by G. K. DeRosa
“Everything will be revealed to you in time. Let your instinct guide you. It will lead you on the right path.”
That’s not the least bit cryptic…
“Good luck, Celeste Wilder, and may good always triumph over evil.”
“But wait—”
Celeste’s eyes snapped open and Roman’s anxious face hovered over her. Startled, she spun from side to side. She was back in her cozy den on the couch with a blanket wrapped tightly around her.
“Are you all right?”
“I think so,” she said trying to sit up. Roman took her hand to help her, and she felt the oddest sensation when his hand touched hers. It wasn’t the same exciting spark she had experienced before; instead the sensation filling her chest was darkly ominous. She jerked her hand away from his touch. His eyes met hers, and a flash of hurt darted across his expressive eyes. Then it was gone.
“Was it another bad dream?” he asked, clearing his throat.
“I think it was much more than a bad dream.”
“Do you want to tell me about it?”
“I don’t know if I can.” Her shoulders slumped forward. A large part of her wanted nothing more than to tell Roman everything, but a little voice inside of her fought against it. Aren’t vampires one of the evil beings that I’m supposed to protect the world against? But Roman isn’t evil. He is a good person…uh…vampire. Conflicting emotions swirled through her body. It was as if she were being pulled apart by two opposing forces – her brain and her heart.
“If you want someone to talk to I’m here,” he said coolly. “But I should leave soon. It’s almost dawn, and I’m sure your mother will be home shortly.”
“Please don’t leave yet.”
Celeste caught his hand and pulled him down onto the sofa, forcing him to sit close to her. As if conducting a science experiment, she ran her hand down his arm and felt that dark feeling in her core, but along with it came the familiar exciting pull. It was slight, but it was still there. It was like the opposing forces of a magnet equally pulling her toward and pushing her away from him. Roman sat perfectly still, watching her tensely as she inched closer to him.
Abruptly, Roman shot up. “Your mom! I hear her car pulling up in the driveway.”
Celeste was still caught up in the moment, slightly breathless and her senses on high alert.
“I should leave out the back door.”
She could only nod and follow him toward the door. As he opened it to let himself out, he paused and turned back for a moment. She could tell he was wrestling with his feelings just as much as she was. With a quick turn he gave her a hurried kiss on the cheek and disappeared before she could say a word.
Celeste heard the click of a key sliding into the lock, but after all that had happened, she couldn’t bring herself to face her mom. She quickly slipped up the stairs and crawled into bed. Celeste hoped that she would be able to sleep, at least a few hours, before having to deal with the realities of her destiny and the new life that would undoubtedly come along with it.
Chapter 13
Celeste’s phone buzzed on the nightstand, but she couldn’t muster the strength to pick it up in time. Rubbing her eyes, she looked at the clock. Already past noon. She really had been exhausted. Her phone indicated that she had three missed calls from Natalie, a text from Brian, and another from Nico.
“Good, you’re finally awake birthday girl!” Her mom poked her head in the doorway.
“I am!” she said as cheerfully as possible. With everything that had happened last night, she had momentarily forgotten that today was her birthday.
“Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you…” Her mom walked in singing with a tray full of Celeste’s favorite breakfast treats—French toast with powdered sugar, crispy bacon and fried eggs with fresh-squeezed orange juice.
“I made you a special birthday breakfast, and it’s been waiting for you for hours. I hope it didn’t get too cold. Did you kids stay out late last night at the bonfire?”
“Yeah, I guess it was pretty late, and then I didn’t sleep very well last night.” She nibbled on a strip of crispy bacon.
Celeste looked up to see her mother’s eyes fixed on her. She found it oddly unnerving and almost said something, but shook it off attributing it to her frayed nerves.
“You finish up your breakfast, and then get ready. I have a special day planned for us. It’s not every day that you turn eighteen.” Her mom gave her an excited smile and dashed out the door.
That’s the understatement of the century.
As Celeste got dressed, the vision replayed in her head. She remembered the guardians telling her that she would soon get powers. She wondered what sorts of powers she would possess, and how would she train to become a hunter. She had never been the athletic type growing up, and now she was expected to battle supernatural creatures? She had seen how strong and fast Roman was when he had knocked out Patrick at prom. How could she be expected to compete with that?
“Are you almost ready?” shouted her mom.
“Coming!”
About a half an hour later, Celeste and her mother pulled into the Oak Bluff’s Children’s Zoo. Celeste couldn’t help but laugh as she took in the familiar sight from her childhood.
“I hope you don’t think this is too silly?”
“No mom, this is great!” Celeste said giggling.
“I remember how much fun we used to have here when you were little. You loved feeding the goats at the petting zoo, and you’d spend hours watching the howler monkeys swinging from the trees.”
“I remember. I used to want to be a monkey.”
Just spending time with her mother was a treat, and spending a relaxing, supernatural-free day at the zoo was exactly what she needed.
The sun was warm on Celeste’s shoulders, and if she focused solely on the soothing sound of the ducks paddling in the pond, she could almost forget everything that had happened last night. Celeste and her mother sat on the lush grass overlooking the pond and enjoyed a picnic lunch together. At her mom’s request, she began recounting all the details of the extravagant birthday party that Natalie planned for her.
