“Oh, my…” Mother whispers as she comes around the corner with Eric and Alice.
Father turns her away, his tone rough, “Let’s keep going.”
We file out while Azrael stays behind. He orders his Guides in the area to help the souls within the deceased find their destination. A trail of bodies in the most gruesome circumstances lead us in the same path as my bond to Ivy. I reiterate, “There’s no way she did this.”
Solas’ expression is difficult to determine. Mad? Upset? Guilty? Maybe resolute? He states, “It’s hard to deny what the mind knows as truth. The evidence is here. We can’t ignore it.”
My sickness intensifies as we approach an abandoned four-story newspaper factory. I halt, gripping my core as sweat drips down my face. My voice is guttural, “She’s here.”
Solas nods to me, then looks to the rooftops across from the factory. As he affirms for Ezra to be ready, we group together in a line on the sidewalk, facing the doors. Solas signals to Eric, Alice, and Beck to take the back of the building, then motions for my parents, Cassius, and Theodora to take up positions on each side.
I mumble, crossing my arms over my chest as I ignore the cringing in my stomach, “What’s the plan?”
He speaks inside my mind as he mimics my stance, “We need her out in the open for Ezra to get a clear shot.”
I joke, You think we’re just going to go in there and drag her out?
Solas gives me an irritated, sidelong glance, “How about we just call her out?”
I shake my head, not thinking it will work. Solas hollers, “Come on out, Princess! We need to have a talk!”
There’s no response at first, so I encourage her challenging demeanor, “Come on, Sunshine. I know you miss me.” Solas rolls his eyes.
The doors burst open, and Ivy floats through the threshold gracefully before landing on the steps. Her wings are left open wide, attempting to show her power. Her black eyes frighten me more, but I hide my trepidation. She gives us a wicked grin, “If it isn’t Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Du—”
A tranquilizer dart lodges in her neck, cutting off her words. Her rage is palpable as she tears it from her skin. In rapid succession, four more darts riddle her body. Thunk, thunk, thunk, thunk.
Solas catches her before she can tumble down the cement steps. He lifts her in his arms, her face rested against his chest and her legs dangling over the side. I retch again.
I stay behind while the others leave for The Keep. My guts have been turned inside out. I needed a moment away from our bond to pull myself back together. I give them an hour head start. It’s enough distance to lessen the sickness but still feel our bond. I go to the nearest pub, finding an empty seat at the end of the bar towards the back of the nearly empty building.
The sight of Ivy with the Darkness evident in her eyes eats away at me. The bartender—an old woman with a deep, ragged voice from years of smoking—leans with her fists on the bar, “What can I getcha?”
“Tequila,” I tell her without a smile. As she turns away, I add, “Double.”
“Comin’ right up.”
She returns with a scotch glass half full of the yellowish-green spirit, placing it in front of me. I down the shot and drop the empty glass to the clear coated wooden bar. “Another.” The woman retrieves the bottle, pouring another shot before turning back to wipe the bar down. I lose myself in self-loathing pity.
If I hadn’t left, I would’ve been able to keep her at the manor. She wouldn’t have gone to Sheol to find Solas. She wouldn’t have been missing. She wouldn’t have been tortured again. Telly wouldn’t have had to save her. Lucian and Lilith never would have waged war on The Keep… But Lilith wouldn’t have been caught and sent to Purgatory.
Fuck! Where the hell has Michael been? He’s conveniently not around when we truly need him. If Lilith never came to The Keep, she never would have bitten Ivy. Telly never would have kidnaped her, and Ivy never would’ve made a deal with Lucifer… Those people would still be alive. What if she can’t be saved?
I refuse to let my last thought take over, determined to fix what inevitably is my fault. My foot bounces on the barstool, eager to get back to The Keep and see her again. Screw the consequences of puking every five minutes. I order another round and leave for The Keep.
When I make it back, I fight against the sickness growing in me. I find Ivy in the dungeons, chained to a padded cot like a deranged criminal. She’s still asleep. Solas sits against the far wall across from her with his arms rested over his knees, watching her sleep.
I keep my voice low, sliding to the ground beside him, “Has she woken yet?”
