The Helio Trilogy: Volumes 1-3

by Valerie Roeseler

  Alice shares a look with Eric, “Um…”

  I scan them, waiting for a response. Eric rises from the table and joins Alice, grasping her hand as he gives me a forced grin. He runs his fingers through his hair nervously before he speaks, “We asked Azrael if he had any information to help us locate him. He said he found him, and he was never in any danger.”

  “So, where is he? Were all my efforts with Trey for nothing? We wouldn’t be in this position if I hadn’t felt I had to push Trey!” I'm furious with perplexity, my hands wildly gesturing my emotions.

  Alice clears her throat, signaling that I need to calm down. “We were unaware at the time, but he was…” She squeezes Eric’s hand as she fumbles to find the words, “reassigned.” She appears nervous that I won't like her answer.

  “Oh,” I clip. “Well, why weren't you told?”

  Eric explains, “Your protection had been planned for years before you moved here. It's always been the plan that we were all to meet you and guide you in your transformation. We just assumed the plan never changed. We never asked until the Fallen started converging on Red Meadow. I guess they never saw it pertinent to tell us either.”

  I rub my face with both of my hands and enter the bedroom. “This is ridiculous,” I breathe.

  They follow me into the room, and Alice adds with passion, “We're just as pissed off at the situation as you are.”

  Biting my lip, I gaze around the room. It feels empty because all of my belongings are still back at The Keep. My only remaining belongings are a bottle of Jäger on the nightstand, my backpack full of books sitting in one of the chairs facing the fireplace, and my guitar within its case propped against the wall, next to the entrance of the closet. Yet, it isn’t the only reason it feels empty. Jack isn’t here. I practice pushing my emotions aside as Solas advised me. “I don’t have any clothes,” I whine.

  “I’ll bring you some of mine to hold you over for a few days, and I’m sure you’ve left some at our house as well. We’ll worry about the rest later,” Alice replies.

  “Thanks.”

  “So, what’s your plan now?” Eric inquires with his arms crossed over his chest.

  “Well, I’ve had another vision recently. It’s not quite clear yet. I want to return to R.M.U. to finish out the semester, and in the meantime, I need to work on deciphering the vision. Solas believes if I can get enough information from it that it'll give us the upper hand. We can use it to plan an attack on the Fallen. We don’t want to wait around idly for their next move. We want to draw first blood.”

  Alice’s eyes widen bit by bit with my words as Eric’s mouth grows into a grin. Alice cautions, “You’ll be starting a war!”

  I growl back at her, “They already started it when they took Jack from me! This is my purpose, isn’t it? I’m supposed to be a weapon against the Darkness poisoning the world? I won’t let them take anything else from me!”

  “Hey, hey, hey!” Eric chants to calm us down as he places his hands on my upper arms to pull my attention away from Alice. Pride, loyalty, adoration, pity. “This war's been going on ever since the fall, but you're right. We need to plan a better strategy and be able to strike first. What was your vision?”

  I let out a heavy breath, and Eric releases me. “His name's Lucian.” I pivot away and begin to pace. “Solas says he's my complete opposite, the Prince of Sheol. In my vision, he has me restrained and is torturing me into releasing my essence to him. Solas said he can’t just take it from me, and I'd have to relinquish it willingly for the Fallen to be able to take control of me and use me as their weapon.”

  Alice bursts out laughing, “Lucian? Are you sure?”

  I stop in my tracks and scrutinize her, “Yes, what's so funny?” My hands tighten into fists at my sides.

  “He’s a tool! There's no way it could be him. Everyone knows what a dimwit he is,” she declares.

  “Well, it’s him. If I can just clarify where I am or even how I got there, we can take precautions to turn the tables. Maybe change the outcome.”

  “Ok,” she chuckles and shakes her head.

  “You don’t believe me? I can prove it. Let me show you,” I suggest, stepping closer to her.

  “How can you show me?” she questions with confusion as her laughter quiets.

  “I can project memories into your mind if I touch you.”

  “Wicked,” Eric chitters with excitement.

  “I… I guess,” Alice stutters. “Will it hurt?”

  “No,” I answer with a tight smile.

