by G. K. DeRosa
Roman and Nico were speechless, neither knowing what to say and both completely in shock by the revelation. For a second, Roman wondered what their lives would have been like if Alek had been raised with them as brothers. Perhaps they could have defeated Fabian back then and none of this would have ever happened. He gritted his teeth as he considered the possibilities.
“I simply cannot believe that my two most trusted friends kept the truth from me for so many years,” continued Lilliana as tears rolled down her cheeks. “I’ve trusted you with my life Stellan. I never thought you would betray me.”
He took a step toward her and she twisted around, putting her back to him. “Lilliana, I beg you to try and understand, and to one day attempt to forgive. I know I don’t deserve it, but I ask all the same.”
“It’s time to go,” she said, turning toward her sons. “I cannot be here any longer.”
Roman and Nico stood up and Celeste wasn’t exactly sure what to do. She had ridden to Stellan’s with the guys, but she felt like an intruder in this intensely heated family scene.
Just as the three of them reached the door, Roman glanced back at Celeste. “Are you coming?” he asked. Celeste looked to Stellan then back to Roman and with a quick nod, she darted to the door.
The car ride back to Oak Bluffs was awkwardly silent. Everyone’s thoughts were clouded with their own concerns and no one seemed to want to share. Celeste was torn between her fight with Roman and the recent revelations about Lilliana. A part of her felt bad for Stellan. Of course, she knew he hadn’t kept the secret of Alek’s survival to hurt Lilliana and yet by doing so he had possibly caused more harm than good—to all of them. Celeste glanced up and caught Roman’s eye in the rearview mirror, but she quickly turned away. She was still furious with him for breaking up with her for her own good—again! She turned her gaze out the window and for the rest of the trip stared at the towering evergreens whizzing by.
When they arrived to Roman and Nico’s apartment, Celeste jumped out of the car before Roman had even turned off the ignition. She said a quick goodbye and made a beeline to her car in the parking lot.
“Celeste, you’re leaving?” asked Lilliana, shouting after her.
She turned back and plastered a smile on her face. “Yes, there are a few things I need to do today.”
“I was hoping you could take me to see the Council.”
“Right now?” she asked. Celeste had assumed that with all the recent admissions from Stellan and Dalla, Lilliana would have wanted to take some time to reflect on her next step.
“Yes, the sooner, the better,” she answered determinedly.
Roman stepped forward. “Mother, Celeste is probably tired. She’s had a pretty rough few days. Maybe she can take you tomorrow.”
“No, it’s fine. I can do it now,” Celeste said, turning back toward the apartment. Roman’s puzzled expression gave her a surprising sense of satisfaction, and she couldn’t help the smile that stretched across her face as she strolled through the entrance.
Marco appeared with a concerned look as they each made their way through the door. “Everything okay?” he asked.
“Not really. I’ll have to catch you up in a sec,” answered Celeste.
Marco turned to Roman and Nico. “I packed up my stuff when I heard your mom was here. I figured she’d need the extra bedroom.” He motioned toward a pile of duffel bags by the door.
“Thank you,” said Lilliana cordially as she nodded her head at Marco. “It’s nice to see you again.”
“Piacere,” said Marco as Nico escorted his mother into the guest bedroom.
“Marco, you can come back and stay at my house,” said Celeste. Roman’s head whipped toward Celeste and he had to bite back the comment that was about to escape from his mouth.
“Are you sure?” asked Marco.
“Yeah, it’s fine. I guess your lie wasn’t half as bad as Stellan’s. It’s helped me put things into perspective.”
Marco furrowed his dark brows at her. “What lie?”
“It’s a long story,” she answered. “I’ll tell you all about it later. Right now, Lilliana wants me to take her to Astor to meet the Council.”
“Do you think that’s smart?” he asked.
“I already tried dissuading her,” said Roman, “and you should know by now that it’s no use once she has her mind made up.”
