THE TRAGIC + DIVINE

by MELODY FELIX-PRIETO

  After a few minutes, I stepped out of my hideout with the plan to run into the woods to find an exit. I ran back to the girl I’d spoken to earlier and crouched next to her cage.

  “I’m going to get you out of here, I promise.” With that, I walked away with an overwhelming sense of determination. I was getting out of Stone Mountain alive. And I was going to expose the angels for all the macabre things they were doing to humans.

  That’s when I froze, sensing something. No, someone. Behind me I felt a presence, my vision went dark, a canvas bag was slipped over my head.

  “Gotcha,” I heard Dylan’s voice.

  I felt his strong arms drag me out of the warehouse. The image of the pregnant girl being cut open while she was conscious suddenly played over my memory followed by the sound of Skye’s flesh ripping apart.

  “Please let me go,” I pleaded. Panic consumed me at the thought of being eaten like Skye. I didn’t want to die. I pulled back my body weight to resist Dylan’s strength, but he kept dragging me. I kicked, screamed, nothing seemed to work. My efforts were overpowered when Dylan punched me in the stomach sending the air out of my lungs. Gasping for air, my body went limp. I heard the sound of doors slide open, Dylan pushed me inside then I felt movement. I knew I was inside the elevator that led down to Stone Mountain.

  I couldn’t die knowing I failed, not just the girls, but my sister Priscilla. Quick fragments of my life flashed before me. I hadn’t even lived. There were so many things I wanted to accomplish. I’d spent most of my life complaining about stupid pointless shit that didn’t matter, fighting with my mother—God, I wished I could see her smiling face one last time so I could tell her how much I loved her. Overwhelmed with regret, I thought of all the things I never did, the words I never said. If only I could turn back time. But it was too late now.

  Please, God, if you’re really out there, save me.

  Once we reached the bottom, Dylan dragged me until he flopped me into a chair. The bag was removed. I blinked several times to adapt to the bright light pointing directly above me. There was movement a few inches away from me, but I couldn’t tell who it was.

  “You’ve disappointed me, Alexis,” a man’s voice said. A voice I’d heard many times before. “I wanted you to join us,” he continued. “Be a part of our family.”

  “What you’re doing here disgusts me. I’d rather die than join your sick cult,” I spat.

  “This isn’t a cult,” his face came into view. “It’s a brotherhood. Something humans know nothing about.” There was a flicker of red light that flashed across his feline eyes. My eyes widened in complete shock at the familiar face eerily smiling back at me. How could I have been so blind?

  “You,” I whispered.

  CHAPTER

  29

  I stared into the familiar eyes—soft, gentle eyes I’d seen many times before—only this time they had an amber halo glowing around the iris. He was one of them. A smirk crossed his lips satiated by my stunned expression. His graying hair looked pale under the light, but I recognized him the moment he stepped into view.

  “Luke,” I whispered trying to control my trembling voice.

  The man standing before me, the only person I admired and respected in Dixon, fooled me. He fooled everyone in Dixon. Luke hid behind the podium, while he pimped girls for money.

  Taking a look around, I was inside a nearly empty room, a poker table sat in front of me with a bowl full of ripe peaches. Luke took one, sliced a piece off with a pocket knife, and sat on his hip on the table. He didn’t say anything for a few minutes, he only watched me as he ate his peach. Two angel guards stood by the door quietly.

  “Why are you doing this?” I asked.

  “Because you are very valuable. The fruit between your legs has turned me into a millionaire”—Luke continued to slice the peach apart—“Business is booming,” he added with a devilish grin.

  I took deep breaths to contain my rage. “And the girls in the warehouse?”

  “They’re part of a little experiment. A breeding program that is going to create a master race long extinct thousands of years ago.” Luke continued to eat the peach savoring every bite. “Do you believe in monsters, Alexis?”

  “I’m staring at one right now,” I glowered at Luke.

  Luke smiled. “No, real monsters. Demons. The Nephilim.”

  The words sent a cold chill zip down my back.

  “So far you’ve been unsuccessful,” I said. “The girls in the warehouse are dying along with their babies!” I screamed, anger sparking inside me.

