Path of Descent: Ambrosine

by Noreen Harrison

  They began to mumble in French again, some moving their heads in agreement while others still said no.

  Angel scoffed at their mumblings and glared at me. I knew she wanted to come at me, and I was hoping she would. Madame Cecilia stepped between us.

  “Alixia, we know that he has helped us, but he has also been taking souls, which has increased our suspicions of both him and the Pure Ones. It makes us all wonder what their next move will be against us. You know they killed two Ambrosines, Correa and Nicolas, without judgment from the Dominions.”

  I stared at her.

  ”Who cares?” I said with a scoff. “Why should there have been a judgment? They deserved to die. They attacked and killed members of Marcus’s Family!”

  “Get out of my way!” Angel pushed Madame Cecilia aside, infuriated.

  “I have had it with her disloyalty!” she yelled. “Alixia, you think that they deserved to die because they killed a couple of Dark Ones?”

  She came very close to me, almost snarling.

  “This is what we do, you foolish girl, and we are not remorseful in doing it! You must understand this: no Ambrosine has ever been killed for taking the lives of Dark Ones, until the Pure Ones wanted to change the order of things. Therefore, if you think we are going to remove this curse tonight on the Pure Ones, you are very much mistaken. In fact, more will die! So, go and take Millie with you.”

  “No!” Millie moved past me, going out of the circle and grabbing hold of Angel. “Release my baby! He’s innocent!” Angel brought her hand to Millie’s heart and closed her eyes. Millie let go of her and went to her knees, screaming in anguish.

  “Stop it, Angel!” I yelled, pushing her away and taking Millie into my arms. I could sense the brutal pain shooting through her body. She put her hand down, ending Millie’s agony. I looked over at Madame Cecilia, confounded.

  “Madame Cecilia,” I asked. “You’re accepting this?”

  “No, I’m not. Angel, why are you doing this? She has suffered enough because of what we have done to her child.”

  Angel glared at her.

  “Madame Cecilia, don’t question this. You know what I will do.” The Council begged Madame Cecilia to back off. She nodded and stepped aside, holding in her anger and gritting her teeth. Angel moved toward us as if we were her prey. I helped Millie up, pushing her behind me.

  “Millie, do not try my patience again.”

  Millie gripped my shoulder weakly.

  “Why my baby, Angel?”

  “Why? Millie, you know why. We have to protect the Families.”

  She smiled maliciously.

  “Your son was the obvious choice, being a Pure One and a Guardian. Both realms will think twice about attacking us, and if they do, I did warn them by what I did to Olitha. I hope I don’t have to do the same with your son.”

  “You will never take my son from me. I will kill you first!” She lunged toward Angel.

  “Millie,” I said. “Stay in the circle.”

  “No! She has to die!” She pushed by me using every ounce of strength she had left, and pulled out a knife that she had concealed in her jacket.

  “Millie!” I yelled, as Angel grabbed her, bending her arm back until the knife dropped to the floor.

  “You think you can kill me with a knife? Now your son will die. But you will be first!”

  Angel seized her mind and Millie went to the floor. Her body began trembling violently. Her eyes rolled back in her head. She opened her mouth, but no screams came out.

  “Angel, stop!” I yelled, knocking her back and breaking her hold on Millie. Her eyes were crazed, and she spat out words angrily.

  “You will not stop this punishment!”

  Two Dominions grabbed me from behind, pulling me away from her. I struggled to get away, yelling.

  “Madame Cecilia, help Millie!”

  “Yes, of course,” she said, stunned by Angel’s violence. “Angel, you have to stop this now!”

  She rushed towards Millie, but Angel moved in front of her, blocking her. She motioned to the rest of the Dominions to hold Madame Cecilia back. Angel turned, reaching again for Millie.

  “Angel!” I hollered, getting her attention. She turned to me with a satisfying smile on her face.

  “Watch, Alixia. This is how everyone you care about will die.”

