by G. K. DeRosa
“But my dad died almost eight years ago. Why didn’t you come to me before this?” Celeste demanded.
“I’m sorry, Celeste, but your father was very clear that he didn’t want you exposed to anything in the supernatural realm unless you were chosen. Once Roman told me you had been selected, I planned to come find you and tell you everything. Before I could, they suggested you come here. I let them think it was their idea.”
“Why didn’t you want them to know the truth?”
“I was curious about their attachment to you, and I didn’t want them to be influenced by me. Of course, at the time I didn’t know about Roman’s personal history with your father. I had warned them to stay away from you, Celeste. It was my fault for telling them. They should never have come into your life. I’ve now put your life at risk because I was trying to protect them. Fabian is not someone with whom we should trifle, and he has been after the Constantin clan for decades. I’m afraid I’ve given him a way to get to them now.” Stellan looked away for a moment, but not before Celeste caught the flash of worry in his kind grey eyes.
“But Roman and Nico are strong, and I’m going to be the Guardian so I can protect them too.”
A rueful smile crossed Stellan’s face. “Celeste, you remind me so much of your father—that enormous heart and eternal optimism. The best thing for you, my dear, is to stay as far away as possible from both Roman and Nico. It hurts me to say that to you because I know how much they care for you. A hunter cannot be friends with vampires, let alone vampires who are being pursued by Fabian. I promised your father many years ago that I would protect you, and I must keep my word.”
“But I need them,” she murmured softly.
“Paging Nurse Wilder, Nurse Wilder you are needed at the ER front reception ASAP.”
Celeste’s mom hurried to the Emergency wing of Oak Bluffs Hospital, wondering why they would need her in the ER.
She approached the admittance desk, her heart pounding.
The ER nurse glanced up and read her nametag. “Nurse Wilder, there is a man here looking for you. He said it was an emergency—something about your daughter.”
As she approached the man the nurse had pointed out, Olivia noticed a white streak in his hair and an ugly scar across his right eyebrow. The tiny hairs on the back of her neck shot up as a cold shiver shot down her spine.
“Do you have any questions for me, my dear?” asked Stellan.
“How much time do you have?” retorted Celeste.
Stellan chuckled good-naturedly. Looking into his kind smoky gray eyes, she was reminded of her own grandfather. Perhaps it was this resemblance that allowed Celeste to trust Stellan almost immediately.
“I don’t understand how I’m supposed to fight all of these evil creatures. After our encounter with that vampire, I just don’t see how I could ever be a match for any of them.”
“As I’m sure the Council told you, you will begin to develop special powers. You will become stronger and faster. And you have to train. Some of this will come to you naturally, but there is nothing better than hard work and effort.”
“That’s what Roman and Nico said.” She glanced through the window into the house.
“Yes, well sometimes they do know what they’re talking about.”
“Did Roman tell you that I see my dad in dreams?”
“No, he didn’t. That is quite extraordinary. It is not easy for a former Guardian to manifest himself in dreams.”
“Really?”
“Yes, it is quite rare. It must be because he loves you so much.”
Celeste threw him a grateful smile. “Is there any way to regulate my emotions? I feel like I’m losing control of myself sometimes.”
“That’s normal, and it will get better with time. Your emotions are heightened right now, but there’s a reason for it. It allows you to become aware of the supernatural world around you.” Stellan raised his hands.
“So there’s no magical on/off button?”
“No, I’m afraid not.”
Celeste bit her lip and spit out the question she had been too scared to ask. “Is there a way to train myself to not want to kill Roman or Nico?”
Stellan glanced at her with a knowing smile. “I’m sure we can figure something out.”
Roman and Nico stood on one side of the sunny clearing behind Stellan’s home while Celeste and Stellan stood on the other. Celeste wiped her sweaty palms against her jeans and tried to focus on Stellan’s calming voice. He stood behind her, holding her firmly by the shoulders.
“Now the fact that you are able to be in such close proximity to those two without being overwhelmed by your urges means that you are already exerting a high degree of control.”
“Uh huh,” murmured Celeste, with little confidence.
“Now, I’m going to ask you to completely let go and drop whatever defenses you’re using to block those urges.”
“Okay.”
Roman and Nico looked on anxiously from across the yard.
“Go on, don’t be afraid. I’ve got you,” said Stellan, increasing the pressure on her shoulders.
Celeste breathed in and out slowly and closed her eyes in concentration. She searched deep inside her mind and dropped down the wall that she had carefully built up over the past few days since becoming the Guardian. She was immediately pummeled by an onrush of emotions, getting stronger by the minute. Blindly driven by rage, she lunged toward the vampires. Stellan, who was stronger than he looked, held her in check.
“Celeste, keep breathing, slowly, in and out. You can’t block the feelings. You must take them in and allow them to become a part of you.”
“I can’t! It’s too much.” She wriggled, straining to get away.
Celeste caught sight of Roman’s tense expression from across the field. A different kind of emotion flowed through her. She had to try for him. She breathed in again slowly and as she inhaled the air, she let all the intense feelings and emotions circulate through her. When she exhaled, she blew them out as hard as she could. She repeated this exercise a few more times while Stellan murmured encouragingly.
