“So, Angel cursed them?” I turned to see four black limousines coming up the driveway and stopping.
“She’s here,” I yelled, feeling the anger building in me. I rushed to her car, grabbing the door handle and pulling it from its hinges.
“Get out, Angel!”
Phillip came up behind me, pulling me back.
“Let go of me!” I broke his embrace and went for her again. The Dominions quickly surrounded her.
“Stop!” Madame Cecilia yelled, getting in front of me.
“No, she needs to die, for killing Olitha! Get out of my way!” I pushed her to the side. Angel stood her ground with the Dominions on either side of her, glaring at me.
“You stop now, Alixia, or I will kill the last two!”
Phillip came up behind me, pulling me back.
“Just listen to her, Alixia, or things will get worse.”
“Why should I?”
She walked over to me.
”Because Phillip’s right, you foolish girl. Do you want to see the other two die?”
I pushed Phillip back from me and took a step toward her.
“You won’t kill Marguerite!”
“Oh yes, I will. I killed Olitha, didn’t I? And you know how quick it can be.”
I went for her throat, wrapping my hands around it tight, not letting her finish gloating over Olitha’s death. She went to the ground and Madame Cecilia yelled.
“Alixia, no!” She took hold of me along with Phillip, dragging me away from Angel. The Dominions went to her side. She got up furiously, coming right at me.
”I told you the next time you saw me, I wanted respect!”
“I will never give you that!”
“Oh yes, you will.”
I reached for her again. She stepped back, quickly.
“Alixia, you stop. One more attack on me, and I swear you will lose them all!”
“Alixia, calm down please. She means it,” Madame Cecilia said, trying to hold me back.
“Who’s the third?” I yelled at her. She turned her nose up at me in arrogance, and walked toward the mansion with the Dominions surrounding her.
“Angel!” I yelled again. “The third one, who is it?” She turned on the second step going up to the veranda and spoke the vile words.
“Millie’s son, James. He’s the third.”
“What?” I said, staring at her in disbelief. “You cursed an innocent child?”
“Yes. That child will ensure our safety.“
“You’re crazy! The Pure Ones will destroy you. ”
“Really? Who has the upper hand here? Having Marguerite and the child, I don’t think you or any Pure Ones would try anything. You know that I can crush their hearts in a second.”
“Why are you doing this?” I cried out. She looked at me with an evil smile.
“To protect the Families. This was yours and the Pure Ones’ doing, wanting to change the order of things. This is our only way of keeping Marcus’s Family from coming after us, or the Pure Ones thinking they are in control.”
“You’re making a big mistake.”
“I don’t think so. The Families will be protected.”
“Let me go,” I said, twisting out of their grip. “I‘m not going to do anything to her, because of Millie’s baby.” I stepped away from them, staring up at Angel.
“Good,” she said. “Finally, some obedience from you.”
I turned my back on her, keeping my anger under control, knowing I had to now. I walked up to Madame Cecilia.
“Why did you do this?”
“Alixia, we had to. Try to understand.”
I shook my head in disgust.
“No, I will never understand. You let them curse Millie’s’ baby. She’s like a daughter to you.“
Phillip reached out for my hand.
“Don’t ever touch me again. I can’t believe you are part of this, too!”
“Alixia, we had to, after what happened last night.”
“Last night?” I said, looking at him confused.
“You don’t know?”
“Know what?”
“One of Marcus’s Family members took a young girl.”
I stared at him, confused.
“No, I would have sensed it, if someone in the Family were attacked.” He took a step back and looked over at Angel with sadness in his eyes.
“Let’s just say, it happened so swiftly that some of the Ambrosines didn’t hear her cries, either. So, you’re not alone in that.”
“Who did it?”
”The one they call Ethan.”
I shook my head. “I was afraid of this. Marcel still controlled him. Did you kill him?”
“Yes,” Phillip said with sadness in his voice. “And the young girl, both were destroyed and burned.”
“Good.”
“So, do you understand why we wanted to protect the Families? They can enter our realms almost undetected now, and they are not afraid as they were before.“
“Stop, Phillip!” Angel said, interrupting him angrily. “You don’t have to justify anything to her! If it weren’t for her giving her blood to this creature…”
“Angel, enough. We’ve been through that already,” Phillip said angrily.
“Yes, I know. I accepted your word that I could trust the Dark One, and look what happened!”
She looked toward me.
“Alixia, all you need to know is Marcus’s sanctuary is over for taking the life of a Family member. The girl who was taken was my niece, all of fourteen years old. So, I have no compassion for the Pure Ones, and no trust for Marcus’s Family. They are all expendable to us. If it wasn’t for Pure Ones wanting to change the order of things, my niece might have been saved.”
“Angel, you’re wrong,” I said, feeling remorse for the young girl. But I had none for her. She was as evil as Marcel in my mind.
“Oh, I’m wrong? You’re defending them?”
“Yes, I am. This wasn’t Marcus’s fault, or the fault of the Pure Ones, either. Ethan was still under Marcel’s control.”
She took a step down off the veranda, her face twisted in rage.
