Defying Destiny (Afterword Academy #3) - Katie May Page 0,59

the bodies hanging from the trees at the entrance of the school. The first man I recognize as our headmaster, a Demon named Stephan. And beside him is Damon, an instructor. Miss Celeste, the head Angel, and Mr. Thumb, who teaches my demonology and angelology class.

Dead.

All dead.

Their essences haven’t merely been taken from their bodies, able to return at a later time. Instead, their essences have been destroyed completely. It’s the same thing Fucking Jake did in his quest to find the Darkness—he killed half a dozen souls, damning them. The dead souls don’t merely travel to Heaven and Hell. They simply cease to exist.

I hate myself when, intermingled with the horror, I feel something akin to relief. Not one of the bodies displayed before me is Aggie’s or even Buttox’s.

Which means they’re still alive. For now.

Unless they’re nothing but ash like Abram…

No! They’re alive. They have to be. I would feel if they were dead.

“Come on,” Caius says gently, and I take his proffered hand, gripping it like a lifeline.

“Lilith killed them,” I whisper without any inflection. I don’t need Caius to confirm it, though. I know without a shadow of doubt that she’s behind it all.

I had thought her to be my fucking friend. Now, it all makes sense. Her talk of losing the man she loved…

She didn’t mention that he was Lucifer himself.

“Aggie! We need to find her!” I all but race towards the Dearly Departed dorm, taking the stairs two at a time until I reach my room. With my heart crawling its way up my throat, I push the door open, only to feel crippling disappointment when I see it’s empty.

“That doesn’t mean anything,” Brax whispers from behind me, pulling me against his hard body. I whimper before forcing myself to tamp down those emotions. I’m no use to Aggie if I’m a sobbing, pathetic mess.

“Let’s get to the beach and wait for the others,” Caius suggests as he uses his Fate dagger to create a swirling portal.

I take both Caius’s and Braxton’s hands as we jump together, landing on the warm sand of the beach. I brace myself, expecting an attack, but relax marginally when no monsters come slinking out of the majestic lake.

“She’s going to be okay,” Brax reassures me once more, but I shove his words away. I can’t even begin to consider them, because I know they’ll bring me hope. And right now, I don’t have hope. I can’t have it. Generals don’t win wars with fucking hope.

I don’t know how long we stand there in silence before I see movement cresting the hill line. Immediately, I draw my Fate dagger as Braxton crouches protectively in front of me, his sword drawn. Caius merely stands ramrod straight, icy eyes surveying the horizon with a sort of glacial detachment. It’s easy to forget that he’s lived forever and is a skilled killer. I have no doubt that he’s more lethal than Brax and me combined.

My body physically deflates when I spot Karston’s mop of blond hair as he races towards me. Behind him are dozens of students and surviving teachers. Most are Ghosts, but I spot a few Demons, Reapers, and Angels thrown in as well.

“My baby wanted an army, and I’m nothing if not a supportive boyfriend,” he says once he’s in front of me, and I stamp down on the urge to kiss him senseless. Now isn’t the time.

Over the next few minutes, more and more students and teachers arrive, each group being led by one of my Fated.

My men huddle around me as Professor Malcolm steps forward. He exchanges a quick hug with Brax, my demon’s eyes glimmering with relief, before he focuses on me.

“What happened?” I demand, aware that the rest of our ragtag group—nearly one hundred strong—is huddled around me as well, desperate for answers.

“Lilith,” he answers simply, throat bobbing. “She arrived at the headmaster’s office one morning, shortly after you and the quad left, and confessed to being a Fate.” His eyes slide to Caius standing to my right, narrowing suspiciously, but I quickly move to reclaim Malcom’s attention. If anyone is shocked by my appearance, they don’t show it. But Caius?

Half of the students look as if they want to gut him alive…and they don’t even know that he’s the Darkness. All they can tell is that he’s an old and powerful Fate, and considering Lilith fucking enslaved them, I don’t blame them for being cautious.

“She killed everyone who stood in her way,” a student