Just then Lilliana returned from the guest bedroom with an eager expression on her face. “Shall we go?”
“I should probably arrive ahead of you and find out how to get you into Astor,” said Celeste. “Supernaturals aren’t allowed to come and go, which means that you won’t be able to make it through the wards.”
“That’s nonsense. I was always allowed into Astor.”
“Mother, that was many years ago,” said Roman. “It’s very possible that your privileges were suspended after your death.”
“Well, there’s no harm in trying, now is there?”
Celeste shrugged and took Lilliana’s hand in hers as she began to focus her thoughts on Astor.
“I’m coming too,” shouted Marco grabbing Celeste’s other hand. Just like that, the three of them disappeared.
Roman raked his hands through his hair and slumped down on the couch with a long sigh.
“Pretty crazy about Stellan, huh?” asked Nico as he sat down beside him.
“What? Oh yeah, right.” Roman reclined his head back on the couch and closed his eyes.
“What happened now?” asked Nico, clued into his brother’s state of mind.
“Nothing,” muttered Roman.
“I’m not blind. I can always tell when you and Celeste are fighting. I sense it from a mile away. It’s like the light in your eyes just burns out all of a sudden.”
Roman turned to stare at his brother incredulously. “Wow, that’s incredibly depressing.”
“So come on, spill.”
As much as Roman had no desire to relive the pain of the breakup, he knew his brother wouldn’t drop the subject until he did. Taking a deep breath, he recounted the story, beginning with the marriage agreement and working his way through to today’s terrible ending.
Celeste was completely shocked when she opened her eyes to find herself in the middle of the Astor square with Lilliana still firmly holding her hand. “Wow, it really worked.”
“You see, I told you it would,” she said with a pleased smile. “I was practically a Council member myself.” She pivoted in a small circle as she reacquainted herself with the tranquil scenery. “Everything looks exactly as I remembered it.”
Marco was staring at Lilliana in surprise, equally astonished that she had gotten through the wards without setting off a single alarm. “Maybe I should go in and find Dante to let him know we’re here.”
Celeste nodded. “Sounds good. We’ll wait out here by the fountain.”
Lilliana’s eyes trailed after Marco as he disappeared into the marble Council building. Celeste wasn’t positive, but she thought she read a hint of regret in her clear blue irises. She led Lilliana over to the marble fountain and took a seat at the ledge. Lilliana trailed her fingers through the cool water and breathed in deeply. “I’m sorry you had to witness that embarrassing bit of family history today.”
“Trust me, I’ve seen worse,” she said and then clasped her hand over her mouth as she realized how rude that sounded.
Lilliana let out a dainty chuckle. “Perhaps I underestimated you, Miss Wilder. It’s not just anyone that can wield the power of the Albsurori ring—or win the love of my sons.”
“I guess one son out of two isn’t bad,” said Celeste with a rueful smirk.
“Whatever is going on between you and Roman will be resolved if it is meant to be,” she responded with a knowing smile.
Celeste nodded and responded with an appreciative grin.
“Now, as for the ring, we are going to have to discuss that,” said Lilliana glancing down at Celeste’s hand.
“Yes, Nico told me t
hat Dalla isn’t very happy now that she knows I’ve had it all along.”
“She’s threatening to tell everyone if we don’t return it to her—” she stopped suddenly cut off by a fit of coughing.
“Are you all right?” asked Celeste, noticing Lilliana’s face was turning red and she didn’t seem to be getting enough oxygen. She patted her on the back, not knowing what else to do.
Finally the coughing stopped, but Celeste noticed a small trickle of blood trailing down her chin. She pointed to it, her eyes widening and Lilliana quickly wiped it away with her handkerchief. “As I was saying, I believe we have no other choice other than to tell Marja that I have the ring.”
“You?” asked Celeste.
“Yes, I will tell her that I will hold it for safe keeping. From what I understand, Marja will soon be stepping down as head of the coven. I will tell her that once she decides who her successor shall be, I will pass the Albsurori ring to that person. In the meantime, you may keep it.”
