“You’re not going!” Mother shouted. “I told you to stay away from the outsiders. We don’t need any more trouble.”
“Mother, calm down. It’s just dinner and I don’t see any harm in going out to dinner with him.”
“That’s what you thought when you went out with Marcus and—”
“That’s enough!” Madame Cecilia said harshly. Mother stopped shouting, glared at her and folded her arms across her chest.
“Listen to yourself, Lucida.” Madame Cecilia said harshly. “You’re blaming Alixia for what happened to Marcus. You know she had nothing to do with it.” Mother got up and headed for the doorway.
“Mother, listen please.” She stopped, but kept her back toward me. “I am not going to give up the outside world. You didn’t. You fought to be with Father and to protect him. You chose to raise me as an outsider, even against your family’s wishes. All I ask now is for you to trust me to make the right decisions in helping my friend.”
Mother left the room without a response. I watched her departing figure, feeling dejected. Madame Cecilia came up behind me and said, “I’ll talk to her, don’t worry.” She followed after Mother.
I shook my head and thought Mother would probably never understand. She had changed so much since my seventeenth birthday. I sat down in the chair, and thought about our relationship over the past months. I wished I could turn back the time; that we could just go back to life as it once was, happy and normal. I sighed, knowing that this was just fantasy now.
The clock on the mantel started chiming; it was seven. I wondered where the time had gone and then realized that I still needed to get ready to meet Robert.
As I went down the hall, I passed the living room and heard Mother and Madame Cecilia conversing in French. I passed by, unseen, and made my way to my room. I quickly got dressed and ready for my meeting with Robert.
He was right on time; waiting for me in the foyer. Mother and Madame Cecilia were with him and both, amazingly, had smiles on their faces. I walked toward Robert as he said, “Alixia, you’re as beautiful as ever, but all the women in this family are beautiful.”
“Oh, Robert, you always know the right words to make a girl feel good.” I said as I kissed his cheek. He winked at me, and helped me with my coat.
I’m going to be hotter than Hades in it, but people need coats this time of the year and I need to keep up appearances.
We went out the door. I looked out toward the driveway and saw he had a black sports car. “Nice car.” I said, impressed. He smiled and went down the steps to open the door for me. I kissed Mother and Madame Cecilia and said goodbye to both of them. I started down the steps, then stopped and turned back. I went straight to Mother, took her hand and whispered, “Trust me.”
She squeezed my hand. I got into the car and Robert closed the door behind me. As he got in the driver’s side, he put his hands on the steering wheel tightly and exhaled deeply. I could sense his nervousness. I touched his hand. “It is nice to see you again.” He smiled at me and started the car, shifted into gear and we were on our way.
As soon as the mansion was out of sight, I read his thoughts. He was taking me to meet Marcus. I had to know if he knew what his brother was and if he knew about me. We both started to talk at once.
“Alixia…”
“Robert...”
“So do you…?” He yielded to me and said, “You go first.”
I took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. “I was just going to ask, do you know why Marcus disappeared?” He was quiet. I read his thoughts. He knew. I waited for his answer.
He shifted gears again as he turned onto the main road. He gazed over at me, and then turned his eyes back to the road. “Yes, I know, Alixia. But, what I don’t understand is why you’re involved in all this?”
“You know, Marcus came to see me at the mansion.”
”Yeah, he told me he went to see you. I still think that was dangerous.”
“Don’t worry, no one else saw him. He waited until I was alone.”
“I don’t care. I’m still wondering why it was so important that he had to see you.”
“Robert, it’s all right. He just wanted to ease my mind. He knew I was worried.”
“You know what Marcus is now, right? Aren’t you afraid?”
I knew I had to quickly make up a story. “No. At first I was so excited to see him; I didn’t notice anything different about him until I felt his coldness. That’s when he told me what happened to him. I didn’t believe him at first.” I paused. “I thought he had lost his mind. Then, he showed me the images of what happened to him.”
