The Deaths of Me (NEW ADULT REWORK)

5. Ivy's Burden

Agree, for the law is costly.

--William Camden

"And back to the depths we go," Ivy grumbled as she practically dragged her feet down the path to the Council's chamber. It seemed like just yesterday she'd been there. Oh, wait. It was just yesterday. Doom and gloom. Punishment and justice. If she were alive, she would have sighed. But, sighing took too much effort for her dead lungs, so instead she glanced back at the bird and the dog. "Hurry up."

The phoenix walked with her head down and her wrists together like some medieval prisoner. While the mutt, on the other hand, strode along like the bird had him on a leash. Ivy still hadn't gotten a good look at Rory's face, but from what she could tell, she hadn't been injured at all. So why was she acting so scared?

Ivy peeked up at the spiky cavern ceiling from under her lashes, feeling uneasy as they got closer. Something felt different compared to the previous trek down to the cavernous space. A hum was spilling from the auditorium-like cave ahead of them, and it put her on edge.

Impatiently, she waved the bird-girl over to stand beside her. God, she smelled weird. Like a Christmas fire with fresh cut logs and holly hovering above. Ivy scrunched up her nose and held her breath. At least she was almost rid of the awkward girl.

The Council's chamber was not what the vampire had come to expect.

At least one hundred respected members of the Covenant were present, sitting silently, watching. She'd never seen so many Underdwellers in one place before. They'd all gathered here for the girl? Again, Ivy eyed the creature. There didn't seem to be anything extra special about this girl that Ivy could see, aside from her little fire tricks and what the Council guessed she could do.

Ivy could feel the girl's smooth, light brown skin radiating an unusual heat against her side. Dark, wavy, slightly tangled hair fell down her back and over her shoulders, obscuring her face. Her arms were long, at least when compared to the rest of her body. She certainly didn't look presentable for the Council of the Covenant, though. She looked like a nurse; albeit a dirty, shoeless one. That's what they must have had her wearing at that office of horrors in which they'd kept her. And how had she not noticed that the girl was barefoot? The Council was going to think she'd tortured the poor thing.

No one from the reigning Council stood or moved for a while. Eventually, the mutt lycan came to stand by the phoenix.

The wolf's voice wavered as he delivered his necessary introduction: "The New Moon clan and the Grey Wolf pack present you with the phoenix, unharmed and alive." It seemed like the pup was having a difficult time speaking formally. Figured. He'd probably never been in front of the Council before in his all-too short life. Why, out of all the lycans in the world, had the Council assigned him as her partner?

Ivy scanned the Council leaders once more. Her scrutinizing gaze landed on Queen Cayleigh. Just the sight of the fairy pulled at something inside of Ivy. Whatever it was felt dangerous and heated. Instinctively, Ivy put a protective arm in front of the quivering girl. Nikolai moved his hazel eyes to her and gave her that calming, fatherly look he always did. His eyes were fraught with concern, but his expression was marble. It was a silent warning that such precautions were not necessary. Ivy didn't lower her guard or her arm.

"You have both done exceptionally well," Pompeii complimented. Instantly, Ivy was irritated. Had they not expected her to survive or something? Before Ivy could get too offended, Pompeii said, "Come forward, child."

The old bag of fur gestured for the phoenix to move forward, and Ivy watched as Rory reluctantly shuffled closer to the Council. Again, there was a barrier of crosses surrounding the Council's bench, and the phoenix stopped there, head still bowed as if in infinite prayer. Queen Cayleigh stood and walked around the bench with an exquisitely practiced grace that made Ivy despise her even more. Gingerly, the queen came to a stop an inch behind the crosses and stretched her talon-tipped hand out over the distance between her and the phoenix. Her large eyes fluttered closed and the only sound in the chamber was the excited breathing of the various Underdwellers before her. There were a few deep inhales and a couple of dainty twitches of her lips. And then, a hiss of something like pain sounded before she jerked her hand away.