Ambrosine

by Noreen Harrison

  Still feeling irritated about her defending him, I said sarcastically, “Well, I’m not putting on a show, that’s for sure.”

  “I didn’t ask you to do that.” She grimaced, narrowing her eyes. “Just be respectful.”

  Madame Cecilia put her hand on my shoulder and said, “There is something else too, Alixia, you need to be reminded of.”

  “What’s that?”

  “Using your powers foolishly. Is there anything you need to tell us?”

  “I don’t think so.” I got into her head.

  She knows about the photos…She must have read Millie’s thoughts.

  “Okay, I know you know.” I admitted.

  Madame Cecilia nodded.

  “What did you do, Alixia?” Mother asked with her stare of displeasure.

  “I tried something different.” I said, trying to avoid looking at Mother. “I focused on a photo of Charles Gautier and traveled through it, but it was weird. Instead of going into the present, I went into his past.”

  “Past? What do you mean, his past?”

  “Charles Gautier, he looked younger as if he was still in his twenties, like in the photo. That’s when I knew I must have traveled to the past.”

  “And…why would assume that?” Mother asked with a nervous quiver in her voice.

  “I did the math; shouldn’t he be at least in his forties by now?”

  Suddenly, Madame Cecilia said something in French. Mother looked stunned. They started shouting at each other. I brushed up against Mother lightly to read her thoughts. All I could get was a sense of fear that I wasn’t ready yet.

  I wasn’t ready for what?

  “Stop!” I yelled out. “Did I do something wrong?”

  “Alixia, I’m sorry.” Mother said looking at Madame Cecilia, trying to regain her composure.

  “You did nothing wrong, but you should have come to us if you wanted to try something new.”

  “But, why? What’s the big deal? It’s not like I haven’t done it before.”

  Mother had an agonized look. “It’s not your traveling we were arguing about. Madame Cecilia seems to think I should make you privy to more family secrets. But I feel you should witness and learn slowly to understand the gifts you have, and—”

  Madame Cecilia interrupted her. “Lucida! She should be aware of more of her destiny so she doesn’t try this again.”

  Mother put her hand up. “Not now!” She turned to me and said, “Alixia, I don’t want you going off on your own and trying new things. Promise me.”

  “I will, but, what’s going on? What’s Madame Cecilia talking about?”

  “Nothing that concerns you for now.” She glared at Madame Cecilia. “After the Gathering, I will divulge everything to you, but for now, just do as I say.”

  I was frustrated with all this secrecy. “But why can’t you tell me? Why do I have to wait?”

  “Alixia, I said after the Gathering. Now no more discussion. Do you hear me?!”

  “Fine!” I stood up and stalked off to the library to see if Millie was there yet.

  I was fuming, wondering why Mother was so secretive about all this. It didn’t make sense. She wants me to learn the family history, but she won’t answer my questions.

  Millie was in the library and she already had the French books out. “Bonjour, Alixia. Are you ready to start?”

  “No, not yet.” I flopped into the chair.

  “You look so furious, Alixia. What happened?”

  I sighed and told her the whole story about how Mother and Madame Cecilia argued with each other about what I’d done.

  ”You actually traveled by looking at a photo?”

  “Yes, it was easy. I just focused and I was there.”

  She came over and sat in a chair across from me. “Well, I’m glad it worked for you, Alixia, but you shouldn’t have done that.”

  “Why?”

  “Because, there are things you still don’t know!”

  “You’re sounding like Mother now. You all say that, but no one tells me what it is.” She looked at me, frustrated. “All I can say in this case is, entering another family Realm could have been dangerous for you, and I am sure that’s why they were upset.”

  “But I’ve traveled before. I don’t see why—”

  “Alixia! You were wrong, that’s all I’m saying. Don’t you understand? We are just trying to keep you safe.” She forcefully opened the book in front of her.

  I reached over and put my hand on hers.

