by G. K. DeRosa
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.”
Celeste knew this was coming. They had all known that sneaking into Fae territory without permission was going to cause some sort of backlash.
Balthazar stood and unrolled a long scroll and presented it to the Council. They passed it around and muttered to each other. “We have made note of Queen Elsbetta’s concerns and will strive to correct the matter as best we can. Celeste, Marco, do you swear to never again enter Fae territory without the Queen’s express permission?”
Celeste and Marco exchanged worried glances as they remained silent. Then Dante’s dark eyes caught Celeste’s and he nodded at her, almost imperceptibly. “Yes, I swear,” she said and Marco echoed her words.
“Very well,” said Dante. “Now that the matter has been resolved, we can all move on.”
She wasn’t sure what she had expected for going against the Queen, but such a small slap on the wrist was a nice surprise. Stellan had been correct: the Council would ultimately back them up against Elsbetta. After all, it was in all of their best interests that Brazen had been found and killed.
Celeste and Marco nodded to the Council and quickly turned on their heels, escorting Lilliana out of the chamber.
“That went way better than I expected,” said Marco as they walked through the massive entrance lobby.
“I can’t believe you told them about Alek,” said Celeste, turning toward Lilliana.
“I had given it some thought beforehand and I knew it was the only way to ensure they trusted me. They were bound to find out, and if I continued to keep that secret from them, I would have lost them for sure.”
“Why do you care what the Council thinks anyway?” asked Marco.
Lilliana smiled at his bluntness. “The Council has always been a part of my life and it was important to me to clear my good name. After all, I know how closely my sons work with Celeste and I wouldn’t want my presence to interfere with that.”
They stepped out into the bright sunny day and Celeste couldn’t help but feel a sense of happiness. It always happened when she was in Astor, regardless of everything else that was going on in her life. “Are you ready to go back?” she asked.
Lilliana and Marco both nodded and Celeste took each of their hands. Closing her eyes, she thought intently about Roman’s apartment, with the breathtaking floor-to- ceiling windows, and in mere seconds, they were back.
When the threesome appeared in the middle of the open living room, Celeste found Roman staring out of the very windows she had been picturing. With a jump, he spun toward them, startled at their sudden arrival. “How did it go?” he asked.
Nico came rushing from the direction of his bedroom a few seconds later looking at his mother, anxious for a response.
“Everything went well,” Lilliana answered vaguely.
Celeste had to bite her lip to stop from interjecting. It was, after all, Lilliana’s story to tell.
“Dante and the Council were very understanding of the situation, and I think that I succeeded in reassuring them of my innocent motives.”
Roman raised a skeptical brow at his mother, unconvinced. He had witnessed many of Celeste’s dealings with the Council and things were never as simple as that. “So they believed you, no questions asked?”
Celeste couldn’t quite understand why Lilliana was so reticent about telling her sons the truth. Marco glanced at her from the corner of his eye and she could tell he was thinking the same thing.
“Oh fine, Roman, I told them the truth,” she confessed. “I admitted that Alek was my son, but I convinced them that I was the only one who knew.”
Roman clenched his fists at his sides. “Mother, don’t you know that that could put you at great risk? The more people that know, the more of a threat it becomes.”
Nico was nodding adamantly. “Do you know how many enemies Alek has? What if they target you to get back at him?”
Celeste felt the urge to intervene and she couldn’t stop herself this time. “She only told the Council. It’s not like they’re going to be announcing the news to everyone.”
“You know how quickly word travels in the guardian community, Celeste. It won’t be long before everyone knows,” said Roman.
She hadn’t thought of that. And though Roman was probably right, she refused to believe that someone would target Lilliana just to get to Alek.
“I’m perfectly capable of taking care of myself,” said Lilliana. “My powers have fu
lly returned, and now that I don’t need to fear the Council’s wrath if I use those powers, there is nothing to worry about.”
Roman and Nico still looked unconvinced.
Celeste glanced at her watch and saw it was nearly midnight. She had completely lost track of time in Astor and was anxious to get home. This seemed like a family matter in any case, and she had given up on the idea of talking to Roman for tonight anyway. “It’s time for us to head out,” she said interrupting the tense silence.
