School of Broken Wings Read online

  "Here it is!" Professor Crosby says excitedly. He almost knocks over another stack of books as he rushes back to where he'd been standing, and Finn saves the stack from falling to the ground. "Three days before his death, Copernicus wrote about an angel named Angelique who had been taken ‘by those blood-thirsty creatures that secretly surround us all.’ Copernicus wrote that he found Angelique on the side of the road, dying, on one of his daily walks. ‘She was dying in my arms, her soul irreparably fractured,’ he wrote. ‘And I cried that such a creation would no longer exist on this earth…’” The professor's voice fades off as he stops reading, and there was a heavy silence as we absorbed his words. That could easily have been my fate. That still could be my fate.

  "Now Copernicus says later on in his entry that she told him she was the last of her kind. However, in the next day's entry, he discusses a pressing need to go to the Fairy Pools on the Isle of Skye in Scotland as a favor to a friend. He wrote that he needed ‘to complete the ritual before her beauty was lost for good.’ This entry would lend credence to reports that Copernicus was going mad at the end if it weren't for another piece of folklore that I've stumbled across."

  The professor is speaking quickly, a little bit of spittle flying from his mouth in his excitement.

  He rushes over to his desk this time and picks up another book that is lying open on his desk. "This is a book of Scottish legends that I picked up the last time I visited there, and it talks about the sighting of beautiful winged creatures around the Isle of Skye. Evidently, legend had it that you would have good luck for the rest of your life if you happened upon such a sight."

  Alexander lifts an eyebrow. "So what's the connection between the favor for a friend, the Fairy Pools, and the angels then?" he asks quizzically.

  The professor takes a great inhale of breath as if he's about to deliver incredibly exciting news, and I find myself leaning forward in anticipation.

  "I think that his Angelique was pregnant and the favor he needed to complete was to take her offspring to the Fairy Pools for some kind of ritual."

  My shoulders drop in disappointment. His story sounds completely insane. We need something real, something concrete. What he's spouting is complete nonsense wrapped up in folklore and wishful thinking.

  "If angels were said to have died out, wouldn't there have been more sightings along the way?" asks Braxton.

  I look at him, surprised at the interest that I can hear in his voice. All of the others look annoyed, but Braxton appears like we've just discovered the holy grail.

  "There are rumors of sightings constantly," the professor explains, gesturing to all the books around him. "There are also rumors of vampires constantly. I think if they do exist, it's a good bet that the angels continued to be hunted and they've adopted a low profile. Their numbers would be incredibly small, but I do believe they are there."

  I lean back against the wall behind me, pressing a hand against the wall to try and ground myself.

  "Ouch," I hiss as my finger snags on a nail sticking out from the wall. I gaze at my hand and see I’ve made a large cut and blood is gushing out. It’s a deep cut. I send up a prayer I won’t need stitches.

  I look around the room. "Do you have a tissue by chance?" I ask as I try and staunch the flow of the blood with my other hand.

  I've scarcely gotten the words out when there's a blur of movement and Professor Crosby has his hand around my neck, pushing me against the wall.

  "Angel," he hisses, his eyes dilated so much that they look like black orbs staring manically at me. There are veins sticking out from his head, no sign of the fatherly professor figure from moments before.

  "What the fuck?" I hear one of the guys cry out. The professor rears back, fangs suddenly descending in his mouth where there were none before. He's not going to eat my soul, he's definitely going for my blood. I close my eyes and flinch, anticipating the bite.

  Just then, he's ripped away from me and I open my eyes to see Alexander throwing him to the ground.

  He levels a punch to the professor's face, and I hear a loud crunch sound as Alexander completely shatters his nose. Blood flies everywhere, and the professor lets out a harsh, garbled sob from the pain. Alexander hits him in the stomach next, and I almost feel a bit bad for the professor because it's got to be hard to breathe. But then I think about the fact that he just tried to eat me, and I don't feel so sorry anymore.

