Guardians of the Watchtower: North

Chapter 11

Ivy woke up warm and safe in her bed, but with the worst headache she'd ever had, the pressure felt like it was literally splitting her skull in half. She was nauseated just sitting up but the instant she realized she was no longer in her robe and clothes she felt that pang of fear and instantaneously she remembered the book that had caused this whole situation. She began looking around and found her clothes clean, pressed and folded, sitting in a chair on the far side of the room, the black book sitting neatly on top. Ivy tried her best to get up feeling very dizzy and not knowing if this was from hitting her head or if had something to do with the purple light she swore she'd seen. Slowly but surely she made her way across the room and scooped up the book, they must have thought it was my art book, and began making her way back to bed, which was a mission in itself trying to climb back in. Once she was nestled back under the comforter, she began attempting to untie the leather string that was wrapped around the book at least four times. The binding of the book whined as she finally got it open. The first page was written in a language she didn't recognize but the swirling script was beautiful and in silver. The page was partially stained from water damage and looked ancient. Ivy found, flipping through the book, it was entirely written in a weird script of diagrams and what looked like drawings of plants. Some of the plants looked like real plants that had been clear coated onto the pages. Ivy continued to flip through the book, a page fell out onto her lap, it had all the symbols and what looked like English letters next to them, it was the decoder to the book. Excitedly, Ivy flipped again to the front of the book, looking back and forth from the decoder page to the book, at each symbol until she figured out what the first page read, it took her breath away.
This book of shadows belongs to Sabian Fomalhaut. I pass it and all my knowledge to my child, Hadera, her children and her children's children in the hope of protecting our world and the human world from the shadow walkers.
Ivy instantly felt the hairs on the back of her neck and arms stand up like she was being watched. So when the knock came at the door, she screamed instead of answering like a normal person and instantly the door was open. Shoving the book under the covers Ivy found herself looking across the room at Sylar who looked like he was ready to pounce on anything that moved.
"Are you okay?!" he said as he searched the room as if looking for something.
"Yeah I'm okay. I'm sorry, I was having a bad dream."
"How are you feeling?" Sylar let out a breath that Ivy didn't realize he was holding as he walked up to her bed.
"I'm dizzy and I have a headache, but I'm okay."
"Here, let me help you outta bed. There's food in your sitting room along with some meds that should make you feel better. The doctor's been coming and going since your accident, checking on you. You've been out for hours. I think it's from the stuff they gave you." Sylar helped Ivy stand,holding most of her weight as he walked her out of the room and into the sitting room table. He let her lean against the table as he pulled the chair out for her, helped her into it and pushed her up to the table. Everything was, as usual, Ivy imagined they believed her stomach couldn't handle the normal breakfast fare, so the breakfast was lighter, plainer.The orange juice was amazing and it helped her stomach to stop trying to make her toss her cookies and the meds took her splitting headache down to a more tolerable pain range.
"Better?" Sylar asked his normal smile on his face as usual. Ivy couldn't help but smile back.
"Yes, much better, umm can you grab my robe? I'm kinda feeling cold."
Sylar just nodded and went back to her room and was back in seconds with her robe. He helped her into it and watched as she pulled it around her and tied the black sash in a neat bow.
"Would you like to sit on the balcony?" he asked gently, hoping she'd say yes.
"Sure if you'll help me out there." Sylar opened the doors, tied back the drapes so she wouldn't trip over them and pulled out two chairs from the side table, placing them in the warm sun. The view was breathtaking, he helped Ivy to her seat and she looked out over her property at a winter wonderland. Everything was covered in snow from the top of the labyrinth to the ground that had been bare and muddy when she had gotten injured.
"It snowed while I was passed out?"
"Yeah, it was almost a blizzard. We didn't think it was gonna stop," he laughed playfully.
Ivy looked out again and took in the view, getting lost in her thoughts about the book. What was a book of shadows and what were shadow walkers? Sylar's snapping fingers brought her back.
"Hello, earth to Ivy, did you hear me? You know you're not gonna win right? "
"Huh?"
Ivy lifted her head, the wind catching her stray hairs and playing with them, the emerald and lime green in her eyes brighter than normal, the light was caught in the tears that threatened to spill over and ruin her angelic face.
"You're not gonna win, your mom's gonna throw you a party."
