MIDNIGHT DIVINE (The Helio Trilogy Book 1)

by Valerie Roeseler

  I try to scream, hoping Jack will wake up and save me. Beleth covers my nose and mouth with his large hand, and vaults the balcony into the sky with me wrapped in his arms. I thrash against his grasp as we ascend higher into the sky. “Stop fighting me, Lilim. You do not want me to drop you, do you?” He spins me into his arms and cradles me against his chest.

  “Fuck you!” I scream and claw at his face. I don’t know how high up we are, but I figure it won’t matter. I would rather die fighting than be taken by him. I grasp the sides of his temples with both hands and push my thumbs as hard as I can into his eye sockets. He screeches and releases me to cover his eyes. In slow motion, I fall backwards as I watch him struggle to see again through the blood dripping from his eyes. My robe and my hair cascade around me as I fall. His eyes burn bright with fire and rage. I flip him off with both hands, biting my bottom lip so hard it bleeds. He dives for me, but I know I’m going to hit the ground before he can reach me.

  The hard ground knocks the wind out of my lungs as the bones in my body splinter against sharp rocks. The sky's filled with stars or maybe they’re behind my eyes from my body colliding with the ground. My arm's twisted in an unnatural position, and my leg's turned at an awkward angle under my back. I feel warm blood fill my throat and spill out of the corner of my mouth. Beleth lands hard on the ground beside me, causing the earth to quiver with thunder. My eyes flutter shut, and I listen to my heartbeat fade. The world disappears.

  Agonizing fire shoots through my entire body. I’m surrounded by darkness and earth shattering screams. I know I’ve died and gone to Hell. The pain subsides for an instant. All is quiet. Then the torture arises again with the screams of pure anguish and suffering echoing around me. I can’t take it and let the darkness consume me again.

  My mind stirs as my eyelids quiver open. Reality slams me in the chest. I’m not dead. Beleth kidnapped me again. And he dropped me! I was dead! Wasn’t I? No. He picked me off the ground. Shit. Jack. He’s got to be freaking out. I try to lift my head and it starts throbbing. I roll to my side and take in the red silk sheets covering my naked body. Where are my clothes? I look around the dim room and coil the sheet around my body from the enormous bed as I stand. The room spins, and my heartbeat speeds up. Where am I? A gothic fireplace sits silently on the far wall, candlelight illuminating the chamber. I’m surprised at the elegance and masculinity of the space. The tapestries are dark, there's an expansive writing desk, and the wooden door is carved in graceful Celtic knots.

  A silent black cloud of smoke emanates next to the cold hearth—moving as ink drops would through water—and forms into Beleth. He's wearing another exquisite dark suit. The beautiful, masculine contours of his face are striking, but looks can be deceiving. “You’re awake. Good,” his tone's light, and his mood confuses me.

  “Where's my robe?” I scowl at him.

  “It was coated with your blood. I had to remove it to re-break your arm and leg into their rightful places, and I cleaned you up. I have been waiting for you to regain consciousness.”

  Great. He’s seen me naked. “How long was I out?”

  “A few days.”

  “A few days!” I echo. “Where am I?”

  “Within a hidden cavern where no one will be able to find you. Do not attempt to escape. You will not be leaving here. My legion guards every inch of this fortress.”

  “Why didn’t you let me die?”

  “I do not wish to kill you, young Lilim. Only break you.” He steps forward, and I counter his advance by stepping back.

  I take gulping deep breaths of cold air and try to clear my head. “What do you mean?”

  “Your insolence will not be tolerated. Until you learn to submit to me, you will stay within these confines,” he threatens with eerie calm.

  I would rather die! “I need clothes.”

  He walks to a dresser behind me and opens a drawer, “Everything you need is here.”

  I step to the open drawer. These are my clothes! I glance up at him beside me, and the fire in his red eyes smolder to a gentler illumination. They remain red, but lack the flames behind his irises. “How did you get these?”

  “I recovered them while you were mending.” He moves my hair away from chest to reveal my neck, his fingertips grazing my collarbone in the process. Pure vile and heinous malevolence surges into me with his touch.

