MIDNIGHT DIVINE (The Helio Trilogy Book 1) (36 page)

“Ivy!” I hear Solas call
out. I glance up just in time to catch the dagger he tosses me. “Duck!” he
warns.

I lean forward and plunge
the dagger into my enemy’s throat as Solas dives over
us
. When I sit back up, I twist around and witness Solas
decapitate the female angel with the red eyes. His wide stance faces away from
me, his breathing's labored, and dark blood streams off his outstretched Katana
blade, trickling to the ground and staining the snow. The world seems to fall
away in silence.

I rise from the ground and
he turns to me. “Have you seen Lucian?” I ask him.

“No. Have you?” he grits
through his clenched teeth.

“No.”

He growls in response. I
step closer to him with caution until our cold breaths entwine. His anger and
frustration melds with my own as I touch his cheek. “Are you ok?”

His stern expression falls
soft, “Yeah. You?”

“I think I’m ok,” I reply
as I scan the carnage surrounding us.

“They’re retreating,” Solas
says as I drop my hand from his face.

Looking to the sky, I watch
as hundreds of dark angels flee. “That was too easy,” I note.

Solas sheaths his Katana
over his shoulder. “They were testing us. That’s why Lucian never showed. He
wanted to see what our forces were capable of. This won’t be the last we see of
them.”

Three massive Griffins land
next to us, causing the ground to quake. With a loud screech from each of them,
I stare as they shake their bodies like wet dogs. The metamorphosis is
breathtakingly frightening. The fur and feathers of their bodies disappear
beneath
their skin. Their claws morph into fingers then
hands, breaking and reconstructing at awkward angles in the process. Their back
paws transmute into bare feet, and all three rise naked before us.

I avert my eyes to Solas,
guarding
them
with the cup of my hand. The last thing I want to do
is witness Cass and Beck in their birthday suits
again
. I take my snow camo
jacket off and toss it to Thea. She catches it and slides it on. Solas follows
suit and tosses his to Beckett.

“What? Don’t act like you
don’t want to see me in all my glory,” Beckett mocks.

“And what glory would that
be, Becky?” Eric calls out as he approaches from behind. Beck mumbles an insult
with a rumbling growl deep in his chest. Eric releases Alice’s hand to take off
his jacket and give it to Cass. As the brothers tie the jackets around their
waists to cover themselves as best they can, Eric's violet eyes bounce between
Solas and me, “No sign of the Prince?”

“Afraid not,” Solas
answers.

“Coward,” Eric grumbles.

“What do we do with them?”
I ask, indicating the macabre scene surrounding us.

“Evelyn's contacted
Michael, and your father's on his way,” Alice says. “They'll take care of them.
”

Solas wraps an arm around
my shoulders and pulls me to his side. “This won’t be the last of them. Ivy’s
vision has yet to play out. We can rest for now, but we need to stay alert for
their next attack. I’m sure it won’t be for at least a few days.”

As our troop trudges
through the snow back to the manor, I regard the bloodshed and fragments of
angelic bodies. Thea informs us that we've lost many of our Griffins in the
battle, but doesn’t seem daunted by the loss. My body begins to tremble from
the cold as my adrenaline dissipates, and I hug myself tight to keep from
shaking.

After entering the house,
no one speaks. I ascend the steps to the third floor alone. My thoughts are
empty as I enter the bathroom and start the hot water of the shower. I want
nothing more than to wash the dry blood and dirt from my body along with the
images of the battle flashing in my mind.

Once cleansed of the
evidence of battle from my body, it remains a stain on my thoughts. I rest in a
chair on my balcony and light a cigarette as I watch the sky darken against the
line of trees at the edge of the property. All proof of the slaughter's been
eliminated. Michael and Azrael had worked swiftly during my reprieve. Now, over
a hundred Griffins are erecting white tents and encampments that blend in with
the snow across the expanse of the estates acreage. I take a drag of my
cigarette and attempt to release the tension within my body. The scene from the
balcony gives the impression of watching a medieval film where armies prepare
for a war ahead. And war there will be.

My serenity is short lived
when Cassius flies up the balcony with a bottle of whisky in his hand. He gives
me a knowing grin. “Thought you could use a drink.”

