by G. K. DeRosa
“I can’t help it. It’s all I can think about.” Her canines extended. “Ouch!”
“Be careful, those fangs will take some getting used to,” he said. “Roman, grab a bottle of blood from the fridge. I’ve got her.”
Celeste’s stood slack-jawed as Nico gently fed Dani Lynn the bottle of blood. She gulped it down hungrily.
“More, I need more!”
“No, that’s all you get for now.” Nico took the bottle away from her. “You have to learn to control the hunger, and there is no better time to start than from the beginning.”
“Come on, let’s leave Nico and his eager new pupil.” Roman wrapped his arm around Celeste. “You are far too delicious of a distraction.”
Celeste was sufficiently convinced that Nico knew what he was doing. Her presence could possibly be causing more harm than good, so she gave in and left them alone.
Sitting alone in the quiet living room, Celeste sadly pondered the fate of her friend. She couldn’t imagine what she must be going through. Then her thoughts went to her poor family. Jessica and her parents were going to be devastated by their loss. All of these thoughts ran through her mind as she considered for the first time what it truly meant to be a vampire. Roman and Nico made it look so easy, always in control, or at least most of the time anyway.
Do they feel that hunger every time they are around me too?
Celeste began wandering the halls of the quiet apartment, not knowing what to do with herself. She peeked around the corner. Roman sat in his bedroom, staring out the window.
“So what is Nico going to do with her now?” Celeste asked.
He turned toward her with a sigh. “He’s going to have to keep her isolated from humans for awhile until he’s sure that she can control herself. It’s not going to be easy, but if she has strong will power, she might make it.”
“Might?”
“Celeste, I don’t want to lie to you and give you false hope.” He sighed and took a step toward her. “It’s not easy to control the bloodlust. Nico and I are different because of how we were turned, as I’ve told you before. We have our humanity, but I’m afraid that Dani Lynn no longer does.”
“So what if she can’t control it?”
“Let’s not worry about that right now.”
“I would have to kill her, wouldn’t I?” Fear pounded in her chest. “I mean, isn’t that what I’m supposed to do as a Guardian? I’m supposed to protect humans from things like her.”
“Let me take you home, Celeste. It’s well past dawn and your mother will be getting home soon. She’s going to be worried if you’re not.”
As tired as Celeste had been when she passed out on her bed, vivid dreams flitted through her subconscious for the few hours she slept that morning. She didn’t mind them though because her father was there. He brought her to the now familiar storage room filled with their family weapons. After they selected a few, they were magically transported to a lush open field where they spent the day training in the sunshine.
“Celeste, the sword that you’re holding is very special. I see that you have already chosen it as your own.” Her father regarded her with a beaming smile.
“It was weird—from the first moment I saw it, I was drawn to it somehow.”
“That sword was forged from a mystical metal that is lethal to all supernatural creatures. The Guardian who wields it is no longer bound by a wooden stake to kill a vampire, or silver for a werewolf, or iron for fairies. You’re fortunate that it has chosen you.”
The grass was soft under Celeste’s bare feet, and the sun warmed her shoulders. She and her father lunged and parried first with swords then on to spears, axes and stakes. After what seemed like hours, her father gave her a parting hug. She awoke in her bed slightly sweaty and definitely sore, but with a contented smile on her face.
Celeste stumbled into the kitchen past noon, finding her mom already dressed for work and reading the newspaper.
“Good morning, sweetie. Late night celebrating graduation?”
“Yeah, I stayed at the party pretty late, and then we went to grab some food at Ralph’s,” she said, pouring a hot cup of coffee.
Celeste had lied without thinking twice. She just couldn’t tell her mother about Dani Lynn, not with all the explanations that would have to go along with it. She suddenly understood why her father had kept the truth from her for so many years.
“Good, I’m glad you had some normal high school fun with your friends.”
Celeste shot her a look. “Don’t start Mom.”
“We have to talk about this.”
“No, we don’t.” Celeste spun away, heading for the door.
“Don’t walk away from me. I need to tell you something about your father.”
Celeste’s mom could push her buttons so well. She knew exactly what to say to make her stay. “What?”
“Please, sit down.”
Celeste pulled out the chair at the kitchen table and slumped down on it, defeated.
“Your father was the Guardian when I met him. As I told you before, he didn’t tell me at first. For the longest time, I thought he was seeing someone else.” She grinned ruefully. “He would cancel our dates, disappear in the middle of the night, and he was always so secretive.”
Celeste grunted and propped her head on her hand.
“Finally, on the day he proposed, he told me everything. He didn’t think it was fair for me to agree to marriage before knowing what I was getting into. That’s all that I want for you—to be able to make a choice.”
“It’s not exactly the same thing, Mom. You could choose whether or not to marry Dad. It’s not that simple for me. I was chosen.”
“I don’t pretend to know what that responsibility must feel like for you, but I know that in life we always have a choice.” Her mom twirled a strand of her daughter’s curly hair.
“Well, I don’t feel like I do.”
“I wanted to talk to your father about this very thing, but whenever I brought it up he would get upset. We had no idea he would be taken away from us when you were still so young. We had hoped there would be time to discuss what we would do when the time came for you.”
