“Alixia, my little darling , what are you talking about? You know we’re like Romeo and Juliet.”
He kissed me, then looked back at them. “Really, we can’t keep our hands off each other. Right, Alixia? “
“Ah, yes,” I said, flummoxed.
You’re going a little too far, Phillip.
But look at Libby. She’s dying to know more.
I looked, and their eyes were fixed on us.
“So,” Libby said. “You and Philip are like Romeo and Juliet, eh?”
“Libby, I don’t want to talk about it.”
Phillip interrupted me.
“Alixia,” he squeezed my shoulder gently. “It’s okay. You can tell them how I swept you off your feet. You know what I’m talking about, right, Libby? That first touch that sends you wildly into each other arms? Then there’s that first long kiss that starts passion flowing hot and crazy through your whole body.”
Libby’s cheeks turned pinker with every word that came out of his mouth.
“Okay, Phillip,” I clapped my hands together. “I think they have the picture.”
I was just getting started.
Well, stop. You’re getting Libby all flustered.
He smiled at them, kissing my cheek.
“You’re right, Alixia. I don’t think I need to say any more about our passions, well, except for that one thing I do that you really like.”
“Oh, look! Here comes Claire.
I walked over to giving her a big hug.
“Claire, I heard the news. I’m so happy for you.”
She looked crossly at Libby. “I wanted to tell her!”
“Wait, don’t get after Libby. It was Robert who told me first.”
“Robert?”
“Oh, I shouldn’t have said that. He wanted me to keep the secret until you told me. He called me the other night and wanted to know if I had heard from Marcus. He said he had important news for him. That, of course, made me curious and I dragged it out of him. So, don’t get mad at him, okay?”
She sat down, mollified for now.
“So, where’s Robert?”
“He’s parking the car. He’ll be here in a minute.”
Her attention switched to my date.
“Phillip, it’s nice to see you again.” He stood up, reached over the table and shook her hand. She smiled at him like a schoolgirl with a massive crush.
“It’s nice to see you too, Claire.” He let go of her hand.
“So, I guess congratulations are in order?”
“Yes,” she said, with just a slight hesitation. “Here comes my groom now.”
“Hello, everyone.” He kissed Claire and sat next to her. “Did you guys order yet?”
“No, we’ve been waiting for you,” Davis said, motioning for the waiter.
Robert smiled at Phillip.
“Nice to see you again,” he said, and they shook hands.
Robert looked over at me.
“Alixia, did Claire tell you the good news?”
We all laughed.
”Forget it, Robert,” Claire said. “I know that you let the cat out of the bag.” I did my best to look innocent.
“Alixia, you promised!”
“Sorry.” He leaned over and kissed Claire. “I’m forgiven, right.”
“Maybe…”
“Good. Where’s that waiter? I’m starving.”
“Here he comes,” Libby said. The waiter walked over with a pleasant smile on his face. “So, are you all ready now?”
“Yes!” Robert said, and then started belting out his order.
I looked at Phillip. We had both sensed the presence.
Do you see him?
No.
The sensation dissipated.
I’ll go outside to see if I can pick up his scent.
Be careful, Phillip. This is Marcel.
Phillip stood up, putting his napkin on the table. “Excuse me. I forgot to tell the diver something. I’ll be right back. Alixia, would you order for me?”
“Sure.”
I watched as he went out the door, hoping there wouldn’t be any trouble tonight.
We just have to make sure they all stay safe.
“Alixia.”
“Yes?” I answered Davis.
“The waiter, he needs your order.”
“Oh, of course. I’m sorry. We’ll both have the chicken fried steak dinner.”
After the waiter left, Libby and Claire began discussing their weddings. Robert and Davis started talking sports, and I sat there pretending that I was interested in everything. But my mind was on Phillip. I could sense he was in danger.
“Alixia,” Libby asked. “What do you think?”
“I’m sorry, about what?”
“I just asked you about the flowers. Claire just wants daisies.”
“There’s nothing wrong with daisies,” Claire said.
“Well, I want roses.”
I looked at them.
“Then, mix them together!” I said crossly.
“Alixia,” Libby said, looking surprised. Everyone was staring at me.
“I need some air. Excuse me.”
Walking out the front entrance, his scent immediately hit me. I followed it into a dark alley.
Phillip and Gabriel were there, talking to each other.
I walked over to them.
“Marcel?”
“Yes, it was him in the restaurant. And these two here,” he pointed to two bodies on the ground, “had Gabriel backed into this ally.”
“Gabriel, they didn’t hurt you?”
He shook his head.
“No, thanks to Phillip.”
“And Marcel?” I asked, looking at Phillip.
“He decided to jump in right after I took these two out. But it was a short-lived fight once he got a whiff of you coming toward the alley. He took off, saying some threatening words.”
“That’s it. I’m going to go see Marguerite.”
“Fine, whatever you say.” He looked to the front of the alley, and then down at the bodies. “But for now, we’d better get these two out of here. Gabriel, bring the car around and we can take them to the swamp and burn them.”
I looked down at the decapitated bodies.
