Fallen Academy: Year Four (Fallen Academy #4)(33)

“Absolutely, fucking not!” Lincoln roared at the dinner table in our small trailer.

His chicken sat untouched, and I feared he was on the verge of a nervous breakdown or something.

“Just hear me out.” I reached out and clasped his hand, while Lincoln took deep calming breaths through his nose. “You’ve heard the prophecy. You told me yourself that you think I’m meant to fulfill it.” I kept my voice quiet and measured.

“That was before I fell madly in love with you! Now I don’t care about some stupid prophecy. I just want you safe,” he bellowed.

“I won’t be safe, not in the long run. Eventually Angel City will fall, and we’ll all succumb to the demons’ power, to Lucifer’s wrath. If I could just take a team of Fallen Army soldiers down to Hell—”

“No way. You’re never going back down there.” His breathing was ragged, and I knew he was on the verge of a panic attack, having suffered many of them myself in the past.

I yanked my hand away from his and crossed my arms. “Then how are we going to fix this? The world is ending, Lincoln! Do you want all those lives on your conscience, because I sure don’t? I can go down there, and I can fix this. I know what his building looks like, and I know how to fight him. I have to do something.” There was mild hysteria in my voice by the end of my rant, and Lincoln frowned.

All of Angel City was on a curfew now. It just wasn’t the same happy place it used to be months ago.

We were silent for a long few moments, just staring at each other, until finally he placed his head in his hands. “I want to be selfish,” he admitted through tight lips. “I want to keep you safe.”

My heart broke then, because if the roles were reversed, I would want the same thing. “I know, but I’m the only Celestial who can go down there. The only one with powers that can hurt him. This is my destiny, Lincoln.”

He peered up at me through messy dark hair, so much anguish in his gaze. “If I could just go with you, I would feel so much better. I was so helpless last time.”

My heart pinched and I nodded. “But I’ll take Shea, Luke, and every other demon gifted soldier who wants to go with me. I won’t be alone this time.”

Bringing the war to Hell, that was the only way to win this. I needed to surprise Lucifer on his turf, then get Sera and Raksha the hell out of there. It had been too long.

Lincoln looked up at the ceiling, as if willing God to intervene. “We’ll talk to the archangels in the morning. See what they have to say.” His voice held such defeat, it broke my heart, but a thrill also coursed through me.

Finally, after months of preparation, I was going to give Lucy the ending he deserved.

That night, I went to sleep with a lighter heart than I had in a long while. Most of my daily anxiety was based on the idea that I was doing nothing to help Sera and Raksha, that I wasn’t going after Lucifer when I knew I should. Knowing we were going to talk to the archangels about a mission in the morning had me sleeping like a baby.





Sometime in the early morning hours, a light shaking, woke me. My eyelids snapped open to see Lucifer’s grinning face hovering over me. At first, I thought I was dreaming, but after blinking rapidly, he didn’t disappear.

Standing tall in a crisp black suit, the Devil beamed down at me.

“Wakey wakey.” His voice was low and raspy.

“Shit!” I kicked out at him and tried to roll off the other end of the bed, but it was no use. He reached out and grabbed my ankle in a viselike grip, fingers digging into my flesh.

“Brielle. So good to see you. Our time has come, my dear.” His voice was so calm, it was terrifying. This man was seriously psychotic.

‘Brielle!’ Sera’s voice desperately boomed in my head, and I burst into tears. In Lucy’s other hand was the black case I knew held her.

‘Sera!’ I shouted mentally, reaching for that link we used to talk to each other.

‘Are you okay?’ she asked.

I tried to control my crying, so overcome with emotion that I couldn’t answer.

Lucy rolled his eyes. “Get over whatever little emotional breakdown you’re having. We need to leave before your boy toy comes back.”

Lincoln. How the hell had I forgotten about him? I glanced frantically around the bed, but it was empty.

“Where is he?” My voice was deadly as I let a black ball of magic build up in my palm. If Lucifer had hurt him, I’d go so postal, I might actually explode.

Lucifer rolled his eyes again before flicking his wrist in my direction. My dark magic flew from my hand and splashed against the trailer wall. I’d felt his energy pulling on my wrist, and could have resisted, but I wanted him to think I was still under his control. For now. I needed to know where Lincoln was, if Raksha was alive, and have Sera in my hands before I showed him that he could no longer force me to do things against my will. I’d been preparing for this day for months, and I wasn’t scared. I felt ready.

“You will be agreeable, Brielle, or I’m going to have to get mean,” he snarled. “Your lover is attending a skirmish at the front gates.”

He was safe. I sighed in relief, but at the same time it occurred to me that it was oddly quiet outside. “Why isn’t the demon alarm going off?”

Lucifer grinned and it made my stomach turn. “Haven’t you been getting my messengers all month?”