Crimson Kiss

38 Ritual

The beating of drums and echoing shouts cast at me through the halls seemed to caml me in a way I would never have thought I would feelin a situation like this. As I walked, I could hear the slight whisperings of spells. All in Latin. Some I could not make out. Some were words and phrases of protection. I smiled, hoping I would be able ro remember the spells so I could add them to my grimror.
As we walked, the music became more and more intense, singing and chanting of the deep voices becoming more and more intense until I rounded the corner to see the ones who were playing the drums were the members of the Covenstead Elders. I felt my legs lock into place when I saw them and the music came to a deadly silent stop, before picking back up with a gentle, steady, double tapping drumbeat. I stared at the Elders for a moment, before I herd Delphine hissing at me from beside me.
"Bow," she hissed at me. "It is a sign of respect!"
I immediately bowed my head to them, and saw them, out of the corner of my eye, lean in and whisper to eachother. I felt like I was being put on display. I didn't like this and I felt exposed in this dimly lit room, surrounded by people I did not know or trust. I felt Delphine offer me her hand in support. I smiled at her and gripped her hand in mine, looking around the crowded room.
Everyone was dressed in either deep purple or dark blue robes. The room had been decorated with white marble and alabaster statues and fake branches and weeds. There was now a fountain in the middle of the room with some fat, little chubby baby spitting water from his butt. tate was at the top of the podium with Freya beside him, a scowl on her face as she watched me make my way through the room.
People parted and made room for me to pass as I walked slowly through the room. I watched as an elderly woman stepped forward and came at me. I thought perhaps she had a question, but when she shoved Delphine out of the way, and came at me, her fists raised, I backed away in surprise. The woman stumbled and fell to the stone floor.
"You must forgive Old Lady Yue, Miss Ivy," Tate said as he appeared beside me. "Vampires took her Husband recently and she is still...grieving," she said.
I reached down to help the old woman to her feet, my heart breaking at her sobbing. "This is what Vampires do!" Tate reminded me. "they kill with no remorse!"
I turned to face him. "How do you know it was Vampires?" I asked him.
Tate shrugged. "Bodies drained of blood, sexualy assulted femake victims in their early to mid twenties-"
I cut him off quickly and waved his comment off. "It is not the Malverick Clan-"
"How can you be so sure?" he asked me. I handed the elderly, sobbing woman off to a young man who gave me a small smile. He thanked me and ushered the lady away.
"Because I trust them, and I know they would never betray me!"
I watched his face become smug. "Are you sure about that?" he asked me.
I rolled my eyes, annoyed now.
"You asked me here to do a Ritual, so here I am!" I reminded him. "If you want to talk to or about the Malverick clan, I can happily arrange a meeting for you when I have the time to do so! But let me make one thing clear!" I warned him as we slowly continued through the crowded room.
"The Malverick Can is not to harmed!" I warned him. "My father is to be left out of whatever dealings you have going on and I want you to hand over full duties of the Priestess to me-"
Tate stopped but I pulled him onward. "Hold on-"
I shook my head. "You wanted me to take on the duties, Tate," I reminded him. "Here I am!"
I watched his face close like a door as he realized what I meant. "Leave me and my friends alone, or I will have to have a little chat with the Elders over there. Oh the things I could tell them-"
"Little girl," Tate mused as we weaved through the crowd. "Are you threatening me?"
I laughed a little, knowing all eyes were on me right now. "Of course not," I assured him.
"I just want to make sure you understand where we stand!"
We had reached the top of the podium. Delphine was beside me now. "All you have to do is light the four candles on the Alter, burn the sage, and thank Hecate for her blessings and protections. After that you recite the prayer and then you are done!"
I glanced at her. "Pryer?" I hissed at her as I walked up to the altar.
Delphine pressed the paper into my hand. I sighed and spread it out before the candles. Picking up the matches The room had gone silent and everyone was looking up at me on the podium, holding and unlit candle, some holding incense. My breathing slowed, making me suddenly feel a lot calmer than I should. Then, suddenly, I felt a cool draft come through the room, and something soft and cool touched my mind. I freaked out for about half a second wondering what the hell was going on. The room around me seemed to brighten and shimmer as all of the candle in the room suddenly blazed up, including the ones everyone held in their hands. The breeze turned into a stronger gust of wind, whipping up dust and blowing napkins and empty solo cups around the room.
You can do this, Ivy.
Tears sprang to my eyes at the sound of her voice and my heart broke. A sob hitched in my chest and Veronica leaned forward. "Ivy, are you OK?" she asked me.
I nodded quickly and gripped the matches in my hand and lit one quickly, suddenly feeling the pressure of the room. My mind was filled with images of how she had had the same set up at home in L.A. She had sat there every night, under the stars, and mumbled things I was never really able to make out. Now, I knew better. But for some reason, the thought of speaking the same words she did, in front of all these people make me feel incredibly upset.
This is you birth right, Ivy! Claim what is rightfully yours!
And then, suddenly, it was like someone had flipped a switch in my head. I suddenly knew what I needed to to and what I needed to say. I closed my eyes, praying to the Goddess for strength.
I lit each of the three candles, reciting the words off of the page.
"Gratias tibi, Hecate, trium genetrix mater nos docere bene virgo ad nos vera et crone, semper erimus fidelis," I said in a loud clear voice. Was it weird that I had no idea that I suddenly knew Latin? When had that happened? I watched as everyone in the room, passed around cups of wine, taking little sips here and there. When Tate offered me some I smiled and shook my head.
"No thank you," I said and gave him a fake smile.
Tate frowned at me. "It is tradition," he reminded me.
I watched from the corner of my eye how Veronica hurried to my side. "Lady Ivy, the Elders are eager to meet you," she informed me.
