All The Demons: A Paranormal Academy Reverse Harem Romance (Angel Academy Book 3) Read online

  All The Demons

  Angel Academy Year Three

  Riley London

  All the Demons: Angel Academy Year Three

  Book 3 in the Angel Academy series

  Copyright @ 2019 Riley London

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means whatsoever without express written permission from the author, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in a book review.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, events and incidents are the products of the author's imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

  Cover Design: Jacqueline Sweet Design

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  Created with Vellum

  Contents

  Untitled

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Epilogue

  Untitled

  “Hannibal ad portas.”

  Chapter 1

  “I’m going to be rich.” Charlie’s eyes widened as he stared down at his phone. “Holy shit.”

  We were lying on the bed of my dorm room, side by side. I’d been resting my head against Charlie’s shoulder for what felt like hours, scrolling through headlines on my phone screen.

  I figured that if the Princes of Hell were going to be unleashed on the world any minute now, I’d probably hear something about it on the news. I’d kept my eyes peeled for any stories of unnatural occurrences, storms appearing out of nowhere or the dead walking the earth again.

  I had to be prepared for anything.

  “What are you talking about?” I smiled over at him. “Did you win the lottery or something?”

  “Basically. Yes.” Charlie’s words came out breathless. “I just got an email from this guy who wants to invest in my dating app. He wants to give me the money for the infrastructure and everything.”

  “Dating app? The one where it sets people up based on what movies they like?”

  Charlie nodded in response. “He’s talking to me about adding a feature where we also offer to set up movie dates for matches too, so they can meet in real time. And he’s asking about partnering with a streaming service, something like Netflix.”

  “Holy shit. That is a big deal.” I playfully nudged Charlie in his shoulder. “How much money is he talking?”

  “Oh maybe $10 million. Just to start.” Charlie chuckled. “With an option for additional funding, as needed, as we go along. He says that he really believes in the app and wants to give it the best chance to succeed.”

  “How did he even find you?”

  “Oh. In my free time, I’ve been posting my app ideas on angel investor sites,” Charlie replied.

  “Angel investor sites?” I couldn’t hide the smirk that came over my face. “That’s a little coincidental, don’t you think?”

  “Ha, ha. Very funny.” Charlie had a smirk on his face now too. “But you know what I’m talking about. Angel investors are the kind of people who give people like me a chance: guys with a big idea but not a lot of capital on their side.”

  “I know.” I pressed a soft kiss into Charlie’s shoulder. “I’m happy for you, Charlie. I hope everything works out for the best.”

  “Yeah, we’ll see. He wants to set up a meeting for tomorrow.” Charlie’s voice shook with nerves. “He says he’s leaving town soon and wants to get everything on the books before he’s out of reach for the next six months.”

  “Six months? Are you sure he’s not going to jail or something?” I asked.

  “I mean, maybe. That’s not really outside of the realm of possibility for these investor guys.” Charlie laughed. “But either way, I need to get my shit together. I’m gonna head back to my room, work on a presentation for tomorrow.”

  “Do you need any help?”

  “Nah. Besides, you’re way too much of a distraction for me.” Charlie grinned, turning to kiss me on the cheek. “Having you around makes working way too hard.”

  “Is that the only thing I make hard?”

  Charlie grimaced. “Oh, no. You’re starting to sound just like Zach.”

  “What? A girl can’t make a dirty joke every once in a while?”

  “No. Not when it makes you sound like Zach.” Charlie’s grimace turned into a smile. “I like you how you are, Celeste. No changes necessary.”

  “You like me? Or you like me, like me?” I playfully asked.

  “I like you, love you,” Charlie replied, before pulling me into his arms, shifting us against the bedsheets. “I love you, Celeste Venoix.”

  “I love you too, Charlie Collins.”

  “And now, it’s time for me to get to work.” Charlie sighed, trailing his fingers lightly along my waist, slowly dipping underneath the bottom of my school blouse. “But…maybe I could take a small break first…”

  “Nope. No. Nope.” I batted Charlie’s fingers away from me, before rolling away from him on the bed completely. “I will not be the girl who cost you millions of dollars. You’re not going to put the blame on me for that in your best-selling autobiography.”

  “You really think my autobiography is going to be a bestseller?”

  “Uh, duh? Who doesn’t want to read about a guy who’s a self-made millionaire? And don’t forget that you are kind as hell, so you probably would’ve created some famous non-profit by that point too,” I continued. “I Didn’t Fuck My Way To The Top: The Charlie Collins Story.”

  Charlie burst out into laughter as he stared back at me. “Celeste, what the hell? Was that your pitch for the title of my autobiography?”

  “It’s good, right?”

  “No. God. No.” Charlie continued to laugh. “Maybe consider workshopping it a little bit?”