  “I’m sorry.”

  “It’s okay; let’s just get to your lesson, unless there’s anything else on your mind before we start?”

  “Well, I did have a strange dream last night.”

  “What kind of dream?” I went on to describe what happened. She listened to me intently, and asked with temperance in her voice, “Did you have a sense of danger when you woke up?”

  “No, just a strange sensation that stayed with me for a while. Then it passed.” She had a distraught look on her face. “Did you tell Madame Ambrosine about your dream?”

  “Of course not, it was just a silly dream. It’s probably not even worth bringing up to her.”

  “Just tell her.”

  “Okay, I will.”

  I went over to the bookshelf to get the album on the Gautier family. I wanted to see what the nephew, Phillip, looked like. The albums were gone. I stared at Millie. “Where did the albums go?”

  “What albums?”

  She knew what I was talking about.

  “The Gautier albums!”

  She laughed a little, which I didn’t find amusing at all. “Maybe Madame Ambrosine took them so you could concentrate more on your French.”

  “Oh, that’s very funny Millie.”

  The Arrival of the Families

  Later on that afternoon, Mother came into the library. “The first of the family will be arriving soon. It’s time to finish up with your lessons.” I eagerly put the books back on the shelves, not really wanting to study any more French for the day.

  On our way out of the library, Mother handed me a letter from Marcus. I stood there, looking down at the letter. “Alixia, what are you doing? We have to meet our guests.”

  “Go ahead, I’ll be there in a minute, I want to read this first.”

  “Don’t take long.”

  “I won’t.”

  I held his letter to my chest for a second, wishing he was here. I opened it and starting reading. He was coming to New Orleans next week. “Yes!” I said softly. I read quickly through the rest of the letter, knowing Mother’s level of patience lately was on the low end. Getting to the end, I smiled. The last three written words caught my attention:

  “Devotedly yours forever, Marcus.”

  I kissed his letter and put it back in the envelope, then hurried down the hallway to find Mother.

  She was in the living room with a young woman. Mother introduced her to me. “This is Angel. She is one of the family members from the West Indies who will be staying with us.”

  “Hello.” I said. How strikingly beautiful she was with her full smile and dark skin. She had raven-black hair that fell past her shoulder. She took my hand and said, “It’s nice to finally meet you, Alixia.”

  “Thank you.” I replied, looking at her face which said she was pleased with what she saw.

  Madame Cecilia came into the room. “Bonjour, Angel.” She hugged her and gave her a kiss on the cheek. “Come. We’re all meeting in the ballroom. Most of the families will be gathering there.”

  I could sense an excitement when we entered the ballroom. I walked with Mother and Madame Cecilia as they introduced me to the other families. As I touched their hands, I got the same sense that I was somehow unique in their minds.

  I was being honored, but why?

  I tried to get more answers by entering deeper into their thoughts. It was all the same.

  Madame Cecilia sensed my frustration and she whispered, “Don’t worry, it will all be revealed
to you soon.”

  As I walked around the ballroom, I listened in on different conversations, hoping to find out if any of the Gautier Family was here. I was having no luck. Frustrated, I gave up. I saw Mother at the other side of the room. I walked over to her and asked, “Is the Gautier family here?” She looked at me and questioned, “Why do you want to know?”

  I tried to sound indifferent. “I was just wondering if they were here, that’s all.”

  She glanced around the room and replied with a relieved smile. “I don’t see them, Alixia. I guess you will have to wait until the Gathering.”

  Now I was annoyed.

  Am I ever going to meet this family?

  Mother took my arm, which brought me out of my fixation. “Let’s go, Alixia.” She said. “We have more guests to meet.”

  We mingled among the family members throughout the late afternoon and into the evening hours. It reminded of my first visit to New Orleans with Mother to meet Madame Cecilia. I walked around the room. Each family member transfixed on me. I didn’t get it.

  All of this because I was going to be introduced to the family?