“I know what he would want me to do.” She sat up straight. “He’d want me to be the Guardian.”
“But is that what you want?”
“Yes, I think it is.”
Mrs. Wilder placed her hand on Celeste’s shoulder and squeezed. “You’re a very brave girl, and I’ll stand by your decision as I stood by your father.”
“Thanks, Mom. I appreciate the support.”
Her mom started to walk away, and then turned back. “By the way, is everything okay with you and Brian?”
“Not really. Why?”
“I saw him hanging out in front of his house earlier. It seemed like he was trying to decide whether to come over here or not.”
She exhaled a long breath. “I have to go talk to him.”
“Go easy on him, sweetie.”
Celeste stepped out into the warm sunny day and marched across the yard to Brian’s house. She dreaded the thought of the awkward conversation that would undoubtedly ensue. She had to tell Brian the truth about how she felt no matter how scared she was of losing him. Natalie was right; she had to set him free.
“Hey,” said Celeste as Brian opened the door in his basketball shorts. He was just in his basketball shorts, and she found herself staring appreciatively at the smooth definition of his chest and upper arms. “Can we talk?” She forced her gaze away from his bare chest.
“Sure. Let’s go for a walk though, okay? My parents and Maxi are all home. Let me put a shirt on, and I’ll be right out.”
Celeste nervously twisted the ring around her finger as she waited for him on the steps. Finally, he came out and by the look on his face, he seemed to know what was coming.
“Brian, I’m so sorry about last night. I shouldn’t have avoided talking to you about the kiss, and I want you to know that it wasn’t some
thing I took lightly. I really just needed some time to process it all.”
“And?” he asked.
“And, you have to promise me that no matter what I won’t lose you.”
Brian frowned. “That doesn’t sound good.”
Celeste stopped and took his arm, forcing him to turn toward her. “Promise?”
“Yes, I promise, Celeste.”
“I’ve been selfish with you, Brian. I do love you, but not in the same way that you love me. And I should have told you that, but I was so scared to lose you that I didn’t want to. I can’t imagine my life without you.”
Disappointment flashed across his face. “I feel the same way, but lately I feel like you’re pulling away from me more and more each day. It’s like I’m grasping at straws. I understand if you don’t feel the same way about me, but don’t push me out of your life.”
“I’m not Brian, I swear. There are just so many things—”
“I know, that you can’t tell me,” he said finishing her sentence.
“There is something that I need to tell you.” Her lips twisted, dread brewing in her gut. “I’m going to be gone for the next few months.”
“Gone where? I thought we were supposed to spend our last summer before college together.”
“I know. I wish we could, I really do. I have to go stay with an old friend of my dad’s. It’s just a few hours out of town in the countryside. It was what my dad wanted.”
“And you just found out about this now?”
“Yes, just recently. It’s something I have to do, Brian. I promise you that when I get back we’ll hang out, okay? And maybe you can come out and visit me. He lives in a beautiful big house at the foot of the woods.”
“Yeah sure, I guess.”
Celeste got up on her tiptoes and pulled Brian into a heartfelt hug as they approached her front door.
He turned to go, and then hesitantly turned back. “Celeste, if you had never met Roman, would you feel differently about me?”
Her throat constricted at the question, deep inside she knew the answer, but she couldn’t find the words.
Brian must have seen the answer written on her face. “Never mind.” He turned and walked away.
The following morning, Celeste stood out in the driveway loading her bags into Nico’s car. When the last one was in the trunk, she looked up at her mother whose eyes were already brimming with tears.
“Oh Mom, don’t cry. I’m just going to be gone for a few weeks, and it’s only a couple hours away. You can even come visit me on your day off.”
“I know, I just can’t imagine you not living with me under the same roof. And it’s making me dread your move to college at the end of the summer.”
Celeste gave her mom a big hug. Clutching the family key she now wore religiously around her neck, Celeste promised she would call her mom everyday. She took one last long look at her childhood home and jumped into the car.
As they sped off toward Nico’s apartment, Celeste couldn’t help but think about Brian. He knew that she was leaving today. She had asked him to come say goodbye, but he hadn’t shown up. Instead, he had texted her with a last-minute excuse about early morning hockey practice. Celeste knew he was avoiding her. Knowing that Brian was in pain and she was the cause of it made her feel utterly miserable.
“Hey beautiful, are you okay?” Nico’s words pulled her away from her thoughts.
“Oh yeah, I’m fine. Just thinking, that’s all.”
“Staying with Stellan really is the best option, you’ll see.”
“I know,” she said. “Do you think I will actually get to go away to college like I had planned?”
He turned to face her. “Of course you will. As a vampire, I’ve gone to college dozens of times. Why wouldn’t a Guardian be able to go?”
“I’ve been thinking about it lately, and college is the last thing on my mind right now. How am I supposed to concentrate on picking a major, new classes and studying when I’m training and learning how to fight and become a Guardian?”
“Celeste, I have no doubt that you can do both. Look at your father, he had a wife and a child and still managed to keep Oak Bluffs safe from the supernatural.”
“Yes, by lying to us all.”
