“Stop holding back, Ivy. Don’t be afraid you’re going to hurt me. I promise you won’t,” Jack smirks.
“I’m sorry, Jack. I just can’t see you as the enemy. It makes it hard for me to want to hurt you.”
His smirk turns into a devious grin. He changes his approach, “Your emotions will cost you. You have to be objective, or you'll risk making the wrong decision. Instead of trying self-defense, because that comes to you naturally, let’s try some hand to hand combat. He walks over to the wall and picks up two sets of black fingerless gloves. He holds out a pair to me, “Put these on.”
The gel padding over the knuckles makes me feel a little better that I can’t cause much damage. “Ok. The padding makes me more comfortable.”
“I thought it would, but I want you to be prepared. I’m not going to hold back, and I don’t want you to either.” I nod my head, securing the glove around my wrist. “Now, most of your opponents will be taller and a lot wider than you. You have to change your strategy on how to advance on them. Because you're smaller, you don’t want to punch from below them. You'll lose the force behind the hit because you'll be fighting gravity. And always remember to keep your other hand up close to your face. It’ll protect you. But if it’s too far out, they can use that to push it back at you. That would be counterintuitive. So, start in your fighting stance.”
I place my feet in a wide stance with my left foot in front and my right foot behind me. I hold both of my hands in loose fists close to my face as Jack instructs me.
“Good. Now, when you go to throw your punch, instead of a straight punch to the jaw, swing your elbow up and back in an arc, and complete the circle coming down at an angle to connect with their face.”
I practice the swing along with a few more combinations he teaches me. After ghost boxing for half an hour and bouncing on my feet across the floor, Jack begins circling me. He's a silent predator ready to pounce with his graceful stride. The movement of muscles beneath his skin are rolling plains kissed by a constant breeze. “Are you ready?”
“As I’ll ever be,” I reply with an arrogant smile and shift into a defensive crouch.
I let out a calming breath. Jack takes his first swing at me from my left. My senses are getting stronger, and all movement becomes slow motion. I see his fist coming and duck underneath it while simultaneously bringing my right fist into his chest and letting his body’s momentum work for me. I parry around to his backside and hook my arms around his neck for a tight clench. I jump up and place both feet into the backs of his knees and pull back. His heavy body lands on top of me as my back crashes to the mat. As he comes down on top of me, I push back up with my legs and force him over my head. Jack lands in a crouch behind me. I pop back up into a crouch across from him. A growl comes from deep in my chest out of pure instinct. “I thought you said you weren’t going to hold back?” I tease him.
Jack charges. We brawl hand-to-hand for another half an hour. I'm surprised at my ability to learn so quick, even picking up on things I've never been taught before. I take a break and retrieve my bottle of water, collapsing against the wall. Jack joins me and nudges my knee with his, “I’m proud of you, Sunshine. Your form and reaction time is ever improving. You're a fast learner. Once you're fully transformed, your strength, power, and fighting skills will supersede any enemy you come into contact with.”
“Really?” I look at him to gauge his reaction.
“Yeah, um… There at the end, I felt more like the prey than the predator.” He shakes his head, “I haven’t felt like that in a long time.”
“You’re full of shit,” I giggle.
Jack stands up. I take another sip of water and replace the cap. “I want you to try something,” he announces as he crosses the room.
I stand up and follow Jack to a built-in cabinet on the opposite wall. He opens the doors, and my mouth drops. “Jack, I don’t think—”
“I know you’ve probably never used anything like this—unless that’s something else I just haven’t learned about you yet—but I want you to have the best possible chance of winning a fight. This will be just another skill to add to your arsenal… so to speak,” Jack shrugs.
“Jack, I’ve never even held a sword before!”
“We’ll start off with something a little easier.” He pulls a long stick out of the cabinet. Its circumference is as wide as my arm. He holds it out horizontally for me to take, “This is a staff. It’s light and has the ability to keep your enemy’s at a distance.”