  I refuse to show him fear. I grab his wrist as tight as I can without flinching. He doesn’t need to know what abilities I have. “Don’t touch me.”

  His eyes flare, “Or what, little Lilim?”

  “Do you really want to find out?” Man! I'm full of myself. Where's this coming from? It’s going to get me killed.

  “You are quite brave, little one.” He jerks his wrist from my grasp. “I vow to not touch you again without your permission. Get dressed.”

  It's a small concession, but I'll take anything I can get from the ruthless Duke. It doesn't seem he'll be leaving me to get dressed, but I don’t want him seeing me naked again. I hold the sheet tight around my body with one hand and pull out everything I need from the dresser: Jeans, a tank top, a sports bra, and a pair of panties. Placing everything on the bed, I use the sheet to keep myself concealed as I dress myself. “Shoes?”

  “You will not need them.”

  I stand up, waiting for his next move. His eyes flare as he spins his index fingers in opposite circles in front of him. Heavy iron shackles materialize, connecting my wrists. “What the hell is this!” I shout.

  He points his index fingers down and spins them in opposite circles, and shackles appear on my ankles, “This… is just the beginning.” Without warning, my face is obstructed with a dark bag. I can’t see anything. “Take her down,” I hear Beleth command another presence in the room. I'm jerked from the chains at my wrists and pulled forward. Trying my best to fight against the pull, I wrangle and twist to no avail. I jump and attempt to plant my two restrained feet into whoever's pulling me, but end up flat on my back. I'm jerked by the wrists again and spun backwards. My jailer drags me over the cold floor, kicking and screaming. I hit the wall on occasional turns and try to kick off of it. It's useless. I don’t remember how long or far I'm dragged until I feel the sharp edges of stairs in my back.

  After coming to a stop, I'm hauled to my feet and shoved forward while the bag over my head is tugged away. I fall and slide forward on my hands and knees. Rolling onto my back, I hear iron slam into iron. I sit up to only see the large brown wings of the being who locked me into the cell. Growling, my body crashes into the rot iron bars as I shake them as hard as I can.

  It becomes obvious they're going to leave me here. I pace the empty cell which is no bigger than a ten by ten square with wet stone walls and floors. After hours of pacing, I collapse against the far cold stone wall. I pull my knees to my chest and wrap my arms around my legs in defeat.

  Beleth never comes. I feel detached and sadness stabs me in the chest. I’m never getting out of here. I need to make a plan. What does he want from me? Just ‘submit’ to him? It’s got to be more than that. Jack, where are you? Teetering onto my side, I rest on the ground in the fetal position and fall asleep. Time is lost to me when I awaken. My mouth is dry, and I’m dying of thirst. I sit up and return to my previous position against the wall, my elbows on my knees and my hands in my hair.

  I don't know how long I've been locked up. I could have been in here for five days or maybe two weeks. I have no idea. My muscles begin to ache and cramp. Only vague shapes surround me. I lock down on my emotions before I break down in tears. I send up a silent prayer in hopes of Jack being able to find me soon and try to focus on what I need to do to get out of this hell hole. The corners of my lips are cracked and splitting from the dryness. I contemplate licking the dew off of the walls, but I don’t know if it’s truly water and decide not to chance it. It’s humid, and I’m sweating as I would by sitting in a sauna for hours. I start feeling dizzy and in a daze. I can’t comprehend if I’m hallucinatin
g when I hear Beleth’s voice drift into the dark cell.

  “How are you feeling, little one? The only way I will release you is if you can prove to me you are ready to submit. Are you willing?” Beleth coaxes through the bars of the cage.

  My voice cracks when I try to speak and comes out in a rasp when I whisper, “Never.” Then, he disappears.

  He’s not coming back. I need to make a decision. If I fake my submission, just to get out of here, will he be able to tell? I’m so weak now. I’ll die if I don’t try. I crumple to the cold damp floor again. A tear spills down my cheek and puddles on the earth beneath my neck as I wait for death to come. At some point of the eternity in the dark, I start speaking to myself. Nonsense. I can’t sift through my thoughts in logical order, and I can’t keep my eyes open because I’m so weak. Hours must have passed. I feel Beleth’s sinister presence. I crack my eyes open and see his mouth moving, but no words come. I close my eyes again, but not before I see him smile at me. I laugh in hysterics, raspy and wheezing—my mind's so gone I'm becoming rabid. My body becomes a leaf floating in an ocean, but I'm beyond reason and caring. I let the darkness take over.

