MIDNIGHT DIVINE (The Helio Trilogy Book 1) (30 page)

“Not Nun Chucks, Beck.
Chuck
Taylors
. They’re my trusty black, high top sneakers.”

“Oh,” he frowns, and Solas
pats him on the shoulder as he joins me and Alice at the sink.

“May I accompany you back
to your room?” Solas whispers in my ear so low I think only Alice is close
enough to hear him with her angelic hearing. It sends shivers of pleasure down
my spine. I can’t speak and nod my head, biting my bottom lip.

“Ivy?” Evelyn calls out as
I turn to leave. I spin around and fake a calm exterior as I face her. “Will
you be attempting to see your visions again tonight?”

“Um… yeah. Solas is going
to try to help me again.”

“Do you want us to assist
you?”

“Actually, I think everyone
being there will put too much pressure on me, and I need to relax and
concentrate. I think it would be too much of a distraction,” I admit in all
honesty.

“Ok, dear. Let me know if
you need anything.”

“I will.”

Solas starts a fire in the
hearth of my room as I go out to the balcony to smoke a cigarette. I lean back
against the terrace wall with my elbows propped on either side of me as I watch
him
ignite the logs and the flames dancing wildly across
his face. His stunning physique rises and turns my direction. His gaze is warm
as we study each other from a distance. Raw need for him engulfs me like a
tempest. I drop my cigarette in the ashtray as I run past, jumping in his arms,
wrapping my legs around his waist, and crush his mouth with mine. He carries me
across the room and pushes me against the door of the bathroom.

“Ivy,” he breathes against
my lips.

“Hmm?” I hum in question
between my assault of kisses. My mouth moves over his strong jaw to the
sensitive skin just beneath his earlobe.

“Ivy, I need to tell you
something,” he utters, breathless.

I pull back from him to see
his face. I note the worry in his eyes, as well as feel it, and I know he wants
to tell me whatever secret he's been keeping from me. “Whatever it is Solas, it
doesn’t matter. I know deep down my feelings for you are inexorable. They're
like an electric current moving inside of me and ignite every time you touch me.”
Solas mouth encompass mine and we become a force of nature caught in the
undertow of our desire.

gh

In the comfort of Solas’
arms beneath the sheets, he pulls me closer to him and kisses my temple with a
grumble. “I’m distracting you.”

I snuggle into him and
sigh, “You are.” I look up to meet his eyes with a smile.

“Are you ready to do this?”
he asks, and I take his question as a double entendre.

Is he asking me if I’m
ready to really be with him? Maybe he’s only asking if I’m ready to seek out my
vision again.
“Yes.” I don’t know which
question I’m
truly
answering. I want to be with Solas.
Could I
give myself over to him completely? My heart misses Jack.
I kiss his bare
shoulder before rolling out of bed. I pull a robe on and walk to my closet to
borrow Alice's bathing suit.

“Are you sure you don’t
want Evelyn or Alice to be here?” he implies from the bed as he props himself
on an elbow.

“Why? Do you think they
should be there?” I remark from the closet as I tie the back string of my
bikini top.

“Well, I’m thinking that if
you can tether to me before you begin and we both go under, I may be able to see
what you’re not able to. But if we both go under, we'll need someone there to
make sure we don’t drown in the tub.”

“I don’t know if I can do
that,” I admit, reentering the bedroom as I tie a sheer red wrap on my hip.

Solas gets out of bed and
pulls his jeans back on, “You're more capable than you believe.” He approaches
me and places his hands on the tops of my arms. “I have no doubt you can do
this.” I nod and he kisses my forehead. “I’ll go change quick and be right
back.”

I stop him before he exits
the room, “Not the bathtub.” He glances back at me with a raised brow. “When I
had the vision under water before, my body temperature was extremely high. I
think we’ll need the water to be a lot colder than my current body temperature
to shock me into the vision. If we try to use ice to cool the tub, it may melt
too fast. Plus, I really don’t think we'll both fit in the tub.”

