MIDNIGHT DIVINE (The Helio Trilogy Book 1) (10 page)

“I don’t know. A lot. I
guess it started about three or four years ago.” I glance up to see his
reaction.

“Sixteen,” Jack mumbles.
His face goes white, and his eyes are distant.

“Yeah. I guess,” I answer.
“You think I’m crazy now, huh?”

Jack snaps his head to me.
“No.” His chest rumbles from the low growl of his voice. “You’re not crazy…
You’re special. Different.”

I give him a sardonic
scowl. “You mean, I’m a freak.”

“No. Unique. That's what
pulled me too you when we first met. It felt like gravity—Strong. Heavy. I knew
you were different.”

“How?” I urge,
acknowledging the present pull
between us
in silence.

“I can’t tell you
everything yet, but I think the nightmares you’ve been having are not actual
nightmares. They could be omens,” he specifies without reservation.

“Like I’m psychic? Is that
what you’re saying?” I observe with cynicism.

“No. Psychics are fake.”

“Oh, and premonitions are
real?” I counter.

“Yes, but premonitions are
more exact. Omens are symbolic,” he corrects me.

“So, something really is
after me?” I roll my eyes in irritation.
Jack avoids answering me and loses himself in thought.
I don’t know how to respond to what he’s telling me.
This is crazy!

He gives my hands a squeeze
before continuing, “What if I told you that you
are
different? You're
different in a way that I'm different. You’re like me, but there's something
else about you I can’t figure out. I think you were pulled to Red Meadow for a
reason
—so
I can protect you.”
What are you talking about?
“I told you I come from a family of soldiers. We're protectors. And we're not a
normal family. We don’t come from
around
here.”

“What are you saying Jack?
Like fate? How am I like you? I’ve seen your strength firsthand, and I’ve felt
the same pull towards you that you’re talking about. What are you? What am I?”
He's scaring me with his assumptions.
Is he fucking with me?

“In some ways, we're the
same, but there's something about you that's different,” he
claim
s, self-assured.

“Enough with the vague
answers, Jack. If you know what's going on with me, then you need to tell me.”

“I’m not sure what you are,
precisely. There are a few comparable traits we share, but in my core, I can feel
you’re different. And I’m afraid if I reveal too much to you there will be
consequences which may hinder your developing abilities.”

“Developing abilities? Are
you saying I can do more than dream of omens?” I'm near to having an out of
body experience.
This can’t be real.

“Yes. What you’ll be
capable of is uncertain. But, I know besides the omens, you heal at an
accelerated rate which is much faster than the average human.” Jack reaches out
and brushes a wisp of hair from my face with his fingertips. “Let me do some
digging. I’ll find the answers you're looking for. And when it’s time, I'll
tell you everything you need to know.”

His touch overwhelms my
want for him, sending tingles throughout my body. “Jack?" I whisper.
"What is this? What are we doing?” I want to crawl in his lap and cry.
This new development's making me want him even more, knowing he feels the same
pull towards me I feel towards him, and I may be like him in some un
naturally human way.
I can’t explain the different feelings swarming me
all at once. My insides clinch.

“What do you mean?” he
wonders as his hand stills against my cheek.

“Are we just friends? Are
you just supposed to be my protector now? I’m finding it extremely difficult to
not cross a line with you. The more we’re together, the more I want. Like you
said, it feels like gravity pulling me to you, but stronger, heavier. I have
this feeling in my gut I can’t explain. It's an intuitive sense that we're
meant to be a part of each other's lives. And you make me want more, even
against my better judgement. Only, you treat me as a
friend
, and I see you with other girls… It’s maddening!”
I
can’t believe I just told him all of that. What's happening to me?

Jack leans in, an inch from
my body, and I feel the heat radiating off of his skin. He tilts my chin up so
I’
l
l look him in the eyes. His green irises captivate me.
“I thought you didn’t look at me that way.”

“As hard as I try, I can’t
keep myself from it. You’re all I think about,” I admit with a soft whisper as
my heart pounds inside my chest.

