The Legacy (Ambrosine Book 2)

by Noreen Harrison

“Are you kidding?” I said, pushing him away from me. “You pick this moment to bring that up?”

  “I just want to understand why you’re hesitating.”

  I moved away from him.

  “Because it’s probably suicidal.”

  “Alixia,” he reached for me. “I’m the one who will have to bear the outcome. I have no fear.”

  “Oh, you have no fear?” I said furiously. “Here, you want my blood?” I exposed my neck to him. “Do it then, bite into me now!”

  He sat there looking at me for a second, and then a devious smile crossed his lips.

  “Really?” I said. “You find this amusing?”

  I pushed myself up.

  “Alixia, I’m sorry. Come here.”

  “No!” I turned to leave and he picked me up in his arms.

  “Marcus, put me down!”

  “I don’t think so.”

  He brought me up to him, his mouth partly open so that I could taste the sweetness of him as our lips touched, melting me in his arms. He let me down slowly, holding me tight against him. Then he whispered in my ear.

  “I want to be with you always.”

  I looked up at him, thinking the same.

  “Marcus, I am afraid if I do this, you might not be.”

  “Don’t be afraid. I know it will work.”

  He kissed me.

  “And if it doesn’t, I’d rather have you kill me than become one of them.”

  “Oh, Marcus, don’t say that.”

  Phillip

  A couple of days later, Marcus took me through the jungle to a high cliff that looked out on the ocean. Even with the fog blanket below, the scenery was beautiful. We sat there listening to the waves crash on the rocks. Marcus pointed out the boundaries of the realms of both the Ambrosines and the Dark Ones, and told me that neither can enter the other without permission. So, he was safe here. That brought us back to the conversation about the ritual.

  “Alixia, I don’t want to hide here forever. The ritual will work.”

  “I don’t know if…”

  I stopped, listening.

  “Is that Marista calling?”

  “Come on,” Marcus said, taking my hand and helping me up. We made our way down the path and met her.

  “There you are,” she said.

  “What is it Marista?”

  “It’s her boyfriend. What’s his name? Oh yeah, Phillip.”

  “What about him?” I asked.

  “He’s on the west side of the island.”

  I jumped into her head quickly, wondering if it was trick.

  “You can’t get into my head here, Alixia,” she said, smirking.

  “What?” I tried getting into Marcus’s head, too. Nothing!

  She was right!

  “What‘s going on?” I asked Marcus.

  “It’s just the way it is. After a couple of days here, your powers are useless.

  “What are you talking about?”

  Marcus looked over at Marista, hesitantly.

  “Marguerite didn’t tell you? This is how the Ancients are protected from us. Our abilities are limited until we leave.”

  “So that’s why I felt there was something weird happing when I first arrived. I wonder why Marguerite didn’t say anything to me?”

  “I don’t know,” he mumbled. “Maybe it slipped her mind.”

  “I doubt it slipped her mind. So, we don’t have any powers while we’re here?”

  “Not really. You can try, but I don’t think it will do you any good.”

  I closed my eyes, concentrating on my powers. They were there in my subconscious, but I couldn’t bring them to the surface.

  “Alixia, forget it,” Marista was annoyed. “It isn’t going to work. So, I guess you will just have to trust us. Now, can we get back to why I’m here?”

  You really are trying my patience…

  “What is it, Marista?”

  “Phillip.”

  “What about him?”

  “Olitha sent me here. Phillip told her he will enter without permission, if he doesn’t get to talk to you.”

  I felt a little panic. This was my fault. I shouldn’t have asked him.

  “I told him to come,” I said. “He must have followed me right after I left. I’d better go talk to him.”

  “You asked him to follow you?” Marcus asked, aggravated.

  ”Yes,” I said looking toward the west nervously. “I should go to him now, before he does something crazy.“

  “No,” Marcus said, taking hold of my arm.

