That was when I noticed everyone at the table had gone silent. Raguel Gracewing cleared his throat, then said in a stern voice: “We do not eat meat in Heaven.” I looked at my vegan lasagna, then at the rest of the food on the table. Spinach quiche, roasted beets, stuffed mushrooms. Before this, we’d had some crackers with cheese that didn’t taste like cheese at all. Oh, so that’s why. Heaven was vegan.
“I’m sorry, I must have had Sariel confused with… erm… someone else.”
We resumed eating, and Sariel and I resumed our awkward conversation. I couldn’t wait to get out of there! GC and Pazuzu whispered and laughed among themselves, and Francis sometimes shot them an annoyed glance. I’d been worried about my lovers, and for good reason, because they were behaving exactly as I thought they would. Since everyone was ignoring them and pretending they weren’t there at all… no harm, no foul.
“So, Mila,” Raguel raised his voice over the ruckus created by GC and Paz. “Three more semesters, and you will work alongside your father. I am sure you are excited.”
I furrowed my brows. “I’m not sure what you mean…”
“Well, we all know that Valentine has no desire to retire, but the other positions will be filled by the new generation, and I am sure you will make a great Reaper. There’s no doubt you will graduate magna cum laude.”
Was it possible that he hadn’t heard of the prophecy? No, of course he’s heard. These people are so fake. I was starting to understand why Sariel hated his family. He was a jerk and a bully, but at least he wasn’t fake like them. He’d even been honest to me when he’d told me he was supposed to be in the Merciful Death Cabal. As awful as he was, that still made him better than his parents.
“I don’t like to think about the future,” I opted for an abstract answer. “I live in the present, you know. Focus on the now.”
“Focusing on the present,” Ariela changed the subject. “I must say, I believe you and Sariel make a wonderful couple.”
“Excuse me?”
She reached over to play with my hair. “You’re naturally blond, aren’t you? With those deep blue eyes of yours, it’s easy to tell.” She chuckled. “This might be the wine talking, but you two look like you belong together.”
Raguel raised his glass. “And what fine wine it is.” He laughed. “My wife is right, of course. Gracewing and Morningstar. What pleasant music to the ears…”
To their ears, probably. To mine, it sounded like a conspiracy I wanted nothing to do with.
“I’m sorry, I think you misunderstand.” Ariela’s beautiful features darkened a bit, but what was I supposed to do? Let them play their stupid game when it was so wrong? “Sariel and I are just… friends.” And that was a stretch! But I was having dinner in their home, so be it. “I already am in a relationship.” I looked over at GC and Paz, and nodded. At Ariela’s observation that Sariel and I would make a great couple, they’d gone silent and attentive. By the streaks of red in Pazuzu’s green eyes, I could tell he was barely containing his anger.
“Oh, we had no idea,” Ariela said quickly and dismissively. “Well, you know, my dear, at your age… relationships rarely last.” She gave me the prettiest smile she could muster, considering the circumstances. “Sariel is free and absolutely fascinated with you.”
“Mom!” He almost choked on his lasagna.
“He’s too shy to tell you,” she continued. “Of course he is. You’re Mila Morningstar! Literally, the star of Grim Reaper Academy. I bet all the boys are crazy about you.”
I scrunched up my nose. “I wouldn’t say that…” I shot Sariel a quick glance, and he shook his head discreetly, as if to say that his mother didn’t know what she was talking about. That much I’ve figured. “Anyway, Mrs. Gracewing…”
“Ariela.”
“Ariela. He might be free, but I’m not.”
She patted me on the head, as if I were a child who refused to eat her vegetables.
“Oh, you’re so young and innocent. I remember when I was your age. Such a dreamer.”
I gave up. The best thing I could do was to hurry up and finish my food, then my glass of wine, and then insist that it was late and I had classes tomorrow. Which I did in the next ten minutes. And worked only after dessert and another hour of insignificant chatter about things no one cared about.
* * *
We arrived back at the Academy in a private plane, but it was so late that all I could think of was my room, my bed, peace, quiet, and a few hours of sleep before I had to wake up for the first class. I convinced GC and Paz to sleep in their own rooms.
“I want to be alone,” I told Corri as I finished brushing my teeth and hopped into my pajamas. I grabbed my phone and looked at the time, wondering if my parents were sleeping. My parents who raised me, not Valentine fucking Morningstar and the mother I never knew and who was probably not even alive anymore. “Could you leave me alone tonight, Corri?”
Since I’d gotten her, I hadn’t been alone for one second. It hadn’t bothered me, frankly, but I was exhausted, and I just wanted to be with myself and my own thoughts. And I wanted to call my mom and have her tell me it was all going to be okay.
“Sure, Mistress. All you have to do is ring the bell.”
“That’s all?” I reached out for the bell that I’d stashed away in a drawer.
“Yes. And when you need me, just ring the bell again.”