Divinity: Immolation: Book Three (The Divinity Saga) (5 page)

VI. Cam`ael

S
he had me in the palm of her hand, already wielding the power that women had over men…that she had over me. It didn’t take long. I’d do anything for her.

I smirked to myself.

I was going to have to be seductive and clever to get out of telling her my history. She wanted to know what I did to fall. It wasn’t that it was horrible, I was both embarrassed and ashamed of it. Even more so, by the existence and activities that I took part in thereafter. I was already wearing my shame, seeing the permanent black marks whenever I revealed and spread my wings. Wasn’t that enough?

The
dark symbols that ruined my once great wings, and my formerly gold brandings, now cursed to blood red, were more than visual proof and constant reminders.

Edanai, Ry, and Rahab were the only ones who knew the basic truth, but no one knew the whole truth in its entirety except for Elohim. Of course, M
orning Star knew much of it too but he was the last fallen that could judge or measure any of our sins or disobedience against his own. I didn’t want Starling to see me as desperate and foolish, and in my opinion it was pointless anyway.

I sealed and hid the book that Berith gave me behind the largest bookshelf in my bed chamber. I would need a good amount of time to attempt to read it and I may not even do it here or the human realm.

I decided that I would head into another dimension later, a place that would offer quiet and privacy. A place that Morning Star and his clan knew nothing about—so that it would remain safe from his eyes and repossession.

I was
cloaked and only a few feet away from the border of the sanctified grounds of the Divine hall while we were engaged in our mental conversation. I had to see what was happening up close. Though I had already been detected by the all-white, strange animals that roamed freely on the grounds, and a few of the warriors, none of them made any move or attempts to confront me.

I began to retreat, slowly backing further into the
trees of the neutral zone, still listening and watching. A sudden streak of white luminescence whizzed past me, embedding itself deep into the trunk of a tree right next to me with a solid thump. Wood creatures and implings chittered and scampered away to hide in the leaves and bushes.

I tensed and abruptly whirled
around, wielding my sword but remaining cloaked, just as another projectile zipped right over my head. Thrusting a palm forward, I conjured a shield of dark energy in front of me, which stopped the next five shots dead in their tracks. It allowed me to see what they were more clearly too.

Glowing silver bolts.

It was obvious that the attacks were meant to get my attention. Whoever it was would have had a clear shot the first time. Though I had an idea of who these belonged to, I wasn’t taking chances.

The trapped bolts,
leaving them suspended in the field of dark energy that formed my shield, until they finally began to dissipate into wisps of bluish white smoke. Durien stepped out from behind a wide-girthed tree several yards away.

