MIDNIGHT DIVINE (The Helio Trilogy Book 1)

by Valerie Roeseler

  I urge her on, “But?”

  “But… There are things about him, Ivy, which you need to be aware of. He's Fallen for a reason. I don’t want to see you hurt.”

  I’m saddened with her words, yet angry all the same. I can’t understand why everyone's so apprehensive about him. I know his heart. I know his intentions. He may be Fallen, but in my gut, I know it's a mistake. “I know what he is. It doesn’t change how I feel about him. I trust Solas with my life. He would never hurt me.”

  She lets out a breath of resignation, embracing me. “I hope you’re right, dear. I hope you’re right.” I'm glad she understands—somewhat—about my feelings for Solas. Her peace and calm settles over me and fields my anger.

  “Pizza’s here!” I hear Alice call from downstairs. The spicy Italian confection assaults my senses, and my stomach growls in response.

  Evelyn releases me from her embrace. “You should go eat, dear. You worked up quite an appetite today,” she says with a forced smile.

  “Are you coming?”

  “No, dear. I have a meeting with Michael. I’m to update him on what we've discovered so far.”

  “Ok.” I turn to leave and pause with my hand on the doorknob. I glance over my shoulder, “Thank you, Evelyn.” She nods, playing with the pearls of her necklace.

  Descending the stairs, my stomach grumbles again. I round the corner to the kitchen where three large pizza boxes are stacked on top of each other on the marble island. Eric lifts the lid of the top box and takes a big whiff of the heated steam rolling off the pizza. “Mmm.”

  Alice takes plates out of the cabinet and I hug her from behind. “I love you, Alice.”

  “Only because I feed you,” she chides.

  “No. You’re my best friend. I’m sorry about earlier. I would never hurt you,” I tell her.

  She turns to me with loving eyes, “I know.” Her eyes avert to Eric, and she snaps at him, “Hey! Use a plate!” She marches to the island and thrusts a plate in his hands.

  Solas kisses my cheek. “Are you ok?”

  I let out a breath and fake a smile to ease his worry, “Yeah.”

  As we scarf down the pizza, we discuss my animalistic fury during training. I explain the protective nature that overwhelmed me, and Eric voices how proud of me he is for not letting my emotions hinder my ability to protect Solas during their ruse. They laugh at my appetite as I finish off an entire pizza by myself, comparing me to the Griffins.

  Solas' new cell phone buzzes on the table, and the screen lights up with Beckett’s face. Solas looks confused as he puts him on speaker, “Hey. What’s up?”

  Beckett’s voice resonates with desperation, “Chief. We’ve got a problem.”

  “What’s wrong?” Solas prompts.

  “Theodora's briefed us. Her connection in Sheol notified her that one of the soldiers escaped after the ceremony. They know Ivy destroyed Beleth. Their coming.”

  “Shit!” Solas shouts. “When?”

  “Soon.”

  Solas commands with militant modulation, “Gather the Griffins. Bring what you can of the arsenal, and get here as soon as you can. Brief me on any further information as it comes. Get here. We'll set up a parameter. Our top priority is protecting Ivy.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  He disconnects with Beck. Alice grips Eric's bicep as she address Solas, “What do we do?”

  “I need to speak to Evelyn. We’re about to have a legion of Griffins descending on the manor. I need her to understand the necessity of their presence.”

  “What do you want us to do?” Eric asks, and I realize that while he and Solas have taken lead on our strategies thus far, Solas has remained Chief Commander even outside of The Keep. Though they respect each other equally, Eric's become his second in command.

  “We can’t let them know someone's blown the whistle. We keep going on as we have. Act normal. Someone stays with Ivy at all times. In the afternoons, we train. It'll take the Griffins two days to arrive. Eric, you'll work with me and the Griffin's General to strategize defenses when they arrive.” My anxiety peers its ugly head with the intensity of Solas’ voice. He reads the emotions clearly written across my face and takes my hand in a comforting gesture. “In the meantime, I need you and Alice to gather as many weapons as you can.”