He shakes his head as we gaze upon her still form, “No. Not yet. Ezra said it could be a few more hours with the amount of tranquilizers he had to use.”
I let my head fall back to the stone wall. The usual tension between us is replaced by a heavy sorrow. I realize it’s not something we each feel, it’s something we share. My guilt eats at me. “I’m sorry,” I utter to the ceiling.
He doesn’t look at me as he speaks, “For what?”
“All this. If I hadn't left the manor in the first place, none of this would have happened,” I admit.
Solas huffs. “Yes, it would. Her visions have been leading to this moment. It’s part of her destiny. If anyone is at fault, it would be me for trusting Telly wouldn’t turn against us if the Griffins were present.”
I shrug, “Maybe we’re both at fault.”
“Maybe.”
I ask the one thing we don’t want to think about, but I have to know if he still has faith in the Light, “Do you think we can get her back?”
He’s silent a long time. “I don’t know… But we’ll keep trying until we’re successful.”
“Agreed.” We continue to watch our angel slumber, her soft features bittersweet. I battle against my own tears betraying me.
“She was going to tell me… She wasn’t searching for me because she made her choice.”
His words not only cut the silence, but they also become a harsh weight between us. “How do you know that?”
He continues to stare ahead of him, “It was when Lucian had us tortured. I read her thoughts when she couldn’t keep her walls up.” My tongue is like taffy in my mouth, stuck in a web of dryness. “Through our time down there, she thought about so many things that I couldn’t keep up… She doesn’t know what she wants anymore.”
I ask for his honesty, “Do you still love her?”
His expression remains impassive, “I’ll always love her. I’ve loved her for over eight years. That love only grew. It’s not something that just…stops.” I don’t reply, and he asks the same of me, “What about you? You still love her?”
“Always… Doesn’t matter what decision she makes. Like you said, that kind of love doesn’t just go away.”
He grunts, catching the double meaning in my statement. Whether she stays in the Darkness or comes back to the Light, I will still love her. If she chooses him over me, I will still love her. Solas pushes himself from the floor, “She’ll be awake soon.”
“Are we still hoping Tristan can break her oath to Lucifer?” I speculate.
“Yes. I’m going to bring him down now. Perhaps it will go over more smoothly if she’s still out.” I stay with Ivy when he leaves, praying this isn’t my last chance to see her at peace.
Azrael and Solas escort Tristan into Ivy’s room in the dungeon. They part for the child-like Virtue to see her. He’s fragile and tall for his physical age, his straight, brown hair curling up at his collarbones. Though his silvery eyes are bright, they’re sad when they witness Ivy’s state. The dimple in his chin hardens. “You’ll need to leave the room.”
Solas debates, “We can’t take that chance. She’s very dangerous. If she touches you…”
Tristan raises his hand, “I understand, Chief, but if there are any problems, those in the room will take on the oath in her place.” Solas and I look to each other in deliberation. Tristan assures, “I
promise she’s in good hands.”
Azrael ushers us towards the door, “We will be right outside, Tristan. If you may need us, let us know.” Tristan nods, and Azrael closes the door.
The Virtue’s tiny steps click against the stone floor until he reaches Ivy’s side. He begins whispering an Enochian chant, and a blue light glows beneath the doorway. Ivy shrieks, her chains straining against the bolts in the floor. It’s full of agony and fury. Solas moves to open the door, but Azrael grips his wrist, “Not yet.”
Ivy maintains her rage, screaming obscenities as Tristan persists in his chanting. The blue glow darkens to a deep red. Her screaming dies down to harsh pants as the red illumination fades to nothing. Tristan comes out of the room, leaving the door open behind him. “It’s done. I could do nothing for the Darkness she holds, but her oath to Lucifer has been broken. Just know that he will realize she’s broken her oath. There may be retaliation from him.”
Azrael nods once, “We understand. Thank you for your assistance.”
The next few hours are excruciating. Mentally for each of us, physically for myself. My bond to Ivy curdles in my core. I’m so ill, Azrael asked me if I would like to have Tristan break our bond. I have no regrets telling him ‘no.’
