Gilded Inferno (The Helio Trilogy Book 2) Read online

  A dark cavern corridor stretches on as far as I can see. I reason it can be part of The Keep I haven’t seen before, except it’s hot and damp where The Keep is always cold. I keep alert to my surroundings as I slink further into the passageway. The smell of sulfur and iron mixes in the air. I can’t deny the familiar stench of Sheol. I trail a hand over the cave wall, and it comes away with blood. A thundering growl vibrates through the corridor, sending quakes of tremors beneath my feet. I squint into the darkness, trying to sense what lies ahead. There’s a soft glow in the distance. Eyes. Red eyes. Three consecutive broken barks pierce my ears. My vision grows wide. I’m quite acquainted with the sound. In a flash, my sight is obstructed with nothing but two giant, glowing red eyes.

  I tear myself from my vision, water spraying to the ceiling in an explosion. I gasp and cough for air to return to my lungs. I wrench myself over the edge of the tub to the cold tile floor, still coughing because I must have swallowed some of the water. Lifting my head from the floor, I stare at the back of the bathroom door, trying to stabilize my focus. Multiple angles of the bathroom become a single stationary sight. My eyes droop from the exhaustion the vision has exerted on me. My cheek falls back to the cold tile floor as I mutter, “Sasha.”

  Over the next three days, I keep myself locked inside my room, brooding over what my life’s become. Hate and self-loathing boil inside of me, becoming a cannonball in my core. I contemplate if I should escape the manor and avoid my responsibilities. I consider going back to California, finding some mundane job and lying low. I ponder over what’s expected of me from Jack, Alice, Eric, Evelyn, and the Griffin triplets. I miss having a normal life, and I want nothing more than a do-over.

  Each of my friends come to my door and attempt to pull me from my depressive state. Everyone but Jack. I think he understands the space I need and is allowing me to come around on my own. I’m grateful.

  If I never made the decision to move to Red Meadow, I never would have met Jack. I never would have felt the comforting support of the family I now have protecting me. I can’t let them down. They’ve done so much for me, and I know how much it would hurt them if I left. Taking some old advice in the end, I bury my emotions again, and force myself to face the world falling down on me.

  As I eventually exit my room, I’m still hesitant that I may run into Jack. What do I say? I’m sorry? The term’s getting old, and it doesn’t fix the things I’ve done.

  Jack’s scent is everywhere throughout the manor. It clings to the hallways, the foyer, the kitchen, trailing everywhere I go, binding me in the comforting aroma of sandalwood, lavender, and honey. I grieve for his caress before it was accompanied with my guilt. I long for his lips on mine without the hazy fog of my time with Solas. I yearn for when things were simple between us, and I ache for the intimate touch we’ve only succumbed to once before. This feeling will swallow me whole if I don’t distract myself.

  Alice is set up in the open field behind the manor with her targets, bows, and arrows. She takes aim, lets an arrow fly, and turns to face me as I approach. The arrow sinks into the bullseye. “You’re alive,” she notes dully, a hint of irritation in her voice.

  I pause in my steps, a few feet from her, crossing my arms over my chest as I debate what to say. I glance over my shoulder to the open field on my right and back to Alice. “I guess.”

  “Want to relieve some stress?” she offers, presenting the bow to me.

  I shuffle forward and take the bow, “Yeah.”

  Alice steps aside as I retrieve an arrow from the quiver on the ground. I knock the arrow and pull back as I take aim. I inhale a calming breath through my nose and release my fingers along with the tension in my body. The arrow sings through the air before it spears the bullseye. Alice is silent as she hands me arrow after arrow.

  Heavy footfalls crunch in the snow behind us, but I keep my focus forward. “May we join you?” Cass requests.

  I turn to face him and his brother carrying their new bows and a sack of fruit. “Ready to break them in?”

  Beck grins, “Are you up for a challenge?”

  I mirror his expression, “Always.”

  The brothers give each other a cunning glance. Beck lays his bow beside the quiver and jogs to the center of the five targets. Cass adjusts his bow as he flashes a dimpled smile, “You know he’s crazy, right?”