He cracked something in his fist and made a motion of throwing it down. A portal shot upwards, glimmering in a kaleidoscope of muted colors. With one last glance over his shoulder at me, he ventured through and I followed him.

~~~~****~~~~

There was already a fracture in the protective wards surrounding his place, so I simply ghosted in. He was standing at the panoramic window, looking at the evening sunset over the water in the distance. His feet were planted shoulder width apart, fists at his waist, and I could feel unstable anger wafting off of him.

“I guess you must have forgotten that you guys still cast shadows when the sun is high.” He spoke first, not turning to face me yet.

I smirked. That fact was the main reason we cloak at night. In the darkness, it was near impossible for the warriors to see or detect us by sight. So, the hall did manage to offer these future warriors something of value.

“Ah, that explains your extremely bad aiming then but I could have been any one of the others.” I reminded him.

He grunted sarcastically. “Your scent is distinct. You don’t smell like all the others. No one in your circle does.” He stated flatly.

I nodded, approaching him slowly and stopping halfway just as he turned around to face me.

“You just don’t quit do you, man? Now you’re hanging out that close to the vicinity of the hall? For what? If you’re looking for Starling…she’s gone! She got taken and she ain’t coming back, okay?!” His teeth were clenched and he was fuming.

Durien looked like…shit.

His eyes were bloodshot and there were worry lines between his eyebrows that made him look a lot older than his young age.

He was upset with me, that much was clear and I knew why. He slowly relaxed his arms but his fists were still clenched so tightly, prominent veins protruded from the tops of his hands.

I kept my eyes on his and deb
ated joining him at the window.

“Why didn’t you tell me that her essence was hallowed fire?” I asked, keeping my accusing tone even.

Durien appeared confused but still angry. “What the hell are you talking about?”

“She possesses deadly fire. Deadly enough to kill darkness on contact. You didn’t know?” I asked him with a raised brow.

I finally joined him at the window. He continued to look up at me inquisitively with a hint of surprise though he still scowled.

“How do you know? You saw her use it? You’re still alive so it couldn’t have been too deadly, unless…” the fiery heat of anger and a challenge began to burn in his eyes once again.

Was he really going to try and fight me?

“Don’t be ridiculous!” I spat back through clenched teeth.

I meant that in more ways than one.

It took him a minute to simmer down but he was still agitated.

“I didn’t know what her essence was, none of us did but that’s beside the point now!” He was getting angry again.

“She’s fine.” I said, looking down at him indignantly.

His face instantly morphed into dumbfounded confusion.

“Say what?” he asked, brows furrowed.

“I said she’s fine. She’s safe at the hall right now as you stand here yelling and dancing on the minefield.” I repeated slowly, my eyes glowing malevolently on purpose to remind him of exactly who he was threatening.

His anger began to subside and he recoiled, taking a slight step away from me, and pausing to think.

“Seriously?” His entire demeanor had suddenly shifted from rabid attack dog to foolish chagrin.

“Why
would I lie to you about that?”

After a moment, he pursed his lips and sighed deeply through his
nose. “Oh.”

The tension began to slowly unravel from his body as he wiped a hand down his face and then moved into the kitchen, opening the refrigerator.

“I kind of knew something like that was gonna happen and it just about ended badly but I take full responsibility and blame. I won’t be doing anything like that again so you can forget about asking,” Durien said as he pulled out a bottled water out and pointed it at me. “You’re on your own with her. If she doesn’t remember you, you should just leave her alone altogether. It’s gonna cause major problems.”

He unscrewed the cap
of the water bottle, leaned back against the arm of the couch, and took a long drink.

“I understand and I take responsibility as well. I hadn’t expected you to invite the whole gang and I certainly didn’t anticipate Baal showing up, though it didn’t surprise me.” I said.

He looked pointedly at me. “Like I said, that wasn’t my fault. No such thing as a private conversation around the hall. Everyone pretty much invited themselves. In the end though, I’m kind of glad they did. I have some idea why they all want her as a female divine warrior, and I know why you want her, but do you know the real reason why they all seem so drawn to Starling in particular?” Durien then asked.

I hadn’t expected that question from him but it was a good one. Yes and no, I wanted to reply but instead I shook my head no.

He sighed. “It’s gonna be really hard for her, especially there more so than in the human realm. The training we get may not be enough.” He shook his head.

“It isn’t.” I frankly agreed.

His eyes flicked up to connect with mine. We were both thinking the same thing.

I offered to train Starling but I don’t know if I’d extend it to Durien. He’d have to make a choice. I wasn’t about to train him so that he could share anything with a group of warriors dead set on killing me and my friends.

“So, what ended up happening? How did you get her back? And what happened after that? Did she remember you? What did she say to you?” He eagerly wanted to know and asked in one breath.

I shot him an irritated grimace with a hint of unbelieving sarcasm at his sudden barrage of probing questions. Yes, I liked Durien and I trusted him to an extent—as much as he trusted me. He did me a huge favor and risked a lot so that I could see Starling again. For that, he had my undying gratitude but any information past that was none of his business…at least most of it would remain unknown until Starling began to show.

“If she wants you to know anything then I’m sure she’ll share it with you.” I simply said.

He pressed his lips and narrowed his eyes.

“What did you have to do? Cast some sort of a spell on her? I’m sure she was terrified being that she was untrained and all. Is that when she used her fire?”

More questions.

This time I simply nodded.

A slow smile began to spread across Duriens brown face. “Sweet. Good for her.” He said more to himself.

“Is that all you wanted to know?” I then asked him, getting ready to ghost out of his home.

