Divinity Cross (The Divinity Series) Read online

  Divinity

  Cross

  The Divinity Series

  Book 1

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, locales, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner.

  Text copyright © 2019 by Amanda A. Maley

  All Rights Reserved.

  Editor ~ Ray Finefrock

  Cover ~ Photographer Nick Donovan with Nugen Media

  Cover Graphics ~Jessica Fogle with ShutterProof Photograhy

  Model ~ Kierah Faith Groves

  Published by ~ Amanda A. Maley

  ‘Divinity Cross’ Contains situations and sexual content that is not suitable for all readers

  ~When Heaven and Hell collide within one soul~

  Contents

  Divinity

  Prologue

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Acknowledgements

  Prologue

  I watch her pack, selfishly not wanting her to go. For 11 years we have been inseparable. She helped me graduate high school with a surprising 3.7 GPA, and I made sure everyone stayed clear of her. Everyone likes to pick on the little guy, especially when you are a certified genius with a tiny frame, glasses as thick as Coke bottles and no keen sense of fashion.

  We were so opposite growing up. We still are. Katherine Withers, my Kat, the curly blonde hair, blue-eyed bookworm. There wasn’t a day you didn’t see her reading some ancient book from the library. Kat was literally there every day after school. It got so bad the librarian eventually allowed her to rearrange a section of the library solely based on her Heaven and Hell obsession. She has a more articulate terminology, I call it her “DaVinci Code,” her passion. She has always been obsessed with this stuff: Angels from above, demons from below.

  ◆◆◆

  The first day I met Kat we were seven. Boarding the bus after school, I heard arguing coming from the back seats. Being the curious person that I am, I made my way back there. A girl was hunched over Kat, pulling her hair. I grabbed the girl and pushed her away. She fell, hitting her head on the window; she cried as she ran to the front of the bus. Although I got a bus referral and detention, I gained a best friend.

  That was the day Kat swore up and down that the “man upstairs” sent me to her. She was convinced that I was her very own guardian angel. I still laugh when I think of it because she said there is something different about me, much more than my pale skin, golden when the summer sun kisses it. My hair has always been a dark, long thick mess that I hated to tame. My eyes – violet. I call it a pigment issue; she calls them unnatural. Kat seems to think because of their unique color I’m apparently some mystical being, that my eyes hold some deep secret. I believe my name, Divinity, confirmed her obsession that I was, in fact, different from everyone else. Granted it is a unique name, but that doesn’t mean I’m special by any means.

  When we were 10, there was a strange moment in a used bookstore that is burned into my memory. Kat got excited when she found an old dusty book full of ancient paintings. As we sat at a table in the store, she looked through the book intensely, lost within the structure of each painting. Abruptly, Kat stopped at one of the pages; her whole body went rigid. Immediately Kat’s face turned white as a ghost.

  The painting was of a woman with beautiful angel wings wrapped around her body. The wings were a glistening white with black tips. Dark hair dancing behind her, she was beyond beautiful. As I looked at Kat, I saw the connection she was making in her mind as she looked up at me.

  The angel’s eyes were violet as she peered over her winged shoulder, looking innocent, yet determined. The sun’s light bathed the angel from above. Below her, swirls of blacks and grays speared up the page around the light of the sun. In the mix of the painted darkness, a silhouette with golden eyes looked at the angel above.

  Underneath the painting, the title read “Heaven’s Secret.” Confused, Kat freaked out, saying the details of the angel in the painting resembled me - the dark hair, the violet eyes. Her anxiety level got so high she talked her mom into cutting my hair into a bob, as well as supplying me with green contacts just to “keep me safe.” She babbled on about heaven being sacred, and that holding a secret in God’s company is a sin. I entertained her views, but in my reality, to me, it was just a painting, a beautiful painting of a breath-taking angel.

  We had been through so much together, but now the day had finally come when we had to part ways. She wanted me – even begged me to come with her. For a moment I almost agreed, but the dream wasn’t mine, it was hers.

  ◆◆◆

  Kat looks over at me as I sit on the floor holding my gift to her. I haven’t given it to her yet; I’m just not ready to let her go. I see the tears fall from her eyes. I hate it when she cries.

  “That’s it!” She is doing everything to keep herself together as she zips up her suitcase.

  “It’s not everything!” I hand her the box. The box holds memories - our memories. “This will help you not to forget your best friend while you’re off learning how to rid the world of monsters.”

  The tears fall freely now as she hangs her head. “I can’t believe this is it, this is good-bye!”

  “Kat, this isn’t good-bye. You can’t get rid of me that easily.”

  I watch as she pulls out her own little box. “This is for you, so I know you will be safe!”

  There has never been a moment where Kat wasn’t concerned about my safety, yet I have been the one that fought off the bad guys for her. The irony in our relationship is Kat actually feels as though I go unharmed because she is doing her part in protecting me as I protect her. I don’t argue; I’m okay with whatever makes her sleep better at night.

