by G. K. DeRosa
“I’m not trying to pressure you, Celeste. I know I don’t have much of a future to offer you.” He turned away from her and paced nervously around the room. “Maybe this was a mistake.”
“No!” she nearly shouted, running over to him. “The things you said and the vow you made were absolutely perfect. And for a moment there, I really thought you were going to propose.” She giggled nervously.
“Would you have wanted me to?” he asked, his eyes sparkling as he took her hands.
“Maybe—one day, but not right now.” Flashes of her dream about Marco at the lake ran unwelcomed through her mind. She picked up the black box and gently pried the ring out of the holder. “This is perfect for now,” she said with a smile and slipped it on her finger, the same hand that wore the cloaked Albsurori ring.
Roman took her hand and examined the glittering band, shining in the dark room. He bent his head and kissed it then turned to leave.
“Wait,” she said, tugging at his arm. “Why don’t you stay the night?”
Roman’s eyes darted from the bed to Celeste and back. “I don’t know if that’s such a good idea,” he said finally. “What if your mom comes home?”
“She won’t be back until morning,” she answered and took a step toward him, pressing her body against his.
“Celeste,” he said with a warning.
“I just want you to hold me. For my birthday—please?” she asked looking up into his hooded eyes, her hazel ones pleading.
“Okay, fine,” he said with a grin, “but I’m leaving at first light.”
“Deal!”
Celeste stretched out her hand to the other side of the bed as the first rays of light came shining through the open window. To her disappointment, it was empty. She remembered feeling safe and happy wrapped in the warmth of Roman’s arms, all night long. She pulled her left hand out from under the covers and examined the new sparkly ring in the sunlight. A promise ring… A feeling of guilt washed over her as she thought about what Roman would do if he knew about her dream – or vision. She still wasn’t entirely sure how to label it, but she simply couldn’t shake it from her thoughts.
“Good morning, birthday girl!” sang her mom as she came into Celeste’s bedroom, not even bothering to knock. It’s a good thing Roman did leave so early!
“Hi, Mom,” she said sleepily as she sat up in bed.
“Are you all ready for your big day?” she asked as she sat down beside her.
“I thought we were just having a small get together at Roman and Nico’s apartment?” she asked.
“Well, I decided you deserved a little more than just that,” her mom replied. “I know it won’t be like the huge parties Natalie used to throw for you, but I wanted to do something that she would be proud of.”
Celeste felt a pang of loss at the memory of her best friend and her throat tightened. “Thanks Mom. That was really thoughtful of you,” she said as she pulled her into a hug and buried her face in her shoulder to prevent the tears from slipping out.
“So what’s your plan until tonight?” her mom asked.
“I have classes most of the day. Brian’s picking me up in about an hour,” she said glancing at her watch.
“Okay, well you have a good day at school, and I’ll see you tonight at Roman’s. I’m heading over early to set up, so I’ll see you there.”
“Thanks again, Mom,” she said as she darted out the door.
***
Stellan searched through the old collection of daggers, knives and miscellaneous iron blades, metal clanging against metal as he rifled through the assortment. He was looking for one in particular and a smile stretched across his face when his fingers finally felt the soft fabric he sought. Pulling it out of the recesses of the old trunk, he held the navy crushed velvet pouch with the polished hilt peeking out the top. He untied the string, revealing a pristine dagger with intricate etchings along the length of the blade. Stellan stared fondly at it, running his finger over the detailed carvings. As he did, a faint glow emitted from the magical symbols, causing his heart to flutter with excitement.
“This is perfect,” he said aloud.
Stellan carefully placed the dagger back into its pouch and tucked it into the folds of his robe as he ventured back upstairs. Just as he emerged from the depths of the basement, he heard a knock at the front door. Glancing down at his watch, he suddenly realized how late it was. Now was an odd time for a visitor. He peered through the peephole and frowned.
“Dalla,” he said rather coldly as he opened the door.
