“We’ll be here,” Jack insists.
Stacked tomes litter the table of the War Room. Alice beams at my slack countenance as I take a seat with a mug of coffee. “Don’t get too excited, A. In case you didn’t notice, I’m not exactly the staple poster child for a good student.”
“That’s because you’ve never had me,” she declares. She slides a thick book bound in deep blue leather across the table to me. I stop its trajectory with angelic speed before it can crash into the mug in my hand and slosh hot coffee over me. I give her a hooded glare. She ignores my grumpy mood. “Enochian History can be lengthy if you let it, but I’ve broken it down into the different eras. We’ll cover the minimum of what you need to know, and you can ask any questions along the way.”
I finish blowing on my coffee to cool it off. “Sounds like I need a pen.” Alice tosses a purple spiral notebook to me, then a pen. The pen is coated in red glitter and has a heart to match atop a short spring. Glitter falls everywhere, sticking to every surface, from the heart bouncing erratically. I shake a fake smile at Alice, “Lovely.”
“Isn’t it? I stocked up for the school year before everyone decided to take a break and stay here. It’s my Valentine’s pen. Don’t break it.”
I roll my eyes with the absurdity. Here I am, Teloch, Horseman of Death, about to take on the apocalypse to save humanity… and I’m writing with a pen covered in red glitter like some preppy teenager in love. Ridiculous.
Alice pulls down a white screen against the wall and turns on a projector hovering from the center of the room. My eyes widen, “Whoa! Where did that come from?”
“You didn’t think I would be forced to live in the Dark Ages, did you? I’ve got some Griffins working on upgrades around The Keep.” She winks, then suddenly mistakes my awestruck expression. “You don’t mind, do you? I just thought it would make living here easier for everyone.”
“No! Be my guest!” I squeeze my eyes tightly. “I’m sorry. I don’t mean that you’re a guest. We all live here. It would be nice. Thank you for taking the initiative.”
She turns away, mumbling, “Just wait until you see what Jack has planned for you.”
“What’s that?”
Alice clicks a remote for the projector in her hand, a bright and colorful image of the sky appears in the dimly lit room. She avoids my question, “The book in front of you is the story before man was created…”
Hours of Alice lecturing and the millions of questions I interrupt her with, have us working past lunch. Beck brings us food around mid-afternoon, leaving as fast as he came. Alice is relentless. Lecture, quiz, review, repeat. Lecture, quiz, review, repeat. Theodora delivers two bowls of stew to us. Her quick escape has me questioning if there are other events going on within The Keep that I’m being distracted from.
When Alice is positive I know everything the Originals need me to, we call it a night. Solas appears in the doorway just as I scoop up the notebook Alice gave me. “Is class dismissed?”
I exaggerate a heavy sigh, then feign a whimper, “She made my brain hurt.”
He hooks an arm over my shoulders to walk me back to my room. “I guess she didn’t get the memo.”
My face scrunches together, “What memo?”
Solas’ cheeky grin sends a flutter through my core, “The one that lets everyone know you only learn with hands-on training.”
I snicker, elbowing him in the ribs gently.
The hearth’s raging fire crackles and hisses, sending waves of blistering heat across my skin. Solas and I relax on the rug, watching the flames as Jack paces behind us. I peer over my shoulder to him, “Jack, I need you to be deathly still and silent if I’m going to do this. You’re distracting me.”
Jack fusses, “Every time you’ve used fire to induce your visions, you come out of it hurt.” He addresses Solas, “Are you sure you can’t jump into her visions if she was scrying instead?”
Solas responds, “Scrying cannot be done with large enough bodies of water that will allow me to meditate with her.” Regarding me, he notes, “I may have an idea about how to disconnect your physical body from the visions, though.”
I perk up, and Jack’s pacing comes to a halt.
Solas hypothesizes, “By meditating into the flames, you are connecting with that element. Your visions are affected by the traits of that element. When you use water, your visions are calm, coming easy. With fire, they come harsh and fast.”
