I shrug once, “I have nothing he wants.”
Eric counters, “No, but you have something he doesn’t want.”
“You’re not helping, boss,” I mock.
He clarifies, “He doesn’t want to lose… I’m talking about a duel; The most lethal assassin versus Death.”
Jack barks, “No!”
I transfer a glance from him back to Eric. I predict, “If I win, Ezra goes to Red Meadow?” He nods.
Ezra curses beneath his breath. I know he doesn’t want to back down from the challenge even though his mind is telling him not to go through with it. “If you lose,” he says to me, “I’m reserving the right to call in my own favor when I may need it.”
I roll my eyes, “Pfft. What kind of favor could I possibly do for you?”
He ignores my question, “Do you agree to the terms?”
Jack steps between us with his arms out, “Whoa, whoa, whoa whoa! You don’t want to do this.”
“Who are you talking to?” I goad.
He replies, “Both of you!”
Ezra challenges, “Last time I checked, I could make my own decisions. I haven’t had to answer to anyone in…Creator knows how long.”
Solas snickers at Jack, “You know, good and well, she’s going to do it now that you told her she shouldn’t.”
I smirk, “He’s right, you know?”
Jack drops his arms in exasperation. He pivots away, shoving Eric with his shoulder, “Whatever happens is your fault. Don’t think I won’t make you suffer for it.”
Eric smarts off, “Ezra’s a big boy, Jack. I’m sure he can handle getting his ass kicked for once.”
Ezra protests, “You taken’ her side already?”
Eric only smiles wider in response, taking Alice towards the face of the mountain to give us some space. She appears to be warring on the edges of excitement and trepidation. Jack steps back with Solas to join them as I tie my hair up. I call over to Ezra as I ready my hands and feet, “Come on, cupcake. I don’t have all day.”
He echoes, “Cupcake?” His steps are measured, yet casual as he circles closer. I counter his turns, keeping him in my line of sight. “Ripper,” he comments lowly.
Ezra has at least ten inches and one hundred pounds of muscle on me. He closes in, gaining a stance that allows him to be flexible in his movements. I know I’ll have to take the first swing. I watch the angles of his body. Being such a huge mass, I aim to keep my distance from him with my legs. Ezra’s not stupid, though.
I fake a right hook. Ezra reaches to catch it, red eyes blazing. I seize his wrist with my left hand, twisting it backward as I kick his front leg out from under him. Ezra slams into the ground. My right hand cracks his sternum with a flat fist.
Ezra kicks me in the stomach, sending me through the air. I release my wings, even though he’s displaced my insides and they throb severely. I land back on The Common, charging with anger. Ezra blocks my punch, stepping on the outside of my body and gripping my shoulder. His fist sails past my face, his arm hooking around my neck. My elbow swings up, breaking his nose.
Swiftly, Ezra is behind me, pressing my arm up my spine. The awkward angle threatens to pop my shoulder out of its socket. I lean back into him, releasing the pressure. He snatches a handful of my hair. I step forward, spinning an opposite elbow across his cheekbone. My arm continues over both of his as they remain outstretched. Locked in place, I lift them with uncomfortable pressure and slam my fist into his already bleeding nose.
Massive dark blue and green wings encompass my body, pulling away and slicing the backs of my knees. I collapse to the ground, retracting my wings to protect them from being ripped out. I roll to my back as Ezra comes down with a knee to my chest. The wind rushes from my lungs. My Darkness responds in kind as I rotate his leg. It dislodges from its socket. Ezra falls away.
With all of my wounds healed, I jump to my feet. I pull my Darkness back, tucking it neatly away. Ezra takes to the sky. I linger below, taunting up to him, “What’s wrong, cupcake? Can’t stand on one leg?”
He gives me a bloody smile, his chest heaving. “I will be back with your package soon.” He takes off for Red Meadow.
I chuckle, regarding our dismayed audience. “I guess I won.”
Solas clears his throat, avoiding me. Alice’s expression is contorted into unsure surprise. She observes, “He may have gotten the last laugh.”
