Path of Descent: Ambrosine

by Noreen Harrison

  “This was the last room to be remodeled. I hope you like it.”

  I could smell freshly painted walls as I walked in. A four-poster dark cherry bed sat in the middle of the room. It was covered with a white quilted eiderdown that looked as soft as a cloud. Decorative red and black pillows brought a splash of color to the room, and complemented the blood-red orchids in lead crystal vases on either side of the bed. Opening French doors, I walked out onto a slate stone patio, and gazed toward the water’s edge. I could hear the music of wind chimes in the cypress trees surrounding us.

  I kissed him.

  “Marcus, I can’t believe you did all this.”

  “I have one more surprise. Sit on the couch and I will be back in a minute.”

  He came back with a small, black velvet box and an envelope. He came around and sat beside me.

  “I forgot to give you this.”

  He handed me the box with a smile. I took it eagerly, opening it and dropping the lid to the floor.

  “Marcus,” I leaned over, giving him a kiss as I saw the gold wedding band inside. It had a black gold inset, with small diamonds arranged in an infinity symbol.

  “It’s beautiful.” I said holding it up, and then I saw the engraving in the inner band. Our love is forever.

  “The inscription is...”

  “Wait,” he said standing up and handing me the envelope. “I have one more surprise for you.”

  “What is this?”

  “Open it.”

  I took my finger and slid it across the envelope, breaking the seal. Opening it, I took out two airline tickets. Reading them with excitement, I jumped into is arms. “We’re going to Paris! I can see Libby and Claire again!”

  “Yes,” he said rejoicing in my pleasure. “And I thought…” he paused for second, “if you want, we could be married there.”

  “Yes, yes. Of course! No more waiting.”

  He hugged me close to him.

  “I was hoping you would say that.”

  “I can’t believe you did all of this.”

  He leaned in for a kiss saying.

  “I love you, Alixia. There is nothing I wouldn’t do for you.”

  “I know, and that is why I love you, too.”

  My lips met his, passionately.

  West Indies

  Walking into the mist, I felt my powers draining here in the Ancients’ realm. Their ghostly figures followed us with soft whispers in their native tongue. Michael and Marcus stood on either side of me as we made our way to Marguerite.

  “This way,” Michael said, as we stepped into the entrance and followed him down the stone hallway.

  “My powers are gone,” I said to Marcus, not hearing his thoughts anymore.

  “I know. I’ve lost mine, too.”

  “Is that him crying?”

  “Wait, Alixia,” Michael called out as I pushed past him, running to find James. I ignored him and entered a well-lit nursery. He was in a playpen in the center of the room, with blackbirds surrounding him. The birds didn’t move as I knelt down, bringing him to me.

  “It’s okay, James,” I said, comforting him. He whimpered softly, snuggling into me.

  “Shh… I’m here now, sweet baby boy.”

  Marcus came into the room.

  “Is he okay?” he asked, walking up to us. The birds suddenly screeched and flew at him. He stepped back.

  “No!” I yelled. The birds stopped and settled around us again. Marcus just stood there, angered about the attack on him.

  “What’s with these damn birds?”

  “Marcus, calm down. They’re just protecting James.”

  “Well, I’m not going to hurt him.”

  “I know. Just be quiet. Where’s Michael?”

  “He went to get Marguerite.”

  “Good, we need to get him back to his mother.”

  James reached up, touching my face with his little eyes focused on me.

  “We will make you safe again.”

  “Alixia!” Marguerite walked in with Michael. She clapped her hands and the birds flew out the door. “I can’t believe you left New Orleans!”

  I looked over at Michael, seeing that ‘I told you so’ look on his face. I adjusted James in my arms, not willing to let him go.

  “And I can’t believe you’re letting Angel go on living!”

  She moved toward us, nostrils flaring in anger and eyes fixed on me.

  “Millie will have her revenge. It has been promised!”

  James started to cry again. I patted his back, glaring at her.

  “Michael and Marcus, please leave” she said. “I need to talk to Alixia alone.”

  They left without any argument. I walked over to a white wooden rocker, picked up a baby blanket and sat down, watching her angrily pace in front of me.

  “You will return to New Orleans and deal with Marcel, and leave Angel to us!”

  “I’m not leaving until Angel is finished,” I said, wrapping James in the blanket. I watched Marguerite for her reaction.

  “You are going back. There is no discussion here.”

  “I’m not arguing. Where is she?”

  “Ah, you be careful.”

  “Marguerite, I want to know.”

  She looked worried as she walked to the door.

  “I need to talk to someone before I tell you. I will be right back.”

  I looked down at James and moved my fingers through his brown curls.

  I hope I can end this soon for you.

  I leaned down to kiss him and started humming softly, thinking of Millie. I wondered if she could be trusted around her own baby, especially after she threatened to go after Phillip and the Family. I sighed, quietly looking down at him, and noticed that he was almost asleep. I put him in his crib.

  “Is he asleep?” Marguerite asked.

  “Yes.”

  “Let’s go to my healing room to talk. We don’t want to wake him.”

