by G. K. DeRosa
Celeste scrunched her brows as she stared at Alek as he spoke. “Yes, Magnus admitted it to me before I killed him.”
“Well you know, after a thousand some odd years of slaying guardians, memories do tend to get a bit muddled.”
“What are you trying to say?” asked Celeste, attempting to keep the building tremor in her voice under control.
“I’m simply saying that perhaps the person really responsible for your father’s death is still out there, roaming free.”
Roman leapt to his feet and smashed his fist down on Alek’s desk. “That’s enough!” he roared. Alek jumped back, practically knocking the seat out from under him. “You don’t get to speak about her father, and you especially cannot make a loaded supposition like that.”
“I’m just telling the girl what I’ve heard,” he retorted as Roman’s hulking frame loomed over him.
Celeste had begun shaking, the darkness inside of her bubbling up to a fever pitch. She could feel it coursing through her blood, threatening to consume every inch of her. Roman suddenly turned back around and saw the hollow look in Celeste’s eye. He rushed to her and enveloped her in his strong arms. “Don’t listen to him. Everything is going to be fine. Push it back, you can control this, I know you.” She took a deep breath and exhaled sharply, spewing out all the hatred mounting inside of her.
“Get her outside in some fresh air,” ordered Stellan, rising from his seat. “Both of you go, now.”
As soon as the threesome was out of earshot, Stellan turned to Alek and leaned threateningly over his desk. “If I find out that what you told us was a lie intending only to push Celeste over the edge, I will kill you myself. And believe me, don’t think for a second that my feelings for Lilliana will protect you.”
“I swear I only spoke the truth. I have no control over the resulting reaction,” Alek said calmly.
Stellan straightened up and took a step back, adjusting his horn-rimmed glasses. “I’d like to see Lilliana now.”
“Of course, follow me,” said Alek, standing and leading him out of the stuffy study.
Stellan followed him through the front of the house and to the sunroom off of the kitchen. Before crossing the threshold Stellan stopped and yanked Alek’s arm, holding him back. “I would like to be alone with her.” Alek frowned, but Stellan continued, “Fifteen minutes, that’s all I’m asking for.”
“Fine,” Alek retorted and spun away.
Under the bright rays of the late-morning sun, Stellan found Lilliana resting on a white wicker chaise lounge with vibrant floral cushions. She reminded him of a beautiful maiden who had fallen asleep in the middle of a flowering field. Her eyes fluttered open as he approached and a smile crept across her sleepy face.
“It’s been much too long,” he said as he crossed the distance between them.
Lilliana sat up and ran her hands through her hair. To her dismay, her neat bun had come undone and her untamed curls fell in wisps around her face. “I’m sorry, I must have fallen asleep.”
“No need to explain,” he said with a shy smile as she motioned for him to sit down beside her. “May I?” He held his arms open toward her.
“Of course,” she said as she leaned into him.
He sat back and admired her face as he swept a stray curl behind her ear. “You look just as I remember you,” he said, “while the years have not been quite so kind to me.”
Lilliana’s bright blue eyes lit up with her smile. “That’s not true at all.” She looked lovingly at her dear friend. She barely remembered seeing him the day she was brought back from the dead, having been completely out of her mind then. “Stellan, I want to thank you for being there for Roman and Nico all of these years. I watched all of you whenever I could from the Abyss, and what you did for them meant the world to me.”
“I only wish I could have done more. I wish I could have saved you and Luka from Fabian’s wrath. I failed in protecting you.”
“But you protected my boys, and that’s more than I could have ever asked for,” she said.
“Lilliana, I want to continue to protect you and I cannot do that if you stay here with Alek. You must come back to Oak Bluffs with the boys and me.”
She let out a long sigh, heavy with the remorse she’d held in for months. “I wish I could, but I have promised Alek to stay with him. I owe him at least that for all the years he grew up without me, under Fabian’s tyranny.”
Intense feelings of guilt gripped at Stellan as he wrestled with the knowledge that it had been largely his fault that Lilliana never knew that her son was alive all along. If only he hadn’t chosen to protect Dalla and told Lilliana the truth back then, everything would be so different now. “I know you want to do right by him, my dear, but those years with Fabian have damaged him irreparably. I don’t know that there is anything you can do to save him.”