“Look, you have the rest of the summer to figure out this Guardian thing. Take it day by day and don’t worry about it.” He patted her arm in encouragement.
“Speaking of taking it day by day, how’s Dani Lynn doing?”
“Not bad. Actually I’d like you to see her today before you and Roman head off to Stellan’s.”
“I’d like to see her too. Poor Jessica and her family are going crazy trying to find her. They have the entire police department searching, and there are Missing Person signs with her picture plastered all around town. Do you think she’ll ever be able to go back to her family?”
Nico’s dark brows knitted together. “It’s still too soon to say Celeste. A new vampire’s emotions are highly erratic, everything is heightened—as you have experienced. Although she seems fine one moment, she could easily lose control the next.”
Standing at the door of the apartment, Celeste could sense Roman on the other side. She had been practicing controlling her new emotions and supernatural urges like Stellan had taught her, and she found it much easier to be around her vampire friends now. When she opened the door, Roman greeted her with a bright smile and dancing blue eyes.
“Are you ready for a little road trip?” he asked her.
“As ready as I’ll ever be.”
Nico walked in behind her toting a cooler with the Oak Bluffs Hospital logo on it. At Celeste’s questioning glance, he said, “Refreshments for Dani.”
“I see.”
He jerked his thumb at the car. “Don’t worry, I left some in the car for you too, Roman. But before you go, I’d like to borrow Celeste for a moment.”
“For what?” Roman asked defensively.
“I need to test something out with Dani.”
“You want to use my g—, Celeste as vampire bait?”
Roman tried to recover from the slip, but Celeste had caught it. She casually turned away hiding the huge smile spreading across her lips.
“Don’t be so dramatic, Roman, I can control Dani Lynn,” he said.
“Fine, but only if I am there too.”
“Of course, oh untrusting one.”
“Doesn’t anyone care about what I have to say?” asked Celeste. “I’m the ‘vampire bait’ after all, and I say let’s do it.”
“Why am I not surprised?” Roman rolled his eyes.
Due to the bright sun, which constantly streamed in through the floor to ceiling windows of the apartment, Dani Lynn was forced to spend the day in hiding. Nico had built what Celeste affectionately called the “vampire hidey hole” out of the basement laundry room. He led the way down the stairs with Celeste trailing a few steps behind and Roman bringing up the rear.
“Hi Dani, how are you?” asked Celeste from a safe distance.
“I’m bored and I’m hungry.” She sat in the corner pouting.
“Now, now Dani, that’s no way to talk to your friend who came to visit you.” Nico waggled a finger at her.
“Sorry, Celeste. I’m just going crazy down here. I can’t go outside except at night, and I have no one to talk to except these two. And I think Roman hates me.” She burst into tears.
“No, Dani Lynn, don’t cry. Roman doesn’t hate you.” Celeste moved toward her to put a comforting arm around her shoulder.
“No!” yelled Roman.
It was too late. Dani Lynn grabbed Celeste and spun her around, pinning her arm behind her back. Her fangs were at Celeste’s neck.
“Stop! Dani, you don’t want to bite her,” Nico said in a calm soothing voice. “Let her go now.”
The tension in the air was palpable. Roman’s fangs were bared, and he was primed to strike. While their attention was focused on Dani Lynn as she struggled between instinct and willpower, Celeste
whipped around throwing Dani Lynn off balance. She flipped the new vampire over her shoulder and pinned her to the floor with one quick movement. When Dani Lynn opened her eyes in shock, Celeste straddled her menacingly holding a stake above her chest.
“Wow, impressive Celeste!” Nico clapped his hands.
“I told you I wasn’t vampire bait!” she said proudly. “Also, I’ve been having training dreams with my dad.”
“Training dreams?” asked Nico.
“I’m not really sure what they are, but they seem to be working.” A satisfied grin crossed her lips.
Roman impatiently revved the engine of the BMW as Celeste and Nico stood on the sidewalk.
“I wish I could go with you Celeste, but I don’t think we should leave Dani alone while she’s still transitioning.” Nico hugged her goodbye.
“I know. Just promise you’ll come visit me soon!”
“I promise, I will. And Roman, take care of my car,” he yelled over the roar of the engine.
“Oh please, I should be saying the same to you. You’re the lucky one in this deal.” He rolled his eyes.
“It’s not my fault that your little Porsche has no trunk space.”
“But it more than makes up for it in horsepower.”
Celeste climbed into the front seat. “Okay boys, let’s not argue about whose car is better than whose or else we’ll never leave.”
Fabian paced restlessly in front of the open window, his long silver hair blowing in the chilly breeze. Outside the snow-covered peaks loomed in the distance, blocking the last rays of the sun. The valley below was finally beginning to return to life after the many harsh months of winter.
“I cannot believe that fool Magnus has double-crossed me!” Fabian brought his fist crashing down on the table.
“I hate to say I told you so— ” said Alek.
“Then don’t!”
“What does he think he’s doing anyway?” Alek stroked his chin. “I understand he is still in Oak Bluffs.”
“He is after that human girl that is always with the Constantins. He has been making some inquiries about her.”
Alek’s light brows furrowed. “Inquiries? What kind of inquiries?”