She stood before him in a fancy dress reminiscent of Victorian times, holding a colorful gift bag in her hand. “I was invited to Celeste’s birthday, and I thought perhaps we could go together,” she said sheepishly.
Stellan cleared his throat, and opened the door further to let her in. “Yes, of course,” he muttered.
Their relationship had been strained at best over the past couple months since Lilliana had re-entered their lives. Stellan had purposely kept Dalla at arm’s length for multiple reasons, the greatest of which being that he hated lying to her about the Albsurori ring, and yet he felt compelled to keep the truth from her. He still didn’t quite understand her obsession with it and was certain if she knew Celeste had it that she would demand it be returned to her.
“Please have a seat,” he said as he walked her into the living room. “I must finish up a few things before we go.”
“Wait,” she said, reaching for his arm as he turned toward the staircase. “I was hoping we could talk first.”
Dalla sat down, her full skirt covering over half the couch. Stellan took a seat beside her, his face noticeably uncomfortable. “I don’t like how things are between us, Stellan. When I joined the Council, I had hoped it would bring us closer again. I’m sorry for everything that transpired with Lilliana, and I hope to remedy it.”
Stellan, who had been keeping his eyes trained to the floor, finally looked up at her. “We must tell her the truth then. The boys told me she is planning a trip to Oak Bluffs. When she comes, I plan on telling her everything.”
Dalla shook her head. “Anything but that Stellan,” she said pursing her lips. “She will never forgive either of us for not telling her that her son, Alek, was alive all of these years.”
“It is the only way, Dalla,” he said. “And to be clear, I am not asking for your permission. I will tell her whether you are willing or not.”
Dalla narrowed her eyes at him and rose abruptly to her feet. “I was wrong to come here. It’s clear that you do not value as I do the relationship we had for so many years.” She turned to leave, then spun back around to face him. “Tell me Stellan, when did you fall in love with Lilliana and how could I have been so blind to miss it?” she hissed at him.
Stellan remained expressionless, not uttering a word. Dalla grunted and in a flash of light, disappeared.
He slumped down on the couch, running his wrinkly hands over his face and through his long silver hair. Dalla’s parting words echoed through his mind as he thought back to a very long time ago.
“Lilliana, as the next in line as head of the Albsurori coven, it is vital that you cultivate a relationship with The Council of Guardians,” said a tall, stern-looking woman as her gaze darted between the young girl and the Council seated before her. Stellan had recently come to know this woman as Wita, the head of the extremely powerful Albsurori coven of witches. He had never before seen the young girl standing before him though. She was beautiful, with piercing blue eyes and curly blond hair neatly placed into a bun. She appeared no more than eighteen with that look of fresh naivety that only the young seem to have.
The head of the Council motioned all the members forward to meet the newcomer. Stellan was first in line. Extending his hand, he smiled warmly as he introduced himself. “I am Stellan,” he said with a slight bow, “and it is a pleasure to meet you, Lilliana.”
The young girl stared at him with curious big blue eyes. Though she may have been
nervous, she hid it well. “The pleasure is all mine, Sir. I understand you are a very powerful sorcerer and I hope to learn much from you.”
Stellan let out an amused chuckle. “You have trained her well, Wita,” he said with a smirk and then turned back to Lilliana. “I am still very new to this, as are you, but I am sure that together we will learn much more. I am always here for you for whatever you may need.”
Lilliana rewarded him with a glowing smile, and reluctantly he turned away, allowing the next in line to greet the charming young woman.
As the vivid memory faded, Stellan sighed. “I fell in love with her the moment I met her,” he uttered in the silence of his home.
Chapter 5
“Wow, there are a lot of cars here,” said Celeste as she and Marco pulled into Roman’s apartment complex.
“You have a lot of fans,” he replied with a smirk.
“And a lot of people that I haven’t seen since my three-month mandatory rehab.”
“Are you nervous?” asked Marco as he turned off the engine.
