My voice cracks, “Twelve, Alice? I thought there were six!”
“I spotted six more while you were loading the bags. Eric and Solas will take care of it. Just clear your head and think about practice. We don’t need to alarm Becky and Regan with you spazzing out. And would you please slow down. I’d rather we don’t draw attention.”
I meet her demands and let off of the accelerator until we hit a reasonable speed. I try to calm myself down before we reach Becky’s, but my irritation with the demons coming after us boils beneath the surface of my veneer. I need to let out some of my pent up rage.
Instead of spazzing out around Becky and Regan, I turn my irritation into a quiet rage. I don’t speak to anyone as I tear off my jacket and reveal my new black tank top from beneath it. I know they'll see my new ‘tattoo’ on my forearm, but I really don’t care. I let an evil grin slither across my face as I pull the strap of my guitar over my head. I’m ready to wail and let shit out. Alice takes center with the wireless mic in her hands. “Let’s start at the top of the set,” she instructs and counts off the beats with the rock of her body.
One, two. One, two, three, four. I slam my pick down hard and fast as my left hand slides up and down the neck of the guitar. I watch my fingers dance to a beautiful, horrifying tune and pour my rage into the music. As we enter our fourth song in the set, I bite down on my lip and moisture drips down my face. I continue to destroy the strings with my anger, drowning myself in the music, sweat, and blood. In this moment, I don’t need anything or anyone.
By the sixth song in the set, I'm melded into ecstasy. It's one of our slow songs, and I allow myself to catch my breath. During the transition into the next ballad, I become dizzy as my vision begins to blur. My attention's drawn to a burning in arm. I gaze down and notice my mark glowing with a red tinge. A cold sweat breaks out over my body. The sound in the room becomes muffled like I have plugs in my ears. I sway on my feet as though I’m going to pass out. Alice is by my side in a split second. “Easy,” she mutters as she steadies me under my left arm and slides my guitar off. She addresses a bewildered Becky and Regan, “She’s not feeling well. I need to get her home. I’ll text you both later.”
I’m ushered out the door and placed in the passenger seat of my car. Alice jumps into the driver’s seat. “I'm gonna puke. What’s happening?” I grumble. I can barely get the words out. They feel heavy on my tongue. My lungs feel hot and tight. I know I’m going to black out at any moment.
Alice peels out of Becky’s driveway and heads towards the manor. “Sorry, honey. It’s your dad. That’s how he calls us when he wants to meet in the Veil.”
“Oh, God,” I mumble with incoherent exasperation.
“You should go. The longer you wait, the worse it gets. I’ll drive us to the house.”
“You guys really need to start telling me shit before it happens,” I growl at her because it’s hard to get the words out through my gritted teeth. Reaching up to my forearm with my first two fingers, I slide them up the burning glow of my arm from the crevice of my elbow to my wrist. Blackness. Silence. Nothingness. Emptiness.
In a flash, I'm laying on the cold ground surrounded by tall, gray, dry grass. It prods my face like a bed of hay. I lift my head and groan as my equilibrium comes back to me with my vision and hearing. Pushing myself up, I slowly stand to investigate my surroundings. It's the same as before. Everything's cold, gray, and dead save for the large, full oak tree in the distance. It may lack its beautiful lush colorings, but it's far from appearing without life.
“Ivy,” Azrael calls to me from behind with his smooth deep tone. It almost sounds sad.
I spin around with a scowl. “Your calling...” I pause, making a show of using air quotes before finishing my complaint, “suck’s ass!”
“Yes. You will become accustomed to its potency. The more it is used, the easier passage into the Veil will become,” he states as he continues to stand stoic with his hands behind his back.
I roll my eyes and cross my arms over my chest to prepare myself for why he's brought me here. “I imagine you know about my vision of Lucian?”
His eyebrows converge, “I do. I also have knowledge of his plans. Lucian is on the move with a legion of Fallen. They will arrive in three days and attack at Evelyn’s manor. You need to prepare for the battle to come.”
“Three days?” I repeat in astonishment. He only nods, and I find my voice again, “Great. Any advice?”