I take the staff from him, testing its weight and balance in my hands. The wood feels uncharacteristically comforting against my palms. I walk to the middle of the floor and try to swing it around with precise twisting to get the feel of it. Jack watches me with a hubris grin. It gives me the confidence I need, and I start to feel cocky in my abilities. I begin to twirl the staff in tentative circles, hand over hand. Then, my movements become second nature. The staff spins around me so fast it would be hard to track its movements with a human eye.
Jack pulls his shirt over his head, and his wings shoot out behind him. He charges and jumps into the air above me. His wings generate a steady wind that cools my body. “What are you doing, Jack?”
“You’re enemies have the ability to fly while you don’t…yet. You need to learn how to counter an attack from every angle.”
I slice the staff through the air as he dives at me. I fall flat on my back, but don’t hesitate to jump back to my feet. With Jack standing before me, I swing with a precision I didn’t know I possessed. He blocks each advance.
I’ve got to get around him.
I spin into a low crouch and kick out with the staff parallel to my leg to knock him over. When he jumps over, just as I expect, I take my chance. I'm not sure if it’ll work, but it's worth the shot to try something new. I charge and run along the wall horizontally. Jack spins around in surprise. I come down with the staff in front of me. He tries to swerve out of my line of attack, but my staff nicks the tip of his wing. He soars into the air, his face menacing as he stares down at me. A dark green feather drifts with languid graciousness between us before landing silently on the ground.
It occurs to me I just pissed off the wrong person. Jack nosedives at me. I raise my staff horizontally in both hands to block him. He's strong. He grips the staff and pushes me to the ground. I use my momentum from the fall and roll on top of him after I hit the ground. I push the staff across his neck in a choke. A growl comes from his chest, and he shoves me into the air. I land against the wall without my staff, and the mortar collapses behind me and crashes to the ground, putting a huge hole in the wall. I hit the ground and realize I don’t have a way to defend myself anymore. I jump to the cabinet and snatch a pair of sai.
Jack crouches low and begins to circle me, looking for an opening. I spin the daggers with a flick of my wrists three hundred and sixty degrees and catch them in my palms. Before he gets a chance to back me into a corner, I jump over his head to land behind him again.
Evelyn, Alice, and Eric come into the training room and watch us practice. Alice’s jaw hangs open as she watches. Eric has a bemused smirk as he stands with his arms crossed over his puffed up chest. He looks like a proud papa watching his little girl ride her bike without the training wheels for the first time. Evelyn appears worried, but I can’t tell who she's worried about; Jack or me. After dueling with Jack another hour, he smiles at me from above, “I think that’s enough for today.”
We put away our weapons which have been tossed around the room. Our onlookers whisper among themselves, but I can hear them with a clarity that would be impossible before my transition began.
“Did you see that?” Alice brags.
“Jack wasn't trying to fight back. He was just trying not to die!” Eric whisper yells.
“You know, I can hear you, right?” I call out as I face them. Jack hands me another bottle of water. “Thanks.”
“I thought you said you've never used any of these weapons before?
” Jack marvels with perplexity.
I heave a loud sigh. “I haven’t.” I'm just as surprised myself.
Everyone converges into the middle of the room. “Jack’s been training all of his life. He knows what he’s doing. But you, Ivy… Where did that come from?” Eric muses.
“I don’t know. It just felt natural. Second nature or maybe it’s just a survival instinct, but I didn’t have to think too hard about it. It seemed I knew what I wanted to do and exactly how to do it.”
“You’re dangerous, Ivy. Lethal. I was having a hard time keeping up with you, and you haven’t fully transformed yet. I can’t imagine what you'll be capable of then,” Jack confesses.
Evelyn speaks up, “I can shed some light on this situation.” She pauses to search our faces. “I spoke to Michael.”
Everyone questions her all at once.
“What?”
“When?”
“What did he say?”
Evelyn holds her palms up for everyone to settle down. “This is far more serious than we thought. Meet me in The Chamber in ten minutes, and I'll explain. Meanwhile, you two get cleaned up,” she points to Jack and me.
We reconvene in Evelyn’s office, which I realize is ‘The Chamber’. I sit down in one of the chairs in front of her desk, looking at the painting behind Evelyn with a new feeling of recognition. Jack stands behind me with his hands on my shoulders as Alice and Eric stand off to the other side of us. Evelyn paces behind her desk. She looks at each of us before she reveals what she’s learned.
