THE TRAGIC + DIVINE, Book 1
Young Adult Paranormal Romance
Published Date: 11.29.19 2nd Edition
Publisher: INtense Publications LLC
Alexis Minerva has never been the type to cause trouble. With good grades, and a clean school record, she's on the track to move out of Dixon-a small town with even smaller minded people.
But on the night before her 17th birthday, she meets Milo James-a sexy, mysterious angel with a thirst for danger who represents a mother's worst nightmare. From the moment her eyes locked with his, there was an undeniable connection she couldn't shake off.
Convinced she'll never see Milo again, Alexis goes back to her mundane world counting down the days until graduation. Then one day, Milo shows up in Dixon unexpectedly rocking the small community.
Determined not to follow in her sister's footsteps despite Priscilla's troubled past haunting her every move, Alexis tries her best to avoid Milo, even though he seems to be everywhere she goes. But a chilling phone call from her sister changes everything. Now she must step into Milo's world to find her sister-a fast-paced world filled with less-than-holy activities and late-night wild parties.
As the tension intensifies between Alexis and Milo, Alexis discovers a dark secret that threatens to tear them apart setting off events that will change her life forever.
CHAPTER
1
“Are
you scared?”
Dawn asked.
“Yes, I’m scared.” I crossed my arms as I focused my
mind on counting the roadkill instead of the nerves that were bundling inside
my stomach. “What if we get kidnapped, or drugged? Did you know another girl went
missing last week?”
Dawn turned to me and said, “Nothing is going to happen
to us because we have our very own bodyguard to protect us.” Dawn patted Julian
on the arm. “Ain’t that right, boo?”
“I ain’t about to mess this piece of fine art for ‘yo
ass,” Julian said waving a hand over his face. “I spent two whole hours on this
masterpiece.”
We all burst out in laughter for so long, the tension in
my body relaxed.
“Seriously? Two hours on eyeliner and glitter?” I
teased.
“Perfection takes time,” Julian flashed his gorgeous
honey brown eyes at me.
Breathing deeply, I let go of the fear that stirred in
my chest and allowed myself to have fun. Before I knew it, the scenery changed.
Bright flashes of light dashed by me, a sign we were out of the mountains. I
straightened myself as soon as I saw the highway stretched before me, its
smooth black roads looping in different directions going places I could only
imagine. A twinge of excitement swelled in my belly. In one year, I will be
navigating those roads on my way back home to Los Angeles. Back to the life I
loved, the life I was forced to leave behind when my family moved to Dixon.
The city skyline began to take shape deep in the horizon
enveloped by shimmering lights. I couldn’t help but catch my breath and take in
the sight.
“We’re here,” Julian’s sing-song voice brought me back
to reality.
I gazed out the window in awe of the tall buildings of
downtown Atlanta and its labyrinth of noisy streets. A billboard of a female
angel model sporting the latest Calvin Klein towered above me. I marveled at
her long jealous-worthy hair that came down to her hips; her tan flawless skin,
high cheekbones, and unearthly translucent gray eyes. The model’s black wings
were folded at her sides as she posed with lips slightly parted.
Right as we passed the billboard, there were numerous
flyers plastered all over the city’s concrete walls with missing girls.
Underneath, Templar crosses were spray-painted in black along with a quote:
‘Save Humanity. Save the World.’
My excitement faded and the hairs on my arms raised. I
searched for my sister among the smiling faces, even though I knew she wouldn’t
be among them. Priscilla ran away from home seven years ago. I hadn’t seen her
since.
As Julian’s lime-green Volkswagen Beetle cruised through
Peachtree Road, it was buzzing with energy and alive with people hopping from
one bar to the next. Hungry musicians filled the air with their music while the
owners of Ferrari’s and Lamborghini’s sat on the hood of their vehicles parked
at an angle perpendicular to the road, flashing diamond studded necklaces,
designer clothing, and women.
“Oh my God, is that an angel?” Dawn gasped pointing out
the window.
My eyes quickly shifted to the angel wearing a police
uniform guarding the streets. I rolled down the window to take a closer look
when suddenly, the angel spread his black wings then took flight. I watched as
he disappeared into the sky.