Jack leans forward, our
noses a hair’s breath away from each other as he looks me in the eyes and
whispers, “It’s taken all the strength I have to restrain myself from you… Why
are we still torturing ourselves?”

I bite my bottom lip. “I
don’t know anymore.” I lean into him, closing my eyes, and the softest pressure
of his lips caress mine. I'm overcome with the fluttering in my core as warmth
consumes my body. Jack cradles my face with his hand and entangles his fingers
in my hair, loosening my braid. Our lips brush back and forth, making me more
desperate to be closer to him. My tongue touches his lips, enticing them to
part, and he submits to my invitation. His hands slide to the back of my hair
as he tilts his head, pulling me to him and kissing me deeper. My entire body's
tingling and on fire. Our tongues move together, eager for more. I move up to
my knees without breaking our kiss and straddle his lap. I still can’t get
close enough. My hands grip his shirt. Jack moans deep, his chest rumbling as
his hands smooth over my back to rest on my hips. With his taut and strong
body
beneath me,
a tingle shoots up my spine.
He pulls back and rests his forehead against mine.
Panting in the small space between us, I open my eyes and sit up to see his
face. His gaze is steady as I watch his irises lighten from dark green to a
bright hue, and the sunlight shines on the divine features of his face.

“I’ve wanted to do that
since I first laid eyes on you,” Jack confesses, the corners of his mouth
turning up in a smug smile.

“It’s been a cruel few
weeks for me too.”

Maximus whinnies from
behind Jack, and he turns to check on my stead. Jack’s body goes rigid
underneath me, his focus distant. “We need to get back,” he notes.

“Ok.” I stand up, and Jack
follows me over to untie our horses from the trees.

The ride back to the barn
is faster than I expect. I'm struck with a sense of calm, even with the
unexpected events unfolding through the day. We slow down to a leisure stride
as we approach the barn.

“You know, you can come out
and ride Max anytime you want. He would love the exercise.”

“Really?” I glance at Jack
in question, and he nods. “Thank you.” I pet Max’s neck, “Would you like that,
Max?” We fall into a comfortable silence. Yet, Jack's visibly lost in thought
again.

“I’m sorry I can’t give you
more answers, Ivy. Believe me, I want to tell you everything. This is just
something you’ll have to discover on your own until I can find out more,” he
apologizes again, and I nod in acceptance.
How am I supposed to figure this
out on my own?

We arrive at the back
entrance of the barn, dismount, and lead our horses to their respective stalls.
I secure Max’s reigns and undress him. His coat's matted down with sweat. I
take the saddle and girth back to the tack room and position them on an
available sawhorse. I grab a red halter and lead, and take it back to Maximus,
placing the halter over his bridle and securing the lead in place of the
reigns. Unbuckling his bridle, I slide it over his ears, under the harness, and
off of his nose. Max shakes his head in relief, and I rub his nose and coo,
“Good boy. That feels better, doesn’t it?”

Taking the bridle back to
the tack room, Jack's putting away his saddle. “I think I want to go get cleaned
up,” I tell him.

“Ok.” Jack grabs my hand,
and we retire to the manor. “I’m gonna grab a drink. Do you want anything?”

“Water?” He lets go of my
hand as I follow him into the kitchen. The dark wooden cabinetry is
complimented by the white and brown marble countertops and stainless steel
appliances. A wide marble island in the center of the kitchen is surrounded by
four white, leather, high back stools on one side. On top of the island sits a
bouquet of blue Forget Me Not flowers, arranged elegantly in a white vase. Jack
retrieves two bottles of water from the refrigerator and hands me one. I twist
the cap off and chug, letting the ice cold liquid cool my throat.

“I’ve got some stuff to
take care of. Can I come get you later?” His cheeks dimple.

I pull the bottle from my
lips, “Yeah. That’s fine.”