“As we already know from what Trey has told us, Ivy’s father is Azrael. Her mother is Lilith. And this is a phenomenon, Ivy, because Lilith has been cursed to not birth children. The consequence is the death of the child. Michael has informed me that Lilith made a bargain with him to spare your life. In return for forsaking you, she vowed to pass down abilities that could be used to greatly diminish beings of Darkness. And for his promise to protect you, she would let him either kill her or send her to Purgatory. His choice… Which has not been made as of yet.”
I try to keep my jaw off the floor as she continues, “Your visions are a gift from Lilith. Michael has also given you the most important gift that will make you an unbeatable weapon against the Fallen.” She pauses and lets out a heavy sigh. “He’s given you the gift of Immortal Pestilence.”
“What's that?” I look to each person for answers, but I’m only met with disbelief and astonishment. Jack’s head drops in devastation.
“It’s the ability to turn any immortal being into a mortal human,” Jack’s voice softens with sadness.
I'm at a loss for words. Evelyn addresses us again, “Michael has also given you even more abilities to better equip you for the challenges ahead. He wouldn’t tell me what gifts he gave you because when I spoke of your father, he became furious. Apparently, Lilith never told him who your father was. I expect the knowledge you have to fight so ferociously has something to do with Michael’s hand. There's no doubt in my mind that you were created to be a Warrior of Light.”
I slump back in my chair. “Wow,” I mumble.
“In the meantime, Michael has reassigned Jack and me.” Everyone’s heads shoot up. Evelyn smiles, “It's now our mission to guard you, Ivy, and prepare you for your final transformation.”
I jump into the chair and spring into Jack’s arms. I hug him tight around his neck, and Evelyn dismisses us with a smile on her face.
Jack and I sit outside on the terrace and smoke a cigarette. I can’t help the feeling of impending doom looming over my shoulders, but I'm comforted Jack and Evelyn have been assigned to aid and protect me until I complete my transformation. “Will you stay with me for a while? I really don’t want to be alone right now.”
He threads his fingers with mine and places a soft kiss across my knuckles. “Whatever you need, Sunshine. I’m here.”
“Thanks, Jack,” I give him a small smile. “I really want to take a shower. Will you wait for me?” He nods his head and lights another cigarette.
I enter the bright white lavatory and close the door behind me. I stare at myself in the mirror again. This is who you are now. Can’t really complain, can I? I’ve never looked this good or felt this strong and invigorated, save for the sleep I need.
I release a long breath through my nose and push away from the sink. Pulling my shirt over my head, my skin chills. I push off my jeans with my underwear and let them crumple to the floor. I unhook my bra and let it fall to the growing pile of dirty clothes and towels from Evelyn trying to bring my temperature down.
I walk across the cold tiles into the open shower and adjust the water temperature to hot before turning it on. I let the water soak into my hair as I run my hands up my face, over my head, and to my neck. The water taps against the brown marble tile at my feet with sounds of a steady rainfall, and the steam begins to fill the room. My eyes pass over the door to the bedroom, and I wonder what Jack's doing while he waits for me. I lather shampoo through my hair and rinse it out, following it with my conditioner. Picking up my razor to shave my legs, I find my mind drifting back to Jack.
Jack. I wonder if he feels as strongly about me as I do about him. Does the discovery of who my mother is affect the way he feels about me? Jack, I need you. Don’t leave me. I can’t do this without you.
The bathroom door creaks open, but no one comes in. Jack calls from the other side of the door, “Ivy? Are you ok?”
I can’t respond. All of a sudden, I'm overpowered with want for him. I want him to come in. Do I really want him to come in? I'm confused, but my need for him disables every other instinct.
“Ivy?”
“Yeah,” my voice cracks.
“Are you ok?”
Um…
“I’m coming in.” He steps inside with his hands over his eyes, “You've been in here for a while. I didn’t know if something was wrong. Are you ok? I know this is a lot of shit to be happening all at once, I just... Will you talk to me? I don’t want to intrude, but I need to know you’re ok.”