“Holy crap!” I shrieked. “Did you see that?”
“Yes!” Dawn joined me with the same level of excitement.
“Angel boys are way hotter than human boys.”
“If you say so,” I scoffed even though Dawn was right.
The angels were better looking than humans, faster, stronger, by far the
superior race on Earth but I wasn’t about to jump on the angel bandwagon and
admit it.
“You don’t think so?” Dawn asked as she dropped the sun
visor admiring her reflection in the mirror and slathered another layer of lip
gloss. Dawn’s been one of my best friends since I moved to Dixon. Unlike me,
Dawn had style and wore a little bit too much makeup. It was the result of
watching too many YouTube makeup tutorials and following popular style
bloggers. She was the curvy, blue-eyed bombshell all the boys wanted to date
because she had big boobs, I, on the other hand, was the lean, athletic tomboy
they avoided because I was too much of a ‘shit-talker.’ It wasn’t my fault I
was brutally honest.
“Ugh. Pretty boys with wings?” I muttered. “No, thank
you.”
“Good. More for me.”
“Don’t forget me, girl,” Julian said with a flirty
voice. “I don’t discriminate.”
Like Dawn, Julian’s been my best friend since middle
school. He had the build of a linebacker, but the personality of a unicorn.
Together, we were the three amigos.
The loud music from the bars reverberated through
Julian’s car, I closed my eyes and felt the chilly wind of freedom. I was so
busy taking in the energy of the city, I hadn’t realized the car stopped.
My mouth dropped. I stared at the enormous Gothic
structure before me when I realized, “It’s a church.”
“Oh. My. God. We’re going to hell,” Dawn said wickedly.
She rushed out of the car to the cathedral’s entrance where there was a long
line of college-age girls, maybe even younger, dressed in tight revealing
dresses and pumps. I felt underdressed.
“What is this? A strip club?” I scoffed with a sarcastic
tone.
“Whatever this place is, it sure ain’t holy,” Julian
miffed.
I scanned the cathedral as Julian, and I walked toward
the line. There were large monstrous gargoyles perched along the roof looking
down on the club goers like guards. That, paired with the ominous black paint
the church, was covered in gave me the chills.
“This place looks freakin’ amazing!” Dawn gleamed.
“Yeah, I feel like I’m going to get zapped by lighting
as soon as I step inside,” I said eyeing the place suspiciously. “Are you sure
this is a teen nightclub? These girls look like they’re at least twenty-one.”
“Way ahead of you, honey.” Julian handed each of us an
I.D. which looked as fake as Dawn’s eyelashes.
“Mable Johnson?” Dawn met Julian’s eyes with a dirty look.
“Mable is my meemaw’s name. What’s wrong with it?”
“No one in this century names their kid Mable!” Dawn
screamed at him. Dawn snatched the I.D. card out of my hand. “What’s yours,
Alexis?”
She looked down at the woman with dark sunken eyes
staring back at her, she seemed older and looked nothing like me.
“Deedee Saint?” Dawn cocked her eye irritably at Julian.
“We’re gonna get caught you, moron!”
“Bitch, you need to calm yourself. If you wanted fancy
names, you should’ve made them yourself,” Julian exclaimed.
Anxiety and fear ripped through my stomach at the
thought of catching a ride in the back of a police car. I constructed all the
possible excuses I could give my mother for sneaking out, but none of which
she’d believe. Before I could gather up the courage to walk away, I noticed a
short bald bouncer walking down the line with a security wand metal detector.
“Come on ladies, you know the drill, pull ‘em out,” he
hollered down the line.
“Pull what out?” I thought out loud. One of the girls in
front of me turned around as she rummaged through her handbag.
“They disable your camera before you can go inside,” she
said. “They don’t like being photographed.”
They? I watched as the guard scanned everyone’s
cell phone instantly disabling the camera.
“You two lied to me,” I said fuming with anger.
“Don’t blame me, it was her idea,” Julian said pointing
the finger at Dawn who smiled at me innocently.
“So, I told a small lie to get you out of the house. Big
deal.”
