25. Arabella

Chapter 25

Arabella

T he last thing I thought I would be doing today is sitting on some rocks lakeside with the councilwoman in charge of all the angels here at RISE Academy. Especially, using this as my detention time for punching that bitch Dina in the nose. Detentions back in Aeris always included helping out around school, and then it would have also meant a physical punishment by my father for embarrassing the family name. Never in my wildest dreams would I expect detention to be here.

Talia hadn't even scolded me for my actions, just brushed them off blaming it on stress, and called it a day. She is definitely completely different from what I had expected for someone to be part of the ruling council for the school. I already knew that when she stood up to my father, kicking him out and banning him from school grounds. Now, her actions today just made her even cooler in my book. Her relaxed personality helps me to find a balance within myself. The second I stepped foot into her office this afternoon and she didn't yell at me for my actions, I felt relief run through my body, besides confusion. Never had I felt that with any sort of teacher before. Back in Aeris, I was always too scared that my father had all of them in his pocket and if I tried to confide in them they would report straight back to him and it would only cause me more harm in the end. Not with Talia though. She just excudes calm and safe, and right now I think I need that more than I realized.

"Care to tell me what's on your mind?" Talia asks softly, finally breaking the silence we had been sitting in for the past thirty minutes we were out here.

I had been wrapped up in my thoughts since we got out here as I watched the water. Small ripples form on the surface every so often when the wind blows lightly before it settles once more and the calm comes through. I am thankful that Talia has given me the time to settle my thoughts and think about things before breaking the silence. I know eventually I will need to talk but she must have sensed that I needed some time before pushing me.

"A lot," I sigh, shaking my head. "It's been a rough few days."

"What do you want to talk about first? This, here," she points to our surroundings. "It's your time to tell me what's bothering you and what you need. As your leader, it's my job to help you as best as I can. I want you to be able to go home. You need to show me that you have learned all that we can teach you here for that to happen."

"I guess we can start with my room?" I ask, breaking my view of the lake to turn to look at her. She nods her agreement but waits to comment until I begin. "Is there any clue who broke in? Either time?"

"Sorry, Arabella," she said, shaking her head, as her voice was full of remorse. "We haven't determined who broke in. The first time was never reported, though I was told you had filed a report by Rhys. I'm still looking into what happened there and why it is missing. As for the second break-in, no suspects have been found. The cameras weren't working in the hall and no evidence had been found left behind that didn't belong to one of you or your roommates."

"Is there a way we can check other cameras or even the visitor log? I feel like something must have caught something," I plead desperately. I hate knowing there are no leads. I don't want to keep living looking over my shoulder waiting for someone to try to attack me or something.

"We've done that. Nothing seems out of place. I hate saying this, but whoever has been breaking in is someone inside the Angel dorm. I never thought any of the angels or fallen angels," she gives me a pointed look, "would be capable of doing something like this. I never would have suspected that any student here at this academy would stoop to that level. Sure, we have petty differences and fights but this is another level."

"Is it safe for me to stay here?" The question slips out before I can think about it. For the most part, I have felt safe here at the school. The first break-in I could have just pushed to the side as someone trying to scare me into leaving. The second break-in though is where my fear slowly started. That's the first time I've admitted my fear out loud though.

"You are safe here, Arabella," she states calmly, placing her hand softly on my shoulder to give it a comforting squeeze. "I know you are still rooming with Phoenix and Rhys and between the two of them, no one should mess with you or be able to find you if you don't tell them where you are staying. As far as anyone else is aware, you were placed into an empty room on the fifth floor with Isis and Harper."

"That's the second thing I wanted to talk to you about," I cut her off. "Do I really need to continue to room with Rhys and Phoenix?"

"It's where you are safest. No one will mess with Rhys and no one would expect to find you room with the Fallen, especially male Fallen. Why? Is there an issue?" she jumps slightly to turn and look at me. I can see the concern in her eyes as she searches my face for some sort of answer.

"Well...," I pause, trying to think of the best way to say this. I don't want her to think that I'm ungrateful because that isn't the issue, but I also don't know how she would feel finding out that one of those roommates is my mate.

"Just say it, Arabella," she chuckles, not a hint of worry in her tone.

"Well, isn't it weird to have a female rooming with two males?" If I start with the easy questions, I can build up to my real concerns about rooming with the boys.

"Weird? Sure, but wouldn't you agree that everything about this academy is weird? We are the first and only school that allows, no, requires the races to mingle amongst each other. If we can require that, then why would it be weird to have males and females room together?" She turns the question back on me after providing a little more clarity.

"I suppose it's not that weird when you think about how different the academy already is from the rest of the world," I shrug. I don't like the answer but I can tell her mind is made up on that one.

"Want to know something that few others know?" she bumps her shoulder against mine in a way to get me to lighten up some when she notices my face falls with my acceptance.

"Sure," I nod, while I think about the next way to approach this.

