THE TRAGIC + DIVINE, Book 1 Page 27

  My eyes widened at the angel smiling down at me. It was Mitch.

  I gasped.

  I couldn't take my eyes off him. His milky skin luminated under the moonlight, his emerald eyes sparkled with joy, and he wore gold-plated armor over his body. As Mitch raised his ivory wings, a ringing sound zipped through my ears followed by complete silence.

  “Mitch...you’re an angel,” I whispered.

  “Call me Michael,” he said in a melodic voice.

  “You can speak?”

  Michael didn’t answer. He smiled at me with a warmth that consumed me when the ringing sound zipped through my ears again and I regained my hearing.

  Michael sprung into the air then jumped back into battle. I staggered to Milo who had been abandoned by Dylan then untied the rope laced with obsidian. The flesh around Milo’s wrists was raw, bloodied, and irritated with marks. He cupped my chin with his trembling hands, searched my body for injuries, then hugged me.

  “I’m so sorry, Alexis,” he said, his voice cracking. “I’m sorry for everything that’s happened to you.”

  “I’m fine.” I clung to his body, then quickly pulled away. “My sister,” I croaked.

  I turned toward the cages rushing to open them. Eli, Trent, Lee, and Alva jumped straight into the battlefield. Alva took out her ninja sword and swiveled left and right slicing angel heads. Eli knocked anyone out of sight who got close to her. I watched as Trent picked up one of the angel’s head—the body twitched on the ground—then he quickly sliced its hair off draining it of life. Lee came in and stabbed the angel’s body right in the heart.

  Luke spread his black wings and flew straight into the sky dodging the white-winged angels.

  “He’s getting away!” I cried out.

  “Let him go,” Milo said. “We’ll get him soon enough.”

  “Priscilla” I rushed to my sister’s cage that had been left open for a few minutes, but she remained inside. Her face was pale, her mind distant and unaware of what was happening. “What’s wrong with her?” I asked Milo.

  “She’s still high on Angel’s Ash. The effects take a while to fade,” he said. Milo picked up Priscilla and carried her away from the battlefield.

  “How are we going to get out of here?” I asked.

  “There’s an entrance on the other side of the field. We’ll have to take a van. I can’t fly with both of you,” Milo said.

  We ran across the field when Scarlet swooped in from above and grabbed Priscilla out of Milo’s arms. I halted in fear, one wrong move and it was my sister’s life.

  “Take me,” I pleaded. “I’ll exchange my life for hers.”

  She hovered above me. A wicked smile spread across Scarlet’s mouth.

  “She smells so good…” she purred breathing in Priscilla’s scent. Scarlet’s mouth opened wide revealing two long fangs. She sank her teeth into Priscilla’s neck and ripped a piece of her flesh off. My sister remained an emotionless rag doll as blood gushed down her throat.

  “No!” I cried.

  Scarlet let go of Priscilla’s body, she hit the ground hard. I rushed to my sister. I placed my hands over the wound, blood gushing through my fingers as she gasped for air. I tore the remainder of my skirt and applied pressure to Priscilla’s wound.

  Milo launched at Scarlet and kicked her right in the chest. Scarlet flew back but regained balance with her wings.

  I kept my focus on Priscilla who was holding on to life. I cried, scared out of my mind, Priscilla was going to die in my arms.

  “Alexis. Is that you?” she whimpered.

  “Yes, it’s me.” There was an ache in my throat, raw and painful.

  “Tell mom I love her,” she coughed gagging on her own blood.

  “Don’t talk like that. You’re going to tell her that, not me,” I cried. “We’re both going home, you hear me? Just stay with me.”

  “Home,” she whispered and smiled through bloodstained teeth. “Tell mom I’m sorry.” Her eyes went blank. She was gone.

  Dead.

  I wept, hot tears rolling down my cheeks. I placed my ears over Priscilla’s chest in denial she was gone. “No, no,” I sobbed.

  Carefully, I lifted her head and stroked Priscilla’s hair until I felt nothing but darkness. I turned to Milo who was in a heated fight with his crazy ex-girlfriend. With one blow, Scarlet knocked the dagger out of Milo’s hand and smashed her fist into his chin. Milo’s body flew back about fifty yards and smashed into a tree trunk leaving a hole in the bark. The tree groaned as it cracked in half and came crashing down.