  “Alright,” I said, following her. She stopped and clapped twice, bringing the birds back. I watched as they landed and circled the crib.

  “Come along, now.”

  We entered another room down the stone hallway. Sitting at her table, I watched as she lit a candle and then rubbed her nose as if she had an itch.

  “Okay then,” she said. “Let’s talk before you do something foolish. ”

  “I’m listening. Where is she?”

  ”On the Island.”

  “Good. Then let me go and get her, and we can end this now.”

  “No. It’s too dangerous.”

  “I will bring her to you alive.”

  “I wish it could be that easy. ”

  “Isn’t it?”

  She got up from the table and walked over to the other side of the room. She stared at a painting on the wall of a tipped gold chalice of blood, and a raven’s red-soaked beak drinking from it.

  “Marguerite, are you going to answer me?”

  “She has found another way to stop us, Alixia. “

  “That’s right, she has,” Phillip said, entering the room.

  “Why are you here?” I asked.

  He nodded at Marguerite.

  “She sent for me.”

  I stared at her, wishing I could hear her thoughts.

  “So, you sent for him. Why?”

  She gave him a quick glance.

  “He is here as ally, to help you understand why you can’t go after her.”

  I leaned forward on the table, filled with cynicism.

  “So, both you are protecting her now?”

  “We’re not!”

  “I will tell her,” Phillip said, sitting down with a grim look on his face. “Are you going to listen?”

  “Yes, I will listen. But I’m still going after her.”

  He looked at me with a heavy sigh disapproval.

  “There’s a problem. She has threatened to curse herself if we take her to Marguerite.”

  I pushed my chair back.

  “She…
what?”

  “If she does,” Marquerite said, “I will die. And James will, too. That’s why you can’t take her.”

  “She can’t get away with that!” I stood up, furious, and started pacing. “There has to be something you can do. Isn’t there some kind of dark magic you can stop her with?”

  “We have been trying to,” she said, walking away from us. “The elders and I have been struggling to break its darkness. But I have been too afraid for the child’s wellbeing to do any more experimenting.”

  I sat down, feeling defeated. Phillip touched my hand.

  “I’ve tried to talk her out of doing this, but she’s consumed with hate. She still thinks she was justified in cursing and killing each of them.”

  “Phillip, I want to talk to her.”

  Marguerite’s voice rose to a piercing screech.

  “No! What are you up to?”

  I moved the candle to the right side of the table.

  “I just want to talk to her. I want to see for myself that’s she willing to die, to earn vengeance.”

  “You will not hurt her?”

  “I promise you, I will not hurt her.”

  Phillip stood up.

  “I don’t think she will see you,” he said.

  “Oh, Angel will see me. She would never miss an opportunity to tell me that she still has control. So, will you set it up?”

  He walked over to Marguerite, with suspicion written all over his face.

  “Fine, but I will be with you. We will meet on the Dominions’ side. On the beach, at midnight.”

  “Okay with me. ”

  “What’s going on?” Marcus asked, entering the room. Phillip looked at me.

  “He’s part of this,” I said. “He is here to help us take Angel.”

  “Where is she?” Marcus asked, wrapping his arm around me and kissing me. He also watched Phillip’s reaction.

  “She’s on the Dominions’ side,” Phillip said. “I need to go now.” And he left the room.

  “I will be right back, Marcus,” I said, leaving his arms.

  “Phillip, wait!” I ran up to him. “Thank you for doing this for me. I know this is hard for you, because you care for her still.”

  “It is, and I know she needs to be destroyed for going against our beliefs. But…” He hesitated, and then darkness appeared in his eyes.

  “I don’t want the Dark One to do it, and I’m talking about Millie. If she does, the Family will come for her as I warned you.”

  I took his hand.

  “Don’t worry. Millie will not take her. We will.”

  He pulled back from me.

  “But I thought Marguerite said…”

  “Phillip, hush. We will talk tonight.”

  I heard Marcus call for me.

  “I will be right there,” I answered. “Phillip, I have to go.”

  He reached out for me.

  “Alixia?”

  “Yes?” He stared at me for second.

  “Never mind. I will see you tonight.”

  He headed out of the tunnel, disappearing into the mist.

  Marcus met me on my way back.

  “Is everything okay?” he asked as he put his arm around me protectively.

  “Yes. Let’s just get back to Marguerite. I have something to ask her.”

  She was standing by the wooden shelf, picking up a small jar.

  “Marguerite, I need something from you.”

  She opened the jar.

  “What is it?” I paused, repulsed as I watched her shake lifeless maggots onto a white small cloth.

  “Alixia, you said you need something?”

  “Yes, I’m sorry. That paralyzing mixture used in the rituals you told me about. Do you have some of that?”

  She stepped back with a baffled expression, looking at me as if I were asking her for poison. She put the lid back on the jar and spoke edgily.

  “Why would you need that?”

  “I need it for tonight.”

  Her eyes narrowed. She was putting two and two together.

  “Alixia, it will never work!”

  “We don’t know that.”

  She pushed past me.

  “Marcus, did you know what she was up to?”

