Blood and Ice Ch. 20

Jess looked at me; "And why would you want to know that?"

"That is not your concern."

"Legend says that the cathedral of light is above the birth place of Gabriel. It's a safe house for light raiders." Jess said.

"And where would the birth place of Gabriel be, exactly?"

"The most northerly point that you can find if you go north from the castle and keep going for about a week or two you will find the birth place of Gabriel. The cathedral is above that in the skies. Only angels can reach it." Jess said.

"Very well. Father is there anything else we need to know?"

"I don't think so."

I turned to grandfather.

"She held her end of the bargain it's time we held ours." I said to him.

He nodded and clicked his fingers. Jess glowed for a few seconds when it stopped she said, "I can breath again!"

I looked at Balthazar and nodded he grabbed Jess when he did I plunged the sword of shadows deep into her stomach.

"Thanks for the information Jess. We resurrected you but I never said you would live afterwards." as I said this I twisted the sword and wrenched it out of her with it a torrent of blood.

When this happened her spirit formed again and Balthazar dropped her body and grabbed her spirit

"This isn't fair! You didn't keep you end of the bargain." she shouted.

"Actually, we did! My grandfather resurrected you, but I never said you could live and enjoy your life." Balthazar took her away back down to the dungeons but she went kicking and screaming.

"I'm impressed! You never were going to let her go were you?" grandfather said.

"Of course not! I'm not stupid enough to do that."

"Well how about we all go for a fly!" grandfather said.

"I'd like that father, how about it Alexandria?"

"Yes I'd like that father." I said

"Lets go up to the landing area we can take off from there."

Grandfather nodded and I followed grandfather back up to the landing area. Grandfather spread his wings. They were the same size as father's. I felt so small next to them when they both had their wings out. Father saw the look on my face.

"Don't worry! Your wings will be the same size as ours, if not bigger." father said.

"It won't be long before your flying past us." Grandfather said as he bent his knees and took flight. Father was next, then I joined them in the air.

"So tell me, what have you taught her Lucifer?"

"Not a lot; just taking off and going left and right."

"What about how to get your speed up?" grandfather asked.

"No, I was going to do that tomorrow."

"Very well. I will teach her right now. Alexandria, what I want you to do is beat your wings as fast as you can okay?" grandfather said.

I nodded and started to beat my wing as fast as I could and I shot upwards. I didn't really know what I was doing but father and grandfather weren't far behind me.

"Slow down Alexandria." father shouted.

I stopped beating my wings. "Sorry father, I didn't realise I was going that fast."

"That's okay. Why don't we try a dive since were up so high?" grandfather said.

"A dive?" I said.

"Yup! It's easy, just watch."

Grandfather rose a little higher flipped upside down and pulled his wings in and plummeted towards the ground and just before he hit the ground he spread his wings and skimmed the ground then landed.

I looked at father.

"Go on, give it a try then we will go home."

"Okay, I'll give it a try." I rose up then turned my self upside down then pulled my wings in and I shot towards the ground. Just as I was about to hit the ground I spread my wings and skimmed the ground then pulled up and landed on my feet for the first time.

"I told you that you would get the landing! It just needs practice." grandfather said as father landed next to me.

"Come Alexandria. Let's go home as you mother will be worried."

I nodded and took flight again. Father was just after me. I let father make the jump first as we flew to the castle. Father said "Land on the balcony and try not to go over the edge." I nodded and went to land on the balcony. This time I landed without any problems.

Father tucked his wings away.

"When will I be able to do that father?"

"When your wings fully develop." he said as he ushered me into his room. Mother was there waiting for us.

"Thank heavens your okay. I was worried. Where did you go?"

"I took Alexandria to my father's castle and we got a few answers that we needed."

"Father, you should convene the council as we need to make arrangements to go to where we need to."

"Yes, but not until you can tuck your wings away!"

I nodded.

"Very well, I convene the council. Meet me down there Alexandria. I need to talk to your mother okay?"

I nodded and headed out the door and towards the council hall. I met Alexander on the way.

"Father is convening the council. We will need everyone there as soon as possible."

"Very well, your highness." He had spotted my wings. "When did you shift?"

"Earlier today."

I went to the council hall. Damien and Peter were in there. "Good, you're here. Fathers convening the council."

They both nodded. Peter got up and came over to me and kissed me. "How was your flight?"

"It was okay, we went to my grandfather's. It will take some getting use to and I felt so small standing beside them."

"Yeh but it wont be long before you're the same size as them if not bigger" Damien said.

"That's true. This doesn't change anything between us does it?" I asked Peter.

"Why would it? I love you for who you are not what you are." Peter said as mother father and the rest of the council came in and sat down. I sat next to father with Peter on my right as father stood to speak.

"I'm sure that you all have noticed my daughter is going through her shift at the moment. In two or three weeks we will be leaving here. Well everyone except Drake and Damien as you will be staying to protect my wife." father said.

Alexander spoke, "Where are we going my lord?"

father looked at him. "We are going to finish what we started. Gabriel is still alive in his angelic form but we know where he is and how to get to him. But, we can't leave until my daughter can hide her wings."