  “No!” My rage boiled to the surface, unleashing hatred. I broke away from the two holding me and rushed toward Angel. Grabbing a handful of her hair, I pulled her back from Millie’s tortured body and tossed her violently across the ballroom. She hit one of the secret glass mirror doors, shattering it outwardly into tiny pieces around her. She shook off the blow quickly. Glaring at me wildly, she screamed in French.

  “Vous devez être punis!”

  I jumped across the room and collided with her charge in midair. We fell to the floor, with me on top of her.

  “Let go of me!” she said, struggling to get out of my grip. “I warned you not to attack me again! Punissez Millie.” Millie screamed out in pain. The Dominions had her encircled.

  “Angel,” I said looking down at her, wanting just to end her right here. “Tell them to stop now.”

  “No!”

  “Fine, I said coldly. “Then you will die.”

  I adjusted my grip on her and turned to the Dominions.

  “Release Millie, or I will tear off her head.”

  There was a commotion by the door.

  “Stop this, Angel!” Phillip yelled, entering the room with Charles and pushing the Dominions away from Millie. “She will kill you.”

  The red hue started covering me as my rage intensified. “You’d better listen to him, Angel!”

  She reached up, trying to pull my arm away and feeling my grip tighten on her throat. I could sense her panic as I let her into my mind, showing her what her death would be like.

  “Release her!” she cried out.

  I loosened my grip, and watched the Dominions move away from Millie.

  “Let go of me!” Angel said.

  “You got it.” I pushed her to the side hard, hearing the crunch of glass as she fell to the floor. I went quickly to Millie’s side, hearing the Dominions threats behind me.

  “Millie,” I said, taking her arm. “We need to go now!”

  Madame Cecilia helped me get her to her feet, and handed her an herb.

  “Millie,” she said. “Chew this and it will ease your pain. Phillip, come help us.”

  “No,” I said. ”I don’t want his help.”

  He looked at me painfully.

  “Alixia, let me help you please?”

  “No,” I said, holding up Millie’s weak body. I started walking toward the door.

  “Stop her!” Angel yelled out.

  “Angel!” Madame Cecilia said, stepping in front of us with the other Council members and blocking her. “They will be allowed to leave.”

  “Don’t interfere!”

  “Get her out of here, Alixia!” Madam Cecilia said, looking back at me with urgency. Phillip grabbed my arm. “Just let me help you!” he said as we were both sensing the same thing. I hesitated, not trusting him.

  “Phillip is here to help,” Charles said. I looked into his eyes, and I nodded.

  Phillip picked Millie up, cradling her in his arms. She tried to resist.

  “No, my baby. Put me down. They’re not taking him from me!”

  We made our way quickly to the front entrance. Opening the door, I said anxiously, “Phillip, we have to get her to Marguerite’s. She will be safe there.”

  “Hold on tight to me, Millie.”

  “No, I’m not leaving with you!” she said struggling to get away from him.

  “Stop it, Millie!” I said, helping Phillip get a hold of her again. “You will die if we stay here.”

  Phillip wrapped his arms around her. She shrieked as we took off quickly into the night sky, accelerating through the trees, twisting and turning as we made our way through the swamp.

 
; Landing, Phillip set her down gently. She crumpled to the ground.

  “Phillip,” she said. “You have sentenced my child to death. I hate you! Get away from me!”

  “Try to understand.” He said looking over at me for help.

  “I understand only that you will all pay for this!”

  He shook his head and ran his fingers through his hair, frustrated.

  “Millie, I swear I didn’t know it would come to this.”

  “Just leave, Phillip.” I said.

  He looked at me pleadingly.

  “Alixia, we need to talk.”

  “Not now, Phillip.”

  “You heard her,” Millie said. “Leave!”

  She moved closer into my arms, as if she were a child.

  “Alixia,” he said, kneeling down by us. “You need to listen to me. You owe me that, at least.”

  “She doesn’t owe you anything,” Marcus said, emerging from the gray shroud of the swamp. Michael was with him. Phillip stood up angrily, facing Marcus.