Ivy is mad with her power, reveling in the Darkness. She won’t give us a straight answer when we ask why she made the deal. She only laughs, “Birds of a feather flock together.”
Solas pleads with her, “Why did you take the First Duke position?”
Her laughter becomes sneers, “It was mine to take. I earned my place.”
We’ve tried everything to get to her. Her father tried telling her how proud he was of her when she learned to play her first piano piece. She didn’t give a rat’s ass. Solas and I each take turns alone with her. Though I can hear him from the corridor, it doesn’t stop him from pouring his heart out to her. She laughs at him hysterically. I hear his lips kiss her forehead, and I roll my eyes.
Solas doesn’t look at me as he exits the room. He continues up the stairs to the main floor of The Keep. I walk inside, closing the door behind me. “What the fuck do you want?” she growls.
It takes me a moment to get around her brashness. “You.”
Her hands splay with her sarcasm, rattling her chains in the process, “Here I am.”
“You’re not.”
She grins, throwing my words back at me, “No, but you know where I am. Why don’t you come show me?”
I deliberate a moment. She won’t respond to our feelings for her. Maybe she can respond to shame? I rush to her side, gripping a handful of her hair as I wrench her head back. She gasps. I growl against her lips, “You wish. You make me sick. Look at you. Nothing but a whore to the Darkness. You don’t deserve the attention. Maybe we’ll just leave you down here to rot.”
I throw her head back, bouncing it off the padded cot. It doesn’t work. She laughs in a fit as I march out of the room. Once the door’s closed, I speed up the steps, retching as I enter the Throne Room. Fuck!
When I rise, Solas and my mother are standing there to witness my weakness. Mother addresses me, “Jack. I was just gathering the others.”
“What’s wrong?” I grumble through my sore throat.
“I have an idea how to bring Ivy back to the Light.”
Solas prompts, “We’ve tried everything.”
She shakes her head, “Not everything. You’re trying to fight fire with fire. That’s no way to defeat the Darkness. You fight fire with water.”
My head is pounding. “What are you saying, Mother?”
“Love, Jack. Love is Light. You fight Darkness with Light.”
I nudge my head towards Solas, “We’ve already tried that.”
She smiles, her eyes shining with new hope, “Not in the capacity that’s needed.”
Chapter 32
Ivy
I’ve got to get out of this godforsaken dungeon. Every time I turn around, I’m strapped down again. Physically… Metaphorically. I just have to wait for one of them to slip up. Then, I’m gone. Back to L.A. I finally found that fucking faction of demons hiding out in the newspaper factory. I only had a chance to kill three of them when these pricks showed up. Who the hell shot me? What was that shit? Not Kapet, that’s for sure. I’ll have to do something to show Lucifer it wasn’t my choice to break my blood oath to him… Maybe I can bring him a new set of wings for his collection?
The staircase leading down to the dungeon echoes with ten sets of footsteps, growing louder as they close in. Camael enters first, Azrael, Evelyn, and Jack trailing behind. They’re followed by Solas, Eric, Cassius, Beckett, Alice, and Theodora. Creating a semi-circle around my bed. Their pitiful faces rove over my outstretched body. I catch the scent of blood and locate a dark stain on Jack’s chest. It smells enchanting, taking me back to the bloodshed I had imparted on the streets of L.A.
Jack clears his throat, drawing my attention from his wound. “We’re going to help you, Ivy.”
I counter, “You’re not going to let me rot, Jackie Boy?” I know he hates to be called that.
His eyes close a moment. “No. We want to save you from the Darkness. You don’t belong there.”
I laugh at him, “I don’t need to be saved.”
“No?” Alice barks in a challenging tone.
I smile with the tilt of my head, “It’s not a disease, honey. It’s not like there’s an antidote.”
Evelyn lifts her chin, “What if there is? Are you willing to come back to the Light?”
“Even if there was,” I mock, “I have no need for the Light.”
Azrael crouches next to my cot. “You do. It is who you are. As long as there is Light within you, the Darkness can never win.”
I ridicule the Angel of Death gazing at me, “Be careful, Daddy. You may not like when Death finally comes for you.”
Solas prompts the others, “Are we ready?”