“I think that’s enough for today,” he said. “How do you feel?”
“Exhausted. But I’m better, I think.”
“Good. You will see that it will get easier every day.”
Before Stellan released her, she let the wall come back up in her mind. To her pleasant surprise, she found it wasn’t necessary to build it quite so high this time.
Celeste sat on the squeaky porch swing staring out into the quiet woods behind Stellan’s house. She thought about what he had said to her about her father, how he didn’t want her to have anything to do with supernaturals.
Well it’s a little late for that…
“Penny for your thoughts,” said Roman as he came out onto the porch.
“With all the thoughts I have going on in my head right now, you’d need to give me much more than a penny.”
He smiled at her ruefully and joined her on the swing, which creaked in protest at his additional weight. “So did you have a good talk with Stellan earlier?”
“Yeah, I guess you could say that. He knew my father too, Roman.”
“I had a feeling he might have. I knew he’d been on the Council so I figured he must have crossed paths with him at some point.”
“No, but he really knew my dad. He said they were very close. Stellan is going to train me. He’s the one my dad was talking about in the video. He promised Dad that he would.”
“That’s great news, Celeste. Stellan will be a wonderful mentor for you—kind, patient, wise and above all powerful, as you have seen. He will make sure that you are prepared for what’s to come.”
“Uh huh.”
“What’s wrong?” He rested his arm around her shoulders.
“So much is wrong! I don’t even know where to begin.”
“Celeste, everything is going to work out. The fact that you will have Stellan at your side is wonderful news. Betw
een him and Nico and me, you’re going to have the best trainers in the world.”
“Right.” Celeste couldn’t bear the thought of telling Roman that Stellan didn’t want them to be a part of her life. She was pretty sure that he wouldn’t take it well either. But is Stellan right?
“Come on, let’s go for a walk. It’s really beautiful out there,” he said motioning toward the forest. “I love coming out here and getting lost in the woods. It’s so peaceful.”
“I could definitely use some peace.”
As they strolled through the tranquil forest, Celeste felt more at ease with every step, taking in deep cleansing breaths. She admired the lush green evergreens and focused on the melodic chirping of birds perched in the branches above. Crunching through the fallen leaves, she missed a step and tripped over a fallen branch. Roman reached out for her and thanks to his quick vampire reflexes caught her just before she hit the ground.
This time when his arms came around her, no ominous sensation followed when they touched. She let herself fall into his strong arms, and she looked up into his intensely smoldering eyes as he held her tightly.
“I got you.”
“I know,” she said, gazing breathlessly into his bottomless blue eyes.
As he helped her stand back up, she got up on her tiptoes and ever so lightly brushed her lips against his. The reaction she got back was more than she had hoped for. Roman pulled her closer to him, arms enveloping her, and kissed her feverishly. His need for her was all consuming, the hunger burning inside him. The intensity of the moment startled her, and half-consciously she pulled away.
“Sorry,” he panted looking embarrassed. “I shouldn’t have done that.”
“No, don’t.” She reached out to caress his face. “I wanted you to.” She looked away as heat crept up her face. “I think we should probably head back though.”
Walking back in a contented silence their hands clasped together, Celeste couldn’t help but smile as she thought about the thrilling, spine-tingling kiss.
Now that is what it’s like in the movies!
Chapter 17
“Celeste, your phone has been blowing up.” Nico met them at the entrway as she and Roman strolled back into Stellan’s house. Celeste hurried off to find her purse and Roman joined the others in the kitchen.
“You see how I keep up with the slang of my contemporaries?” he said to Stellan with a wink.
“You really are a wonder, little brother,” quipped Roman.
Celeste came running into the kitchen, her cell phone clutched tightly in her hand, with sheer panic on her face. All three men froze.
“It’s my mom! The vampire from my birthday—I think he has her!” Celeste’s eyes were wide with terror, and her voice began to shake.
“What did he say?” Roman rushed to her side.
“He said that if I don’t meet him in an hour at the Oak Bluffs cemetery by our family plot, I’ll find my mom buried in it.”
“We’ll never make it back in time,” said Nico.
“Maybe you can’t, but I can get you there.” Stellan’s grim face set with resolve. “Now before I send you into a trap, we need to take a moment and make a plan.”
“Hurry, Stellan, please. It’s my mom,” she said, her voice rising in panic.
“Based on what the boys told me, I am quite certain that your mystery vampire is Magnus. He is an ancient and treacherous vampire who is frequently hired as a mercenary to do other’s dirty work. He does not have a shred of humanity in him, and he kills for the pure pleasure of it. He is certainly stronger than the two of you, I’m afraid.” Stellan had begun pacing and was waving his arms animatedly as he spoke.
“But he doesn’t know about me, right?” asked Celeste.
“I hope not, but in any event, you are not ready to fight. I am not sending you into a battle that you have no chance in winning.”
“Agreed,” said Roman and Nico in unison.
“Anyway, it’s us he wants, so we will go and trade ourselves for your mother.” Roman clenched his jaw, his eyes ablaze.
“No, I won’t let you!” said Celeste.