"I don't want a party here. I don't have any friends here... I don't want to celebrate with people who don't even care that I'm even alive."
"That's not true, the people invited are people who knew you as an infant. They were there for your birth, like me, I mean I wasn't there for your birth but I've been your friend since we were babies. Even though you weren't here, I knew you'd come home someday and we'd be two kids in the sandbox, you beating me up with your shovel and stealin my bucket all over again."
"That's not the same thing as people coming because they're my friends."
"I'm sure we could talk to your mom and John and persuade them to bring some of your friends from Denver here for your birthday."
"You're a genius Sylar!!!" Ivy grinned so big and didn't realize she had wrapped her arms around his neck so tight she was practically strangling him . Sylar was pulling feverishly on her arms, trying to get her let go.
"Oh, my bad , my bad" Ivy apologized releasing Sylar quickly and straightened her shirt.
Ivy kissed Sylar on the cheek turned and left the balcony. She walked back into her sitting room with her new plan of action. Sylar grabbed her hand.
"Ivy.....um I wanted to ask you something." he looked almost nervous like that confident ego of his had somehow faltered.
"What's up Sylar......whats wrong?" Ivy got a little closer to Sylar biting her lip slightly,this nervous Sylar wasn't normal.
"Can....can I...can I be your date at your birthday?....Please?" Sylar's eyes darted up and down as he waiting nervously for her reply.
Ivy grinned, she didn't want anyone else to be her date but watching him be nervous about liking her made her breath caught in her throat and get the butterflies to flutter like a tornado trapped in her stomach.
"Yes if we can convince mom and John to let me bring some friends from Denver."
"Yes!!!"
Sylar swooped Ivy up in a flurry of arms and hugged her kissing her passionately making her knees go weak as he bit her bottom lip gently, taking Ivy's breath away it was like electricity in a bottle, red hot passion. Breaking the kiss only when they heard someone, they assumed, was one of the help knocking at the door of the sitting room. Ivy and Sylar began to giggle as they closed the drapes covering the door to the balcony, leaving only a small gap so they could secretly watch into the room. The door opened and they looked on as she looked around the room then went to the bedroom door and knocked, still received no reply she went in to search for Ivy. Giggling, in hushed tones, they quickly darted across the room unnoticed and snuck out the door. Once free of the room, they made a beeline to find her mom and John.
The search wasn't as eventful as Ivy thought it was going to be. The dining room was larger than most in the house, and the entire east wall was practically windows covered in sheer black light cloth that was more see through than most people would like, in the butt crack hours of the morning, before their first cup of coffee. Shanon and John were sitting at the table talking about Ivy as she walked in the room. Shanon sat up a bit taller in her chair as she set her coffee cup down on the table and started to stack the papers that were spread out before her into a neat pile. The table was large enough to fit at least twenty people comfortably. Ivy walked toward them, the slight sound of her feet scuffing the floor as she moved to stand behind the chair that John was sitting in. Ivy placed her hands on the ornamental chair back that was gleaming black, Sylar still by her side gave her an encouraging "you got this" look when she looked over at him a split second before her mom began in on her.
"Are you done acting like a child?" shortly asked Shanon as she finished stacking the papers, speaking to Ivy over John's shoulder.
"I'm not acting like a child but being realistic." Ivy shot back quickly rolling her eyes at her mother's dodgy comment.
"No, you're being stubborn, like your father..." Shanon leaned over, picked up her once abandoned coffee cup and found the coffee was a little cold, but still drinkable. She inhaled the rich smell of ground Colombian roast.
"Look I'll make you a deal" Ivy looked nervous and hoped her mother would at least give her a chance to have some kind of normal.
"What kinda deal?"
"I'll let you throw a party and invite whoever you want, but I want to invite some of my friends from back home," Ivy practically yelled trying to get it all out in one shot before her mother could cut her off with a no or some other way to crush her hopes.
"Deal!"
" But mom.....wait, what? Really!!!" Ivy's instinctual teenage habit of always arguing her case was cut short with instant surprise at the answer.
"Yes really! Go call them and invite them."
"Like really, really????"
"Yes Ivy, if it means you won't fight me on this then, yes!"
Ivy was overcome with joy and practically tackled her mother hugging the life out of her. Sylar gave an I've been in that choke hold hug she gives, look. Grateful it was someone else's neck Ivy was squeezing and he touched his own on reflex.
