host, so I hobbled over to one of them, my eyes skimming the gurney where we’d created that horrible creature.

  Who could eat in this room?

  The moment I sat, the doors opened and two servants entered wheeling carts of food. When a plate of steak, potatoes, and green beans was placed in front of me, I thanked the waiter with short brown hair. He smiled shyly, and then set a fork and steak knife before me.

  My eyes widened at the cutlery. I wasn’t even allowed to shave. Surely this was a mistake.

  ‘Quick, stab him in the eye and then cut his balls off!’ Sera screamed wildly.

  My gaze flicked to the Dark Prince and he grinned, picking up his own knife, and cutting his steak.

  This is a test.

  I glanced at Raksha, who was giving me a look that said, “Don’t you freaking dare.”

  ‘Do it,’ Sera taunted.

  Reaching over, I picked up my knife, relishing the feel of the heavy blade in my hand. I swallowed hard, and started to saw off a small piece of steak.

  I have to be smarter than this. One steak knife isn’t going to kill the Devil.

  After I’d swallowed my first bite, I looked at my dinner companions.

  “Lovely weather we’re having,” I held in my usual sarcastic tone.

  Lucifer laughed, a rich and deep belly laugh that was frightening. “Oh, Brielle, you remind me so much of myself when I was your age.”

  “When you were my age, you were still an angel, right?” I asked coyly.

  His eyes narrowed. “Right.”

  We ate a few more minutes in silence when I suddenly had a thought. “Do you need food?” I asked him.

  He chuckled, seeming to like talking about himself. “Coffee is my favorite. I like it black.”

  Of course he did. But I noticed he’d sort of evaded my question.

  “I like mine with cream and three sugars,” I offered. I wasn’t sure where exactly I was going with the conversation; I was just trying to get through this weird-ass dinner without stabbing anyone. I was also attempting to make it seem like my stomach didn’t absolutely revolt at being in his presence.

  “Raksha, how do you like your coffee?” I asked my punch-drinking, fellow captive.

  She smiled shyly. “I’m more of a tea person.”

  The Dark Prince watched me as he dabbed his mouth with a black linen tablecloth. “You know, Brielle, I know you very well by now, and it’s my understanding that you won’t cooperate without a little motivation.”

  My stomach tightened. “What? I am cooperating.” I tried not to pout like a five-year-old. His words had come out of nowhere, and they set me on edge.

  He shrugged. “Yes, but for what’s to come, I’ll require your full cooperation and loyalty.”

  What’s to come? I didn’t want to ask.

  Staring at the knife in my hand, I contemplated stabbing him in the neck with it.

  He grinned. “You want to kill me, don’t you?”

  I threw the knife down and sighed. “You slit my throat! You made my family think I’m dead!”

  He nodded. “A necessary evil. It’s better this way. You’re meant to be with me, and if they think you’re gone, it’s a cleaner exit.”

  My chest was rising and falling as my gaze flicked to Raksha, whose fork was poised at her mouth, her eyes hard slits.

  ‘Kill her too!’ Sera commanded.

  Fuck my life.

  I felt frozen.

  “What is to come? What do you need my complete loyalty for?” It was the question I knew he wanted me to ask. He’d never get my complete loyalty, and I was pretty sure he knew that. We were at a crossroads.

  His eyes flicked to my nanny. “Raksha, you’re excused, my dear.”

  Her mouth popped open in shock, and she set down her fork. She continued to sit there, looking dejected as the Dark Prince just stared at her. Finally, she stood and bowed her head, leaving the room.

  Oh God.

  I’d lost my appetite. Setting my own fork down, I crossed my arm
s over my chest and glared at Lucy.

  He must have seen the fire in my eyes, but he just grinned. “Now that we’re alone, we can work out the details of our arrangement.”

  Screw you, douchebag!

  “Arrangement?” I forced myself to be civil, but it was damn hard.

  He picked up a glass of what looked like red wine—though it could’ve been blood—and took a swig.

  “I intend to enact my revenge on my brothers and sisters in Heaven, for disposing of me the way they did, and you are the key to my plan.” He spoke so casually, like he hadn’t just said the most batshit-crazy thing I’d ever heard.

  I snorted. “Umm, no. And why after all this time? Haven’t you been ‘disposed of’ for like a thousand years?”