  I regard Beck as he positions himself to face us with an apple balanced on his head and his hands covering the vulnerable organ between his legs. My smile grows, “I want the first shot.”

  “That’s my girl,” Beck mumbles from eight-hundred yards away. I take up my position, grabbing an arrow on my way. Taking aim, I hear Beck grit through his teeth as his eyes narrow, “No funny business.”

  “Never,” I whisper as I let the arrow fly. The power behind it splits the apple in half as the arrow continues far over the property. There is a collective breath of relief from Alice, Cass, and Beck. “What? You didn’t think I could do it?”

  They ignore my question. Alice jumps to my side, “My turn!”

  Beckett jogs back, and Cassius takes his place with another apple. Beck and I step back as Alice readies her bow and arrow. I know, without a doubt in my mind, Alice is a perfect shot, but I still hold my breath. Releasing her hold, the arrow embeds itself into the fruit and sends it sailing off Cass’ head. “Wicked,” she cheers.

  Beck nudges my side, “You’re up.” Alice passes the bow to me, and Beck snatches it away from my hand. “Oh, no. You didn’t think you were going to get away with not being the target, did you?” he chuckles.

  “Fuck,” I huff before trudging past Cassius to the targets.

  Cass pats me on the shoulder as I pass, “Good luck, Princess.”

  I give him a mocking glare, “Ha, ha, Cassie.”

  His face falls as I turn away from him. When I reach the target, I realize I forgot to grab another apple. “Hey!” I call over. “Toss me an apple!”

  “Ah, you don’t need it,” Beck waves before he readies his new bow with a fresh arrow.

  My vision narrows, “Don’t even think about it, Beck! Throw me an apple!”

  I hear his voice mutter, “What would be the fun in that?”

  Son of a bitch. The arrow whistles through the air, the sunlight glinting off its steel tip. Though the world slows down around me, I have no time to avoid its trajectory. My right hand moves without thought and catches the shaft with its sharp point millimeters from my heart. A low growl rumbles in my chest as my sight gradually travels from the arrow to Beck’s cocky smile. I take a determined step forward, intent on bum rushing him as his grin morphs into a scowl. With lightning speed, he launches one arrow after another.

  I catch the first arrow, throwing it aside as my wings explode from my back and rip my sweater off. Two more arrows zoom towards me. Tucking my wings around me in a cocoon, I spin in the air. To my surprise, the arrows strike against my feathers and ricochet back. I throw my wings wide and continue charging. A war cry escapes my lungs as I parry, dodge, roll, and leap to evade the onslaught of arrows.

  Beck releases his wings, throwing the bow down and taking to the sky. I bolt after him. While I may be faster on my feet than the Griffins, I’ve got nothing on them in the air. Beckett weaves around me, tucking into rolls when I get too close, and cackles at my aggravation. I yell, “I’m gonna kill you!”

  He laughs harder, doubling over in the sky. As I dive for him, Beck loops around me and plucks my shoes from my feet. He dangles them in the air above the pool, wiggling his eyebrows.

  “You wouldn’t dare,” I warn.

  Beck flees over the manor, forcing me to chase after my trusty black Chuck Taylors. Looking over his shoulder, he makes ridiculous faces at me that I would expect from a six-year-old. I try to stay mad, but I can’t help myself. A small chuckle works its way from my belly, into my throat, and pushes my lips apart as I release the hilarity of the situation.

  I whine, “Beck, give them back!”


  He hovers in place, assessing me. “Admit it was fun.”

  I cross my arms over my chest with a crooked purse of my lips as I try to force back a smile. I mumble, “It was fun.”

  “Now tell me you love me for being the best Griffin you’ve ever known.”

  I ease forward as he allows me to close the distance between us. Two feet away from him, I smile with a soft voice, “Love you, Beck.”

  Beckett jerks me into his side and fluffs my hair, “I know.”

  We descend back to the ground with a nimble landing before Alice and Cassius, concealing our wings. Cass hands his brother his new bow, “I imagine you’ve worked up an appetite, brother.”

  “Do you think there’s leftovers?” Beck poses as his brother joins him to return to the manor.