“We’ll be fine, don’t worry about us,” said Nico.
“Good, it’s settled. I will open a portal to transport Roman and Nico to the cemetery, and Celeste will stay here with me. We will be able to watch what is happening, and I can track you if necessary.”
Celeste walked away with arms folded obstinately across her chest. When Roman approached her she said, “I am not okay with this.”
“I promise that no harm will come to your mother. I will get her back to you safely, believe me,” Roman promised.
“And what about you and Nico? Who’s going to get you back to me safely?”
“Nico and I can take care of ourselves. We are a lot tougher than we look, and we defeated him last time so this time should be all the easier.”
“What if you’re right and this is about Fabian? Stellan pretty much confirmed that this Magnus is just hired help. He killed your parents—what does he want with the two of you?”
“I don’t know Celeste, but I’m tired of spending my life running. It’s been over a hundred years, maybe it’s time we finally confront him.”
“I can’t lose you” She leaned in, tugging on his shirt.
“You won’t.” He pulled her into his arms.
Stellan pulled out a thick leather-bound book with frayed, yellowing pages that reminded Celeste of the spell book the Halliwell sisters used in Charmed. After mumbling a few words, the air in front of them began to shimmer and swirl. A portal large enough for a full-grown man to walk through appeared. Celeste stared in awe, wondering what it would feel like to pass through. She held out her hand, penetrating the swirling air in front of her and her fingers disappeared right before her eyes. She quickly pulled it back and exhaled a sharp breath. All of her fingers were still intact.
“Roman, Nico – are you ready?” asked Stellan.
They both nodded, determination in their eyes.
“The portal will drop you at the entrance of the cemetery just about one hundred yards from the Wilder family tomb, which will hopefully provide you the element of surprise. Good luck boys!”
Roman squeezed Celeste’s hand, and she responded with an encouraging smile. Nico jumped first with a “Woohoo!” Then Roman leapt into the whirling vortex. Without thinking, Celeste’s arm shot out. She lunged at Roman’s shirttail before he disappeared and plunged in after them with her gleaming sword in hand.
Seconds later, Celeste landed with a thud on the hard gravel entryway of the Oak Bluffs Cemetery. “Ouch!” She examined her elbow and carefully removed a few pieces of gravel encrusted in her skin.
“Celeste! What did you do?” Roman growled.
She got to her feet and brushed the dirt off her jeans. “I’m not letting you two do this alone. She’s my mom, and I’m the Guardian. I should be protecting her.”
“But we can’t protect you and fight him,” said Nico.
“I don’t need to be protected; I brought my sword.” She raised it up as it glimmered in the sunlight.
“Stellan is going to kill us.” Nico huffed.
“We don’t have time to argue,” said Roman, “it’s almost time. Celeste, you stay behind me at all times, and please don’t try anything stupid.”
The threesome crept up the path, weaving between headstones and flowers for loved ones placed with the utmost care. The sun was beginning to set, and an eerie stillness blanketed the graveyard. Ahead, a tall dark figure huddled over a woman slumped on the ground.
“Mom!” she whisper-hissed.
Roman motioned for Nico to go around the other side, and he and Celeste approached Magnus head on. This strategy had worked last time, and though it was unlikely it would work twice, it seemed the only possible course of action. As they marched toward Magnus, panic alarms sounded throughout Celeste’s body. She tried to do as Stellan had taught her and allowed the feelings to wash over her with a deep
breath.
“Ah, well if it isn’t the lovely Celeste come to rescue her mother with her handsome vampire boyfriend,” said Magnus smugly. “What, no costumes today?”
“Let her go, Magnus. You can take me instead.” Roman pushed Celeste behind his back.
“Very clever boy, I see you have discovered my name. Let me assure you that everything that people say is true. There is no point trying to fight, since I always win.”
“No one is going to put up a fight. I am surrendering to you. My life for hers.” Roman pointed at Mrs. Wilder, who lay unconscious on the grass.
A muffled “No!” escaped from Celeste’s mouth before she could stop it.
Magnus took a step toward Celeste, his black eyes gleaming. “My, my, she really does care about you Roman. She should be scared to death, but instead she stands here, willful and defiant. This is no ordinary human.”
“Leave her out of this.” Roman leapt between him and Celeste. “I told you from the beginning, it is me that you want, and here I am. Release her mother and let Celeste leave unharmed. I will go with you wherever you want.”
A disturbing twinkle flashed across Magnus’ eye. Roman scanned the area looking for Nico, hoping he was nearby.
“This is quite a predicament we are in now, isn’t it? I was sent here to bring you and your brother back, but now I find this girl to be of more interest to me.”
Celeste’s heart dropped.
“Why would she be of interest to you? She is nothing, just an ordinary human girl—”
“Whose life you seem to value immensely,” Magnus finished.
“No, you are wrong. She means nothing to me,” muttered Roman, his jaw ticking.
Magnus’ face glowed bright red, and his black eyes narrowed. “Do you think I’m stupid, Roman Constantin? I’ve lived for over a thousand years, and if there is one thing I am certain of, a vampire would never give up his life for an ordinary girl. Even one as beautiful as this.”