The Helio Trilogy: Volumes 1-3

by Valerie Roeseler

  He turns us around so I may see the others, each of them with blades to their necks. Uriel grins from behind Merrick. Lucifer claims, “The end is here, Princess. You chose the wrong side.”

  I open my mind to Solas, Do you see any more?

  “No.”

  We can take them.

  Lucifer continues to validate whatever reason he has for being here, but I’m not listening. Solas warns, “The blades—”

  Have Kapet. I can smell it.

  “We should wait for the others to arrive.”

  No time.

  “Don’t do anything stupid.”

  That coaxes a mischievous grin from my lips. I mock the Devil, “So nice of you to drop by, Lu.” With angelic speed, I throw my wings out as I slide a sai from its sheath and slice his hand away. Lucifer drops the Kapet coated dagger, flying into a large boulder. The others don’t hesitate to slip from their captors, rendering them useless in seconds. Save for Merrick. He’s too slow for Uriel. The Duke’s blade digs into Merrick’s throat.

  I've frozen in place once again as I watch Merrick’s wide eyes. The blood drains from his face, blue veins protruding beneath his skin. Just as quickly, Merrick’s entire being disintegrates into ash, then disappears completely.

  Beck and Solas attack their opponents, but I go straight for Uriel, ignoring the Devil behind me. Uriel swings with his left for my jaw. I duck, punching him in the crevasse between his arm and side. His topmost rib explodes, but I don’t stop, colliding with his side to bring him down. His ribs shatter like dominos against my chest as we plummet to the ground. I kneel above him, taking in the gory scene of bone splitting through the skin of his side, flayed open like a cadaver. I punch my hand through the opening and wrap my fingers around his heart.

  My hand fuses to his body with a sensation so hot it’s cold, then my vision goes white. Uriel’s tainted essence is dark enough to taste on my tongue. My sight clears. The sky overhead rumbles and clashes angrily. Uriel’s essence emerges, squirming through the opening in his side in black and red swirls as I wrench it from him. It jerks back. I have to pull harder. My fingers clench around his heart more as I cry out. Uriel’s essence fully emerges into the form of a black horse with red eyes. It roars back at me, then dives into my chest.

  I’m thrown back, the air ripped from my lungs as I land in the water. Solas lands next to me on his knees, practically yelling at me, “Are you alright?”

  I lay there, not wanting to move a muscle. “Ever been kicked in the chest by a horse?” My father, Jack, Evelyn, and Camael arrive, congregating to hover over me. They are unblinking. “What are you all staring at?”

  Camael observes, “Your eyes are black again.”

  I wait for him to react, but Evelyn fills the silence with her astonishment, “You tore his heart out, dear.”

  Feeling the organ in my right hand, I check to be sure I’m not crazy. I drop it quickly. Solas helps me to my feet. I wonder, “Why are you still staring? What’s wrong?”

  Jack reveals, “That’s how the first angel fell. He took the heart of another. It’s been said that any angel who took a heart of another since would be punished by The Creator, himself.”

  I regard the sky, remaining as still as possible. Nothing happens. I allege, “Maybe The Creator is letting it slide because of the circumstances.”

  My father blinks away without a word, returning with Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael.

  Michael growls, “Where is he?” I had never heard him get angry before. It’s odd coming from him, like hearing Theodora curse for the first time.

  “Dead,” I state flatly, pointing to Uriel’s body across from us. Turning back to me, he examines me closely. My Darkness recedes, and I inform him, “Merrick is gone as well.”

  “Did you kill him?” Michael asks.

  I lament, “What? No, I didn’t kill him! Uriel killed him!”

  “Is this true?” Michael directs to Solas.

  I see the anger in Solas’ eyes as he speaks, “Yes. Lucifer was here as well, but he left when Ivy attacked Uriel.”

  “The Morning Star was here?” Michael bellows. He doesn’t need a reply to know the truth. “This is the end. You are not ready.”

  Camael eases, “Brother, this will not be the last of him. We will meet him again. For now, we must fix what has been destroyed.”

  Jack prompts, “What do we do about the crops?”