“You should have run.”
“No. I care about him and he needs our help now more than ever. How did you find out?”
“He called us to let us know he was okay, and he asked us to stop the police from trying to find him. I got on the phone with him. I had a gut feeling something was wrong. I told him to come home. We needed to see if he was all right. That’s when he told me to meet him at our grandfather’s cabin.”
“Did your parents go with you?”
“No. Marcus was adamant that I couldn’t say anything to them.” He paused. “I left the house that night and drove to the old cabin. When I arrived, I saw him sitting in a chair. The room was dimly lit. He stood up and I went over to him, but he pushed me away with such strength I lost my balance. He apologized and begged me to stay away from him. I yelled at him that I wasn’t leaving. I went over and turned on another light to see him better.” He swallowed hard. “His eyes, Alixia, had changed. They were cold with darkness. The more he stared at me, the colder they looked. He was very pale, too.”
Robert was quiet for a second and then said, “At first, I thought he was ill. I wanted to take him to the hospital. He protested, but I wouldn’t budge. That’s when he told me what he was. Of course, I didn’t believe him until he showed me the images, like he showed you.” He went quiet.
“Robert, I have a question. How did you convince your parents to stop the investigation?”
“Well, I left that up to Marcus. He told them he had decided to go on a road trip to California with a couple of friends. He thought he better call home to let them know where he was and that he was okay. Of course our parents bought it.” Robert chuckled a little. “Then, he played the dutiful son card and told them that he was so sorry that he had put them through such an ordeal and that he would call at least once a week. He actually got away with it. They didn’t ask any more questions.”
“Well, that’s good, isn’t it?”
“I guess.” Robert didn’t sound convinced. We turned off on a back road.
“Alixia, it’s just that I know what he is and what he is capable of doing. I don’t want him hurting you.”
He doesn’t know who I am. Marcus kept the secret.
“Don’t worry, Robert. Marcus would never hurt me.” He shook his head, “I don’t get it; how do you know that he won’t hurt you?” He stopped the car in the woods near the swamp.
“Because, I just know, and if he was going to hurt me, he would have done it when I saw him last night.” Robert wasn’t convinced. “Well, what if he’s waiting for the perfect time?” I could sense he actually feared for me and my safety.
“Robert.” I reached over and touched his hand. “I promise you, he won’t hurt me. Just take my word for it. Your brother loves me and he would protect me through eternity, just like I would do for him.”
“Alixia.” He looked at me as if I were insane. “Why would you want to protect him? If he weren’t my brother he’d be…” He didn’t finish his sentence. Instead, he got out of the car and came around to open the door for me. “Take my hand, Alixia. The ground is really bogged down through here.” I reached my hand out to him and he helped me out of the car. Headlights came on in front us and I heard an engine start up. The car door opened and Marcus emerged from the vehicle.
“Thanks, Robert. I owe you.” Marcus said.
He walked over
to us. “Alixia.” He lightly kissed me, took me into his arms and helped me to his car. I slid into the seat, and kicked off my mud-covered shoes. Closing the door, Marcus said, “Robert, I’ll meet you in New Orleans in a couple of hours at Bill’s gas station, like we planned.” Robert nodded and looked over at me with concern before he got into his own car and drove off.
Marcus got in the car and put his arm around my shoulder, pulling me close to him. I could feel the coolness of his touch, but the sensation of wanting him again ran though my body, stirring up feelings I knew I could never forget. I shifted a little, trying to regain my composure and thoughts. “Uh…Marcus? We have to talk.”
“We will, but let’s get out of here.” He drove down the back roads until we came upon an asphalt road. I could see he wasn’t taking us into New Orleans.
“Where are we going?”
Marcus smiled. “To a place I know we will be safe to talk. It’s about a mile down this road.” He reached over and took my hand. The coolness felt good on my skin, just like when he had kissed me.