He hesitated, taking a quick inhalation of air as if he did want to say something else but instead chewed his bottom lip. “Yeah. Thanks again.” He gave a nod.

“I didn’t do it for you or any of the others at the hall.” I reminded him.

“I know.” He replied.

VII. Starling

I
could only stare silently while Jamie broke down in front of me. She was trying to fight it and I knew I should be doing something to comfort her, but I just stood there.

“Anyway, welcome back.” She quickly hiccupped, sniffed, and began to walk away, still unable to meet my eyes.

“Jamie, wait.” I called out.

She stopped but didn’t turn around to face me.

I walked towards her slowly. “You don’t have to thank me. It was a given and I don’t regret it.” I told her.

Her shoulders shook as her breath hitched. She only nodded.

“If…if you ever want to talk about anything…”

“I’m fine.” She cut me off and began to walk away once again but then she stopped again briefly, looking back at me over her shoulder.

“He saved you, didn’t he?” She then whispered.

I furrowed my brows.

Her words caught me off guard and my pulse began to race at the thought of who she might be referring to.

I felt the burn of guilt begin to warm my face.

“He who? What are you talking about?”

She turned to fully face me again, the hint of a sad and crooked smile on her face, “The only way you managed to make it back.” Then her smile slowly turned into a frown, “Don’t ever give them his name.” She warned in a hushed whisper with her index finger to her lips, before finally walking away.

Confounded and thrown, I watched her until she turned the corner at the end of the corridor.

She knows.

I didn’t expect those last words from her. What did she mean by that? I remember Durien telling me that she had a thing for supernatural beings. She was either messing around with Spencer now or had been in the past.

Damn, Jamie was the last one that I wanted holding that piece of information. She was a hard one to figure out and I couldn’t trust her. All I could do was continue to play stupid once that information got back to the elders— and it would. I remembered her expression after she practically kicked my ass out on the training field the other day, and Spencer was trying to hold her back and calm her down. She looked like she was trying to keep herself from crying the
n, too.

I didn’t spend too much time pondering what her issues were. I made my way back to the now thinned out crowd in the dining hall, catching the others in the midst of setting up an impromptu welcome back celebration.

Was that cake?

My stomach growled jubilantly and I began to salivate. After I entered the dining hall, all heads turned to look at me. It was like I was re-entering once again on my first day here.

It took me a moment to realize that they weren’t just looking at me, they were all looking behind me.

I turned around— and my mouth fell.

I had a trail of divine elementals following and crowding around after me. They all stopped when I did. Their freakishly human eyes and faces studied me curiously without a sound.

Oh God. They were sensing that something wasn’t right with me, and if they were sensing it, then the others would definitely be alerted to the change too.

“Well don’t just stand there, come on. We’re all waiting…” Lorelei’s voice was in front of me.

I turned back around to look at her when she stopped in mid-sentence.

Her grin slowly staggered, “Wow, you’re like the pied piper of elementals. Aren’t you special today? That’s weird.” She commented.

Scarlet and Crystal joined us to see what everyone else was gawking at as well.

“What’s going on?” Scarlet asked before seeing the posse of white animals spread out behind me just outside of the doorway to the dining hall. They sat silently with thei
r attentive eyes focused on me.

“What, they don’t follow people around?” I joked, growing edgy.

“Not in a pack like that.” Crystal pointed.

“Well, there’s a first for everything I guess.” Lorelei shrugged, “Come on. We hope you like chocolate cake.” She smiled.

With one last glance at the elementals, I let Lorelei pull and guide me over to the table that they had decorated. The cloth napkins were creatively shaped in Origami-like flowers and the medium- sized, chocolate frosted cake sat in the center of a paper cut doily in the middle of the table.

Anthony and Gabe were already seated and waiting to dig in, and Lira was busy setting out plates and silverware.  No sign of Durien or Spencer.

I hoped Durien wasn’t beating himself up over this. I tentatively pressed my palm against my lower belly, an automatic new reaction for me since finding out that I was pregnant.

“Well, well, well...looking and smelling much better.” Gabe quipped.

I smiled. “Thanks. I’m definitely feeling much better.”

“That’s good to hear.” Anthony said as he stood up to pull a chair out for me.

That was nice. I slowly sat down.

“This wasn’t necessary but thanks.” I said to everyone.

“No need to thank us. You’re safe and that calls for a celebration, so I hope you have a sweet tooth. This is a rare indulgence here.” Scarlet smiled as she began to cut the first slice.

A rare indulgence? Given the daily food choices, I could see that.

“Even if I didn’t, I’m starving so don’t be shy on my slice.” I told her.

I tried hard to separate all that’s happened and the present company of my friends, especially all the elementals that were still sitting over there in the open doorway, still watching me. It was making me really uncomfortable and nervous now.

“What’s with all the elementals?” Anthony thumbed over in their direction with a questioning quirk of his brow.

Everyone stopped to look, further making me want to sink through the floor and disappear completely, more so because everyone else in the dining hall began to make the connection too.

Crystal dismissed it with a shrug and a wave of her hand, “I wouldn’t worry about it. They’re real sensitive to auras and since yours is a little off right now, they’re probably just worried about you. That’s all.”

My heart began to race.

“Mine is— off?” I asked, searching all of their faces and eyes for more explanation.

I already knew what they meant. No doubt it will probably get worse and more noticeable as the baby begins to grow. I assumed that was the reason why.

Lorelei shook her head. “Not in a bad way. It’s probably stress. You just got back. It may take a few days.” She assured me with a smile.

I suddenly didn’t feel
like eating anything anymore.