Celeste twisted the cloaked ring around her finger. She couldn’t deny that possessing it did make her feel stronger, but somehow she still felt like she was cheating when she used it. “I appreciate that, Mrs. Constantin, but I don’t want you to get into any trouble with your coven.”
“There is simply no need for them to have it. They’ve managed without it for all these years, so a few more weeks can’t hurt. Now tell me, what have you experienced with the ring?”
“Lots of things,” said Celeste unsure exactly what she was getting at. “I definitely feel stronger when I have it on. I can summon my sword from thin air, I can blast my enemies with an invincible blue light that seems to come from the ring, and sometimes I feel the sapphire heating up. Oh, and it glows in unison with my Wilder key when I use my guardian powers.”
Lilliana arched her perfect brow. “Any adverse reactions?”
Celeste shook her head, then hesitated, remembering the darkness growing inside of her. She paused for a moment, not sure if she should reveal her dark secret. “Well, there was a time when I was struggling to control my powers. I guess it happens now and again to Guardians.”
“So something set off the darkness tied to your powers,” Lilliana stated more than asked with a knowing expression.
“Yes, how did you know?”
“I told you, I was practically a Council member,” said Lilliana. “I saw it happen a few times, with dire results. I am glad to see that you have overcome it.”
“It’s still hard sometimes,” Celeste admitted.
Lilliana paused as a thought struck her. “You know, Celeste, the Albsurori ring could be magnifying the evil inside of you.”
“What?” she asked, jumping to her feet.
“As I said, the effects of the ring can be very powerful but also unpredictable. As strong as you are, you are not an Albsurori witch. I’m surprised that you’ve been able to control it as well as you have.”
Suddenly, Alek’s face appeared at the forefront of her mind. He had been one of the first to detect the evil. He knew. That was why he had let her keep the ring. He was hoping it would destroy her. Celeste clenched her jaw as the pieces of the puzzle began to come together. “Alek knew!” she blurted out.
“Knew what?”
“He must have known about the power of the ring and what it would do to me. When we first came to see you, he said I had evil inside of me. He’s been playing us all along.”
“You can’t be certain about that, Celeste. I am not even sure that the ring is the cause,” she said, speaking softly trying to soothe her.
Just then Marco appeared, exiting through the glass doors of the Council building. He gave the ladies a thumbs up and Celeste and Lilliana were forced to put their discussion on hold. It was time for Lilliana to meet the Council.
Chapter 19
All eyes were on Lilliana as she, Celeste and Marco filed into the Council’s circular chamber. A thick tension filled the air as Dante and the other four members peered down at the intruder with varying looks of mistrust, confusion and even hatred. The latter was evident in Dalla’s expression as she glared at what was apparently her former friend.
Unable to stand the uncomfortable silence any longer, Celeste spoke up when they found themselves a few feet from the bench. “Thank you for taking the time to see us today,” she began formally. “This is Lilliana Constantin as I’m sure you know, and she requested this meeting with all of you.”
Celeste took a step back to give Lilliana the floor, happy to no longer have the weight of Dante’s heavy gaze on her. Marco stood silently at her side, a symbol of support more than anything else. She found his presence comforting and was relieved he had come along.
“I’d like to echo Celeste’s thanks for allowing me an audience with you today,” began Lilliana, looking up at the elevated bench where the Council sat. She stood straight, shoulders back, not even a hint of apprehension in her stance. “I know that my request must seem unusual.”
“How did you make it past the wards?” asked Dante, unable to hold his tongue any longer.
“Yes, no supernatural should be able to travel here without special permission,” echoed Balthazar. After the disaster at the Induction Ceremony, he had been given the responsibility of border security. After Brazen’s recent outbreak and now this, it seemed he was unsuccessful in his assigned task.
