Page 85 of Angel Lost

Professor Lumis shrugs. “You can decide the curriculum. If, that is, you want to take it on?” He frowns. “Understand, Zephyr, I’m allowing this because it seems important to you. And you are important to me, to this academy. Perhaps one day to Eltanin.”

I run my hands through my hair.I am?

The old hada hovers in the doorway, shells gathered in her hands. Her face has an almost hopeful look.

“I’ll do it.” This is what I came here to do. To show Lorelei I can effect real change. That I’m more than just some drug-addled, hyper-sexed Lothario.

“Excellent.” The professor settles deeper into his chair, shutting the door behind the hada with a click of his fingers. “Now, I’ve been meaning to talk to you about your future, Zephyr.”

I sit up straighter.

The professor runs a finger around the rim of his glass. “We have great need of an angel with your abilities. The angels, the king, the whole of Eltanin even, needs you.”

He doesn’t look right at me, more somewhere over my left shoulder. The back of my neck prickles.

“My allegiance needs me.”

The professor hums in the back of his throat. “Do they? I don’t see outward signs of your allegiance supporting you, encouraging you even, but, if you say they do—”

“They do!”I blurt.

“Well then, because I want to persuade you…” He stares straight at me now, pinning me to my chair with the intensity of his piercing blue eyes. “…I’m going to bribe you.”

I snort so hard I choke on a mouthful of whiskey.

Professor Lumis smiles. “Don’t take me so seriously, Zephyr. I will, however, stress that my door is open for you if you change your mind. And this is for you—no strings attached.”

He hands me a copper key. Something that’s straight out of a fairy tale. It’s slender, with a faint blue-green sheen darkening its intricate carvings. I turn it over and over in my hand, marveling at the surprising weight to it. An eye gazes outward from the head of the key, surrounded by concentric circles mimicking the orbit of the planets. Along the stem, etched runes spiral down, glowing faintly as if infused with starlight.

“It’s a key for the observatory, Zephyr.”

My fingers curl around it, and I have to force my fist open. I thrust it back at him.

“I’ll run education programs for the hada, but I’m not interested in joining the angel army.”

The professor refuses to take the key back. “I said no strings, young Zephyr, and I meant it. Use of the observatory will undoubtedly help your skills. Should you change your mind later you’ll be even more valuable to us. And if not, what’s the harm? We added some modern technology that the observatories of old didn’t have. Anyway, there are few powerful enough to use the observatory. You won’t be in anyone’s way.”

I stare down at the small key in the palm of my hand. We found the observatory under the academy. I don’t need this. But then again, modern tech combined with old magic would be an amazing thing. And Lorelei still hasn’t taken me back there. He said I’m not obligated to anyone.

My hand closes around the key and I stuff it into my back pocket.

Chapter Twenty-nine: Chano

The punch bag groans under my fists, the chains rattling like bones in a storm. I’m hitting too hard, again. Dr. Mendez would have a whole speech about this, something about “impulse control” and “anger as an unmet need.”

He’d tell me to breathe through the rage. That violence isn’t the answer. Hades’ sake, I’m a demon. Violence is my first language.

The gym’s nearly empty, just me and the wolves. Alairik and Raff move together in the ring, all fluid footwork and sharp movements, sweat gleaming on their backs. They’re not even sparring anymore, just stretching, breathing. Waiting.

I pull Lottie’s note from my pocket and smooth it out for the hundredth time. The paper is creased and worn, the words burned into my skull.

We found a way to be more. Real power—the kind that matters. We’re taking it. No one can stop us, so don’t try.

My sister’s handwriting, bold and certain. She signed it with a knife. Lottie—cut into the page. I exhale hard and shove it back into my pocket.

Raff paws at my shoulder, making a low sound in his throat. “Still brooding?”

Alairik drops onto the mat beside me, head tilting. “You keep beating on that thing, you’ll break it. And then you’ll have to explain to your therapist how you murdered an innocent punch bag.”

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