Chapter 4: Katrina

Oh, you're awake, goodie." Came the deep baritone voice of the older man from earlier… what had Miles called him. I sat up from the soft couch I was lying on and began to rub my temples. I had a massive headache and was in serious need of a glass of water and possibly something more potent.

"Here, dear," The odd-looking man said, reaching towards me, holding a glass of water and aspirin.

How did he know I had a headache? Maybe it's normal for someone who just found out that the Gods were real.

"I can read minds." The man said, smiling at me. "My name is Godric Simmons; I am the Headmaster of Divine Academy, and the gift bestowed upon me is the ability to read minds.

I felt myself blush as I recalled the images that had come to mind when I saw Miles and the other three men sitting at the table.

"Don't be embarrassed," Headmaster Simmins responded to my inner thoughts, "Every female and some males even have the same reaction; it's impossible not to find the future Gods attractive."

"Where is Miles," I asked, looking around, noticing that it was only myself and Mr. Simmins in the room.

"He is in class, along with his cousins," Simmons responded.

"When can I see him again? And when can I check in with my friends? I am sure they're worried about me." I asked, looking down at my watch and noticing it was half past noon already.

"You'll see Miles again shortly, his class should be ending here soon, and he'll come to get you to show you to your new quarters.

"New quarters?" I ask, "And what about my friends?"

"You're officially enrolled in Divine Academy; you must attend school here and learn how to harness your powers. How about you take a few sips of your water, and we can discuss your friends."

I felt a sense of dread developing in the pit of my stomach, and I knew that whatever the Headmaster had to tell me wouldn't be good. I took a few sips of my water before putting it down on the coffee table, placing my hand on my lap to hide that it was shaking uncontrollably.

The Headmaster paced the floor for a few minutes before stopping in front of me, letting out a heavy sigh. "I'm sorry dear Katrina, I have no better way of breaking the news to you, but your friends are dead."

"D..d..dead?" I stutter, my throat closing up, making it difficult to breathe, as my heart felt like it was breaking to pieces inside my chest.

"The power you used last night is called Heavenly light. It is very effective in warding off evil intentions, as you saw last night, but it is also an extreme power that was last bestowed on the archangel Michael, who has been missing and thought dead for many years. This nature and the light that comes off this gift are so strong that it'll kill anyone in its vicinity that is not descended from the Gods." Simmons responded as if he was lecturing a class and not telling someone that she'd killed her two best friends.

"So I killed them?" I asked, unshed tears brimming at the corner of my eyes, my chin trembling as I tried not to cry. "The power that came from me murdered Grace and Jack?"

"Yes, dear," the Headmaster said, reaching for my hand to comfort me. I shakily jerk my hand out of reach and begin to rise from the couch.

"This has got to be a joke," I mumbled as I turned to exit the room.

Before I could reach the door, the Headmaster grabbed my shoulder, and visions from that night started racing through my mind. I can see a streak of bright white light coming from my body and aiming straight towards the man who tried to assault me; on the other side, I can see Jack and Grace bobbing their heads to the music, talking and laughing amongst themselves. I see Miles racing towards them with his hands stretched as if trying to protect them. The light strikes the stranger in the chest, and it almost looks like it's being absorbed into him; then, he flies against the wall, and the light blasts out of him, covering the entire upper floor in brightness. I watch in horror as the explosion throws everyone. Many of the people stand up immediately afterward, but a handful are lying on the floor, their bodies in unnatural positions; my gaze turns towards where Grace and Jack were standing earlier; they aren't there any longer. I look around for them, and I find them on the ground, their bodies covered in burns. Miles is standing above them, a calming, soothing light coming from his hand. His friend, Grimm, who had let us into the club, was standing beside him, his lips moving while he was shaking his head as if telling him it's no use, they're gone. Miles turns around and slams his fist into one of the poles, leaving a giant fist mark. His gaze finally lands on me; I fall to the floor, my body exhausted. He catches me right before I fall and pulls me into his chest, stroking my hair and kissing me on top of my head. Then the vision goes dark, and I am back in the room with the Headmaster.

The tears are now flowing down my face; I can no longer hold them back. I know why Professor Simmons showed me the vision; I wouldn't have believed him unless there was solid proof now; I had all the evidence I needed. I had murdered my two best friends. The people who meant the most to me in this world were burned to a crisp because of me.

"How many," I asked, turning back to him. He has a confused expression on his face. "How many people did I kill?"

The Headmaster looked uncomfortable before responding, "Just the two."

"How, how as it just Jack and Grace?" I asked, confused; how could I have caused so much destruction yet only affected the two people closest to me.

"All of the other individuals are related to the gods somehow, and their relation to the Gods is the only thing that saved them."

My heart was breaking. Grace and Jack were dead. And it was all my fault, and I couldn't even blame it on the wrong place at the wrong time. This power in me could have combusted at any point, killing everyone around me.

"How can I control this power?"

