MIDNIGHT DIVINE (The Helio Trilogy Book 1) (31 page)

I dry off and change into
warm clothes while Solas changes in his room down the hall. I pull my hair into
a high plaited ponytail and let its length fall over my shoulder. Solas exits
his room the same time I do, and we make our way downstairs. Alice brings thick
blankets and quilts to help warm everyone up. “Your lips are blue,” she
observes with worry as she lays a blanket over my shoulders and guides me to
sit in a high backed chair in front of the fire. Solas takes a spot at my feet and
leans against the leg of my chair. The Griffins sit down across from me on the
sofa, and Eric and Alice hold each other next to them. Evelyn brings us warm
tea and sits rigid in the chair beside mine as she searches my face.

I sip the warm tea before I
begin, “It was different this time. Something changed.”

“Changed how?” Evelyn
inquires.

“Well, it started further
back, and it didn’t end the same.”

“There are Fallen
everywhere,” Solas adds.

“Could you see how many
from the window?” I ask.

“I only experienced what
you did, but I could hear them all around you.”

“That changed too. You
weren’t there in your raven form before.”

Eric contributes, “Maybe
that proves we can change the outcome. If he wasn’t there before, but he is
now, then something changes that.”

“Yeah, because in this
version, when Lucian tried to stab me with his knife, it never penetrated my
skin. I imagine we alter the armor so he can’t. I also wasn’t afraid of him
this time. I was laughing at him
,
and it pissed him
off. It was like I knew something he didn’t.”

Cassius shifts into a more
comfortable position on the floor, “How was the end different?”

“Someone comes up behind
him and stops his hand from plunging the knife into my chest since he couldn't
penetrate the armor. I don’t die.” The room stills. The only sound is the
crackling of the fire as it glows across our faces.

“It’s me,” Solas reveals.

Alice scoffs, “How do you
know?”

Solas ignores her tone,
“Because I wasn’t there before. And knowing now that I'll be there, I've formed
a plan of action.” I hang on his every word. He rises from the ground and paces
in front of the blazing hearth. “In the vision, Lucian explains he wants to use
Ivy to get rid of his father. He knows without her in his control he'll forever
live in his father's shadow. He fears him. As well as he should. Since I know
I'll be there, I plan to sneak through the open window Ivy saw and shapeshift
into Lucifer. I can stop Lucian from harming her and set up a ruse that I'll be
taking her from him. It’s me that stops him.”

“That’s brilliant!” Beckett
shouts.

“There’s one problem,”
Evelyn thwarts, and we all snap our head
s
in her direction.
“We still don’t know the when or where. How's Solas going to know where you
are?”

I think about the new
incomplete bond I now have with Solas from our intimacy. I don't know if Evelyn
ever knew about the incomplete bond I shared with Jack, but I don't want to
bring it up. “I’m not sure yet. Maybe we can try again after Cass and Beck get
back from The Keep this weekend. I’m drained and need a break for a while.”

“Ok, dear. In the meantime,
I'll try to communicate with Michael and see if he can tell us anything."

Solas helps me stand, and
we all bid each other goodnight. A huge weight has been lifted from my
shoulders, knowing we can defeat Lucian now.
There's no wonder I was being so cocky to him. He'll lose.
What my
family doesn’t know is, I plan to take his essence from him so he can never be
a threat to anyone again. I fall asleep in Solas’ arms and sleep better than I
have in a long time.

Friday morning, I'm
accompanied by Beck to the Music building. The sky is gray, but Red Meadow is
anything but lacking in color. The leaves have turned shades of red, orange,
and yellow, decorating the campus in warm colors that make me look forward to
changes and new beginnings. I’m thankful for the chilly weather. It gives me an
excuse to wear long sleeves and jackets to cover the permanent ink on my
forearm representing my rank. While I know other students will only see it as a
new and bold tattoo choice, I don’t want to take the chance of a covert enemy
discovering it and revealing my identity to others. And wearing a leather cuff
at all times isn't a fashion statement I wish to make. I feel refreshed with a
new shine on my future.

Beck casually rests his arm
over my shoulders as we trudge up the hill. He’s in a good mood today, and his
emotions
further
brighten my morning. “So…” he drawls, and I peer
up to him in question. He gives me a sidelong glance, “You and Chief, huh?”

My cheeks flush as I jerk
my head forward in embarrassment and bite my lip. “That obvious?” I keep my
focus on the short hike before us.

Beckett chortles, “Not
until last night.” His smile meets his gray eyes, identical to the sky.

“What do you mean?”

As we reach the top of the
hill and stop outside of the doors, Beckett explains, “He growled at me when I
whistled at you last night. In a way, he was claiming you as his.” He wiggles
his eyebrows, suggesting my intimacy with Solas.

“What!” My heart beat
s
faster, and I cover my face with my hands. “Oh
,
no,” I mutter through my palms as the heat in my face
intensifies.
Evelyn must have heard him. What does she think of me seeing
someone else?

“Hey, what are you so
embarrassed about?” he touches my shoulders and bends down to peer through my
fingers. “It was bound to happen anyways. I see the way he looks at you. Cass
notices too. It’s like he’s been waiting for you his entire life.”