  It made no sense.

  After a while, the room emptied. There were only a couple of guests left. I saw Millie talking with Angel. I walked toward them. I heard Millie hushing Angel. Millie stepped back from me. “Alixia, is there something you need?”

  “Yes. uh…” I said looking at her with apprehension in why she moved. “It’s just been a long day and I am tired. I am going up to bed. Could you tell Mother for me if she asks?”

  “Sure.”

  “Thanks, Millie. Goodnight.” I turned to my right. “And, Angel, it was nice meeting you.”

  “Goodnight, Alixia. See you tomorrow.”

  I was almost to my room when I heard Mother call out my name. She hurried over to me and hugged me. “You’re going to bed now?”

  “Yes”

  We went into my bedroom. She sat down on the bed as I undressed and slipped into my nightgown.

  “Are you okay, Alixia?”

  “Yes, it’s just been a long and peculiar day.” I slid into bed. She straightened the cover around me.

  “What do you mean?”

  “I just don’t understand why all these people are so anxious to meet me.”

  “Alixia, you’re an Ambrosine and all the families know how powerful you are going to be.”

  “But Madame Cecilia is an Ambrosine and so are you. Why am I different?”

  “Move over a little.” She snuggled in beside me. “Well, to start with, I didn’t think you would be different. Actually, when I married your father and him being an outsider and all, I didn’t expect you to have any abilities.”

  “Really? Why?”

  “Because usually when a family member marries outside the Realm, their children can’t use their abilities without help from other family members, or they have none at all. But, when you were born with the Ambrosine symbol, I knew you were special.”

  “I’m special? Okay, Mother, how?”

  She smiled down at me. “I’ll make it simple for you, Alixia. There’s never been a child born with the symbol, unless both parents were part of the families, and your father wasn’t. That’s what makes you unique.”

  “That’s the reason? Because Father wasn’t part of the family?”

  “Yes, that’s the reason.”

  I sat up in bed, hoping that she wouldn’t avoid my next question. “So, can you tell me when this symbol began showing up in your family? Or is that secret too?”

  She adjusted her pillow. “No, it’s not a secret. Maybe a brief history lesson will help you understand. Our linage started with Madame Correa Ambrosine from the West Indies. She married a French man named Alexandre Constantine in 1768. Madame Correa was the first one who held the symbol for the family. She gave birth to twins and passed her powers to them, but not the symbol. In fact, quite a few generations of children were born before the symbol showed up.”

  She paused to reflect and then said, shifting her body, “It was your grandfather, Nicolas, I believe, who was the second to be born with the symbol. His abilities and powers surpassed those of the other Ambrosine children, until Madame Cecilia was born. She was even stronger with her abilities and powers.

  She kissed my forehead. “So, my Alixia, now it’s time for you to come forward and take your place as an Ambrosine. That’s what this Gathering is all about. This is to honor you.”

  I couldn’t believe what I just heard. “That’s the big secret? I’ve been chosen to carry on the beliefs of the family and take Madame Cecilia’s place on the High Realm?” She brought me back to reality. “Well, let’s just say it’s something like that. You will learn more about the history and your destiny after the Gathering.”

  “Why can’t you tell me now?”

  “Alixia, I will explain more after the Gathering. Remember, I want you to be able to experience it first-hand.” I shifted. “This is stupid, why can’t you just tell me the secret?”

  “Alixia, stop!”

  “Okay.” I said reluctantly. I didn’t want to push the issue further. At least she was answering some of my questions.

  “Mother, can you at least tell me about the other families, like the Gautier’s? They are not Ambrosines, so how did they get their powers and abilities?”

  “The other families have the same ancestral history as we do. They each have powerful chosen ones who hold their cryptic beliefs, abilities and certain gifts. All the families of the different Realms have to protect their own Realms, unless they ask the Ambrosines to intervene to help with a dispute or conflict.”