  “Ok. Show me,” she says, squaring her shoulders. I reach out with my hands and place my palms on each of her temples. Alice squeezes her eyes shut tight. Her long, black eyelashes strain against each other before I close my eyes to invoke my vision.

  A hand grips a fistful of my hair and wrenches my head back to look him in the face. His square jaw is set as he bares his teeth, growling at me on my knees. My hands are bound to my ankles, restraining my wings firm against my back. The slightest twitch causes the binding to cut deeper into my appendages. “You will suffer,” he snarls with a vibration in his chest, reminding me of a rattlesnake. Raising his free hand, he backhands me across the face, and my head snaps to the side as the taste of salted copper fills my mouth. “No one's coming to save you,” his voice rumbles and hums in my ears as his flaming red eyes scowl at my weakness. He produces a blade and depresses its sharp point into my chest. The tip slowly digs into my flesh as he twists it deeper. I want to wince from the pain, but I've learned to conceal my vulnerability. He jerks my head back and releases my hair to clutch my chin. “Relinquish your essence to me,” he demands.

  “No,” I croak.

  “Then I'll watch you die.”

  I release Alice before she can witness Lucian murder me. Her eyes shoot open with fear, and they begin to water. She whispers, “It’s him.”

  “What else did you see? Do you know where you are or anything?” Eric probes Alice, placing a hand on her back.

  “No. It’s dark and fuzzy. There are no surroundings. It’s almost like the vision's incomplete,” she takes a breath to calm her fear. “I could feel… everything,” she whispers. Eric pulls her to him in a comforting embrace, stroking her long russet hair. She leans back from him and utters, “He was different. The Darkness has changed in him. It’s more. It’s greater. It’s malevolent.”

  Solas strides into the room without much of a sound. “Lucian's grown tired of his father’s disapproval. He's looking for a way to prove himself. He must believe that by procuring Ivy’s essence and forcing her submission, he can accomplish this.”

  Eric says, “We should start working on your visions as soon as possible. And I think by going back to R.M.U., it'll act as a ruse while we prepare. They won’t know what’s coming.”

  “So we act normal?” Alice inquires, raising a brow to him.

  “Yes. Go on about our lives like we have been. Blend in with the college students like before,” he clarifies, looking between Alice and me to see if we understand.

  I nod my head with Alice. She shrugs her shoulders, “Well, we have a few weeks until the Greek Masquerade Ball. I see a lot of practice in our future...as well as shopping.” She grins at me, already forgiving me for yelling at her.

  “I’ve missed two weeks of school now. I won’t be able to skip another class for the rest of the semester. I'll have to talk to my professors and make amends,” I tell them.

  Eric tells Solas, “I can get you and the Griffins registered for most of Ivy’s classes while she does that.”

  “How's that going to work? It’s the middle of the semester,” I cross-examine.

  He counters, “There are ways to get around it. I'll have to establish a fake transcript and all the other legal documents, and present him as a transfer.”

  Solas addresses Eric, “I'll stay with Ivy while she goes to speak to her professors, and you can take the Griffins with you to register them.”

  “Sounds good,” Eric agre
es.

  I notice Alice’s odd expression towards Solas as she leaves with Eric to find clothes for me. I don’t know why, but I think she disapproves of him being here. Conveniently, there are six rooms on this floor. I'll stay in my room across from Jack’s empty one. Alice and Eric will share the bedroom next to mine. Beckett will take the bedroom next to Jack’s, and his brother will move into the room beside him at the entrance of the hallway. Solas will occupy the first bedroom on the right as you come up the stairs, putting Alice and Eric between us. I worry about Evelyn staying on the first floor by herself, but knowing our collective angelic hearing will alert us to any danger, allows my tension to ease.

  Cass and Beck are overly enthusiastic about attending college. They anticipate the females around campus will place themselves at their feet in desire. I roll my eyes at their ridiculous assumptions before I give them the keys to the Challenger for transportation as Solas intends to ride with me in the Evo.

  This should be interesting.