I let my hands fall and
start rambling, “Do you think Evelyn knows? I don’t want to upset her, but I
love him. I know how bad this looks. She probably hates me right now.”

“Ivy. Stop,” Beck demands
as he tries to shake some sense into me. I take in his serious expression as I
expect words of comfort. “I’m sure she knows, but she can’t expect you to not
live your life."

I'm mortified. “She must
think I'm a traitor—tossing Jack aside for
a
Fallen.”

Beck tips my chin up, “You
have too much love inside of you to ever be a traitor. And if you ever do, I'll
hunt you down with Cass and drag you back home, kicking and screaming if I have
to.” His gamine grin provokes a bashful twist in my tight lips. He brushes my
chin playfully with his fist, “Chin up. You’re a bad ass.” I nod and Beck adds
with softness in his tone, “You love him?”

I meet his prying gaze.
Did
I say that? Do I love him?
I think about how much Solas has affected me.
From the moment I saw him at The Keep when he transformed from a raven into his
Fallen angelic form, I felt a connection I couldn’t place before, and that
connection grew.
I do. I love him,
I declare to myself. A smile graces
my face as I admit it out loud, “Yeah. I guess I do.”

“Awe!” Beckett teases in a
sing song voice.

I roll my eyes and punch
his arm with mirth. “Alright, Beck. I’ll see you later.”

His eyes catch a sorority
girl walking in the distance as she drops her books, and he mumbles with a
cunning grin, “Uh-huh. Later.” He pats my shoulder as he jogs to help the
damsel in distress. I shake my head, pushing the doors open to the building and
go to class.

Our topic in Music History
becomes awkward to say the least. The previous subject matters covered the
Birth of the Blues—Evelyn's favorite. Today, the professor's lecturing on the
myths surrounding one of the most influential blues artists, Robert Johnson.
Legend has it, Johnson took his guitar to a crossroads where he met the Devil
and sold his soul to him. In exchange, the Devil took Robert Johnson’s guitar,
tuned it, and handed it back to him. It's said after that encounter, Johnson
went on to record 29 hits, making him the historical legend he is today.

I leave Music History and
cross the hall to my Piano class. As I try to lose myself in the classical
piece we're playing, I can’t shake the residual feeling Music History left me
with. I want to take it as a sign meant to guide me through my pending battle
with Lucian. In the words of Dave Grohl, "Music is my religion, the record
store is my church, rock stars are my saints, and their songs are my hymns."
I've always felt music could either fix my current problems or point me in the
right direction, and a higher being was guiding me with music.

After class, I’m surprised
to find Solas waiting for me instead of Cass. Yet, seeing him realigns my day back
on track. “Hey,” I breathe with a smile as I relax in his presence.

“Hey,” he echoes as he
wraps his enormous arms around me and kisses my hairline.

Solas takes my backpack,
throws it over his shoulder
,
and holds me close
with an arm across my shoulders. We slink down the hill to the parking lot, and
I wonder, “Where’s Cass?”

“They left early for The
Keep. They should be back in two days.”

On the drive home, I start
contemplating about the bands upcoming gig. “I need to go shopping with Alice
for a Halloween costume to wear for the Masquerade Ball.”

“When do you want to go?”

“I have to finish up a few
more assignments tomorrow, so I was thinking Saturday morning before we go to
practice.”

“Do you want me to come
with you?”

“We really haven't had a
chance to talk lately. I think we could use some girl time.” I read the
disappointment across his face and add, “But I have a very important question
for you.”

"Important, huh?"

I smile with giddiness as I
bat my lashes, “Will you be my date to the Ball?”

The corners of his mouth
grow into what's clearly a winning smile. He entwines his fingers with mine and
brushes his soft full lips over my knuckles. His husky
voice
rumbles in his chest, “It would be my pleasure,
princess.”

Eric greets us as we enter
the manor, “Would you guys be up for some training?”

I grumble hunching over,
“Seriously? I’m so tired of fighting.”

He crosses his arms over
his chest. “Come on, Ivy. Don’t be such a girl.” Eric knows just how to
persuade me.

I straighten my spine.
“Screw you!” I chide. His crooked laugh reflects his crooked grin, knowing I
won’t back down from a challenge. “I’ll meet you downstairs in ten minutes. Be
ready to get your ass handed to you,” I laugh despite my attempt to intimidate
him as I bolt upstairs with angelic speed to change, and their laughter
explodes in my wake.

When I enter the training
room in the basement, an unexpected protectiveness overwhelms me as I watch
Alice attack Solas while Eric idly stands aside. They’re wings are spread wide
and intimidating. Alice spins in the air with the grace of a figure skater
executing an axle jump with a thin Rapier sword hugged close to her body. Her
four-foot
-
long auburn braid rotates like a helicopter blade
above her head. Solas rolls underneath her, and she comes down faster than
expected, pinning his right wing down with her Rapier and kneeling on his
chest. The savagery marring her beautiful features is nothing short of
ferocious. My field of vision converges on her, darkening my surroundings. With
no other weapon than my body, I find myself plowing into her side and
restraining her to the ground by her throat. A growl escapes me with a brutal
scowl.

