“Are you done making love to your flatware, Hannibal?”
Alice's giggle echoes like delicate wind chimes. She picks up her leather pouch and steps around the island. “Guess what we’re doing today?”
“Uh, training?” I mock and take a large sip of my coffee.
She tilts her head and drawls, “Yes.” Straightening her posture, she adds, “Archery to be more specific.”
My eyes bulge as I choke on my coffee. “I’m sorry, did you say ‘archery’?”
She wiggles her brows and prances from the kitchen, “Go change into something more movable and meet me by the barn. I promise you’ll love it.”
I’m shocked to find targets lining the trees in the distance high and low. Alice approaches me as I round the barn. There's a line of six short targets behind her. She has a bow in her left hand and a quiver full of golden feathered arrows on her back. Over the next two hours, she instructs me on everything from parts of the bow and arrows to different aiming positions and techniques. After mastering the six targets she set up for us, Evelyn arrives with Maximus and Andromeda saddled up for a ride. I then realize what the targets lining the trees are for. Evelyn instructs me on different positions to ride that will give me better control of my aim. Despite the knowledge of the impending attack, training's a complete success I find gratifying.
As we're wrapping up with mounted archery, I spot a precarious flock of large birds heading our way. It's Cassius and Beckett. And with them are more Griffins in their angelic forms. I call out to Alice and Evelyn, “They’re here!”
“Let’s clean up, and we can greet our guests,” Evelyn says gingerly.
“Beck!” I shout charging around the front of the manor. He spins with a broad smile and open arms as he folds his large brown wings behind him. I jump into his embrace, wrapping my legs around his waist. “I’ve missed you,” I mumble as he squeezes tight. Cassius stands behind him with his arms overlapping his puffed out chest, a genuine smile dimpling his cheeks. A low growl comes from our right.
Beck spins me around and sets me back on my feet. “We come bearing gifts,” he announces. I glance to the woman standing next to Cassius. She's where the growl had come from. Her hands are fisted at her side and body tense, yet her expression's unreadable. Beckett pulls my attention back as he produces a small box from behind his back.
“What’s this?” I inquire with a quirk of my eyebrow and a mischievous grin.
“It’s not Nun Chucks,” he snickers.
I open the box. Squealing in delight, I do a little dance, embracing my trusty black Chuck Taylors. “Thank you. Thank you. Thank you!”
“There's more in the basement,” he adds.
Cassius interrupts him with a presenting hand that guides my attention back to the woman at his side, “Ivy, I would like you to meet our sister, Theodora, General of our legion of Griffins.”
I should have known she was their sister. Her wavy russet hair frames her square face, her jaw’s set, and her gray eyes match her twin brothers. I note a tiny mole under her left eye, but it by far doesn't take away from her fierce beauty. Theodora’s tan wings are accented with bronze and coffee tinted downy. They're reminiscent of a sweet caramelized candy, which contradicts her presence. She's intimidating and aggressive with a powerful body that screams dominance. I have no doubt why she was chosen to lead them.
Cassius clears his throat, and I catch myself staring. I stammer in awe, “I… Uh… Sorry. You’re just so stunning.” Theodora’s lips twitch up to her beauty mark, taking away some of her aggression.
The shock in my voice causes Beckett to chuckle. “Well, she is our twin. What did you expect?”
I roll my eyes and rat him out, “Well, you did say she was more beast than woman.”
Cass makes a show of wincing. Beck backhands him across the chest, and Theodora raises a hand to stop their antics. “It’s quite alright, brothers.” Extending her hand out to me, she continues, “I am an undefeated warrior. It is natural for them to ridicule that which they cannot comprehend. You can call me Thea.”
I take her hand, “Ivy.” Her sentiments flow through our touch, and I catch amusement beneath her tough exterior. I smile.
“Pleasure.”
Our hands release and I turn to the brothers, “Alright! Cassie… Becky… Let’s go see what’s in the basement.” I take a mocking bow, “After you, ladies.”
They sneer and grumble, leading us into the house. Thea sighs behind me, “We are going to be great friends.” Over my shoulder, I glimpse her impish grin, and I giggle.