  “That’s where you come in.” Luke’s expression was that of a madman as he smiled wickedly at me.

  I eyed Luke as he placed the knife on the table. Then I looked into his eyes and frowned with confusion. Luke noticed, then proceeded to pull out the coin he’d given to me the day I went inside his office. It shined brilliantly right under the light. I shifted in my seat, anxiety weighing heavily on my chest. He pushed the angel in the middle of the coin like a button. My mother’s voice played back like a record player, “No one can know about Isaac. If they find out, they’ll take him. I’m sure of it!”

  “That doesn’t mean anything—” I took another quick look down at the knife contemplating my next move. My hand was itching to grab it, but I had to play my cards right.

  “I suspected about Isaac for a while now, waiting until I was certain. It’s the reason I moved to that terrible excuse of a town. He’s grown up to be quite a handsome and charismatic little guy, don’t you think? He’s going to be a great leader someday,” Luke said as he looked away in a dreamy state.

  I grabbed the knife off the counter and stabbed Luke right in the eye. “You stay away from my brother!” I cried.

  Luke didn’t groan in pain or scream. He jerked his head back and laughed as blood spilled down his cheek.

  “Right in the bull’s eye!” He roared in laughter and clapped his hands. “Bravo.”

  I could barely breathe as he pulled the knife out. A clear gelatinous substance stuck to the blade like butter and a black liquid oozed out of his eye. Then suddenly, the liquid sucked right back into the eye socket. The gel from the eyeball molded together to form the eye.

  My hand went numb at the grizzly sight, I dropped the knife on the floor.

  “Who are you?” I asked dryly.

  Luke placed both hands on the edge of the poker table then leaned under the light where his eyes changed to black coals. “I am the ruler of this Earth, darling.”

  My face paled, my blood ran cold when I figured it out. “You’re Lucifer,” I said, the hairs in my body rising like they’d been rubbed with a balloon.

  “In the flesh!” he smiled wickedly.

  “You’re the presence I felt at my house the night I snuck in,” I realized. “The figure in my front yard. The demons, the snake.”

  “I had to be close.”

  “Why?” I said trying not to choke with the air in my throat.

  “Because if your sister was able to birth a Nephilim, so can you,” he sneered. “Priscilla has been useless to us for a while now. You’re going to replace her. You will birth all of my Nephilim children.”

  “The hell I am!” I tried to lunge at Luke again, but I was pulled back into the chair by an angel guard.

  “As far as Isaac is concerned, he’s safe for now,” he explained. “When he gets older, however, I am to groom him for the most important role of his life,” Luke promised.

  “Role?”

  “Isaac is going to lead the Nephilim army. Together we are going to take over the world!”

  “You’re a monster!” I cried.

  “Now, tonight is very important. I am going to auction off your virginity. Why? Well, because the entrepreneur in me sees value in that exchange. After that, we’ll put your child-bearing hips to the test. You’ll live in luxury inside one of our suites—as long as you behave,” Luke explained pointing a finger at me like a father explaining the rules to a child.


  “Behave? As I’m repeatedly raped day after day?” I replied gritting my teeth. “Fuck you. I won’t do it!”

  Luke chuckled. “I have a feeling you will.”

  A whimpering girl was brought in by another escort. At first, I didn’t recognize her because her ginger hair was now brassy and dull. The freckles on her skin were fading. My sister Priscilla was gagged in a muzzle, her eyes glazed in fear. I immediately reacted when I saw her. I jumped to my feet, but I was forced back into the chair again.

  “Priscilla!” I cried choking back tears. A flicker of hope crossed Priscilla’s eye when she recognized me. Her escort pulled a chair up to the poker table and sat her down across from me. I could barely contain myself. I never thought I’d see her again. After seven long years, my sister was finally in the same room as me.

  Luke snapped his fingers at the angel guard who grabbed Priscilla’s hand then snapped her index finger. With a loud crack, the bone broke. Priscilla screeched, but the gag muffled the sound.