“Do not let your emotions get the better of you. You cannot throw yourself in the line of fire for the sake of your friends. I know of the power you possess. I do not doubt the strength of your abilities if you can set aside your emotions. You cannot allow the enemy to sway you. This is only the beginning. Until we meet again, safe travels daughter.” And with that, my father disappears without another word.
“Really!” I yell into the emptiness. “That’s all you’ve got!” Like you can’t be bothered with more information than that? “Goddammit,” I mumble under my breath as I pass my fingers over my forearm again. This time, as I graze the Enochian letters from my wrist to my elbow, I notice the glow is different. While inside the Veil, it's white. Outside of the Veil, it's red.
I sit straight up on the sofa in the entertainment room of Evelyn’s manor. Alice jolts awake at the end of the sofa with my feet in her lap. Eric and Evelyn jump in their chairs across from me as Solas ceases his pacing in front of the fireplace. “You’re going to wear a hole in the rug,” I tell him with a gamine grin.
He returns my gesture with a tight lipped grimace, “What did he say?"
“He had information about Lucian,” I begin as everyone’s undivided attention sets on me. “Lucian's procured himself a legion of Fallen. They're planning an attack on the manor in three days.”
“Three days is plenty of time to prepare,” Eric says, rising from his seat. From his demeanor, I presume he does this sort of thing often.
Evelyn joins him, “There are many preparations to be made around the estate. I'll notify Michael.” I nod to her, and she leaves us.
Solas adds, “I'll call and update Cass. They should arrive tomorrow, and I’ll have them prepare their ranks as well.”
I swing my legs from Alice’s lap and approach him, “What happened earlier with the demons following us?”
He places his hands on my upper arms and sighs, “We weren't able to contain any of them. They scattered when they sensed us. I imagine they were only scouts sent to assess our situation. We need to be more observant of our surroundings. They probably followed you from here into town.” His large hands slide down my arms, and our fingers entwine.
It occurs to me that I have classes, and I can’t afford to miss. “What am I going to do about class? I can’t go. I need to be here with you and everyone else to prepare for Lucian, but if I skip again, I'll fail the semester and possibly lose my admission.”
“I’ll take care of it,” Alice dismisses with the wave of her hand as she joins us.
“How?” I counter.
A broad smile splits her face, “I have my ways, sweetie. Don’t worry about a thing.” She pats my shoulder and leaves the room.
Solas' emotions are all over the place. There's love, apprehension, hope, worry, and what bothers me the most, fear. I've never known Solas to fear anything. His fear insinuates that I should be afraid as well.
“You’re scared,” I whisper as more of a statement than a question.
He hesitates and twists away from me to face the hearth. His shirt stretches tight over his back, threatening to tear as he folds his massive arms over his chest. I give him his space and wait for him to speak. “I'm Cherubim, Ivy. Fallen or Divine, we do not fear. It's ingrained into our essences not to fear,” he says with disgust.
“But you do,” I reaffirm.
He hesitates. “Yes.”
“If you're afraid, then we should all be afraid. What is it that's scaring you about all of this?”
He faces me, searching my
eyes for a reaction. “You.”
“I don’t understand.”
“I know we have your visions. I know we should trust them to guide us... I’m afraid of losing you, Ivy. It's the only thing I fear. I can’t let him take you.”
“You may not have a choice, Solas. My visions are there for a reason. I think our best possible chance to defeat Lucian is to play out the vision. And like you said, you can shift into his father and divert him. I believe in you. I know you won’t let him take me.”
He engulfs me in his strong embrace and kisses the top of my head. Laying his cheek on top of my hair, he utters in a husky tone, “Never. I love you, princess.”
“I love you too, Chief,” I smile against his solid chest.
Chapter 26
The smell of coffee, toast, bagels, and freshly cut fruits awaken my senses. My eyes flutter open to find Solas standing on the balcony, fully dressed with his phone to his ear. The doors are closed as he speaks in hushed tones, but I can still hear his side of the conversation. “Listen, I haven’t told her yet. I tried, then all this shit came up.” There's a pause. “I will. Let’s just worry about it after we deal with her brother. How soon will you be here?” He waits for a response. I imagine he's talking to Cass or Beck. “See you soon, brother.”
