The Legacy (Ambrosine Book 2)

by Noreen Harrison

  “I don’t care. I was promised, and this is not right.”

  She turned and ran into the jungle.

  “Marcus, go after her. I’ll find Marguerite.” He kissed me and ran into the trees.

  Stepping into the stone entrance, I saw Olitha. She walked up to me with a look of disappointment. “My brothers understand, and they won’t cause any trouble. They promised.”

  “I’m sorry, Olitha. I wish they could be part of it.”

  “It’s alright, as long as Marcel is destroyed. Maybe then the Ancients will let them be brought into the light by Marcus?”

  “Yes, maybe,” I said, fearing for her brothers. I wondered if they would even be safe in the sanctuary.

  “Well, I have to prepare for the ritual.”

  “Olitha, have you seen Marguerite?”

  “ Yes.” She said pointing down to the entrance. “She‘s in her room, working on an incantation. Is everything okay?”

  I shook my head.

  “No, it’s Marista. She’s very upset and Marcus went after her. I hope she doesn’t do anything reckless.”

  She rolled her eyes in disapproval.

  “I’ll go talk to her.”

  “Thank you so much, Olitha.”

  “No problem. She does have her tantrums.”

  I headed down the stone hall to Marguerite’s healing room. I stopped at the doorway, calling out to her, but there was no answer. And then I saw Millie.

  What was she doing here?

  “Millie!” I called out. She kept walking away from me into the mist. She must not have heard me.

  I quickly went to the opening and stared into the heavy mist. Marguerite called out to me and I turned back.

  “I just saw Millie.”

  “Yes, she arrived early this morning. She will be at the ritual tonight.”

  “She will?”

  “Yes, she’ll help you understand what you witness, and she will be safer here under Henry’s watch until it’s over. ”

  “Where’s baby James? Is he here, too?”

  “No, he is with Madame Cecilia until Millie returns to New Orleans. Now, come and sit down ”

  I moved over to the table, remembering Marista.

  “Marguerite, Marista is really upset about the ritual. She took off and Marcus and Olitha went to find her.”

  “That girl,” she frowned, annoyed. “Wait here, I will be right back.”

  I sat in a chair looking at wooden shelves with mason jars on them, stacked neatly in rows, one on top of the other. I got up and walked over, picking up one of the jars, shaking it a little. I opened it slowly and looked in.

  Ugh… Live spiders, are you kidding me?

  I started to replace it on the shelf when I noticed a leather pouch. Inside, there were several old parchments tied with twine. The text was written in French with a little English, but there were lots of drawings. On the top page, there were villagers and birds – the blackbirds in the tattoos on the Pure Ones. They were arranged around an altar in sequence, bird, man, bird, man..“

  Marguerite returned.

  “What are you doing?” she asked.

  “Just looking at these papers.”

  She came up behind me.

  “Those are very old. They tell the story of the Pure Ones.”

  I moved my chair over, letting her sit closer.

  “Did you find Marista?” I asked.

  “Yes, she will be at the ritual tonight. She’s still objecting. By the way, someone else will be there tonight, but for different reasons.”

  “Who?” I said, half absorbed in the papers.

  “Phillip.”

  “Phillip?” I looked over at her, stunned, thinking he was supposed to be in New Orleans.

  ”He will be at the ritual?”

  “Yes, the Priestess wants him there.”

  If only I could get into her head.

  “Why would she want him there? He has objected over and over again, saying the ritual shouldn’t take place. What if he interferes with it?”

  She lifted a parchment, and spoke in a practical tone.

  “He won’t. He’s only here to be a witness for the Ambrosines. He would never go against the Ancients.”

  “He’s going to the ritual just to watch?” I said.

  There has to be a catch.

  “Yes, Phillip will report back to the Ambrosines. If Marcus lives or if he…” She hesitated, not wanting to say the word. So I said it for her. “Dies…”

  She grimaced.

  “Alixia, I promise you, it will not turn out that way.”

  “You can’t promise that.”