  “But how did they get—”

  “Hold on.” She was having a vision. “That’s enough for now. I have to see Angel.”

  “What’s wrong?”

  She looked at me uneasily. “Nothing that concerns you. Get some sleep.” She kissed my forehead and left the room, leaving me still with questions.

  Lying there in the dark, dreams began again as soon as sleep hit me. Tossing and turning, I tried to push the dark entities out of my mind, but they kept reaching for me, trying to pull me toward them. Suddenly, the sensation I felt the night before came into my dream. I heard his voice say, “You’re safe now, Alixia.” He took me into his arms and held me close. The shadows began fading in my mind. I felt safe and went into a peaceful slumber.

  The next morning, I woke up and I could still feel his presence, but I wasn’t sure if it was part of a dream or not. I looked around the room, but no one was there. I really needed to talk to Madame Cecilia. I hurried to get dressed and went downstairs to look for her.

  When I reached the dining room, Madame Cecilia wasn’t there. One of the guests told me she left and would be back soon. I went over to a long table, as breakfast was being served buffet style. Taking a slice of toast and juice, I went to sit down at the table to wait for her.

  Looking around the room, I saw family members from different parts of the world. Some of them had their own conversations in their native languages, while others spoke English.

  ”Bonjour.” Millie said to a guest. She filled her plate and came over to sit down by me. I moved my chair over a little to give her room and then asked, “Millie, have you seen Madame Cecilia?”

  “No, I haven’t yet, but I was looking for you, wondering if you would like to go into town with me today? I have to greet family members at the train station and run some errands.”

  “Yes, sure. Getting out of the house sounds good. But I have talk to Madame Cecilia first.”

  “That’s fine. I’ll come get you when I am ready to leave.”

  I finished eating then excused myself from Millie and went searching for Madame Cecilia, wondering why she didn’t return. One of the staff told me she was on the back veranda. Stepping out the door, I saw her with Angel. I went up to them.

  “Could I speak to you, Madame Cecilia, for a moment?”

  Angel stood up and started to say something in Fre
nch but quickly changed it to English.

  “Mais oui, bien sûr…I mean, yes of course. You two talk. I have to meet up with some other family members, so I will leave you to speak in private.” She kissed Madame Cecilia and me on the cheeks and went inside.

  “So what is on your mind, Alixia? Is it what your Mother talked to you about last night?”

  “No, that’s not it. I’ve been having really strange dreams. Besides the dark shadows, there’s this presence I can’t describe that comes in my dreams. I can hear his voice—”

  “What?!” She interrupted. “Presence! You can hear his voice?”

  “Yes.” She looked baffled. “What is he saying to you?”

  “That he’ll keep me safe, and he did.” She grimaced, upset. “What do you mean he did?” I took in a short breath and let it out as I said, “It’s hard to explain. He just soothes me with his soft voice, letting me know that I am safe. Then, the dark shadows in my dreams leave me and I can sleep.” She reached out and took my hand. I knew she was trying to seek more information from me, just in case there was something I might have forgotten to tell her. I was able to block certain parts of my thoughts from her to keep for my own, especially the part where he kissed me. She let go of my hand. She appeared to be satisfied. She patted my hand and said, “Alixia, next time you hear or sense his presence in your dreams, I want you to really focus on what he looks like.”

  I stared her apprehensively. “Why? Do you think it was another entity?”

  “I’m not sure. But I know something or someone is trying to take control of you, especially when it tried to engage you in the open the other night.” She paused thoughtfully. “Hmm…but, maybe you’re right. There could be a protector, too.”

  “Do you really think there are two entities? One trying to take my soul, the other one trying to protect it?”

  “I’m not sure yet. But whatever you do though, don’t let your guard down.”

  “Don’t worry, I won’t—” I didn’t finish my sentence. I heard Millie’s voice.

  “Alixia!”

  I shouted out to her, “I‘m over here on the veranda.”