Path of Descent: Ambrosine

by Noreen Harrison

  “Mother,” I said, “Madame Cecilia was repentant. You have to believe that. She never thought Marcel would steal you from your grave. All she wanted to do was see you again.”

  She leaned over and kissed my cheek. “She should have followed the belief. Now, let’s move on.”

  I gazed down at Madame Cecilia, feeling doleful.

  “I wish I could have talked to Marguerite before she set this curse. Maybe I could have prevented it.”

  She let out a little sound as though she was exasperated with me, and walked down to the water. Reaching in, she swirled her hand around a couple of times and pulled out a large bullfrog. She turned back to me, irritated.

  “Why are you so sure this was Marguerites doing?”

  “Well, who else would it be?” I asked, watching her go back into the circle. She squeezed the frog so violently that blood dripped down from her hand. She knelt down, drawing out a symbol of a blackbird with its blood, and spoke without looking up.

  “It was Angel.”

  I stepped back, stunned, as she continued drawing.

  “Angel?”

  “Yes, I’m sure it was her.”

  “Why would she do that?”

  She got up and went back to the water, dropping the frog in.

  “Because your grandmother turned on her.”

  “Wait,” I said raising my hand. “Marguerite knew of her involvement with the curse. So why would Angel go after her? It’s against the beliefs of the Family.”

  I looked down at Madame Cecilia lying there. Her green eyes moved back and forth as she listened to our conversation.

  Mother came up behind me placing her icy hand on my shoulder. I looked up at her.

  “I just don’t think Angel would risk that.”

  She squeezed my shoulder and stepped into the circle, kneeling down by Madame Cecilia and stroking her hair.

  “Why wouldn’t Angel turn on her? She betrayed Angel when she agreed to let the Dark Ones come for her.”

  “But to curse her?”

  “Well, we will find out. If she did cross the line by trying to deceive the Families into believing Marguerite was responsible, they won’t be so willing to protect her.”

  Now I remembered Angel’s outburst at us when we were getting close to Madame Cecilia. I looked down at her, getting into her thoughts again...

  “Alixia, stop!” Mother cried out, feeling my presence in her as she touched her heart. “You are bringing more pain to her. She has to be alive for the ritual.”

  I pulled back.

  “I’m sorry. I just want to see.”

  “We will find out, as I said. Now step back and keep watch. She is out there, waiting for me to start. You must hold her back, but do not kill her.”

  “Yes, I know that she has to be alive, too.” I could sense her and others as I looked toward the trees.

  I focused my attention back on Mother, hearing her start to chant. ”Les cendres de retour mortel à vie.” She moved her hands in a circular motion, the ash on Madame Cecilia starting to rise from her body.

  Mother held her hands out in an offering pose and closed her eyes, still chanting. The ash swirled precipitously above her, forming the shape of a blackbird.

  Abruptly, I turned from mother’s incantation, sensing Angel’s movement. I didn’t wait for her to appear. I ran into the swamp, picking up her scent. She came out of the trees at me, her eyes crazed.

  “Don’t stop me!” she yelled. Then she jumped straight into the air over me and accelerated toward Mother.

  “Angel, no!” I yelled, turning after her quickly, and hoping I would get her in time.

  Coming into the clearing, I stopped short. Angel was standing there frozen, with a blackbird screeching wildly around her. I looked toward the circle and saw the reddish yellowish glow of flames. There, standing in the middle of it, was Madame Cecilia’s ghostly spirit pointed toward Angel. Her mouth was open, but nothing audible was coming out. There was just a shrill scream, that pierced my ears, and then she disappeared into the ash as the fire went out.

  I ran quickly toward Mother to protect her, seeing the Family Council descending in the clearing. Stepping into the circle, she spoke as she took my hand.

  “They saw, Alixia, and they know.” She looked in the direction of Angel. “You will pay now.”

  “No, Lucida, you will pay!” Angel bellowed, reaching up violently and grabbing the bird in mid-air.