It was Peter who spoke next.

"Why must we wait my lord?"

"For two reasons Peter; one, Alexandria is vulnerable until she completes her shift and two, the light raiders thought as we did that she couldn't shift. We need to use this to our advantage!"

"Where are we going my lord?" Alexander asked.

"To the white cathedral, to kill Gabriel and his heir."

"But, my lord, with all due respect no one knows where it is! Not even the light raiders themselves." Alexander said.

"That's no longer true Alexander. We got the location out of a light raider so we know where were going."

Everyone looked at him. "Look, my daughter and I know where it is and that will be the end of it, okay" father said in a threatening tone. No one argued with him.

He excused the council I was about to leave with Peter when father stopped me.

"During your shift you will need to stay in our room so we can keep an eye on you, okay?"

I nodded. "I'm just going to say good night to Peter."

"Very well, but don't be long. Meet us in our room."

I nodded and went out to Peter. He was waiting in the hall for me.

"What's wrong Lex?"

"I have to stay with my parents during my shift."

"As long as you marry me when this is over I don't mind." he said as he took my hand and we walked into the entrance hall.

I could hear the guards arguing over something but I paid no attention. All of a sudden I was bowled over as a mound of grey fur came flying at me. It took me a few seconds to realise that it was flash. I pushed her off me and gave her a hug. In the middle of the fighting I had forgotten about her.

As I asked, "Where have you been girl?", she replied with a bark.

She was a fully grown wolf now; and what a beautiful one she was! She sniffed my wings then licked my face. The guards came running over.

"Your highness, we're very sorry! We'll get rid of the wolf."

As they went to grab her I shouted at them, "You'll do no such thing! This is my pet wolf and you will not touch her!"

As I was making this point, mother and father came in.

"Is there a problem?" father said.

"They were going to get rid of flash father." I said. I don't know why but I started to scream and shout at the guard and then I burst into tears.

Peter put his arm around me to comfort me flash rubbed herself against me. Father excused the guard then took me from peters arms and lifted me up. He took me upstairs and laid me down on the bed. Flash jumped up next to me and cuddled into me and I cried into her fur. Father picked me up and cuddled me.

"Shh, it's okay. This is normal! You will go through mood swings like this. The guard was out of order and I will deal with him later." he said as mother came in followed by Peter.

"Is she okay my lord?"

"She's fine. It's just a mood swing. She will experience these for a few days. Will you stay with her while I deal with the guard?"

"Of course, my lord."

Peter came and cuddled me as father left. Peter kissed and cuddled me until I stopped crying.

"Are you okay Lex?"

"I am now Peter, thanks! I don't know why I reacted like that."

"Your father said that you will be going through a lot of changes for the next few days. You will get mood swings as part of it." mother said.

"Yeah but he didn't do anything and I hit the roof!"

"Sometimes the smallest thing can set you off when you get mood swings." Peter said.

"You thought that he would harm flash and she means a lot to you, so reacted." mother said.

I nodded. I could hear father yelling at the top of his voice I couldn't help but laugh. Peter laughed as well.

Father came into the room a few minutes later with a tray of food and wolf blood.

"Drink up, you need it." father said, as he handed me the goblet.

"Thank you father. I'm sorry that I overreacted."

"There's no need to apologise. Everyone knows what your going through and they should know not to do anything to upset you. I made that very clear to the guards."

Peter kissed me. "I'd better let you get some rest Lex. You need it. I'll see you in the morning."

I nodded as he got up to leave.

"Peter; thank you for being here for her." father said.

"You're welcome. She is my fiancé after all. If I can't help her when she needs it, what good am I, my lord?"

Father nodded. Peter left. My mother and father both sat down on the bed next to me and flash.

"I though we had lost her after we released her!"

"What do you mean, father?"

"When someone dies, if they have any animals, we release them into the wild. When we thought you were dead, we released her. After the battle, I thought we had lost her for good.", father said as he petted flash.

"I'm glad she came back I really missed her." I said.

"The bond between you and flash is a special one. I've never seen it before. It's almost as if you're part of one an other." mother said.

"Well you know, Melissa, that we're close to wolves. Maybe since flash lost her mother when she was young, she has accepted Alexandria as her close relative."

Flash walked over to me and rested her head on my lap. I hugged her. Mother went to get changed as she was doing this father came back and locked the door as he took his top off and headed to the bathroom to find my mother.

I could hear loads of giggling coming from the bathroom. They both emerged changed for bed. Well father had just changed his trousers. He looked into my eyes.

"Are you okay Alexandria?" he asked me.

"I'm fine father, just tired."

I yawned and climbed into bed. Mother climbed in, in front of me and father behind me being careful of my wings and flash climbed on top of me. I loved the smell of her and I loved being with my parents.

As I fell asleep I couldn't have been happier. However, I knew that Gabriel was still alive and I wouldn't rest until he and his heir were stone cold dead. That was a promise that I made to my self and my parents as I fell asleep in their arms.