  I open the box and see that inside is a necklace, with a simple white stone attached. I can’t hide my amusement. How she believes this little gem will keep me safe is beyond me, but I entertain her idea.

  “Do you want to explain what this is, or is it another one of your secret charms?”

  She grabs the necklace and puts it on me. “Don’t take it off, do you understand me? Ever.”

  “What if it breaks?” I see the fear in her eyes for the first time as I look at her. She is afraid of leaving me behind.

  “It won’t,” she replies. “Just promise you will never take it off.”

  ◆◆◆

  I smile at the memory as I play with the white stone around my neck. It’s been six long years since I’ve seen my best friend. Six years I’ve dealt with life alone. Six years of feeling this unknown battle within.

  “Ms. Divinity Cross!” I reach over and grab my ticket as the attendant checks my bag. Staring at the picture in my hand, I think that six years has been too long and I need answers.

  Chapter 1

  Six years later.

  Stretching in my seat, I look out the window as we descend to the runway. The clouds are thick, but through the haze, I see our destination, a landing strip surrounded by water. Interesting concept, considering someone is probably looking out their window having an inner panic atta
ck. Kudos to the sick bastard who would find humor in toying with one’s fears.

  As if on cue, a window screen slams, followed by, “Oh shit!” Did I call it or what? Some call it a gift; I call it common sense. I’ve learned a lot about myself within the past six years. Some things have almost scared the hell out of me, and others have taught me how to survive the “unknown” in this world.

  ◆◆◆

  After Kat left, I decided I wanted to travel; see the world for the first time outside the walls of Cedar Creek, Va., my safe haven, a place in which I never felt so cared for, even though I had no real family. Abandoned as a newborn, wrapped in nothing but a worn woolen blanket with the name Divinity Cross stitched along the hem. I was left on the front steps of the local fire department, where I entered the local Child Protective Service System. CPS placed me in random foster homes until I reached the age of seven, almost eight. That’s when Kat’s family decided to take me in.

  I was eighteen the day I pulled out of that small town. The moment my car crossed that county line was the moment, in my mind, my soul woke up for the first time. I could sense everything, hear everything. I could even taste the air. The trees - I could hear them drink from the ground with their roots. Everything around me was so enchanting.

  So of course, like any normal 18-year- old, I freaked out. I slammed on the brakes on that dirt road, skidding to the edge of a ditch. Everything just felt - overwhelming. Sounds, feelings, every single one of my senses exploded at once. If I knew what a panic attack felt like I could compare it to this moment.

  The only person I knew to call was Kat. However, I felt that this called for face-time; I needed to see her. Pulling out my cell phone, I made the call.

  “It hasn’t even been a full 48 hours,” she said, “and here you are calling me. Wait, Div, are you sick?”

  I looked at her concerned image on my phone, eyes wide. “Kat, something is wrong.”

  “Oh my God, Div, your eyes!” Quickly, I adjusted the rearview mirror. My eyes, once a light violet, were now a stunning ice blue.

  “What the…”

  “Divinity, where are you?” Kat cut me off, causing me to refocus my attention on her.

  “I just passed Cedar Creek’s welcome sign,” I said, looking out the driver’s window. “Kat, you don’t understand, something really strange is going on.”

  “What do you mean?”

  Stepping out of the car, the wind picked up and the sun wrapped its rays around me, I felt every kiss they left upon my skin. Suddenly, I could hear soft whispers drifting in the air. A dove’s cry caught my attention from above, and the moment my eyes looked to the clouds something shot through my body. I felt myself falling to the ground. As unconsciousness took hold the last thing I heard was Kat screaming my name.

  I woke up within a dream. Everything around me felt familiar, yet I couldn’t figure out how. The beauty that surrounded me seemed as though God Himself had created this utopia by his own hands. The meadow was fresh with colorful wildflowers. In the distance, crystal clear waterfalls poured down steep rock walls into a waterhole along craggy hills. The trees, painted in the same wild colors as the meadow, danced in the light breeze. Behind me, a white temple sat upon a hill.

  In the distance, I could hear whispered voices. “Love is Divine. The strength within will withstand the test of time, regardless of what is written!” A female voice sang as if she were pleading: “Light created within the darkness. Debet protégé.” She must be protected.

  Thunder seemed to come from underneath, causing me to grab hold of a tree at the base of the rock wall to steady myself. Slowly, I pulled myself up the rickety wall. “Everything will come for her, placing her in a world filled with filth. She will be dead before she awakes on her second day.” Thunder roared again as the sky turned gray. “She is protected here.”

  I felt completely lost, my mind questioning what my eyes witnessed. In front of me stood two immaculate creations. The beauty they possessed was remarkable, flawless. I couldn’t comprehend what I was seeing. Her wings, a brilliant white glistening within a light that surrounded her. Deep brown hair cascaded down her back; her eyes, ice blue. He was just the opposite, with wings as black as a raven’s, his tall build towering over her seemly fragile frame. His body was chiseled like a gladiator ready for combat. His eyes were a resilient violet resembling my own, with his long black hair bound by a leather strap.

