Fallen Academy: Year Two (Fallen Academy #2)(54)

Lincoln sighed. “Okay. Well, you used a lot of your dark magic. You took off the necklace. All of that was probably too much for you.”

Remembering the necklace still in my jeans pocket, I nodded. Reaching down, I pulled it out, heavy in my hand. “Will you?” I asked him and lifted my long blonde hair.

He took the necklace from me. As he was coming over my head with it, it laid against my chest and… cracked.

The sound was unmistakable. I gasped, looking down to see the crystal split right down the middle.

“What does that mean?” I turned to my boyfriend.

Lincoln looked scared for the tiniest second before it vanished. “Nothing. We’ll just have Mr. Claymore make a new one.”

Nodding, I reached for his hand. “I have to tell you something, but I need you to not freak out.”

His hand tensed, eyes widened. “Okay.”

He was totally going to freak out.

‘As he should,’ Sera piped up from her place on the floor.

‘Not helping.’

“So… my old friend from Demon City is Sighted.” I let that sentence linger. The Sighted were so freaking rare that knowing one was akin to being besties with one of the fallen archangels.

“And?” His hand was starting to sweat in mine.

I gave a nervous laugh. “And I saw him at the fight. He told me he sees a different prophecy for me.”

Lincoln breathed in and out deeply. “Which is?”

I chewed my lip and decided to just blurt it out. “I go to the underworld and train with Lucifer to use my dark magic.”

Lincoln’s eyes widened so far, I thought they might fall out of the sockets. “What! That’s ridiculous!”

“I know!” I told him. “It’s just as ridiculous as Raphael’s prophecy that I’ll go down there, and kill Lucifer.”

Lincoln was silent.

I shifted uncomfortably. “You don’t think I’m going to actually do that, right?”

He did. I could see it in his face. “I don’t want you to. It’s too dangerous. But…”

I swallowed hard, my heart rate starting to pick up speed. “But?”

Lincoln stroked my thigh with his thumb. “But you have these incredible powers, and black wings, you even went into Hell to get Sera and it didn’t seem to affect you. If anyone could do it, and end this war… it’s you.”

Oh my God, he drank the Kool-Aid. “Lincoln, I’m not doing that.” I stood. “I want to be normal. I just got my family all together, and now I want to focus on my healing studies, and help out with the war in that way,” I declared.

He nodded, dropping the subject. “Okay.” But his words, his curt nod, and stiff body language didn’t match up.

He actually expected me to kill Lucifer?

The smell hit us both at the same time.

“What’s that?” Lincoln’s brows knit together in confusion.

I grinned. “That is my mom’s cinnamon-banana walnut waffles.”

Lincoln wiped his mouth. “I just drooled a little.”

Laughter erupted out of me, and I decided to let the whole killing Lucifer thing go. For now.

“How do you feel?” he asked, as I limped across the room, and made my way into the bathroom to brush my teeth.

“Like I got hit by a bus,” I assured him.

Make no mistake, I’d be walking funny for weeks.



When we’d finally made our way out to the kitchen, I grinned at the sight of Shea, Mikey, and Noah sitting around the table, shoving their mouths full of waffles, piled high with cubes of butter, and maple syrup.

“Hey, bro. I didn’t know you’d be here.” I gave Mikey a side hug. He spent most of his weekends with his pack on Clark’s land. He was still learning to control the beast, but quick side hugs were okay.

“Are you kidding? Mom’s home, so I had to come.” He was wearing a goofy lopsided grin.

Mom’s home. Those two words hit me with the realization of what had happened. I’d gotten my mom out.

“I’m going to need more batter. Especially if we want to take some to Bernie,” my mom declared.

“Oh, I’ve hooked Bernie up,” Lincoln replied, eyeing the piping-hot waffle coming out of the chipped red maker, my mom brought from home.

I looked at my boyfriend. “Oh really?”

He chuckled. “I told Raph about the situation. He said it’s no problem for Bernie to come to the cafeteria and eat after the students have eaten their meals—before they’ve put everything away.”

My mom met my eyes, and I could see she was totally planning our wedding in her head.

“That was very sweet of you, Lincoln. Thank you,” she told him.

I smiled, getting on my tippy toes to kiss his cheek. “Thank you.”

Lincoln’s cheeks were red, and he mumbled a “you’re welcome” to both of us.

My mom held up a dish towel. “Hang on, you call him Raph? The Archangel of Healing?”

Lincoln chuckled. “Yeah, it felt weird at first, but he asked us to. He doesn’t want to seem above anyone. He’s a friend.”

He is a friend. A very good friend.

My mom started to tear up, looking down at the floor.

“Oh, Mom, what’s wrong?” I crossed the kitchen to be by her side.