“As I told Celeste, who had expressed the same doubts about bringing me here, I was once a part of this Council, much like Dalla is now,” she hazarded a glance at her old confidant, who only stared back with a scowl.
“So it’s like a lifetime membership,” muttered Marco under his breath.
“This is not a laughing matter, Marco,” reprimanded Dante, but then he shrugged as he considered what he had said, “although I suppose it is possible that whatever magic granted you access to Astor all those years ago may still be in effect.”
“Then I hope that fact alone would provide you some relief as to my intentions. I served on this Council for many years as an Albsurori witch and my family before me watched over guardian families for centuries. Though my resurrection was unconventional at best, I want to ensure you all that I mean you no harm.”
Dante cleared his throat as he looked from side to side at the other Council members. “That is yet to be seen,” he said finally after a long pause. “Why have you been staying with Fabian’s former apprentice Alek? That is truly what causes us concern.”
A wave of consenting murmurs arose from the bench. “Alek has long been an enemy to this Council and to all guardians, frankly,” said Sierra.
Celeste’s heart began thudding against her chest. Would Lilliana tell them the truth? What would that mean for her and Stellan? The Council would be furious with them for keeping secret the truth about Alek’s parentage.
Keeping a mask of calm over her features, Lilliana continued. “I have only recently discovered that Alek is my son.”
Audible gasps echoed through the circular chamber as four pairs of scrutinizing eyes widened in shock. Even Dalla had to pretend this was new information as she exchanged puzzled glances with her colleagues. “How is that possible?” asked Dante.
“Perhaps you were unaware, but many years ago I was betrothed to Fabian and bore him a child out of wedlock. He lied to me and made me believe that our baby was dead. When Alek resurrected me, I began putting the pieces together. No one else knew.”
Dante’s eyes pivoted to Celeste. “You didn’t know anything about this?”
“No,” she answered, shaking her head and steeling her voice to sound confident.
“And your sons, Roman and Nico, they weren’t aware either?”
“No one knew,” Lilliana confirmed.
“This is very interesting,” said Dante as he drummed his fingers on the table.
“And you plan on remaining with him?” asked Sierra, peering over her purple-rimmed glasses.
“I will be spending time with all of my sons,” she answered vaguely.
> “Surely you have been brought up to date with all the terrible events your son Alek has been responsible for?” questioned Seraphina.
“I understand that he has a speckled past, but he has changed since I became a part of his life.”
Dante grunted. His recent dealings with Alek had seemed a bit out of character, but he certainly didn’t trust him. It was only at Gianpaolo’s insistence that Dante had agreed to work with Alek at all. “Let’s say that we decide to trust you,” he said, “what guarantees do we have that Alek will not revert to his old ways?”
Lilliana looked down at the floor for the first time during the meeting. Alek’s odd behavior lately had been rather troubling, and she hoped her suspicions were wrong. She finally looked up at Dante, meeting his penetrating gaze. “I swear to you that if I discover that anything is amiss, I will report it to you or Miss Wilder immediately.”
“You would turn in your own son?” asked Balthazar, arching a skeptical brow.
She bowed her head grimly. “I have two other sons that I must protect as well. They do not have the best history, as I’m sure you are all aware.”
All of the Council members nodded to one another. Dalla had been the only one to remain silent during this entire exchange. Either Dante hadn’t noticed or he wasn’t bothered by it.
“Very well then,” said Dante, “we will take you at your word. And I hope it’s not necessary to remind you that your access to Astor is an extremely rare gift—one which I trust you will not abuse.”
Lilliana gave him a reassuring smile. “Of course not. I will entrust any urgent matters to your Guardian for now. I don’t plan on making any more unexpected visits.”
“I am pleased to hear that,” said Dante, rising to his feet. “Oh and Celeste, Marco, before you go, there’s a small matter we need to discuss.” There was something about the tone of his voice that made Celeste uneasy, but she braced her nerves and looked innocently up at him. “The Queen of the Fae has brought up an official complaint against you and Marco.”