Get a hold of yourself. You’re not going to start that again. You’ve made your choice, and you have to keep Marcus safe.
I pulled my hand away from his and said, “Phillip is coming back tomorrow evening.” He shifted gears and pushed down harder on the accelerator.
“Marcus, did you hear I what I said? Phillip will be coming home tomorrow.”
“I heard you.” He said. He reached over to turn on the radio. “Let’s not talk about Phillip right now.”
We didn’t say another word to each other. We just listened to the music as I sat close to him, wishing things could be different. We turned off the main road and went down a dirt road until I saw an old, southern mansion which was lit up. Marcus got out of the car, came over to my side and opened the door for me.
“Whose place is this?” I asked.
“It’s mine. It was given to me, by a friend.”
“Wow, nice friend.”
“Yeah, I know. I needed a place to be safe after I changed. So I was offered this one. My brother doesn’t even know about this. Soon, I will have to disappear from his life to keep him safe from Marcel. That’s why I meet Robert only at the cabin.”
“I was at your cabin…”
“I know! I sensed your presence. How do you do it?” I smiled. “By traveling, I just focus on a person or place and I am there.”
“That’s really cool.” He said.
I began walking up the stairs to the mansion, when I realized I didn’t have my shoes. “Marcus, my shoes. I left them in the car.” Marcus went back to get them. I bent down to brush off my feet. The door opened and a woman came out onto the porch.
“Bonjour, Alixia.” She said. I stood up quickly as I was surprised to see another person here.
“Hello.” I said cautiously. I didn’t sense a threat as I read her. She was an outsider.
What she was doing here?
Marcus returned, holding my shoes. “Alixia, this is Marguerite LeBoueff.” He said with a smile. I took her hand. “It’s nice to meet you, Marguerite.” She nodded and let us pass.
Entering the mansion, I was amazed at the grandeur. The foyer had two open staircases to the second floor. The living room was beautifully decorated with two long, white couches and elegant cherry oak furniture. As we sat down, I noticed vases of orchids set decoratively around the room. I smiled.
He remembered my favorite flower.
I gazed at Marguerite. She had dark skin and a full figure with golden-brown eyes like Millie’s.
Marguerite spoke first. “Alixia, we finally meet. You are an Ambrosine, I see.” I looked at her, completely mystified. “How did you know that? Did Marcus tell you?” I turned toward Marcus for an answer. “I didn’t, I swear.” I looked back at Marguerite.
“No, Marcus didn’t tell me.” She said. “I am from the West Indies. I know of the two Realms and I can sense their presence around me.”
“What? I didn’t know an outsider could do that.”
“Well, there are a few of us who can.”
Marcus put his arm around me and I asked Marguerite, “So, may I ask how you two met?” She looked at Marcus with a sly smile and said, “Well, I was walking late one night when Marcus passed by me. I could sense what he was, and that he had conflict with both worlds. I called out to him, telling him I could help him. He turned around and told me to leave him alone. Then, when I told him I knew what he was, he stopped and shouted at me again to leave him alone.”
Marcus interjected with a half-grin, “She was persistent, which kind of caught me off-guard, and she showed no fear.”
“You weren’t afraid of him?” I asked. “No, I knew he wouldn’t hurt me. That’s why I stood my ground with him. I’ve dealt with other vampires before. I knew I had to help him understand who he was and how to control his cravings for the outsiders.”
“Marguerite, you know I have never gone after anyone that didn’t deserve it.” Marcus said without any remorse in his voice. I moved a little from his side.
Was my family right about him?
“Alixia.” He reached over and took my hand. “What is it?”
“Nothing, really. But, I still don’t understand why you let her change you.”
