Blood And Ice Ch 23

ok three more chapters to go! enjoy again thanks to you the reader and to my editor

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Chapter Twenty Three: Saving The Family

I held out my hands. Jess cuffed me, blindfolded me. We must have walked for a few days. Every day my thoughts went to my son. I just hoped that father and Peter didn't blame me for leaving.

Suddenly, I was pulled to my feet. The air started to get colder and damper then what felt like stairs? Where the hell were they taking me?

"Here you are. Home sweet home! Get used to it as it will be the last home you'll ever have." Jess said as she un-cuffed me and took off my blindfold.

I was in a small cell. There was a toilet and a place to sit, but that was all.

"Oh!, I almost forgot" she said.

She pulled up some chains that were linked to the wall and chained me to it. One fetter on each wrist and one around my neck.

"We can't have you escaping now, can we?" she said.

I just looked at her.

"How did you do it Jess?" I asked.

She turned to me, "Do what?" she asked.

"Come back from the dead?"

She sneered at me. "When your grandfather was at the birth of your precious son I escaped as Balthazar was busy with something."

I thought for a second "You're not fully resurrected, are you?"

"A technicality that will shortly be remedied with your death. I can take over your body. Oh, and don't worry dear; daddy will be there to see it." she said.

As she slammed the door shut I looked out the barred window that was set in the door.

"Father, where the hell are you?" I said.

I started to cry. I knew I was doing this to protect my son but I wanted to be in Peters arms and hold my son that night. I cried my self to sleep. In the morning I was rudely awoken by a guard. He threw food at my feet. I just looked at him. If he expected me to eat off of the floor he was sadly mistaken.

"That's all you will get!" he said as he left.

I walked about my cell. I could move that much but as for wing space, that was out of the question. Every time I tried to open my wings they hit the walls and I couldn't move them properly so I just kept them closed. I was sitting looking out the window in the cell door when Jess came in. She brought a chair.

"What the hell do you want Jess?" I said

"Now is that anyway to treat your best friend?" she asked.

"You must be demented or something!" I said.

"Wrong! I'm dead and pissed!"

"Yeah, well I can't do anything about that now, can I?"

Jess ignored my comment and said, "Well, I think you can. I'm here to offer you something."

I just looked at her.

"It's simple! You just tell me how to kill your father and grandfather and I will let you and your baby live. Who knows, we may even form an alliance! What do you say?"

"Why do you want them dead?"

"Simple, as long as they are alive they will kill me. But you won't since you're my best friend." she said with a simile on her face.

"Jess have you lost your mind? Don't you remember how you died?" I asked her.

"Of course I do Lex; but I can forgive you. We are friends after all."

I knew she was just looking for information of some sort. Either that or she had gone completely insane. I looked at her.

"Jess if you think for one second that I will betray my father. I am loyal to him no matter what you offer me."

She sighed and stood.

"The council said that you would say that. I tried to convince them otherwise but I guess they were right."

As she left she took the chair out of the cell.

"Tomorrow you die so savour your last night on this planet!" she said as she slammed the door.

I cowered away into the corner and just cried. I was so afraid. I wasn't sure if she could kill me or not, and I didn't have the sword of shadows so I couldn't even call the army of the dead to help me. Night fell, I hugged my self to sleep in the corner. I was just drifting off when I heard voices.

"Down here! The cells are down here!" it was a male voice.

"Try this one!" a male voice said.

"Fine but be quick as we don't have long." the first male voice said

there was fumbling at my cell door. I looked up four men entered with torches my eyes hurt with the light.

"Lex!!" One voice shouted. It was Peter. I tried to run over but got caught buy the chains that held me.

"Dear god, what have they done to you?" father said.

"Nothing yet. What took you so bloody long?" I asked.

Father said, "My apologies! This place isn't near their usual location. It took us some time to find it." They unchained me.

As soon as they freed me I ran into Peters arms.

"How is Luke?" I managed to get out after we finished kissing.

Peter responded; "He hasn't stopped crying since the night you left. He needs you."

I nodded as father handed me a sword.