“That sounds like it’s going to be quite the party! I’m sure it will be the social event of the year, if Natalie has anything to say about it.”
“That’s what I’m thinking too.”
“I am so happy that you will be spending your eighteenth birthday with all your friends. And how about Nico and Roman—will they be there too?”
The thought of facing them after what happened last night made Celeste nauseas. She didn’t know how her relationship with them was going to fit into her new life as a Guardian – whatever that meant. “Yes, they’re both coming,” she finally answered.
“Maybe you’ll get a kiss on your birthday.”
Heat seeped into Celeste’s cheeks. “Mom, stop please, you’re so embarrassing!”
When they got back home, Celeste happily headed up to her bedroom with a stuffed monkey her mother had bought her as a souvenir to commemorate her eighteenth birthday.
“Follow me,” said her mom taking her hand.
“Why are we going up into the attic?”
“I have another birthday surprise for you.”
Mrs. Wilder led the way to the back corner of the attic. Celeste hadn’t been up there in years. She walked by the dusty boxes and old furniture causing her nose to twitch. It reminded her why she typically avoided the attic at all costs. After her mom moved a couple of boxes and lifted a worn sheet, a bulky wooden trunk appeared in the corner. She’d never noticed it before.
Her mom paused in front of it. “This was your dad’s, and I thought it would be fun to go through it together. There is something that he wanted you to have.”
Celeste examined the old rusty lock on the trunk, and when she jiggled it, it sprung open. She lifted the lid to see stacks of letters, photos, a couple of books, and some clothing, among other things. The trunk was deep, and it would take so
me digging to get to the bottom of it. They started with the pictures on top. Celeste began to flip through dozens of them with her father, with her mom when she was pregnant, with her as a baby, and with all three of them together smiling happily. Celeste set aside some of her favorites to take with her back to her room. As her mom was sorting through the photos, Celeste came across some books: Myths and Legends, Stories of the Occult, The Underworld, along with other foreboding titles.
“You remember that your dad always had such an active imagination. He always loved reading all of those scary stories.” Celeste thought she heard a hint of nervousness in her voice, but she just smiled, and secretly set one aside to read later.
“And this is for you,” her mom said as she handed her a worn leather pouch.
“What is it?”
“It’s from your father. He told me to give it to you when you turned eighteen if anything ever happened to him. I don’t know why he would have worried about that, but I guess it’s fortunate for us that he did.”
Celeste untied the knot and opened the pouch, which held an antique key on a black leather cord. The key was an ornate gold with a sparkling blue sapphire encrusted in the head.
“That key has been passed down for generations, Celeste. I have no idea what it may open, but I know that it’s been in the Wilder family for centuries. It was important to your father that you have it,” she said, handing it to her with a wistful smile.
Celeste peered at the ancient key as she felt its weight in her hand. “It’s beautiful Mom. Thank you.” She clutched it tightly in her palm.
After her mom left for work, Celeste took a seat at her favorite thinking spot—the bench at her sunny bay window. She untied the leather pouch and the ornate key tumbled out. Turning it over, she watched in delight as the sapphire sparkled in the sunshine. Just holding it made her somehow feel closer to her father. Now more than ever, she wished that he were here with her to explain all of this crazy guardian business. She was torn from her musings by the shrill ring of her cell phone resting on the bedside table.
“Celeste! Where have you been all day?” Natalie squealed over the phone. “I’ve been calling you for hours!”
“Sorry, Nat. I got up late and then was out with my mom. We just got home.” As she listened to Natalie, she took the stuffed monkey out of the plastic bag and placed it on her bookshelf next to a picture from her first birthday at the zoo. She couldn’t help but smile.
“Okay, well I guess I’ll forgive you since you are the birthday girl. Don’t forget to be at my house in full costume by eight o’clock.”
“Right, got it,” she said, her mind focusing back on the present. “Do you need me to bring anything?”
“Nope, just you and your fangtastic self!”
“Oh man, I’m really rethinking my costume now.”
“Don’t you dare!”
Celeste glanced down at her watch. “Okay, okay. Brian is picking me up in an hour so I’ll see you soon.”
Roman had gotten home, woken Nico up and called Stellan immediately to update him on the latest developments. Stellan’s hologram currently paced across their living room, listening intently.
“But she didn’t tell you what happened exactly?” he asked.
“No, she was too upset to talk about it, and then her mom arrived so I had to make an impromptu exit,” explained Roman.
“But you’re sure that she had the vision? Celeste was definitely chosen?”
A look of sadness infiltrated his perfectly chiseled features. “Yes, I am sure. When she woke up, I touched her and she flinched.”
“Are you sure that wasn’t just you?” Nico snickered.
With a nasty glance at his brother, Roman continued, “She definitely felt something when I touched her, and it frightened her. It has to be her powers starting to emerge.”
“Yes, that does sound right.” Stellan’s tone held a mixture of concern and awe.
“And it was certainly no ordinary dream that she was having because I repeatedly tried to wake her, but there was nothing I could do. She was in some sort of a trance.”