“It is a big deal. You told me we were going to a
normal nightclub—with humans!” I combed a hand through my hair. “This is an
angel nightclub. If my mother finds out I got arrested here for presenting a
fake I.D. she’s going to decapitate my body and feed it to the rats.”
“Don’t be so dramatic,” Dawn said in a low voice. “We’re
not going to get arrested.”
“You must be on medication if you think they’re going to
let us go,” Julian told Dawn, arms crossed.
“You’re the one who made the I.D.’s genius!” Dawn
retorted.
I rolled my eyes over how stupid, and clueless Dawn
acted. “If anything, they’ll probably use us as an example for future underage
intruders,” I said trying to prevent myself from having a panic attack.
I was about to step out of the line when I heard someone
with a stern voice behind me say, “I.D.”
Even though I was too scared to move, I somehow managed
to twist around slowly. My eyes were wide with terror as I stood face-to-face
with the security guard.
“I.D.,” he said again with a cold demeanor. I sensed the
irritation in his voice; I was getting on his nerves for holding up the line.
Despite his short stature, the guard’s muscles bulged out of his black SECURITY
t-shirt that looked significantly bigger than my head.
Taking my fake I.D. from Dawn, I gulped hard before
handing it over. The security guard flashed a light over the card scanning for
defects. He looked up at me quizzically which I returned with a nervous smile.
He glanced down at the I.D. again trying to match the face on the card with
mine.
“What’s your birthday?” he suddenly asked.
“Uh…” I began but couldn’t remember the date on the
license. I dug deep in my subconscious when Julian whispered it to me from
behind. “Actually, my birthday is in a few hours. October six.”
After a short pause, he handed back the I.D. and wrapped
a bright red bracelet around my wrist with glowing angel wings. I blew out a
sigh of relief.
I was safe…for now.
Inside, the Gothic architecture continued throughout the
nightclub. Vaulted ceilings complete with stained glass windows surrounded the
church. The colorful lights danced in unison with the techno-industrial music
giving off a kaleidoscope effect. On one wall, a huge red neon sign that said
EVE’S PARADISE hung over a garden filled with flower petals of crimson,
yellows, oranges, and purples. The mural reminded me of Georgia O’keeffe’s
famous flower paintings. Upon closer inspection, I noted it resembled the
inside of a peach than a garden. I grimaced once I realized what it was.
What a bunch of pervs, I thought.
The dance floor was crowded with dancing bodies. It was
dark and claustrophobic. It stood at the center of the church where the pews
once stood. The bar was on the far-left corner of the room where the bartenders
were busy mixing drinks to the thirsty crowd. As we got closer to the dance
floor, I could see a giant electric-blue cross behind the D.J. who was spinning
the wheels on the turntable from the pulpit front and center of an altarpiece
where bikini-clad devil eared go-go dancers replaced statues of saints and
angels. The dancers seduced the crowd with their dance moves and encouraged
everyone to raise their hands in the air—which I found so overrated, but the
crowd seemed to love it. They were going wild grinding their sweaty bodies on
one another. The air felt rich with lust and desire, I thought I might catch an
S.T.D.
“Whoa,” I let out.
“I know, right?” Dawn beamed.
Dixon was sunshine and flowers compared to this cesspool
of sin. It was a completely different world than mine. I was inside the lion’s
den and, although I would never admit it, it scared the hell out of me.
Dawn led the way and I clung on tightly to her arm,
Julian not far behind. In every dark corner of the club, I could make out
glimpses of couples making out and soon became aware of the nasty glares some
of the girls shot my way over my choice of clothing. My black torn jeans and
combat boots didn’t blend well inside the walls of Eve’s Paradise, but I didn’t
care. I wasn’t there to impress anyone.
Dawn abruptly stopped causing me to bump my head against
her back.
“What the hell Dawn?” I complained.
Then I noticed why. Dawn was gawking at the roped-off
VIP section of the club. My eyes were like magnets. I found it hard to look
away. They were unlike anyone I’d ever seen before. Like the angels on TV,
their skin was smooth, luminous and perfectly symmetrical; jaws so defined they
made human models look like gremlins. And the rest of us…well the rest of the
human race paled in comparison. Their eyes were different colors with a glowing
white halo that dazzled around the iris.