"You aren't the only female on campus to be rooming with some boys. You know that having multiple mates isn't rare right? Many times students will get sent here because one mate rejects them. Some students will have their other mates follow them here, and other students will find their other mates while in attendance." I wipe my head to the side to look at her in surprise. I always thought that having multiple mates was rare. The way Talia is talking makes it sound like it happens every day. "Yeah, no need to be so surprised," she laughs when she sees me turn to look at her. "I know in Aeris they make you all believe having multiple mates is rare. That's because, during the mating ceremony, they only announce the strongest bond that is shown to Seraphim Malach. Those of us who have let's say broken the mold, know the truth."

"So having multiple mates isn't based on magic?" That's what Warrick had told me when we talked. He said it was rare and helps when you have powerful magic. I wonder if that's something he found in a book or if he knows someone who has multiple mates.

"It can be at times. The more powerful the supernatural, the more mates they will have, but that isn't always true. The Divine decides how many mates a person needs, or how many people their soul will resonate with. Once you complete the bonding, it allows you to merge your magic, or borrow magic from a mate in times of need. It also helps stabilize your magic, especially for supernaturals who are extremely powerful."

Talia wasn't kidding when she said that we weren't told the truth while in Aeris. I was worried when I was shown a second mate bond with Warrick. Although he explained to me that he didn't speak up about our bond. It was to protect me like he said but now I see how he protected me completely. My father definitely would have lost his marbles if it came out that I was even more different and something that they didn't accept.

I have another question about mates that I want to ask her but I'm scared she is going to figure out why I'm asking her it and I don't think I'm ready to admit that truth to the councilwoman who is in charge of me while I'm at this school. She's already proven to me that she won't report me to my father, but that doesn't mean she won't say something to the Seraphim Concil about it, and I'm not ready to risk that. So instead of asking the question I want to I'm going to ask the one I've been curious about and never got around to researching myself.

"So… I was wondering," I pause, trailing off as I turn to look Talia. "Why does the fountain in the gardens behind the school turn different colors? And what does the color pink mean?"

Talia laughs, a full belly laugh before settling down and answering me. "I never know what to expect when you ask me a question, it's a breath of fresh Arabella, please never change. The fountain changes colors for several different reasons, it can be based on who you are there with, what is being talked about, or even how you are feeling. Pink usually means there is a bond or connection between those in the area."

Well, I guess that explains why it was pink when I had breakfast with Phoenix. He's my mate, so the fountain was telling us that. A small part of me wishes I had known that while we were sitting there, but looking back, I know I wouldn't have accepted it and probably would have freaked out. I don't appreciate that Rhys told me the way he did about Phoenix and me, but it was better, I suppose, than finding out from a magical fountain.

"That's interesting," I hedge, trying to figure out what to say next. I don't want to tell her about Phoenix but now it makes me want to know more about if she knows about mate bonds between different species or sub-species. I need that answer. I want to know I'm not a freak or broken.

"Have you heard of mate bonds between different species or sub-species?" I hope my asking doesn't make her suspicious and that she just assumes it's the next logical thing to ask. If she were to question me further I'm not sure if I would tell her the truth. I still haven't completely accepted that Phoenix is my mate. If I tell her then that means I'm accepting of it, at least slightly. I'm also not sure how she would feel about it. It's clear her feelings toward the Fallen are completely different from the ones I grew up having ingrained in me but it's possible she only feels that way because she is responsible for both of us while here.

"Amongst different species? No," she shakes her head. "That I've never seen but I wouldn't say never. History has a way of rewriting itself by those who are in power. If they wanted something like that forgotten they could try to bury the information. What do you mean by sub-species? Like Fallen Angels and Angels?" She pauses and waits for me to nod before continuing. "I've seen it before. That isn't uncommon. Are Fallen Angels any different from Angels? No. We are all the same species. Fallen Angels are only considered 'fallen' because the Seraphim Council deemed it so, outcasting those who didn't conform to their mold."

I fall silent thinking about what she said. The world really is different from what I was taught. I think it would be cool if there were matings between the different species. Maybe then we would all get along much better than we do now. I also appreciate how calmly she is talking about this. By her answer, I can slightly tell how she falls when it comes to the fallen. She's acting like Angels and Fallen Angels are the same. Which in theory I suppose she is right. The Seraphim Council are the ones who told us who and what Fallen Angels are, so it only makes sense that we use that as our basis for saying we are different species when in reality, we are one and the same.

"Did that answer your question?" she asks softly without any sort of judgment. I appreciate that she doesn't ask the question I'm sure she wants to ask why I would ask this question. I don't think I'm ready to talk about it but I'm also not as scared about being a mate to Phoenix as I was before. At least I know while at RISE Academy we will be safe from prosecution.

"Yeah, it did. Thank you," I nod, trying to keep myself from getting lost in my thoughts. I really had no idea this was how my day would go. Talia is answering all my questions and not once has she asked me why I'm asking them. Whether she knows the answer or she's just allowing me to have the benefit of telling her myself I'm not sure. One day I'm sure I will come to her and trust her to know everything, but I don't think I'm there just yet.

"Do you have any other questions?" she asks keeping her eyes on the water in front of us.