  Alexander rears back to hit him again but Braxton grabs his fist and pulls him backwards. "He needs to be able to talk," he hisses as he stares at Professor Crosby with utter loathing.

  Despite what he just said, Braxton kicks him rather hard in the ribs to get his attention.

  Finn is at my side of course. "Are you okay?" he asks as he examines me closely.

  I nod weakly, not able to take my eyes off the scene in front of me.

  "Have you been planning this since I emailed you? Did you let someone know we were coming?" he barks at the professor's struggling form.

  "No, I swear I didn't know," Professor Crosby calls out pathetically. "Not until I smelled her blood." He lets out a loud sob as he cradles his face. I'm not sure even his supernatural healing powers are going to be able to fix the damage Alexander's done to it.

  "Why have you been studying angelic folklore? What was your end goal?" Dante chimes in, a dark look on his face.

  "I wanted to find an angel. I wanted to taste them just once," Professor Crosby sobs out. He lowers his hands from his face, and there's so much yearning as he gazes at me. Maybe yearning isn't the right word. More like manic obsession. I shiver under the look and want to hide behind one of the guys. I make myself stand tall though.

  His hair looks askew, and I see some black strands peeking out. I realize he's wearing a wig. Trying to make himself look more human I suppose.

  All of the guys are staring at him like he's a disgusting bug they've just found. I'm getting pretty tired of being the tastiest thing on the supernatural menu.

  "What about everything you've told us today. Was that all crap?" Braxton asks. I notice that Nyx and Connor are over by the professor's desk, digging through it.

  "That's my life's work," the professor answers in a pained, affronted voice. "I've been searching for her for over a hundred years. Chasing down every lead I could find. And now she's here right in front of me..." His voice trails off, and I think he's about to cry.

  "He really is obsessed," says Connor as he looks through some papers he's found on the desk. "He's done a lineage chart from the time of the archangels until Angelique."

  "There are lists of every time an angel has been seen since then," adds Nyx, looking at the papers in his hands in fascination.

  Connor sets down his papers and is by the professor's side in a flash. He pulls a knife out of his pocket and presses it against the professor's throat, until a thin trail of blood starts to trickle out of the small cut he's made. "I'm quite adept at killing vampires. You probably haven't heard much about my kind since you've been so busy with angels. But while I know you need to be stabbed in the heart to die, I also know there are a million ways to hurt you and make sure that any healing that takes place is utter torture," he says with a scary smile. Connor's disappeared at this moment, and a terrifying hunter has taken his place. The rest of the guys look almost impressed at the transformation. "Now tell me if we should go to the Isle of Skye to find answers about angels." He presses the knife in further, until I'm sure he's going to hit something important.

  I take a step forward, but Finn holds me back, a hard glint in his eye.

  "Yes, everything I told you was true," the professor sobs. "Just let me go, and I'll forget all about this. I won't say anything to the council or ever bother you again."

  "Now why would you think we were worried about the council if you didn't know who we were?" Alexander says silkily as he crouches down beside Connor. A shiver travels down my spine as I look at the two of them. All of my boyfriends are kind of messed up…

 
Not that I'm calling Connor my boyfriend.

  "I..." Professor Crosby is at a loss for words, obviously caught in his lie.

  "Thanks for the tip, professor. I'll send your regards to the angels," Connor announces smoothly before he swiftly stabs the professor in the heart, giving it a hard twist for good measure. The professor lets out a loud scream, and then there's utter silence.

  He's dead.

  Connor and Alexander then both stand up at the same time, and Alexander gives Connor a respectful nod. All of the guys seem to be in agreement that what's just happened was necessary.

  Personally, I'm a little bit in shock at everything that's just happened. So much so, that I barely notice when Finn lifts up my hand to examine it.

  "Your hand is healed!" he announces in awe to the room and everyone, immediately gathers around me, ignoring the now dead professor still bleeding on the floor.