"By taking classes at Divine Academy, we teach young demigods with divine affinities how to master their powers. This school is a safe place to learn control and etiquette and help you find your place in this world." The Headmaster says, walking towards his desk, grabbing a file of papers, and handing them to me. "This pamphlet includes your room key, your class schedule, and your bank information through Divinity Credit Union."

I open the file and look at my schedule. I have Sparring, Angelic & Demonic History, Magical Studies, and Magical Enhancement. The classes seemed interesting enough, I turned the next page, and my eyes widened, my eyebrows almost shooting off my head. "Umm, Headmaster Simmins, where did this money come from?"

"Ah yes," He said, glancing over my shoulder and looking at the page I was on. "That is a monthly stipend provided by the Academy; we want to ensure that our students never go without."

"Two thousand dollars is a monthly stipend?" I ask, in shock.

"Yes, you'll come to see that the students attending this school come from very prominent families worldwide, so they're used to living a lavish lifestyle… Speaking of parents, I couldn't find any information regarding yours."

I thought about telling the Headmaster about my mother's letter, but I thought better of it. This could be the danger she was worried about. "I don't know my parents. I was left at an orphanage just before my first birthday, and I was left at the doorstep with no documents." I responded, only telling the half-truth.

Simmons looked me over for a minute, it almost seemed like he could tell I was lying, and then I remembered that he could read thoughts, had he read my thoughts about the letter just now. I stared him straight in the eyes, waiting for him to say anything.

"Well, that's a shame," He finally said, "I was hoping you would have at least some knowledge that way, we could determine where your power of Divine Light came from. And also what other powers you may possess."

"I'm sorry, I don't have any more information to give you; I'd also like to know who my parents were and why they abandoned me." This statement wasn't a lie, and it seemed like Simmins believed what I was saying.

"No worries, dear; hopefully, we will find out the answers to our questions while you're studying at the academy."

A bell began to ring, and the four Adonis-like models walked in within minutes of each other.

"Ah, I see you have company." The Headmaster smiled. "Miles, Beckett, Aphelion, and Samael will gladly show you to your room."

I launched myself into Miles's arms, seeking comfort from him. I had only just barely met him, but I felt safe within his massive arms. "It's alright, everything is going to be okay, kitten," Miles whispered in my ear, stroking my hair

"No fair, Miles is hogging her." I heard one of the males whine before I felt someone tugging on my arm, pulling me away from Miles and into his embrace, he smelt like a sea breeze, and I felt myself relaxing in his arms. "The name's Beckett, Darling," He said with his deep baritone voice that had my core clenching. He held me tightly against him, making me feel secure in his arms. I raised my head and stared at him. He was breathtakingly beautiful with his brown curly hair and cerulean blue eyes; he was well over a foot taller than me, making me feel like a doll in his arms.

"My turn," came another deep gorgeous voice, sounding more sensual than the last. "Hey, Princess." He said, whisking me away from Beckett, "The name's Aphelion." Aphelion grabbed my chin, forcing me to look into his beautiful green eyes, most people would look strange with bright green eyes, fire-red hair, and beautifully bronzed skin, but Aphelion pulled off the look, looking like sex on legs. He was staring into my eyes, and he glanced down at my lips before smirking. I bit my lower lip in anticipation, wanting him to kiss me. Just as Aphelion started lowering his head towards mine, another hand pulled me away from his; while Aphelion's skin was hot and felt like the sun was kissing it, this man's touch brought a chill to my skin.

I looked toward the face of the man who was grabbing me, and my heart skipped a beat. It was him, the one who had blue flames covering his entire body. "You were covered in flames when we first met, but your touch sends shivers through my body," I said, taking him by surprise. He pulled me into his arms, lifting my chin before covering my lips with his. "I can still make your insides burn with want for me." He said once he pulled back, grinning at me, a dimple appearing on his cheek, "By the way, I'm Samael."

"What no cute nickname," I ask, teasing him.

"No," He responded, "I like how your name sounds coming from my mouth, Katrina." He said, gently rolling the R.

Yup, I liked the way he said my name, too. Samael was just as beautiful as the other three, although his appearance was much less preppy pretty boy and more goth-emo kid. He had long jet black hair that he wore down to his shoulders, gorgeous purple eyes, which I assumed must be contacts, and from what I could see, he was covered with tattoos, most of them depicting what I could only assume was the underworld.

The Headmaster cleared his throat, "Alright, if you are all well acquainted I have other matters I need to attend to; I'll trust that you all will see Katrina to your new quarters."

"Our new quarters," I asked, feeling butterflies in my stomach.

"Yes, you and the heirs will be sharing the upstairs corridor. You'll each have your rooms with en suite bathrooms, but you'll share a common area and a mini kitchen."

"Oh, okay," I said, trying to calm my nerves. How did I go from living in a tiny cramped apartment to now living with four gorgeous men at an expensive academy, and what the hell did the Headmaster mean by heirs.

"This way Princess." Beckett called, grabbing the files from my hand and leading the way to our chambers."