And Then There Were Four (Lilith Carrie)

~~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 lvy, 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.

Ivy's mother had returned to her pack and mate months ago, mourning the loss of a child who wasn't dead. Kate had gotten pregnant, and now with the new baby around, she was back home with her mate being a mother. Everything was continuing on as if Ivy wasn't lying upstairs, missing out on life.

Knowing that upset me, because she deserved to be here.

"I'm going to go ahead and get the twins in the bath. We promised movie night tonight, and we're going to keep that. It's what Ivy would have wanted. Now, if you don't mind, please finish setting it up."

Talon sighed, nodding his head. The conversation was over, and as I headed up the stairs, I couldn't help but think something about today was different.

Something about today that would change everything.

I just wish I knew what the fuck it was.

***********

Ivy.

Panic flurried through me as I felt myself gasping for air. I had to escape break free of the water holding me back. My mind trying to break through the surface of raging waves that pounded against me.

That is until I found the right

moment and jotted my way to

freedom. My eyes opened wide as ! sat up, gasping and sputtering for air. A sense of joy and wonder filling me as took in the surrounding room. Through the dim lighting of the room, I took in the fresh flowers and the smell of fresh cut grass that lingered through the air.

Someone had obviously been airing out the room often.

ntil

It wasn't until cast my eyes 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 with pitch-black eyes.

Pollux.

Both of my twins were standing there staring at me, but they weren't the same small babies I had left behind when I went to save Damian. Instead, they looked well over a year old, and realized that my heart hurt. "Oh, my sweet babies."

I tried to move to get up from the

bed, but 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 I was determined to find a way.

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