And Then There Were Four (Lilith Carrie)

Chapter 118: Returning Home

~~ One year since the fall~~

James.

One year.

It had been one year since the fall of the war, and Ivy still was not with us. My heart longed to see her again, and every day I passed where she slept on the bed, I contemplated if we would ever get her back, if the gods would ever release her from the prison she was in.

That was right. I blamed them.

They allowed her to do this, and they could have helped her out of this, regardless of what anybody said. Her mind needed rest, yes, but a fucking year.

Something was wrong, and she needed help.

What killed me the most was that I couldn’t help her.

Standing in the kitchen, I grabbed the rest of the towels from the basket I had washed and slowly folded them. It was time for the twins’ bath, and even though Hale had just come down and said they were perfectly content in the crib, staring at Ivy, I couldn’t help but feel slightly jealous they seemed to know something we didn’t.

“I don’t know why you’re always such a pessimist, James. You used to be so happy all the time,” Talon growled with irritation at my latest comment.

“You’re not treating them right on the training field, and you know it. The war has been over. You have to give those men a break every now and again.”

“Last time I checked, you weren’t in charge of training anymore. You were playing Daddy because you didn’t want to get a nanny,” Talon snapped, causing anger to soar through me.

“Go fuck yourself, Talon. Those are our children. How dare you fucking say something like that?”

“Yeah, I know they are. But you know what… we each have to have time for ourselves, too. You’re literally up there fucking killing yourself day and night, and even at night when they’re sleeping, you don’t sleep because the only thing you do is sit in the chair and watch them and watch Ivy as if you’re hoping she’ll actually fucking wake up. She isn’t coming back, James! We should have laid her to rest already!”

Talon, suggesting Ivy was dead, pissed me off more than anything. I knew he was only lashing out because he was angry, because he was hurt. He prayed in the beginning to the goddess all the time to bring her back and cried at her bedside.

But day after day after day, he was let down because she still wasn’t back

I could feel his pain through the bond. A pain I wish I could end for him. But Talon was the most messed up out of all of us.

At least he was until Damian woke up again.

Casting my gaze towards the small sitting room that led off of the kitchen, I watched Damian sit in the chair, his eyes staring out the window exactly the same as it was every day. 

We were on our own now. 

the loss of a child who wasn’t dead. Kate had gotten pregnant, and now

was continuing on as if Ivy wasn’t lying upstairs,

because she

movie night tonight, and we’re

up.”

head. The conversation was over, and as I headed up the stairs, I couldn’t help but think

that

knew what the

*********** 

Ivy.

through me as I felt myself gasping for air. I had to escape break free of the water holding

opened wide as I sat up, gasping and sputtering for

the dim lighting of the room, I took in the fresh flowers and the smell of fresh cut grass that lingered

had obviously been airing

to the right that I saw Castor’s celestial orbs staring back at me with an excited expression. Her tiny hands clapped together frantically as she looked behind her to the dark-haired boy

Pollux.

left behind when

“Oh, my sweet babies.”

in bed caused the muscle mass in my body to weaken. It didn’t matter though, because I was determined to

saw Castor look towards the bedroom door and get excited again before

two… whose ready for a

hand, and as his eyes latched onto mine, he

he glanced from the twins to me, and then back

or are

to mine in a slow, deep, passionate kiss. To me, it was only yesterday I had kissed him, but to them…

softly, wincing at the pain in my side. “How long have I been

 year, Ivy,” he whispered his eyes falling to my lap as he seemed to try and hold back the

my hand over the side of his cheek, I kissed him again

don’t I

at

me my children, and I will

both eager at this point

sweet faces came closer, they crawled onto the bed. Their arms wrapped around me as they snuggled into my chest, laying their heads against my breasts. They had missed me just as much as I missed them, and as the tears

thought of the others.

through the link, causing James

of the men racing up the stairs, heading down the hallway straight for me. My door burst open as Talon, Hale and Damian