  “Marcus, let go of me. I have to stop him before it’s too late. He will try to find me.”

  “I’m going with you, then.”

  “Are you going to be safe, that close to the boundaries?”

  “Yes, as long I don’t leave the Ancients’ realm.”

  “No!” Marista yelled. “You will be too close to them!”

  “Marista, stay out of this!” he said, baring his teeth at her.

  “If you’re going,” she said, “then I’m going, too.”

  “No,” I said. “You’ll both stay here where it’s safe. I’ll go talk to Phillip by myself.”

  “Alixia,” Marcus took me in his arms. “I’m not letting you go without me.”

  “Then come, but no matter what happens, you will stay on this side of the realm.”

  “I guess I have no choice. But I will cross over if you don’t return.”

  “I’ll be back. I promise.”

  We moved through the jungle quickly, reaching the west side in a few minutes. I left Marcus and Marista there, and walked out of the cool mist into the warmth of the sun. Phillip grabbed me as soon as I did.

  “You’re okay?”

  “Of course, Phillip. I’m fine. ”

  He hugged me tight and walked me away from the wall of grayness that separated the two realms.

  “Let’s get out of here before the Ambrosines arrive.”

  “It’s too late,” I said, glad to know that I got my abilities back as soon as I left the Ancients’ realm. “They’re coming.”

  We turned to see Angel and four others approaching.

  “Alixia!” Angel said with ice in her tone. “So, what brings you to this side of the realm? Wait!” She put her nose up in the air. “Ah, yes. They’re close by. I can smell their stench.” She started going toward the mist.

  “Angel, stop!” I said, moving in front of her.

  “Still protecting them, I see.”

  “Yes,” I said, defiantly staring her down. She stepped back from me, angrily contemplating her next move. I jumped into her head.

  “Don’t try it,” I said, clenching my fist.

  She leered at me hatefully.

  “I’ve had it with you, wanting to save this Dark One and sacrifice us!”

  In a spilt second she came at me like a bullet shot from a gun. She grabbed hold of me and we fell to the ground. I flung her into the air. The others cried out and started coming toward me.

  “Enough!” Phillip said, stepping in front of me and yelling at Angel.

  “Control this situation!”

  She got up from the ground and reluctantly raised her hand.

  “It’s alright,” she said to the others. They moved back.

  ”What is your problem?” I yelled, as Phillip tightened his grip on me.

  “You!” she said, coming at me again.

  Phillip grabbed her.

  “Why are you attacking her?”

  “Phillip, let me go!” she cried, trying to pull away from him. “Don’t you understand she is going to help the Dark Ones come into the light?”

  He loosed his grip on her and looked toward me.

  “Is this true? This is the ritual Marguerite kept from you?”

  “Yes. Why, what’s wrong?”

  “Alixia, I can’t believe you want to be part of that.”

  “She does!” Angel said furiously. “Why do you think Marguerite brought her here? She has made the choi
ce to let them destroy us. Right, Alixia?”

  I stared at her, stunned.

  “Destroy you? I don’t know what you’re talking about.” She looked at me hard, and I let her get into my head to show her that I was telling the truth. “I thought all I was doing was helping Marcus.”

  She turned to Phillip. It was her turn to be stunned.

  ”She doesn’t know.”

  “You didn’t know?” he asked, incredulous.

  “Know what?” I said, looking at them both.

  “Alixia,” Phillip said. “You are putting us all in danger. If you take part in this ritual, and it works this time, you will give Marcus the ability to kill us.”

  I stared at him.

  “No! Marguerite and Marcus would have told me that!”

  “Why would they?” Angel said. “They’re the ones that want to alter the order of things.”

  I looked toward the gray mist. Marcus had said that, if the ritual worked, he would be able to move freely.

  “I have to go.” Phillip grabbed me, tightly.

  “Alixia, you can’t do this!”

  “Phillip, I can’t believe Marcus knew about this.”