“So, what’s that supposed mean, Alixia? That it’s okay because he took her from me? Well, it is not. Marcus changed him and knew the consequences of doing it, so the curse stays!”
She turned, and the Dominions opened the door. She started to walk in, and then stopped, looking back at me.
“Alixia, I wouldn’t interfere if I were you. And you’d better make sure that Marcus keeps his Family under control. Don’t test me!”
I felt frustration building in me as I tried to keep myself under control. I wanted to rip her apart, but I knew she wouldn’t hesitate. She would kill them even as I was killing her. I walked back to the car.
“I have to go.”
“Wait, Alixia,” Phillip said, talking my arm.
“Leave me alone,” I said, pushing his arm away from me. Marguerite’s driver opened the door for me.
”Thank you.”
I got in with tears welling in my eyes, looking up at Phillip.
“We have nothing to say to each other anymore.”
“Alixia, you can’t mean that.”
“You shouldn’t have done this, Phillip.”
The driver shut my door. Phillip just stood there looking at me, as the driver backed up the car. I looked out the window at Angel glaring at me.
But then I read her thoughts as we passed, and I got the answer I needed.
“Now, it makes sense,” I said aloud.
The Scourge
In the limousine on the way back to Marguerite’s mansion, I began to regain my composure. Eventually, I was calm enough to go over the situation in my mind. Angel wasn’t keeping Marguerite and James hostage to protect the Family. I had read her thoughts loud and clear. She was angry about the deaths of Correa and Nicolas at the hands of the Pure Ones. And she was even more furious at them for deciding to kill without waiting for a judgment from
the Dominions. She wanted to end the Pure Ones’ power over the Ambrosines for good.
At the mansion, I saw Henry and Millie’s car in the parking lot.
How is Millie going to take this?
I felt anguish at the thought of having to tell her. She is going to be horrified that her baby is the third cursed one, and even more so that it was ordered by the Family whom she swore to protect. I walked slowly to the porch, wishing I knew what to do to save them.
“Alixia!” The front door opened, bringing me out of my thoughts.
“Michael.”
“Who is she?” I stepped up onto the porch, sensing the depth of his anger. “I want to know now!”
“It was Angel.”
“Angel?” She was the one?
“Yes, Michael. She even admitted it to me.”
“Did you destroy her?”
“I’m sorry, I couldn’t.”
“You let her live?” he said, slamming his fist into the doorjamb. “Why would you do that? She killed Olitha!”
“Michael, come on inside and I will explain. I had good reasons. Where are Marguerite and Marcus?”
“In the study, but you…”
“Just a minute, Michael,” I said, seeing Millie holding the baby and coming down the stairs.
”How’s my little guy?” I took him in my arms.
“He’s good,” she beamed.
“You smell so sweet.” I gave him a kiss on his little fat cheek, and I looked at Millie. “We have to talk.”
“About what?” She asked with concern. “Is it about Olitha?”
“Yes and…” I turned, hearing Marguerite.
“Alixia, I knew I felt your presence,” she said, coming into the room with Marcus. He came over to me, giving me a kiss, and then tickled James’s belly.
“How did it go?”
“Not well.”
“Who is it?” Marguerite asked, putting her hands on her hips impatiently. Michael answered for me, angrily.
“It was Angel!”
“No. It couldn’t have been her,” Millie blurted out, upset. “Why would she do that? It’s against our beliefs.”
“Hush, Millie, ”Marguerite said, irritated at the outburst to protect Angel. “Let’s go into the study and we will talk about this. “
Marguerite went over to the desk, mumbling. I read her thoughts. She was reflecting back on the ritual.
She turned back to us, her eyes wide and intense, and spoke angrily.
“Damn her! She did this because of the ritual!”
“The ritual?” Millie said, looking at Marcus and I.
“Yes!” Marguerite said, slamming her fist down on the desk and shaking her head.
“Alixia, why didn’t you go after her?”
“That’s what I asked,” Michael said, staring at me at me as if I betrayed them. “
“I couldn’t. It wasn’t as if I didn’t want to!”
“Why then?” Marguerite asked, agitated. “Is she more powerful now?”
“No, I could have struck her down easily.”
“So, why didn’t you?”
“It wasn’t that simple Marguerite. She could have still carried out the curse on you and the third one, in her last dying breaths. I couldn’t take that chance.”
Marguerite looked over at Michael.
“Yes, she could have that power.” She closed her eyes for a second, putting her hands together in prayer-like fashion and tapping them against her lips. “You did the right thing, not going after her for now.”
“She needs to be destroyed!” Michael cried out.
“She will be. Now, calm yourself, Michael. Alixia, did you find out who the third is?”
“Yes.” I looked down at little James smiling at me. I gave him a kiss, and then looked at Millie and spoke with my heart breaking.
“James is the third one.”
“No!” Millie screamed, taking him from my arms and stepping away from me.
“Millie, please.”
“She did this to my baby?”
James cried out as she held him tightly against her.
“This can’t be happening!” Marguerite went over to Millie and put her arm around her to console her. “Angel told you this, Alixia?”