“What do you suggest?”

“The pool. It’s been cold
enough during the day that the water's freezing.”

“Ok. You can gather
everyone, and I’ll meet you out there.”

After Solas leaves, I swipe
my cellphone from the table in front of the fireplace. I send out a group text
message to everyone.

    Me:
Change n plans. Meet @ pool.

My phone starts to beep
sporadically with their replies. I take a deep breath and make my way outside.
Everyone's already standing around the swimming pool. Their faces illuminate
from the lights under the water's surface, and white streaks dance and glimmer
over them
from its
reflection. Beckett
whistles at me as I approach in Alice's red string bikini. Cass elbows him hard
in the chest, and a low growl stirs from Solas standing next to Eric with his
arms crossed over his chest.

“So what’s the plan?” Alice
hints, taking everyone's attention from the fight brewing between Solas and
Beck.

“Just like I shared my
memory with you, I’m going to try to connect with Solas before I go under so he
can see what I’m seeing. He may be able to sense things I can’t, but he needs
to go under with me.” Alice and Evelyn appear nervous with the idea as the guys
pay close attention. They're unmoving as if I'm giving them orders for a battle
plan. I address each of them, “Cass and Beck, I need you to keep Solas under
with me. You'll have to hold him under so he doesn’t surface. If he does, we
may lose the connection. Eric, I need you to hold me under as well. You’ll know
when I’m ready to come back up, but don’t let me drown,” I tease to lighten the
mood. He nods his head mirroring my visage. I turn to Alice and Evelyn, “I need
you two to monitor the time and make sure nothing goes wrong. If either of us
start to bleed, pull us out. Also, make sure we're not under for longer than
four minutes.” I'd found that with my new angelic capabilities I'm able to hold
my breath a lot longer, and I'm certain it'll help in this situation.

Evelyn voices her concern,
“This water is freezing, Ivy. Are you sure?”

Untying my wrap and handing
it to Alice, I make my way towards the steps leading into the frigid water,
“Yeah. I think one of the common factors in my vision is the shock of the
temperature difference between my body and the element I’m using as a medium.
Yesterday, I used fire to help me meditate. The heat took over my body and
induced the vision more intensely. I think that’s why I was able to be harmed.
The cold water should keep that from happening.”
I hope.

“Ok,” Evelyn sighs.

Solas joins me on the edge
of the pool before we step into the water. Eric comes to my other side, and the
Griffins stand behind us. “You’ve got this, princess. Just relax and open up,”
Solas instructs me as he takes my hand.

I take a deep breath and
gradually release it before we take our first steps into the frigid glowing
water. Sucking in air through my teeth, I wince at the sting of its glacial
temperature. “Shit, that’s cold,” I growl. Solas shows no sign of discomfort as
he urges me further into the water. Beck grumbles as he, Cass, and Eric enter
the pool behind us fully clothed. When the water reaches just below my breasts,
Solas and I face each other. His brilliant blue eyes sparkle with the glow of
water around us. “Ready?” I mumble through my chattering teeth.

“I won’t let you go,” he
utters smoothly as if the freezing water doesn't faze him. Ignoring the cold
seeping into my bones, I release the tension in my body as Eric steps behind me
and places his hands on my shoulders. Beck and Cass take their positions behind
Solas and place a hand on each of his bare shoulders.

I squeeze his hands tight
in mine.
Are you here?
I probe to test our mental connection.

“I’m here,”
he answers.

Don’t let go.

“Never.”

My skin becomes numb, and I
look up to Alice and Evelyn—my two momma birds. “Four minutes,” I remind them.
They each give me a single nod. Focusing back on Solas, I lose myself in his
gaze, and let its warmth consume me, chasing the chill away. A final shiver
trails down my spine. “Here we go,” I breathe before we take a deep breath and
sink under the water’s surface. Eric’s hands keep me from floating as Cass and
Beck hold Solas firm underwater.