“He doesn’t have to,” I said, grimacing at the sight. “I’ll take care of it.”
I knelt down next to them. Closing my eyes, the heated power of the Ambrosine blood ran rapidly through my veins and the red hue covered me quickly. I looked down at my palms, seeing blood seep through my skin. I put my hands on the bodies, penetrating deep into their hearts, and then watched as they turned to ash.
“Okay,” I said, coming out of the red hue. “Let’s just get this dinner over with.”
Phillip looked at Gabriel.
“Can you take care of the ashes?” He nodded.
We went back to the restaurant and I apologized for my outburst. I was forgiven, but Libby watched me through the rest of our meal. When the table was cleared, Robert asked me to dance.
“Ah, sure,” I said, standing up. He took my hand and we walked out on the dance floor. He put his arms around me, holding me tight as we swayed to a slow song. Then, whispering, he took me off guard.
“I had a visit from one of Marcus’s friends tonight, in the parking lot.”
“What?” I stopped dancing.
“Smile. They’re watching.”
I looked over at the table and he was right: they were all staring at us. I felt Phillip getting into my head, and I blocked him.
“I’m sorry, Robert. So, what did he say?”
“She.”
“She? It was a she?”
“Yes.”
“What was her name?”
“I don’t know. She didn’t formally introduce herself. Why do you ask?”
“I don’t know. So, what did she say?”
“Marcus wants to see you tonight.”
“What! Where?”
“That’s the strange part. She didn
’t tell me.”
“What do you mean she didn’t tell you?”
He swung me out and then brought me back to him.
“She said you would know where it is safe for Marcus and you to meet.”
“Really?”
”Yes, so where is it?”
“I can’t tell you. But it is safe.”
“Alixia, I didn’t ask you if it was safe. Where is it?”
“I‘m not telling you.” The music stopped and I began walking back to the table. He grabbed my arm and turned me around, speaking intensely.
“I want to go with you.”
“Sorry, Robert. Not this time,” I said quietly, noticing everyone was looking at us.
“But I must see him.”
“What’s the problem?” Phillip asked, coming up to us.
“We’re not done with this, Alixia!” Robert said, letting go of my arm. He walked back to the table and said something to Claire. She stood up and looked at me, shaking her head as she left the restaurant with him.
“Okay, what’s going on? And why did you block me out of your thoughts?”
“Let’s just go. I’ll tell you when we get out of here.”
We walked back to the table to say our goodbyes. Libby and Davis were confused and I quickly brushed it off as something to do with Marcus not being here with me. We hugged each other and I told Libby I’d call her.
Walking out, Gabriel was standing by the car, waiting for us. Once inside, Phillip spoke.
“Alright, what was that all about?”
“Marcus.”
“What about him?.”
“He wants to meet me tonight.” I stared out the window as we started driving off, watching Davis and Libby coming out of the restaurant.
“Alixia.”
“What?”
“Why is Robert so upset?”
“Because he wanted to go with me.”
He raised an eyebrow in curiosity.
“So, why is that a problem? He’s taken you to see Marcus before.”
“Not to this place.”
The Clash
Phillip followed me into the house, still arguing. I headed for the staircase.
“You’re not going alone!”
“Yes, I am.” I pulled away from him and ran upstairs, locking the bedroom door. I slid down to the floor, emotionally drained.
There is no way he’s coming with me.
“Alixia, let me in!” I heard the door handle turn.
“No.”
“We need to talk about this.” I stood up angrily, opened the door and glared at him.
“Are you going to continue being a jerk because I won’t let you come with me to see Marcus?”
He grimaced.
“I don’t think I’m being a jerk. I just don’t understand why I can’t go with you.”
I ran my hands through my hair in frustration.
“Let me talk to Marcus by myself first. I’ll see if I can get them to trust you.” He looked at me incredulously.
“Are you kidding? That will never happen.”
“Then, why do you want to go with me?”
“I just want to be there to help, if there is trouble.”
“ There won’t be any trouble. I don’t want to talk about this anymore. Now leave, so that I can change.”
“You don’t get it.”
“I don’t get what?”
“That this could be a trap to lure and catch Marcus.”
“No, it can’t be a setup. Remember, Marcus asked me to meet him.”
“Alixia, don’t be a fool. Robert said it was a girl who told him that Marcus wants to meet you.”
”Yes, I figured it was Marista.”
He reached for the door handle.
“Think about this, Alixia. We picked up on Marcel’s scent. Wouldn’t we have picked up on her scent, too?”
An unsettling emotion ran through me.
“You’re right...”
“Okay, now you’re starting to see it. I’m going with you.” He opened the door. “So, get changed and I’ll wait for you downstairs. And we’re going to see Marguerite first.”
“Marguerite?”
“Yes, she’ll know if Marcus was really going to meet you tonight.”
After he closed the door, I went to the closet and stripped off my clothes. I grabbed a pair of jeans and put them on. My mind raced with suspicions. If the woman wasn’t Marista, but was some other Dark One, then why didn’t she just take Robert‘s soul? It would have been so easy for her to do it, and it would have been the perfect ruse. Marcus would have come out of hiding to revenge his brother.