Any other questions? Sure, I have a ton. What do I do about Warrick and Phoenix? Is my father going to find out about me having two mates? Is it possible to be a descendant of Lucifer? How close am I to leaving the academy? Though, that last one, I hope, is not any time soon. I would like to stay here a little longer. I've learned some things, but I can still learn so much more. I don't feel like a broken angel while here. I feel normal. I'm also really enjoying the freedom away from my father. This academy is starting to become a home for me. When I leave, I know that I'll be sad.

"Do you think the Seraphim Council has ever lied to us?" I turn to look at her and wait for her answer. I'm curious about it. I can't ask her straight out about my possible connection to Lucifer, but maybe if I word my questions the right way, she won't find it suspicious.

"HA!" she laughs loudly, grasping her stomach as she tries to compose herself. It takes a few seconds before she stops laughing and is able to talk again. All I could do was stare at her confused about why my question was so funny to her. Sure, my question sort of borders on treason but I didn't think it was funny. "They lie all the time to make the narrative fit their story. This whole school is a lie they created if you think about it. Do you really think half the students here need to work on themselves or their magic? No, Sweetie, they are here because their mate rejected them and in our world, if you are the one doing the rejecting then there is nothing wrong with you. Divine forbid that it's just because someone's personality clashes with the other and they can't put their ego aside and see how great things could be if they tried." Her answer is filled with passion and a touch of I think hatred as she explained her answer. I'm honestly sort of afraid to say anything about it now.

"Uh, you sound like you're talking from experience," I hedge, being careful about my tone so it doesn't piss her off or upset her.

"How much do you know about me?" She questions, turning to face her whole body toward me. I can see how serious she is as she waits for me to answer. Whatever she's about to tell me is something that I don't think many people know.

"Basically nothing," I shrug. It's true. The school isn't talked about in Aeris and well no one here would talk about the Councilwoman who is in charge of all of us.

"That's what I figured," she nods, contemplating her next words. "I was just like you. Rejected during my mating ceremony and forced to attend the academy. My family was disappointed in me but I had always been a headstrong child so they expected there would be an issue in me finding my mate. It took three mating ceremonies before I even did. I hadn't known the angel personally who was my mate but I had seen him around and never heard anything bad about him. All the stories I had heard was that he was a super nice guy but was also very popular amongst the Angels in his age group."

"I know all about that," I mumble, thinking back to how Stark was one of the most popular guys in my class. However, he was a complete jackass in school already.

"We had about fifteen minutes to talk and get to know one another before it was decision time. During my time the ceremony was a little more private. The only people in attendance for our binding ceremony besides ourselves and Seraphim Malach were our families. After talking I was confident that he was going to say yes, but when the moment came he rejected me."

"Did he reject you for being too headstrong?" I can feel myself getting angry on her behalf. What is with male angels and thinking they are better than everyone around them? It's bullshit if you ask me.

"He hinted at it but didn't specifically say that was the reason. His excuse was that my family was beneath his. Not me, but my family," she laughs shaking her head. I'm glad she can laugh about it now but I would be pissed. "See I came from a family of Angels, whereas he was from a family of Dominions."

"But aren't you a Seraphim?" I'm confused about how she could be a Seraphim, but her family is Angels. I suppose it could be possible, but I had never heard of a power jump that much. Usually, it's just between Angels and Archangels.

"I am," she smiles proudly. "I was born extremely powerful. If it wasn't for the fact that I look exactly like my mother, I would be questioning if I was adopted. It's possible but extremely rare in circumstances like mine. It did always make me stand out through school, and my teachers were harder on me, expecting me to prove my level and powers more than if I was just an angel."

"Shm," I sigh. "That's a load of bullshit if I've ever heard any."

"I agree with you. Which is why I was determined when I took over at the school to make sure things were different here. I separated myself from the Seraphim Council and rarely do I ever answer to them. It took a while for others here to accept the changes I was making for Angels and Fallen Angels but my fellow council members have accepted those changes and even watched my students thrive in ways that some of them are lacking. I'm proud of the program and inclusion that I've built here." Her eyes shine with pride as she speaks and make me really believe in what she is saying.

"Did you ever find a second chance mate?" I noticed she skipped over that part of her story and I'm curious. If someone who has accomplished so much in her life as she has can find a new mate then it gives me faith that things will work out for me as well.

"Yes, I did," she smiles brightly. "Those two men are the loves of my life. They stay home with our twin sons while I work every day. We've had it rough but life has made it worth it."

Yes! That gives me hope. If she can have a second chance and thrive with it, then I can, too. "Will you tell me about them?" I'm curious to know who her mates are and what type of men she found for herself.

"I think we have some time," she winks before diving into her story. For the next half hour Talia tells me all about her mates and the struggles they had on their path to binding their souls. One of her mates is an Archangel and the other is a Fallen Angel. She explained how she hid her Fallen mate from the Seraphim Council until after she took over at the school and cut ties with them knowing that they would force her out if she were to admit they were mates. Although she was calmly talking about it I could still detect a small amount of anger over the situation that made me feel for her. Seeing that they were able to overcome the division between them gives me hope that there could be a chance for Phoenix and me but it also means never going back to Aeris. I would have to say goodbye to my family. Most of them I would be fine never seeing or speaking with again. My great-grandmother, however, wouldn't be able to say goodbye to her, that would break my heart.