  He interrupted me.

  “You’re the one whom the Ancients have been waiting for. You can’t trust them.”

  I pulled out of his grip.

  “No,” I said, shaking my head. “I have never sensed anything like that from Marguerite. I need to go back and talk to her. There is something not right here. Wait,” I turned to Angel suspiciously. “How did you know about the ritual?”

  She looked at Phillip.

  “Phillip knew there was going to be some kind of ritual,” I said. “But he didn’t know what kind, and neither did I until I arrived here. So, how did you find out?”

  She rolled her eyes.

  “Your mother’s journal.”

  “Are you saying that she knew I was going to be involved in helping Marcus?”

  “No, she had no idea. Although what she wrote, the Council now needs to read.”

  “What did she write?”

  “You don’t know?”

  “No,” I said shaking my head. “How could I? It’s in French. I was going to have Millie decipher it for me. So, what did she write?”

  “That you would become very powerful, and with your abilities you would change the order of things. That’s when both realms made the judgment to have the Priestess destroy you.”

  “What?” Phillip yelled in shock. “They’re going to destroy her?”

  He took a step toward her.

  “Oh, Phillip, calm down. They already tried. It didn’t work, as you can see. She’s still here.”

  “Wait,” he glared at her in confusion. “They tried?”

  I looked over at Angel.

  “Yes,” I said coldly. “They already tried, and they couldn’t kill me.”

  He stared at Angel.

  “They can’t harm her?”

  “No, her powers are way too strong now.”

  Phillip took me in his arms.

  “That’s great, Alixia. You’re safe.”

  “Phillip!” Angel said in a tormented voice. “Don’t you see that she might be safe, but we won’t be!”

  She moved toward me.

  “Madame Correa and Marcel will be unyielding in stopping you, and they don’t care who they destroy to do it.”

  I jumped into her mind and saw that she was right. They would fight to save their realms, no matter who they had to destroy to get me. I stepped back from her, terrified.

  “I need to talk to Marguerite.”

  “Alixia, stay here,” Phillip said. “You belong with us.”

  I looked up at him with tears in my eyes.

  “Phillip, I must go. I need to find out the truth.”

  “We are telling you the truth! If you give Marcus this power, it will change everything.”

  “ I’ll be back. I promise.” He kissed me and stepped aside.

  “You’re just going to let her go, Phillip?” Angel said, angrily moving toward me. Phillip put his arm out and spoke quietly.

  “We have to trust her. Let her go.”

  “Thank you, Phillip.”

  The Priestess

  Reaching one hand into the mist, I turned back to see Angel and Phillip walking into the jungle. I shook my head, knowing that I had better find out soon what was going on.

  Suddenly, someone touched my hand on the other side of the mist. I stepped back.

  ”Alixia.” It was a woman’s voice. “There you are. I was just coming to get you. I heard you went to the other side.”

  ”Who are you?” I asked, taking a defensive stance and knowing that I had sensed her presence before.

  “Kiarah.”

  She walked through the mist, coming to the Ambrosine side. She was slender in build with hair as chocolate brown as her skin. She smiled as her bluish green eyes stayed focused on me, and reached out for my hand.

  “We finally meet, Alixia.”

  “No,” I said. “We met once before. At Marguerite’s house, where you tried to take my soul.”

  “Yes, that night. I do apologize for any discomfort. Marguerite told me how upset you were. It was an experience for me, though. I’ve always had a curiosity about you, ever since your birth. I knew you were going to be powerful. But that night, well, let’s just say I became fascinated.”

  “That’s all you have to say? You tried to take my soul.”

  “But I didn’t. And I would have stopped if you couldn’t fight me off. It wasn’t my intention to kill you. We need you, even though the Dominions ordered it. That was just a test for us, and the Ancients, to see how strong you actually were. Now we know, and all we want now is to help with the ritual.”

  “The ritual? I don’t think so. Angel told me what the ritual was really for.”