  “Stop!” I rasped. Gripping the armrest, I squirmed in my seat. I watched helplessly as these bastards tortured my sister. And it was all my fault. Priscilla’s finger swelled as guilt consumed me.

  “Her arm is next unless we have an understanding,” Luke warned.

  “Yes,” I replied with a sob. “I’ll do whatever you want. Just please don’t do anything to her!”

  “Good girl,” Luke smiled sweetly.

  I was taken back to my room where I sobbed until there were no tears left for me to shed. I was physically and emotionally exhausted. How was I going to get out of Stone Mountain when Luke had my sister? I felt trapped.

  I heard the door unlock. Startled, I sat up straight.

  My eyes widened when I saw him. He was the last person I expected to walk through the door. Why was he here? My eyes flickered with anger when Eli gave me a worried look. I shot out of bed and slapped him across the face.

  “How could you?” I asked furiously. “How could you do this to my sister?”

  “It wasn’t me. I didn’t bring her here.”

  “If it wasn’t you, then who?”

  “When I first met Priscilla I was still involved with Dylan,” Eli began.

  The mention of Dylan sent waves of nausea to my stomach.

  “He became jealous of our relationship, so he did everything in his power to break us apart,” he continued. “I loved your sister. We were going to run away together.”

  “It makes no sense,” I shook my head. “How did she become pregnant with Dylan’s child?”

  Shame crossed Eli’s eyes. “You don’t want to know.”

  “Yes, I do,” I demanded.

  “Long story short, we were drunk...and high. And well…she slept with both of us.”

  “Spare me the details,” I hissed grossed out. “I can’t believe my sister would do that.”

  “You do crazy things when you’re in love.”

  I scoffed. I found it hard to steady my body as I processed Eli’s words. If that was love, then I never wanted to experience it. I would never do anything as filthy as what Priscilla had done in exchange for love.

  “When I found out your mum sent her away, I didn’t hear from her for months. When she came back, she called me. We made our escape plan. We were to meet at the cemetery by your house at midnight. But Dylan got to her first. He lied to Priscilla. Told her he would bring her to me.”

  “You’re the one who tattooed her hand,” I said. It wasn’t Milo.

  “It was my way of protecting her.” Eli’s voice was hoarse and shaky. “The tattoo is fading. I’m afraid she’s fading too.”

  “What do you mean she’s fading?” I asked tightening my muscles to stop my body from shuddering.

  I could tell guilt had been consuming Eli for years. “I give her Angel’s Ash, so she doesn’t feel anything. I think it’s affected her mind. She’s been slowly slipping for years. ”

  “All these years you’ve watched as Priscilla was raped and you never lifted a finger to do anything?” The anger that simmered inside me exploded. “So you drugged her so she couldn’t feel?”

  “You saw what they do to traitors,” Eli said, his eyes fearful.

  “You’re a coward!”

  “I’m sorry,” Eli said backing away from me. “I’m so sorry.”

  “A fucking coward!” I screamed after him.

  The door opened again. Another person I didn’t expect to see walked through.

  “Your time is up loser,” Jane Hayle innocently smiled at me, but there was wickedness in that smile. A sort of evil hiding behind those lips. “I have to get her ready for the auction.”

  “Jane,” I whispered.

  “Hey, girl!” she said in a peppy voice. “You look surprised to see me.”

  “You’re part of this too?” I spoke through clenched teeth.

  Jane smirked. “Of course I am. Someone had to spy on you. But you know, I must admit”—she placed a hand over her chest—“pretending to be your sidekick, was the worst thing I’ve ever had to do. Acting innocent and clueless. You totally bought it. It was an Oscar-worthy performance don’t you think Miss Wannabe Spielberg?”

  “You bitch!” I said as I spat on her face. She wiped off the slime and shot me a bone-chilling glare.

  “Don’t forget what my daddy said. One act of misconduct and your sister will be punished.”

  I starred at Jane. Her eyes were dark like Luke’s.

  “I cannot wait until Dawn is brought in.” Her demeanor quickly shifted to excitement. “She’s going pay for every single thing she did to me.”