As he pulls the phone from his ear and hangs up, I get up and get dressed to join him on the balcony. I have a million questions running through my head. Is Lucian my brother? Will my mother want to help me as Azrael's willing to, or will she take Lucian’s side? Does she even know of his intentions? Is Solas’ past so important that Cass and Beck are pushing him to tell me?
“Good morning,” Solas greets as I step onto balcony and light a cigarette.
Inhaling an audible breath full of nicotine, I try to relax my mind. One thing at a time, I remind myself. If it’s that bad, he'll tell me. “Morning. It's yet to be seen whether it'll be good or not.” The corner of his mouth turns up at my sarcasm. “Who was on the phone?”
“Cass. They'll be here by this afternoon.”
“How many Griffins are we expecting?”
He grimaces, “Including Cass and Beck?”
I shrug, “Sure.”
“All of them,” he states as a question.
Thinking of the many Griffins that surrounded The Keep, I dread the meaning of his words. “And how many is that?”
“They'll arrive in groups of twenty from all directions and at different times so they won't draw attention.”
“How many groups, Solas?” I huff.
“Ten.”
“Holy shit,” I mumble under my breath. We're silent a moment, letting the situation sink in before I ask, "Is Lucian my brother?"
His mouth tightens into a thin line as he leans forward on the terrace wall with his elbows. "Yes."
I state the obvious fact, needing to hear it from him, "Lilith's his mother."
"Yes. He's been in Sheol for most of his existence, hiding from Michael."
"Because Michael was supposed to destroy all the Lilim, right?"
"Yet another reason the Prince must be after you. Michael granted you freedom, whereas he's hunted Lucian since he was conceived."
"Where do think Lilith stands in all this?" I wonder.
"Who knows?" he sighs as he stands to face me. "But I wouldn't count on her to take sides. She's a recluse, and only gets involved in matters that benefit her." I bob my head as I snuff my cigarette out, and Solas kisses my temple as I blow smoke from my pursed lips. He moves past me, making his way through the bedroom, and calls over his shoulder, “I have to go speak with Evelyn about preparations. You should join Alice for breakfast. We start training outside today.”
I trudge downstairs to make a cup of coffee and scarf down some breakfast. At the marble island, Alice sits with a cup of coffee and an assortment of deadly daggers spread out in a neat line. She methodically polishes the silver blade of a Stiletto as I lean back against the counter, eating a piece of dry toast and witnessing this whole other side of my best friend. Yet to acknowledge my presence, I let her have her tranquil moment. I’m mesmerized by her calm and focus for something which seems so tedious. It's a complete opposite from the exuberant energy she bounces around with. I consume the last piece of my toast as I study her movements. She sets the Stiletto on the leather cloth as the last blade in line. A small sigh escapes her lips, and she carefully rolls the weapons before securing the ties around them. She quirks her lips, “Are you done staring?”
“Are you done making love to your flatware, Hannibal?”
Alice's giggle echoes like delicate wind chimes. She picks up her leather pouch and steps around the island. “Guess what we’re doing today?”
“Uh, training?” I mock and take a large sip of my coffee.
She tilts her head and drawls, “Yes.” Straightening her posture, she adds, “Archery to be more specific.”
My eyes bulge as I choke on my coffee. “I’m sorry, did you say ‘archery’?”
She wiggles her brows and prances from the kitchen, “Go change into something more movable and meet me by the barn. I promise you’ll love it.”
I’m shocked to find targets lining the trees in the distance high and low. Alice approaches me as I round the barn. There's a line of six short targets behind her. She has a bow in her left hand and a quiver full of golden feathered arrows on her back. Over the next two hours, she instructs me on everything from parts of the bow and arrows to different aiming positions and techniques. After mastering the six targets she set up for us, Evelyn arrives with Maximus and Andromeda saddled up for a ride. I then realize what the targets lining the trees are for. Evelyn instructs me on different positions to ride that will give me better control of my aim. Despite the knowledge of the impending attack, training's a complete success I find gratifying.
