Chapter 9 Ivy
nine
Ivy
The fallout was even worse than Ivy had imagined. Leseldh’s punishment came in the form of a lockdown that showed no signs of lifting after a week. He claimed it was ‘for her protection’, but she was sure it was retaliation for her deception.
Leseldh arranged for the Blood Merchants of Sabor Sanguine to feed her within the safety of Veldmoor. Any requests she made that required her to leave the mansion were either swiftly denied or accommodated through Voresta as an errand-runner.
When persuading Leseldh proved unsuccessful, she tried to get Finare on her side.
However, he was reluctant to join her cause after it backfired so spectacularly last time.
She couldn’t blame him. Finare’s social schedule continued as normal, and Ivy was envious that he could come and go as he pleased.
When he was home, he kept his distance, and Ivy wasn’t sure if that was on Leseldh’s instructions, or whether he was still working through his guilt.
She considered sneaking out until Phaedra took up residence in her room. Ivy knew that the Erath was operating on instructions to notify Leseldh of her every move. Even if she managed to escape undetected, she still had the threat of the Hunter to worry about.
Her terrifying encounter with him ran through her mind frequently over the last week.
Nightmares ripped her from sleep, and when she looked in the mirror, she remembered the bright-red handprint he’d left on her throat.
Her brush with the Hunter wasn’t discussed openly again, but she knew it was the driving factor for her current circumstances.
Voresta was her last resort, and she’d put off trying to make an appeal to him.
But as her boredom brought her to the brink of insanity, she knew her options were limited.
It was out of desperation that she found herself leaning in the doorway of Voresta’s gym.
He wore a loose pair of sweats but was shirtless.
A large, angry-looking scar was visible on his lower back. Ivy shuddered at the sight of it.
Voresta was busy launching a brutal attack on the punching bag and trying his best to ignore her pleas for a temporary reprieve. The training was a daily routine for her Broodmate, and she’d learnt to block out the sounds of his aggression.
“If I don’t get out of this house sometime soon, I’m going to burn it to the ground.”
The older Vampire’s eyes snapped to hers, and their shade of grey was so dark, they appeared black from across the room. “Like fuck you will.”
“I’m serious. I can’t train all night like you, and I can’t sit around and do nothing. What’s the point of living forever if I’m limited to just this house?”
“Leseldh wants you safe.”
“But if you’re with me, I’ll be safe, right?” She knew she’d taken the right tack when he huffed a sigh and his assault on the bag ceased.
“Yes, I can keep you safe. But you’re safest within these walls.”
“Trust me, if you keep me locked up for much longer, it’ll be the three of you that won’t be safe.” Her tone was full of irritation, but Voresta’s eye roll told her he didn’t take the threat seriously.
“I’ll talk to Leseldh,” he ground out.
Ivy practically squealed with excitement. She hurried back upstairs and banged her fist on Finare’s door.
“Get ready, we’re going out!” she yelled before dashing to her room.
Within thirty minutes they were on their way. Ivy was practically vibrating with excitement, but her brows knitted into a frown when she noticed they continued down South-Central Boulevarde past the turn-off for Lunarian.
“Where are we going?”
“Somewhere different,” Voresta replied gruffly.
“It’s probably better we mix it up a little, since Killian found you at Lunarian,” Finare supplied, running his fingers through his messy blonde locks. Voresta tensed at the mention of Killian. Finare appeared nervous when he looked in Ivy’s direction, and fear twisted her gut.
Killian. The Hunter had a name. She still hadn’t been able to shake the image of his piercing, blood-red stare. As keen as she was to escape Veldmoor, if only for a night, she hoped not to cross paths with her pursuer.
Voresta parked the car in a darkened side street, giving Ivy no clue as to their destination.
They walked for a short time, and Ivy noticed Phaedra circling overhead as they walked.
She had the full protection detail tonight.
Ivy knew they’d reached their destination when she rounded a corner and spotted a large building on the northern end of Second Spiral East. Tall, arched windows and lanterns decorated the outer walls, and a neon sign blazed above the door that read The Silver Sluice.
The Silver Sluice was another club but was styled differently to Lunarian.
While Lunarian’s main attraction was the stone atrium and dance floor, The Silver Sluice comprised of several smaller rooms. The arched windows seen outside were brightly lit in each space, showcasing their intricate, coloured glass designs.
Every domain was styled differently and attracted different patrons.
Ivy tried to absorb the details as she was dragged through the club.
A series of suspended cages adorned the ceiling of the largest room.
They held scantily clad dancers that swayed to the pounding music.
Vampires lingered below, gazing upward at the treats on display.
Another area resembled an enormous greenhouse, with plants and flowering vines instead of cages.
It appeared to be favoured by Shapeshifters and Werewolves.
Finare slowed and looked inside with longing, but Voresta pressed forward.
The theming of the area Voresta led them to was jarring in comparison to the others.
Humans dominated the space, including Witches and Warlocks, and even the occasional Ghost. Bright lighting resembling daylight bounced off the white and silver furnishings.
Low tables and clusters of chairs were scattered across the floor, and Voresta led them to an empty table in the corner, affording him a view of the entire area.
No one could say he wasn’t taking this protection duty seriously.
Ivy felt out of place after spending so much of her recent time in the darkness. Phaedra, who would have stood out in this setting, was nowhere to be seen. Ivy wondered if she was watching the entrance, waiting for their departure.
Once they were settled, Ivy started firing off the questions that simmered under her skin over the last week.
“I want to know what the hell an Ascension is, and what it has to do with me.” She glared at her companions. Her Broodmates glanced at each other with wide eyes and a moment of silence followed.
Finare broke the silence, while raking his fingers through his hair. “Basically, it’s a ritual every Vampire undergoes exactly one year after their Creation.”
“How does it work?” Ivy folded her arms on the table in front of her.
“You’ll be buried in the ground. You remain there for seven nights. After that, you’ll rise as an Ascendant Vampire.”
“You’ve both done this?”
Finare nodded and looked to Voresta before responding, “Yeah.”
Each answer caused several more questions to bubble up to the surface of her mind, but she plucked out the most important ones to lob at her Broodmates.
“And why does that mean Killian won’t be able to harm me after that?”
“Because Ending an Ascendant Vampire is forbidden by the Council.” This time, it was Voresta who responded.
Voresta’s features morphed into a scowl at the mention of Killian. If either of her companions wondered how she knew to ask about the Ascension, or Killian’s deadline, they didn’t voice it.
“Why didn’t you tell me about this sooner?”
“I assumed Leseldh had already told you,” Voresta replied.
“Can we agree to not keep secrets from each other anymore?” Ivy threw her hands in the air. She gave each of her Broodmates a pointed look, but when they took a beat too long to respond, her temper finally broke free.
“Wow. For all your talk of safety and protection, neither of you really have my back.” She shot out of her chair and made to leave. Voresta’s hand whipped across the table and gripped her wrist tightly.
“Where do you think you’re going?” The dominance in his tone made her grit her teeth.
“I’m going to get a drink.” Ivy’s gaze seared into Voresta’s in challenge. It was a battle of wills, and after a long, tense moment, Finare interrupted.
“For fuck’s sake, Voresta. The bar is right there. Let her go.” There was an edge of frustration in his voice, and for a moment it seemed that Voresta wasn’t going to give in. His grip on her wrist eventually loosened enough for her to wrench it free.
Wordlessly, Ivy stormed towards the bar.