“Nope,” he mumbled.
“Okay. Well, I’ll head out then. Oh, hey,” he said, approaching a few steps closer, “I recognize you’re kind of under a lot of stress with everything that happened. If you want to talk about anything, I’m cool with that. Sometimes I can’t process it myself. It would be nice to have someone to talk to about it. I mean, the whole time-travel thing was enough, but then that on top of Josie not being Josie and…” he babbled.
Michael grunted, annoyed, leaping out of bed. He tossed on a hoodie and pulled on a pair of jeans.
“Oh,” Damien said, surprised he was up, “yeah so anyway, it’s getting to me too, so I bet it’s getting to you. So, if you need to talk…”
“You really can’t take a hint, can you?” Michael barked, pushing past him to retrieve his shoes.
“Sorry, bro,” Damien said, holding his hands up as if surrendering. “I didn’t mean to bother you. I just, look, we all are worried, that’s all.”
Michael scoffed. “Did Celine send you?”
“No, I sent me! I mean, Celine is worried, but no one understands how hard this is to comprehend better than me.” Damien walked to the nightstand, flicking on the light.
“Whoa, turn it off,” Michael said, holding a hand up to block the sudden burst of light.
“The light? Sorry,” Damien said, without turning it off, “it was really dark.”
Michael uncovered his eyes, finishing tying his shoe. He stood. “Look, sorry if I was short with you. And yeah, it’s a lot to deal with, but I’m dealing.”
“Oh, okay. That’s good. That’s great,” Damien said, considering his next move. “But given the circumstances I’d like to talk about it. I’m putting up a good front, for Celine’s sake, but I could use a friend.”
“Perhaps you should talk to Millie,” Michael said, putting his watch on, not making any eye contact.
Damien nodded. “Maybe. Although it would be nice to talk to someone who went through it, too.”
“Maybe later.”
“Okay, yeah, sure. Later is great.”
“Great,” Michael mumbled, turning to leave.
“Do you have a time later on? Before dinner or after or…” Damien began.
“Just later, Damien, not now,” Michael cut him off.
“Yeah, sure, right.”
Michael sighed, sagging his shoulders, his back turned toward Damien as he approached the door. “Look, why don’t we grab dinner in town tonight. We can talk then.”
“That’s awesome, yeah. Meet you at the café in the hotel around 5:30?”
“Sure,” Michael said, opening the door. “Oh, Damien?” he said, turning to face him for the first time.
“Yeah?”
“Next time, stay out of my room.” He slammed the door before heading down the hall.
Chapter 3
Damien made his way down the path, walking toward Celine’s favorite spot on the property. The coolness in the air surprised him. He wasn’t used to fall coming so early. The price he paid for moving north, he speculated. He paid it willingly. He wanted to stay close to Celine. The prospect of being separated from her concerned him, particularly after what they had experienced.
Perhaps that explained why he had an easier time adjusting to his new surroundings and truths. Where he had been grateful, Michael, it seemed, had become filled with bitterness. It may not be enough for Michael to only stay connected to Celine. Perhaps he just needed time. At least that was what Damien hoped.
Damien turned the corner, spotting a familiar sight on the edge of the cliff. Celine sat on her swing, covered by the gazebo. The swing glided back and forth in a lazy motion. Even when she was Josie, she had enjoyed the swing on their front porch. Despite it being a small thing, he appreciated seeing familiar aspects of Josie still existing in Celine.
He trudged up the hill, wishing he had better news to give her.
“How did your conversation with Michael go?” Celine asked as he plopped onto the swing next to her.
“Eh, not great, but not terrible either,” he answered. He recapped the conversation. “I don’t know, he was just weird, but maybe he’ll be better at dinner tonight. At least he agreed to that. Perhaps he just feels weird opening up to one of us. We are all strangers to him, at least you and I are family. Well, kind of family, you know what I mean.”
“We’re family, D,” she answered, putting her hand on his shoulder. “And thank you for trying. You’re a good friend.”