  The gears in my head begin to turn. I know exactly what needs to be done. I’m hoping it works. I order them, “Everyone off the ground. I need space—a lot of space. Don’t talk. I’ll need to concentrate.”

  “What will you do?” Beck wonders.

  “Try not to die.”

  Once everyone is in the air, they wait patiently for me to proceed. If I can use my empathy through the earth as a medium… Can I heal through it as well?

  I kneel in the water, the tips of my wings dipping into the coolness. My nerves attempt to get the best of me. I close my eyes and take a few deep breaths to center myself. My hands drop to my sides, relaxing into the water. The world seems to pause, holding its breath. The water flutters between my feathers, over my palms, and around my legs. I let down my walls. It’s quiet at first. I have to prod the earth for what I’m searching for. It’s not as easy as feeling out someone’s emotions. The deeper I focus, a sickness grows in my core. I try to keep it down, but my body starts to tremble.

  A sharp pain shoots through my chest, forcing my eyes to pop open. I can’t see anything but a blinding white illumination. My mind becomes a jumble, and all I can concentrate on is not dying. My body burns from the inside, like acid running through my veins. Convulsions grip my core.

  Solas’ encouragement trickles into my thoughts, “You can do this, Ivy. You are Teloch. Push.”

  I cry out in my mind, I can’t stop it!

  “You have to. I can’t lose you.”

  You can. You’re stronger than me.

  “I’m nothing without you.”

  On the edge of a losing battle, I tell him, I love you.

  An explosion projects from my entire being. I’m locked in place throughout its detonation. Finally releasing me from its clutches, I collapse in a heap. I don’t have the energy to open my eyes, but I know it’s Jack lifting me into his arms, our bond embracing us as firmly as his hold on me. Love, worry, pride, possession. I don’t have the strength to force my empathic walls up again. “You did it. You did it,” he whispers in my ear. He suggests aloud, “We need to get her back to The Keep.”

  “No,” I mumble hoarsely. “There’s more.”

  Raphael tilts my head back on Jack’s shoulder. Pride, loyalty, affection, urgency. More healing water is poured down my throat, and I drink ravenously.

  My strength comes back to me slowly. I open my eyes to Jack’s vibrant green gaze and his million dollar smile. “Hi,” I croak.

  He smiles wider, “Hi.”

  “You can put me down now.” Jack eases me to my feet, keeping an arm around me until I can stand on my own.

  Beck warns Michael, “There are at least sixty to seventy more crops around the world dying or dead. She can’t be expected to heal them all.”

  Michael counters, “There is no one else. She is Teloch.”

  My father offers, “I can take her and Raphael to each of them.” He addresses me, “Can you do it?”

  “I don’t have a choice.”

  Not without protest, the others fly back to The Keep. My father moves Raphael and me from place to place across the world. Each time becomes easier for me to heal the crops affected by Uriel. None of us saw Uriel as the Horsemen of Famine coming. Raphael seems especially upset that it was an Original. Though Uriel fell, choosing to follow Darkness of his own volition, Raphael still thought of him as a brother.

  It takes us three days to cover all the ground needed before we’re able to return home to The Keep. The Originals hold a vigil for Merrick, but there is more talk of how I was able to kill an Original than Merrick’
s death. I’m thankful they allow me to finally rest and take full advantage of the forty-eight hours allotted, yet I wonder if it’s because they are scared of me because I’ve killed someone they used to consider to be their own.

  Chapter 7

  “Rise and shine, sleepyhead!” Alice cheers, barging into my room and ripping the covers off my face.

  I sit up, “I’m awake.”

  “You look asleep to me,” Thea provides sarcastically.

  I roll my eyes, “Don’t encourage her.”

  Alice orders, “Get dressed. We’re having a celebratory dinner in twenty minutes.”

  “What are we celebrating?” I ask, sliding from bed to find more presentable clothing.

  Thea sits at the foot of the bed, “Two down, two to go.”

  Alice gives her a disapproving stare, then digs through my dresser. “You’re rested, you’re alive—”

  “You’re not pregnant,” Thea mumbles under her breath. Alice and I turn to her wide-eyed. “What?” Alice throws a balled up sock at Thea’s head, which she catches with a smirk.