  Suddenly, her demeanor changed.

  “So, you know the truth?”

  “Yes, so excuse me. I need to find Marcus. I’m not going to be part of this anymore.”

  I walked a few feet past her, back into the mist. She followed, calling out anxiously. “Stop right now do you hear me! If you walk away now, Marcus will surly die.”

  “Die?” I said glaring at her, frustrated. Being back in the mist again, I was not able to get into her head. She moved a branch to the side, coming face to face with me.

  “Yes. Marcus will certainly die if he doesn’t change before the Blood Moon Gathering. His sanctuary ends right after.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “His sanctuary with us will end on the eve of the Blood Moon Gathering. Then he will die, along with the others in his Family, if you don’t help in the ritual.”

  I felt trapped and confused.

  “So, what you’re saying is if I don’t go through with it, he won’t survive?”

  “Yes, it will be the end of him.”

  We heard Marguerite calling somewhere in the mist.

  “Alixia!”

  After a few seconds, I saw her walking toward me. Olitha and Henry were right behind her.

  “Why didn’t you tell me the truth?” I said, angrily.

  “We can’t talk here!”

  “Why?”

  “We’re too close to the Ambrosine’s realm. So, come with me please. Kiarah, may I take her?”

  “Oui. I will leave her to you. Alixia, I will see you again.” She reached out for my hand and I stepped back from her. She tightened her lips in disappointment, and then spoke to Marguerite.

  “Traitez avec ceci rapidement.” Then she faded back into the fog.

  I followed them down a path to an open area with a stone altar in the center.

  “What’s this place?” I asked, already knowing.

  “Le cercle de jugement. This is where all of the realms come together during the Blood Moon Gathering, and this is where Marcus will live or die.”

  I stared at her, knowing that she was trying to manipulate me.

 
“Marguerite, this doesn’t change anything. I still want answers.”

  “I know. But first, who told you about the true ritual?”

  I eyed her suspiciously.

  “Angel. Why?”

  She grimaced at Henry and Olitha.

  “So, that means both realms are aware now, and Correa and Marcel will have their guards up. We will have to move faster.”

  “Wait, so it’s true?”

  “Yes,” she said without hesitation. I looked at her in disbelief.

  “You didn’t think you had to tell me what the true outcome of the ritual would be?

  “No,” she said matter-of-factly. “I knew you would help Marcus, because you want him to live.”

  “I do. But I don’t like being blackmailed, either. The Priestess said that he would die if I don’t participate in this ritual.”

  She smiled.

  “Oh she told you.”

  She smiled!

  “Yes,: I said. “And if you think I will stand by and let you use him to go after the Ambrosines…”

  She looked over at Olitha and Henry. “You have nothing to say about that. Marcus will do what he is asked when the time comes.”

  ”Did he agree to this?”

  She shook her head.

  “No, not yet.”

  “So, he doesn’t know about the power you are giving him? Get out of my way! I have to go find Marcus now. I can’t give you my blood to turn him into a killer. Especially against the Ambrosines.”

  “Alixia, stop!” Olitha spoke up. “This is your destiny. We have been waiting for this for a long time.”

  “Waiting for what?”

  “For you and Marcus to rid us of Marcel and Correa.”

  “What?”

  Marguerite touched Olitha’s shoulder.

  “Let me answer that. Alixia, they’re not who you think they are. Remember that assumption you had, when you told Phillip about them working together?”

  “Yes, I remember. He told me it only happens when the Pure Ones are involved. Why, is there something else I should know?”

  Marguerite frowned.

  “Yes there is. That wasn’t the truth. They do work together without the Pure Ones.”

  “ No,” I said, feeling even more deceived. “Are you telling me now that Phillip lied to me, to protect them?”

  “Of course not. He just wasn’t told the truth either. He didn’t know that there was already a plan in motion to turn your father to the dark side after you were born.”