And like that, my world melts away. There's only Jack. “Jack.” My body gravitates to him until I'm a breath away. Jack’s breath hitches. I reach up and pull his hands away from his eyes.
His gaze turns dark and full of want. “Ivy,” he whispers and draws his hands down my arms. His lips crush into mine, and his grip is strong on my biceps. I stagger backward as he pushes us forward to lead me back into the shower. The water streams over his blonde hair and down the intense planes of his face. I run my fingers along his cheekbone. He leans his forehead on mine, “We should be careful.”
“When have you ever known me to be careful?”
Leaning against the wall, his hands spread against the tile on either side of my face. Fully understanding he's in the shower with me, I strip off his shirt, revealing his tight, defined torso. The water falls in rivers across the hard ridges of muscles forming his abs. His eyes bore into mine as I run my hands up the muscles of his flexed back. Watching his gaze go from dazed to hungry, his want for me pours over my soul and mixes with my own needs. I comprehend I'm feeling his emotions through our touch again.
“You’re so beautiful, Ivy,” he whispers to me. Jack holds me tight against the wall. His mouth fits over mine with a brutal, uncivilized kiss as he grips my hips. A surge of energy courses through every nerve in my body. My world tilts on its axis. It's been a long time since I've been with someone, and it's never felt this way—Intense. Raw. All consuming. The world drops away from us as we finally give in to the desire between us.
In the middle of the night, Jack holds me close to him between the cool sheets of my bed. “I love you, Ivy. I'll never let anything happen to you. I’m here.”
“Jack,” I caress his cheek and lock eyes with him. “I love you.” He smiles and turns his head to kiss my palm. Desire crashes over me again in a brutal wave, pulling me under the surface. Jack's all I need. He ignites a fire in my soul I know will brand me forever.
“Ivy
?”
“Hmm?”
“You were in the shower for forty minutes before I came in. Are you sure you're ok?”
I think about what I was doing before he entered the bathroom with me. “I was just thinking."
"What about?"
"I was thinking about you.” I pause. “Talking to you, really. In my head.”
A small grin spreads across his face, “And what were you telling me?”
My cheeks flush with embarrassment, “I was wondering if you felt the same way about me as I do about you. And I hoped my parentage wouldn’t affect how you feel about me. Then, I prayed you would never leave me, because I know I won’t be able to do this without you.
Jack brushes a wisp of hair from my face, “I don’t think I could ever explain in words the intensity of love I feel for you. I don’t care where you come from. You’ll always be you. You’ll always have my heart. I would never willingly leave you, Ivy. I love you.”
“I love you too, Jack. I know it seems impossible because we’ve only known each other for a short time, but I've never felt this intense towards anyone. And I know how much you love me. I can feel it when you touch me. I don’t think we ever had a chance at being just friends. It feels as if you're part of my destiny. A part of me I'll never let go. I'll always be yours, Jack.”
“I think you’re right, Sunshine. It does feel like we're meant to be together.” Jack kisses my forehead. “You are mine, and I am yours.”
I curl my body against him, feeling the powerful beat of his heart as his fingers trace along my spine with tingling gentleness.
Chapter 13
I awake in the darkness of my bedroom, wrapped in Jack’s embrace. My heart pounds from nightmares of Beleth. I slip out from under the covers and try not to wake Jack. Sliding on my robe and sneaking out to the terrace, I light a cigarette to calm my nerves as I lean over the balcony. The moon is full and bright, kissing my face with its glow. I still feel a little off kilter from Jack’s confession of love for me. I find it odd I feel the same way about him because it happened faster than a spreading wildfire. I’ve never felt this strong about anyone—not even Gideon. I wonder if this is what happens when you find ‘the one’ you're meant to be with for the rest of your life. And the immensity that my life will be, now that I'll be immortally young, sends me for a loop. The love I contain at this moment leaves butterflies in my stomach and a grin on my face. I want to live in this moment for the eternity that will be mine. I take a deep breath of air through my nose, expecting the crisp coolness of the night to fill my lungs. Instead, I'm met with the scent of burning sewage. It makes me want to wretch.
The Helio Trilogy: Volumes 1-3 Page 16