I look myself over, not seeing anything out of the ordinary. I keep searching as I approach them. “What am I missing?” Jack gives my loose ponytail two quick tugs but doesn’t say anything. I reach up to tear the rubber band from my hair. I slide it down and completely from the tress. I freeze. My eyes bulge, unblinking. My tone is even, “Alice? Tell me he didn’t.”
She sucks in air through her clenched teeth. Her head bobs, “He did.”
I ask, “How bad?”
She doesn’t answer. I try to judge the expressions of Solas, Eric, and Jack. They claim in unison that it’s not as bad as it seems. Alice finally offers, “It can be fixed.”
“Can you fix it?” I inquire.
“Yeah. Definitely. Come on.”
As she leads me away, I’m determined to make Ezra pay. Beckett and I have had our bout of pranks, but this is an entirely new level. It’s on, cupcake.
It takes Alice the good part of two hours to fix the debauchery Ezra hacked through my hair with his wings. Once we are satisfied it’s even again, my hair only reaches just past my collarbones. I’ve never had short hair. It’s a bizarre feeling, but Alice assures me it will be back to my normal length in thirty days.
I find myself staring at my reflection when Jack knocks on my door and lets himself in. I stand in the threshold of the bathroom, nervous about what he’ll think. He holds up a fistful of my hair, “I didn’t know if you wanted a keepsake.”
“Ewe,” I snicker.
He quickly throws it into the fireplace, “Right. Sorry.”
I cross over to my bed, sitting on the edge. “So... What do you think?”
Jack whips around to face me as if I had startled him. “It’s great. I like it.”
I squint at him, “What’s going on with you? You’re being weird.”
He hesitates, wringing his hands forcefully. “I’ve been thinking...about your Darkness.”
I take his hand from him and guide him to sit with me on the bed. My heart plummets. “Whatever it is, just say it.”
His thumb rubs the back of my hand in his. “What’s keeping you from going over the edge? How is it different than when you made your oath with Lucifer?”
Relief floods me. “Oh.” Jack looks to me expectantly, and I do my best to describe how it feels. “I don’t know how to explain it, except… Ok. You know when you’re racing and you’ve got your RPM’s maxed out?” He quirks a brow. “Bear with me here. Before my deal with Lucifer, my RPM’s were redlined. When I made my oath with him, it was like kicking in a boost of NOS. I blew my motor, so to speak.”
Jack seems to understand. “And now?”
I breathe a thankful sigh. “Now, I’m in control. I know when to coast, when to downshift, when to gas it, and just how far I can push my redline.”
“What if there’s a boost, like now?”
“I’m in complete control. Think of my body as the motor, but my essence is the NOS tank. I control the boost. I can use short bursts or prolong a nice flow if I need it.”
“So, there’s no chance of you becoming as you were before,” he states.
I answer anyway, giving him a reassuring smile, “Not unless I do so willingly. Though, I don’t see that happening.”
His mouth is uneasily set in a tightly forced smile. He looks to me expectantly. “Will you promise me something?”
“If I can,” I elude.
“Don’t let your Darkness push me away from you as it has before.”
“It was never my Darkness that pushed me away from you, Jack.” I regret my words, closing my eyes to wish I would think befo
re opening my mouth.
“What was it then?”
I hesitate, my mouth drying quickly. “That’s not what I meant.”
Jack rises from the bed, stepping back from me, “Enlighten me.”
I bite my bottom lip, rising to his level. “I wasn’t pushing away from you intentionally.”
His voice grows, “Admit it, Ivy. You’ve never given us a second chance since I came back to the surface.”
“Jack, it’s so confusing being pulled between you two. I feel like I’m finally able to step back and make a sensible decision without our bonds interfering.”
He bellows, “Sensible?”
My body reacts to his tone, my spine straightening as my muscles go rigid. This is not going right.
He continues, “There shouldn’t be a decision to make, Ivy. I told you before. Sensibility should have nothing to do with it.” Jack steps close, grasping me by my biceps. His desperation pours from him, “What does your heart tell you?”
I plead with him, “It’s not that easy, Jack!”
“Why?” he demands.