  I looked around, sensing I had been here before came with every breath. The feel of this place was comforting like being wrapped in a warm blanket. Where the hell am I, and why do I feel I know these two - whatever they are - in front of me?

  “Trust in our love, for that will protect her until she must protect herself.” I watched as his body leaned over, picking up a tiny figure wrapped in a wool blanket. The dark angel’s gaze dropped to the little being in his arms.

  A tiny voice cried within the blanket. “She is the one thing I have ever done in love. The only thing I have done right through all my ages. I do not want her to be tarnished in a world filled with so much greed, so much…hate.”

  The white-winged angel’s face softened as she moved closer to the angel with dark wings; wrapping her arms around his side she looked at the little baby within the wool blanket. “Greed stops you now from allowing her to be who she chooses to be.” Kissing his jawline, she pulled his eyes towards her. “Trust this love, your love for her. My love for her. God granted you this one gift. You must allow her to choose her own destiny.”

  He fell to his knees, pulling the tiny form closer to his heart in a gentle rock. The baby rested on his shoulder, its dark hair peeking from the blanket. My breath caught in my throat as I heard him say, “Divine she is, a being of light within darkness. Divinitatem.” The baby’s violet eyes locked with mine.

  ◆◆◆

  That was six years ago. Looking out the window now, I see a whole new world. A foreign land, an unfamiliar territory that unsettles me. The memory of those two angels has taught me to never disregard any feeling that takes over my senses. The plane slowly comes to a stop and an involuntary tremor passes through me.

  I notice the sudden, thick fog, how it swirls around as I look out my window. I’ve always heard there were foggy days in London, but this is a blanket covering Heathrow Airport. The weather doesn’t change in a blink of an eye “just because”. Something is in the air, I can sense it.

  I turn on my phone and it rings immediately.

  “Div, listen closely. The terminal is closed, so they have to taxi the passengers to the entrance via shuttle.”

  I grab my pack. “Aw, hey, long-lost best friend. I’m so excited to see you too.”

  “Save the sarcasm, damn it. I need you to listen carefully. Do not get on that shuttle.”

  I hear the urgency in her voice and suddenly that feeling I got a few moments ago intensifies. “Kat, what the hell is going on?” I question as I look out the window for a second time, only to find the passengers being ushered to the shuttle bus.

  “I don’t have time to explain right now; just do as I say. To the left of the shuttle, there is an unmarked black sedan. This is going to sound absurd, but I need you to not think, just react. The moment your feet touch the pavement if you feel the ground vibrate underneath you, run.”

  “Wait, what? Kat, are you kidding me right now? Did you just hear yourself?”

  I hear her sigh in frustration before she continues. “Div, hurry up and get off the plane! I don’t want you to be the last person off. I need you in the crowd. Go, NOW. I’ll see you soon.”

  Placing the phone in my backpack, I grab my tattered ball cap. Quickly, I wrap my hair, confining it within the hat, and pull the hat brim low before adjusting my sunglasses as I make my way towards the exit.

  Moving in front of an elderly couple, I smile before climbing over the remaining seats towards the exit. I hear thunder in the background; I feel the wind pick up as I take my first step off the plane. I’ve had this eerie feeling befo
re and it has never turned out good. With each slow step I take, the wind whips, the sky cracks.

  Looking ahead, I see two security guards making their way toward the plane. I sense danger; it seems to be looking for me. Slowly, I tighten the straps to my pack. One more step, then I run. Out of the corner of my eye I notice a dark shadow moving in the fog. “Don’t think, just react,” I take a deep breath.. “Let’s get this over with,” I whisper to myself, before jumping over the tarmac railing.

  The ground doesn’t vibrate underneath me; it rumbles as the sky opens up in a roar of thunder and lightning. The security guards are now sprinting toward me. Figures. Kat has a lot of explaining to do. Focusing on the car, I run. My senses are heightened; I hear the footsteps behind me. The fog touches my skin as my eyes adjust to the darkness that seems to be consuming this airport.

  Without warning, the skies open and torrential rain soaks me. Lightning stabs the ground before me, creating a hole. “Don’t think; just react.” After jumping over the hole in the pavement I fall to my knees. Breathing heavily, I look back as I watch the ground behind me turns into a sinkhole. The security guards stop suddenly, and start backing away. Soaring above me in the fog I again see the dark shadow.

  I get to my feet just as the wind switches directions, the rain stabbing at my flesh. My hat flips off, causing my hair to tangle in my glasses, blocking my vision. With one flick of my hand, the glasses take flight in the whirlwind around me. It feels as if the darkness wants to consume me. I have had this feeling a few times before; however, this time it is stronger, more powerful.

  As I look above I notice a bright light parting the fog, bathing me in warmth. The light’s radiance causes me to shield my eyes as the wind subsides; I feel its strength. “Run!” I hear from a voice in the distance.