  Chapter 22

  I skip my Tuesday morning ritual of going to the coffee shop on the corner of campus. Even knowing Trey's in Paradise doesn’t ease the pain and memory of slitting his throat. It's a memory I don’t want to dwell on. I’m having a hard time getting through Lit class, sensing the empty desk behind me. Without Trey’s presence to block the flow of air from behind, a chilling breeze prickles the nape of my neck. Mr. Rawlins accepts my excuse that I had a family emergency in L.A., which kept me out of class the past two weeks and lets me go with a stern warning that I won't be able to have any more absences or I'll fail his class from the consequences. I assure him it won’t happen again, and he unloads a week’s worth of assignments I'll have to make up to maintain my grade. Now, I just have to keep my mind from wondering to Trey so I can pay attention to his lecture.

  Solas is waiting for me outside when I leave the English building. He's leaning against the trunk of a large Oak tree with his hands behind his back on the grassy knoll lining the front of the building. He's every bit of a hipster college student now that Alice's made him over. His black hair is covered by a light gray, elongated, knitted cap. The contrast of his matching beanie and simple sweater with his black hair brings out the color of his eyes. They're a piercing blue that reminds me of the clearest waters you only see off of tropical islands. The five o’clock shadow across his jawline makes me want to run my fingertips over his face and feel its ruggedness. Solas smiles with a devious expression as I approach that makes something in my chest ache, and my heartbeat accelerate. “What?” I direct with reproach. He's up to something, I just don’t know what yet.

  He pushes off of the tree and hooks his left arm over my shoulders as he walks me to the Math building where my next class is. “I’ve settled on a major,” he announces with a cheerful smile.

  I glance at his handsome profile and struggle to look away before I get lost in its landscapes. “Oh, yeah?”

  “Yup,” he says, popping his full lips on the last syllable.

  “And what did you decide on?”

  “Kinesiology,” he declares.

  “Really?”

  I didn't see that coming.

  I don’t know what I thought he would pick, but I guess it makes sense with how athletically built he is.

  “I’ve always enjoyed a variety of sports.”

  “Have Cass and Beck picked anything yet?”

  He appears dissatisfied as he sighs before answering, “They both chose to do Criminal Justice. Which is appropriate I guess, since they have a natural desire to protect as Sentries.”

  The pleasure of our conversation quickly makes me plaintive, and Solas regards the change in my posture. “That was Jack’s major,” I admit. He glances at me with sympathy and squeezes me briefly into his side.

  We approach the Math building, and Solas releases me as he says, “I’ll be right here when you finish. Your friends want to meet us back at the manor for lunch to go over schedules and plan out who will be accompanying you on campus. We want someone with you at all times.”

  “Ok.” I’m not used to being treated with such delicacy, but their protection lets me worry less about the constant threat of Lucian and focus on school. And I know without a doubt in my mind, if it comes down to an attack, I won't run with my tail tucked between my legs. This is my fight, and I won’t let anyone else be harmed on my account.

  My professors all seem to understand and accept my excuse for missing classes. They all have the same response that Mr. Rawlings had. I won't be allowed to miss any more classes, and I have a ton of make-up work to complete.

  Cass, Beck, and Solas procure cell phones for communication between everyone. Solas will be escorting me to my Literature class on Tuesday and Thursday mornings, and Alice will be waiting to walk me to my following Math class. Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings, Beckett will accompany me to my Music History class. Since my Piano class is within the same building after Music History, Cassius will pick me up at the end of those days and ride with me back to the estate. A week goes by as everything returns to normal.

  The following Wednesday afternoon, Cass and I arrive at the manor. He strolls straight to the kitchen for food while I amble up the three flights of stairs to my room in a jaded state, expecting Solas later in the evening to help me improve the clarity of my visions. As I reach my door, a heavy weight pushes down on my shoulders, and I pause with my hand on the doorknob. I've been evading thoughts of Jack and have made a concentrated effort to avoid regarding his bedroom door across from mine. I hang my head in dejection and drop my backpack to my feet before facing the dark wood that will lead to Jack’s empty room.