I continue to stare into
Solas’ eyes and hear him speak to me in my mind,
“Close your eyes and let
the water guide you there.”
I close my eyes and imagine myself as liquid.
My lungs begin to burn, but I let the icy water extinguish the fire before it
escalates. I tremble as the cold spreads through my body, and Solas guides me
closer, wrapping his arms around me. I squeeze him tight, and my mind fades.
“Let
go, I’ve got you,”
he coaxes, his voice becoming distant. And I do. The
darkness smothers me with a tightness in my chest, and I surrender myself over
to it.

My insides are boiling, not
with heat, but anger. I'm pissed off.
I’m wearing the forged midnight armor with large
scales, and my gloved hands are bound to my ankles, restraining my wings tight
against my back as the cold concrete digs into my knees through my leather
pants. Lucian stalks forward in slow controlled anger from the shadows. He
wears a fitted black suit with a black shirt and a skinny black tie. I imagine
seeing him in an Armani advertisement. The spotlight above shines on a red
jewel pinned just below the tie's Half Windsor as he approaches.

“I have to admit, Lilim, I
thought you'd be much harder to capture. I’m a little disappointed,” he sighs,
and his wolfish smile falls. “But you destroyed my uncle, and for that… I'll
make you suffer.” He growls low and menacing as he begins to circle me. I smell
the slightest tinge of sulfur in his wake. “Would you like to hear my plans for
you, Lilim?” I refuse to answer him, and he gloats, “First, I'll hunt down
everyone you care about. I'll torture them while you watch, for as long as it
entertains me. When I’m finished with them, I'll hand them over to Sasha
—
she’s my hellhound
—
and she loves Divine
blood.” He stops before me and crouches with a nefarious smirk. “Then, I'll
make you my slave. I'll own you. You'll do exactly what I tell you to. You’ll
kill my father, and I'll rise in his place.” He stands and looks down at me
like I’m the most disgusting thing he’s ever laid eyes on. Rage ignites through
my veins. I growl up at him in defiance.

Lucian’s hand grips a
fistful of my hair and wrenches my head back to look him in the face. He bares
his teeth, growling in my face with flames in his eyes. “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. Rustling of feathers echoes off of the aluminum roof above us.
I glance around. “No one's coming to save you,” his voice rumbles and hums in
my ears as his raging eyes scowl at my weakness. A raven flies into an open
window at the end of the warehouse and lands on its sill. An echo of rustling
feathers tremor in the air around me. I begin to notice silhouettes of Fallen
surrounding us. Lucian scowls at me, and I smile at him. He produces a blade
from behind him and depresses its sharp point into my chest between my armor’s
plates. The tip never penetrates my skin as he slowly tries to twist it deeper.
He jerks my head back and releases my hair to grip my chin. “Relinquish your
essence to me,” he demands.

I chuckle under my breath
at his annoyance. “Never,” I smirk with unwavering audacity.

“Then I'll watch you die.”
He arcs the blade in the air, intent on plunging it into my chest, but a large
hand seizes his wrist from behind. I can’t detect who it is, and my vision
fades out.

Solas and I are launched
above the surface as the water shoots towards the sky around me. I gasp for air
wrapped in his embrace. As we come back down, blood rushes to my head and I
squeeze my eyes shut to stabilize my equilibrium. Eric, Beck, and Cass separate
and haul us to the steps of the pool. I climb on my weak hands and knees out of
the water before collapsing on my back, breathing hard with uncontrollable
shivering. Evelyn and Alice throw towels over my body and wrap one around
Solas’ shoulders.

Solas hovers over me, his
skin containing a blue tinge and wipes my wet hair from my face. “You ok?” he
huffs, out of breath. I briskly nod because I can’t speak. My entire body
stings with numbness, and my teeth clack with convulsions. Solas demands over
his shoulder, “Everyone get cleaned up and meet us in the entertainment room.
Evelyn, will you start a fire for us, please?” Evelyn agrees, and Solas lifts
me into his arms. I rest my head against his chest as he
flees
to my room with angelic speed.