I paused, hearing Marcus calling out to me.
“I have to go now.”
“I understand. Don’t trust her, Alixia.”
I moved into him, brushing my cheek with his.
“You keep safe.”
I kissed him, and left.
The Ancients
Marcus and I walked through heavy mist with the Ancients surrounding us with their whispers. We were looking for Marguerite. She had left as soon as she heard that Charles went to the West Indies for refuge.
“This way,” Marcus said, taking my hand. I followed him into the entrance.
“Where do you think she is?” I asked, looking down the hallway. We didn’t have any powers, so we were vulnerable to everything here.
“Alixia,” my mother called out, coming from a room on the left.
“Mother,” I said, walking up to her and kissing her cold cheek. She acknowledged Marcus with a nod.
“What are you two doing here?”
“We’re looking for Marguerite. Have you seen her?”
“No, but she is probably already at the Council of the Elders. I’m going there now. Charles is contesting her vendetta against him.”
I look at her intently.
She and Charles have spoken.
“Mother, he told you? I can’t believe you and Charles talked without destroying each other.”
She grinned at the corners of her mouth, making me wish I could get into her thoughts right now.
“There are times when we are civil to each other.”
“Right, mother. Let’s go.”
We walked through the jungle, following the sound of drums.
Every beat pulsed through my body as we arrived at another entrance. Walking down a stone hallway, the flowery sweet smell was there, wafting its way through my nostrils. We entered the white marble room. We knelt down, seeing four Ancient elders wearing full black masks. They moved slowly past us as if they were gliding on air, making their way to four high-back chairs in the middle of a pentagram.
Standing, I watched them sit one by one. Their dark eyes were the only things visible through their black masks as they stared at us. Then I stepped back, freaked out as I sensed them in my mind.
“Marcus, you feel them?”
“Yes.” He had the same sensation as he hugged me closer to him.
“What is this, Lucida?”
“Silence, you two. You are making spectacles of yourselves. This is how they communicate with us. We just hear thoughts.”
I glanced all around, not seeing Marguerite. So far, it was just the Elders and us, and they weren’t going to talk obviously.
“He is here,” Mother said.
I looked toward the back of the room, seeing Charles walking in. He looked straight at us, and his eyes widened in surprise. And then they narrowed in anger as he walked to the center. He faced them with a half bow and we heard their whispered voices in our heads.
Speak.
Charles had to choose his words carefully, to defend his life and his judgment against her. Marguerite was well revered among the Ancients.
“I come here to defend the Council in the matter of our judgment against Marguerite, and to stop her using her black magic against us. She has overstepped her bounds several times, taking it upon herself to go after the Dominions without judgment. She has broken the beliefs openly, just to settle a trivial score concerning her husband and daughter being taken.”
“Yes, I’m settling the score, Charles!”
Marguerite said entered the room, full of hate.
“How dare you think of my family as trivial! You think coming here is going to save you from me?”
“Marguerite, stop!” Marcus called out, leaving me and taking hold of her.
“Let go,” she said, struggling from his grip. “This is wrong!”
The middle Elder stood.
Enough, Marguerite! You will not bring your retaliation to this realm.
Marguerite realized that her outburst had revealed too much.
“Let go of me, Marcus,” she said, going to the Elders with no repentance. “My grief has been no secret with any of you. I admit to taking the Dominions without Council with the Families. But he and his Council would have dismissed their own attack on Henry as trivial, as he did here now regarding my own family. We must be able to defend ourselves.”
“We agree.”
“No,” Charles spoke up, trying to save his own skin. “Marguerite, I apologize. I misspoke. I didn’t mean it to come out that way.”
“Charles, you didn’t misspeak. You thought nothing of Henry or his family. You colluded with Angel and the Dominions to keep Millie’s child under the death curse, and to this day you’ve had no remorse for being part of that.”
“You are wrong. I did feel remorse for taking Millie’s child. But we needed him for insurance after you made the choice to change the order of things, and disregard our decrees.”
“You heard your proof,” she said to the Elders. “He has admitted to the Pure One’s bondage!”
They turned to each other in debate, then nodded.
“You will not.” I yelled, hearing the Elders words. Charles, you are answerable for the taking of the young boy. Marguerite will be allowed to decide her own punishment for you and the others who were involved in the Pure Ones’ endings.
I yelled at Marguerite.
“You can’t do this. You know what will happen!”
The Elders stood.“
Alixia, accept the conclusion.
“No, you can’t do this!” I said stepping forward.
Stop.
I moved back, putting up my hands, yielding.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean any disrespect. I just want you to listen. You have to know that this will cause more hatred between us and the Pure Ones, if Charles is taken.”
No, it won’t. We will intervene. Be aware of that.
“But Charles?”
It’s done.
They looked at each other and there was silence. They let go of their hold on us, and then slowly disappeared in front us as if they were ghosts, taking their sweet fragrance with them.
“Marguerite, end this,” I begged her.