  The silent darkness is penetrated by a rhythmic drip. I can't see, only hear. A gut wrenching scream pierces the air. It's deep and masculine. Then, warm liquid splashes across my face, and the taste of copper is evident on my lips.

  I gasp for air in jarring awareness of water being poured over my head. I come to as comprehension grasps my mind. My breathing is labored and causes my lungs to cramp. The chains around my wrists are suspending me in the air as my limp body hangs with my toes dragging the ground. The shackles at my feet are gone. Beleth stands in front of me in his impeccable black suit with hands behind his back and eyes glowing a vibrant red in the darkened room. It’s another cell, but it's much larger. The ruffling of feathers comes from behind me.

  “You are resilient, little one. I will give you that, but your stubbornness may have killed you. So, I have been forced to take matters into my own hands,” he points out.

  He’s not going to let me die. This is where the real fun begins. “What do you want?” I mumble through my dry lips.

  “It is not what I want. It is what you need. What you need is to prove to me you are ready to be freed.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  With a sweep of his arm, Beleth steps to the side and reveals another person suspended from his wrists against the far wall. He’s out cold, head hanging in defeat.

  “Trey?” My eyes shoot open as I realize his chest is bleeding and bruises mar his ribs.

  Beleth sneers at me, “Yes. He is a traitor. He was meddling and was too close to discovering your location. I thought maybe you could help him.”

  My eyes are wide open now, and my arms ache and burn. “How am I supposed to help him when you won’t let me go?” I plea.

  “I may let you go. You only need to answer a few questions first.”

  Trey looks dead. He’s not moving. This is a trick. What information is he trying to get out of me that he probably doesn’t already know?

  “Let us begin.” He sets a tentative pacing between Trey and me. “What is your name?”

  I look to him in confusion, “You know my name.”

  “Answer the question or you will suffer,” his eyes illuminate with flames on his last word, and I hear the rustling of wings behind me again.

  “You know my name!” I squirm in the air.

  Beleth nods once to the being behind me. There's a whistle in the air and a loud crack. Sharp, stinging, fire splits my shoulder open. I scream so loud it deafens my own ears, causing them to ring as my vision threatens to abandon me. Hot tears roll down my cheeks as my breath comes back to my lungs in rapid gasps.

  “What is your name?” he repeats his question in that same irritating calmness, void of emotion.

  He’s not going to let me go. I can’t win this game. But I’ll give anything not to feel the whip at my back again. “Ivy Harris,” I pant.

  “Who are your parents?”

  Please don’t whip me again. “Azrael and Lilith.”

  Beleth steps so close all I see are the flames in his eyes. “What did you say?”

  “My parents. They’re Azrael and Lilith,” I repeat, still breathless from the pain.

  “Lies!” he roars and takes a step back to nod at my punisher.

  The whip slashes across my back again, my spine arches in agony as my scream cracks the air.

  “Who is your father?” Beleth hisses through his gritted teeth.

  “It’s not a lie. I was told my father's Azrael.”

  Trey’s chains rattle, and our eyes meet. “Ivy!” he screams. I’m speechless and torn between getting to him and trying not to get whipped again.

  “Who told you this?” Beleth pulls my chin back towards him.

  “Don’t tell him anything, Ivy! Don’t say anything!” Trey shouts.

  The Duke whirls on Trey, “Stay out of this, traitor! You worry about what punishment you have coming to you.”

  “Leave him alone!” I plea.

  “Answer me.” Beleth’s fists are clenched to his sides.

  “The angels who were protecting me,” I confirm in defeat.

  Beleth nods again. This time, my screams are accompanied by three lashes. My bloodied shirt falls to the ground in shreds. I'm on the verge of passing out from the pain when Beleth signals for my punisher to stop.

  “I want their names and their ranks,” he demands.