  Taking tentative steps, I cross the hallway and stop with my nose inches from the door’s smooth, glossy surface. I raise my palm and let it hover over the cold wood a moment before lightly placing it on its exterior. My heart beats heavy within my aching chest, and I let my forehead touch the cool surface. I long for Jack’s touch as I smell his scent of lavender, sandalwood, and honey seeping from the gap under his doorway. “I miss you, Jack,” I whisper as a tear caresses my cheek. The wetness on my face prompts the reminiscence of Jack’s words to me during our training session. ‘Your emotions will cost you. You have to be objective, or you'll risk making the wrong decision.’

  I wipe my tears away in anger. I can’t let my emotions impair my judgment. I need to focus on the present threat.

  I walk away from Jack's door with determination. I pick my backpack off of the floor and storm into my room, slamming the door behind me. I toss the bag onto the bed and start pulling out all the assignments I still need to finish. Sitting cross-legged in the middle of the bed, I spend the next few hours immersing myself in schoolwork.

  “How you doing, champ?” Solas interrupts with his telepathy. He must be finished with his classes for the day because I know he has to be close by for us to communicate that way.

  My mind feels like it’s going to explode if I have to do one more equation. Where are you?

  “Just finished getting cleaned up. Do you want to take a break and work on your visions?”

  I sigh and rub my face. Yeah.

  “I’ll be right there.”

  Seconds later, there's a knock at my door. “You can come in, Solas,” I call out. Solas enters and pauses inside the doorway. “Hey,” I yawn.

  “Hey.” I gather my books and papers strewn across the bed and shove them back inside my backpack. As he approaches, his aroma assails my senses. It's bold and masculine with an edge of warmth that seductively draws me closer, and I scoot off the bed to stand before him. In his deep voice, he begins, “Have you thought about how we can induce your visions?”

  I twist away from him and walk towards the middle of the room to put space between us. “Usually they only come when I’m asleep, but I've been wondering if meditation could help.”

  “That could be a possibility. Have you ever meditated before?”

  “No,” I sigh as I cross my arms over my
chest. Solas nods and moves to the fireplace. He busies putting logs into the hearth, and I muse, “What are you doing?”

  He continues to ignite the logs. “If you've never meditated before, sometimes it's easier if you have something to focus on and let it overtake your mind. Fire's a good equalizer to do that.”

  The flames grow wild within the hearth, and Solas reaches out for my hand to join him. I let him guide me to sit beside him on the rug in front of the fireplace. His affection towards me flows through our touch. It feels stronger than it has before. I sit rigid with my hands on my knees, trying to imitate a meditation pose. “So, how does this work?”

  “First of all, you don’t have to be so tense. Relax your body and let yourself be comfortable.” I bring my knees to my chest and hug them to my body. “Good. Now, focus on the flames of the fire and try to clear your mind. Let everything go. All of your worries, tension, and thoughts. Let them flow from your mind into the fire.” I take a deep breath and exhale slowly to help myself relax. Solas continues to speak in a low and soothing tone, “Keep your focus on the flames. Feel the warmth of the fire. Imagine that warmth raise the temperature in your toes. Let that warmth slowly move up to your ankles. Now, guide it up your legs to your core.”

  I begin to lose myself within the flames. Just when I feel the warmth reach my chest, my nose itches, and I lose my concentration. “I’m sorry. I lost focus. Let’s start over.”

  “I have an idea, but it’s up to you.”

  “What?”

  “What if I meditate with you, and you can feel what I'm feeling? You can let it merge with your feelings, and maybe it'll help keep you focused,” he suggests.

  His notion makes sense, and I’m eager to gain the advantage over the threat of Lucian. “Ok.”

  Solas moves to sit behind me, his legs on either side of my body. He hesitates before he wraps his arms around my waist. I release my hold on my knees and place my arms over his as I lean back into his chest. He laces his fingers with mine and whispers into my ear, “Can you feel me?” Calmness, compassion, peace. I nod my head in acknowledgment. “Let your body begin to warm itself again as you focus on the flames.” His tone is soothing as his breath warms my cheek and his voice rumbles through his chest into my shoulder blades. Like a match to gasoline, heat flourishes from the tips of my toes to the crown of my head in rapid succession. As if the fire’s burned my entire body to ash, my consciousness floats away.