“What do you suggest?” I coax.
“I think if I sit between you and the fire and you keep your focus on my eyes, while still conscious of the flames behind me, it will sever the physical link between the vision and reality.”
“How will that work?” Jack criticizes.
Solas explains, “Visions are induced by meditating through an element. We know now that fire causes the physical connection. With water, you have the chance to drown. The strongest of seers can bond to the very air around them to see the past and future events of their specific location. Then, there are some who can make a connection with the earth.” Disregarding Jack, he tells me, “By focusing into the eyes of a living thing, you should be able to connect with the spirit within.”
“Wouldn’t that only allow visions of your future?” I ponder.
He elaborates, “That’s why we’re going to use me as a buffer. I want you to still let the heat of the fire guide you into the meditation, yet keep your focus on me.”
I question, “I’ll be using two elements. Has that been done before?”
Jack counsels, “Who knows? Then again, you’re not like any other being. Your abilities surpass most. It’s worth a shot. You’re capable of more than anyone has anticipated, which is why the Originals are being so hard on you. You scare them.”
I mumble, turning back towards the fire, “No pressure.”
Along the far wall, Jack takes a seat in the high-backed, leather chair behind the writing desk. From there, he may watch for any signs of physical manifestations from the vision. Solas and I sit cross-legged, facing each other, our knees touching, and he takes my hands in his. He warns, “You’re going to have to let your walls down. Are you ready?”
I nod, allowing his telepathy and emotions to flow through me; anticipation, love, hope. I prompt, I’m ready.
He encourages, “You’ve got this.”
The warmth of the blaze behind Solas seeps into my bones. His eyes are ice blue glaciers, melting away as his pupils dilate. I have a moment of doubt and fear. The vision doesn’t come as quickly as it has before. I’m suddenly conscious of Jack watching us.
Solas reassures, “Don’t worry about him. Focus on me. It’s just you and me… As it was before. Let your surroundings drop away. Listen to my heartbeat. Relax…”
His words fade, washing over me into contentment. Blackness converges from the edges of my vision, leaving only Solas’ eyes until they disappear as well.
The barren corridor of Lucifer’s castle echoes with my steps. “Tick tock. Tick tock,” I repeat in a rough tone. The smell of bubblegum rises from my mouth. A warrior with Italian features enters from the end of the hall. As he nears, I realize it’s Logan, the Fifth Duke of Sheol and a Fallen Dominion.
The malice in Logan’s grin triggers a thought, You won’t be smiling for long. My heart flutters with excitement.
We meet, then he reaches out for my hand. I allow him to kiss the back of it. When he rises, I inquire, “Is everything ready?”
“It is.”
“Good.” My voice is flat, lacking concern.
“May I do anything else for you?” he offers.
Closing the distance between us, my head slowly tilts to the side, a gradual smile pulling at my lips. Logan dips his face towards me. An instant before his mouth touches mine, his sharp gasp sends a shiver of pleasure up my spine. Eyes wide, he takes a step back, regarding the blade in my hand. Logan’s skin quickly pales. Cracks begin splitting his features. Like thin parchment lit by a flame, his body disintegrates to ash before my eyes. The as
h then disappears completely, leaving no evidence behind.
I whistle in astonishment, the fluttering in my heart simmering. “This Kapet may come in handy after all.” I tuck the blade dipped in liquid Kapet into a hidden sheath up my sleeve and continue walking down the black and gold marble corridor. “Tick tock. Tick tock.”
Coming out of my vision, Solas and I continue to stare at each other with surprise, question, and alarm at what we witnessed. Noticing Jack standing behind Solas, I grasp the discontent he must be feeling from his furrowed glare. He presses in a low and angry tone, “Well?”
I take a breath, opening my mouth to speak, but only a heavy sigh comes as I close my burning eyes. Solas’ hands squeeze my own. He hasn’t let go, and I throw my empathic walls back up to block his warring emotions of dread and denial. Opening my eyes, Solas asks hesitantly, “Did you meet Logan when… When you were…”
I field his reluctance to finish his question, “Only when I was introduced to the Dukes. He wasn’t pleased I was there. There are no scenarios in my mind that would lead to us working together.”