There were four of them, in their late teens, early
twenties. One was slim but muscular with shoulder-length sandy blonde hair; he
had the aura of a seventies rock star complete with a loose navy-blue Hawaiian
shirt with images of skulls, roses and the Virgin Mary that was unbuttoned at
the top exposing a chest full of hair. The one sitting next to him had a
similar build, except his hair was brown and scruffy, his hands were covered
with silver rings and Celtic tattoos. He wore a brown leather jacket with
different colored pins and patches. The third was just as handsome as the rest,
but his skin was light mocha, and his hair was dark, long and lustrous, he
looked Native American. He wore a maroon bomber jacket with embroidered gold
wings along the sleeves.
But it was the fourth who I felt instantly drawn to. He
stood out above the rest and was even more attractive than the others. And I
had a feeling he knew it too. His striking jet-black hair was tied in a
ponytail which exposed his high cheekbones, bronzed skin, and perfectly
chiseled face. Even though he was sitting, I could tell he had the build of an
Olympic swimmer. He wore a gray V-neck shirt that exposed his toned collarbone,
and a black classic double rider leather jacket similar to the one Marlon
Brando wore in The Wild One.
I wasn’t surprised they were surrounded by quill
lovers—or at least that’s what people called the groupies who were intimately
involved with angels. One, in particular, was chewing gum and petting the wing
of the Native American, as if he were her lapdog. There were at least two girls
for each angel. But from the looks of it, it seemed the angel with the Hawaiian
shirt was enjoying the company of the girls more than the others. The other
three appeared uninterested and bored.
“Are they...”
“Angels.” Dawn finished the sentence for me.
“Break me off a piece of that,” Julian whispered from
behind.
My throat tightened at the sound of the word causing my
emotions to conflict inside my brain. It was as if the devil and angel were on
my shoulders pulling me apart. Rooted in my mind, I hated the angels because of
my sister, but right now I hated myself even more for finding them attractive.
Now I understood why girls were quick to drop their panties.
I was so focused on my inner battle; I didn’t realize he
caught me staring. The angel with the black leather jacket. I immediately
turned around lifting my arms awkwardly in the air pretending to yawn, I almost
hit the girl standing beside me, but she grabbed my arm before I could do any
damage.
“I’m sorry,” I said embarrassed. Her hair was
vibrant-blue, and her eyes were a startling lilac. She was dressed in steampunk
wear; leather pants, leather corset with a shrug that connected at the chest,
and a leaf pouch belt—for her cell phone perhaps? She probably got lost on her
way to a Goth club. And like the others, she was sharp-jawed and didn’t look a
day over twenty. But her wings weren’t exposed, there wasn’t a bright halo in
her eyes either. I wondered if she was one of them. Or a poser wearing contacts
and a costume?
“Like what you see?” the girl asked with her lip curved
upward and motioning with her eyes toward the VIP section.
I took another glimpse at the four angels behind the
ropes, but the dark-haired one wasn’t there anymore. Annoyed at my
disappointment, I shook my head.
“I do,” Dawn replied swiftly. But the blue-haired girl
kept her gaze fixed on me ignoring Dawn.
“I can get you an introduction if you’d like,” she
insisted.
“It’s okay.” Who the hell was this girl, anyway? Their
pimp?
“I’ll be around if you change your mind,” she said. Then
she went into the dance floor and got swallowed by the crowd.
“What is wrong with you?” Dawn asked completely
horrified by my decision. “You could’ve taken the invitation and taken me
through those pearly ropes!”
“I didn’t come here to get down and dirty with angels.”
“But I did,” Dawn insisted.
“That’s a bad decision waiting to happen.” Julian
grabbed our wrists and led us onto the dance floor. “Let’s go sweat out all our
pent-up hormones.”
We squeezed through the sweaty bodies toward the middle
of the dance floor and let loose without a care in the world. I allowed the
music to flow through me, pulling me like a puppet on strings. We jumped. We
screamed. We laughed. And watched Dawn shake her ass on a random
stranger.