  “Don’t do it, Ivy!” Trey yells.

  I can’t let him hurt my friends. I’ll do anything. I need to get out of here and get Trey out too. Anything. “Alice Craig and Eric Strickland. I don’t know what you mean by rank. They're Reapers,” I wheeze, tears soaking my face.

  “Good girl,” he begins to pace again. “I may have to pay them a little visit as well.”

  “No! I’ll do anything you want me to, just leave them out of this! Let Trey go! Let me help him! I’ll do anything!” I plea with what strength I have left.

  He seems to consider it, looking between Trey and me. With the wave of his hand, my shackles open, and I drop in a heap to the floor. I push up on my hands to look up at Beleth. He holds a hand out to me, but I scoot back away from him and push myself up to stand. My legs are weak and numb, and I’m barely able to hold my weight.

  He gestures towards Trey, “You want to help your friend here?”

  I nod. I’m in so much pain I can’t speak anymore. I look over to see my punisher. He's bare chested with soft brown wings resting behind his shoulders, and I’m confused by the tears in his gray eyes. He has brown hair tied back at his nape and leather cuffs on his forearms.

  Beleth steps closer to me and holds out his hand again. This time it’s offering a dagger. I look to him in question. “If you want to prove to me that you are ready, help your friend, put him out of his misery.”

  “What?” I whisper.

  “Take the dagger. He is in much pain. There is more that awaits him if you do not.”

  I don’t doubt he will torture Trey to his death instead. The thought crosses my mind to take the dagger and impale Beleth with it, but I’m too weak. I don’t know if I can manage it. I think, I can’t do this, as I hesitate before taking the dagger from his outstretched palm with my own shaky hand. I grip the hilt and stagger to Trey.

  He looks at me with fear in his eyes. I don’t want to do this. I brush his hair from his forehead and caress his face. I feel the fear and love surging within him. “I can’t do this, Trey,” my hand trembles on his cheek.

  His voice becomes a mere whisper to keep Beleth from overhearing, “It’s ok, Ivy. I would rather it be you. I’m so tired. And it’s not forever. I can’t be killed. My essence will be sent to Sheol. Lucifer will make sure I'm punished as well. I need you to do this. Get on his side. Find his weaknesses. Find a way to get out of here. This is your only way to do that. If I'm ever allowed back to the surface, I promise to find you again
. I won’t let you down a second time.”

  “I’m so sorry, Trey. I never should have come to Red Meadow. You wouldn’t be in this position if it wasn’t for me.”

  “I don’t regret it. I only regret the way I treated you,” Trey’s confession is honest and touches my heart as I truly forgive him in this moment.

  “I know. You're forgiven, Trey. I see the good in you. I know the sorrow you feel for what you are. You were never given a choice. I wish you had a soul capable of redemption. Then, maybe Paradise would await you instead.”

  “The world's not that easy. Do it, Ivy. Make it quick.”

  “Thank you, Trey. For everything you’ve done.” I wrap my hand around the back of his neck and press my lips to his. I push all of my feelings into the kiss in hopes he’ll feel what I feel for his friendship, the respect for his bravery, and my admiration for the goodness in his heart even though he was forced to do wicked things.

  A warmth emanates between our lips. There's an intense strain from my chest as if my heart's being ripped out. In shock of the sensation, I force it away to draw my thoughts back to the present situation and what I have to do. No more pain. I’m sorry, Trey. Please forgive me. Leaving my lips on his, I sweep the dagger deeply across his throat, ensuring his death is swift. I step back. Trey’s eyes bulge as his blood gushes from his neck and splatters my face, neck, and chest. Other than the slice I made at his throat, his entire body's healed and left with a slight golden illumination before it fades. I drop the dagger and fall to my knees, heaving and sobbing for the loss of him. I killed him. He's dead. I've never taken a life before, and the weight of it churns in my stomach while it crushes me. I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry. Please forgive me. Please forgive me.

  Chapter 14

  Beleth steps into the puddle of Trey’s warm blood growing in front of me. I can’t look at him. “You did well, Lilim. Come, you will get cleaned up, eat, and rest in the comfort of your quarters. Tomorrow is a new day.”