Her eyes widen in surprise
as she grips my forearm and rasps, “Ivy! I wasn’t going to hurt him! I swear!”
Her terror seeps into my bones and creates an urge to rip her throat out. It's
an intense animalistic fury I've never experienced before. I become aware of my
heart blackening by the second.

Solas pops to his feet next
to us as Eric barks out, “Ivy!”

I can’t seem to pry my
fingers from her crushing larynx. Solas steps closer with slow vigilance and
grasps my shoulder.
Pride, passion, concern.
“Ivy. I’m fine. I wasn’t
going to let her hurt me. We were only training,” he confesses in a tranquil
tone.

My vision comes back as his
calm feelings and Alice’s fear bleeds into my consciousness. My face falls in
shock of my reaction.
I was going to kill
her.
What is wrong with me?
I jerk my hand away from her throat and
crawl backwards to let her up. “I’m sorry. I… I don’t know what happened,” I
stutter in disbelief.

Alice pounces on me with a
loving firm embrace. She holds me tight around the neck, and I wrap my hands
around her waist, placing my hands in the middle of her back beneath her soft,
violet, iridescent feathers. We don’t speak as her emotions of sorrow and love
fill me, and I push my feelings of apology and love into her. She pulls back,
and we kiss each other's cheeks before we release our hold and help each other
stand.

“Are we all good now?” Eric
asks with a sarcastic arc of his eyebrow, and I notice the tension leave his
taut muscles.

I shake my head, “Yeah. I’m
sorry.”

He coaches, “You can’t let
your emotions take over when you're fighting. You'll end up getting yourself
captured or killed. You were so focused on Alice, I could've attacked you from
behind and taken you out.”

“Your right,” I acknowledge
in defeat.

He continues, “I know you
feel like we have the upper hand now due to your visions, but you can’t let your
guard down. We still don’t know when they'll attack. You’re complacent in the
fact we believe we can defeat Lucian. If you let your guard down now, it could
cost you. You'll be caught unprepared. Don’t let it happen.”

I bite the edge of my
smile, a vain attempt to keep my creeping grin at bay as I stand a little
straighter, “I understand, coach.”

He shakes his head and
scratches the back of his scalp as he forces a smile back. He drops his hand
with a
huff, addressing Solas, “Alright
,
Chief. I’ll take Alice’s place and we can hash it
out. Ivy, you pair up with Alice, and she’ll teach you a few evasion techniques
if you ever catch yourself in a bind.” His mouth twitches upwards, dimpling his
cheek, and a cunning mischief glints behind his eyes.

“Kick ass, princess,” Solas
says before he kisses my temple and jogs to the opposite end of the training
room with Eric.

“Are you ready?” Alice
chirps with a little more pep in her step.

“Whatcha got?”

“A little E and E.”

“E and E?” I repeat for
clarification.

“Escape and Evasion, Ivy.
We’ve got to get you up on your military terms,” she teases.

“Ok. Evasion isn't really
happening. I don’t want to evade Lucian. I want to confront him like a battle
ax to the face,” I admit with a little more malice than I'd intended.

“I know, and we already
know you'll be captured. This is where escape techniques will come in handy. I
want you to keep a razor tucked into your wings. Since they'll be restrained
behind you, you can pull the razor from between your feathers and use it to cut
the ropes binding you,” she explains.

“Won’t it fall out?”

“No. Here, try this.” She
pulls a razor from her back pocket and gestures for me to turn around. “Spread
your wings and try to push them out as far as you can so the feathers spread
further apart.” I release my wings to their full extent which reaches about
three feet out to each side of my shoulders. Their tips look deathly sharp,
like serrated blades. “Now, I’m going to place the razor twelve feathers up
from the tip of your left wing and straight up the middle of it. I’m just
laying the feathers on top of it to hold it in place.” I feel her caress my
feathers as she lifts them and hear them flick across her fingertips.
Thwick,
thwick, thwick, thwick.
“Ok, relax.” I pull my downy extremities behind my
back tight.

“I can’t feel it.”

She nods her head and folds
her arms over her chest, “It’s there, and it won’t fall out if you have to fly.
Give it a try.”

I flap my wings gently at
first to elevate me, then take off around the room in looping patterns, trying
my best to make the razor fall out. It never does. I land back down next to
Alice. “Wicked,” I smirk.

“Turn around and put your
hands behind your back,” she demands in her most cop-like tone.

I giggle and obey. Rough,
splintering material is swiftly tied to my wrists, pinning my wings behind me.
“What are you doing?” I growl in a facetious manner.

“Simulation.”

“Uh-huh. Is this your way
of getting back at me for earlier?”

She creeps into my line of
sight and lifts her shoulder in a half shrug, “Maybe.” I quirk an eyebrow. “On
your knees. We’re recreating your vision. I want you to find the razor.” I roll
my eyes and get on my knees, sitting back on my calves. I begin to reach my
fingers back at an awkward angle to reach the razor. “Stop moving,” she barks.