  "Angels must have healing powers," Braxton says excitedly, and I nod a little numbly as I look at my now perfectly smooth skin. I run a finger over the smooth skin with no sign of the cut.

  “There seems to be a lot of new things about me,” I respond with a smile.

  There’s a long pause, and then I start to laugh. I have no idea why I’m laughing, and it sounds a bit crazy as it leaves my mouth, but I can’t stop myself. One by one the others chime in. I’m sure anyone watching us right now would think we were a bunch of psychopaths.

  Everything is just a lot to deal with right now.

  Nyx has a pile of documents in his hands from the professor’s desk, and he hands it to Braxton, who glances through them.

  “I think we need to try the Isle of Skye,” he says when he looks up from the documents. “It’s the only lead we have.”

  I nod, my stomach fluttering at the thought of traveling overseas for the first time. I glance at the professor’s body, dribbling blood all over the expensive Persian rug underneath him.

  “What are we going to do about that?” I ask. “Do you think someone will call the police? He was screaming quite loud.”

  Connor smirks. “Just give me a few minutes,” he says, pulling a kit from the satchel he was wearing.

  “I don’t think I want to know the details,” I respond, feeling a bit green. “I’ll just wait in the car.”

  Finn, Nyx, and Braxton walk out with me while Alexander and Dante stay with Connor.

  We don’t say anything as we sit in the car, although I can’t help but imagine what’s going on in there. The guys don’t seem disturbed at all. They’re all looking through the papers and books they’ve taken from the professor’s office. How many times have they disposed of bodies?

  A while later, the others appear, looking perfectly calm...and blood free. Alexander hops into the bench seat next to me and levels me with an adrenaline filled kiss.

  “Everything go alright?” asks Braxton as he starts the SUV.

  “Yep,” Connor responds, sharing a smug grin with Alexander and Dante.

  Well, alright then.

  “To Scotland?” Alexander asks, looking at me.

  I hesitate for a moment, a fluttering building up in my stomach once again. I have a feeling that everything is going to change even more if we take this step. I also have a feeling that it’s the only path we have.

  “To Scotland,” I tell him resolutely.

  And away we go.

  Chapter 8

  This isn’t my first time on a plane, but it is my first time traveling first class. I slip my bare feet into the slippers the attendants provided and sit back in my leather lounge. Dante is next to me, his hand on my thigh. In front of us is another two-seater lounge where Nyx and Braxton recline. The table between us is filled with drinks and snacks as if we are at a cafe, yet we are miles in the air. Over to my left, Alexander and Finn are chatting casually, while Connor sits across from them reading a magazine.

  We’re chasing the chance that the Fairy Pools do actually exist, and maybe we’ll uncover who exactly I am and a way to help save me from the council of vampires who won’t give up until they capture me. I shift in my seat and try my best to push those worries aside. For now, we’re on a plane and I have all my men with me, plus Connor. I feel so much for him, but I don’t know what exactly our situation is.

  Looking over to Dante next to me, I say, “It doesn't feel like we’re on a plane.”

  The guys are laid back, like this is the only way to fly. I’ve never flown first class or had so much leg room on a plane before.

  I watch a beautiful flight attendant serving drinks behind the bar located in the middle of the room. Her blond hair is drawn into a tight bun, and she smiles widely at the woman she is handing a glass of bubbly to.

  “The best part is that the time passes quickly when traveling this way,” Braxton adds, overhearing my comment.

  I glance over to the steps at the end of the room going downstairs to where everyone else sits in the plane…where I normally am. Except, I’m up here with five vampires and a hunter, and it’s anything but normal. So I reach for the small bowl of pretzels and pop one into my mouth.

  “I don’t think I can ever fly economy again after this.”

  Dante leans closer to steal some of the pretzels. “From now on, you fly first class.”