I take too long to answer, deliberating within about the influence of my dreams versus the vague path Raphael is sure I’ve already taken. How do I know I’m not making the wrong choice?
Jack’s hands slide down my arms, falling to his sides. He stares at me unblinking. “Let me make it easy for you.” His eyes bounce over my face, waiting for me to say something. I’m frozen in indecision. The hope in his eyes burns out, and he turns away. The door slams behind him, cracking up the middle and sending a quake through the corridor.
My hands cover my face. What have I done?
I want to go after him, chase him through the corridor until he stops. I want him to face me, knowing he’s raging. I want to jump into his arms and kiss him like he’s my only breath of life. I want him to spin me around and slam my back against the rough walls as he leans into me, never letting me go.
That doesn’t happen. I’ve missed my chance. Once again, I’ve put my foot in my mouth. I want Jack in my life, but I have a hard time believing he will ever forgive me after this. I’ve hurt him once more. This time, he’s walked away so I can never hurt him again.
I think it’s time for me to stop wondering if it’s Jack or Solas I belong with. I have to stop juggling the pros and cons of each relationship. I need to consider how I affect each of them, not the other way around. I know I should do something, yet all my body wants is sleep. Tears caress my cheeks until the visions of my dreams take over.
I emerge through the fog devouring The Common of The Keep. My Darkness presents itself through my countenance, my jaw set. I stride with determination, demanding fear in my enemies. A pair of sai are strapped to the outside of my thighs over my black, leather pants. The split tails of my hooded duster billow beneath my outstretched wings as if wings themselves. The polished fulgurite charm of a leafless tree Solas gave me cradles at the center of my chest, reflecting my surroundings.
The fog parts for our guests, revealing Lucifer flanked by Mephistopheles on his right and Cora on his left. I stop feet away. Lucifer coos, “So nice of you to join us, Princess.”
I sneer, “If you haven’t noticed,” whipping my sai from their sheaths, “I’m no princess.”
Mephistopheles growls at my threatening stature. Cora scowls, “Then I won’t give you the dignity of killing you like one.”
I cock my head to the side, “What do you know of dignity?”
Cora counters, “More than you by the show you gave at The Tunnel.”
I ignore her jab, addressing Lucifer, “You did a superb job finding a replacement for me.”
He smiles. It’s beautiful and warm. “She is more than meets the eye.”
Mephistopheles adds, “Loyal as well.”
I declare, “I was never meant to be loyal to you.”
Lucifer probes, “The Darkness inside you tells a different story.”
The leather of my gloves whines against the grips of the sai in my hands. “The Darkness you see belongs to me. I am loyal to it, and it’s loyal to me.”
Mephistopheles chuckles, “Darkness is not loyal. It is not sentient. It acts of its own nature.”
I contradict, “Yet it comes to me when I call, leaving its host.”
Cora whines to Lucifer, “She has to pay for what she’s done.”
Mephistopheles informs, “We must hurry. The others are near.”
Lucifer questions over his shoulder, “How many?”
“Three hundred…plus four Original Archs,” he notes.
If I had not been watching Lucifer closely, I wouldn’t have noticed the tiniest tick in his eyes, flaring his red irises. I mock, “Did you expect to take me back to Sheol and force me to do your bidding?”
Cora grins, “We have other plans for you.”
“I promise you won’t win this time,” I pose.
Her smile grows wider than should be possible. “You have no idea what you’ve got coming.”
Cora and Mephistopheles reach out to Lucifer’s shoulders. They disappear in a blink, leaving behind a wisp of smoke. I pull my wings inside myself and sheath my sai on my thighs. I pivot to the face of the mountainside, taking in the expanse of lifeless sentries covering The Common. The light tinge of petrol pulls my attention. I run towards the open vaulted entrance as the scent of smoke floods from it. Two feet into the entrance, my world explodes. I sail back through the opening of The Keep, far over The Common, and collide with the water of the ocean.
Chapter 24
“Good morning!” Alice chirps. She enters the café with her mood bubbling like a twelve-year-old on their way to a teenybopper concert. She skips to the espresso machine, a jelly donut in hand.