"It's not the sword of shadows as we couldn't touch it. I brought your grandfather's sword and your old armour since we need to fight our way out of here." he said.

I nodded.

I quickly strapped my armour and my sword on and followed father out of the cell. We met no resistance until we got to the higher levels. We seemed to be in a deep cave of some sort. Guards started to yell as they saw us.

They yelled, "Get her out of here!"

I knew that they meant Jess. We were quickly engaged in a fierce battle. It didn't take us that long to decimate the guards. There weren't any more than ten, but boy did it feel good to be fighting again! It was almost like I was born to fight.

"Come on, let's get home as your mother will be going nuts by now!" father said.

I couldn't help but laugh. We got out of where ever it was we had been in. There was a small field just outside. The place that held the dungeon looked to be some sort of underground bunker.

"Did you bring Spirit?" I asked father.

"Yes, he's over here."

Father brought me over to where Spirit was. I mounted him and we set off at a slow pace with Peter to my right and father to my left.

"So tell me, how's my little brother?"

Father beamed, "He's doing well keeping your mother and I up at night we named him Jamie."

I smiled. "What did James name his son?"

"Leo, after Sarah's father I believe." father said.

I nodded. I had met Leo once or twice. He was always smiling and joking. It was a very sad day when he died of a heart attack.

"Yes he was a lovely man. I met him when I was living with James and Sarah." I said

"I nearly died when I came back and you weren't there!" peter said.

I looked at him. "I'm so sorry Peter but I had to go. I had a vision that if I had of stayed they would have killed our son and my brother. I just couldn't allow that."

As I said this, father put his hand on my shoulder.

"Thank you! You have no idea how proud I am of you."

I smiled at that, "Lets just get home. I haven't slept well."

"Nether have we, as Luke has been keeping us all up!" peter said.

I couldn't help but laugh. It took us the better part of four hours to get home. As soon as I got into the main hall I could hear the cry of a child.

"Peter can you see to Luke while I get a shower?" I asked.

"I can try, as I have tried, to comfort him but it hasn't worked." he said.

I shook my head. "After I get my shower I will see to him."

I went into our room and Luke was screaming the house down. Peter went into the nursery while I took a quick shower. When I came out peter was trying to bottle feed him but it wasn't working. I sat down on the bed.

"Give him here." I said.

Peter handed Luke over to me. Luke stopped crying as soon as I held him. I pulled my dress down and started to breast feed him.

"Oh yeah, now he stops." Peter said.

I just glared at Peter. As I fed Luke there was a knock on the door.

"Enter!" both Peter and I said.

Father popped his head round the door.

"I don't mean to intrude but there will be a council in a hour."

"That's fine father, I will be there."

He left us. I finished feeding Luke. I was burping him when I got a twinge in my stomach. It felt like I was flying. I was standing in front grandfather's castle.

"Give it up Jess! I'm the stronger one here." I said.

I jumped into the air spreading my wings. I flew around the castle. When I came back to the front Jess jumped into the air and spread her wings which were pure white.

"Now who is the strongest?" she shouted, as she flew straight at me.

"Lex are you okay?" Peter said jogging me from my vision.

I looked down at Luke who was looking straight at me and started to fuss. I held him close to me hoping to keep him calm. I changed his nappy and went to put him down for a nap when he started to cry again.

"This is what he has been doing since you left. Even when we held him he wouldn't stop crying."

"I'll just have to take him to council then."

I wrapped him in blankets and went to the council room with Luke in my arms. Peter sat next to me. Father stood and told of why I left. In the middle of his explanation Luke started to scream at the top of his lungs. I held him close when I got an other twinge I saw grandfathers castle in ruins then I came back I looked at father.

"Is it possible for Luke to have his powers?" I asked.

"Yes, it's unlikely. However anything is possible, why do you ask?"

"I think that Luke is trying to show me something. I don't think that he knows what it is, but I first saw Jess attacking me and then grandfathers castle in ruins." I said.

"Who is Jess?" Father asked.

"The light raider princess! The one I killed on the balcony and the one you felt up just before we took the castle back." I said.

Father smiled at the memory. "Ah yes, but how can she be alive to attack you then?"