  “No. This is the first I’ve heard of this. ”

  “He didn’t know because I just thought of it. I remembered one of the stories you told me about using this drug.”

  “What stories?” he said, probing us with his stares.

  “It’s nothing, Marcus,” she said. “Alixia, as I said, I don’t know if it would work on her.”

  “Why not?”

  “It’s never been used on immortals. It’s not like a curse.”

  “Well, let’s try it.”

  She raised an eyebrow in concern. Walking back to the cupboard, she reached up to the third shelf and took out a small, black leather satchel.

  “Here it is.”

  Picking up a knife, she walked back to us with the same concern look on her face.

  “So,” she said, opening the bag carefully and dipping the tip of the knife into the satchel. She pulled it out with a black tar substance on the tip of the blade. “If it works, she should be paralyzed right away. But Alixia, before you cut her skin, you have to find a way to remove the small leather pouch around her neck, and bring it back to me.”

  “Okay, I will. Can I ask why?”

  “Alixia,” she said with a grimace of fear showing on her face. “That is what is keeping her safe from us right now. That pouch she wears around her neck contains a small vial of black poison, and if she has a chance to break it against her skin, James and I are dead along with her.”

  “I ‘m not so sure about this now,” I said as she placed the knife in the candle’s fire.

  “Do you think Phillip would be willing to help?”

  “He might,” I said, looking at the tarry substance liquefy. “But there will have to be a compromise if he does. ”

  “What kind of compromise?” she said distractedly as she looked toward the shelf. “Alixia, will you get me a small ampule. There’s one on the bottom ledge.”

  “Sure.”

  I reached for the small bottle, and saw the maggots moving a little as they came out of whatever state they had been in besides death. They gave me the creeps.

  “Alixia, hurry.”

  “I’m coming.”

  Pulling the cork out, I handed it to her.

  “Thank you.” She carefully turned the knife so that the tip was pointing into the bottle’s neck, and let the liquid drip inside.

  “There,” she said, pushing the cork in. “Now, the compromise. What is it?”

  “Millie.”

  “Millie?” they both echoed loudly, with baffled looks on their faces.

  “Yes,” I said, taking in a deep breath and hoping they weren’t going to argue. “It’s simple. Phillip doesn’t want her to be the one to finish Angel, because of her being a Dark One.”

  “No,” Marguerite said angrily. “She is promised to Millie, and you will not take that from her!”

  Marcus didn’t say a word.

  “Listen to me,” I said. “You’re being unreasonable, waiting for Millie to have her revenge. It is insane. We need to end all of this now, and if we can bring Angel to you tonight, it will be finished.”

  She moved away from me, going to the entrance and not saying anything. Her silence now was torture. All I could think was, Damn I wish I could get into her head right now.

  “Marguerite, where are you going?”

  “I will be back; you and Marcus wait here for me. I need to council with the others.”

  Marcus came up behind me, bringing me into him. I turned my head, looking up at him.

  “What do you think she will decide?”

  He kissed my neck.

  “I don’t know.”

  “This could be the best way to finish Angel. The Families won’t retaliate against your Family, as Phillip told me they will, if
Millie isn’t involved.”

  “He told you they would come for her?”

  “Yes.”

  “Huh. Well, that should be interesting, since she wants to go after them, too.”

  I moved away from him.

  “Marcus! You don’t want that to happen.”

  “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean for it to come out that way.” I watched his lips curl a little, to form a smile.

  “Sure you didn’t. You’re just lucky I can’t read your mind here.”

  “I know.”

  I shook my head and went back to sit at the table. Marcus joined me as I reached for the ampule.

  “I hope this works.”

  “Do you think Phillip will help you to bring her to us?” he asked, moving his hand over the flame on the candle.

  “I hope so, and I will need his help in removing that vial around her neck, too. That’s what’s scaring me the most right now.”

  His brow furrowed with concern.

  “If you don’t think it can work, back away.”

  I put down the ampule.

  “Oh, I will.”

  We sat there for a half hour just talking about Millie and what I should expect when I see her again. Then Marguerite returned with Michael.

  “All right,” she said. “The council is agreed. If you bring Angel to us, we will complete her punishment.”

  “Without Millie, right?”

  “Yes. Unless something changes.”

  Cessation

  Knowing we were close to the Dominions’ territory, Marcus took his arm from around my shoulders.

  “I’ll talk to Marguerite again, when I go back,” he said.

  “Yes, make sure she keeps her word. Because if she doesn’t, I swear…”

  He brushed my lips with a kiss.

  “She’ll keep her word. Just be careful with that vial.”

  “Don’t worry, I will. I’d better step over now; Phillip will be waiting for me.”

  “Right.” He looked out into the mist. “If this doesn’t work…”

  “I know. You don’t have to say any more.”

  I was thinking of Millie’s baby as I kissed him, and stepped into the mist.

  Reaching the beach, I felt my powers return. I got into Phillip’s head, to let him know I was here. While I waited, I watched the waves gently rolling onto the sand. Kicking off my sandals, I sat down. I brought my knees up, wrapped my arms around them and felt the warmth of the sand under me.