“You thought right,” I chuckle,
and he passes the bottle to me after opening it. I throw the bottle back and
let a large amount of its burning liquid pour down my throat. Dropping the
bottle from my lips, I cough and pass the bottle back to Cass as he takes a
seat beside me. My eyes begin to water, and I take another drag of my
cigarette.

“Michael's waiting for us
in the basement with Evelyn,” he announces. Something in his tone makes me feel
there's more trouble to come.

“Do you know what it’s
about?”

He passes the whisky back
to me, and I take a smaller sip this time. “No. I imagine he has something to
say about the amount of carnage we left for them to clean up.”

I sigh and put out my
cigarette in the ashtray on the table. “What did he expect?” He shrugs in
response. I roll my eyes. “Whatever. Let’s get it over with then,” I say as I
stand.

Cassius follows suit,
leaving the bottle on the table. “I’ll meet you down there.” I nod to him and
watch him jump over the balcony to land in the snow three stories beneath us.

“Show off,” I mumble under
my breath. His laughter rumbles through the quiet air as he veers around the
side of the house.

I'm the last to arrive as I
join Michael, Evelyn, Solas, Eric, Alice, Cass, Beck, and Thea in the basement
training room. Their backs are turned to me as they stare in silence at a large
mass covered by a thick white sheet. For a fleeting moment, I wonder if they'd
captured a handful of Fallen to interrogate.

Michael smiles in greeting
as I approach the side of the unit I now call my family. He inclines his head,
“Ivy.”

“Michael,” I nod with a
slight bow. I can’t seem to help it when I'm in his presence. As if the
gesture's ingrained in my subconscious and acts upon reflexive instinct.

“I have something for you.
I apologize for the delay. I wish I could have had it to you sooner, but with
the revelations of your visions, there were alterations to be made.”

Eying the mass, I wonder
what could possibly be hidden beneath it. “What is it?” I ask with shy
confusion, crossing my arms nervously over my chest.

He extends his palm,
presenting the reclusive mass, “Take a look.”

I step forward and hesitate
as I reach out to touch the canvass. I grasp the sheet in my fingertips and
take a deep breath through my nose. Jerking the sheet away, it scrapes against
the object beneath as it flops into a crumple at my feet. Gasps echo around the
room, including my own. There's not
one
large object beneath the sheet,
but
seven
. Images of my vision flash behind my eyes with a wave of nausea.
I gawk at seven empty black armor suits. They're exact replicas of the armor I
wear in my vision when Lucian takes me hostage, save for the added
helmet
. “I…I don’t understand,” I stutter without taking my
eyes from the hollow army. “Why are there seven?”

“Why, for each of you, of
course,” Michael boasts and begins to circle the armor. I follow his leisure
steps around the hunks of dark metal to examine them better, and he continues,
“You must understand, Ivy. I have been around a very, very long time. I have
fought and led countless efficacious battles. I know and understand the enemy
better than they do themselves.” He pauses and grins over his shoulder before
resuming his promenade. “Lucian is a petulant child. He wants what he wants
when he wants it. Presently, he wants to take his father's place as King of
Sheol. To accomplish this, he needs
you
. He is impatient and will not
wait for the right time to attack. This, I am sure of. In consequence of the
attack today, he realizes he does not have a chance against your army, and his
confidence in his legion has faltered. Lucian’s pride will get the best of him.
He believes if he wants something done right, he should do it himself. He will
come alone and when you least expect it.”

We stop between the armor
and our onlookers. Solas mumbles under his breath, “The Ball.” We all turn our
attention to him as he continues to stare at the hollow army in a daze.

I point out, “Why would he
do that? We'll be surrounded by humans. There's too much exposure.”

“Exactly,” Michael says,
pointing his index finger in the air.

Eric fields the questions
he reads across my face, “We won’t be able to use any of our angelic abilities
to defend ourselves. But Lucian’s gifts are to influence the underlying
corruption within human souls. He may use them against us. What he doesn’t know
is how hard it'll be for him to find you in a crowd so large when there will be
seven of us wearing the same
thing
.” He indicates the
armor.