Jack draws me to him by the
hand, and his delicate kiss tingles my lips, creating a fire within me. My
knees threaten to buckle once again. He pulls back to add, “I’ll see you
later?”

“Yeah. Ok.”

He kisses me on the
forehead and leaves the room. I smile and run up to my room—taking two stairs
at a time—to get cleaned up. I can’t stop smiling with giddiness as I
involuntarily blush. I strip off my riding clothes and pull my braid all the
way apart. I retrieve my robe off of the floor where I had left it and enter
the bathroom to take a shower.

After cleaning up and
dressing, I sit on the balcony in need of fresh air. Chain smoking, my mind
reels with thoughts.
I should have been honest with him from the beginning.
What is he? What am I?
I'm overwhelmed with questions. A fleeting thought
crosses my mind to numb myself and forget how crazy I sound.
I promised Jack
I wouldn’t. If I’m not normal, is it something passed down from my birth
parents? I’ve never tried to look for them before. Maybe it’s time… Maybe I
shouldn’t. What am I going to say? “Hi! I’m your daughter! I’m some kind of
freak, but I don’t know what I am! Are you a freak too?”
I roll my eyes at
the thought.

My stomach growls with
hunger.
I hope Jack won’t mind if I raid his kitchen
. The house is quiet
as I tiptoe down the stairs. I can’t decide what I want to eat, but I don’t
want
to
make a mess attempting to cook. I snatch an
apple from the countertop beside the electric stove and lean against the marble
counter of the island as I devour the apple while trying to clear my head.

I toss the core into the
trash, opting to give myself a tour, and meander across the foyer into the
entertainment room. There's a lot more space than what I could see from the
entrance of the house. A massive fireplace is centered on the far wall with a
brown leather sofa and two Chesterfield armchairs across from each other before
it. I examine the room and spot a black grand piano in the back. Drawn to it,
but not sure if I should touch it, I drift over and run my hands across its
smooth, gloss, black surface. I prop the top board open and peer inside the
belly of the beauty. It's been well taken care of. I glance around the room and
listen to make sure no one's around. The house rests in silent stillness. I sit
on the bench and open the fallboard to reveal the keys. Seeing the black and
ivory pattern makes me long to hear the resonance of the Baldwin.

I rest my fingertips across
the keys—a whisper of a touch—and find the starting position I want. I let out
a long breath to calm my nerves and test the action of the pedals at my feet.
My left hand plays lower keys with tepid warmth as my right hand joins in to
play the upper keys, creating a tranquil melody. The reverberation is
majestically distinguished. My heart slows its beating as my fingers float up
and down the keys to a soft classical melody while my body sways with the
composition. I'm immersed in the music and finish the piece with my closed lips
widening in accomplishment.

“That was exquisite, my
dear,” a throaty, female voice calls out.

Startled by the raspy
voice, I twist in a jerk to see a tall and slender woman in her late twenties
with glowing, long, blonde waves. Her hands are clasped together against her
chest as her smile reaches her eyes. Jack stands behind her with his hands on
her shoulders, grinning at me as well.
They have the same eyes. Are they
related?

I rise with a jolt in
apprehensive intimidation and stutter, “I…I’m sorry. I hope you don’t mind.”

“Not at all, dear. It’s
been years since this home was filled with its resonance, and you play
beautifully.”

I'm flattered with her
words. “Thank you,” I accept with a slight bow of my head.

“Ivy. This is my mother,
Evelyn Roe. Mother, this is Ivy,” Jack introduces us.
Mother? She's so
young! Is she like you?
I step forward to shake her hand, and she surprises
me with a tight embrace. I hesitate with the awkwardness of the situation, but
relent and timidly wrap my arms around her. I'm seized with the same warmth
Jack emits as it seeps into my bones, making me relax.
It must be associated
with what they are.

Evelyn pulls back and
clasps both of my hands between us. “It’s so nice to finally meet you, Ivy.
Jack speaks of you fondly. I was beginning to wonder if I would ever get to
meet you.”
Huh. No tingle.