Fortune Academy: Year Three, page 8
part #3 of Fortune Academy (Part 1) Series
“Logan!” I shouted. I couldn’t see my wolf, but I felt him with my bond somewhere in the mass of the Demonspawn. “I hope you are alive, because Cerberus came to play!”
I got this, Princess, came the smug reply in my head.
Cocky ass wolf.
Cerberus dropped the bone and one of the heads released a howl that made me cover my ears. “Shit! That’s loud.”
All of the Demonspawn around us broke into chaos as the witch spirits giggled with manic laughter.
If Hell was always like this, then this was one crown I didn’t want. My mom could keep it.
A silver wolf flashed in the sea of black, heading straight for the terrifying three-headed dog. Cerberus jumped and stuck his butt in the air, wagging his massive tail.
Now I’ve seen everything.
Logan barked and jumped over the bone as a wave of Demonspawn and witch spirits trailed behind him. Cerberus took the cue and lifted the bone, sending it flying with a wide arch of its neck. A wave of Demonspawn went down like bowling pins.
“More!” Luc shouted with hysterical laughter, clapping his hands as Jess sank to her knees, defeated as she stared at me and mouthed “I’m sorry.” She wound her finger around her ear and pointed at the demon leader.
I smirked. Yeah, well if I had been stuck in this place for centuries, I’d be bat-wing-shit crazy too.
Cerberus chased after Logan, bulldozing down massive hoards of the Demonspawn until the creatures decided to go for the retreat. They ran toward the black portal while the witch spirits hissed and ventured back into the red glow of the pit. I saw why when Cerberus dropped his bone to snap at them, eating a mouthful of screeching phantoms like a snack.
Orion, Hendrik, Dante, and Kaito formed a circle around me as we watched Logan and Cerberus play. Once I realized the danger was gone, I took a moment to appreciate how incredible my Virtues really were. The portal shimmered when the last of the Demonspawn entered it, then puffed into a pile of ash.
Cerberus barked, absolutely gleeful while Logan nipped at his heels. The two played until Cerberus rolled onto his back, allowing Logan to pin the neck of one of his heads.
It was hard to believe, but size didn’t matter when it came to a pack. Logan really was an Alpha.
Luc began a slow clap, stepping forward as he dismissed his portal. “Fabulous. Just fabulous, Princess. You have chosen your Virtues wisely, it seems.”
I growled and formed another fireball, aiming it at his face. “Give me one good reason I shouldn’t end you right here for pulling that shit.”
The demon grinned and spread his arms. “You could kill me, if you like, but you need me, Lilith. I am the leader of the army that will push your precious Conduit of Calamity into the bowels of Hell. If you think you can do it without me, be my guest.” He sighed and closed his eyes. “At least I would die from a royal’s fireball instead of boredom.”
Rolling my eyes, I dismissed my flame and kicked the ground instead, cursing when I hit a stone.
“We’ll find another way to punish him,” Kaito interjected as he took my arm. “Just because you show him mercy doesn’t mean he won’t have to deal with consequences.” His tattoo flashed with a metallic silver sheen. “Everything comes with a price.”
“That’s my line,” Hendrik said as he brushed ash from his robe. “And yes, I should have known summoning a portal here would be a mistake.” He glared at Luc. “One I won’t make again.”
Logan yipped with excitement as Cerberus rolled onto his haunches, setting his heads down on his paws as he blinked at us with puppy-dog eyes.
We’ve wasted too much time, Logan said in my head, and by the way my other Virtues went still, I knew they could hear him too. Good thing I got us a ride down. You ready to hop on?
I stared at the Hell hound. “Ride?”
Orion whooped and sprinted to the dog, making me catch my breath when he startled the creature. To my relief, the hound didn’t bite off his head when the demigod climbed onto his back. Normally Orion was a giant, but on Cerberus, he fit without a problem. Orion gathered a fistful of fur and steadied himself, then patted the spot behind him. “Come on, little star. It’s not every day you get to ride Cerberus into the pits of Hell.”