So, why would she send him back in to talk to me? Unless… And suddenly, I knew!
I grabbed a blouse, put it on and ran toward the staircase. Looking down, I saw Phillip sitting on the bottom step.
“Phillip,” I yelled. “It wasn’t a Dark One!”
“What are you talking about?”
“The one who talked to Robert, it wasn’t a Dark One.”
“But you said…”
“Forget what I said! Robert wouldn’t know if it were a Dark One, an Ambrosine, or even a Pure One. And that’s exactly why it wasn’t a Dark One!”
“Slow down,” he said.
“You were right. It was a trap. But not by Marcel.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Listen, if it were Marcel’s Family, wouldn’t they have just taken him?” He looked puzzled.
”So,” he said. “If it wasn’t someone from the Dark Realm, are you saying you think it was someone in the Family?”
“Why not? They want him dead, too.”
Okay,” he still didn’t quite get it. “So, what now?”
“Let’s go find Marguerite. I still need some answers.”
I grabbed his hand as we went out onto the porch.
“We’re not going by car?”
“We’ll get there faster this way.”
We held onto each other, feeling the heat of our power rush through us.
“Ready?” I asked.
“Let’s go.” We accelerated through the night, going toward New Orleans and landing at the swamp beside Marguerite’s mansion. I took Phillip’s hand.
“No!”
“Phillip, what’s the matter?”
“I can’t go any further.”
“Why?”
”I’m being stopped. The force here is too strong. I wasn’t invited, and it’s stopping me from going any further.”
“Then wait here. I will talk to her.”
I took off running through the swamp. The sweet fragrance engulfed me as I sensed her. I looked to the right and she was standing under a huge twisted cypress tree in the mist, as if she were a ghost. She moved toward me.
“Hello, Marguerite,” I said.
“Alixia, what are you doing here? I warned you once already tonight.”
“I know, but I need to talk …”
“Wait!” She said putting her hand up and tilting her head slightly, sniffing the air.
“I sense Phillip. Is he with you?”
“Yes, he’s waiting for me at the edge of the swamp.” She gazed over quickly to where I had left him.
“So, why are you here. I haven’t sent for you yet.”
“I know, but Marcus’s did.” She stepped closer, taking hold of my shoulder roughly.
“What do you mean Marcus sent for you?”
I told her about the evening, including our encounter with Marcel, and what Robert said about a woman in the parking lot. Her eyes narrowed as she looked out on the swamp.
“You’re staying here tonight,” she said. We need to talk about Marcus.”
“Okay, but Phillip is waiting. I need to tell him I’m staying. ”
“No, you just go to my house. I‘ll let him know he can meet us at the airport tomorrow.”
“The airport?”
“Yes. I’ll explain it all to you when I get back from talking with Phillip. Now
, just go to the house.” She walked past me into the swamp. I turned toward the house, looking back once just to see her disappear into the foggy mist.
Michael was there to greet me, but not in his usual cordial manner.
"Alixia, you brought Phillip here. Why?”
“We needed to speak with Marguerite.”
“Phillip can’t enter. He knows the laws.”
I sensed his unease with Phillip and quickly apologized. “It’s my fault. I knew, and I forgot.”
“It’s still no excuse.”
“Marguerite is talking to him right now.”
“It’s alright, Michael,” Marguerite said, coming in from the mist.
“Did you punish Phillip?” he asked.
“No, he was here to help Alixia. I just gave him a piece of my mind. He knows not to come into the swamp without being invited. And you, young lady, traveling? Didn’t Marcus tell you that would be dangerous? ”
“Yes,” I said, looking remorseful. “But I was getting impatient waiting for someone to tell me what was going on. And after the Gathering, even though all of you were back, still nobody sent for me. Now I’m going to the airport tomorrow, and I assume I’m flying somewhere?”
“Come,” she put her arm around me. ”Michael, please excuse us.”
We went into the study where she shut the doors and then pulled the curtain aside. She motioned for me to join her. Looking out, I saw Marista below, looking up at us.
“Marista will be joining Marcus and the others tonight in the West Indies,” she said.
“Marcus is in the West Indies?” She closed the curtain.
“He’s waiting for us there. It’s time to begin the ritual.”
“The ritual?”
“Yes, the one to save Marcus and the others.”
She walked over to the fireplace, picked up a poker and started stirring the fire.
“Marguerite,” Michael called from beyond the door.
“Just a minute, Alixia.”
She walked over, opening the door. Michael seemed anxious as he conversed with her in French, leaving me out of the loop.
“Alixia, I will be right back.”
“Is everything okay?”
“Yes, I won’t be long.”
She left, closing the door behind her. I looked over at the fire, watching flames engulf a log.
Marcus is in the West Indies? Both realms are there. This doesn’t make any sense at all. Why would Marguerite send him there? I need to talk to Phillip before I leave tomorrow. I’m just not sure about this.
The Legacy (Ambrosine Book 2) Page 15