“Well, I assume the conversation with Michael didn’t go as planned?” Gray joined the conversation as he approached the pair of them.
“Not totally, but he agreed to dinner, so we made some progress!” Damien said.
“Well, I guess that’s something,” Gray answered.
“I think I’ll head to Alexander’s. I hope he’s in a more talkative mood than Michael was.”
“Okay, D. Thanks,” Celine said, squeezing his hand as he stood. “Have fun!”
Damien grinned at her. “Thanks!”
Gray took his spot on the swing. “Why’s he going to Alexander’s?”
“He wants to ask him lots of questions he doesn’t want to ask us,” Celine said, staring off into the horizon.
“What?” Gray inquired, wrinkling his brow.
“It’s his way of dealing with things. He wants answers to a myriad of questions, but he doesn’t want to ‘bother us’ by asking.”
“Uh, that’s… well, I’m not sure what to say.”
“Plus, I think he still sort of views you as the enemy.”
“Me? What did I ever do to him?”
“Nothing, but you are the man who blew apart our lives. Well, Josie’s life. I think he still views you with some suspicion.”
Gray rolled his eyes. “I’m ready to retract my statements about having your family here.”
Celine smirked. “You’ll get used to it. Anyway,” she said, putting her hand on his knee, “we need to talk.”
Gray sighed. “There were no attacks last night. Everything is calm for the moment. There’s nothing to talk about except how you want to spend your days relaxing.” He leaned back, putting his arm around her.
“I wish that were true. It’s not about the attacks. It’s about us.”
Gray leaned forward again. “There’s nothing to talk about. Let’s just be happy, Celine.”
“Gray,” she answered, “we need to talk about what happened. I was gone for twenty-five years. By my choice. We need to discuss that.”
“No, we don’t,” he argued. “It’s done and over with. You’re back now. Let’s leave it.”
“Gray,” she admonished, “we need to have this out. We can’t avoid it.”
“We can try.”
Celine sighed. “I need to say some things.”
“It wasn’t your fault, Celine. It was his.”
“As much as I’d like to blame Marcus Northcott for this, this rests entirely on my shoulders. I made this choice; I understood what I was doing. I left you for twenty-five years. It could have turned into a lifetime. I’m sorry, Gray. I need you to realize that.”
“I do realize that, Celine. And as for your decision, I didn’t like it, but I understand it. You needed a break from that maniac. He tortured you for centuries. So, you can try to take the blame on yourself, but it rests entirely on him, not you. Besides, this had to happen.”
“He tortured all of us for centuries. And it had to happen? How do you figure that?”
“He tortured you the most. We were just collateral damage. Without you becoming Josie, you’d never have met Michael and Damien. We’d never have gotten hold of that book and never been able to get rid of that bastard.”
Celine smiled at him. “I appreciate your understanding, Gray. And as long as you realize it will never happen again, we can consider the subject closed.”
He smiled at her, wrapping her in his arms. “Consider it closed, Celine. Let’s focus on being happy.” He kissed the top of her head. �
�And let’s discuss more important things.”
“Such as?”
“Such as what the hell your cousin is asking Alexander.”
Celine laughed. “Oh, I’m sure the list is long and varied.”
Damien sauntered through the woods leading to Alexander’s house. His musings turned from Michael’s changed demeanor to the task ahead of him. He was aware of some details, but many others were unclear to him. He hoped to find answers from his inquiry with Gray’s cousin. The questions he intended to ask weren’t odd or offensive, but he still felt uncomfortable asking Celine. He didn’t imagine asking Celine would have upset or angered her. But he didn’t want to bother her. From what he ascertained, the Duke had tormented her for centuries. She had finally found peace. He didn’t want to force her to relive a past she had desperately tried to leave behind.
Alexander’s house appeared in front of him as he rounded the corner. His pace slowed as it came into view. In an instant, his project seemed less appealing. Perhaps his questions could wait. Perhaps he should make an appointment with him rather than show up out-of-the-blue on his doorstep. It was almost lunch time; it was rude to turn up unannounced. His mind created a dozen reasons to retreat.