  Eric smirks, a wicked glint behind his violet eyes, “We’ve got that covered in spades.”

  “Good,” Solas states before addressing me. He squeezes my hand once, “You’ve got practice Saturday. We have to keep up the pretense that we're oblivious. I need you to be careful when you go shopping with Alice.”

  “We’re going shopping?” Alice tilts her head.

  “I need a costume for the Ball. You promised to help me find one,” I remind her.

  Her excitement builds as she adds, “Well, maybe it'll help distract us. You need more than a costume. You need a whole wardrobe. I doubt they're coming back with your belongings now that they have to bring weapons.”

  Chapter 25

  I spend the entire next day combing over the last of my assignments to turn in from my absences. I find it hard to concentrate with the lack of sleep the night before. My nerves are shot with the impending battle looming over my shoulders. At some point, I nod off.

  The interior of my Honda S2K reeks of marijuana. I roll down the window to release the smoke from inside the car. “Slow down. You’re going to kill us before we even make it to the strip,” Gideon chides from the passenger seat.

  “I got this, G. When have you ever doubted my abilities?” I quip. He’s never any fun when I’m high. He refuses to smoke with me, claiming it just doesn’t do anything for him. I think that’s crap, but he never complains about me smoking around him, just broods.

  “I don’t doubt your abilities. Never,” Gideon confesses as I pull up to a stoplight in downtown L.A.

  I survey his serious expression. The red stop light illuminates his blonde hair, making him appear to be a ginger. His ice blue eyes pierce me to the core. It’s then I realize how pathetic I am. For the last three years of our relationship, I've pretended he didn’t break my heart. I pretended I don’t love him with the intensity I do. I let him think I felt more like his sister so I could keep him in my life, even if I could never be with him. I loved him more than anything. Only, that love was never returned the same way. I wanted to tell him how much I loved him, but I would never chance it, afraid he would drift away from me.

  We were best friends for two years before we tried to date each other. No one had ever shown me that much affection. We were young then and only went as far as holding hands and gentle making out. Until one day, he changed. Gideon told me he didn’t feel like we were meant to be together. He said he felt more like my brother. I played off the pain in my heart he caused and laughed before I lied to him for the first time. I told him I felt the same way. I’ve had to suffer the last three years, watching him date other girls, but I couldn’t live without him. I wouldn’t. I'd never admit my true love for him.

  I wake from my dream with an ache in my chest. It was a memory of the night I crashed my S2K and Gideon left me for dead. He betrayed me. I loved him, and he betrayed me. His actions that night, and the lack of action in the following weeks, all lead me to believe he was responsible for my wreck somehow. It never made sense though, because he was always so protective of me. Funny, how it hurts after all this time.

  In a sleepy haze, I slink to the bathroom and fill the claw foot tub. I strip down and step into the steaming water. It burns at first, but the further I sink into the water, the more relaxed my muscles become. I close my eyes. The dripping faucet permeates the silence. Flashes of Trey being hung in the dungeon of The Keep torment me, his blood falling with a rhythmic drip. My eyes shoot open, and I push forward to tighten the levers for the hot and cold water until the dripping ceases. Memories of Trey bring about more memories from that dreadful dungeon. Jack. His lifeless body hanging from the ceiling. His feet swinging over his own pool of blood.r />
  I throw myself back into the water and submerge my face to drown out the memories. I cry and heave in convulsions beneath the water. Jack's gone. Because of me, he's gone. Gideon's gone. He betrayed me. It's only a matter of time before Solas leaves me too. I sit up and fold my arms over the edge of the tub, resting my chin on my arms as I stare at the white tile floor.

  There’s a knock on the door. “Ivy?” Solas calls from the other side.

  “Yeah?” I croak.

  “Is everything ok?”

  I attempt a lighter tone, “Yeah. I’ll be out in a minute.” I decided to pull myself together and block his telepathy. I can’t let him see me like this. We have a battle coming, and I needed to be strong. I can’t let my weakness get in the way of what I need to do.