  I watched as Scarlet took out a small apothecary bottle from her bra, the one Alva captured the demon Lilith. When she opened it, black smoke swirled out of the opening. Lilith took shape quickly transforming into a demonic-looking creature; her eyes black coals, her mouth full of jagged teeth.

  I shrank back and clung to my sister’s lifeless body refusing to let her go. Black smoke engulfed my body. I felt the stinging pain all over, like fire burning my flesh off. Lilith was suffocating me, sucking every cell of life out of me. I caught a glimpse of Scarlet frozen in a trance; her dark eyes rolled back almost as if she were in control of Lilith. Growing dizzy from lack of air, my mind slowly began to darken. I made the mistake of opening my mouth. Lilith’s spirit began to swallow me whole.

  Then, Milo sprung forward in a flash and knocked Scarlet to the ground. Opening my mouth to gasp for air, I held on to the last shred of energy I had inside to reach for the dagger a few steps from me.

  I low-crawled, Lilith weighing my body down as she continued to enter me, I grabbed the dagger, slowly rose and walked behind Scarlet and stabbed her in the back. She spun around, her demonic eyes bloodshot and furious, and slapped me across the face with a powerful blow that knocked me down. Scarlet pinned my hands behind my back and raised her fingernail ready to slash my throat.

  As I lay there waiting, almost inviting my death, Scarlet’s eyes bulged in horror. I looked down; the tip of a sword was hanging out of her belly. A black liquid trickled down the bodice of her dress. Milo pulled the sword out, Scarlet fell to the ground, her body convulsing and gagging as she held onto the last ounce of air in her lungs right before her skin hardened. Lilith shrieked then vanished into the night sky.

  “Come here.” Milo pulled me into his chest. In the distance, I heard the blaring sound of police sirens.

  “It’s over,” Milo whispered.

  CHAPTER

  31

  Priscilla was laid to rest on a Friday, twenty-eight days after my seventeenth birthday. The funeral was more painful and depressing than a movie. All the residents of Dixon came to pay their respects, few truly saddened by my family’s loss, others only there to get the 411 on Priscilla’s cause of death. Members of our church and our neighbors bombarded our home with plates of sandwiches and casseroles. The nosy old lady who lived next door brought baked macaroni and cheese. The young couple from across the street brought a pan of homemade brownies. Even my dad flew out from Los Angeles to attend. His hair had grayed since the last time I’d seen him, his features were gaunt and tired.

  Isaac held on to my mother’s hand, he wore black pants and a black long-sleeve dress shirt. He glanced around at the people with curiosity. He’d never met Priscilla, the news his older ‘sister’ died had no effect on him.

  My eyes were red and puffy from crying. I stared at the shiny black wooden coffin in front of me. My mother chose to have a closed casket and told anyone who asked Priscilla had been attacked by an animal—at least that’s what the news reported. For the most part, it was true.

  Scarlet was an animal, a bloodthirsty animal who murdered Priscilla right in front of me. But no one will ever know that. My body was rolling with an array of emotions; sadness, fear, disgust, but none flourished like anger. I was angry that my sister was dead, angry the angels and Luke— Lucifer—got away.

  Suddenly, within my turmoil, I felt a sense of peace. The smell of lavender and chamomile rich in the air. I looked u
p and saw Mitch—or Michael—on his bike. He was standing by a small mausoleum with a mourning angel draped over it. I broke away from the ceremony and stopped a few steps away from Michael.

  “Why doesn’t anyone know about what happened?” I demanded, furiously moving my hands using sign language to communicate with Michael.

  Michael closed his eyes, a ringing sound zipped through my ears, and silence fell over us.

  “We have no control over what happens here,” Michael explained, his voice smooth and melodic.

  “And Lucifer? Why is he still free?”

  Michael remained calm. “We’re watching him closely.”

  “That’s not good enough.” I shook my head. “He should be dead, sent to wherever the hell the angels go when they die!” I exclaimed, trying to keep my voice low.