I set off pacing as I
examine the armor again. The helmet covers the neck with leather, and from the
jawline to the bridge of the nose is black metal. It guards the tops of the
cheekbones, framing the eyes. More black metal lines the cowl to frame the face
with a peak at the crown of the head. From the crown to the back of the neck,
the cowl is leather and attaches beneath the back plates of the armor for
removal.

I formulate a plan aloud,
“Alice and I won’t be able to wear this on stage. He'll pick us out easier. We
should wear the costumes we bought for the show. We can change after our set.
And we can’t all show up at the same time. We don’t want him to know how many
of us there are. We should separate, come in at different times, and from
different locations of the colosseum after Alice and I get a chance to change.
No one should be in their armor before then.”

“Your friends seem to be
rubbing off on you,” Evelyn coos with delight.

“Yes. Well, I’m tired of
this game. If Lucian wants me, he can come and get me. It'll be the last thing
he does,” I snarl as the heat in my body rises.

Michael explains, “The
layers beneath the folds have been reinforced so there is no chance of
vulnerability.”

“You mean, he won’t be able
to puncture my lungs through the scales of the armor now?” I sigh with chagrin.
His vague explanations are getting on my last nerve.

“Yes.”

Solas steps forward, “I
would rather you avoid capture and we take him down without a chance of losing
you.” The Griffin brothers grunt
in approval
at his statement.

“Agreed,” Evelyn says.

Glaring defiantly into
Solas' eyes,
I
lament, “I’m not running.” His unwavering gaze
and the tension between us lingers.

He relents with
exasperation, “If this is what you have to do, then I'll stay close by. I won’t
let you out of my sight.” His anger is palpable as he pivots on his heels and
storms out of the room.

Evelyn disperses the
tension in the room. Clapping her hands together once, she directs, “Alright.
The Griffins should be finished setting up their lodgings. We can all rest easy
tonight. Lord knows we need it. You may find provisions in the kitchen. Please,
help yourselves.” She rolls her eyes and mumbles under her breath, “As though
you need to be told.” She grins at the triplets and continues, “Thea, I have
your room ready for you on the second floor. Let me know if you need anything.
As for everyone else, go rest up. We'll continue planning strategy tomorrow.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Cassius
concurs with a bow. He slaps his brother on the shoulder and directs him
towards the stairs. “Come, brother. Let’s eat.” Thea, Eric, and Alice follow
them out.

“Do you need anything,
Evelyn?” I ask, stepping closer to her.

She gives me a tight smile,
“No, dear. There
is
something I wish to speak to you about, but it will
keep. Get some rest and we'll talk tomorrow.”

I hug her before turning to
Michael and expressing my appreciation, “Thank you, Michael… for everything.”

“You are quite welcome.
Safe travels, Ivy.” He bows out and disappears in a blinding flash of light. I
bid Evelyn goodnight and return to my room.

The flames in the hearth
dance and illuminate my dark room with a warm glow. Solas’ silhouette stands
motionless as he gazes out from the terrace. Closing the distance between us, I
wrap my arms underneath his biceps to grip his shoulders from the front and
rest my cheek against his back.
Heartache, worry, fear, love, regret.

“I’m sorry,” I whisper
against his unmoving frame.

“You have nothing to
apologize for. This is your choice alone. I can't keep you from fulfilling your
destiny. Nor can I sit idly by, knowing you're in danger.” He hangs his head in
dejection.

A realization hits me like
a bag of rocks, and I kiss his shoulder. “I don’t want you to worry, Solas. You
won’t lose me like you lost your love before you fell. The moment of my vision
is meant to be. I have no choice. But, I
will
return. I
promise
I will.”

Removing my grasp from his
shoulders, he turns to me and squeezes my hands. His expression's full of worry
as his husky voice utters, “History has a way of repeating itself, princess.
And I can't keep from wondering that, although your capture's meant to be,
maybe we… are not.”

“Don’t say that,” I
whisper. “I'm here. I love you. I
will
survive this, and I
will
come back.” I push up to the tips of my toes, wrap my arms around his neck, and
claim his full lips as I drive my feelings for him through our kiss. I want him
to know how much he means to me and understand that I mean every word that I
say.