“Listen.” He shook his head, disappointed in my questioning. “I didn’t just let her change me, you know! After you left, I went back into the restaurant and went upstairs to the living quarters above my uncle’s restaurant. I decided to call Robert and tell him about my evening out. After that call, I wasn’t really tired enough to go to bed, so I decided to take a walk to get some fresh air. That’s when I saw Charlotte coming out of a hotel. We exchanged hellos, and I asked her what she was doing out so late. She told me she was just going for a drive and asked if I wanted to go.” He paused, grimacing, then said, “All I remember from that point was looking into her eyes, and the next thing I knew I was in the car. It felt as if I was in some type of hypnotic state. The car stopped near an orchard and that’s when she told me I needed to know something about you. She told me to walk the pathway through the orchards, wait at the end of it and I would see you there.” He lowered his eyes. “I did see you that night, Alixia. I saw you with Phillip.”
My heart dropped, remembering that night with Phillip. “Marcus, I am so sorry.”
“It‘s all right.” He leaned in and kissed me on the cheek. “I am over it. I know I am going to get you back.”
“Marcus, I don’t think—” He put his finger to my lips and said, “We will talk about it later, okay?” I nodded and leaned back on the couch. He looked toward Marguerite and continued his story. “When I returned to the car, I felt betrayed and angry that you had just left me, and then you were with Phillip—in his arms.”
Humiliated, I bit down on my lip.
He must have hated me that night.
I went on to listen, noticing the sadness in his eyes as he spoke.
“When I got back into the car, Charlotte told the driver to return to New Orleans. She told me there was more I needed to know. I didn’t want to see or hear any more. But she wouldn’t take that for an answer. Right away, she started telling me some crazy story that you and she were immortal. That your family had all these abilities, and Phillip was out to destroy you and—”
I interrupted angrily. “Philip would never hurt me. She lied!”
“I know that now. But at the time, I didn’t know what I was supposed to believe. Everything that she told me was strange. It was out of a horror movie. In fact, from the way she talked about you, I thought you were part of Marcel’s Realm.”
“Why? What did she tell you?”
“It wasn’t what Charlotte told me. It was what she showed me. She got into my mind somehow and put in images of Phillip threatening her outside the restaurant that night. Then, she put another image of you in my thoughts.”
“Of what?”
“You were running away from Phillip. I could actually feel your fea
r. I wanted her to turn the car around and go back. She told me there was no need, that she was just showing me images of the future. Then she took my hand. I could feel the coldness of her touch, and the next thing I knew, the car stopped, we were at the train station and—”
“I know,” I interrupted. “I had a vision of you there. Why did you get on the train with her?”
“I don’t know. She was in my mind, telling me to follow her. I felt I was in some kind of slow-moving dream and couldn’t wake up. Yet I knew what was going on around me. I kept asking questions, but no one was hearing me. We went to the ticket booth. She bought tickets and we got on the train. We didn’t sit down. I just followed her through the car until we reached the end, and then we went out a back entrance. Her driver was waiting for us in the darkness. Somehow we returned to her car.”
“Could you fight her?”
Marcus glanced over at Marguerite. She nodded.
“I couldn’t, it was as I said, had no will of my own. The driver opened the door and I climbed in, unable to resist her. As we headed out of town, that’s when I felt her slowly releasing me from the hold she had on me. The driver stopped the car a couple of miles outside of New Orleans on a back road. I reached for the door handle. She put her hand on my shoulder and told me to trust her. I shouted at her, demanding to know what she had done to me and what were we doing on that train. She calmly said it was just a diversion; that she wanted people to think we had left town together.”
“Marcus.” I interrupted, confused. “That doesn’t make sense. Why would she do that?”
“Yeah, I know, I thought the same thing, but when I asked her why, her answer was, ‘Just in case I came up missing.’”
“What?!”
Marcus shifted nervously. I could feel his body tense up. “Yeah, that’s what she told me. I told her she was crazy and opened the car door to get out. That’s when her driver grabbed me. I struggled to escape, but he held on to me until she got out of the car. She stood face-to-face with me, saying in a siren’s voice that she had a proposition for me. I asked her what it was as I tried to break away from the driver’s hold.
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