On the balcony above that wrapped around the church, I
noticed a handful of angels watching. They looked down at the crowd, like a
scientist observing his lab rats. The uniformity in their posture made me
uneasy. They bore similar features as the Angels from the VIP area. They
whispered among each other, giggling as if they were sharing a private
joke.
After about an hour of non-stop dancing—and pushing off
any guy who tried to slither behind me to shake his junk—I broke away from my
friends to grab a drink. A female bartender wearing a black leather corset
exposing a cheetah print wonder-bra greeted me.
“What can I get you?”
“I’ll have a Screaming Orgasm,” Dawn said with a
mischievous tone slipping next to me.
“Is that an invitation?”
We both snapped our heads around to the sandy blonde
angel from the VIP lounge, who was standing next to Dawn. She took one look at
his sapphire blue eyes and was immediately smitten. But there was something
about him that was off. Maybe it was his unpredictable wild eyes that made me
uncomfortable or the way he tilted his head and eyed Dawn from head-to-toe like
a slime ball which grossed me out. Instinct told me this guy was bad
news.
“Maybe,” Dawn replied as she flirtatiously flipped her
hair back exposing her neck.
“Dylan,” he said into her ear.
“I’m Dawn. Our names have the same first letters, D.D.”
She giggled with a spark of obsession in her eyes.
“It must be fate,” Dylan replied.
Rolling my eyes, I turned away from the horrific sight.
I could already imagine Dawn scribbling ‘D & D’ inside pink hearts all over
her notebook.
“Want to dance?” Dylan asked.
“Sure.” Dawn took Dylan by the hand and walked away
abandoning me at the bar. I flicked my eyes away in disapproval. I was on the
verge of puking.
Waving one hand at the bartender, I was determined to
take a shot of something—anything—to erase the repulsive scene I’d just
witnessed, but the logical part of my brain insisted on water. I didn’t want to
risk falling flat on my ass when sneaking back into my room.
“Water. What are you a nun?” I heard a husky male voice
say.
I blew out an irritated sigh and didn’t bother to turn
around. Watching my best friend take off with an angel was enough excitement
for one night, I didn’t want to deal with an inebriated asshole. My attention
was fixated on the colorful display of liquor bottles behind the bar. And there
in the mirror, I caught a glimpse of his reflection. My pulse quickened. My
cheeks flushed as his dark eyes focused on mine waiting for a response, but I
couldn’t find my voice. What was wrong with me? Get it together Alexis.
But, how could I? He was way hotter up-close.
Finally, I glanced over my shoulder offering an awkward
smile to the angel with the jet-black hair. The halos around his eyes had an
ethereal glow to them that burned unnaturally bright in the darkness, I could
hardly see the pupil. They were the richest amber I’d ever seen—like blazing
flames—so beautiful I could get lost in them.
“I’ve never seen you here before,” he finally said
pulling me back to reality.
“It’s—it’s—” I stammered, immediately cursing myself for
acting like such an idiot. “My friends dragged me out here for a pre-birthday
celebration.”
“My name is Milo,” he said with a devilish grin, the kind
that could make any girl quiver in her socks. “Milo James.”
I examined Milo’s facial expression a little longer than
I expected. He had an annoying sense of confidence that told me he could get
any girl he wanted even if he barely tried. And ironically, he had me melting
in the cup of his stupidly perfect hand.
“Alexis,” I replied. “Alexis Minerva.”
He motioned for the bartender, who poured a red
glow-in-the-dark liquid in a shot glass. Milo pushed the drink toward me.
“Happy early birthday, Alexis.”
“What is it?” I asked hesitantly.
“It’s called the Zombie. It’s fruity, you’ll like it.”
I let out a nervous giggle.
“Sounds like something I’ll black out on,” I said
pushing the shot back. “I’d like to keep my dignity intact tonight.” I bit my
tongue as soon as I said it. My thoughts always had a way of slipping through
the cracks of my brain which got me into trouble. To my surprise, Milo didn’t
look offended. He was amused.
With one gulp he drank the shot before slamming it on
the bar then said, “I like my women aware of the pleasure I’m
inflicting.”