He was right about that…
“Is this my life now?” I grumbled as I shuffled through ash toward the massive dog.
Dante chuckled and tucked an arm around my waist, lifting me up once I got to the hound’s giant paw. “It is, and you better get used to it, because it’s only down from here.”
Chapter 9
It was definitely pretty cool riding Cerberus into the depths of Hell. We’d wasted too much time getting sidetracked by Luc’s stunt, and it felt good to leave him behind in the smoky dust as my Virtues and I continued on our journey.
Jess stayed behind and I wasn’t sure how I felt about that. She’d assured me that she would keep our best interests as a priority from Luc’s end of things as best she could, although I didn’t really know how much sway she had with the unpredictable demon.
We went through tunnel after tunnel, going deeper into darkness that the hell hound seemed accustomed with. I wasn’t sure what I expected at the end of the smoke and rising lava that bubbled in pools at the tunnel’s edge, but the glittering palace wasn’t it.
Logan gave out a low whistle. “Damn. Is that our new house? Because I could dig that.”
“We’re not staying in Hell,” I said, my voice stern as I gripped Orion. He was too big for me to completely wrap my arms around, so I clung to his shirt while Kaito hugged me from the back, sandwiching me between two of my delicious Virtues.
Cerberus released a howl when we reached the palace gates, making me slam my hands over my ears. “You’re supposed to warn us when he does that, Logan!”
The wolf chuckled and dropped off of the hellhounds back. The massive dog was more than large enough to hold all of my Virtues and myself, and probably could fit a few more. I wondered if the hound was used to transporting royalty and her entourage around the lower levels.
To answer my question, Cerberus whined with excitement as the gates parted, revealing a stunning woman with a golden crown that sparkled like glass. A brilliant red jewel hung around her chest and rested on her cleavage, but the light that illuminated it came from within her body.
She spread her arms in welcome, sending her glittering sleeves to sweep with her movements. “My daughter. You’ve finally come home.”
Meeting Sonya in the flesh made me nervous, which surprised me. I’d already met one of my mothers and it hadn’t affected me like this. Maybe that’s because I hadn’t expected to meet Silvia when I’d gone to Heaven, but this was a different story. I’d been thinking about Sonya ever since I’d figured out that she was my mother.
The Queen of Hell? Yeah. That would freak anyone out.
She didn’t seem so scary now that I met her in person, but I knew appearances could be deceiving. She rested across from us in a beautiful garden as light shone down on my face—yep, that’s right. Light.
But not from the sun. Sonya had taken us inside her palace and into one of the large guest chambers where Blood Stones lined a white ceiling in the shape of a wide dome that towered above our heads. Each stone was fully charged, radiating warmth and heat that made it feel like we sat out in the sun. The effect made me slump into one of the chairs and lean my head back, allowing the pleasant warmth to banish all my pent-up tension from everything that had happened.
“I love to come here to think,” Sonya said.
I glanced at her as she sipped a glass of champagne and crossed her legs, sending her dress to run up her thigh and reveal much more skin than was appropriate.
“And what do you think about?” I asked.
She smiled as all of her mates surrounded her. “These days? I think about how lucky I am.” She ran her fingers over them, one by one, running her touch up their arms as they crouched and gave her small kisses of adoration.
They looked like dark-haired pieces of temptation that contrasted against the blonde-haired queen. She smiled with a wicked gleam in her eyes that betrayed she lived up to her namesake. Even if these men looked like temptation, she was sin incarnate.
“Let me introduce you to my resolved sins,” she said, tugging one over her shoulder. “This is Xavier, the sin of gluttony.” She pinched his cheek just below one of his glimmering red eyes. “Appropriate, no?” He returned her smile with one of his own, showing off his fangs. A vampire, yes, but I sensed this one was old and powerful, not like the ones I’d seen in the Monster Arena.
When Sonya tugged his collar to pull him in for a kiss, he indulged her, then glanced at my mates with a wary eye. He’d been keeping tabs on Hendrik, almost as if he knew the Dark Mage had a penchant for using vampire teeth in his potions.
