by G. K. DeRosa
“Okay, okay Maxi, let Celeste sit down and relax for a second before you talk her ear off,” said Mrs. Kennedy, emerging from the kitchen. The whole house smelled like blueberry pancakes and sweet maple syrup, making Celeste’s stomach growl. She sat down at the table just as Brian came rushing down the stairs. He was the starting center of the Oak Bluffs Community College Crusaders basketball team, and he had been absolutely on fire all season. He looked adorable in his team uniform—blue and gold basketball shorts and jersey, and Celeste had to admit that all that training had done wonders for his body. His shoulders had gotten broader and the contours of his arm muscles were striking.
“Hey Cel,” said Brian with a friendly tug to her blonde ponytail. “Rough night?”
She shot him a look and swallowed the heaping mouthful of pancakes. “Yeah, kind of. I was up late studying.” Brian gave her a knowing smile. He was the only one of her human friends who knew about her secret life as the Guardian. He had been her best friend since they were little and keeping that secret from him had really worn on her. Finally, she couldn’t hold it in any longer and had told him everything – even though it was against her better judgment. Stellan and Roman had been mad, really mad, but she didn’t regret it one bit.
Brian’s phone buzzed, and a smile crossed his face as he picked it up and started typing a response.
“Who is it?” asked Celeste.
“Probably his girlfriend. She texts him all the time,” said Maxi with a mischievous grin.
Brian flushed and looking up from the phone said, “She’s not my girlfriend. We’re just friends.”
“Marie?” Celeste asked casually.
“Yeah. We have a couple classes together, and she wanted to get together to study tonight. Real studying, not your kind of studying,” he responded looking pointedly at Celeste. She rolled her eyes at him in response.
“What kind of studying do you do, Cel?” asked Maxi looking confused.
“Oh, don’t listen to your brother, he’s just being obnoxious.”
“Okay kids, cell phones away, we’re going to have a nice breakfast together without social media,” said Mrs. Kennedy as she sat down at the table.
Brian grumbled and put his phone away as the girls happily devoured the pancakes.
As Brian and Celeste walked across the yard after breakfast, Celeste waited for him to start talking. She knew there was something on his mind; his brows were furrowed and he hadn’t said a word since they left his house.
“So, are you going to spill or am I going to have to drag it out of you?” she asked as they reached her front porch.
“Huh?” he asked, his mind clearly elsewhere.
“What’s going on?”
“I don’t know if I can talk to you about this,” he answered.
“Why not? I’m your best friend. You’re supposed to be able to talk to me about everything.”
Brian turned away looking nervous. He fidgeted with a stick he had picked up off the ground. “It’s about Marie.”
“Okay and?”
“Well I like her and I think she likes me, but this whole fairy thing really has me freaked,” he admitted.
Celeste stifled a laugh and tried to look as serious as possible. “Hmm… well I don’t know much about fairies, but from what Roman and Nico said most of them are all right. Actually, you should probably talk to Nico about it. He’s dated a few of them.” Of course.
Brian looked relieved. “Oh yeah? Maybe I will.”
Celeste had met Marie a handful of times, and she seemed innocent enough. But now that Brian brought it up she became slightly worried. Brian deserved to have a normal girlfriend and not get dragged into all of the supernatural craziness. She decided she would do some research into the fairy world before letting her best friend get too involved.
“On second thought,” she interrupted, “maybe you should just take things slow. It’s almost Christmas break—do you really want to be tied down right now?”
Brian looked surprised. “What’s with the sudden change of opinion? You’re not jealous are you?”
Celeste couldn’t help but blush. Their friendship had crossed the line into romantic territory over the summer when Brian had admitted his feelings for her. Though she didn’t feel quite the same about him, she had kissed him once – okay twice – during that summer. After she chose Roman, their friendship was on rocky ground for a while, but things were finally getting back to normal. She didn’t want to ruin it.
“Of course not,” she said with a playful punch to his arm. “I’m just looking out for my best friend. I want to make sure she’s good enough for you, that’s all.”
“Hmmph. Like I have any say over you dating a vampire?”
“It’s not the same,” she countered defensively.
“Whatever Cel, that’s totally a double standard. I gotta get to practice, so I’ll see you later,” he said and turned to leave.
“Wait,” she said grabbing his arm. “Why don’t we go on a double date?” She regretted it as soon as the words spilled out of her mouth.
“Really? You think that’s a good idea?”
“Yeah, we’re all friends. Why not? I’ll talk to Roman, and you can plan it all.”
Brian looked at her thoughtfully. “Okay, it’s a date.”
As Celeste walked into the house, her phone started ringing. Looking at the caller ID, a big smile spread across her face.
“Natalie!”
“Hi friend! How’s it going?”
“Good! But Oak Bluffs just isn’t the same without you. When are you coming home?” she asked as she plopped down on the sofa, making herself comfortable to catch up with her friend. Natalie had moved to Richmond for college at the end of the summer, and Celeste really missed her free-spirited and fun-loving friend.
“I’ll be back next week. I just have to finish up finals, and I’m on the next train out. I’ve really missed you and everyone,” she said with a hint of sadness. “How’s the crew doing back home?”