  “Didn’t I tell you to keep an open mind.”

  “Yes, but I still don’t see how you can be so certain.”

  “I’m not, Alixia. However, Marcus has made his choice and he knows the consequence if it doesn’t work. As my daughter did, until the Ancient’s put a stop to it.”

  “Again, Marguerite, I’m so sorry.”

  “Don’t be. The Ancients are right. Marcel still has their souls. Anyway, there’s no sense hashing this over again. What’s done is done.”

  She straightened her back, controlling the rest of her emotions as she cleared her throat.

  “So, these drawings,” she said, selecting one. “This is the ceremony of a newborn being brought into the Pure Ones’ Family.“

  I touched her hand, and didn’t say any more.

  I listened half-heartily to her as she went on with the history lesson. Marcus was in my thoughts.

  What if it does work?

  How quickly could Marcel or Correa strike back?

  All I could see was the image that Correa had placed in my mind. Everyone I care about was lying in a pool of blood. She and Marcel were staring at me with sweet pleasure on their faces, telling me this had been my choice.

  I closed my eyes, cleared my head of the image, and went back to listening to Marguerite.

  She picked up the drawing I had seen earlier.

  “Now, this ritual is the introduction into the Pure Ones.”

  “Why the sequence of man, bird, man?”

  “Oh, that. Each of the birds represents a Pure One, of course, and the man next to each of the birds is his or her guardian, an Ancient.”

  “So, it’s like Millie is for me?”

  “Right,” she smiled. “And just so you know, her son James will follow his mother’s legacy and watch over you, too. You know, we’ve never had a Pure One born into the Family before who was a guardian for an Ambrosine. You and James are unique in your birthrights.”

  She patted my hand affectionately.

  “Now, this drawing here is of children who are given to the Ancients on their thirteenth birthday. There, they learn our beliefs, and if they hold any powers, they are taught how use them.”

  She stopped, turning her head toward the door.

  “What is it ?”

  “The Priestess is coming.”

  Kiarah walked in and Marguerite stood up to greet her.

  “Is everything in place for tonight, Marguerite?” she asked, looking at me.

  “Yes, it is.”

  “Good. Alixia, will you excuse us? I need to speak with Marguerite alone.”

  “Sure.” I stood up, putting the papers back in the pouch.

  “Just leave them,” Marguerite said.

  “Okay.”

  I walked past them and saw anxiety in their eyes.

  “Is everything okay?”

  “Yes,” Marguerite said. “Just go. We will come for you later.”

  “Alright.”

  Something’s not right.

  I went to the entrance that Mille had used, hoping to find her. Walking out into the grayness, I felt the Ancients touching me lightly and heard their faint, muffled voices. I called out to Millie, hoping she would hear me. Walking a few more feet, I heard Marcus’s voice. Following it, I stepped up into another entrance. He was with Marista, holding her in his arms tenderly, consoling her.r />
  “Marcus?” I said, taking another step in.

  He turned, letting go of her.

  “Alixia.” He walked over and hugged me. I wondered what was going on, annoyed at seeing her in his arms.

  “So, Marista, are you good now?”

  “Yes.” She looked at over at Marcus affectionately. “I’m good.”

  “I’m glad to hear that,” Marcus squeezed my arm as she smiled saucily.

  “Yes, Marcus is always comforting to me.”

  “Okay,” Marcus said nervously. “Should we go see Marguerite?”

  “No, we can’t,” I said, and felt his body tense.

  “Why? Is there a problem?”

  “I don’t think so. It’s just that Marguerite and the Priestess are meeting privately. So, I guess we’re all stuck with each other for a while.”

  I looked over at Marista.

  “Maybe this a good time for us to get to know each other a little. Who knows, we might find we have something in common.”

  I looked at Marcus.

  “Shouldn’t we go find the others?” she asked.

  “Marista,” he said, staring at her disapprovingly. “Didn’t you hear Alixia?”

  “But I don’t feel like getting to know each other right now, especially her. So, excuse me.”

  She bumped into my shoulder as she left.