“Luke,” she said, indicating another male on her left. He ran his fingers over her shoulder and gave me a polite nod.
My gaze had trouble meeting his, especially as he moved and every muscle in his massive chest flexed. He had muscles over his muscles like a knitted tightrope made of sex.
Logan growled in my head. Keep your eyes up, Princess.
I flinched and bit my lip. It wasn’t my fault all of my mother’s mates walked around shirtless and looking like… well, sin.
“My royal dragon shifter, Jet,” Sonya said, indicating a muscular Asian whose tattoos lived and breathed. To add to the mystifying effect, his eyes periodically flashed to a reptilian slit. I should have been creeped out by it. Instead, I found him fascinating.
The final male clapped his hands. “Of course, she saves the best for last. I’m Nate, the Incubus King’s son.”
“Otherwise known as a human,” Xavier corrected him.
“Don’t you two start bickering,” Sonya chided. She adjusted a golden crown on her head that sparkled with her movements as she sank back into her seat.
I introduced my mates in return and Sonya politely nodded to each one.
“So tell me, daughter, why have you come to Hell?” she asked as she swirled her champagne. “It seems like a lot of trouble, so there must be something important that you need.”
I straightened. “You don’t already know?”
Dante rested a hand on my arm in warning. Don’t be rude, he said in my head.
She played her fingers over the edge of her champagne glass. “I suspect that you lost your memories, just like many of the supernaturals who have been hit by the latest wave of Calamity. Which means someone told you about me, despite my efforts to stay out of worldly matters.” She tilted her head. “No offense, but the other realms have gone to shit. And being Queen of Hell, that’s saying something. Now, the person who told you about me, who was it?”
I chewed on my lip before deciding to go with the truth. “Silvia.”
She flinched before schooling her expression. Luke massaged her shoulders and she leaned into the touch. “I see. You must have quite the story to tell if you’ve met with Silvia.” Her red gaze flickered with curiosity. “How is she?”
I shrugged. “Okay, I guess. I met her in Heaven and she has her wings back. Did you know her? When she was on Earth, I mean.”
Sonya nodded. “Yes.” She smirked, startling me as I spotted fang. I almost forgot that the Queen of Hell was not only a succubus, but had been turned into a vampire before her ascension to the demonic throne… or her descent, as it were.
When she didn’t reply, I spread out my palms. “And? What was she like? How did you meet? She said you helped my father, the Incubus King, get her pregnant. What did she mean by that?”
“Lily,” Kaito warned.
I ignored him. Sure, maybe my first questions should be about something more pressing, like, Hey, can we use your fiery pit to trap the Dean of Fortune Academy and stop the end of the world? But give a girl a break. I had two freaking mothers for crying out loud… two! And I wanted to know how that was even possible.
Nate coughed into his fist. Xavier had introduced him as a human, but the sensual gleam in Nate’s eyes and his rock-hard abs said otherwise. Perhaps being the Incubus King’s son meant he got a little extra oomph when it came to being a human male.
Wait.
Wasn’t the Incubus King also… my father?
Nate cleared his throat. “Shit, Sonya. This is awkward. I just realized she and I… we’re…”
“Brother and sister, yes,” Sonya said flippantly as if that was a technicality.
My eyes went so wide I thought they would pop out of my head.
“One hell of a family reunion down here,” Orion grumbled, rubbing the back of his neck as he took one of the larger chairs.
“My… brother?” I asked, gripping the edge of my seat until my knuckles went white. “And you’re human? How is that even possible?”
Nate shrugged. “Our parents had troubles passing on the incubi gene, so you were the lucky one, I guess.”
His tone held a touch of bitterness to it, but I didn’t feel like being a succubus was something to be proud of.
My mother hissed at Nate. “You know the burden it is to be a succubus. I myself accepted Xavier’s proposal to turn me into a vampire just to escape the guilt. Don’t diminish Lilith’s suffering because you still struggle with your sin of envy.”
Nate crossed his arms and cast his gaze to his feet. “Sorry.”
She slapped his wrist. “No apologies in Hell, love. It’s all right.”