We meet Solas and Eric in the basement with the other seventeen Griffins who arrived with the triplets. I recognize some of them from The Keep as I'm introduced. I doubt I'll remember all two-hundred names once the day's over. The basement's lined with weapons and gear we'll use to fight the Fallen Legion. Solas and Eric pour over maps of the grounds, planning where troops of Griffins will be fighting. Thea joins them and begins giving her input on the strategy. They're engrossed in their task, and I squirm uncomfortably as everyone busies themselves with preparations.
Alice props an elbow on my shoulder, and we unite in observing the commotion. “They're good at what they do. Griffins were originally created as Divine Guardians. Cherubim were created to guard Paradise as well as the Tree of Life. And while Eric and I are considered lowly Reapers, others seem to underestimate us.” I take in her profile, and she winks at me with a charming smile.
“I trust you. I trust everyone here.” I sigh. “I just don’t know if I can trust myself not to get in the way or botch the entire thing.”
Her arm slides off my shoulder, “There's no reason for you not to believe in yourself, Ivy. This is your army. You were created to destroy enemies like Lucian. It’s in your nature and essence. This is who you are. This is your destiny.”
“Yeah, sure. No pressure.”
“I know you’re stressed out. You’ve had to take everything you know and put it aside. You're not the same Ivy I met two months ago. She was reckless, arrogant, and barely keeping her head above water. Now, you're vigilant—still arrogant, but modestly so—and you’ve discovered your purpose. You're lethal when you need to be and compassionate about those you care about. And you have us. We're here to assist you in achieving the greatness you're destined for. We won’t let you down. It's crucial that you not only believe in us but have faith in yourself as well.”
Her words move me, and I'm overcome with eagerness to triumph. I hug her, sending my love through our touch. Then, I'm engulfed in a pair of massive arms from behind. The familiar sensation of playful brotherly love assails me, and I know it's Beckett. “Beck,” I wheeze from the lack of oxygen he's allowing me. “What are you doing?”
“Awe, I just couldn’t resist the love fest going on without me,” he chides.
“Well, I sort of can’t breathe!” I utter hoarsely.
He releases us, “Sorry. Chief wants to talk to you.”
“Oh, so now you’re a message boy?” I tease.
His arms fold over his chest. “No. He just can’t get away from Thea’s onslaught of objections,” he gestures to Solas with a quick jerk of his head.
Wandering to the table where Thea's expressing her protests with wild arms, Solas catches my approach and grins with amusement. He's not listening to a word she's saying, and she notices. She growls and stomps over to Eric in an effort to get him to see her side. Skirting the table, Solas pulls me against his solid body and kisses my temple. “I thought she'd never shut up,” he says, his breath caressing my ear.
I chuckle as he pulls back from me, “Beck said you needed me.”
“That I do, princess,” his eyes sparkle with mischief. “I overheard you and Alice.” I grimace, wrinkling my nose. “I think I can make you feel more comfortable going into this.”
“How?”
“You know how to fight. No one doubts your abilities there.” He lowers his voice, adding, “I’m sure you could even take out a Griffin i
f you were so inclined.” I shake my head as he smiles. “Lucian doesn’t realize we're aware of their plans, and that gives us an advantage. We'll take cover and wait for them to present themselves before we attack.”
I survey the maps on the table, trying to make connections with what he's saying. “I don’t understand. There are eighty acres, and seventy percent of that is open land. How do you expect to hide over two-hundred of us? We won’t all fit in the manor.”
“Camouflage. We have narrow slash patterns for those who will be in the grassy areas and more blotchy patterns for those within the trees. You'll be here,” he says, pointing to the barn.
“The barn? Seriously? I’ll be like a sitting duck in there.”
“You'll be in the loft area at the top of the barn. Since there are only two entrances, you'll have an advantage. If anyone comes into that barn, you come down on them hard. Don’t let up. As long as you can incapacitate them, drag them into a stall so they can't be detected. Do it as quietly as you can so you don’t alert others within the vicinity. Understand?”
I nod, “Yeah, but once they're unconscious, how long will they be out for?”
“At the most, you'll have two hours. At the least, you'll have fifteen minutes. After ten minutes, I want you to move out and change position.”
“Where do I go?”