  “Yeah, well, maybe you should consider getting back to workI stuck my tongue out at Charlie, before shaking my head. “Shit. Charlie. You’re really going to be a famous and shit, aren’t you?”

  “Maybe so.”

  “Good. You deserve it.” I offered him a final smile. “You deserve it more than anybody I know.”

  Chapter 2

  “Where’s Charlie?” Benjamin asked as soon as he sat down beside me at the lunch table. “He wasn’t in our room when I went to check on him earlier this morning.”

  “He’s probably holed up in the library or something, working on his presentation,” I replied.

  “Presentation?”

  “Yeah, he got an offer from an investor, interested in giving him some cash to get Charlie’s app up and running,” I explained. “He said he’ll give him $10 million to get everything started, but Charlie needs to meet with him tomorrow first.”

  “Hmm.” Benjamin hummed as his fingers tapped alongside the table. “Curious.”

  “What’s curious about it?” I asked. “Do you think it might be a scam? Because I think Charlie knows better than to fall for something like that.”

  “No. I don’t think it’s a scam,” Benjamin answered. “However, the timing is suspicious, don’t you think? Just when we’re starting up the n
ew school year, just when we’ve uncovered all there is to know about you and your true place on this Earth…Charlie is to be whisked away to live some magical life? A million miles away from you, I imagine?”

  “Well, not a million miles away, exactly. But he’d probably have to move to San Francisco. You know, Silicon Valley and all.”

  “You don’t find that…strange?” Benjamin pressed. “It’s almost as if someone is trying to get Charlie out of the picture.”

  “Someone? Are you talking about the Princes of Hell?” I kept my voice low.

  “Why are we talking about the Princes of Hell?” Zachary sat down on the other side of me, his own voice at a whisper too. “Did something happen to you, Celeste?”

  “No. Charlie was offered the opportunity of his dreams,” Benjamin replied. “Right in the middle of all this…mess.”

  “What kind of opportunity?”

  “Only $10 million,” Benjamin said.

  “Oh, yeah. That’s definitely a bribe.” Zachary nodded. “There’s someone or something trying to get Charlie away from you, Celeste, or at least away from the academy.”

  “Why can’t this just be a genuine chance for Charlie and his app? Not everything has to do with me or the academy or—”

  “That’s where you’re wrong.” Zachary cut me off before I could finish speaking. “Everything revolves around you now, Celeste, like it or not. What we need to figure out is why the Princes of Hell are trying to get Charlie away from us.”

  “Do you think they know about his abilities?” Benjamin suggested.

  “It’s possible. It’s not like we sent him to Hell with any kind of concealment…” Zachary’s words trailed off. “But why would it matter if Charlie can go back and forth to Hell? They can do that themselves.”

  “It’s not just that he can go back and forth to Hell,” Benjamin continued. “He’s also practically immortal, for as long as Celeste lives.”

  “Shit. You’re right,” Zachary conceded. “A guy who can go back and forth to Hell and can’t be easily killed. That’s…that’s…”

  “That’s a pretty good weapon.” Benjamin blew out a heavy breath. “It’s settled then. We shall accompany Charlie to his meeting with the investor.”

  “Oh. Uh, I’m not sure that Charlie will be into that idea. He doesn’t want a lot of distractions,” I replied.

  “I didn’t say that he would know about our accompanying him.” Benjamin smiled. “We’ll be discreet, but we must keep an eye on Charlie. He’s already been possessed once, which means that any further possession will be that much easier.”

  “And what if you two are completely wrong about this and it’s just a normal meeting with a normal investor? What then?” I glanced at Benjamin and Zachary, giving them both a stern look.

  “If I’m wrong, I streak across the quad.” Zachary shrugged. “Benjamin will too.”

  “I agreed to no such thing,” Benjamin scoffed.

  “And if we’re right, you’ll let us take you out tonight. You’ve been spending a lot of time with Charlie lately,” Zachary continued. “It’d be nice to hang out with you again, one-on-one.”

  “Count me out of that too,” Benjamin replied. “I’d love to spend more time with you, Celeste, but I’ve been told that the Council has their eyes on me for a position once I graduate. I have to start devoting more time to my studies than I typically would.”

  “Didn’t they always have their eyes on you because you’re a legacy?” Zachary asked. “I thought you ending up on the Council was a sure thing.”

  “Politics is never a sure thing,” Benjamin responded. “But they apparently want to monitor my grades and work ethic this year, since they plan on taking it into consideration as they build my profile for any future leadership positions.”

  “Why do they want to monitor you during your junior year? Wouldn’t it make more sense to do it during your senior year?” It was my turn to ask the questions.

  “By the time it’s my senior year, it’ll be too late,” Benjamin answered. “They’ll need to know about my aptitude long before then.”