"Ivy, you need to take it easy, until your party. We have a lot to do, in very little time, I need you to be well. John has a variety of herbal teas for you to try that should help you feel better." Shanon looked at John who immediately got up and went to the kitchen returning with a silver tray in hand that had a beautiful tea set on it, like something from a Jane Austen novel, the light bounced from cup to teapot to sugar bowl. John brought the tray around to Ivy's side and sat it down and picked up one of the cups and saucers for her. Ivy smile soon vanished as she smelled the tonic aroma that was steaming in her cup. She resisted the urge to toss her cookies, brains, last week's homework, and the kitchen sink onto the floor, next to her mom.
"Oh my god John what is this? It smells like death in a cup!"
"It's herbal tea for your head and will help keep your nausea away, don't be a pain just drink it before it gets cold it's not hard just a gulp."
"Yeah says the one who's not drinking this," she spoke in a little squeaky voice as she pointed to the cup in her hand and a little manic look in her eyes. Ivy was half tempted to turn the cup over just to see if it would ooze down like black tar in a tar pit.
"Just drink it, then back to bed you go till the dressmaker gets here."
Ivy stopped drinking her tea long enough to ask who was coming.,Ivy's black tea mustache was Just too much for Sylar, he couldn't stop himself from bursting out into laughter. He pretended he was twirling a mustache and said "indubitably" Ivy looked at Sylar with a mock sneer as she wiped her face before turning back to John, trying to get an answer.
"There's a dressmaker coming?"
"Well yes, we have to have a gown made for your party."
"I have to wear a gown?"
"Yes, Madam Papillon will be here in an hour or so to get your measurements and start designing it," chimed in Shanon over her coffee.
"Now, you need to go lay down and rest." John snapped his fingers and before Ivy could protest Bridgette came in pushing a wheelchair. John motioned for Ivy to have a seat. Ivy looked at her mom who wasn't paying attention and rolled her eyes as she sat down and was wheeled away with Sylar following close behind.
"I'll meet you up top," Sylar smiled and said as he took off towards the staircase ahead.
Bridgette loaded Ivy into the servant's elevator that usually transported the meal trolley. The elevator would bring them to Ivy's floor. When the doors closed, Bridgette pushed the stop button, leaving Ivy trapped with her in this metal box. Ivy looked around and was suddenly very nervous.
"Ivy."
"That's the first time you've ever called me by name,"Ivy turned and looked at Bridgette oddly
"Ma'am, I know I'll only have a few minutes before this is gonna look odd, you are in danger! you don't know what's going on but you will soon, you can't ..." Bridgette began to explain what she meant when the elevator started to move. She looked scared and got behind Ivy again, preparing to push her out of the elevator. She acted as if nothing happened as the doors opened and John was standing there waiting with Sylar. She wheeled Ivy to her room without so much as another word, leaving John and Sylar to help Ivy back into bed, taking the wheelchair with her. Ivy watched over Sylar's shoulder as Bridgette left the room, a look of worry on her pretty face.
Soon Ivy was snuggled back in bed. Sylar laid down next to her on top of the blankets and held her hand. John simply bowed, turned and left the room, returning with the tea set from before. Ivy was not excited about the contents of the cup but John made her drink the remaining tea she hadn't finished downstairs. Ivy didn't know what to think or say and looked at Sylar, wondering if she should tell him. She felt uneasy because he'd known about the note from before and hadn't said anything. She didn't know if she could tell him this or if he was part of what was going on. Ivy was very tired suddenly and before she knew it, she was out, the cup handle still intertwined in her fingers.
"Sylar, you must protect Ivy. She's going to need you to help her train for what's coming after the party. You can move into the room down the hall. I have already talked to your parents, they agree it's best, for all of us."
"Yes sir,"
"You will need to train daily together to get her ready, once she walks in the moonlight"
"Yes sir"
"I'll be back when the dressmaker's here, let her rest till then. "
John left taking the cup with him Sylar stayed next to Ivy. The whole world was resting on the prophecy. Ivy was the beginning of a change in the world and he would risk everything, even his own life to protect her. This sleeping child had so much more love and kindness in her little finger than there was in most people, if she was going to save them all from a fate much worse than death failure wasn't an option