  “You don’t understand, Lucifer is under the protection of the human government. The angels of Eden have no jurisdiction here. We can’t apprehend him without starting a war with the fallen and their human allies. Millions of innocent people will die in the crossfire. It’s what we’ve been trying to avoid for centuries.”

  “So, you’re just going to standby and do nothing?” My grief was quickly replaced by anger. “Aren’t you supposed to save people? Isn’t that your job?”

  “We try to save as many as we can,” Michael said with sadness.

  “Why did you save us?” I demanded.

  “Milo asked for our help,” he said. “He was one of my soldiers in Eden before his fall.”

  Milo. The sound of his name sent flares through my veins. All of the animosity, despair, shock, horror, frustration suddenly came tumbling on me like a pile of rocks. I blamed him for what happened to me.

  “I know that’s not what you want to hear. But it’s the best we can do. I’m so sorry about your sister,” Michael said before the silence was lifted. Michael hopped onto his bike and pedaled away.

  “Hey,” I heard Eddie’s voice. “What was that about?”

  “Uh,” I turned around. “Micha—er—Mitch was paying his respects.”

  “Look, I know this isn’t the right time for this, but I feel I need to ask.”

  “Ask me what?”

  “How angry are you?” Eddie’s eyes were cold and tight. “How badly do you want revenge?”

  I looked into his eyes wondering if he was joking. But he was serious.

  “Revenge?” I asked. Since leaving Stone Mountain, the thought hadn’t entered my mind.

  Eddie raised the sleeve of his black dress shirt to reveal the Templar cross branded on his forearm. The Knights Army insignia.

  “When you’re ready, come find me.” Eddie walked away and got into a black truck parked across the street from the cemetery. A young guy, dressed in black cargo pants, a black long sleeve and aviator glasses who reminded me of Chuck Norris was waiting for him outside.

  For a moment I stood there motionless watching the truck as it turned the corner out of the Dixon Cemetery. My sister’s death was a senseless tragedy that could have been prevented if she hadn’t involved herself with Eli, to begin with. Or maybe it was the other way around. Maybe Priscilla would still be alive if I hadn’t been involved with Milo.

  ☩

  My mother and Paul saran wrapped all of the leftover food and cleaned up the house while Isaac went back to his normal routine and glued himself to the TV. When my dad came over after the funeral, he pressed my mother and Paul for questions over Priscilla’s death unsatisfied with the answer my mother gave everyone. I sat at the foot of the stairway that led to my room and I listened in on my parents’ conversation.

  “What kind of animal?” my dad asked.

  “A bear,” my mother sighed as she made another pot of coffee. My mother told me not to tell my dad what really happened.

  She felt it was better not to put him under any stress. I hated lying to my dad, but for once in a long time, I agreed with my mother. After we escaped Stone Mountain, the police—made up of only angels—released the caged girls, but none of it made it on the news. I was sure the girls were silenced with death threats. No one spoke about the sinister trafficking ring led by the fallen angels. It was covered up, swept up under the rug like it never happened. It only made me furious, bitter, angry. The torture the girls suffered under Scarlet’s watch would never come to light.

  When my dad left to the local hotel, I retreated to my room and curled up in my bed. I stared into space; my expression blank. I wished everything that happened was all part of a movie set; an act. My body suddenly ached when I realized Priscilla was never coming home, the phone would never ring again, I’ll never hear her voice again. There was a void in my chest that couldn’t be filled by anything. I felt empty and alone.

  After the funeral, Julian stopped by to tell me about the latest gossip: Dawn ran away with Dylan. The thought made my mood plummet even further. I thought back to Jane’s threat, she promised Dawn would pay for bullying her. I was pretty sure Dawn was inside Stone Mountain getting pimped.

  A faint tap came from my door. I ignored it until I heard a second tap, only this it was louder. I slipped out of bed and went out to the balcony. Milo was standing below dressed in black. My heart swelled when I saw him, but I quickly shoved any emotions deep in my subconscious. I went downstairs, out the back door and into the backyard to meet him.

  “Why are you here?” I asked, my voice tight.