"Oh yeah, I haven't told you yet. I think the whole thing with Gabriel was a diversion. We haven't seen what has really been going on." I said.

"And what is that?" Alexander asked.

"Jess is alive. She escaped grandfathers dungeon. She was the one that was going to kill Luke and Jamie so that there would be no descendants. She obviously didn't know about you James." I said.

"But she can't stay outside of your grandfathers dungeon for long as her soul cannot survive without a host." father said.

That made me think. Then it hit me!

"Yes she can! She has probably been alive since Gabriel died. He sacrificed his life to bring her back and the whole battle and the fact that he had a son was a diversion." I said.

James looked at me; "What do you mean Lex?"

"Simple! Gabriel can't have children you said so yourself father." father nodded. "But he knew that if we thought that he had a child we would go after it and try to kill it. While we were looking the other way they brought Jess back! Gabriel's death brought her fully back!" I said.

"She has a point Lucifer. The whole thing could have been a distraction." Alexander said.

"Yes, but what I don't understand is why bring her back?" father said.

"Do you remember the passage from grandfathers book?" I asked.

"Which one?" father asked.

"The one about two angels dancing under a sky of fire." I said

"Ah yes that one, what about it?"

"I think that Jess and I have one more fight before there will be peace." I said.

Luke started to fuss again I lifted him and held him close. I could feel him breathing against me I rubbed his back and he fell asleep.

"Ahhhhh, the sound of silence! He hasn't stopped crying since you left. It's a joy to hear your self think." James said.

"So Peter was telling me, but I think he was crying because he saw something and was trying to tell me! The only way he can is through crying and since none of you have visions he couldn't show you." I said.

"It's possible, although it is unusual for one to have powers from birth." father said.

"You also said it wasn't possible for me to have wings remember?"

"That's true! Do you know when you will fight her?"

"No, I don't! All I know is that it involves grandfather's castle."

"Is there anything else we need to know?" father asked.

"The only other thing is that Jess has lost her mind. She tried to make a deal with me. She said that if I told her how to kill both you and grandfather she would let the rest of us live. She said that then we could form an alliance. She also referred to me as her best friend, even though I've killed her twice." I said.

"That can happen if the souls have been out of a body for to long. She needs a host to complete the resurrection. Gabriel's death would only bring her Spirit back not her body. Only your grandfather can do that! When I take over he will teach me how." father said.

Luke woke up and started to cry.

"Wow! He has some set of lungs on him." I said.

"That's what we have been subjected to the past few days." James said.

"He's probably needs to be fed." Alexander said.

I moved my dress down and held Luke close to me and started to feed him.

"That should keep him quite for a while father. Could you have food brought up as I haven't ate in a long while." I said as my stomach started to growl.

"Yes I will. Council dismissed." he said to the rest.

The rest of the council left the room leaving only father, Peter and me. Food was brought up along with mother and Jamie. I gave Luke to Peter and righted my dress then held my little brother for the first time.

"Oh my god! He looks just like you father!" I said as I handed him back to my mother.

"Yes! We'll be doing a triple baptism in a few days." father said as he kissed Jamie's head.

"Father I really think that I should be back in sword practice. I haven't had any for over nine months and now with this new threat I really need practice."

Father agreed but mother, of course, wasn't having any of it.

"You just had a baby! You need to rest and let the men protect you." she shouted waking both Luke and Jamie up.

"Mother I need to practice. If Jess comes and kills me do you think that she's going to let Jamie, Luke, or Leo grow up?" I asked.

"I thought you killed her." she said.

"I did, twice! But Gabriel found a way around that so I need to get back into shape and quick!" I said.

She turned to father "Tell her Lucifer, tell her that you can protect her and our son."

"Unfortunately she is right! Peter I need you to take the main care of Luke as my daughter needs to join me in sword practice."

"That's fine my lord. I will just take Luke to her when he needs to be fed as I can't do that."

I leaned over and kissed my son on his head. "He must be tired, will you put him down?"

Peter nodded and went off to the nursery with Luke. I felt bad not doing that myself but Jess needed to be destroyed for the last time.

"Meet me in the practice hall as soon as you get your sword." father said.