Solas returns my touch with
eager passion as his hands slide around my bottom and wrench me closer. He
lifts me up, and I wrap my legs around his solid waist. He growls low in
approval
,
and it sends chills of pleasure through my spine. The
world falls away. Everything's right. I lose myself in his touch as he carries
me into the dim lit room and lays me on the bed. His heartache turns to
delight, worry to serenity, fear to assurance, regret to confidence, and
through the night
,
his love never falters.

gh

“We have a problem,” Alice
laments. She stares me down as I chew my raisin toast breakfast. Her eyebrows
are raised
,
and her arms are folded over her chest as she
taps her foot in irritation.

I lay the toast down on my
plate and finish chewing what's in my mouth. Alice doesn’t seem like she wants
to enlighten me on the
problem
until I ask. “What’s the problem?”

She throws her arms out and
shouts, “Cass and Beck have dates to the Ball!”

I'm puzzled by her outburst
towards the situation. “Ok,” I drawl. “How's that a problem? They
had
to get dates in order to get into
the Ball. We knew this.” My crooked smile grows at her over exaggerated
surprise
—
eyes wide, jaw to the floor.

“Well,” Alice throws her
hands up and lets them drop to slap her thighs. She begins to ramble, “We don’t
know who they are! They could be anyone! They're sorority girls, of course, so
the guys would be invited, but we don’t know who they are. What if they’re evil
little
winches
who just want to use our guys? What if they just want
to start some
drama
with they’re ex-boyfriends by showing off that
they’re with them?” She points a finger at me, “We should do recon. We need to
be sure they are who they say they are. We have to be sure they’re not going to
use them.”

My cheeks burn as I try not
to laugh at her. “Alice, slow down. Since when are you so worried about Cass
and Beck?”

She freezes in surprise.
“I… I… I don’t know.” Bewilderment settles over her, and she speaks softer, “I
guess… It’s like they’re family. You know? They’re like our brothers.”

I nod my head,
understanding exactly where she's coming from. “I
do
know.”

“So, will you help me do
recon?” she whines.

“Do you really think it’s
necessary?” I roll my eyes. “They’re big boys. They can take care of
themselves, and I really don’t think they would mind being used.” I chuckle
under my breath.

“It is
completely
necessary,”
Thea demands, barging into the kitchen. “They are my brothers, and as much as
they want to think they can just do whatever they want, they are wrong. I will
have to approve of their dates. If I don’t like them, then we will convince the
women to find someone else.”

Alice's violet eyes twinkle
as she stands up a little straighter. “See? So, are you going to help us or
not?”

I roll my eyes again,
“Fine.”

Thea adds, “I may also need
to find a date myself. Would you happen to know of anyone?”

Alice jumps up and down
with excitement, clapping her hands, “Oh! I do! I do!” Thea makes a face. She
doesn’t know how to handle Alice’s hyper outbursts.

“Alright, Alice. First
stop's the coffee shop. For
me
.
You…
get chamomile tea,” I chide.

I grab my phone, sending a
text to Solas as I pluck my keys from the table in the foyer, and the girls
follow me out.

Me: Running n 2 town with A
and T. B back later.

Me: Let me know if u need
anything. I love u.

My phone beeps as we drive
past the gates.

Chief: Be careful. I love
you too.

The coffee shop's
surprisingly bustling with students for a mid-
Wednesday
morning
. I lead Alice and Thea through the front door, and
we're assailed with the aroma of pumpkin spice. It's so harsh it drowns out all
other smells. “Jeez! It’s fucking pumpkin overload in here,” I mumble.

Thea looks as though she'll
be sick. Alice scrunches her face, “You order, and we’ll wait out back.”

“What would you like,
Thea?” I ask over my shoulder.

“I do not know how to
answer you. I will have what you have,” she says with boredom.

I chuckle. “Alright, I’ll
be out there in a sec.” I walk a few paces and take a spot at the end of the
line to order. Five minutes pass before I make it to the counter. I recognize
the barista as Emily, who seems to be the single employee that’s remained
through the semester
as others have come and gone
. “Can I get two
large mochas and a small chamomile with honey?”