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.
Two tiny attendants flitted around the Queen in a rush, tending to her hand and stroking her hair soothingly. They were jerky, awkward little creatures. It appeared as if they were made of bark and moss, and each movement brought an audible wooden crackling. Ivy finally recognized them as tree spirits.
"The fire lives in this one," the queen commented idly as if the phoenix held no value at all. The queen's eyes were almost all black pupil by then, and had a bright grassy green rim around them.
A breath later, the chamber erupted in vociferous applause. The lycan boy jumped back a bit and shook the hair out of his eyes. Ivy tensed and waited for someone to explain. They'd fetched the damned thing, now there needed to be either a reward or a dismissal. Nikolai was the first to speak.
"This young woman is the key to our Surfacing." Another wave of crashing applause. "No longer will we hide in shadow." Required clapping ensued. "No longer will we protect in secret." This time, cheers were added to the already deafening uproar. "The humans will know us as part of them. Acceptance, my brethren, takes form in this phoenix!"
The final explosion of hollers and hands slapping together was almost enough to physically move Ivy backwards. Instead, she crossed her arms over her chest. Was she the only Underdweller who didn't want to Surface? All of the elders were apparently over the moon about it.
In fact, Ivy should have been an elder leader by now, after four-hundred years of service to the Council and having been an Underdweller for much longer than that. But, her status requests had been denied because of her temper and general disregard for authority. It had never truly gotten under her skin until that moment. Where her vote didn't count. Where her opinion was as good as nonexistent.
"Can I go now?" she bit out, wanting more than anything to leave this sad place and have a good meal. The echoing cavern quieted, and Ivy fell victim to the Council's hardened stare. "You have her. My duty is fulfilled," she said. Her words came out like toxic waste—slow and dangerous, eating at the corners of her meaning.
Pompeii stood and heaved a grave sigh. Don't tell me about exasperation, pal, the petite vampire thought.
"Your first duty, yes. We will ask one more thing of you, Miss Parker."
Ivy watched as Dane, or Bane, or whatever the hell his name was reached for the phoenix and pulled her close enough to settle her under his arm. Why was the girl still shaking? Had they broken her on the transport over to the Council? The lycan didn't speak to the girl at all, but she seemed to still under his touch.
"You will be guarding the girl in your home," Nikolai said. It sounded like a distant, wavering call, as if she were falling down a well. In what felt like slow-motion, Ivy turned her head to face the Council once again. Queen Cayleigh was overflowing with inappropriate joy. Pompeii, dressed in his stark white attire, sat primly behind the bench protected from Ivy's current wrath only by the crosses and his own stench. And Nikolai simply looked like he was pleading.
Before she could stop herself, she heard herself say, "I am at the hand of my brothers." But she was sure that the shock showed clearly on her face.
"Wait one damned minute," the dog spoke out, interrupting Ivy's still stunned haze. "I had just as big of a part in saving Rory as Ivy did."
And the surprises just kept on coming. He'd remembered her name? She hadn't taken the time to store his in her memory, as she hadn't planned on their partnership lasting more than a few hours. She struggled to even recall his name. Blaine? Kane? She shook off the sluggish disbelief and caught onto what he was implying.
"Yes!" she cried, before returning her attention to the Council. "Let the bird stay with him!" The idea was perfect. He was obviously lusting after the phoenix, and she seemed more than comfortable with him. This way, he wouldn't have the urge to just show up at her doorstep with roses in hand and ask about the bird.
"You think that this girl is as worthless as a common diamond?" Pompeii bellowed, silencing the entire chamber. "This girl is the very dust of the galaxy."
Vaguely, Ivy took notice of the bird looking out from under her wavy tresses. Ivy snarled. Fine. Maybe she was a little pretty.
Her face was extremely expressive, and the fear was plainly stated there. It was difficult to tell what ethnicity the girl was. Indian, maybe. But there was something else, too. Latino, perhaps. Polynesian, even. Whatever. Even if Rory wasn't bird-like at all in her facial features, she was no 'galaxy dust'. This was a phoenix, and a third generation at that, not a Helen of Troy.