As we're wrapping up with mounted archery, I spot a precarious flock of large birds heading our way. It's Cassius and Beckett. And with them are more Griffins in their angelic forms. I call out to Alice and Evelyn, “They’re here!”
“Let’s clean up, and we can greet our guests,” Evelyn says gingerly.
“Beck!” I shout charging around the front of the manor. He spins with a broad smile and open arms as he folds his large brown wings behind him. I jump into his embrace, wrapping my legs around his waist. “I’ve missed you,” I mumble as he squeezes tight. Cassius stands behind him with his arms overlapping his puffed out chest, a genuine smile dimpling his cheeks. A low growl comes from our right.
Beck spins me around and sets me back on my feet. “We come bearing gifts,” he announces. I glance to the woman standing next to Cassius. She's where the growl had come from. Her hands are fisted at her side and body tense, yet her expression's unreadable. Beckett pulls my attention back as he produces a small box from behind his back.
“What’s this?” I inquire with a quirk of my eyebrow and a mischievous grin.
“It’s not Nun Chucks,” he snickers.
I open the box. Squealing in delight, I do a little dance, embracing my trusty black Chuck Taylors. “Thank you. Thank you. Thank you!”
“There's more in the basement,” he adds.
Cassius interrupts him with a presenting hand that guides my attention back to the woman at his side, “Ivy, I would like you to meet our sister, Theodora, General of our legion of Griffins.”
I should have known she was their sister. Her wavy russet hair frames her square face, her jaw’s set, and her gray eyes match her twin brothers. I note a tiny mole under her left eye, but it by far doesn't take away from her fierce beauty. Theodora’s tan wings are accented with bronze and coffee tinted downy. They're reminiscent of a sweet caramelized candy, which contradicts her presence. She's intimidating and aggressive with a powerful body that screams dominance. I have no doubt why she was chosen to lead them.
Cassius clears his throat, and I catch myself staring. I stammer in awe, “I… uh… sorry. You’re just so stunning.” Theodora’s lips twitch
up to her beauty mark, taking away some of her aggression.
The shock in my voice causes Beckett to chuckle. “Well, she is our twin. What did you expect?”
I roll my eyes and rat him out, “Well, you did say she was more beast than woman.”
Cass makes a show of wincing. Beck backhands him across the chest, and Theodora raises a hand to stop their antics. “It’s quite alright, brothers.” Extending her hand out to me, she continues, “I am an undefeated warrior. It is natural for them to ridicule that which they cannot comprehend. You can call me Thea.”
I take her hand, “Ivy.” Her sentiments flow through our touch, and I catch amusement beneath her tough exterior. I smile.
“Pleasure.”
Our hands release, and I turn to the brothers, “Alright! Cassie…Becky… Let’s go see what’s in the basement.” I take a mocking bow, “After you, ladies.”
They sneer and grumble, leading us into the house. Thea sighs behind me, “We are going to be great friends.” Over my shoulder, I glimpse her impish grin, and I giggle.
We meet Solas and Eric in the basement with the other seventeen Griffins who arrived with the triplets. I recognize some of them from The Keep as I'm introduced. I doubt I'll remember all two-hundred names once the day's over. The basement's lined with weapons and gear we'll use to fight the Fallen legion. Solas and Eric pour over maps of the grounds, planning where troops of Griffins will be fighting. Thea joins them and begins giving her input on the strategy. They're engrossed with their task, and I squirm uncomfortably as everyone busies themselves with preparations.
Alice props an elbow on my shoulder and we unite in observing the commotion. “They're good at what they do. Griffins were originally created as Divine Guardians. Cherubim were created to guard Paradise as well as the Tree of Life. And while Eric and I are considered lowly Reapers, others seem to underestimate us.” I take in her profile, and she winks at me with a charming smile.
“I trust you. I trust everyone here.” I sigh. “I just don’t know if I can trust myself not to get in the way or botch the entire thing.”
MIDNIGHT DIVINE (The Helio Trilogy Book 1) Page 33