He turned around, intending to return to the main house. He wavered for a moment, vacillating about his decision. At last, he opted to follow through with his plans. He would regret it if he didn’t. If Alexander couldn’t or wouldn’t answer his questions, he was free to decline or reschedule.
He marched forward down the path with a determined step. He approached the door, and, setting his jaw, he reached for the lion doorknocker. Before he could grasp the ring, the door popped open.
“Damien!” Alexander greeted him.
“Whoa, whew,” he said, letting air escape his mouth, “you startled me.”
“Forgive me, it wasn’t my intention. I saw you coming down the path. Please, come in!”
“Oh, right, sorry, still letting my heart slow down.” He bent over at the waist, his hands on his knees as he recovered before following Alexander into the house.
“Did you forget something?”
“Huh?”
“Did you forget something? I saw you turn back before heading to the house.”
“Oh, no, ah, nope. I…” He stammered. “Ah, I thought I heard something in the woods. Was just the wind.” He chuckled nervously.
“Ah I see,” Alexander said, motioning toward the living room, “I was just about to have lunch, won’t you join me?”
“Oh, gee, thanks. I’m famished. Although, I didn’t mean to interrupt.”
“Nonsense, Damien! You’re family! Please, come in! It’ll be nice to have some conversation over my meal.”
Damien smiled at him, following him into the living room where he had lunch already set out. He plopped on the couch, helping himself to a sandwich while Alexander poured him a glass of iced tea. “Mmm, this is good!”
“I’m glad you are enjoying it,” Alexander said, pouring his own glass of tea and taking a seat opposite of Damien in an armchair.
“So, speaking of conversation, I was hoping you wouldn’t mind having a candid conversation with me about a few things.”
“Yes, I’ve been expecting you.”
“You have?”
“Of course. I’m psychic, you know. That’s how I knew you had arrived.”
“Oh! Are you?” Damien fidgeted in his seat.
“Yes. Right now,” Alexander said, narrowing his eyes, “you’re wondering if I can read your mind at this very moment.”
Damien gave a nervous chuckle.
“And now,” Alexander continued, “you’re wondering how often I’ve read your mind.”
“Uh,” Damien began, swallowing hard. A loud laugh from Alexander cut him off.
“Oh, I’m just fooling you, Damien. I’m sorry to take advantage. I’m not psychic.”
“You’re not?”
“No, not even a little.”
“Then how…” Damien began.
Alexander cut him off as he struggled to get his question out. “Celine told me you’d be stopping by. She also told me I was free to answer all your questions, so fire away when you’re ready.”
“Oh.” He chuckled. “Okay, thanks!” He took another bite of his sandwich and then a gulp of tea.
“Since you’re still preparing, might I ask you a question first?”
“Sure!” Damien volunteered.
“Why not ask these questions to Celine?”
“Oh, well,” he said, setting his glass down. “This is the first time in, well… centuries she’s experienced any peace. I didn’t want to be the guy asking her to drudge up her horrific past just to get some answers.”
“How kind of you, Damien. You are a loyal friend to Celine. And if needs repeating, I’m happy to help in any way I can.”
“Thanks. Well, she’s more than just a friend to me, she’s family. I mean, even though she’s not actually my family, she’s like my family. You know what I mean. Anyway, you and Celine, you’ve been friends for a long time, too, right?”
“Yes, she is one of my oldest and dearest friends.”
“Did you know her before she…” He danced around the question. “Before she was, you know, what she is now.”
“No. We met after that fateful night.”
“How did you meet?”
“Grayson and I were already well into the fight against people like Marcus Northcott. We heard about the girl who had defied him. Word gets around fast in our circles. We set out to find her. What better ally to have than someone with such powerful convictions, not to mention her talent?”
“Speaking of ‘the Duke,’ how did he become what he was?”