The two smirked at one another and seemed to share a moment of understanding before Sonya turned to me again. “Well, now we know the ‘who’ behind the reason you are here, but now it is time for the ‘why.’ Tell me. What is it that I can do for you?” She leaned over her knees and set her empty glass on the floor. “Because if you are here to ask for my help to stop Calamity, there’s not much I can offer you. I am Champion of the First Echo and my time has passed.” She tilted her head and golden strands of hair draped over her shoulders. “I did what I could. I founded Fortune Academy to give the next Champion a chance, wherever or whoever she might be.”
I raised an eyebrow. “Well if you wanted Fortune Academy to benefit me, you should have made it easier to enroll. I had to register illegally.”
Dante rubbed the scar around his wrist. “That’s right. It wasn’t easy to get her in.”
Sonya smirked. “Well, even if you hadn’t gone to Fortune Academy, there was Monster Academy too right here next door. The Champion is always a supernatural one, even if she doesn’t start out that way, so I knew if Evelyn’s version of education couldn’t benefit you, my school would.”
“Monster Academy?” I asked as tingling crawled down my arms and the urge to release my claws made me clench my fists. “I’m not a monster.”
Sonya patted me on the knee. “Of course you’re not, dear. Monster Academy is just a nickname. Officially it’s called Underworld Academy.” Her gaze sparkled with that wicked gleam I was learning not to trust. “Maybe you’ll get a chance to check it out one day.”
“We’re not here to swap schools,” Orion said, his voice booming through the guest chamber. “We’re here to stop Calamity and salvage our home.”
She gave the demigod a raised eyebrow as she leaned into her hip. “I can’t stop Calamity.”
I got up and stood between my mother and Orion before the snarky demigod got himself in trouble. “I don’t want your help to stop Calamity, Mother. Just… your assistance to contain it.”
She tilted her head. “Contain it? And how do you propose I do that? Calamity is an intangible, unstoppable force. It cannot be defeated, much less contained. It can only be survived with the help of Champions like us who help soften the blow of destruction.”
Kaito rested his hand on mine, giving me strength. “We know who the Conduit is,” he said. “It’s the Dean of Fortune Academy: Guinevere Lancelot.”
Sonya hissed. “What?” She gaped in shock, then snapped her jaw shut as her eyes flashed with red fury. “I told Evelyn that woman was a poor choice. Unbelievable.” She worked her jaw. “That means the Academy has been compromised, yes?”
I nodded. “The Dean has a muse working for her. One of the students named Melinda and she’s no joke. We barely made it here with our lives.”
Sonya grabbed onto Luke and he flinched as her power jolted through him. I expected him to pull away, but instead he wrapped his arms around her and absorbed her energy until the red haze around them dissipated. I realized that the Queen of Hell suffered the weight of sin—sin of all the realms, and her mates kept her grounded.
“We need to give her the angelstone,” Sonya whispered as she curled into Luke’s chest.
“Hmm,” he said, a sound of agreement.
Kaito perked up at that. “Did you say… angelstone?”
Chapter 10
Kaito grilled the Queen about angelstone as we climbed more staircases than I cared to count. While I had super-strength, I definitely didn’t have super-endurance and halfway through my legs started to burn something fierce.
As I slowly trailed behind the group, I envied my mates. Hendrik, a powerful Dark Mage, never seemed to tire. Beneath those robes hid a masculine body powered by the forces of dark magic. He’d literally devoured his soul for that strength, so I didn’t envy the price, but still, not dying while climbing stairs sounded pretty good right about now.
Dante? Hunter.
Logan? Tireless wolf.
Orion? Sexy demigod.
Kaito? Overpowered demon mentor whose power I felt like was just now scratching at the surface.
Then… me. A huffing, puffing, tribrid who was starting to run low on reserves. While I had strength swirling inside of me after a night with my Virtues, I didn’t draw on it. I knew I would need every ounce of power for when we faced Calamity.
Being a responsible Champion sucks.
“Here we are,” Sonya said as she guided us to one of the top towers of the palace.