“I must try, Stellan. He is my son, my first born.”
Stellan gritted his teeth and gathered his nerve for the conversation he had been dreading for a lifetime. He had promised himself he would tell Lilliana the truth if ever given the chance. She deserved to know that he and Dalla had known all along and had been cowards not to stand up to Fabian. “Lilliana, there is something I need to tell you—”
Before he could continue, Nico bounded into the room, whizzing by him and wrapped his arms around his mother so exuberantly that he lifted her right off of her feet. He spun her around in a few circles before finally setting her back down on the ground. She laughed breathlessly as he began peppering her with questions.
Roman and Celeste walked in right behind him and Celeste took a seat next to Stellan as the boys lavished their attentions on their mother.
“Are you all right?” asked Stellan as she sat down beside him. He had that concerned dad look in his gray eyes.
“Yeah, I’m better thanks. I did some of those meditation exercises you showed me when I was outside with the guys.”
“And?”
“And the evil is in check, squished back down to the depths of my tummy,” she said, forcing a smile.
“Good,” he said squeezing her shoulder.
“Do you think what Alek said was true?” she asked with a perceptible gulp. “Could it really be that it wasn’t Magnus that killed my dad?”
Stellan shook his head slowly from side to side. “I simply don’t know, Celeste. But I promise that I will do everything in my power to help you find out. We can start with the old guardian journals when we get back home.”
“Thanks, Stellan,” she said as she turned her gaze back up to Roman. Seeing him and Nico reunited with their mother helped ease some of the anxiety she felt building inside.
“Come on then. Wait until you see the brunch I have prepared for us today,” said Lilliana leading the way back to the dining room.
Chapter 9
“Well, that went well,” said Nico from the back seat. Roman shot him a glare from the rearview mirror. “Sorry, Celeste, I didn’t mean—”
“No, it’s fine,” she said, turning around in her seat to face him. “Overall it was pretty much a success. We got the potion to strip Brazen of his immortality and you guys got to catch up with your mom.”
“Sure, everything should be fine until Alek calls in that favor,” said Roman.
Celeste’s arm hung out the open window and she watched as the wind went through her fingertips. Her mind wasn’t on the conversation going on around her. Instead, she couldn’t stop thinking about what Alek had said about her father’s death. Could his killer really still be out there? Nothing else mattered until he was found and punished for taking her dad away from her.
“Celeste?”
She turned toward the sound of Roman’s voice, which by the worried look on his face suggested it wasn’t the first time he had tried to get her attention. “Hmm?”
“Stellan asked if you were okay.”
“Yeah, I’m fine, just thinking,” she answered.
“What do you think about our mom comin
g to Oak Bluffs?” asked Nico.
She turned to look directly at Nico and could see the excitement in his face. Spending time with his mother would be just what he needed. He hadn’t been the same since Natalie’s death. She hadn’t either. “I think it’ll be great. I wonder if Alek will agree to it.”
“He has no real say in the matter,” said Roman. “She’s not his prisoner and should be able to come and go as she pleases.”
“Let’s hope so,” said Stellan glumly. He hadn’t spoken much since they left the villa. He was still upset that he hadn’t had the opportunity to tell Lilliana the truth. At least with her upcoming visit to Oak Bluffs, he would have more time with her and would be certain not to let another chance pass.
“So I guess we’re pretty much done here in Rome, huh?” asked Celeste with a sigh as they circled outside the main historic sights of the city.
“There may be one more thing we should stick around for,” said Nico with a knowing twinkle in his eye.
“What’s that?” she asked.
“I’m not going to ruin the surprise. I’ll let your aunt tell you when we get back to her place.”
Celeste arched an eyebrow as she spun around in her seat. “Is this a good surprise?”
Nico ran his finger across his lips in a zipping motion. “My lips are sealed. Maddie told me about it yesterday when you two were off on your romantic day trip. She wanted to wait and make sure that everything went well today before telling you.”