  His eyes gleamed at my defiance, like he enjoyed it. “Because, Brielle, until now, I didn’t have the key.”

  Oh shit.

  ‘Oh shit,’ Sera echoed.

  Lincoln had mentioned that he’d heard Sera was a key to the gates of Heaven. Was she the key Lucifer was talking about?

  The Dark Prince leaned closer, and I could smell the wine on his breath. Oh good, not blood, then.

  “Are you ready for your motivation?” He grinned.

  My heart hammered in my chest. What is he going to do?

  Drawing his hands together, he clapped suddenly and all the candles blew out, making me jump. On the far wall, a movie projector-like scene played out, similar to the one he’d played before at my funeral, but this time… it was Shea. She was humming to herself, driving my car from the looks of the interior. Our view was as if we were sitting right next to her in the passenger seat. She had dark circles under her eyes, clutching the wheel with her left hand. From my viewpoint, I could see a new tattoo on her wrist. It was of my name in cursive letters.

  A sob lodged itself in my throat.

  “One flick of my wrist and I could have her crash that car,” Lucifer taunted next to me.

  I snapped my teeth shut. “Don’t you dare!” I gritted.

  As Shea pulled into a parking lot, I recognized it as Lincoln and Noah’s apartment complex. Oh my God, a few more minutes and I might see Linc and my mom.

  “Or I could have my men take her too, bring her down here to motivate you.” The scene changed then to a warehouse full of demons. They were playing cards, fighting, milling around. “One call to these men, and Shea’s life is in my hands.”

  Whatever strength, whatever fortitude I’d built up against him over the past few days shattered in that moment.

  “Please don’t hurt my family. I’ll do whatever you want.” My voice was barely a whisper.

  ‘Brielle, no! Shea wouldn’t want that.’

  I shut Sera out as the Prince of Darkness patted my arm. “Good girl.”

  I felt nothing.

  I was dead inside.

  Chapter Five

  That night when I was sent away from dinner, Lucifer told Raksha to withdraw all my meds, and prepare me for training. I tossed and turned all night, thinking about Shea and the tattoo on her wrist, the pain in her eyes. She was driving my car. When did she even get a license? I had missed everything, and she thought I was dead. I hadn’t even gotten to see Lincoln or my mom.

  ‘This changes nothing. We will train, become strong, and break out of here,’ Sera told me in the early morning hours.

  ‘I don’t want to talk about it anymore,’ I informed her, then sat up in bed, rubbing my face.

  Raksha hadn’t spoken to me the entire walk back to my room the night before, only bidding me good night right before she slammed my door and locked me inside. Clearly she was pissed that Lucy kicked her out of dinner, but it wasn’t my fault.

  I was just getting ready to stand up and do some stretching, when my ring started to buzz. I froze and wiggled my fingers a little to make sure I wasn’t imagining it.

  No, the ring was definitely vibrating.

  What the…?

  ‘Brielle!’ Shea’s voice sounded inside my head.

  Shock ripped through my body as the room started swimming.

  ‘Shea!’ I screamed, gripping my ring like it was a telephone.

  ‘Brielle?’ she shouted again as tears started to roll down my cheeks.

  Can she hear me? Is it really her? A faint white glow started to emanate from my ring and my eyes widened. What the…? Am I finally losing my mind?

  Suddenly the door opened and Raksha burst into the room, her nose flaring.

  “You smell of magic!” she accused, her eyes roaming over me.

  My mouth popped open, but I had no idea what to say. I couldn’t think straight. All I knew was that hearing my best friend’s voice had shocked the hell out of me, and I couldn’t move.

  “What have you done!” She lunged for me.

  I fell backward onto the bed and covered my face with my hands to protect myself.

  ‘Brielle, are you alive?’ Shea screamed.

  “This!” Raksha hissed, clamping her fingers around my ring in an iron vice.

  “No, please!” I whimpered, elbowing her temple hard just as she yanked it off me.

  She flew backward from my hit, and black magic poured from her palms—a color I’d never seen on her before. It saturated my ring until I couldn’t see it anymore through the dense fog filling her hand. She looked furious as she gazed at me, her hair floating around her like static electricity, her eyes flashing from brown to electric green.

  “I told you no tricks!” she roared.