  She crushed it in her hand and threw it to the ground before running into the swamp. Mother jumped past me, following her.

  I began to go after them when I heard Charles, Phillip and other Family members moving quickly across the clearing. I stepped in front of them.

  “You’re not taking her.”

  “Alixia,” Phillip said scornfully, trying to get around me. “Step aside. We’re not after Lucida. This is about Angel now.” He pushed me back and ran into the swamp, with the others following.

  “We need to take her ashes.”

  “What?” I asked, looking back at Charles.

  “Her ashes, we need to take them to Marguerite. She will not have a funeral because of what she has done.” He motioned to Gabriel.

  I stood there for a second, realizing she was gone. This, then, was her fate.

  “Wait.”

  I walked over to the circle, knelt down and touched the ash. I couldn’t hold back my sorrow. Emotions and memories took over as I cried out her name.

  Charles knelt down beside me, putting his arm around me and not saying a word. He let me mourn.

  “We have to stop her,” I said, after a few minutes. He picked up one of the stones in the circle, holding it in his hand.

  “Angel will pay for this life,” he said grimly.

  I wiped my tears off angrily.

  “Yes, she will.”

  Awaiting

  Marcus came up behind me in the solarium, wrapping his arms around me.

  “Did they find her yet?” I asked smelling the perfumed fragrance of the red rose he was holding.

  “No, not yet. We can’t even pick up her scent in New Orleans. Phillip thinks Angel is in the West Indies, hiding under the protection of Dominions.”

  I turned around to face him, surprised.

  “You talked to Phillip?”

  “Yes, we met last night. I wanted to talk to him about you.”

  “Me? Why?”

  “I just needed to talk to him before I ask you…”

  “Ask me what?”

  He put a sheepish grin on his face and went down on his knee.

  “Marcus,” I said, overwhelmed, looking down at him dropping the rose. He picked it up and handed it back to me.

  “Alixia Cavelier, will you marry me?”

  He stopped, hearing Michael call out.

  “What now?” he said, frustrated. Michael rushed toward us, his belly bouncing like a bowl of jelly with each stride.

  “Michael, what is it?”

  He bent over huffing, trying to catch his breath.

  “I’ve just… come from the swamp. One… of Marcel’s Family members is close.”

  He gulped a huge breath.

  “You need to handle this! We can’t have anyone near the ritual sight tonight!”

  Marcus bared his teeth.

  “Why would they come so close? I’ll leave now.”

  “Wait!” I took hold of his hand. “It might just be Mother. I haven’t seen or sensed her since Madame Cecilia’s release two weeks ago. I’m coming, too.”

  We went out the back door to the solarium and ran into the swamp.

  “She was here,” I said heading back, looking around, wondering why she would flee, especially after she had told me that she wanted our help.

  “Yeah, I can smell her scent. Are you sure she wants to end Marcel?”

  “Why would you question that? Marguerite sent her to me.”

  “Just forget it.”

  “No, what’s bothering you?”

  “It’s just
, I wonder why she is so leery of contacting me. She told Marguerite a while back that she wanted me to change her. That she didn’t have to fear the death of your Families.”

  “I don’t know. Maybe Marcel is keeping a close watch on her. I’m sure she will contact us when she is ready.”

  “Maybe.”

  “Marcus…”

  “Yeah?”

  “That question you asked me before Michael interrupted. The answer is yes… if you…”

  He stopped and came back to me, picking me up in his arms.

  “Are you sure? No doubts?”

  “Yes, I’m very sure,” I said, kissing him. I slid out of his arms and walked through the weeping moss on a cypress tree, smiling back at him.

  “Wait,” he said, turning me around to face him. I leaned back against the tree. He moved in, putting his arms on either side of me, his face alight with a seductive smile. He pushed his body up against mine and I could feel the cool of his skin through my blouse. His lips met mine feverishly. Every part of my body ached with desire for him.