  “Get the hell out of here right now!” Marcus said.

  “Not until I talk to Alixia,” Phillip said. “So, back off.” Phillip’s hands went to his sides, making fists. Michael moved quickly to Marcus’s side, speaking in a threating low harsh voice.

  “Phillip, you know what I can do. It’s best that you leave.”

  “Okay!” I yelled. “He’s leaving. “

  I got into Phillip’s head.

  I want you to leave, Phillip, before someone gets hurt.

  Okay, but we need to talk.

  Fine. At my house.

  He pushed Marcus out of the way and took off into the night. Marcus glared at me.

  “You’re not going to him. I read his thoughts!”

  I shook my head in disbelief.

  “Michael, take Millie inside,” I said. “I need to speak with Marcus.”

  “Right. Millie, let’s go.”

  “Are you coming, too?” she asked.

  “Yes, I just need a few minutes. “

  “But I need to talk to both of you.”

  “We won’t be long.”

  “Come along now, Millie,” Michael said, putting his arm around her. “Let’s get you back to the house.”

  They walked away until their gray ghostly shadows faded into the trees. I turned to Marcus, perturbed.

  “Now,” I said pointing my finger at him. “If I want to talk to Phillip, I will!” He took a step back from me.

  “I don’t get why you want to listen to what he has to say. All that crap he said in the West Indies about wanting to be on your side because of what Correa did to his parents, and then he turns on us! He can’t be trusted anymore, and you know it!”

  “He helped me protect Millie.”

  I walked over to an old, weathered log that stretched across the water’s edge. Marcus followed angrily.

  “What is that supposed to mean? He’s forgiven because he helped protect Millie? She is part of the Family, so of course he did! What you’re forgetting is that he and the Council provoked this whole situation!”

  “I know, but I owe him a chance to explain. You weren’t there tonight. It was different.”

  “How was it different? Millie’s baby and Marguerite are still cursed!”

  I bit down on my lip, grimacing. I wasn’t going to argue with him anymore.

  “Marcus,” I reached my hand out for him. “Just trust me.”

  He looked down at the ground, letting out a breath in frustration and not saying anything. I didn’t get into his head. I knew he was thinking that I was foolish. However, I just couldn’t turn my back on Phillip, especially after tonight. I needed to hear what he had to say.

  “Alixia.”

  “Yes?”

  His head was still down, not looking at me, as he spoke quietly but firmly.

  “You need to choose.”

  “I know. But I have to be sure.”

  Fatality

  After dressing for the day, I left my room to check on Millie. I slowly opened her door so as not to wake her, and peeked in. She seemed more peaceful than she had been most of the night – in and out of sleep with horrific nightmares, screaming out for her baby.

  “Hey,” Marcus said coming up behind me. “Is she alright?”

  “Yes she’s sleeping peacefully.” I closed the door quietly. “We need to get her baby back to her.”

  “We will.” He kissed the back of my neck and took my hand. “Let’s go.”

  We walked downstairs to join Michael. On the last step of the staircase I stopped, watching the sunrise through arched windows beside the wooden front door.

  “Alixia, what is it?” Marcus asked, putting his arm around my waist.

  “Nothing,” I said, hiding thoughts of wanting to see Phillip today. “Let’s just go into the study and discuss our next move with Michael.”

  The phone rang and Michael picked it up.

  “Hello? No, she isn’t here. Yes, I understand. I will meet you there in an hour. Goodbye.”

  “What’s going on, Michael?” Marcus asked. Michael put down the phone with a look of concern.

  “The police found the body of a man in the back of Marguerite’s shop. His neck was broken. It was probably an Ambrosine who killed him.”

  “Michael,” I said, surprised. “You think an Ambrosine did it.”

  “Why are you surprised that I would think that way? They have killed Outsiders before. Even we have had to protect our circles from the Outsiders’ curiosity.”

  I felt sick thinking of an Outsider’s death as just an inconvenience to them. I scowled at him.