  Solas stays with me the rest of the night. Sleep's hard to come by for us both. We lie awake in bed, entwined in each other’s embrace. We don't speak. There's nothing either of us can say to lighten the situation at hand. As the sun begins to rise, it casts an orange and pink glow in the sky and through the windows of the French doors. I lay across Solas’ bare chest and rest my chin on my hand. The sunrise glowing across his masculine features make him look every bit angelic. “I love you,” I whisper.

  Perhaps looking for a reason I would voice my feelings for the first time, he searches my face and brushes a strand of hair behind my ear. Heart wrenching pain flows from him with his touch. “Ivy,” he hesitates.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “I need to tell you something. I want you to know the truth about me before you confess your feelings. I just don’t know how to tell you. I don’t want what I have to say to change your feelings toward me.” I lift my head to see him better as he pauses. “I love you more than I could ever express in one lifetime, Ivy.”

  I melt with his words. “I told you before, Solas. I know the goodness in you. I trust you with my life… With my heart.”

  Framing my face with his large hands, he whispers, “You don’t understand.”

  “I don’t need to know your past. I know your heart. I do love you. From the first time I saw you in The Keep, I felt a connection to you. I didn’t know what to make of it at the time, but it strengthened with every touch, every word spoken or unspoken between us, and every time our eyes met. It’s an unbreakable bond I don’t ever want to be without.”

  “Ivy—,” he begins.

  A knock on the door interrupts our moment, and I look to the source. “Rise and shine, honey! We’re going shopping!” Alice shouts from the hall.

  I grumble and roll onto my back. “Her enthusiasm in the mornings is so irritating. I mean, who wakes up like that?” I mumble to the ceiling, rubbing my eyes.

  “I heard that!” Alice yells, retreating back down the hall.

  Throwing the covers back, I rummage my closet for any clean clothes left from Alice. I settle on a pair of skinny jeans—which look like Capri pants on me—and a plain gray cotton shirt that brings out the color of my eyes. Brushing out my hair in the bathroom mirror, Solas hugs my waist from behind as his lips trail down my neck.

  I close my eyes. “Mmm... You’re starting a fire,” I mumble, leaning back into him.

  “Stay,” he whispers into my ear as he gives me a devious smirk in our reflection.

  “I can’t. We don’t have a whole lot of time before practice. I need clothes,” I whine, turning in his powerful arms.

  He gives me a quick peck on the lips, and sighs. “This conversation isn’t over. We need to talk later.”

  I realize he's not going to let this go until he's told me everything he needs to, so I relent, “Ok.”

  I throw my guitar into the backseat of the Evo as Alice jumps into the passenger seat. I start the car and round out of the driveway, creeping up to the closed gate. Before we reach the gate, Maximus steps into our path. I come to a stop, and he stands tall, blocking the exit. Rolling down the window, I yell out to him, “Max! What are you doing? Get out of the way!” He snorts and shakes his head, pawing the ground with a hoof.

  “What’s up with him?” Alice ponders.

  “I don’t know. Hold on.” I pull the shifter into neutral and yank the emergency break up in frustration. I unbuckle my seatbelt and get out of the car, leaving my door open as I approach him. “Hey, buddy. What's wrong?” His nose meets my outstretched palm, his breathing labored. Worry. “It’s ok. I’m not going far. I’ll be back tonight. You want to go for a run later?” Max pushes me back and stomps. “Max!” I shout. “That's enough!” He prances in circles.

  Evelyn lands by my side. Her stunning jade wings stretch wide before she folds them behind her. I haven't witness their beauty until this moment. “Maximus? What’s wrong?” She steps forward and places her hand on his neck, petting him in soothing stokes. I watch as she closes her eyes. “He’s worried about you,” she sighs without opening her eyes.

  “How do you know that?” I marvel.

  Evelyn opens her eyes and smiles. “It’s my gift. I can communicate with all animals.”

  “Oh,” I respond in awe. “Why is he worried?”