  When Jane reached for my dress, I flinched and drew back. Her face now looked bored as she rolled her eyes at me. “Get over it already. The surprise is over. We’re bad. Boo-hoo. Now get with the program.” Jane scanned what was left of the white gown. It was torn and muddy. There was no shred of elegance left in the dress. “You know what? Now that I think about it, our clients love the helpless bitch look. She’s ready!” Jane called out in a lively voice.

  As the guard escorted me out of the room, Jane smiled and waved. “Don’t forget to relax your hips,” she giggled. “I hear it hurts like a bitch if you don’t.”

  I was taken up to Stone Mountain and tossed into a van. The angel guard blindfolded me. My knees shook the entire ride. I was going to be sold to a random stranger, prodded and raped. If I fought back, my sister’s life would be on my hands. The thought terrified me. You stupid girl, I thought. You got played by Milo. Just thinking about him made me want to cry.

  Once the van came to a stop, I was guided indoors where the smell of heavy cigars swirled in the air. I heard the soft chatter of people and orchestral music playing in the background.

  The guard suddenly stopped and took the blindfold off. I was standing on a stage inside a large theater. There was a projection of a moving sky on the ceiling. Clouds drifted above me, and every single seat was taken by men dressed in fancy tuxedos and women dressed in expensive ball gowns wearing Venetian masks to hide their identity. The exact same mask Jane gave me on my birthday. Judging from their clothing, they were rich and powerful. The suitors gawked, their eyes flicking down my body causing my body to tense. They were checking out the merchandise before buying.

  I tried to cover my legs with the shreds of fabric. But it didn’t help. I felt exposed. Weak. Small and insignificant. My heart raced faster than I could count, I felt it ringing at my ears.

  The sound of a gavel beating snapped me back. Zane, dressed in a fine gray suit, stood behind a podium flinging his hand in the air to get the suitors attention.

  “Let’s gather around ladies and gentlemen. Before me, you will find a ripe little peach plucked right out of the north Georgia mountains. Her beauty and innocence will satisfy your needs. We’ll start the bidding at fifty-thousand-dollars.”

  A man in the back raised his hand, in return, Zane pointed at the man accepting his bid. Another party guest shouted, ‘sixty-thousand.’

  �
�Seventy-thousand anyone?” Zane asked the hungry crowd.

  Another raised his hand. Then another. The numbers kept elevating higher and higher for an excruciating amount of time. I lost track after the hundred-thousand mark. I’d never imagined I would lose my virginity to a random stranger, I always thought I’d find someone to love, a person who in return would love me back, someone who I felt a connection with to share this part of myself. For some reason, the image of Milo crossed my thoughts. I wanted to cry and scream, but there was no point. All I could do was shake in what was left of the gown.

  When I focused my attention back on the auction, the number had escalated to three-hundred-thousand. I was disgusted at the sick men and women in my presence bidding as if I were dispensable.

  It was down to a tall man with greasy slick black hair, and a slimy overweight man who looked like The Penguin from Batman Returns. He kept licking his lips every time he looked at me. And judging at the hesitant pace the greasy-haired man was bidding, it seemed like it was in favor of The Penguin.

  Then suddenly, I heard a voice shout from the shadows, “half a million!”

  Everyone in the audience turned their heads in the direction of the voice. I searched the darkness for the man behind the bid. Who was the person bidding such a high amount? When he finally stepped into view, my knees almost gave out. It was Milo, dressed in a tux, his hair tied up in a ponytail. And even though every cell in my body cursed his name, something about seeing him caused my heart to flutter with hope.

  “Fascinating,” Zane said in curiosity. “It’s against our law to bid, Milo. Why are you here? What is this girl to you?”

  “Nothing,” he said relaxed. “I want to finish what I started.”

  “Are you sure there isn’t a hidden agenda?” Zane asked in a careful, skeptical voice.

  “No,” Milo stated cool, calm and collected as ever. “I want to be her first.”

  Zane considered this for a moment, searching Milo’s face for a different answer then smiled. “You have to lie better than that.”

  Milo’s black wings unfurled then he leaped onto the stage and took me by the waist. Four angel guards surrounded us, obsidian daggers ready.