“We’re all great! Brian’s been playing basketball non-stop so I don’t see him that often. And Nico’s just fine, if that’s what you’re asking. He spends most of his time hanging out with Roman and me and pining over you.”
Natalie let out a coy chuckle. “Am I that transparent?”
“No, of course not. I just know you that well. I thought things were going great with you two?”
“They are, I think. It’s just hard with the long distance. You’re lucky you stayed in Oak Bluffs with Roman,” she said.
Celeste paused. “Yeah, I guess I am.”
When Celeste got off the phone with Natalie, she thought about their conversation. Everything was great with her and Roman, and all things considered, her life as a Guardian was going pretty smoothly as well. She couldn’t help but wonder why she was still so scared all the time.
Chapter 2
Stellan gazed out into the darkening forest as the rickety wooden porch swing creaked noisily. He was flipping through an old book spread across his lap. The Guardian journals took up a large part of his ancient book collection, and they were some of his favorites. Centuries of detailed accounts about various guardian families could be found in these journals. He wasn’t sure exactly what he was searching for, but he was confident he would know once he found it. Unexpectedly, Dani burst out onto the porch and shattered the calm tranquility, carrying a thin, modern-looking notebook.
“This just came by messenger – owl messenger, actually,” she said, shaking her head. “I know I’m a vampire, but I still can’t get used to all this crazy magic stuff.” She stood before him with her hands on her hips, her dirty blonde hair in a messy bun on the top of her head.
Stellan eagerly took the notebook from her hands. Flipping through it, he made a few grunts and other unintelligible noises.
“So what’s in that thing anyway?” she asked, the curiosity killing her. “I know it came from the Council so I guess it’s pretty important, huh?”
“Why, yes it is Dani. And I’m going to need your help with it,” he said, handing the notebook back over to her.
“Really? Okay sure. What do you want me to do?”
“This is a list of all of Celeste’s kills or encounters with demons, vampires, and other supernatural creatures. I need you to go through the names and sort them into categories. I want the most powerful beings at the top of the list.”
“Ugh, sounds boring,” she said, rolling her eyes.
“Dani, this is very important. If you are not going to take this seriously, I’ll have someone else do it,” he scolded, reaching out to take the book away from her.
“No, no! I’ll do it. I can totally handle this,” she said. “You can count on me.”
Stellan smiled and returned to his reading as Dani quickly rushed back into the house. He knew her eagerness to help wasn’t without ulterior motives, but he couldn’t help his growing fondness toward his new quirky vampire housemate. Dani had recently been turned by Magnus, an evil, thousand-year-old vampire hired by Fabian. Magnus had used his blood bond with Dani to get to Celeste. Stellan had taken her in permanently when no one else knew what to do with her. Nico had worked with her for months, and she was now able to control her bloodlust remarkably well. Stellan knew she wanted the ability to day walk more than anything, and as a result she was amenable to doing just about anything to build his trust.
Stellan had taken a quick glance at the names on Celeste’s kill list, and a sense of dread washed over him. There were many powerful supernaturals that could have sent that Bacillus demon after Celeste. He tried to push it out of his mind for now and focused his attention back on the old journals.
Sitting on the bench at her bay window, Celeste tried to focus her attention on the Microeconomics book in her lap. She stared at the words on the page while they blurred and mingled together. Frustrated, she slammed the book shut and reached for her phone on the nightstand.
Hey, do you feel like going out for a drive to Stellan’s?
Celeste waited anxiously for Roman’s text back and as always, he responded within seconds.
Sure, why?
I’ll explain on the way.
Celeste didn’t want to tell Roman by text that she wanted to snoop on her best friend’s new love interest. Things were going really well with her and Roman now, but a few months ago he had been pretty jealous of her relationship with Brian. She didn’t want to upset him again. It had taken too many arguments to convince him that he was the only one she truly wanted to be with, no matter the consequences.
The rumble of Roman’s Porsche pulling into the driveway made Celeste’s heart skip a beat. The thought of spending the day with him on a road trip to Stellan’s where she had first fallen in love with him made her smile. She patted Rocky on the head, slipped a dagger in her jeans pocket (she never left the house anymore without a weapon), and rushed downstairs.
“Shouldn’t you be studying for exams young lady?” Roman chided as she hopped into the car.
Celeste leaned across the front seat and brushed her lips ever so lightly against his. A thrilling burst of electricity passed through them. He instinctively reacted, his strong arms pulling her toward him. She gave into the thrilling moment and then giggled, and sat back in her seat to buckle her seat belt.
“I knew that would work,” she said smugly.
“I see how it is. We’re playing dirty now, huh? I’ll get you back later,” he said playfully. “So why are we going to Stellan’s?”
“Promise me you won’t overreact when I tell you.”
“Well, that sounds ominous,” he said with a sidelong glance.
“It’s nothing, really. I just want to find out more about fairies.”
Roman raised his dark brow at her. “Fairies in general or a certain cute fairy that has been getting a lot of attention lately from your best friend?”