  “He senses danger coming.”

  “Well, we know Lucian's coming. Has Solas told you about the Griffins?”

  “Yes. I can only imagine how off-putting it'll be for the horses. They still feel anxious around Cassius and Beckett.”

  “Can you try to warn them about the others? Maybe you can smooth things over before they arrive tomorrow?”

  She nods. “Yeah. I can try. You girls go have fun. I’ll take Maximus back to the house.”

  “Thank you.” I jog back to the car and get in as Evelyn leads Max back to the manor.

  “Well, that was weird,” Alice states as the gates open, and I pull out of the driveway.

  “Yeah. I think he was trying to warn us not to leave. We should be careful in case Lucian shows up before we're ready."

  "Agreed."

  Navigating into Red Meadow, we try to change our mood by blaring some Carolina Liar. The closer we get to town, the more edgy I feel. I brush it off as being oversensitive to the fact that the downtown area could drudge up memories of Jack, making me an emotional wreck. We park outside a quaint antique shop with a window display of stylish accessories. I shut off the car, and we get out.

  “There’s a retro shop on the corner. Let’s see what they’ve got,” Alice suggests. I lock the car, and we head in that direction.

  The air's cool with a light wind blowing against our faces. My hair flows behind me as I search for a clothing store that may have something I would like. I love downtown Red Meadow. The buildings were all constructed during the early nineteen hundreds, and I've always wondered about the history behind their brick façades. It doesn’t matter what store you enter, they all have a musty ‘old’ smell to it. The fragrance makes me think of all the spirits that could be here since its original construction in the Victorian era.

  Alice pushes open the door of the retro boutique she mentioned, and the bells on the door chime and twinkle, announcing our entrance. We take our time fingering through clothes on the rack. In the end, I decide Metro Retro doesn't have anything I would wear. We spend the next two hours shopping up and down the strip, trying on clothes, shoes, hats, and any accessory Alice deems necessary. I'm elated when I finally find a costume and mask for the Greek Masquerade Ball. It shows a little more leg than I want it to for such cold weather, but they're perfect with the black suede Steve Madden ankle boot stilettos I bought from the previous store.

  As we leave the trendy little shop where I purchased an awesome pair of tattered skinny jeans and a few plain cotton shirts, both of our arms are full of bags in various sizes and colors. I’m exhausted, and we make our way back to the car, three blocks down.

  My heart rate picks up without warning, and my neck prickles with electricity. It’s a feeling I used to associate with Trey, but now I know better. It’s the feeling of the presence of demons. Shit. Someone’s here. I do my best to act normal and not give
us away as I whisper to Alice without looking at her, “You feel that?”

  “Yeah. Act normal.”

  “Do you see them?”

  “Yeah. We’ve got two at eight o’clock and four at our twelve.”

  My heart pounds harder. “Should we call for backup?”

  “No. They’re not stupid. They won’t attack us in broad daylight. Just get to the car, and don’t speed out of here, drawing attention.”

  When we reach the car, I unlock it and pop the trunk for the bags. Alice pulls out her cell phone as I unload my arms. I hear Eric pick up, “Hey, babe.”

  “Hey, Becky! We just finished shopping. Sorry, it took so long. We’re running a few minutes behind. We got held up at this wicked rank little shop, but we should be there in fifteen.”

  “Where are you?” Eric grumbles through the phone.

  I close the trunk, and we hop in. Alice resumes her bogus conversation, “Oh! I thought I told you. We went downtown. You know that cute little retro shop I was telling you about?” I start the car and ease out to the street.

  “How many?” he growls.

  “I bought a necklace I couldn’t pass up. It was only twelve dollars!” she hints.

  “Fuck!” he barks. “Get to practice. We’ll take care of it.”

  Alice chirps, “Ok. See you soon. Chow!”

  We hit the highway and bolt towards Becky’s house. I screech, “What the fuck was that!”

  Unfazed by my anxiety, she states, “I couldn’t chance that they would overhear me. It was code to let him know we were being stalked.”