“No,” she answered, shaking her head. “This will be good for me. It’ll be fun.” Even as she said the words, they sounded hollow to her own ears.
Marco quickly rounded the car and opened the door for Celeste, extending his arm to help her out of the sporty bucket seat. As she stepped out into the night, she could already hear the booming music emanating from Roman’s place. What in the world did Mom do?
As they made their way up the walkway, Celeste noticed Marco was still holding her hand. She quickly dropped it as they approached the door. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Marco’s expression instantly change, but there was nothing she could do but pretend she hadn’t.
Marco stepped in front of her and swung the door open as a crowd of people gathered at the entrance and shouted, “Happy Birthday!” as Celeste crossed the threshold. Her eyes widened in surprise as she looked around the great room at all the familiar and some not-so-familiar faces. Roman was the first to grab her as she walked in, folding her into his arms.
“Happy birthday, Celeste,” he said as he enveloped her into his chest. From the safety of his arms, she peeked over his shoulder and scanned the crowd. She recognized a lot of people from her classes at Oak Bluffs, but didn’t know most of them by name. As she continued her search, her eyes landed on Brian, Marie, Jessica and even Stellan standing awkwardly in a corner.
“Okay, okay, you can’t hog the birthday girl,” said Nico as he pulled Celeste out of Roman’s arms and into his own. Celeste giggled as Nico twirled her around in a circle.
“My turn,” said Brian as he stepped in.
The next half hour was a whirlwind of birthday wishes and hugs from friends, classmates and acquaintances. Celeste struggled to remember everyone’s names and thank them individually for coming. By the time the rush was over, Celeste was finally able to glance around and notice that everyone seemed to be having a great time. Nico had taken over as DJ and was spinning an eclectic mix of dance music and pop favorites. He grinned at her from across the room, giving her an enthusiastic thumbs up.
“Mom, I’ve been trying to get a hold of you for the past half hour to say thank you!” Celeste said as she finally made her way to the kitchen to find her mom doling out pizza slices.
“I’m just glad you’re having fun, sweetie,” she said with a quick hug as she continued busily. “The boys were a big help. They came up with the guest list and bought all the supplies. I just sent out the invitations and coordinated the rest.”
“Well you did an amazing job,” she said. “Natalie would be proud.”
“She really would be,” said Brian, walking up and catching the tail end of the conversation.
As wonderful as the party was, Celeste couldn’t help but miss her boisterous friend. She felt a slight twinge in the depths of her being, anger beginning to bubble up. Shoving it back down, she said, “You know Nat would have probably had everyone wearing crazy costumes or fancy tuxedos.”
“Most definitely,” said Brian with a laugh.
Marie and Jessica joined the circle, both in colorful party hats. “These were a pretty good idea though too,” said Marie, pointing at her silver-tasseled hat.
“I tried,” said Mrs. Wilder. “You kids have fun, I’m going to go put out the pizza and refill the sodas.” She scampered off, juggling the large pizza boxes in her arms.
“I’m so glad you could make it, Jessica,” said Celeste. After her sister Dani Lynn’s “disappearance,” Jessica had left Oak Bluffs for college and didn’t often come back. Although seeing her brought back painful memories of Dani, it also brought a smile to Celeste’s face as she remembered the free-spirited vampire.
“We finished finals early this year,” Jessica replied, “and I had a few weeks off until summer classes started, so of course I came when I got the invitation from your mom.”
“It’s been way too long,” said Celeste.
“Yeah, I thought I would have seen you at Natalie’s funeral back in the winter. How come you weren’t there?” Jessica asked. Subtlety was apparently not a character trait that ran in the family.
An awkward silence pervaded the group as Celeste struggled for words. Just then, Roman stepped in, appearing in the middle of the circle to say, “Celeste was in Europe attending to a family affair.” Then he mumbled something that Celeste couldn’t quite make out. There was something about the commanding look in his eyes that shut Jessica up immediately.
