“When we sat down to eat that night, the conversation was light. We talked about Mardi Gras and things that were going on in New Orleans. Then Cecilia mentioned the charity event that evening. Your father offered to go with us. I remember Cecilia giving me that ‘say-something-to-him’ look, but I couldn’t think that fast. Then, she anxiously told him it would be impossible for him to attend. Your father looked at me and then at Cecilia. She quickly told him it was a charity event for women only, but I sensed he was suspicious. He fixed his eyes on Cecilia and said, ‘I guess I would be an uninvited guest then, wouldn’t I?’
Cecilia just nodded. The room went quiet for a moment. Then he picked up his fork, and continued eating. I quickly changed the subject and kept the conversation simple as we finished our meal.
But the whole time, I sensed his frustration throughout evening. When the time came for us to leave, your father helped me with my coat, kissed my cheek and asked again if he could join us. Cecilia abruptly told him no, that was not acceptable, and not to ask again. Your father just looked at me with question in his eyes, and all I could say was that I was sorry and kissed him. As we drove away, Cecilia was curious as to why he suddenly wanted to attend the events, particularly since he had never shown any interest before. I told her that once he found out we were going to have a baby; he’d been overly-protective about whatever I did. She thought it was good that he wanted to keep me safe.”
“Wait,” I bent down to tie my shoe, smiling, “well, they agreed on one thing anyway.”
Mother chuckled, waiting. “I guess you’re right.
I stood up. “So what happened next?”
“Well,” she said taking my arm, “when we arrived at the Gathering, I had the sense something was going to happen, and it did. Unbeknownst to us, your father followed us that night. He had entered the estate unnoticed and witnessed one of our rituals.”
“What did he see?” Now I was thoroughly captivated. She shook her head, as if she wished the event had never happened.
“I’m not ready to tell you what he witnessed that night.”
“Why? What’s the big secret?” I asked, frustrated.
“My reason is that I want you to learn our secrets gradually and witness them for yourself.”
More secrecy. More non-answers.
I was already growing tired of Mother’s evasiveness. “I don’t understand!” I said impatiently. “Why can’t you just tell me?”
“Alixia! What did I just say? I am not going to discuss that part with you now. Do you understand me?”
I nodded in exasperation. “All right. Can you a least tell me what happened to Father?”
She closed her eyes tightly as though mortified to tell me what happened to him next.
“Once your father was discovered, he was removed and placed in a room under close watch until we had finished for the evening.”
“He was a prisoner?”
“No, he wasn’t a prisoner. He just shouldn’t have been there. Anyway,” she took a breath, “let me finish. When we entered the room, your father was furious with us. Cecilia was enraged too, because she thought he had followed us to betray the family. Your father was angry and yelled at me, wanting to know what I was. I pleaded with Cecilia. If I could tell him a small part of my abilities, hopefully he would understand what he had witnessed. She just looked at me with anger in her eyes, and told me that I couldn’t tell him anything now that he had betrayed us. He had sealed his own destiny.”
I was taken back. “What did your sister mean by that? Was he in danger?”
She fixed her eyes on me. “Yes he was, because he was an uninvited guest and he witnessed a cryptic Gathering, which is very dangerous. I had to go to the family and plead his case just to keep him safe that night.”
“Would they have killed him?”
She bit down on her lip and I could see her anguish. “Yes, and that’s why I wanted to explain to him just what he had done that night. But he wouldn’t listen to anything. He was just vengeful. He shouted that I was immoral and an occultist, and that all of this was against nature, and that his child would never be a part of this family. He called my family an abomination, a freak of nature. That’s when Cecilia angrily pushed him across the room and shouted that he had no right to say anything about the family."
“Wait!” I interrupted. “What do you mean; she pushed him across the room? Father was a big man.”
“We’re very strong, Alixia. You will find that out, but Cecilia didn’t hurt him. I would have never allowed that.”
“Well, that’s good to know…I guess.” I shook my head with disbelief. “What happened then?”
“He got up from the floor, shaken, and looked over at me with wariness. I could see the hurt on his face, and then he left without saying a word.”
”What?”
“Yes, he just left. I finished the week out, aware in my heart that neither my sister nor anyone else in the family would ever be able to see you.”
“You knew that?” I asked, feeling empathy for her now.
“Yes, because when your father left, he was so angry with me, I knew he would never compromise what he believed to be right.”
“Mother, you make Father sound so hard and cold, and you know he wasn’t.”
“Alixia, I don’t mean it to sound that way. But at that time in our lives, he was hard and cold.”
When I returned home to Baton Rouge, your father was waiting for me. He didn’t waste any time. He unequivocally stated that Cecilia was not welcome in our home unless she changed her beliefs and that I would not be allowed to return to New Orleans.”
“He told you that?”
“Yes, and I was furious that he thought he could turn me against my family.”
“What did you do?”
“I kept my calm, knowing that I would never be cut off from my family. I was Ambrosine, as was my sister. We could never change our beliefs, and I knew I would return to New Orleans every year because that was part of my destiny. He could not stop me from fulfilling it. So, I just boldly told him if he wanted to stay married to me, he had to accept who I was.”