They each take tentative steps closer as Azrael moves aside. Solas brushes my hair back away from my face in a loving gesture. My voice comes out broken, “What are you doing?”
He kisses my forehead, then replaces his lips with the warmth of his palm. Azrael puts a hand on his shoulder in approval. As does Jack. Eric, Evelyn, Alice, and Beckett place a hand on each of Jack’s shoulders. Then, Camael, Cassius, and Theodora rest a hand on Evelyn, Beckett, and Alice in succession. My rage builds with whatever they’re attempting to do to me. Solas’ voice enters my mind, and I find I’m not able to block him out, “We’re here, Ivy.”
A memory is forced upon me, and it’s not my own. I’m dribbling a basketball, spinning and pivoting in different directions as I advance on the basket. My hair is plastered to the sides of my face in the hot summer day, my skin slick with sweat. I taunt, “You don’t got this!” I jump to take a two-point shot, and Gideon catches me mid-air. He runs in the opposite direction as I yell at him, “You’re such a cheater!” He laughs at me, and we tumble into the grass of the park in a fit of giggles. The look in his eyes…
I’m taken back to when I was a little girl, maybe three. Through the glass panes of the Harris’ home, I lay on my stomach, swaying my feet in the air as I color on the floor. Ruth comes in. She squats down, twirling one of my dark pigtails in her finger once. She coos, “Oh, what is this?”
My tiny voice answers, “It’s angels.”
My father voices from outside the window, “It is beautiful, darling.”
Something burns in my chest. I’m ripped away to a memory from only a few months ago. I’m immersed in a literature book, steadily scribbling notes down as I study with Jack in the library on Red Meadow University’s campus. The sun shines in through the window next to us. Jack’s stare catches my attention, and I glance up at him, “What?”
I hear his thoughts as if they’re my own, You’re so beautiful. Then, he shakes his head, “Nothing. What are you studying?”
Another memory intrudes on the moment. I’m playing piano, thinking I’m alone in the Roe’s
manor. I see myself from the far corner of the room, my body swaying with the tempo and the changing of pedals at my feet. Tiny specs of dust float around me, glistening in the sun’s rays like glitter.
Memory after memory assaults my mind. The burn in my chest grows until I come alive inside its flames. I try to push back on their memories of me with hostility. Then, something shatters inside of me. Hot tears seep from my eyes.
Once Theodora’s memory comes, I let out a coughing chuckle of sadness. Blistering fluids leak from my nose and ears. Their cohesive emotions of love choke me. I cough again, and a scorching bile rises in my throat.
Solas shouts, “Turn her over!”
I’m released from the chains holding my wrists above me, then shoved onto my side. The bile gushes from me as I squint through the pain. It gives off a sulfuric aroma, burning my already singed nose. I cough and choke until it’s completely purged from my body. My chest heaves as I open my watery eyes to the pool of tar on the floor beside my bed. I wipe at my eyes, smearing more tar across my face.
I freeze, realizing what’s happening to me. Feet are lined around me, and I dread facing any of them. I know what I did. Those people, my family… Oh, no… Lucifer’s going to come after them now.
Solas calls softly, worry marring his voice, “Ivy?”
“Mmm?” I hum, biting my lips together.
He moves to crouch in front of me, and I squeeze my eyes shut. “Ivy? Can you look at me?”
I shake my head. His palm meets my cheek, his thumb smudging away the tar from my face. “I need to see your eyes, princess.” I choke on a sob as his tender voice enters my mind. He assures me, “I’m not going anywhere… We will all get through this together. We’re family.”
I open my eyes but continue looking to the ground. He begs me gently, “Please?” I close my eyes tightly, then flick them open to his ice blue gaze. He sighs. “It worked.”
Jack offers to carry me back to my room. I scrub the vileness from my skin, but it will always remain a stain on my mind. Images flash behind my eyes of innocent looks of horror, blood, and the delight I felt with each kill. I can hear Jack pacing outside the bathroom door, his boots clicking across the hardwood floor. One, two, three, four, five, six… The reverberations cease for a split second. His boots whir against the ground as he pivots, and his movements continue over and over again.
The Helio Trilogy: Volumes 1-3 Page 69