Everything hadn’t really gone okay today, but this surprise might at least take her mind off of her dad for a while. She turned her head back toward the window and retreated into her mind, watching the sporty Italian cars speed down the autostrada.
Before they reached the top stair, Maddie swung the door open of her apartment with Maks just a step behind. “Did everything go okay? You guys were gone for so long.”
“Yes, everything’s fine,” said Celeste as she gave her aunt a hug.
“And we got the potion,” said Stellan, pulling the small vial out of the hidden folds of his robe.
“That’s great!” cried Aunt Maddie as she led them inside. Then she took a closer look at Celeste’s face and the smile slid right off of her own. “Why am I not getting a happy vibe from you guys?”
“I’ll tell you about it later,” answered Celeste as she flopped down on the couch. She noticed her aunt was staring at her with an expectant look in her eye. She tried to perk up. “Oh, Nico mentioned you had a surprise for us?”
Aunt Maddie’s hazel eyes lit up as redness spread across her cheeks. “It’s no big deal, really. I had an idea, but I didn’t know if the timing was right.” Maks gazed at her reassuringly as he crossed the room to stand beside her, urging her on. Roman, Nico, and Stellan filtered in and got settled on the couch. Celeste noticed that Nico’s lively eyes looked almost as excited as her aunt’s.
“Don’t keep us in suspense,” demanded Celeste. “Spill!”
Aunt Maddie pulled her hands out from behind her back and flashed everyone her left hand. On her ring finger sat a brilliant diamond solitaire.
Celeste shot up from her seat and practically knocked her aunt down with a huge hug. “Congratulations!” she shouted as she wrapped her other arm around Maks. He looked a little surprised by her boisterous display of affection, but after a few seconds he relaxed and even let out a little chuckle.
Everyone was up on their feet now congratulating the happy couple and offering their best wishes. As Celeste saw the joy reflected in her aunt’s eyes she couldn’t help but feel the happiness spread throughout her as well. After all, she herself had helped in getting her and Maks back together.
“Wait, wait,” said Maddie as she took a step back, “that’s not the news.” Celeste looked at her with a puzzled expression. “Well, I mean, it is part of the news. What I’m trying to say is that, we thought maybe we could have a small ceremony tomorrow since you’re all here.”
“Really? Tomorrow?” asked Celeste, her eyes widening.
Aunt Maddie took a step toward her and picked up her hands. “I may have never found Maks without you, and I definitely wouldn’t have ever given him a chance if I hadn’t seen what you and Roman have. It would really mean a lot to both of us if you were here to see us get married.”
Celeste could feel the tears of happiness threatening to spill over. She quickly wiped them away and leaned into her aunt, wrapping her arms around her. “Of course I’ll be here!”
“Good,” Aunt Maddie said with a smile, “because I’m going to need a maid of honor.”
Celeste let out a high-pitched squee! as she took her aunt’s hands and danced around in a circle. “Do you have a dress? What am I going to wear? How are you going to find a church in such short notice?” She kept peppering her aunt with questions as she led her back into her bedroom to discuss all the details out of earshot from the men, whose eyes were already beginning to glaze over with all the girl talk.
Later that evening, after all of the wedding details had been discussed, Celeste crawled onto the pullout couch to lie next to Roman. His eyes were closed, and he was breathing softly. To her right, Nico sat in the armchair already half asleep as he watched the last few minutes of an Italian variety show featuring a white-faced opera singer and a dancing chimpanzee while Stellan snored soundly on an air mattress in the corner. As she checked her phone for messages and emails one last time before going to bed, an unknown number flashed on the display. Celeste recognized the Italian country code and wondered who could be calling her at this late hour. She quickly slipped out of bed so not to disturb the others and went out into the corridor to answer.
“Hello?” she whispered.
“Ciao! Celeste, dear, how are you?” came the familiar baritone voice of Mr. Caccia, Marco’s dad, over the phone.
“Oh, hi. I’m good, thanks. Just a little surprised to hear from you.”
“I’m sorry to disturb you at this late hour, but I just stepped off of the plane and Marco told me you were here. I was hoping I could see you before you leave,” he said.