Her voice went soft, as she added, “But, that’s when he made the compromise. He told me his baby, you, would never be raised as an Ambrosine, or learn of our beliefs.”
“What did you do when he said that?”
“Nothing, I didn’t agree or disagree.” She said matter-of-factly. I knew your destiny would be fulfilled.”
“So it just ended there?”
“He wouldn’t discuss it anymore.” She shrugged. “I think we both knew that neither of us would concede to the other, so we went on as if the conversation never took place. I guess we loved each other so much that neither of us wanted to jeopardize our relationship. Consequently, we just avoided that topic as much as possible from then on.”
“This is unbelievable. It never came up again?”
“Well, I do remember trying to change your father’s mind about the family one more time not long after you were born. But he refused to discuss it. The only time Cecilia or the family could visit was when your father was out of town on business trips. So that’s the story of why you were never told about my family.”
I still can’t believe Father was that cruel.
“I have one more question.”
“What is it?”
“Are the Ambrosines occultists?
“Alixia, no! I never want to hear you say that again.”
“Okay, I won’t.”
She took hold of my arm. “I want you to promise me, Alixia, that you will never tell anyone about the Ambrosine family, their abilities or anything you witness. Do you understand me?”
I looked at her and said, “I promise.”
Why would I tell anyone? No one in their right mind would believe this anyway.
“Alixia.” Mother’s voice demanded attention.
“Yes?”
“About your Aunt Cecilia, you will always address her as Mada
me Cecilia or Madame Ambrosine.”
“Why? What’s wrong with calling her my aunt?”
“You just can’t. She is a member of the High Council and you have to address her with the upmost respect.”
“Is she some kind of queen?”
She smiled. “You could say she is something like that. Let’s just say she is very powerful and leave it at that for now.” Then speaking with finality, she said, “Okay, enough questions. Let’s start making plans for the move.”
The Outing
A couple of weeks passed. Mother was anxious and excited to finally be going home, and of course, I wasn’t. We were in the den, going through her lists for the move.
“Oh, did I tell you we will be keeping our furniture here?” Mother said, looking down at her lists. ”The home in New Orleans is already furnished.”
“Well good, at least that’s not changing.”
“Alixia.” She picked up her lists and sat in a chair across from me. She crossed her legs. Her face had that little crease right between her eyes, so I knew a lecture was coming on.
“You know this is all for you. I have to keep you safe.”
“You keep saying that, but I don’t see any danger.”
I was still having a hard time accepting her stories about herself and her family.
“You will better understand when we get to New Orleans. I promise you. So will you at least make a little effort to be happier about this move?”
“Only if I knew we were going to return home again.”
“You’re already homesick, Alixia?”
“Yes,” I said sadly. “I don’t want to leave my friends and things that I have been familiar with my whole life, you know.”
“Yes, I know.” Her face took on a compassionate look. “I guess we could return at least once a month.”
I jumped out of the chair and put my arms around her to hug her.
“We really can come back? I will have to let the girls know!”
“Alixia, wait. You can tell them, but, remember—”
“Yes, I know.”
“Okay then, back to the lists.”
As we were finishing up, one of the staff announced lunch was ready. When we entered the dining room, the sun was shining through the open windows and a pleasant breeze gently moved the gauzy curtains back and forth elegantly.
”Mother, we should have our lunch out on the porch today. What do you think?”
“That sounds nice. Yes, we should.” She paused for a second. “Mmm… instead of the porch, let’s have a picnic on the back lawn. I’ll get a blanket and you gather up the food.”
“That’s even better.”
I walked into the kitchen to ask our cook, Anna, for a basket. She looked at me a little puzzled.
“You need a basket?” I laughed, “Yes, we’re going to have a picnic on the lawn today.”
She went into the pantry to find a basket and handed it to me. “Do you need anything else? The table is already set, but I can bring everything out to you.”
“No, this will be fine, I’ll do it. Thank you, though.” I went to the dining room to gather up all the food and headed outside. Mother was just spreading the blanket as I arrived. We placed our food dishes on the blanket and sat on the grass. Conversation was minimal as we enjoyed our meal, our surroundings and the calmness of the afternoon.
After the meal, I lay back and felt the warm sun kiss my cheeks. Every once in a while, a cool breeze would come along and steal some of the warmth. Mother made conversation about the move. I listened to her in a half-daydream state. I didn’t really care to discuss the topic, but every so often I’d nod my head or say, “Uh-huh,” while secretly hoping she would change the subject.
Suddenly, I heard two familiar voices calling out my name, Claire and Libby.
Good! A reprieve!
I sat up slowly, but couldn’t see them. I shouted, “Over here by the garden!”
They ran down the path and flopped down on either side of me. Both girls looked as if they were about to burst from excitement.
Libby blurted, “We’re here to take you on an outing!” I looked toward Mother and sighed.
“I don’t know. Mother has a lot of things for me to get done before the move.”