“That pizza looked so good—I’m going to go grab a slice,” she said, suddenly walking away with a vacant expression on her face.
“Did you just compel her?” Celeste asked Roman, lowering her voice.
“It’s your birthday, and there’s no need to bring up bad memories today.” He gently caressed her cheek and turned back toward the others.
“Oh good, Aria’s here,” said Marie, as she stood on her tiptoes catching a glimpse of the door. “I hope you don’t mind I invited my roommate.”
“No, of course not,” said Celeste. “The more the merrier.”
Marie and Brian headed in her direction, leaving Celeste and Roman alone for the first time since her arrival.
“Are you having fun?” he asked.
“Yeah, it’s really great. Mom said you were a big help – thanks so much for helping her put all this together,” she said, giving him a quick kiss on the cheek.
“Anything to make you happy,” he said, taking her hand and admiring the diamond band.
Stellan approached and Celeste quickly dropped her hand, not quite sure why she had done so. Roman looked disappointed, perhaps wondering the same thing. “Can I have a moment with the birthday girl?” Stellan asked.
“Of course,” said Roman with a nod.
Stellan placed his hand on Celeste’s back to lead her out of the kitchen and through the crowded living room into Roman’s bedroom. Closing the door behind him to drown out the loud music, he turned to meet her expectant eyes. “I wanted to give you something,” he said sheepishly.
“Oh Stellan, you didn’t have to get me anything.”
He pulled the navy pouch out of the hidden folds of his robe and handed it to her. Celeste untied the string and the ornate dagger came free. Clutching it in her hand, she turned it over to examine the elaborate hilt and engraved blade. “It’s beautiful.”
“It belonged to me,” he said. “It’s been in my family for centuries. I had hoped to pass it on to my own child one day, but that was not what fate had in store for me.” A faint shadow of regret lingered on his drawn face.
“It’s incredible, Stellan. Are you sure? Shouldn’t it stay in your family?”
“Celeste, you are the closest thing to a daughter that I will ever have, and I want you to have it,” he said with a warm smile, his gray eyes shiny.
Celeste nodded and threw her arms around his neck. “I’ll treasure it always,” she whispered, fighting back the tears that threatened to spill over. When she finally pulled away
, she glanced down once more at the dagger in her hand. She turned it over, examining the intricate etchings in the light. “What do these mean?”
“Concentrate – you should be able to make it out,” he said.
Celeste focused her power as she ran her finger over the strange symbols. As she did, the dagger began to emit a faint blue glow. She felt her mind clear all at once as she uttered, “Conquerors of eternal darkness, inextinguishable light of hope. Through the shadows we persevere.”
Stellan looked at her proudly. “It’s my family motto, and particularly relevant to you. Celeste, you are the conqueror of eternal darkness, the inextinguishable light of hope, and through the shadows you will always persevere.”
Celeste exhaled sharply as she took in the powerful words. “Thank you?” she said, not knowing exactly how to respond.
“There’s nothing to thank me for. It has long been my family’s duty to look after guardians and I was lucky enough to have been selected to guide you. You have become more than I ever could have hoped for.”
A single tear rolled down Celeste’s cheek as she took in the immensity of his words. She knew Stellan was not one to give idle praise. “I just hope I always make you proud,” she said finally.
A knock at the door broke the intense spell that had been cast over the room. The door opened a crack and Nico’s head poked in. “There you are, Celeste. We’ve been looking all over. Your mom wants to cut the cake.”
“Okay, I’ll be right out,” she said with a quick glance back at Stellan. She squeezed his hand with a grateful smile. “Thank you for everything you’ve done for me the past year.” And she turned and followed Nico back out to the party.
Making her appearance back in the living room, Celeste noticed that there were even more people than when she had left. Three particular faces caught her attention. Weaving through the crowd, she made her way to the tight-knit group standing in a corner. She had been right when she spotted them from afar; it was Brennan, Curtis and Annabelle, the young werewolves she had met in the winter during the hunt for Brazen.