He slid out of the bar stool, leaned in closer to me and
winked as he gently tapped my chin before leaving. “See you around.”
I sat planted too stunned to move. Who the hell
does this guy think he is, Casanova? Cocky S.O.B. And to add more fuel to the
fire, he walked into the arms of a gorgeous red head who greeted him with a
kiss that lasted a little longer than I’d cared to watch. My mother had nothing
to worry about, I couldn’t attract an angel even if I tried. My charming
personality would send them screaming out the door.
Back on the dance floor, I found Julian surrounded by
people. He grabbed my hand and twirled me around until I was so dizzy, I had to
hold on to him to keep my balance. Then out of the corner of my eye, I saw my
arch-nemesis Savannah Dixon being led to the second floor of the club by an
angel. His brown hair was tied up in a man bun, he wore black slacks and a
black dress shirt that was tucked in. He looked older—about thirty—and more
refined than the other angels at the club. I watched as they walked through the
roped off entrance that was guarded by a bouncer.
“Are you seeing what I’m seeing?” I asked Julian
surprised.
“Oh yeah. What the hell is Savannah doing here?”
What was Savannah Dixon, the daughter of the most
prominent family of our little town doing inside an angel nightclub? Savannah’s
mom was the mayor of Dixon and anti-angel advocate who often demonized the
angels during her speeches. Witnessing her sweet girl mingling with the
‘devil’s spawn’ was kind of a big deal. So, I wasn’t about to sit back and
watch. I was determined to catch her in the act for leverage. She was the devil
dressed in a hot pink miniskirt.
I dragged Julian to the foot of the staircase.
“You’re following her, aren’t you?” Julian said stopping
midway. “Oh girl, my gay-senses are tingling, and they’re telling me you’re
gonna get us in a boat-load of trouble.”
“Grow some balls, Julian,” I snapped.
“What do you think I am? A Chia Pet?”
“No, I think you’re my super-tough gay friend who wants
dirt on Savannah just as much as I do.” I pleaded. “Remember when she called
you a Fruity Lucy all through middle school after you came out of the closet?”
“Yeah. So?”
“Payback is a bitch,” I smiled.
He thought about it for a moment. Savannah was a big
bully who got away with everything. No one, not even Julian was safe from her
insults. Sophomore year Savannah spread a nasty rumor that I gave my now
ex-boyfriend, Eddie, an S.T.D., which wasn’t true given the fact that I'd never
seen a guy naked—ever. Before I knew it, the guys from the football team, along
with the cheerleaders, were writing obscene names on my locker and bathroom
walls. I used to get phone calls in the middle of the night asking for the ‘red
light special.’ When the rumor reached the ears of my mother, she threatened to
take me to the doctor to make sure I was still a virgin.
Thankfully, Eddie came to my rescue and shut the rumor
mill down, which didn't sit too well with Savannah who happened to be Eddie’s
crazy ex-girlfriend. My intention was merely to get dirt on Savannah, so she’ll
leave me alone at least until graduation.
Julian walked past me and headed up the metal stairs and
told the bouncer there was a fight in the bathroom. The bouncer rushed
downstairs as Julian ducked under the red rope. I turned over my shoulder to
make sure no one was watching, everyone at the club was too drunk to notice us.
Once we were in the clear, we rounded the corner toward a small room located at
the far end of the church where the door was slightly open.
With my fingers, I motioned for Julian to stay on the
lookout. I poked my head inside; Savannah was lounging on a lavish white
loveseat with a cigar in her mouth. The angel had one arm around her, his face
buried in her neck, and the other was heading down her miniskirt. I grimaced
right when Savannah locked eyes with mine, her expression shocked. Then the
door suddenly closed shut.
“Uh-oh.” I felt Julian tug my shirt. “We gotta go.”
A group of bouncers dashed toward us, we tried to make a
run for it but got caught. We were escorted out of the nightclub in true
delinquent fashion.
About the Author
MELODY FELIX-PRIETO lives in Georgia with her husband and two children. When she isn't writing, you can find her taking photographs, editing video projects, or watching movies. THE TRAGIC + DIVINE is her debut novel. Visit her online at www.melodyfelixprieto.com.
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