  I smile at the thought and at his implication that we will be together always. I accepted long ago that I might never be rich. My parents have always struggled. They worked hard and ensured we had the necessities. It never crossed my mind that I might one day fly first class. There is definitely something to be said about traveling in such luxury. Mostly that I’ll be happy to fly like this from now on if possible.

  I keep looking around at people in their leather lounges, others chatting by the bar. Many wear suits and designer clothes. The seven of us probably stand out next to the older passengers. I catch their sideway glances. For all they know, we come from rich families and this is a regular trip for us.

  Truthfully, on the inside, I’m jumping all over the place with excitement to be experiencing this.

  “You’re so adorable,” Braxton says. “I can see the excitement in your eyes. It’s cute. There’s so much we can show you, Adi. Things you won’t believe.”

  “That sounds incredible.” I can’t believe how much I’m smiling at the promise he offers after everything we’ve gone through. How much more we still have to go through. Even knowing we are flying to the Isle of Skye in Scotland to try and find help for me, I’m letting my mind float on clouds. Maybe things can work out for me for a change. Or maybe I’m being completely foolish.

  Nyx fiddles with a panel of buttons on the wall where the window blinds are pulled shut. Seconds later, a monitor drops down from the panel above.

  “Oh, what movies are they playing?” I ask.

  “Let me see.” Nyx plays with the buttons once more while Braxton climbs out of the lounge.

  “I’m getting more drinks and snacks.”

  Dante shuffles closer to me, his hand around my waist, and draws me against him. I settle near him and lean against him. It almost feels like we’re on a couch at home about to watch a movie.

  “You’ve been so strong,” Dante says with a smile. The way he talks to me leaves me breathless at seeing him almost proud of me. There is something to be said about receiving positive reinforcement. He’s a vampire and I am the opposite, yet he showers me with love. This is why I know I can trust my men. After everything we’ve been through, they still stick by my side.

  “I’m nervous to find out the truth about my parents,” I whisper the true fear from my heart.

  He turns to better face me and wraps his arms around my back. “How can you fear something that will be beautiful?”

  “How can you say that? They gave me up as a child. What if they aren’t happy that I’m searching for them?”

  A grin curls the corners of his lips upward. “There is always a reason for everything. A tale behind every action. Give your parents the benefit of the doubt.”

/>   My lip trembles as I listen to him.

  “Adi, I know you’re nervous. But we’ll be by your side no matter what,” he tells me soothingly, kissing my nose and mouth.

  “I know you’re right. I guess I’m a bit anxious about what we’ll find out in Scotland.”

  “You’re not alone. No matter what happens, you will have us. I always remember something you said to me not long ago. That there’s the family that we’re born with and the family that we choose. And you said you will always be better at knowing the hearts of those you select.”

  “You remember that?” I fight to keep my mouth from dropping open. I’ve forgotten that conversation until just now. He seems to remember what I said word for word, which to me is a huge compliment to know he took what I said to heart.

  “Back then, I said I chose you, Adi. That until the end of time I’ll choose you. And nothing has changed. My feelings for you won’t change.”

  I blink, staring at this man, my heart stuttering at his words. “I don’t even know how I got so lucky to have you and the others in my life.”

  His hand slides around my waist and to my back, his fingers pressing into my flesh like he’s fighting the urge to haul me against him. To kiss me like only the two of us exist. I see it all in the way he looks into my eyes. I want the same so much. But not here in front of everyone. I doubt strangers will understand our relationship dynamics. Before Raven Academy, I would have laughed myself silly if anyone said I would be dating six guys…well, five for now. Things with Connor are complicated, and I want some time alone with him. I need to know him being with me now doesn’t carry an ulterior motive. My heart says it doesn’t, yet my mind is a skeptical beast.

  As if sensing my thoughts, Dante pushes his shoulder into the seat and holds me tight against his chest. I love the masculine, dark cinnamon smell that is all Dante. All mine.