  “Wait here,” Marcus said. I felt a little bad because I had provoked her outburst. It had to be hard for her. She had believed that she was going to have a perfect life that included marriage and children, and then her soul was taken from her. The Dark Ones destroyed all of her desires and fantasies in one night.

  My thoughts were interrupted as I felt arms reach around me, cradling me protectively.

  “Phillip!” I turned around in his embrace.

  “I arrived this morning with Millie. Where‘s Marcus?”

  “Here!” he said, harshly. I turned to see anger on his face. I slipped out of Phillip’s arms as he came toward us.

  “Marcus,” I said, coming between them. “Phillip is here for the ritual.”

  He glared at Phillip.

  “Why would he be involved?”

  “To witness.”

  “Witness? Are you kidding me? Alixia, we can’t trust him!”

  Phillip put up his hand.

  “Marcus, I’m not here to hurt anyone. I’m just here to see if you live or die, that’s all.”

  Marcus bared his teeth slightly, taking a step toward him.

  “And if I live, you’re not going to try to end me?”

  “Marcus!” I said, holding him back as he moved toward Phillip. “Stop right now. He’s just here to observe and that’s all. Right, Phillip?”

  Can I trust him, knowing his feelings about the ritual?

  “Yes, and if I did try something, the Ancients would end it quickly, or I should say they would end me. Anyway, I want the ritual to work.”

  I stood there, taken aback.

  Why?

  “You want the ritual to work?” Marcus said angrily. “It’s a trick!”

  “No, it isn’t. Marcus, I want you to survive. I need you to help me.”

  Marcus moved me behind him, suspicion in his voice.

  “Help you?”

  “Yes. To destroy Correa.”

  Marcus smiled for a second, liking the idea, and then his suspicions returned.

  “Why do you want her gone?”

  “In part because of something Alixia showed me.” He paused, grimacing as if he were thinking back on something. “And also, I recently discovered that they were the ones who took my parents away from me.”

  I went over to him.

  “Oh, Phillip, I’m so sorry.”

  “Yeah, it all came out in a heated argument between Angel and Nicolas. When she confronted him and told him that I was going to warn the Families about the collusion between Correa and Marcel, he threatened to have me destroyed. And then he said, ‘as I had done to his parents, for interfering’.”

  “What did your parents interfere with?”

  He leaned up against the stone wall, looking at us with terrible sadness in his eyes.

  “My parents were taken at the Gathering in New Orleans. They had witnessed something there that brought on their own demise.”

  Marcus hugged me.

  “What was it?” I asked.

  Phillip shook his head, looking at us.

  “Phillip, are you okay?” I asked. I could see that he wasn’t enjoying watching me in Marcus’s arms.

  “I’m fine.” He shrugged it off. “They saw Correa, Marcel and Charlotte together.”

  “Charlotte!” I blurted out. “She helped to take your parents, too?”

  “Yes, she was there,” he said, grimacing.

  “At first, my parents thought that Madame Correa was in trouble, and they ran to her aide. Marcel and Charlotte didn’t waste any time overpowering them, as neither bore the mark of immortality. They begged Correa to help them. Instead, she watched as the Dark Ones took their souls without giving them a choice.”

  Phillip’s eyes closed for a few seconds.

  “So you see, Marcus, I have my own agenda. Will you help me?”

  Marcus released me from his embrace and walked over to Phillip. He reached out his hand.

  “Yes, as long as you help me take out Marcel.”

  Phillip shook his hand, looking at me.

  “Agreed.”

  “Hey! What’s he doing here?” Marista said venomously, coming through the entrance. Marcus went over to her, taking her arm and keeping her under control.

  “Phillip’s here to help us. I trust him.”

  “What? Are you crazy?”

  “Calm down,” he said, grabbing her arm tighter.

  “Let me go,” she yelled. “Marcus, this is insane. Why would you trust him? You know what they are.”

  “ Marista, he wants the same thing we do, to destroy Marcel and Correa. We have to trust him.”