  “I didn’t do anything! I don’t do magic!” I shouted at her, curling my body into a ball to prepare for her attack.

  Her gaze darkened, and then fell onto my ring in her hand. “Well someone did, and now they’ll never find you.”

  She’d done something to the ring, encasing it in a black swirling mass before she tucked it into her pocket. Raksha started stalking toward me with her hands out, but I decided I wouldn’t cower. With the medicine out of my system, I was feeling stronger, bolder. I sat up and faced her head on, tipping my chin up defiantly.

  “You think I’m a monster?” she asked through gritted teeth.

  I just glared.

  “Answer me.” Her voice was low and deadly.

  “Yes!” I shouted.

  Reaching behind her, she slipped her hand into her back pocket, and pulled out a small wallet-sized picture, then shoved it in my face.

  “Everything I do down here is to keep them safe up there. Every time I mess up, he hurts them. When you mess up and make me look bad, he hurts them. Do. You. Understand. Me?” Her voice quivered on the last word, and my chest nearly split in two as I looked at the picture.

  A pretty woman with a short pixie haircut had her arm around a younger, happier-looking Raksha, and a young child about two years old peered between them with a big smile.

  Oh God. I’d misjudged her. She wasn’t evil. She was just a momma bear protecting her family.

  “I understand, Raksha.” I reached up to squeeze her hand. “I understand, and it won’t happen again.”

  She had a wife and child. She was as much a prisoner down here as I was.

  Taking a shaky breath, she pulled her hand from mine, slipping the picture back into her pocket. “Be ready to go to breakfast in ten minutes, and then we’ll go on our walk for exercise.” Her voice was still thick with emotion, but I knew better than to try and talk about it.

  I simply nodded and she left the room.

  When I was sure she was gone, I sank my head into the pillow and sobbed. I sobbed so hard that I thought I might die. Desperation saturated my entire body.

  Shea tried to reach me. What does that mean? Does she think I’m alive? Did she hear me?

  Whatever it was, all hope was lost now that Raksha had taken my ring. Now that she’d shared with me about her family and their situation. I couldn’t act out, couldn’t try to break free, or her family would get hurt. I had some pretty questionable morals when it came to certain things, but I’d never be party to seeing a c
hild hurt. Ever. Period. I could still see the smile on the little boy’s face. It broke me in two.

  ‘Are you okay?’ Sera’s sweet voice came into my thoughts.

  I would’ve lost my mind without Sera. Since we shared a mental link, she knew everything that just happened with Shea and Raksha.

  ‘I can’t. I just can’t do anything that would hurt her family,’ I told her.

  Silence. I thought I’d lost her again, but then she finally answered, ‘I know. We’ll figure it out together, okay? But no giving up just yet.’

  She couldn’t see me, but I nodded anyway. I was numb at that point. I didn’t care about anything anymore.

  Getting up, I walked over to the small sink in the corner, by the toilet, and brushed my teeth. How could I live like this? Do as the Dark Prince ordered? Help him break into Heaven?

  ‘You can’t,’ Sera offered.

  I ignored her. Then my thoughts went dark. Would he hurt Raksha if I killed myself?

  ‘Don’t even say that!’ Sera screamed.

  ‘Let me think!’ I shouted at her.

  Splashing some water on my face, I tried to shake the awful depression weighing down on me. I think coming off the meds, combined with what had just happened, was making me crazy.

  ‘I’m sorry,’ I whispered to my only friend in the world right now.

  ‘It’s okay. I love you,’ she comforted me.

  ‘I love you too.’ That was the one spark of light I had left in my life. Sera knew I was alive. Sera was there for me. Sera loved me no matter what. Even in my darkest hour.

  Sometimes that’s all we needed, one friend rooting for us when we couldn’t root for ourselves any longer.

  The next week passed slow and in a military fashion.

  6 am: Wake up, bathe, get dressed.

  7 am-8 am: Breakfast with psycho demons, and asshole demon gifted.

  8 am-9 am: Walk to the creepy red door with Raksha, and receive packages for the Dark Prince.

  10 am-Noon: Train privately with Raksha doing basic drills to get my strength back.

  Noon-1 pm: Lunch with assholes

  1 pm-4 pm: Nap or lie around my room talking to Sera, and trying not to lose my mind. Door is locked.