Page 36 of Wings of Deception
What an asshole.
I ignore him, looking away and not giving him the satisfaction of my attention. There are far more important matters for me to worry about, anyway. Not to mention I’ve given him plenty of chances to tell me what the hell crawled up his ass and died, and all he’s done is shoot off some bullshit about my Pure friends like I’m not allowed to have any.
When the principal steps forward, the crowd falls silent.
“Thank you all for coming. I regret to inform you that this assembly is of the utmost importance, and I encourage you to pay attention and follow Lieutenant Azrael’s direction.” He stands back, motioning to the man with steel-tipped wings.
A sigh of relief escapes me. The Assassins’ Guild wouldn’t be here to escort me off school grounds, not without checking to see if I’d go willingly. So they must be here for something else. But what?
“Good afternoon, fine students of Silver City University. It is with a heavy heart that I stand before you today, but it is of great significance that I do so. If you’ve been following the news, you’ll know that we’ve seen a recent uptick in demon attacks. After carefully tracking their movements, we’ve located what we expect to be their current trajectory, which appears to be this very school.”
Shocked gasps and murmurs escape the students around us. There are demons headed here? But why? This is a school with mostly untrained students. What could they possibly gain from coming here? There are far more populated areas in the city if all they want to do is cause harm.
The principal steps forward again and waits three breaths before speaking. “We understand this is jarring news, but please hold your chatter until the end. We have much to get through.” When the arena quiets, he steps back again and motions to the Lieutenant.
“Thank you. What Principal Cael says is true. Thisisjarring news. Most of us have not seen this level of demon activity in a very long time. With that being said, the Guild is reinforcing our patrols and doing everything we can to prevent further damage. Until we have fully eliminated the threat, we have decided — with the help and support of the staff here at SCU — to implement a proactive plan. Starting tomorrow, there will be a curfew. All students must return to their dorms by eight p.m. sharp. Anyone caught out beyond that time will face suspension or expulsion, depending. Furthermore, we require that all students stay on campus at all times. There will be no weekend trips to town or to visit family. Consider the school on lockdown.”
With so many rules in place, just how much danger are we in? Chatter starts up again from the crowd, but this time the principal doesn’t step in to quiet them. Lieutenant Azrael says nothing either, only raises his voice to be heard.
“Finally, we will be adding a self-defense class to the schedule, which will include the steps and procedures to follow if the school falls under attack. These classes are mandatory. Failure to show up may result in expulsion. I want to make something very clear,” he says, turning in a circle to survey the students sitting before him. “Do not attempt to fly in the presence of a demon, and avoid being cut with any blade they may carry. Fighting them at all is a last resort, and if at all possible, leave the demon fighting to the professionals. Heed the information I’m sharing with you today and, should the unthinkable occur, you just might survive.”
Goosebumps rise on my flesh with his parting words. The school is in lockdown. We have a curfew. And it sounds like there’s a very real probability that some of us may not make it out alive. He speaks as if demons attacking the school isn’t just a possibility, but a guarantee.
I take in the surrounding students, each one of them looking scared. Some of them even look to me like I’m the reason for these attacks. As if I control the creatures. Fucking assholes.
But Theo is wide eyed and trembling. He looks like he’s seen a ghost.
On the other side of him, Raphael notices too, and we share a glance filled with pain and worry for our friend. I have no doubt that he knows more about what’s going on than I do, and while I hope they’ll share with me one day, today isn’t that day.
Raphael talks to Theo in a low tone, whispering things in his ear that I can’t hear. I slide closer to him, taking one of his shaking hands in mine and intertwining our fingers. With my other hand, I trace lines on his arm, trying to push as much of my support into him as possible. But as the seconds tick by, it’s like he doesn’t notice us at all.
He’s somewhere far away, and it doesn’t seem like either of us can reach him.
18
Aroundme,Iknowthe arena sits full of angels, but I don’t feel the weight of their presence. I can barely make out their chatter now.
After learning that demons are heading straight for us, I stopped hearing anything at all.
My eyes stay open, staring straight ahead, but I don’t see the crowd of people anymore. I no longer breathe in the dust from the arena or feel the seat beneath me. I’m fifteen again, back in that abandoned skatepark where everything changed.
For a second, I swear I can even smell the pale-white flowers blooming on the trees, just like they did back then. But then another scent takes over. One of blood and death.
I don’t have to ask where the putrid smell comes from. I already know. Thatthingis killing her, and I do nothing to stop it.
The scene before me plays out, and I watch as a demon tears into the flesh of my childhood friend with ease before plunging a wicked-looking blade into her chest. It’s so real, and I wonder for a moment if maybe this time I can save her.
But when the black eyes of the demon turn on me, I freeze.
A deep, jagged scar runs up the side of its face from eyebrow to chin, the milky white clearly visible beneath the blood splatter.
Beyond the beast, my friend lies dead in a pool of her own blood, the dagger no longer stuck in her chest.
She’s gone. Brutally murdered. And it’s all my fault.
The demon’s lips curve up into a smile almost as wicked as the bloodied blade it’s holding. A soft buzzing beside me quickly turns into disjointed words and calms my mind despite my looming death, but when I look, there’s no one there.
Now there’s only six feet between me and the demon. I have nothing to defend myself with, not that I’d even know what to do if I did. But as the demon closes the distance between us, there’s a warm tug on my left hand.