“That depends on the situation. If all is quiet and you don’t hear anything stir, you'll make your way to this group of trees on the edge of the property,” he indicates the area on the map. “Cassius will be there waiting for you.”
“Ok, and if all hell's broken loose—no pun intended—where do I go?”
“If that's the case, you'll take one of the horses and ride as fast as you can to this point here,” he points to the center of an open field on the opposite side of the property. “I’ll be here. Find me. And as long as we're both still on the property, we should still be able to communicate through my telepathy.”
“Ok,” I breathe.
Solas reads my apprehension, “I know what you’re thinking. If you’re captured, don’t fight. Save your energy for when you'll need it. I'll follow you wherever you're taken.”
“What if you lose the trail?”
“I'll always find you, Ivy,” he teases with confidence in his words, but his tone's soft and thoughtful.
Over the next nine hours, the rest of the Griffin army arrives in groups of twenty. Our two days left of waiting becomes one. No one sleeps. Solas continues to explain the various positions to be maintained and by whom. He indicates where the many caches of weapons will be hidden and what they'll contain. I question why we're not using guns, but he advises against it because bullets don't have any effect on angelic beings, just pisses them off. So, I prepare myself for the archaic barbarian way of combat to ensue within hours.
“Hey, sweetie,” Alice says, joining us.
“Hey.”
“Why don’t you go upstairs and get some rest? Grab a little something to eat from the kitchen on your way up. You need the energy.”
Momma bird, I laugh to myself.
“I don’t want to sleep while there's so much to be done.”
“The Griffins are going to take their positions tonight. We don’t know a time frame for the attack, so we'll all be on alert. Eric and I will keep watch inside. Get as much rest as you can.”
“Are you sure?” She nods, and I turn to Solas conversing with a group Griffins a few feet from us. I know he's listening. “What about you?” I ask him.
He excuses himself and joins us. Wrapping an arm around my back and hugging me to his side, he says, “I’ll be up in just a little while. Once everyone's in position, I'll join you.” He kisses my cheek, and I love the feel of soft prickles from his five o'clock shadow. It makes me want to drag him upstairs with me.
I concede to their suggestion but skip eating. My stomach's in knots. I can’t stop worrying about the many disasters that could happen in the next few hours. Trudging the stairs to the third floor, my feet drag across the red carpet. Face first, I crash on my bed as if I just got home from an all-night drunken bender. Sleep's easier to come by than I expect.
The dreamless sleep I was hoping for blends into a tirade of flashes like a movie reel. If I didn’t know any better, I would have thought I was dying and my life’s flashing before my eyes. The scene of my adoptive parents arguing, while I hide in the darkness on the stairs, plays in silence as I watch Frank slap Ruth across the face. A little boy introduces himself, and we become best friends. I observe us growing, getting older, and getting into mischief. Intermittent flashes of red eyes in the darkness begin separating the scenes. Another flash and I’m turning over inside my car, rolling off of the side of a cliff. Shards of glass dance around me in slow motion. It almost feels like I’m floating in space, surrounded by millions of diamond-like stars. Then it stops. I’m upside down and bleeding, calling for help. Gideon stands close by. Immediately, I know I’m dreaming because he has wings. Their magnificence shimmers yellow from the light of the moon overhead. Then he's gone.
I transcend to the day I moved in with Alice. Her smiling face greets me in the doorway with Eric at her side. Scenes flash by faster. Red eyes. Jack. Practice with the girls. Jack. Trey. Beleth. The dungeon of The Keep. Trey. Blood on my hands. The scenes slow on Solas’ face as he rises from a bow next to Beleth. His eyes broaden as he stares at me across the table. My surroundings disappear and are replaced with Jack in my arms and my father standing by my side. Images merge, speeding up again, and I’m flying with Cass and Beck. I’m back on campus again. I’m training.
The flashes stop on the quiet peacefulness of the Veil. Jack's there. He begins walking towards me from under the colorless oak tree in the distance. There's no mistaking it's him. He smiles that million dollar smile and my heart jumps into my throat.
“Ivy,” Solas whispers and brushes my hair from my face to wake me from my restless slumber.