  Alice appears irritated as she snatches her bow and quiver, full of arrows she and Cass picked up from the target practice area. She swings the quiver over her shoulder and stomps towards the shed attached to the barn—which has become a partial armory. I follow her trail, planning to resolve the anger she clearly has with me.

  We reach the shed. “You alright, A?” I probe with caution.

  She tosses the equipment inside and spins on me wide eyed, “Are you kidding me right now?”

  I quirk a brow at her, crossing my arms over my chest as I cock my hip out. “What the fuck’s your problem?”

  “My problem is you! You’re hiding out in your room, avoiding everyone. You don’t eat. You barely speak to me anymore. We’re supposed to be best friends, and it’s like…” her eyes soften with her tone, “It’s like you’ve given up. Like you’re just biding time until the Fallen come after you again. I don’t want to lose you again. You’re my best friend. You’re my sister. And I don’t know how to help you if you don’t let me try.” Her focus strains at the tears behind her violet eyes, and she looks to the ground at her feet.

  I’m quiet a long moment as I let her words sink in. I’ve been so caught up in the storm of my own thoughts, I couldn’t see how it was affecting everyone. And it seems Alice has taken it harder than the others. Enough so, she’s lost her bubbly personality and she's blowing up at me. My guilt is on the verge of eating me alive. I shift uncomfortably, sliding my hands into my back pockets. “Ok.”

  Tears pool in her eyes as they search my own, “Ok?”

  I release a heavy breath, “Yeah… Ok.” A tear trails down her cheek, and I reach to her face, cleaning it away with my thumb. “I’m sorry, A. You know what would make me feel a lot better?”

  “What’s that?”

  I offer a small smile, “A party.”

  She shakes her head and smears the wetness from her eyes. “New Year’s Eve is tomorrow,” she notes.

  The corners of my mouth spread a little wider. “It is, isn’t it?”

  “Do you think Evelyn would let us throw a party?”

  “I don’t see why it would be a problem if it’s just us,” I shrug. And like that, I’ve got my best friend back.

  Alice spends the next few hours planning in secret with Evelyn. I’m shocked Evelyn’s as excited about throwing a small party as Alice is, but I have a sneaking suspicion they’re making the event into a bigger deal than I’d intended. Resolving things with Alice has lifted my spirits some. I opt out of helping her plan the party, knowing she’ll make everything perfect without me.

  I enter my bedroom, stripping my clothes off as I make my way into its private bathroom. A shower’s in order after working up a sweat against Beck. Soaking in the torrential downpour of the open shower, I ponder my behavior lately and how I can fix things with Jack and the others. I sway on my feet and open my eyes to balance my equilibrium. My vision blurs and my attention’s drawn to the burning of the mark on my right forearm. The black, Enochian script of my angelic rank—Death—glows with a tinge of red. The drops of water become muffled as they collide with the tile at my feet. “Shit,” I huff. When my father calls me into the Veil, I would rather not leave my naked body collapsed in the shower.

  I turn the water off and pull my robe on with angelic velocity, cursing along the way to my bed as I grasp my wrist tight. “Shit, shit, shit, shit. For crying out loud. Just a minute!” I grit through my teeth. “Can I at least get comfortable?” My head begins to pound as I yank the covers back and slide between the sheets. Holding my forearm up, I run two fingers from the tip of the mark above the crook of my elbow to its ending at my wrist. Blackness. Silence. Nothingness. Emptiness.

  In a flash, I'm surrounded by the tall, gray, dry grass of the Veil’s open prairie. It stretches for as far as the eye can see. I readjust my robe more securely as my senses equalize. The large, full oak tree in the distance marks the exact location I always seem to enter the Veil. It’s as colorless as the rest of the Veil, yet blooms full of life.

  “Ivy,” Azrael greets as he approaches. “How are you, daughter?”

  I give him a small grin, “Hey, Dad. I’m alright.”

  “How was your transition into the Veil this time?” he inquires.

  “Besides bad timing?” I quirk a brow as he assesses my attire. “It was a lot better.”

  “I knew you would be able to adapt quickly,” he offers.