  “Marcus, you have to stop doing this to me,” I said, trying not to weaken under his touch. He laughed, reaching for me.

  “You know, we don’t have to wait…”

  “Yes, we do. Come on now, let go.”

  I stepped away, holding his hand as he pouted. Walking back, he squeezed my hand.

  “Hey, I have a surprise for you.”

  “Wait!” I said, putting my hand on his chest and smelling her scent. “She’s close. Stay here, Marcus.”

  I ran into the mist of the swamp, not seeing her.

  “Mother, where are you?” I called out. I turned, hearing a rustling across the water. It was just an alligator jumping in, as if something had spooked it.

  “Hey,” I turned, seeing Marcus. “Didn’t I tell you to wait?” He put his arm around me.

  “She’s on the other side of the swamp, where the gator jumped.”

  I looked over, seeing her standing there. I kissed him and took off over the water.

  “Mother, why are you here?”

  “To see you.” She looked past me.

  “I see Marcus is here with you. Call him.”

  “Really?” I said a little cautiously, seeing her nostrils flare as she sniffed the air for danger.

  “Yes. It’s time we all talked about going after Marcel and Angel.”

  I called out to him and he moved quickly over the water. He stopped in front of me, taking a defensive stance.

  “Such boldness, Marcus.” She said. “It will be useful when we work together.”

  He loosened up, not feeling a threat from her.

  “Madame Cavelier, Marguerite told me you would be contacting me. So, are you here tonight to join us, along with Millie?”

  “Millie?” Her eyes widened with anger, reading his thoughts. She took hold of him.

  “She is joining you? What have you done to her?”

  “Mother, stop!” I said, moving quickly and pulling her back. “This is Millie’s choice. Marcus did not trap her into wanting to turn!”

  She pulled away from me, enraged.

  “Millie would never go against the Family.”

  “Well, she is,” I said, letting go of her, but keeping myself in front of Marcus. “The Family betrayed her when they took her family.”

  She took a step back, anger and sorrow playing on her face at my revelation.

  “I don’t understand.”

  “They killed Henry and put a black hex on her child.”

  She stared at us and then walked away slowly, moving into the trees. I looked at Marcus.

  “Why don’t you go back?”

  He nodded, brushing my lips with a kiss while keeping his eye on her.

  “Are you sure?”

  “Yes, just go.”

  As he moved across the water, I ran to catch up with her. She turned around just as several bats flew out of an old hollow tree. I stood there for a few seconds watching the maelstrom above me, and then they disappeared into the darkness. She was standing there with her head down and her back against a tree, waiting for me.

  ”You can’t blame Millie,” I said, walking up to her.

  She looked up, her face not as hard as before, but sad.

  “Why would she choose to be this way?” she said, reaching out and smoothing my hair gently, as she had done when I was child.

  “She thinks that it is the only way she will have enough power to get her child back.”

  A tiny smile appeared on her face.

  “Millie wants immortality to go after Angel?”

  “Yes, and I’ve tried to talk her out of it, too. There is no changing her mind. She wants revenge for her family, so she will give her soul to Marcus tonight. Are you going to join her, too?”

  She moved away from me, looking up into the night sky, and then spoke quietly.

  “No. I’ve decided that I will not join Marcus. After we are finished with Marcel and Angel, if I am still alive, you will kill me.”

  “No!” I yelled at her insane request.

  “Alixia, I know Marcus won’t approve of you killing me if I’m part of his Family, and I want to return to my grave next to your father.”

  I just stood there staring at her. She wanted me to lose her again, but this time by my own hand. She walked up to me, touching my shoulder with icy fingers.

  “Did you hear me? I forgave your grandmother for messing up my death. Now I expect you to make it right, and bring me into the light. Promise me.”

  I just shook my head.

  “Mother, you can’t ask me to do that.”

  “You are an Ambrosine. You kill Dark Ones.”

  Millie’s Choice

  “Alixia, are you ready?” Millie asked, coming into my room and standing behind me.