“Yes, and with the threat that she wouldn’t hesitate. “
“Marguerite, I can’t lose my baby.”
“Of course not, Millie. We will never let that happen.”
I moved to Millie’s side, sensing her overwhelming fear.
“Marguerite, can you help her?”
“I will. But first, Millie,” Marguerite said, touching little James’s hand. “We need to make sure.”
Millie went pale and moved away from us.
“No, you’re not cutting my baby!” she said, going toward the door.
“Millie, come back here. We have to do it to protect him. “
“What’s going on?” Henry asked, coming into the room. He took Millie in his arms.
“Our baby has been cursed.”
“He’s the third, Marguerite?”
“Yes.”
Henry looked down at his son and kissed his forehead. “Who did it?”
I was impressed with his courage.
“Angel.” His jawline hardened.
“Alixia, she admitted this to you?”
“Yes. I’m sorry, Henry.”
“She will pay dearly for this!”
“Henry,” Marguerite said, moving toward him. “The baby needs to be tested.”
”Yes, you are right.”
“No, Henry,” Millie said, holding him even tighter.
“Millie, we have to know.”
“No, I won’t let him out of my sight!“
Henry looked over at Marguerite.
“She has to be part of it,” he said. She nodded. Then she went to the mirror and pushed on it. The wall opened and she stepped in. Then she looked back.
“Michael, go out to the swamp and get what I told you we might need tonight.“
“Yes, Marguerite.”
“Henry and Millie, follow me,” she said, going into the room. Millie looked over at me with fear in her eyes as she left. Marcus reached for my hand.
“You know I won’t let anything happen to Marguerite or the child.”
“I know, Marcus. But there was something else that was brought to my attention. Ethan.”
His face went hard.
“He didn’t touch that girl, Alixia.”
“What are you talking about? They caught him with her.”
“They caught him standing over her, but that doesn’t mean he did it.”
“Marcus, what are you saying?”
He looked at me grudgingly.
“I was there.”
“Come again?” I said, looking at him confused. “You were with me last night. “
“Not all night.”
“Yes, I know that.” I turned toward the hidden room, hearing Millie scream.
“Millie,” we rushed into the room. Henry was cradling little James. His eyes were closed, and his tiny frame was limp.
“Henry!” I said frantically. “He’s not…?”
“No,” Marguerite said. “We just gave him something to sleep, that’s all.” I sighed in relief, kissing his warm forehead. I walked over to Millie. She was staring at the blackened bowl.
“Millie,” I said, taking her in my arms. She didn’t respond for a second.
“Alixia, let go of me,” she eventually said. And then she walked over to Marcus and slapped him across the face.
“This is your fault!”
“Millie,” I said, pulling her back from him. “This is not his fault!”
“Then whose fault is it?”
Henry walked over to her.
“Come on, Millie. Lets put James to bed. Marcus, I apologize.”
“You what?’ she said, incredulous.
“Millie, it’s time to leave.”
She looked back at Marcus with contempt a
s she left the room.
“Marcus, I’m so sorry,” I said. “Millie just doesn’t know how vengeful Angel is.”
”It’s okay. I understand her anger right now.”
He turned to Marguerite.
“So, how are we going to handle this?”
“Well, first off, I’m very glad that Alixia didn’t go after Angel.”
“Why’s that?” I asked, taking Marcus’s hand.
“Alixia, she must have learned how to do this from an Ancient. So there has to be someone else involved.”
“Are you sure it’s an Ancient?”
“Yes, it makes sense, because her immortality started centuries ago. She has always remained in the West Indies, befriending all the High Priests and Priestesses, and learning what she could of their rituals and magic.” She paused for a second, looking down at the stone bowl on the table. “But this ritual, they would have never taught her. That is what baffles me.”
Marcus spoke up.
“Could she have witnessed it?”
“No, we would have sensed that. Someone is helping her learn. She must have persuaded one of the Ancients to go against us for the killing of Dominions.”
I spoke up.
“I know she wants to end the Pure Ones. I read her thoughts before I left Madame Cecilia’s.”
”Yes,” Marguerite said. “We had that conversation with her the night we returned Correa and Nicolas’s bodies to be burned.”
She closed her eyes, tilting her head up and breathing out through her nostrils.
“Anyway,” she said with certainty in her voice. “I will find out who betrayed us when we get to the West Indies tonight.”
“Why are you going there?” I asked, anxiously.
“Alixia, neither realm has power there. So, for now, that is the only place that James and I can go to stay safe. And until I find a way to reverse the curse, we will have to remain there.”
I picked up the blackened bowl, agonizing about them leaving.
”Marguerite,” I asked. “What if it isn’t an Ancient who is helping her? Or, what if there is more than one?”
“I will handle it.“
Marcus and I went over to the leather couch and sat down. She stood there looking at us for a moment.
“Alixia, there is something you will have to do. You need to go back to Madame Cecilia’s for a Gathering that I will call in your name.”
The Legacy (Ambrosine Book 2) Page 31