Celeste should have known she wasn’t going to get off easy on this one. “Okay, okay. Yes I want to know more about Marie. I feel like I’m responsible for Brian. I was the one that told him all about the supernatural world – ”
“Against my better judgment,” he interrupted.
“Right,” she continued. “So I just want to make sure I know what he’s getting into before things get serious.” A smirk crossed Roman’s face, and Celeste glared at him. “What’s so funny?”
“Nothing, nothing at all,” he said chuckling.
“Roman, tell me.”
“This just reminds me of our situation a couple months ago. Only I was the one trying to protect you. It’s not so fun being on the other side of it, is it?”
Celeste paused for a second. “That’s totally different. He’s a human and I am the Guardian. I would have to deal with all of this stuff regardless. He doesn’t.”
“I think you’re being a bit naïve, Celeste. Do you really think there is anything you could do to keep Brian out of all of this now that you are involved?” he said, keeping his eyes focused straight ahead. “He may be trying to move on, but he still loves you.”
Ugh, how did I get myself into this conversation again?
Ignoring Roman’s last comment, Celeste continued. “Anyway, I think it’s important that I educate myself on all supernatural beings – don’t you?”
“Yes, of course, it is of the utmost importance,” he said facetiously, then turned his smiling blue eyes back on the road.
“I’m glad you agree, because we’re going on a double date with them tomorrow night.”
“What?” Roman shouted. Celeste gave him a placating smile as he continued to grumble under his breath. She wasn’t positive but she thought she heard a few expletives mixed in there.
Walking through the door of Stellan’s home filled Celeste with memories of endless days spent training with Roman, back when Stellan invited her to stay with him for a few weeks after she first found out she was the Guardian. She trailed her fingers along the wall of old books at the entrance and took in the familiar musty smells of burnt wood and mothballs. As her powers grew, she discovered that along with sensing evil and getting premonitions, she could also almost smell magic. It had an intense odor that reminded her of incense and firecrackers. It was incredibly potent here.
“It’s lovely to have you back, my dear,” said Stellan gallantly. His kind gray eyes were filled with a warmth that she didn’t often see in them. “I know you don’t need me now that you are an all-powerful Guardian, but you should come visit me more often.”
She pulled him into a quick embrace and said, “I know, I’m sorry, I’ve just been so busy lately. And actually there is something I need from you,” she said with a sweet smile.
“That’s what I am here for. Come, let’s sit in the living room by the fire. This old house has such a chill in it today,” he said leading the way through the cavernous room. Celeste looked up at the vaulted ceiling and out of the corner of her eye caught a slight movement high up near the mahogany rafters.
“Don’t mind him,” said Dani, descending the grand spiral staircase. “He’s just the owl messenger the Council sent.”
Roman shot Dani an angry glare, after which she quickly retreated to the kitchen.
“What did the Council send over?” Celeste asked, looking at the yellow-eyed creature perched above her head.
Stellan cleared his throat uncomfortably and looked to Roman.
“I asked Stellan to look into something for me,” Roman responded evasively.
“What? And why would it involve the Council?”
“Roman, I feel that it would be for the best if Celeste knew. There is no sense in keeping this from her,” interjected Stellan.
Roman shot him a traitorous glare, and turned to Celeste. She was staring pointedly at him now. “I know we didn’t have a chance to discuss much about the Bacillus demon the other night, but I thought that it would be wise to look into whom may have sent him. It may be nothing at all. I would rest more assuredly if I knew what we may be up against, thoug
h.”
“You really think someone sent that demon after me?” she asked, looking to Stellan. She knew Roman could be more than a little overprotective with her.
Stellan pushed the horn-rimmed glasses further up his nose and said, “That’s the thing my dear, we really can’t be sure. Those creatures are known to be trackers, and unless you happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time, it is highly likely it was tracking you.”
A chill went through Celeste as she remembered the last time something had been sent to find and capture her. Fabian had turned an innocent young guy named Patrick into a vampire just to get close to her. Patrick had almost succeeded in abducting Celeste, but luckily Roman had shown up just before Patrick threw her into the trunk of his car. He and Fabian were both dead now, though, so Celeste convinced herself she didn’t have to worry.
“So what did the Council send over?” she asked again.
Stellan picked up the black notebook from the side table and handed it to her. “This is a list of all the encounters you’ve had with supernaturals since you became the Guardian. It includes all altercations, kills, and those that escaped.”
Celeste looked thoughtfully at the book and thumbed through a few of the pages.
“We thought that if we took a look at the list, we may be able to determine who sent the demon after you,” said Roman. “But really, it’s nothing to worry about. Stellan is taking care of it.” He gave her a comforting smile and slid his arm around her waist.
“Actually, Dani has volunteered to lead this endeavor,” said Stellan, noticing Dani peeking around the kitchen wall.
“Do you really think you should leave such an important task to her?” asked Roman. His dislike for the newly turned vampire was clearly evident in his tone.
With that, Dani burst into the room, “I don’t understand why you hate me so much, Roman. What did I ever do to you?” Tears of anger were threatening to spill over, but she held them back.