Jack interrupts, “Logan?”
Shifting my gaze to Jack, I witness his infuriation intensify as Solas reveals, “It’s not clear what the subject is, but he notified her of something being ready… Then she killed him with a blade coated in the Kapet liquid that The Morning Star created.”
Jack suggests to me, “Maybe you didn’t let the Darkness take over as you thought then.”
Solas releases my hands, rising from the rug, “Oh, there was definitely Darkness inside of her. She delighted in killing him. It felt planned. As soon as she saw him, she was excited at the prospect.”
I speculate, “Why would I use the Kapet instead of my abilities to kill him?”
Solas resolves, “The Kapet leaves no evidence behind, whereas your abilities would leave his body for others to find or for you to cover up. It’s less draining on your body’s energy and works faster.”
“It was absolutely the Darkness present?” Jack reaffirms.
I nod, standing to meet their height. “I’m positive.”
He counters, “How do we prevent it?”
“I’m not sure yet. If we wait, I could have another vision that precedes this one. Hopefully, that will let me know how it happens.”
Chapter 4
Gabriel is a broad angel, even with his wings concealed. As I stroll next to him on The Common, hugging myself from the blustering wind, I couldn’t feel any smaller or more delicate. Though he smiles gracefully as he speaks to me, I have a sensation to not disappoint him. He marvels, “We have been quite impressed with you, Ivy.”
“How so?”
I observe his hands gesturing along with his words, “Your life here has not been an easy one, and purposefully so. We have watched you grow and challenge each of those who cross your path. We worked with other beings to keep an eye on you, and while some thought of your existence as futile, there is a purpose for everything: Every event, every word spoken, each decision or mistake made. Through all of your ups and downs, you have prevailed. Even with the Darkness of your mother inside you, your vitality and vigor shine Light in a way that makes people yearn for it.”
The Common seems empty without the subtle sounds of the Griffin sentries on the mountain. Gabriel had requested privacy for our training, and I told the Griffins to have a day away from The Keep. Gabriel’s cheeks dimple as he smiles down at me, noting, “There is no need to be nervous. I may appear intimidating, but I want you to be comfortable around me.”
“Is it that obvious?”
He shakes his head, “No. I can feel your emotions clearly.” He stops to face me. “You have a great deal of emotions conflicting in your mind. They bounce off each other, yet uneasiness is the most potent at the moment.” He turns for the cliff’s edge, “Sit with me. Talking is the easiest way to relieve stress and tension.”
I follow his lead, dangling my legs over the precipice of the cliff. “You want me to talk?”
He suggests, “You can talk about anything. You can tell me about your transformation.”
Sighing heavily, I comply. I tell him how I met Alice, Eric, and Jack. I relive the events leading up to Beleth, the First Duke of Sheol, kidnapping me and forcing me to kill Trey. Words pour from me like a waterfall, as do my emotions. After a few hours of smiles, tears, and anger, Gabriel knows my entire story. He even understands my struggle with Jack and Solas, though he refuses to give advice on that account. Instead, he alludes, “I can tell you that the decision you want to make may not be the decision you should make.”
Baffled, I ask, “What is that supposed to mean?”
Rising from the ground and lending a hand to help me up, he professes, “Your fate is determined. I cannot discuss it any further, or it will change the outcome.”
I roll my eyes with a playful snort, “Yeah, yeah. Top secret prophecy and all.” Gabriel snickers, then we turn back towards The Common to resume our walk. “Where is this prophecy? Is it written down? What does it say?”
Gabriel inclines his head, visibly confused. “You have never heard the prophecy spoken?”
“No.”
He apologizes, “That is unacceptable. I will tell you the prophecy.”
I freeze, staring up at him, “You will? You know it?”
He shrugs with a small grin, “Of course, I do. It was I who notified the Originals of Paradise when it came to me.”