“No,” she said, lifting her nose into the air with a satisfied smile. “You heard our Elders. I have free will to bring all the guilty to justice.”
“Phillip…” I said.
She took hold of my wrist.
“Alixia, nothing is going to happen to him. He helped me take out Angel.”
I stepped back from her, apprehensive that she would keep her word.
Charles spoke up quietly.
“Then, my nephew won’t be cursed?”
“No, unless he attacks us. Then he will be finished, just as the rest of you will be.”
Charles moved back in fear. I reached for him.
“Charles, come with us now. We will…”
He pulled back.
“I can’t leave here, or I will die.”
“He’s right.” Marguerite said, standing there exultant. She was finally getting her revenge.
“Again, I beg you to end this now,” I said, watching Charles move toward Mother out of the corner of my eye.
“No,” Marguerite said, bringing me back quickly to her insanity.
“Why not? You’ve got the ones who killed Henry. You have no right to take any more.”
She moved away from me toward the entrance.
“It’s already done,” she said.
I grabbed her shoulder.
“You can undo it.”
She jerked away from my hold.
“The curse stays. And Charles, you will not have refuge here for long. I will see to that.”
“Marguerite!” I went face to face with her. “If you go through with this, you are no better than Angel, and I will destroy you as you wanted her destroyed for her vengeance! Do you understand me?”
Marcus came to my side, as Marguerite’s face turned red
with anger.
“You had better watch yourself. You have no right speaking that way to me.”
“Why? You know it’s the truth. You are no better than her.”
“Get out of my way!”
“No, I will not, until you listen.”
“Move!”
“Marguerite,” Marcus said, taking her hand. “Just listen to her.”
“No! She is not part of this anymore, and you evidently don’t know which side you are on either. Make your choice!”
He looked at me with a smile.
“I have.”
Fractured
Arriving in New Orleans in the early morning, Marcus and I looked for my Camaro in the airport parking lot. As we walked through the rows of cars, I was thinking about Mother and Charles when we left the Ancients’ realm. I wished that I had been able to get in their minds. Their quick glances at each other, their smiles – it was as if they were sharing secrets. It made me question even more their sudden tolerance of each other.
Marcus took my arm.
“There’s the car over there, under the parking light.”
“Good. Where are my keys?” I said, fumbling through my purse.
“I‘ll drive, Alixia.”
“Alright, here.” I held up the keys for him.
We stopped for a car backing out and I asked, “Hey did you notice something funning with my mother and Charles?”
“No. Why?”
“Never mind, let’s just go to the car.” I heaved a sigh of relief.
Maybe I’m reading too much into it…
“Which key?” he asked.
“That one. Oh, and I’m going to see Phillip.”
He unlocked the car door for me.
“I’m going with you, then.” I slid into the seat, shaking my head.
“Are you crazy? No way are you coming with me.”
“Why not?”
“Because you’re not.”
I heard his thoughts as he came around to the other side.
“If this is about Phillip, you don’t have to worry,” he said, getting in and turning the key.
“No, it’s not about Phillip. It’s the rest of the Family that we can’t trust yet.”
“We can handle them,” he said, backing out of the parking space.
“I think we should just leave things the way they are for now.”
A snide smile crossed his lips as he popped the car into first gear.
“Are you sure? We are all going to be connected soon by marriage, so maybe we should start sending out our invitations and letting them know. I’m going to be part of the Family, soon.”
“Invitations? Yes, that should help the situation,” I smirked.“ Why didn’t I think of that? That should make them all change their minds about you.”
“You never know.”
“Oh, right. Let’s get back to reality here. We’re dealing with Marguerite now. We don’t need any more crises. So, I will go to see Phillip by myself. ”
“Fine.” He shifted gears and turned the car toward Phillip’s place.
Driving out of New Orleans, I reached over and put my hand on his.
“You know what? I’ve changed my mind. Take me to Marguerite’s.”
“Why?” he asked, curious.
“I need to speak with her.”
“Alixia, there is nothing you can do. You heard her, she is not going to back down.”
“I know,” I said, shifting in my seat to face him. I just want to talk to her.”
He glanced at me as he turned onto the road to her mansion.
“What’s in that mind of yours, now?”
“You know what I said on the plane…”
Suddenly, I heard Phillip and gripped the door handle.
“Stop the car now!”
“What is it?” he said pulling sharply to the edge of the road. “It’s Phillip. He has her.”
I got out and accelerated toward the swamp.
”Alixia, wait up. Who does he have?”
I landed hard on a dead run, hearing Phillip’s anger.
“Phillip, stop!” I yelled, as Marguerite fell to the ground. I ran over to her.
“Oh, Phillip, what have you done?”
I sensed the Ancients watching.
“She killed them all.”
“Get away from her!” Marcus said, pushing him back. Kneeling down and taking her into his arms, he looked up at me.
“She is still alive, but barely breathing.”