  Pulling some jeans on, I ponder, “Is that even possible for me? Not that it’s something I want, but is it?”

  Alice tosses me a black shirt with gold sequins flared in erratic patterns. “It’s very possible.”

  I chuck the shirt back to her and slip a different one over my head. “If I ever did, what would it be: An Arch, a Reaper, Death like me?”

  She shrugs, “Who knows.”

  Thea rises from the bed, following us out the door, “Whatever it would be, it would be badass like you.”

  Our laughter echoes down the corridor. The Dining Hall is full of rich aromas from the feast cluttering the table. Everything from ham, pies, and casseroles, to fresh fruits, fried green tomatoes, and warm bread rolls. Michael leads us in blessing the food, and we dig in. I ask Thea, “Where’s Beck?”

  Evelyn fields the question, “He volunteered to check on Andromeda and Maximus.”

  Cassius gives me a cunning grin. I guess, “He’s with Becky, isn’t he?”

  Cassius nods, “Every chance he gets.”

  I shake my head. No one speaks of the Horsemen, training, or anything that could be a damper on our dinner celebration. I’m surprised by how much food we end up consuming. The Originals even join us in having a few drinks.

  Everything feels easy. Almost too easy, like the calm before the storm. I decide to call it a night before it can be ruined. Halfway up the stairs to the corridor leading to my room, a piercing screech racks my skull. I catch myself on the wall to keep from falling, my equilibrium wavering. Silence follows, my heaving breaths filling the void. I stare into the flame of the torch beside my hand. The coolness of the wall crawls up my arm as the fire warms my face. Another shrilling screech fills my ears with enough force to bring me to my knees. My surroundings fade with the sound.

  The familiar Fallen angel glares at me in the desert of nothingness. Her jaded marble eyes scowling as she squeezes her fists at her sides. A storm rages overhead, waiting for the moment to release a downpour on the dry earth. Though she appears dangerous, there’s something delicate about her presence.

  “Who are you? What do you want from me?” I demand once again.

  Her deep voice growls, “I want what you took from me! You’re not as big and bad as they think you are. I’m going to prove them wrong.”

  I reel, “I don’t even know you!”

  An evil smile graces her lips, “Tick tock, Ivy. Tick tock.”

  I wake on the steps of the corridor. My mind sluggishly comes to an understanding. I utter, “It’s not a vision.” I push off the steps and run back to the Dining Hall, finding it empty. I send a thought out to Solas, Solas, where are you?

  “In the War Room. What’s wrong? Where are you?”

  I’m at the War Room in a flash. I barge in, “It’s not a vision!”

  Solas grips the tops of my arms to stop me from going on a rampage, “Whoa. What’s going on?”

  I explain, “The vision of the Fallen in the desert, the vision of when I killed Logan in Sheol! It’s not a vision!”

  “Ivy, take a breath. Calm down. Why do you think it’s not?” he pursues.

  I take a deep breath, glaring up at him. “I was walking back to my room after dinner and collapsed on the steps. I had a vision, but I know it’s not a real vision.”

  He appears puzzled, “Dinner was four hours ago. You collapsed on the steps?”

  I nod frantically, trying to get to the point, “I don’t know who she is. She’s the one who killed Logan in Sheol. She’s somehow putting these visions in my mind.”

  “How do you know it’s her doing it?”

  “Because!” I yell. “In my first vision of her, she kept saying, ‘Tick tock.’ Remember?” He nods in affirmation. “In the vision when I killed Logan, we thought it was me because it was from her eyes. It wasn’t me!” I continue to ramble on, “I told you when I first saw her in the desert. When I woke up, I could hear her saying it again; Tick tock. Tick tock.”

  “Hey,” Solas says to catch my attention. “Hey!” My eyes snap to him. “Just calm down a minute. Tell me what happened when you collapsed on the steps.”

  I try to breathe, then center myself, so my Darkness doesn’t creep up on me. I pace my words, “I was walking back to my room. There was a loud shriek. It was so loud, it threw me off balance. I caught myself on the wall. There was a torch there. I focused on it to right my balance, and there was another loud shriek. The second one brought me to my knees, and I blacked out.”