I went off to my room and picked up my grandfathers sword as well as the sword of shadows. Peter came in and slid his arms around my waist.

"I really missed you." he said as he kissed me.

"I missed you to Peter. I'm sorry that I can't help you with Luke but I'm in desperate need of sword practice."

"It's okay. I understand, I just hope that there's a day when you, me and Luke can enjoy a day together without having to look over our shoulders."

"So do I Peter." I said as I kissed him and went down to the practice hall.

When I entered both father and grandfather were waiting for me.

"Grandfather! This is unexpected." I said as I hugged him.

"Yes, well your father told me what happened and I feel responsible as I should have increased security when I was away from the castle." he said looking at the floor.

"Gabriel would have found a way around your security somehow grandfather. Don't worry about it! And any way, it's just an other opportunity to show that they can't beat us no matter what." I said.

Grandfather smiled.

"Anyway, I have a special training assignment for you." father said.

He gestured me to move over to him. When I did so, he slipped a blindfold over my eyes.

"How am I supposed to fight with this over my eyes?"

"This is my assignment. You need to learn to fight with no eye sight." father said.

"Why?"

"Simple, what would happen if you were in an environment where there was no light? What would you do?" father asked.

"Simple I'd swing my sword and hope I hit something."

Grandfather cracked up laughing.

"No! You need to learn this! It's important." father said.

I just shrugged my shoulders. Father made sure that I couldn't see anything.

"Okay! We're going to attack you and you need to block us. Listen for us attacking." grandfather said.

I nodded. I heard them draw their swords. I did the same. I could hear their footsteps circle me something told me to jump. I jumped and spread my wings and landed again.

"Okay, this time block us with your sword don't jump." father said.

They approached me and circled me again there was a rush of air and thump!

"Ouch, that hurt!" I shouted.

"Then block us!" father said.

Again there was a rush of air I brought my sword up but I didn't connect with anything

"You swung to wide keep it closer to your body." grandfather said.

"If you think its so easy why don't you do it!" I shouted back.

"Alexandria, Concentrate! You can do this. Listen!" father shouted.

I was starting to get annoyed then the strangest thing happened. I felt a sharp pain in my eyes. When I opened them I could see through the blindfold! It was as if there was nothing on my face, but I could feel the blindfold.

I saw my grandfather nod to my father then come in for the kill. I side stepped him and brought my sword up to challenge him. Before I knew it we were locked in a close duel. I slid my sword up and twisted his sword out of his hands.

"Okay, you win." he said.

I reached up and took the blind fold off. When I did the light in the hall nearly blinded me. I screamed in pain and closed my eyes. When I opened them again everything was normal.

"Okay, how did you do that Alexandria?" father asked. He knew that I hadn't listened as he had told me to do.

I explained what I saw and what happened father couldn't believe it.

"Are you sure?" he asked.

"Yes I am, why?"

"It just means that your really tapping into your powers as that is something that neither your father nor I can do. We can shift our eyes only so much."

"I don't understand."

"You know that we can shift our bodies. Well it's the same with our eyes. The only thing is that we can only shift them to see in the dark." father said.

"This is why we blindfolded you as sometimes we have to fight in the dark." grandfather said.

"When?" I asked in disbelief

"There is a time in my domain that there is no sunlight for at least four days and sometimes longer so we need to be able to see in the dark and as you say that the final fight between you and the light raiders happens near my castle there is a possibility that you could be fighting in the dark." grandfather said.

I just looked between father and grandfather they blindfolded me and we spent the rest of the day sword fighting. Peter came to find me a few times to feed Luke. The only rest I got was to either feed Luke or to eat a quick snack. Father was working me harder than ever before. It was on the fifth day that mother came down to the hall and started to scream that I was being over worked.

"Look at her Lucifer! She's wreaked!"

"Mother, I'm fine!"

"No! You're coming with me to rest.", she said as she grabbed my arm trying to drag me from the hall. Then it happened.

It felt like I was falling I was going through trees and landed in a small camp.

"Are you sure it's near by?" I heard a female voice say.

I recognised the voice as Jess. I hid just in case they could see me.