My heart's torn open again with the choice between Jack and Solas. I remind myself Jack's gone. I attempt a forced smile at Solas, but it feels sluggish. “Hey,” I croak.
“It’s time. They're close. We need to get ready,” he says in a low voice of secrecy.
I jump from the bed, wide awake with his warning. We keep the lights off in the dark room in case the enemy is watching for us to stir. I quickly put on a camouflage jumpsuit he hands me and a matching beanie to cover my black hair. We quietly speed down to the basement to meet Alice and Eric. Alice is smearing different shades of green face paint over Eric’s face, neck, and ears. She's hardly recognizable herself with her features covered in splotchy goo. I pick up a pair of gloves as she calls out to me, “You’re next.”
After I’m painted up, I spin to Solas, “I love you.”
He hesitates, then pulls me to him, “I love you too.” His lips crush mine with hasty passion. “I'll see you soon.”
Alice sneaks with me to the barn and hurries to her position with Eric in the back garden. I tiptoe to Max’s stall and open it without a sound. “You ready, boy?” I ask, petting his mane. I turn on my heels and cross over to Andromeda’s stall to open her gate as well. “I know you’re ready,” I smooth out a tuft of hair laying between her ears over her forehead. Leaving their stalls open, I ascend the ladder into the loft and pull it up behind me. I take a prone position where I can see through the back entrance of the barn, assuming they won’t be stupid enough to come through the front.
The waiting game begins. As the sun begins to rise on Tuesday morning, the temperature doesn’t change. My breath flows from my mouth in bursts of fog. As to not give away my position, I start breathing through my nose. Seconds become minutes, and the minutes turn into an hour. Where the hell are they? My skin burns from the cold. My eyes start to droop when I notice a tiny, white particle float to the ground outside the barn doors. Opening my eyes wider, I see another, then another. Fuck! It’s snowing! The camouflage is useless. The snow starts falling faster and sticking to the groun
d.
I call out to Solas in my mind, hoping he can hear me. It’s snowing! What do we do?
His response is immediate. “We were prepared. In the corner of the loft is a hay bale. Lift it up. You'll find snow camo with a hat and gloves.” I cross over to the hay bale in the corner and find the change of clothes. Solas continues to whisper in my head, “Use the green camo to wipe your face as best you can. We'll have to take our chance without face paint.”
Got it. I’m glad you were thinking ahead.
“That was Alice, actually.”
I smile as I finish dressing and squeeze the gloves on. Of course, it was. Right as I pull a white camo beanie over my hair, I hear a snap of a twig close by. They’re here, I whisper to Solas as if I could be heard.
“Remember what I told you, Ivy. Don’t let up. Fight with everything you’ve got.”
I hear Max shuffle in his stall with warning and drop back to my stomach in a prone position. A long shadow approaches the back entrance of the barn. It stops, and I hold my breath. My heart pounds with anticipation, and I calm myself before it can be heard. The shadow shrinks away, withdrawing from the entrance.
Lingering a few seconds to make sure they're not coming back, I slink forward to the edge of the loft for a better view. Everything's perfectly still. The electricity in the air is palpable from the amount of enemies surrounding us. With the stealth of a ghost, I rise to my knees and slowly stand. I retrieve the bow and quiver leaning against the wall of the loft. Sliding the strap of the quiver over my head to rest on my back, I slip a white-feathered arrow from the case. I take a knee, knock my arrow, and aim at the back entrance from the far corner of the loft. Anticipation builds inside me, and I have to steady my heartbeat and breathing again.
Andromeda nickers softly, which is unlike her character. I lean forward to peek over the edge again.
CRASH!
The roof of the loft caves in with an explosion. Splinters of wood fly down with a massive beast of a Fallen angel. I keep my kneeled position, arrow at the ready. When he stands to his full height, which I image to be seven feet tall, I don’t hesitate in letting my arrow fly. The arrow spins midair and spears its target with a soft thud. Blood oozes over the white feathers protruding from the center of the target’s neck. The angel’s eyes bulge as he falls to his knees. Wasting no time, I pounce on his body and wrench his head until it snaps. As his vertebrae shudder through my palms, I gingerly lay the beast down.
The Helio Trilogy: Volumes 1-3 Page 34