  “How are you?” Milo’s expression was heavy with grief. He tried to reach for my hands, but I pulled away.

  “I’m fine,” I lied. Then something dark suddenly bubbled inside me. “I was fine before you showed up. My life was not perfect, but it was better than it is now.”

  Milo weighed my words before he said, “what are you trying to say, Alexis?”

  “What I’m”—I tried to catch my breath— “what I’m trying to say is that my life is better off without you.” My voice sounded uncertain. Did I really want this? Milo saved my life, I will forever be grateful, but I couldn’t bring myself to be with him after all his dark secrets were revealed.

  “If you let me explain—”

  “Explain how you pursued me so you could traffic me?” I said through gritted teeth. “You knew where my sister was all along, didn’t you?”

  “I didn’t know she was your sister until I saw her picture the night, I stayed with you after the lake,” he explained.

  “Lies. Was Angela in on this? Do you take all of your conquests to her so they can see what a great guy you are? Is that how the ‘grooming’ process works?” My voice raised a couple of decibels. “And once they’re hooked, you convince them to become prostitutes in exchange to have you?”

  “No,” he stated firmly.

  “How many Milo?”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “How many girls were there before me? How many girls did you lure? Twenty? Fifty? One hundred?” I screamed.

  “None.” Milo gulped hard then looked down at the ground. “You were supposed to be my first.”

  “Liar!” I screamed at him.

  “I swear to you”—he took a step forward, but I took one back— “I’m not lying. The day Zane offered you the bottle—”

  “It was Angel’s Ash,” I realized. “That’s why I blacked out.”

  “That night, I was supposed to take you but…I couldn’t,” he said filled with remorse.

  “Just leave.” I pressed my lips, tears pooling around my eyes, but I refused to cry. “I never want to see you again!”

  “Alexis—”

  “Leave!” I yelled cutting him off.

  My jaw tightened as I choked back a sob. I didn’t want to hear any more lies coming out of Milo’s mouth. Milo stepped away from me. My eyes locked with his, his expression was hurt, defeated, but he swallowed his pride, unfurled his wings then took flight.

  I dropped to my knees, finally allowing myself to cry again. I hugged my legs as tears streamed down my cheeks. How could I have been so stupid? My chest ached as
my heart broke. The only person I’d ever loved turned out to be a monster! I gasped. Was I in love with Milo? No, this couldn’t be love. How could I love someone I barely knew?

  I turned my attention to the large oak tree next to my house. Its gnarled limbs touched the ground. If the tree could talk, I could only imagine the stories it would tell. It looked as ancient as the Victorian house, but I’m sure it had been there longer. A trickle of memories flooded my mind. I remembered any time I needed an escape from my life, I came here. I spent countless hours on warm summer days reading and sketching on the limbs of the oak tree when I was younger. My chest hollowed at the memories; I missed those days.

  Then something caught my attention; a birdbath broken in pieces under the tree. I looked around and wondered where it came from. The yard was full of holes and debris left behind from the fight between Milo and Paul.

  My eyes landed on a ray of light that filtered through an opening inside the overgrown brush in the backyard. And there, in the middle was small garden with a white picket fence and a stone path shaped like a cross that once led to the bird bath. As I replayed the memories of playing in the garden as a child, a black feather floated down into the palm of my hand.

  I inhaled sharply when I realized I was the girl underneath the oak tree.

  Thank you for reading THE TRAGIC + DIVINE. If you loved the book and have the time, please support the author by leaving a short review on Goodreads, Amazon, or wherever you purchased the book so new readers can find it.

  Check out THE TRAGIC + DIVINE playlist full of songs that inspired the book. Listen here:

  www.youtube.com/user/melodyfelix85

  Check out THE TRAGIC + DIVINE Pinterest board here: www.pinterest.com/melodyfp

  Don’t forget to follow the author on Instagram:

  www.instagram.com/melodyfelixprieto

  Facebook:

  www.facebook.com/melodyfelixprietoauthor

  Visit www.melodyfelixprieto.com and sign up for Melody’s newsletter to get the latest news on books, giveaways, contests and more!