  We gaze at each other a moment, and the silence is anything but awkward between us. “Don’t get me wrong. I’ve missed you, but what’s so classified you had to call me here instead of dropping by Evelyn’s?”

  His shoulders sag forward as he sighs. It’s quite the sight to behold—The Angel of Death releasing tension in his body as if it holds the weight of the world. He presents his arm, “Walk with me.”

  Hooking my arm through his, I join him for a stroll towards the massive oak in the distance.

  My father begins, “It is my understanding that you have a little over three years left of college.” I nod. “I realize you would very much like to spend that time with as much normalcy as the universe will allow, but I am afraid you will not have much of a choice soon.”

  I examine his strong features as he regards my reaction, “What do you mean?”

  “Dominions have voiced their concerns regarding your duties.”

  “My duties?”

  He announces with equal amounts of pride and sadness, “Yes, to hunt down Fallen, determine the balance of Darkness and Light within them, and proceed with how you see fit. If you decide they are deserving of a second chance, you may choose to use your abilities of Immortal Pestilence—with or without gifting them with a mortal soul.”

  I worry, “Who am I to judge? How am I supposed to live with myself for making that kind of decision? Better yet, how am I supposed to find Fallen without putting myself in danger?”

  “It has been decided that you are in need of guidance and training. A Son of Light will be reaching out to you soon.”

  I ask, “What’s a Son of Light?”

  He smiles down at me, “Any Divine male being. A Daughter of Light is a Divine female being. You, my daughter, are a Daughter of Light.”

  We reach the tree and I lean back against it. Its rough bark hums with vibrations beneath me, startling me to jump away. “What is that?”

  Azrael reaches out and holds his palm to the tree’s trunk. “Michael did not explain much to you, did he?”

  “He tends to be overly vague.”

  “This is The Tree of Life,” he utters with admiration.

  “What? How is it here? Where are the angels that are supposed to be guarding it?”

  “It only needs guarding on Earth. The Tree of Life is the only living thing able to exist on more than one plane. The tree existing in Paradise is the exact tree on the surface, as well as in the Veil and Sheol.”

  “There’s a Tree of Life in Sheol?” I marvel.

  “Yes. It appears dramatically different as it refuses to offer life below the surface, but there is no mistaking that it is the same tree.”

  I place a hand against the tree. Its humming bleeds into my veins, soothing my extremities into a tranquil state of
peace, and I close my eyes.

  “I brought you here to warn you in private. I know you have been keeping much to yourself as of late, and I did not want you to feel pressured into having the others know your business.”

  My father’s confession warms my heart. I hug him around his middle, “Thanks, Dad.”

  He runs a hand down my drying hair, “Safe travels, daughter.”

  I pull away before he disappears. “Bye.”

  I find myself lingering in the Veil, lying beneath The Tree of Life, watching its limbs move with the breeze. I take my time of silence to consider my options about a normal life. Do I quit school now? It’s not like I won’t have all of eternity to return. But what’s the use? I won’t be able to hold any sort of occupation that’ll allow me to be a normal human and a Reaper. Is that what I truly want? To live two different lives? To constantly fight over which life deserves more attention? I don’t want that. I want to be true to myself. This is who I am. There’s no sense in pretending to have a normal life. I don’t see the point of continuing on as I have.

  I release a heavy sigh as I bring my forearm into view. Swiping my fingers over my rank from my wrist to the crevasse of my elbow, I mutter, “Alice is going to kill me.”

  Chapter 3

  Returning from the Veil, I squeeze into a pair of black leggings, an oversized tan sweater that hangs over my white racer back shirt and off my shoulders, and a pair of black knee-high boots. My hair’s a mess from lying on it as it dried, so I brush it through before plaiting it over my left shoulder. My phone dings from across the room with a text message. Part of me hopes it’s not Jack. I haven’t thought much about what to say to him.

  Alice: Good morning! Let me know when u wake up.

  I check the time on my phone and realize I must have spent the entire night in the Veil. I took a shower about three. I’ve been gone for… seventeen hours! That can’t be right.

  Me: I’m up. Where r u?

  Alice: B there in a sec.

  Not a full second passes before she knocks on my door. I roll my eyes, “It’s open.”