“Let me finish her,” Phillip said, pacing back and forth. He was holding the blackbird claw that we had used on Angel, still wanting to rip the other side of her face with it.
“Phillip?” I asked, moving him away from her.
He looked past me, frothing. He angrily spat out his words.
“They are dead – everyone who was in the mansion. I heard their cries but I was too late.”
“They’re all dead?”
“No, Sofia wasn’t taken. She spared her for some reason.”
I stood there, horrified.
“Why would she attack the staff? They were innocent.”
“Marguerite!” Michael and four other Pure Ones cried out for her, rushing toward us through the dawn light
“Phillip, go!” I said, terrified.
“No, I won’t leave.”
“You need to go now!” He stood there for a second, his face hard as I heard his threats.
“Phillip, don’t! Michael had nothing to do with what happened. Please go. I will meet you at the mansion.”
“This is not over with!”
He took off as Michael reached Marguerite’s limp body.
“Let me have her,” Michael said. He took her from Marcus’s arms, his face contorted with emotion. He hugged her to him, weeping sorrowfully. The other Pure Ones surrounded him, showing the same anguish. Then they left, taking her into the swamp.
“Michael, please,” I called out. He didn’t even turn back. He just kept walking.
Marcus came over and put his arm around me.
“I have to go and be with Marguerite. You understand?”
“Yes, go. And I need to go to the mansion. You understand why, right?”
He sucked in a breath, trying not to show his anger. I knew he felt they all deserved it.
“Marcus, I tried to warn her.”
He stepped back.
“I can’t listen to this right now. I need to go to her.”
“Go, then. We will talk later.”
Marked
I felt the souls of the dead as I went through the door into the foyer. I sensed the Ancients had been here, too.
“You’ve come back.”
Sofia quickly took me into her arms. I looked over her shoulder, seeing the lifeless bodies of so many Family members, their bloodied faces shredded apart by the blackbirds that lay dead all over the room.
“Gabriel!” I screamed, seeing him lying there. I went to him, falling to my knees. The rips to his face and neck were deep and bloody. His strong body was flaccid and quiet, and his eyes were open and vacant. I shook my head.
“I don’t understand. Why did she take them?”
“They fought against her to protect the Council. So, she punished them. She used the birds to distract them, and to spread the black poison.”
I put my hand over Gabriel’s eyes, closing them, and then looked back at her, with suspicion.
“Sofia, I’m glad you are safe. But why are you alive?”
“I understand. It’s okay. Phillip asked the same question. No, I didn’t betray the Family. It’s because…”
She collected herself, straightened up and looked me in the eyes.
“It’s because Marguerite is my sister.”
“Yes,” Phillip shouted, coming into the foyer. “That evil bitch is her sister!”
“Phillip,” Sofia said, “hold your tongue, now. What’s done is done.”
He looked at her angrily, but didn’t argue.
“L
et’s just take them to the swamp,” he said, “so that I can bring them into the light. But first, I need to speak with Alixia.”
He put his arm around me.
“We won’t be long. We will meet you at the ritual grounds.”
“Yes, of course,” she said motioning to the other Family members. “We will take care of things here.”
“Let’s go to the garden.”
He opened the door for me.
“Is she dead yet?” I asked.
“I don’t know. They took her home. Marcus is with her.”
I felt the heat of the morning as we walked toward the garden.
“The bird claw,” I said. “I saw it in your hand.”
“You saw that?” He rubbed the back of his neck, reliving tension. “I kept it because of Angel’s warning. She always said not to trust Marguerite.”
“So, you used it on her?” I asked, picking a rose.
“Yes, that’s why I kept it. I knew it would be the only way to stop her, but I was too late. I heard their cries and I came as quickly as I could. But Marguerite had already left carnage throughout the mansion.”
He paused, looking back at the mansion, and closed his eyes for a second. He was replaying in his mind what he had seen, for my benefit.
It began with Sofia screaming, and then he found Gabriel lying on the floor, covered in blackbirds that were tearing at his flesh.
“Phillip, I can’t belief she did that to them.”
“You’re in my head, so you are seeing what I saw.”
“Yes,” I said sitting on a bench, nauseated and repulsed at seeing their suffering.
“How you did get close enough to stop her?”
He joined me on the bench and leaned back, looking straight ahead.
“Marguerite came out of nowhere and grabbed my arm, to stop me helping Gabriel. Her vile words to me were, ‘Let him die’. I told her to go to Hell, and stuck the bird claw deep into her throat.”
“Wait. You took her at the swamp. Not here at the mansion?”
“Yeah. Evidently the claw wasn’t as potent for her as it was for Angel. She went down right away, but when I came back from going through the mansion with Sofia, she was gone. I followed her scent, catching her before she got to her sanctuary. I pulled her back, and she was screaming some kind of black magic incantation. That’s when I twisted her neck to silence her, and tore the bird claw once more across her face.”
Path of Descent: Ambrosine Page 18
