MIDNIGHT DIVINE (The Helio Trilogy Book 1) (28 page)

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
week
s
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 week
s
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 agrees.

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.

I skip my Tuesday morning
ritual of going to the coffee shop off 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
week
s,
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 weeks 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 remind 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 since 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 strait 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 seep 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 judgement. 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 into 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 slow 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
acknowledgement. “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.

My insides are boiling, not
with heat, but anger. I'm pissed off. I’m wearing black armor accented with
silver edges that display the separation of its plates. It’s like nothing I’ve
seen before. Like forged midnight. Its large scales are layered in a
symmetrical formation over my shoulders, arms, and abdomen, ending at points
across my leather clad thighs. The black leather under armor is the same
material as my gloved hands bound to my ankles, restraining my wings tight
against my back.

Lucian’s 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 as his flaming red eyes lined with long
thick black eyelashes, glow in the darkness surrounding us. “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. I take in my surroundings. Cold concrete ground digs into my
knees. I’m in an empty warehouse with thick concrete supports holding up its
aluminum ceiling. “No one's coming to save you,” his voice rumbles and hums in
my ears as his raging eyes scowl at my weakness. He produces a blade from
behind him. Its silver glistens from the spotlight above before he depresses
its sharp point into my chest between my armor’s plates and through the leather
beneath it. 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.”
The blade plunges into my heart, and I gasp as blood fills my mouth, spilling
down my lips.

I come out of my vision
violently. I can’t breathe
,
and blood continues
to fill my mouth as I cough and gasp for air. I’m flat on my back next to the
fire, and Solas is kneeled over me with terror in his eyes. He rips my shirt
apart to reveal the hole in my chest. “Hold on, Ivy!” he bellows as he pushes
down over the wound to impede the bleeding. My hearing begins to ring, and his
voice becomes muffled as he calls for help with tears in his eyes. The most
painful sorrow engulfs me from his touch. It’s familiar. It’s the same pain I
felt when I lost Jack. More of Solas’ emotions pour over me.
Regret, agony,
intense and passionate love.
It’s his love that keeps me from letting go.
It calls to me.
Don't let me die yet, Solas.

An illumination occurs from
beneath Solas’ hand over my wound. It burns with excruciating force, and Solas
falls back from me. As the light extinguishes, I turn to my side and cough up
the remaining blood in my throat between gasps. My body begins to tremble, and
Solas takes me in his arms, kissing the top of my head over and over again as
he repeats, “I’ve got you. I’ve got you.”