“You?”
“Yes. Do you wish to hear it?” I nod vigorously. Gabriel professes, “When Light meets Darkness in the illusion of captivation, a being of Divine creation will emerge with the mark of Death. The scales will shift in the wake of their trials. Darkness will cloud their path, yet their strength will surpass the evil within.
“Blood will fall from the sky, tremors will crack the ground, and The Creator’s children will weep in fear. All will know the coming of the Horsemen for their enemy. The final battle will be fought on corpse-riddled earth.
“The only hope for humanity will face both the iniquities of Sheol and the relentless truth that victory cannot be achieved unaided.
“The end of the end will come, and the wind will whisper the warrior’s name on a vermilion horizon; Teloch.”
I speak to myself, yet aloud, “Angelic war, earthquakes…”
Gabriel adds, “These things may be metaphorical. I have never known a prophecy to be entirely literal.”
“Who are the other Horsemen? What do they look like?”
“The other Horsemen do not know who they are, just as you did not know. We do not know their identities until they take action. It could be anyone: Angel, demon, spirit, or human.”
“How do we find them? We need a plan to catch them before they can act.”
Gabriel nods, “I suppose we wait. Though, it is possible Camael has a plan.”
I groan inwardly at the mention of his name, loathing the idea of having to train with him soon. Jack’s father and I haven’t gotten along well since we met. I would put money on him structuring my training as hard as possible.
Gabriel stops to face me, “Camael believes in you.” I scoff. “He pushes you because he wants you to be better. We all do, but he will push you the most.”
Grinning coyly, I counter, “I don’t know if I’m certain of that. I’m nothing compared to the five of you. For example, you’re able to get a read on my emotions so deeply without even touching me, and you know what or who they are about. I can only read emotions when I touch someone. Even then, I only feel the emotion, not the subject.”
Crouching down, Gabriel works the soil of The Common between his fingertips, focusing on its consistency. “All abilities are different. Each being with empathic abilities will feel emotions through different means. My own empathy is through touch and reading auras. I read your thoughts on the subject matter because I have been doing this for an extremely long time.” He gives me a crooked grin, “Also because it is written across your face.” He shak
es a finger at me, “You may want to work on that.”
I purse my lips, then crouch beside him as he continues to work the dirt through his hands. I mock, “Is the ground that interesting?”
“The Earth is a living thing. She is quite old and is connected to everything it touches. Tell me, have you ever experienced an empathic connection to more than one person at the same time?”
Suddenly, my fingers find the soil interesting as well. “A few times. It happens when we hold hands to say grace at dinner if I don’t keep my walls up.”
“Walls?” he inquires.
I shrug. “Yeah. I used to guard my own emotions. I always imagined a brick wall in my mind with my true self on the inside and everyone else on the other.” I snicker with my epiphany. “Come to think of it, it’s almost as if that wall had to be torn down before I learned how to truly use it.”
“What caused its destruction?”
My smile slowly dissipates. “Jack.”
Gabriel nods. “What fortified it after that?”
I take a deep breath, releasing it with relief as I wipe my hands clean of the dirt and confess, “Solas. After Jack had died, he told me I couldn’t show weakness or my enemies would use it against me. Once my transformation was complete, that wall acted as a force field of sorts. Solas isn’t able to use his telepathy with me unless I allow him to. To do that, the wall has to come down.”
“Let me be sure I understand you correctly. You have a metaphorical wall in which you can manipulate when you see fit. It not only works to block your empathy but impedes any foreign attack on your mind not warranted?”
My lips pop on the pronunciation of my answer, “Yup.”
He asks, “Does this mean your walls have been down since we have been on The Common?”
“I didn’t think I would need it while training my empathy with you.”
Gabriel notes, “Humph. There have been times when I was not able to read your aura. It baffled me. Now, I know why.” His body shifts within his crouch, “This may work better than I had anticipated.”
The Helio Trilogy: Volumes 1-3 Page 74