Chapter Six – Meeting the Second Heartthrob
Sera woke up with a start. She had just seen a really weird dream. Shaking her head, she thought about Alaric's behavior when he came out of the bathroom last night. He had been acting odd and cold. Besides, he was gone for about an hour.
Wait—she looked over at his side of the room. His bed was empty.
She shook her head again. Why was she worried?
Getting up, she went to the bathroom, determined to take a proper bath this time. She stripped and slid into the bathtub.
Just as she was settling in, a magical swoosh cut through the air. Her eyes widened. Alaric appeared in front of her.
"Shit! I am so sorry!" he blurted, whipping around to face the wall.
"BLOODY PERVERT!!!" Sera screamed.
"I'm sorry, I didn't know you'd be in here…" he said, scratching the back of his neck, still refusing to turn.
"THEN WHY THE HELL AREN'T YOU OUT THE DOOR?!"
At the sharpness of her voice, Alaric jumped and bolted, slamming the door shut behind him, his heart pounding.
Sitting on his bed, he buried his face in his hands. Jesus. I really am a pervert. But he couldn't stop remembering the urge he'd felt—to join her in that bathtub.
He ran his hands through his hair, forcing the thought away, and remembered the conversation from the night before.
When he'd entered the bathroom last night, the tattoos on his arm had glowed faintly. Someone in heaven was calling him. He double-tapped his fingers, slumped, and when he opened his eyes—he was in heaven.
"Have you found the child of the Devil in that school of yours?" Angel Felix asked.
Alaric raised an eyebrow. How the hell does Dad know about this? The only ones who knew were me and Archangel Michael.
"No, I haven't…" he replied slowly.
"Okay. As soon as you do, kill him or her. They're pure evil. Michael must have told you, right?"
Alaric sighed, remembering Michael's words:
'We've gotten intel that the Devil's child has enrolled in the academy. Watch them, lay low, and report to me. Don't take action until I return. I'll be leaving on a mission with most of the Archangels. Watch your father, and this list of angels.' Michael had handed him a scroll. 'Something's up with them. Good luck.'
"Yeah… Michael said something like that," Alaric admitted. "But how do you know? He told me it was only between us."
Felix shifted uncomfortably. "I… along with some angels, were concerned—"
"Okay. I'm off now." Alaric cut him off, closing his eyes. He woke up back in the bathroom, sighed, and stepped into the dorm.
When he came out, Sera shot him a glare. He just stared at her for a long moment before lying down on his bed, back turned.
Sera raised a brow but said nothing.
He shook his head, staring at the ceiling. Meanwhile, on her end, Sera let out a shaky breath. What was that about?
Though she looked seventeen in human years, her demon form was twenty-seven—her real age. She inhaled, realizing his scent still lingered in the bathroom. It unsettled her. Quickly washing up, she got dressed and walked out, slamming the door behind her.
She was heading upstairs, walking fast, when she skipped a step and began to fall backwards.
A boy ahead reached out instinctively to catch her. But Sera teleported, landing at the front of the stairwell. In that same moment, the boy nearly fell himself. She caught him by the shirt, steadied him, and turned to leave.
He rushed up to her, grinning.
"I can't believe I got saved by such a beauty. Hi, beautiful. Thank you for saving me." His smile was bright—almost too bright—as his gaze swept over her.
Sera turned slightly, giving him a look. He was undeniably attractive, though… not as much as—
Never mind.
"You're welcome, damsel. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have class." She picked up her pace.
Interesting, he thought. She's not ogling me. She doesn't even know who I am.
He held out a hand. "I'm Seth. Seth Wade. And you are?"
Sera squinted, trying to recall the name.
From Leona—you know, one of the heartthrob boys.
Ohhh…
She shook his hand quickly. "Seraphine. Bye." Then, with a flick, she teleported away.
He stared at the empty space where she'd stood, a smirk tugging at his lips.
"Looks like this school just got a lot more interesting."
Sure does, his Lycan, Theo, agreed.
Meanwhile, back in the dorm, Alaric sighed as he watched her storm out without a glance his way. Shaking his head, he grabbed a towel and went into the bathroom.
The moment he entered, her scent hit him like a wave. He leaned against the door, inhaling deeply before running his hands through his hair with a groan.
What the hell am I doing? I've barely known her three days and I already feel… this. I'm supposed to be watching her. Preparing to ki— He cut off the thought, unable to finish it.
Finally, Seraphine reached class. As usual, she sat at the back, pulled out her notebook, and began doodling. Little shadows formed from the page, flapping like living sketches.
The lecture was going on, but she wasn't listening. She was drawing.
When she finished, she froze.
She had drawn three blades.
The first two were twins: one patterned with light and shadow, the other entirely shadow, but one side was darker than the other.
The last blade… looked like a combination of both.