  “Are you sure being on the Council is what you want?” I reached a hand over towards Benjamin, taking his palm into my own. “Is that what’s really going to make you happy?”

  “It’s not about what makes me happy.” Benjamin lightly squeezed my palm in return. “It’s about doing what I’ve been called to do. I always knew that there was a seat on the Council waiting for me, and now it’s my turn to step up as a Nash and claim what belongs to my family’s name.”

  “I support you, Benjie. Whatever you want to do.” Zachary flashed him a seemingly genuine smile. “I’ll always have your back. You know that.”

  “I know.” Benjamin somberly nodded, before he continued. “So, Celeste. Where is Charlie headed for his big meeting tomorrow?”

  “That building is literally the definition of nondescript,” Zachary commented as we approached a large, brown building without any signage on its yard or glass windows. “What the fuck?”

  “Perfect place to have a serious meeting. No chance of being interrupted.” I stood beside Zachary, looking up at the building too. “I bet a lot of people have their meetings here.”

  “It’s also a great place to conduct demonic business.” Benjamin joined the conversation. “I’m not sure why, but demons love being at higher altitudes. Maybe it’s because it’s the closest they’ll ever get to heaven.”

  “That’s…kind of depressing,” I admitted.

  “Not really depressing. Just another fact of life.” Benjamin shrugged. “Do you happen to know which floor Charlie is on?”

  “Eighteenth floor. Room twenty-six,” I replied. “He wouldn’t tell me where he was going, so I had to hack into his phone and get the info for myself.”

  “You hacked his phone?” Zachary quirked an eyebrow in my direction.

  “Fine, maybe hack is the wrong word. I just guessed his password and opened his lock screen.”

  “What’s his password?” Zachary asked.

  “Why the hell would I tell you something like that, Zach?”

  “Just in case Benjie or I ever need to get into his phone too.”

  “Well, if either of you ever need to get into his phone, you can figure out his password for yourselves.” I pushed past Benjamin as I stepped inside of the unlit building.

  “His password is Celeste, isn’t it? All lowercase too.” Zachary chucked, following me into the dark.

  Chapter 3

  “Auxilium.” Benjamin, Zachary and I whispered the prayer in unison as we piled into the building’s elevator. I stayed in front near its silver doors, with Benjamin and Zachary flanking me on my sides.

  “Hmm.” Zachary looked over at me with a smirk on his face.

  “What?”

  “Nothing.” He shrugged. “It’s just…you’ve changed a lot from when we first met.”

  “I don’t think that now is the time to be sentimental,” Benjamin suggested. “We have no time for idle conversation.”

  “I’m not being sentimental,” Zachary replied. “Celeste is just a lot different, that’s all. I mean, you were always a bit of a badass, but now it’s like you’re…I don’t know. Like you’re almost an angel or something.”

  “Almost an angel?” I rolled my eyes at his phrase.

  “It suits you.” Zachary grinned as the elevator doors opened in front of us.

  I wanted to call him out for his backhanded compliment, but Benjamin had been right. Now wasn’t the time for any kind of conversation that didn’t have to do with the mission at hand. I walked through the elevator doors with my fingers on the grip of the concealed sword at my side.

  I was taken by surprise when we were immediately met with a large, glass panel that seemed to run the length of the floor’s hallway. I was able to see every meeting room, and by consequence, every meeting, and it didn’t look like Charlie was alone for the afternoon.

  There were several other people giving
presentations, complete with eraser boards and nervous smiles. It took me a moment before I was able to locate Charlie, sitting one-on-one with a man in an impeccable suit and tie and dark hair that framed his face with a neatly trimmed cut.

  I leaned against a nearby wall, keeping my eye on the meeting without getting too close. I didn’t want Charlie to see me and throw off his concentration for the deal, just in case this really was his big shot at getting his app out into the world.

  “I don’t think any of these people are demons.” Zachary leaned against the wall too. “Shit.”

  “Yep. Looks like you’ll be running across the quad naked.” I smiled to myself, still keeping my focus on Charlie’s meeting. “And I told you guys, anyway. Not everything is about me. Just because you think I might have to save the world someday, that doesn’t mean the world revolves around me all the time.”

  “We’ll see about that,” Zachary scoffed. “Give it some time. I bet some weird shit is about to go down, any minute now.”

  “I doubt it—”

  “May I help you?” There was a cheerful blonde woman who stood in front of us. “Did you have a meeting on the calendar?”

  “Uh—”

  “All I need is your product or brand name and I can check to see if your investor is in yet.” The woman continued. “Oh, and we’ll get you some ID badges, too. All of the investors here are very busy people. They don’t like to be rude, but sometimes, these meetings just turn into a huge blur.”

  “I can understand that,” I replied. “We’re actually here with Charlie Collins? Not sure if he has a brand name just yet, but we came for moral support.”