  “I don’t think its right to…”

  “To kill them?” he interrupted harshly. “Our societies must always remain clandestine, even if we have to kill to accomplish it. That has been our belief throughout the centuries. Do you understand?”

  I didn’t answer him. I just nodded, knowing better than to argue. There was no compromise with any of them when it came to the sanctity of their dogmas.

  “No argument? Good. You are learning, Alixia.”

  He smiled slightly, believing he had won the debate.

  “Okay then,” he said, going toward the door. “I guess I’d better get to New Orleans before the police decide to come here. Now, where did I put my hat? Ah, yes. I remember.”

  We watched as he left the room.

  ”I need to sit down,” I said, going over to the leather couch.

  “Are you okay?” Marcus asked, sitting down next to me. “Michael’s right, you know.”

  “Yes, I know, but I still don’t have to agree with it. Remember, we have family and friends that are Outsiders.”

  “Yeah, I know.” He brought me closer to him; we sat there quietly for a moment.

  “Marcus,” I said, shifting a little more into the coolness of his body. “About Millie…”

  “What about her?” He kissed the top of my head.

  “She still wants to come to you,” I said.

  “I know. What do you want me to do about it?”

  “Tell her she has to tell Henry.”

  “Henry doesn’t know what she’s planning? “

  “No,” I said, shifting out of his arms to face him. “She made me swear not to say anything to him.”

  “So, you think that will be enough of a deterrent to stop her making the choice?”

  “No, I read her thoughts. She will have her revenge. But maybe seeing Henry’s reaction will make her think of what she will be giving up.”

  He squeezed my shoulder.

  “Yeah. Her soul.”

  I sucked breath in angst, looking up at him.

  “Let’s hope she doesn’t have to.” Suddenly, my attention was drawn toward the door, as I sensed her presence.

  ”Here you are,” Millie said, and took the chair across from us. She looked tired and beaten. Her hair was limp, not neatly braided as she usually wore it. Her dark, circled eyes were swollen from crying. She looked defeated and
when she spoke, there was a quiver in her voice.

  “I want to talk to…” she paused, looking around the room. “Where’s Michael?”

  “He went to New Orleans to see the police,” I said nervously, sensing what she wanted to talk about.

  “The police? Why?”

  “Someone was killed behind Marguerite’s.”

  “Who?”

  “We don’t know, but his neck was broken.”

  She lowered her eyes.

  “Too bad it wasn’t Angel’s,” she said, vindictively. “Marcus, I need you…”

  “Millie,” he said, not letting her finish. Standing up and taking her hand in his, she felt the coolness of his skin and pulled back instinctively. Then she looked at him, embarrassed.

  “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to do that. It was just a reaction. “

  “It’s okay. I understand. You are human, after all. That’s why I want you to be sure that you’re making the right choice. It’s your life you will be giving up.”

  “I have no life without my baby, Marcus!”

  “Millie, you need to think about this,” I said, jumping into the conversation.

  “I have. Stop trying to persuade me otherwise. I’m doing it.”

  “I’m not trying to stop you. But I think you should talk to Henry about it.”

  “I won’t do that, and you promised me you wouldn’t say anything.”

  “I know.”

  The phone rang and I answered it.

  “Hello? Yes, she’s here. Millie, the phone is for you.”

  “Who is it?”

  I shrugged my shoulders.

  “Hello? Yes, I’m Mrs. Corin.” She listened for a few seconds, and then sank to her knees.

  “Henry? No! He can’t be dead!”

  Marcus and I knelt down by her. I picked up the phone and gave it to Marcus.

  “Yes,” he said after introducing himself. “I understand. We will be there.”

  He hung up, pain on his face.

  “Millie, you have to go and identify his body.”

  “She killed him, Alixia.”

  “I am so sorry,” I said, with tears in my eyes. I helped her over to the couch, and she grabbed hold of me tightly.

  “We need to go now!” she said.

  “Okay,” Marcus said. “I’ll get the driver.”