Claire chimed in, “Come on, Alixia, let’s go fishing, hiking or something! It’s a beautiful day!”
We all stood up and looked at Mother with pleading eyes. She let out a breath and shook her head. “How can I say no? You all look so pitiful. Be back early for supper. Libby, Claire, you can join us for supper, too, if you would like.”
“Yes, that would fine.” The girls agreed. I bent over to kiss her goodbye and she said softly, “Remember your promise, Alixia.”
I knew she was talking about her family and the secret she wanted me to keep. I wouldn’t tell my friends anyway. They would think I was certifiable or something. I whispered back, “I remember, don’t worry.” I gave her a quick kiss.
As we were getting into the car, I asked, “What’s it going to be, fishing, hiking or something?” Libby replied, “It’s something, but there’s a stop we have to make first, and don’t ask questions.”
Claire started the car and we were on our way. She asked, “So, your mother, did she tell you why you’re moving?”
“Yes, she explained everything to me,” I said, still remembering my promise. “She needs to be around her family and she wants to get more involved with her charity work in New Orleans. So, I guess we are moving.”
“You’re really leaving?” Libby asked.
“Yes. But I do get to come home at least one weekend a month, and you two can come and visit me in New Orleans anytime you want. I just know I am going to miss you both so much!”
“We will definitely come to see you. Right, Claire?” Libby said.
“Sure, we will come visit you, but you know you’re only a couple of hours away.”
“I know,” I said slightly annoyed with her remark. “It’s just the idea that I am moving away, I guess. I am just going to miss everything...”
I suddenly realized we were approaching Baton Rouge. “This is the something we’re doing? Why are we here?”
The girls giggled and Claire said, “This is just a short stop we’re making.” She pulled up in front of an ice cream shop. The girls didn’t move.
“Well, aren’t we getting out?” I asked.
“Patience.” Libby said.
The next thing I knew, there was Davis at the side of the car with Robert and Marcus, holding fishing poles.
“Hi, girls,” Davis said as they jumped into the car. Davis sat up front with Libby and Claire, and Robert and Marcus sandwiched me in the back seat. Libby and Claire looked back at me with satisfied smiles on their faces as we drove off to go fishing.
So this was the something, they were talking about! What were they up to?
Sitting next to Marcus, I realized he still had an effect on me. My heart was beating so fast that I wondered if he could hear it. I turned to Robert. “So, Robert, how’s school going this year?”
“Slow and boring. I’m thinking of taking a year off and going to Europe.”
Marcus shifted his position and put his arm around me to get into the conversation with us. My body quivered and I lost my thought for a second.
“Uh…what?” I brought my attention back to Robert. “When were you planning on taking your trip?”
“Hopefully it will be next summer. Marcus and I will be going together and we want to visit at least five countries while we’re there.”
Marcus jumped in and eagerly added, “Yes, this will be our first time without our parents. Freedom is ours!”
I tried not to stare at him like a pathetic, lovesick girl and said, “Well, I hope you both get to go next summer. I hear Europe is the place to go for a vacation, especially in the late summer.”
I kept my feelings for Marcus in check as I felt his body close to mine.
Please, let’s get to the wate
r before….
Marcus broke up my thoughts. “You should go to Europe, too, Alixia. We could all meet in Paris for an adventure.”
He’s inviting me to Paris? Stop it, Alixia. He has a girlfriend. Don’t be foolish again.
“Well…” I said with a little hesitancy, “my mother did mention that we might be going to France, but she hasn’t finished making the arrangements yet. So, it’s kind of up in the air whether we are going or not.”
Marcus squeezed my shoulder. “It would be nice if you could be there.”
He wants me there? What?! But, Sarah?
I felt like I was on an emotional roller coaster with him.
“Well,” I took in a breath, “hopefully I will.”
“That would be cool.”
During the rest of the drive, we talked about what we would see and do when we went to Europe. We finally arrived at our destination. The boys went straight to fishing and the girls and I went hiking. When we got out of hearing range, I turned and faced them both, and said with annoyance, “Why didn’t you let me know he was coming?”
They were both amused at my outburst. “Oh, Alixia, would you have come with us if you knew?” Libby asked with a sheepish smile.
I shook my head. “Probably not, but next time, give me some kind of warning.”
She hugged me. “We will.” she said apologetically.
“Claire,” I said, “that means you, too.”
She smirked a little and said, “Okay, I promise.”
We hiked for a while and then returned to where the boys were. They all had their lines in the water, waiting calmly for their first bites of the day. I sat down on the shore and took off my shoes, sticking my feet into the water. Libby and Claire joined me. I started to feel overwhelmed with leaving this all behind. Tears started falling down my cheeks. The girls noticed and put their arms around me.
“Come on, cheer up! Let’s go fishing!” Libby said.
“No, I am not going to touch slimy worms or fish. I’ll just sit here and watch.”
Claire got up and went over to the bucket and pulled out a handful of worms. I jumped up, anticipating the worst from her. “Claire, what are you doing?”
She yelled, “Marcus!” He looked over at us puzzled and replied, “What?”
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