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. 

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

if Ivy wasn’t lying upstairs, missing out on

because she deserved to

twins in the bath. We promised movie night tonight, and we’re going to

up.”

The conversation was over, and as I headed up

that

I knew what

*********** 

Ivy.

myself gasping for air. I had to escape break free of the water holding me back. My mind trying to break

opened wide as I sat up, gasping and sputtering for air. A sense of joy and wonder filling

dim lighting of the room, I took in the fresh flowers and the smell

airing out the room

back at me with an excited expression. Her tiny hands clapped together frantically as she looked

Pollux.

but they weren’t the same small babies I had left behind when I went to save Damian. Instead, they looked well

“Oh, my sweet babies.”

unfortunately, my legs refused to cooperate. My time laid in bed caused the muscle mass in my body to weaken. It didn’t matter though, because

stared back at my children, I saw Castor look towards the bedroom door and get excited again before she turned to her brother, who

two… whose ready

stack of towels in his hand, and as his eyes latched onto mine, he froze in his step. The only sound was Castor laughing

mumbled as he glanced from the twins

know how, or are you going

second before he was across the room, pulling me into his arms, pressing his lips to mine in a slow, deep, passionate kiss. To me, it was only yesterday I had kissed him, but to them… it had been much

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

lap as he seemed to try and hold back the tears.

his cheek, I kissed him again with

why don’t I

he smiled at me.

I

towards the twins. They were both eager at this point to get out, and were trying their hardest to escape him as

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.

home.’ I said through the link, causing James

of the men racing up the stairs, heading down the