“That, my dear Damien, is the stuff of legends. Some say he drank a special concoction in Africa, others say he walked through Hell and bargained with the Devil himself, still others say it was a trick of his genetics. I’m afraid no one knows the true story.”
“Hmm,” Damien answered, considering the information, “so….” He stammered before finding the words for his next question. “Alexander… would you mind if I asked how you and Gray became… the way you are?”
“Not at all. It’s not much of a story, I’m afraid. It’s rather a case of foolishness with the wrong sort. Before we realized it, we were in this position. Rather a stroke of luck for the good guys, I’d like to think, anyway,” he said, smiling.
“Oh, right. I’m still getting used to the whole… thing. Sometimes it still doesn’t seem real.”
“Yes, I’m sure both you and Michael are still adjusting to the new situation.”
“So, what can you tell me about the painting that’s gone missing?”
“Ah, yes, the painting. Celine mentioned that you have undertaken finding it as your personal mission.”
“Yes, well, I’m trying to help. I think it’s playing on Celine’s mind.”
“Well,” Alexander said, shrugging, “Gray commissioned that painting of Celine in the late 1700s. Benjamin Abbott painted it. I assume Celine has already told you about his unique ability to capture his subjects?”
Damien nodded as he ate his sandwich. Alexander continued, “Well, the painting is a guard, a watch dog, for the house and the family. Celine, who was calling herself Mina at the time to protect her identity, for all the good it did, felt it was in the best interest of the family.”
“For all the good it did?” Damien questioned.
“Yes, no matter what name she used, where she tried to hide, that dreadful man found her.”
“He really tortured her, didn’t he?”
“Yes, she never experienced a moment’s peace.”
Damien frowned at the thought. “Speaking of Celine, how did she become Josie? I mean, if she’s like you and Gray and the Duke, how did I grow up with her?”
“Twenty-five years ago, Celine was at her breaking point. She made a bargain. She desired a life away from the Duke, a normal existence. Our adjudicator gr
anted her twenty-five years to relive her life. If in that time she remained normal, she could have a normal life, die a normal death. If not, well, you know the ending.”
“Yes, I do. If not, she returned to her life as Celine. Well, at least she had somewhat of a normal life.”
“And she picked up some fantastic family. She is very grateful for you, Damien.”
Damien beamed with pride. “That’s why I want to solve this painting mystery. To give her some peace, so she can enjoy her life now! So, anything else relevant? You were here when it was painted, I guess? Anything else you remember from back then?”
“Nothing much,” Alexander said, raising his eyebrows. “I was here, on and off, I was also traveling. There was nothing significant that I deem has any relevance to the painting going missing. The Duke had made an appearance, Celine and Gray left not long after and the painting remained, guarding the house.”
“Okay. So, tell me the details surrounding Celine’s missing painting.”
“Well, I suppose in hindsight, there were some red flags, but we didn’t see them. It was too late when we picked up on the signals. Events were already unfolding, the Duke was back and the painting went missing. I don’t think anyone would question the fact that Marcus Northcott is to blame for its disappearance. However, we still could not track it down even realizing who did it.”
“Do you think he destroyed it?”
“No, I would very much doubt that.”
Damien raised his eyebrows. “Really? I’m not sure I understand that logic. Wouldn’t he want it destroyed?”
“He’s far too arrogant to destroy it. He’s also far too possessive. To him, since it held a piece of Celine’s soul, he, too, held a piece of Celine’s soul. He’d want to keep it.”
“I understand, so he’d have kept it to keep a piece of her. And he’d have wanted to keep it close if your logic is correct. I assume you checked wherever he was staying when he was here?”
“Oh, yes, despite it being dangerous, we had a good look around, both Gray and I.”
“Hmm,” Damien pondered, “Not much to go on, is it? Well, thanks for letting me pick your brain. I won’t keep you any further.”
Stolen Portrait Stolen Soul: A Shadow Slayers Story (Shadow Slayers Stories Book 2) Page 3