Solas, Beckett, and I watch her bounce and hum. I groan, “It’s the crack of dawn, A. I seriously question whether you do coke every morning.”
She twirls to face us and skips to the couch area we’ve taken over. Not a drop of her coffee spills. She sits on the coffee table, crosses her legs, and props her coffee on her knee with one hand. With the other hand modestly wavering to the side, her donut teases me to take it. Alice cross-examines, “You are all up. I heard you talking about the dream you had last night.”
I snatch the donut from her hand. “Doesn’t give you the excuse to bounce off the walls. This donut is the last thing you need.”
Alice reaches for the donut, but I pull away. I cock my brow at her. She furrows hers, “You wouldn’t dare.”
I refute, “Oh, I would.” My mouth opens wide as I torture her in slow motion and bring the pastry closer to it. Alice’s eyes widen, a gasp softly escaping her lips.
To my surprise, Beckett snatches the donut from my hand and shoves it in his mouth. Alice and I watch him with gaping expressions. He talks around the pastry in his full mouth, “What? You weren’t gonna eat it!”
Alice and I echo, “Yes, I was!”
We glance at each other then back to Beckett. We pounce. Beckett topples backward in his chair, and we attempt to wrestle him into complacency. A serious scowl falls over his face. I’ve never had Beckett look at me that way. Alice backs off quickly, but I’m not one to cower.
Solas calls to me, “Ivy.”
Beckett growls, “Get off me.”
Out of breath, I undermine him, “Or what?”
“Get off me, now.”
Solas calls again, “Ivy.”
“Fine,” I huff, rocking up to my feet. Beckett rises in front of me slowly. I scold him, “What’s wrong with you?”
His eyes harden, “I told her not to come. I don’t know how she got here, but—”
“How dare you,” Becky sobs softly from the entrance. Her eyes are red, puffy, and bloodshot from crying. Her hair is a tangled mess from the flight here.
My focus springs from her to Beckett. The intensity in his eyes melts away as he takes in her presence. Alice, Solas, and I watch on, waiting for something to happen. Beckett seems to be holding his breath. Becky ling
ers, her sights locked on him.
Beckett takes one step toward her, his hand outstretched and reaching, “I’m so sor—”
“Shut up, stupid,” Becky croaks.
They stare at each other a split second before they collide. Beckett holds Becky by her thighs as she locks her legs and arms around him. They kiss with so much passion, I expect electricity to shoot out from them. In the short breaths they allow each other, they whisper how sorry and stupid they’ve been.
I shy away, Solas in my line of sight. He actually blushes. It’s the first time I’ve ever seen him blush. Even as Gideon, I’d never witnessed it. He clears his throat, covering his grin.
I turn back to the lovers, their foreheads pressed together and eyes closed. Beckett pledges, “I love you, Becky Cartwright.”
She grips his face and kisses him again, “I love you too.”
Beckett opens his eyes, “Will you marry me?”
My heart drops to the pit of my stomach. A thought I never dwelled on much consumes me. The ‘what if’s’ itch beneath my skin. Ultimately, there are no ‘what if’s.’ There is only the destiny I must fulfill. Matrimony, white picket fences, and family is not an option for me. A tiny giggle fills my thoughts. Or is it?
Becky’s smile grows, tears flowing freely down her face. She nods excitedly. “Yes. Yes, I will marry you.”
Beckett grins, “Yes?”
She affirms again, “Yes!”
Beckett pulls her into him, kissing her wildly.
I smile because Beckett deserves this and I’m happy for him. Alice bounces on the tips of her toes, clapping her hands tightly against her chest. She attempts to whisper, but she’s too excited. “Yay! We’re going to have a wedding!”
I admonish, “Wait… At The Keep?”
She affirms cheerfully, running from the room, “I have to tell Evelyn!”
Solas comes to my side, “Do you think that’s a good idea in light of your vision?”
I look to him in hesitation, concluding, “I don’t want us to stop living our lives because of the threat they pose. I refuse to give them the slightest win. We need to remain vigilant and not throw caution to the wind.”
The Helio Trilogy: Volumes 1-3 Page 97