Chapter 44: Placement

Chapter 44: Placement

Six listened as Bael explained the situation to her. School was starting soon and since she hadn't attended class for two years she probably had some catching up to do.

She didn't mind the thought of spending more time with Bael. Even if some of it would probably be boring. But he was operating on incomplete information. “Ah, and I take it that you are going to teach me?”Nnew n0vel chapters are published at novelhall.com

“Precisely.” Bael gestured to a stack of school books. “I managed to secure a copy of last year's learning materials so if we can work through them you should be caught right up.” They were actually this year’s books for the advanced placement classes, but he had a feeling she might enjoy them more.

“May I?” Six picked up one of the books. “And a pen too please.”

Bael handed her a pen and watched as she flipped through the biology book. Occasionally she frowned and made a mark with her pen. Sometimes she scribbled something in the margins. “Making notes?”

“No.” Six said as she relabeled a diagram, “I'm making corrections.”

Two years away from school didn't mean she was two years behind. Quite the opposite, in fact. It meant that Six had been allowed to learn at her own pace, uninterrupted, for those two years without silly things like holidays or summer breaks.

“Right. So should I take these away?” Bael looked at the stack of textbooks.

“No, leave them. I've started so I might as well finish.” She moved on to literature and shook her head. “I swear schools have really gone downhill since my day.”

***

“Our daughter is frightening.” Bael told Maharet later that night as she rubbed his back. “She just absorbs knowledge like a sponge. I've never seen anything like it.”

“Seraphim with a sword. He got me from behind. Luckily it was one of the fiery ones so it cauterized the wound.” He patted a nasty raised section of crisscrossing lines next to it. “That was from a mace.”

She looked at the scars in shock. “How are you still alive?”

“Benefits of an infernal constitution, I suppose.” He laughed. “That and we didn't know it at the time but the casks of Elysian ale we stole before the final push were Gabriel's private reserve. They made us a bit tougher than the average demon.”

“You stole Gabriel's beer? Why am I not surprised?” Maharet shook her head and went back to work. One by one the knots disappeared under her strong hot fingers. Bael was going to be sore in the morning but breaking down scar tissue was important. It was hard to heal when you were still hurting.

She lay down beside him, pulling the covers up so he wouldn't get cold. Bael was a good demon but frustratingly hard to read, even with their bond. He seemed to care about her and was definitely the loving sort. But she had secrets and once they came to light he would look at her differently.

The way he talked about the war and angels specifically made her cautious. Maharet thought about the two long scars down her back. They had spoken briefly about it but she wasn't sure if he grasped the full significance.

Over the millennia she had been tempted to try and regrow them. But her attunement wasn't fully set to the lower realm and hell’s energy wasn't as beneficial to her as it was for demons like Bael. Besides, there was no knowing how they would turn out.

If her new wings were black like Lucy's that would be fine. But if they grew back white everyone would know she was one of the fallen. And fallen angels did not have an easy time in Hell.

It would be best to tell him now. The longer she waited the more it would seem like she was trying to deceive him. The hurt would be much worse then. But could she stand the pain of finally showing someone who she was only to be rejected? Wasn't it better to rip the band-aid off now?

“Bael, I need to tell you something.” Maharet prepared herself for the inevitable rejection. “I’m not a fire demon. I'm an angel. I wanted to tell you but I was afraid of how you would react.”

He didn't say a word and the silence stretched out between them like a chasm. She had expected surprise or anger. But not silence. At first she was hurt. But then she realized what was actually going on and let out a sigh of relief.

I can't believe it. Maharet thought as she listened to the sound of Bael's slow deep breathing. He's asleep!