Celeste hated to say no to him. Marco’s dad had been so kind to welcome her in his home when they came to Rome last winter. Not to mention, he covered up for her with Dante when she attempted her rogue mission. She really didn’t have time to visit with him, though. They were planning to return to Oak Bluffs the next evening, right after the wedding. It had been difficult enough explaining that bit of delay to Dante. “I’m sorry Mr. Caccia, but we’re leaving tomorrow evening and unfortunately I have plans all day tomorrow.”
“Well now that is a pity. My wife, Isadora, and the boys were so hoping you could come out for a visit.”
“Maybe next time,” said Celeste. “It seems like I’ll be coming more often now that my aunt lives here.”
“Yes, quite so. Please give my regards to Maddie. And I hope that you were successful in whatever brought you here this time.”
There was something about the tone in his voice that made Celeste feel that he knew very well why she was here. She suddenly felt strange continuing this conversation. “Thanks Mr. Caccia, and I don’t think I ever thanked you properly for covering for me last time with Dante and the Council.”
He was silent for a moment. “Of course,” he said finally. “Marco cares for you deeply and I would do anything for my son.”
Celeste tittered uncomfortably, not knowing what to say in response. “Well thanks again and have a good night.” As she clicked the red End button, she looked up and saw Roman leaning in the doorway.
“What was that about?” he asked.
“That was weird,” she responded, knowing full well Roman’s vampire hearing had no doubt caught the entire conversation.
“I wonder why he wanted to see you,” said Roman suspiciously.
Celeste shrugged her shoulders. “He didn’t really say. Maybe he was just being polite?” Roman arched a skeptical brow. “I agree it was strange. I’ll have to ask Marco about it tomorrow. Right
now, I just want to go to sleep.”
Celeste stood at the altar of the quaint old church in a strapless fuchsia gown that just grazed the top of her knees. Her blond curls were pinned up neatly in a fancy up do and adorned with a shimmering antique comb in the shape of a rose. She had both hands folded in front of her grasping the bouquet of fragrant white lilies to prevent herself from fidgeting. Nervous butterflies were fluttering in her belly as she waited anxiously for Aunt Maddie to appear at the arched entryway. Behind the priest, the light from the stained-glass windows was casting a beautiful rainbow of colors across the white marble altar, giving it a heavenly glow. She looked up across the aisle and her gaze met Maks’ eager ebony eyes. He looked so unbelievably happy—she was certain it was the first time she had ever seen such a gaping smile on his face. A feeling of warmth spread over her as she basked in the joyful atmosphere surrounding her.
Turning toward the rows of wooden pews decorated in white bows and baby’s breath, she caught Roman’s eyes on her. He was seated in the first row with Nico and Stellan on either side, all wearing dark suits that Stellan had magically conjured up in the last minute. The aqua blues of Roman’s irises were brilliant as he beamed at her and mouthed, “You look beautiful.” Celeste could feel her cheeks flush as a rush of heat coursed through her, making her heart race. Being up on the altar with Roman only a few feet away brought all kinds of thoughts to her mind—namely her in a white gown and him in a tux. She glanced down at the diamond band on her finger and smiled. Maybe Roman and I could get married one day too… No sooner had that thought crossed her mind when images of her vision of Marco in Astor sprang unwanted to the forefront. No, that was just a dream!
The blaring sounds of the pipe organ booming to life startled her out of her musings and back to the present as the familiar tune of the Wedding March filled the atrium. Across the chapel, the heavy metal doors opened and Celeste’s eyes fell upon her aunt. She looked absolutely radiant in an elegant vintage lace gown with early- morning sunlight beaming behind her like a halo. Celeste was powerless to hold back the tears that welled up beyond her control. She pulled the tissue out of the hidden pocket in her dress and dabbed at her eyes as her lips pulled into a contented smile. Looking up, she saw the expression of utter love and exhilaration on Maks’ face as her aunt walked slowly up the aisle. Celeste bit her lower lip to choke back the sob building at the back of her throat as her aunt finally reached the altar and took Maks’ hand.