I turned to look at her and nodded. "Well, I best be on my way," I said and turned away from Tate. I was about to step away when his arm suddenly snaked around my arm and pulled me back. His breath was sour like wine and he glared at me.
"Be careful what you say to them!" he hissed at me.
I turned to face him now. "What are you so afraid of me knowing, Tate?" I asked him. "What is it that you don't want me to tell the Elders? You wanted me to become the Coven's High Priestess, well here I am and yet, you still won't trust me!"
I watched Tate's face become amused. "You want me to trust you?" he asked me. "Then why don't you ask your Vampire pets to keep their noses out of my business!" he reminded me.
I forced a smile on my face. "I have no idea what you are talking about," I assured him.
Tate scoffed and shook his head, glancing at the crowd around us. "You are in a position of Power and you are just a child-"
"I stopped being a child the day you and your followers decided to kill my mother!" I said coldly.
Tate turned to face me now, his face thoughtful "How was your mother's last days?" he asked me and I felt pain rip into my middle. He was doing this on purpius. "I heard she suffered tremendously, so much so that she was sedated most of the time-"
I was moving before I understood what I was doing. The cup of wine I was holding in my hand was suddenly flying up, jerking towards Tate's face. The dark red liquid splashed on his face and his white suit, and down his front. "Dick!" I hissed at him.
The room went silent as I dropped the cup to the floor and stalked toward the exit of the room.
I needed to get out, there was no air in here. I needed fresh air. I stumbled down the hall and pushed at the side door and was outside in a courtyard. I gasped as the pain ripped through my middle and tears splashed down my face.
The agony was unbearable. I crossed my arms over my chest and rocked back and forth, willing the pain to stop. I was trying to hard to stop my crying and the pain that the soft thud to my right made me gasp in surprise. I turned and saw Marcus standing behind me, his face worried.
"What happened?" he demanded, looking around.
I shook my head, a gasp escaping my lips. I pushed to my feet and brushed myself off, headed for the door. "It's nothing-"
Marcus was beside me now, closing the door before I could get thro. "Ivy, you can trust me-"
"Can I, though?" I asked him and brushed away my tears. "What about all the times you tried to kill me?
Marcus pursed his lips. "I saved your life more times then I tried to take it!" he reminded me.
I sighed and shook my head. "You have to be bat sh!t crazy to want to kill someone!"
Marcus shrugged. "Hundreds of years killing people to survive will do that to you!"
I scoffed at him. "No wonder no one likes you-"
"You mother had the right idea, you know," said, ignoring me completely. His words stabbed at my heart and I struggled to remain upright. "She ran," he reminded me, voice going gentle as he reached and made me face him. "She ran, because she did not have the help she needed. She ran to save your life. Now it is up to you to make the best of it!"
I sniffed and nodded. Marcus smiled and reached to wipe away the stray tear on my cheek. His fingers lingered on my face for a moment, tracing a finger down to the corner of my mouth. It was odd, this feeling I suddenly had. I felt like I was being sucked in by his eyes. My world seemed to calm. "Now get back in there, before you are missed," he reminded me and let his hands fall to his sides.
I nodded and hurried back inside, the blush coloring my face. What was all that? Why was Marcus suddenly the one who was always there? I wished Ezra would have been here. I sighed and rounded the corner to find Veronica walking down the hall, her hood drawn up. Once she saw me, she smiled and hurried over to me
"I got what you asked for!" she told me.
I smiled and took the small bag of cat hairs and then pulled out my phone to text Delphine and Amira. They were the only ones who knew I was doing this. I had not said anything to Ezra or Marcus and now I was wondering if I should. I already knew what would happen if I was killed while bonded to Snowy, but I wondered what would happen if I was unable to return to my body? The spell was simple but powerful.
"Thank you," I said and saw Delphine coming down the hallway.
Veronica was about to turn to see who was coming but I gripped her hand quickly before she could see Delphine. "Veronica?"
She gave me a small smile. "Yes?"
I frowned at her. "Why are you suddenly so willing to help me?" I asked her.
Veronica sighed. "Because," she told me. "I over herd Tate and Freya arguing a few days ago and I heard them talking about you. And your Mother," she said.
I sighed, feeling the crushing pain threatening to break and cripple me. "My mother?"
Veronica nodded. "Yes, I know what Tate did," she admitted. "However, I know for a fact that the Elders have no idea that he is behind your mother's death!"
I felt my jaw drop. "Dormies donec dico surgere" Delphine whispered behind Veronica and I watched at a powder like myst settled around Veronica and she slumped forward. I sighed and shook my head, catching her and nodded to the door beside us.
"In there," I gasped as I struggled to pull Veronica's limp body. Delphine pulled a small pouch from her pocket and duped the contentes into her hand. "What is that for?" I asked her.
Delphine looked up at me. "It will make her forget," she told me.
I grabbed her wrist before she could dust the powder over Veronica's face. "Wait!"
Delphine looked at me. "What?" she asked me.
"No!"
Delphine gapped at me. "Ivy, if she tells Tate-"
I shook my head quickly. "She won't," I assured her. "She gave me her word!"
Once we had Veronica in a safe place, we set off down the hall.
"Now what?" Delphine asked me.
I sighed. "Now, I have to present myself to the Elders," I said and stopped in the doorway of the Grand Hall. Delphine looked around and sighed.
"Tate is forever watching you," she said. "What is with that?"
"He killed my mother," I said and Delphine reached and took my hand. I sighed and gripped hers. "And I plan on killing him in return!"
Delphine nodded. "Then there is something you should know, because killing Tate could prove to be a problem with the Elders!"
I turned to face her. "Tell me!"
And so she did. And the revelation she told me, blew my mind. And now, I had even more reason for wanting Tate dead.