  She pulled her arm from Marcus’s grip.

  “Sure, he’ll help us. That’s why he tried to kill me the other night!”

  Phillip stared at her. I jumped in quickly before he said something that would turn this into more than an argument.

  “Marista” I said, reaching for her. ”This has nothing to do with that night. Phillip is here to help. Do you want his help or not?”

  She rolled her eyes in her typical fashion. She was smart enough to understand that she needed him to get what she wanted. Marcel’s death would give her free will, and the ability to be in the light.

  “Yes, I want his help.”

  “Good. Phillip, if the ritual works, you and I will be the ones to destroy Marcel.”

  “Yes, and then I will help lure Correa in, so that Marcus can finish her off.”

  Marcus slapped his hands together.

  “It sounds good.” He grinned at me. “That’s if I don’t croak from drinking Alixia’s blood tonight.”

  “Marcus!”

  “Sorry, Alixia. Just a joke.”

  “That’s nothing to joke about. Really, Marcus.”

  He put his hand out to me. ”Come here.”

  I looked at the expressions of pain on Phillip and Marista’s faces as I moved into Marcus’s embrace. When he kissed me, I felt like apologizing. This was one time that I was glad I couldn’t hear anyone’s thoughts. Marcus looked over at Phillip.

  “Okay, Phillip. Then after the ritual tonight, we will go after them, right?”

  “No,” he said, shaking off the sting of watching Marcus and I together. “Tomorrow night, after the Blood Moon Gathering will be better. There is a window of time then when we will strike.”

  “ You’re right, Marguerite did mention that.”

  I watched as they began working together to nail down their plans. Marista joined me.

  “Alixia,” she whispered, looking at them. “Marcus won’t die, right?”

  “I hope not. I’m trusting your Mother”

/>   “So am I.”

  Sunset

  “Alixia!”

  I heard Millie calling for me as I walked back to Marguerite’s with Phillip. We’d left Marcus and Marista on their own, as they needed to talk to the others about the ritual tonight. I gave Millie a hug, happy that she was safe.

  “I’m so glad you’re here,” I said. “I’ve been worried about you in light of Correa’s threats.”

  “Yes, Henry told me.” And with excellent timing, Henry walked in from the mist and wrapped his arms around her.

  ”I won’t let anyone take you from me,” he said.

  “I know,” she said, patting his face gently. Then, she turned her attention back to me.

  “So, you just have a few hours until the ritual. No second thoughts, Alixia?”

  “Millie!” Henry sounded annoyed. “It has to be done.”

  “I know, but it’s still hard for me to believe that they have always worked together.”

  “Millie,” Phillip said, taking my hand. “It was for me, too. Until Alixia showed Angel and I the images, and those made both of us see the truth.”

  Henry looked at me curiously.

  “What did you show him Alixia? Can I see?”

  “Sure. Let’s get out of here and find somewhere I can do it.” We all walked to the edge of the mist, stepped into the cavern, and shot straight up to the top again, landing at the opening where I had originally entered. I inhaled deeply, feeling my powers return.

  “Yes,” I said, feeling whole again. “Phillip, you?”

  “They’re back.”

  “Good. Phillip, you keep watch. Henry, give me your hand.” I eyed Mille. ”Do you want to see, too?”

  She nodded, giving me her hand. I closed my eyes, focusing on my encounter with Marcel and Correa. Millie was the first to pull her hand back in disbelief, and terror.

  “Alixia, how can this be? Marcel and Correa!”

  Henry let go then, looking at her.

  “Millie, no more wavering on this. Am I understood?”

  “Yes, Henry whatever you say. Now I am just afraid for the Family. Can we get back as soon as the ritual is over tonight, please?” She moved into his arms and he held her tightly.

  “Don’t worry,” he said. “They won’t live long enough to act on any of their threats.” He looked over at Phillip and I to validate his assertion.

  “It will be taken care of, right?”

  “Yes,” Phillip answered. “I agree with Millie. As soon as the ritual is over, you must return to New Orleans.”