  “And you had a vision?” I tilt my head in exasperation, and he corrects himself. “Or some kind of dream?”

  “It was her. I was back in the desert with her again. This time she was pissed. She said I took something from her. I told her I didn’t even know her. She smiled—it was sinister… Then, she said, ‘Tick tock, Ivy. Tick tock.’ Next thing I know, I’m back on the steps.” I grip Solas’ arms, “She knew my name, Solas! How does she know who I am?”

  “Can you show me her face?” he requests, deeply intrigued.

  I nod quickly, close my eyes as he does, and push my memory into Solas. When he opens his eyes again, I ask, “Do you know who she is?”

  His brows converge, “No. I’ve never seen her before.”

  “Fuck!” I roar, spinning away and punching a crater into the wall.

  “Ivy,” Solas soothes. I remain facing the wall. “I want to say something, but I know you’re not going to like it. Please, don’t take this the wrong way.”

  That gets me to turn around. My gut clenches, waiting for him to speak.

  “Since… Since you’ve come back to us, you’ve been behaving differently. You’re quick to anger at times. At others, you relent easily.”

  I cross-examine, “Everyone is expecting me to be the end all solution to the Horsemen. The entire fate of humanity rests on me. What do you expect?”

  “No. That’s not it. You told Jack and me that you wanted space. We’ve been doing our best to give you that, yet you seek us out. It’s like you can’t make up your mind: Do you want us around or don’t you? Are you pissed off at me for what I said or do you truly understand? Are you the Ivy who stands up for herself and those around her or do you let the Originals command your every move?”

  I’m taken aback, stuttering, “I… I don’t know.”

  “What don’t you know, Ivy?” he stresses, stepping closer to me.

  “I don’t know.”

  He repeats more harshly, “What don’t you know?”

  “I don’t know!”

  He steps closer, backing me into the wall, “I know.” I begin to tremble, not with fear from Solas, but a terrible dread inching up my spine. “Are you weak, Ivy?”

  “No,” I snap defiantly, glaring at his blue eyes.

  “Should I be here at The Keep? Should I leave?” he taunts.

  That itching sense of dread explodes from low in my spine throughout my body. The rage is
more familiar than it should be; my Darkness. My body relaxes back into the wall as I grit, “You want to leave so bad? Go!”

  He pins me to the wall by my arms, “Do you feel that?” I don’t acknowledge him. “As long as it’s there, you can’t focus. You can’t make up your mind.”

  I ignore his prodding, though I understand what he means. “Let go of me.”

  “Or what?”

  “Do you really want to test me? You of all people?” He doesn’t budge. “Let. Go.”

  “No.”

  I glare at him, then release my wings. He keeps a strong hold on me, pushing me back into the wall.

  “Do you feel that?”

  “No.”

  He grins, “Liar.” I attempt to push off the wall, but he pins me back again. “What if I told you, I know I belong at The Keep? I’m not going anywhere. Not because of the refuge it allows for a rogue like me, but because of you. As long as you’re here, so will I be.”

  Suddenly, I want to cry, my Darkness receding. “Why are you doing this?”

  “Because I know you’re better than this. You can still destroy the residual Darkness. You can’t focus to the best of your ability with it.”

  “How can I get rid of it? It’s a part of me. It’s who I am.”

  “You just healed the entire world of a poison threating to spread famine. You’re telling me you can’t heal yourself of the Darkness?”

  “Maybe I can’t,” I whisper.

  “Why?”

  “Raphael says if I’m to heal myself effectively, I have to love myself.”

  Solas snickers, “What’s the problem then?”

  “I’m a monster!” I yell, tears running down my face.

  He blanches. “You are not a monster.” I can’t look him in the eyes, but he tilts my head up. “I know I’m not supposed to do this, but I love you. Do you know why?” I shake my head. “When I was sent to guard over you, I didn’t know what true love was. I wasn’t looking for it either, but you changed that. With everything you had been put through, you persevered. There was nothing stopping you. You make me laugh more than I ever had in Paradise. You push me to do things I’ve never done. You make me want to be more, do more. If it weren't for you, I would have let the Darkness consume me. I refuse to let it consume you.