“Right, so we have to assume that Celeste is now a Guardian. You should start to notice when her powers come about. The only thing we can do is continue to keep an eye on her. Roman, you seem pretty close to her, get her to open up to you.”
“I will gladly try, but I think that she’s holding back now because of what I am. Something has changed.” He turned his back to them, looking away sullenly.
Stellan discontinued his anxious pacing and turned to face the brothers head on. His voice took on an ominous tone. “Both of you must remember that as Celeste’s powers become stronger, her natural instinct will be to kill you. It has been ingrained in her that all vampires are evil. This may prove to be difficult considering the current situation.”
“Celeste wouldn’t hurt us. We’re her friends.” Nico’s lips twisted into a pout.
“Though that may be true, as she is transitioning into a Guardian, her emotions will be on high gear. Until she gets a handle on them, I caution you both to be careful,” Stellan finished.
“Well, that should make for a fun party tonight.” Nico glanced at Roman with his eyebrows raised.
As Celeste put the finishing touches on her makeup, she suddenly felt ridiculous dressed up as a vampire. Especially after everything that had happened last night. She wished she had enough time to get a new costume, but Natalie would kill her if she showed up in her plain clothes. She glanced at her reflection in the mirror and didn’t recognize the girl standing before her. The elaborate black eyeliner, bright red lipstick, fake fangs protruding from her upper lip and the blood dribbling down her chin were all too much. I can’t believe I’m doing this.
“Celeste! I’m downstairs. Come on out!” yelled Brian through the walkie-talkie on her dresser.
Here goes nothing…
Celeste hurried down the stairs and swung the door open. “Wow, Brian, you look great!” He was wearing a white oxford shirt with buttons ripped open to reveal the classic red and yellow Superman emblem underneath. The black-rimmed glasses drew attention to his bright green eyes, which sparkled with excitement.
“Do you have your retainer on or something? You’re talking funny.”
“It’s the fangs! They give me a lisp. It’s actually getting better; at first my mom couldn’t even understand what I was saying. Maybe I should take them off?”
“No, it definitely completes the costume. The lisp is kinda sexy,” he said laughing.
“Very funny, Brian. I love the Clark Kent transforming into Superman look you’ve got going.”
“Thanks, I really didn’t think I could pull off the tights.” He winked.
“Aww, and I was so looking forward to that.”
“You have a little something on your chin…” he said reaching for her.
She quickly darted out of his reach. “It’s blood Brian, and it’s supposed to be there. I’m a blood-sucking vampire, remember?”
As they drove up to Natalie’s house, Celeste took one look at the number of cars parked on the street and almost made Brian turn the car around. The music boomed from all the way down the block.
“Natalie must have invited all of St. Alice’s and the community college.” She shook her head as they sauntered up the walkway. Countless teenagers spilled out the front walk, and others appeared from the backyard, most of which Celeste didn’t even recognize.
“Well, we knew she was going to go all out for this.” Brian walked with his jaw hung open.
The house had been flawlessly decorated in a black and white motif with candles, sparkling streamers, and eighteenth birthday banners.
“Celeste, you’re here!” Natalie bounded down the stairs in a skintight cat woman costume. “What do you think?”
Celeste looked around, taking in all the shiny decorations and hoards of people. “It’s amazing, Natalie. Thank you so much for doing all of this for me. Just one question—who are all of
these people?”
“Oh come on, you know everyone here. And who cares anyway? All that matters is that they are all here to celebrate your eighteenth birthday!”
“I’m going to find a drink,” said Brian.
Celeste turned to follow him.
“Oh wait, I have something for you. Stay right here,” directed Natalie, as she pointed at Celeste. Seconds later she was back with a black sash, marked with sparkling gold lettering that read “Birthday Girl”.
“Oh Natalie, you shouldn’t have…” But it was too late. Natalie flung the sash over Celeste’s head and meticulously adjusted it. “There. We want to make sure it doesn’t cover that cute little bat belt!”
Natalie led the way with Celeste in tow, steering her around the crowd as she received countless birthday wishes from perfect strangers. The pair made their way out to the backyard, which had been decorated with hundreds of string lights and colorful Chinese lanterns dangling from the trees. The dance floor was set up over the pool, and the DJ was spinning high-energy dance music in the corner. Everyone was dancing and laughing and having a great time. This was exactly what Celeste needed to forget all about last night. She and Natalie worked through the crowd to the middle of the dance floor, and all Celeste thought about was the pounding rhythm of the music and keeping her body moving to the beat.
Celeste was completely entranced by the pulsating music when a strange sensation snapped her into awareness. She turned around and the crowd parted. Girls stared slack-jawed as Roman and Nico walked toward her.
At the sight of Roman, her heart sped up. She took a deep breath, willing it to return to normal as he approached. He and Nico were wearing one-shouldered white togas with half of their bronzed chests exposed—to all the girls’ excitement—with a crown of laurels resting on their heads.
“Let me guess, you two are Greek gods?” Natalie shot them a witty smile as they approached.
“It was just something we had lying around.” Nico winked as he pulled Natalie to dance.
Roman inched closer to Celeste and whispered, “Nice costume. A little ironic, don’t you think?”