  “Almost,” I said, brushing my hair before the mirror.

  “I heard you saw your mother?”

  “Yes.”

  “Marcus told me what she wanted from you.”

  She put her hand on my shoulder, staring at me in the mirror.

  “Will you do it for her?”

  I put down the brush, closed my eyes and felt such sadness thinking of her dying again.

  “This is all too surreal. I don’t know if I can.” I got up and went to the closet, taking my black dress off a hanger. Slipping off my robe, I stepped into it.

  “Here, come zip me.”

  “Alixia,” she said, moving the zipper up. “I think you should honor her request.”

  I turned around.

  “Why? Are you going to ask me for the same request?”

  She turned to the door.

  “Let’s go downstairs.“

  “Millie, answer me!”

  She looked back somberly.

  “I can’t say if I will or not. Can we leave now? I don’t want to talk about me yet.”

  “Fine, just let me get my shoes.”

  She stood at the door watching me as I put on some black flats. I was in her head, sensing her fear of becoming something she had grown up hating, but she was going to conquer that to get her child back.

  “Okay I’m ready,” I said, hugging her.

  Walking down the stairs, we were greeted by Michael, who was standing with a man and a woman I didn’t recognize. The man had a muscular build and dark features. His hair and eyes were raven black. The woman was blonde with blue eyes, and very slender. She wore a scooped neck, ankle length white dress. I sensed they were Pure Ones, and then saw that their tattoos were visibly on display. His was on his neck like Michaels, and hers was evident on her wrist as she reached her hand to us.

  “Ladies,” Michael said. “Allow me to present Monsieur Ashen Edward and Mademoiselle Shayla Jackson from Mississippi. They are here to observe the Dark Ones tonight.”

  I took her hand.

  “It’s nice meeting you, Millie,” she said, looking right into her eyes with deep compassion. “I have seen your baby, and he is well.”

&
nbsp; Millie stepped back. Tears welled in her eyes.

  “Thank you.”

  “Alixia,” Ashen said. “It is very nice to meet you, after hearing so much about you.” He reached out boldly, touching the pendent around my neck that the young Priestess had given me. He smiled, and then turned to Millie.

  “And you will see your child again soon. We can promise you that. Michael, shall we go?”

  “Yes, this way.”

  We walked out the front door, with Millie holding my hand tightly. I could hear Ashen and Michael talking quietly in French behind us. The woman, Shayla, was ahead of us, guiding us to where Marcus and the others were.

  “Are you sure, Millie?” I asked one more time, sensing fear.

  “Don’t put doubt in my head now,” she said, letting go of my hand. “I’m doing it!”

  “Fine, I won’t ask again.”

  “Good!”

  Shayla stopped in front of an iron rod gate. There were two blackbirds facing each other in the center where she placed her hand, pushing the gate open. It made an unnerving, creaking sound, as if it hadn’t been opened for a long time. Walking through, we moved slowly down a cobblestone path. I could smell the sweet flowery scent I had experienced in the West Indies, but it wasn’t as heavy this time.

  Because there was another scent, too…

  Dark Ones.

  “Alixia,” Millie said, deciding to hold my hand again. “You will stay with me, right?”

  “I won’t leave your side. I promise.” Putting my arm around her to comfort her, I looked ahead of us and saw a huge marble mausoleum against a hillside. Marcus was standing on the lowest step with a dark-haired, slender woman in a white cape.

  He took Millie’s hand, his eyes focused on her only, as he spoke somberly.

  “Go with Roxanna. She will prepare you.”

  “Come with me, Millie,” she said, reaching out for here. Millie stepped back, looking at me pleadingly.

  “Alixia, you promised.”

  “I’m going with her, Marcus.”

  Roxanna shook her head.

  “She can’t.”

  And then Michael spoke up.

  “Let her go with her.”

  The others stayed behind as we went through the heavy doors into an all-white marble entry. Roxanna walked over to a gold inlaid, floor-length mirror, pushing on it to reveal a door.