"Your name, child. For those of the Covenant who do not know," Pompeii requested, gesturing behind him to the throng of spectators.
Almost royally, the phoenix's shoulders straightened even though her chin remained tucked to her chest.
"Ada."
She didn't say anything in the way of a surname. Ivy would be damned—well, moreso—if she got saddled with an outcross. As far as Ivy was concerned, the bird could go stuff herself.
"I prefer Rory." Even though her voice was timid, it never shook or faltered.
Ivy crossed her arms and huffed when Pompeii turned his attention back to her. "Your charge is to protect and provide for Ada. There will be no discussion."
Ivy looked to Nikolai, silently begging for his help. The vampire elder was too busy admiring Rory.
The wolf piped in just before they were to be dismissed. "And what about me?"
"You?" Queen Cayleigh seemed to ponder on the thought as a tree spirit perched on her shoulder. Her freakishly penetrating gaze stayed on him longer than anyone would have liked. "You may leave."
That was the moment when his 'big bad wolf' side decided to show itself. He puffed his chest out in some sort of false bravado and stared down the Council.
"With all due respect, yer Highness, I would rather have Rory in my care and in the care of my pack." No one interrupted him, so he kept talking. "There're more people to help guard her in my community. I won't be tempted by her blood—"
"Not likely," Ivy heard herself say. "She reeks." The phoenix shot a defiant glare at her, which she astutely shrugged off. "You do."
"Brother Dane, you have no previous defensive experience," Pompeii pointed out.
"But plenty 'a trainin', sir," Dane called back.
"And your...popularity among the females of your pack?" the elder lycan asked.
Dane didn't even blink. "Won't be interferin' in my duty to the phoenix."
"And you've refuted the chance for the alpha position in a pack of your own how many times?"
The lycan shrunk a little in his skin. "Three, sir."
Ivy balked inside. He was a potential alpha? No wonder all wolves were so disorganized and hopeless. Leaders like him probably ran their packs straight into the ground.
"This charge is obviously too much responsibility for someone who has never wanted it. Why try to accept this specific mission?" Nikolai butted in, folding his hands in front of him.
The wolf boy glanced at Nikolai with just as much respect as he'd offered Pompeii. As if he didn't hate every vampire he encountered. The wolf boy continued to confuse Ivy.
Dane turned to face the phoenix whose name was Ada, but apparently went by something else entirely. It was a gooey-eyed look he leveled her with, like he was trying to telepathically communicate something vital to her. Ivy was standing somewhat awkwardly in the middle, and she so did not appreciate the view. Her rouge, spike-covered head swiveled back and forth between the two; they were both giving each other soul-searching stares. It was almost like they were auditioning for some daytime drama.
Finally, Dane spoke. "I got nothing better to do." When he turned back to the Council, he was smirking and giving the most practiced, devilishly smooth shrug she'd ever witnessed.
Oh. Gag. Ivy rolled her eyes and beseeched the Council once more. "See? Let the children be in love together and keep me out of it."
"Isadora Birch!" Nikolai snapped. Ivy gasped at the mention of her human name. Immediately, her head was bowed and she was on her knees, somehow once again at the mercy of the Council. When a vampire was called by their full, human name, in trouble was an understatement.
"You have been nothing but rude, insolent, and threatening since you received this assignment. Do not forget who saved your life on Roanoke Island." Ivy bit her lip as she stared at the stone floor, willing the memories away. "You and this lycan boy will work together. You have the experience and he has the drive. Shifts will be taken. You will take three days to gather yourself and feed. During those three days, we will debrief Ada, and release her into the care of the Grey Wolf pack. At the end of three days' time, you will make a custody switch at your home. Is that understood?"
Even though he'd phrased it as a question, it rang out like a threat in the eerily large cavern.
"Yes."
"Then go."
Ivy was gone before he'd finished the sentence.