Roman’s eyes met hers for a moment and she was sure she saw a flash of regret cloud his bottomless blue irises.
“Thank you for taking me to Astor today. It was much appreciated,” said Lilliana.
“Of course,” Celeste answered with a smile. There was still more she needed to discuss with Lilliana about the ring, but she would have to wait for another day.
Roman walked her and Marco to the door, holding it open as Marco bent down to pick up his duffel bags. Their eyes met again and she fought the urge to say anything by biting down on her lower lip. She could see the emotional storm raging in his eyes and it gave her immense satisfaction. He deserved to suffer at least a little bit for the stupid decision he had made. She marched through the door without a second look back.
As soon as he shut the door behind them, Roman let out a frustrated grunt that echoed through the high-ceilinged apartment. Raking his hands through his hair, he exhaled sharply as he contemplated what he had just done. He had essentially sent away the love of his life with his blessings to be with another guy. His fangs popped out involuntarily as he envisioned Marco’s hands all over his Celeste.
“Roman!” scolded his mother. “What is wrong with you?”
“Nothing,” he muttered as he retracted his incisors and stormed off to his bedroom.
***
The following morning, a sleepy-eyed Nico stared at Stellan through the narrow opening of the door. He was bare chested and wearing only pajama bottoms when he heard the faint knock on the front door and dragged himself out of bed to answer.
Stellan’s bloodshot gray eyes betrayed a night of little sleep. Nico couldn’t help but feel sorry for him as he pleaded with him to come in and speak to his mother. “I don’t know, Stellan. She’s still pretty mad at you.”
“I don’t doubt that, but I cannot sit around at my house without at least trying to make her understand why I kept the secret about Alek.”
“I think we all understand why you did it,” said Roman, appearing from around the corner and standing behind his brother. “She needs some time to get over the fact that you lied to her for so long.”
Stellan slumped his shoulders as a defeated expression crossed his face. “If I could just talk to her and make her understand—”
Just then Lilliana’s quick steps could be heard making their way toward the door. She peered over Nico’s shoulder, still blocking the entranceway.
“Lilliana, please,” he began.
“No, there is not a single thing you could say that would make me want to speak to you right now,” she hissed, turning away.
Stellan didn’t want to resort to this, but it was the only ammunition he had left. “It’s about the favor you asked for when you came to see me the other day.”
Lilliana’s head whipped back toward him as doubt flashed in her infuriated blue eyes. It was possibly the only thing that could have persuaded her to let him in. She pursed her lips then motioned for Nico to step aside so she could move forward. Clenching the doorknob, Lilliana opened the door wide.
Nico and Roman exchanged puzzled glances but neither said a word as Stellan crossed the threshold.
“I need a moment to speak to Stellan in private,” she said.
Roman hesitated for an instant, but read the determined look in his mother’s eye and decided not to interfere. Turning toward Nico, he said, “You up for an early morning jog?”
Stifling the coming yawn, Nico nodded and headed to his room to change. While Roman waited, Lilliana and Stellan moved silently into the living room without as much as a glance at one another. Roman’s curiosity was beginning to get the best of him and he was about to question his mother about this “favor” when Nico came bounding out of his room.
“Ready?” he asked.
Roman glanced back at his mother and Stellan who now sat stiffly on the couch, then turned to Nico with a nod. He decided to put off his prying until they had returned. “Let’s go.”
The moment the door closed behind them, Lilliana shot up from her seat. “What did you find out?” She was attempting to keep her voice calm, but the slight tremble betrayed her.
Stellan’s weary eyes grew grim. “Perhaps you should sit down,” he said, reaching for her hand. She yanked it away and began pacing in front of him.
“Just tell me.”
“I analyzed the blood samples you gave me and it appears that the magic sustaining your new life is breaking down.”
She crossed her arms over her chest, taking on a protective stance. “What does that mean exactly?”
“You were brought back to life by a very powerful spell, but from what I was able to find, the results appear always to be temporary. Bringing back a great witch such as you requires an immense amount of magic, and unfortunately it appears to be unable to support itself.”
“I see,” said Lilliana as she sat down on the chair across from him and folded her hands together.
He searched to meet her troubled eyes across the table, but she refused to return his glance. His heart was breaking for her and he couldn’t even provide any comfort. “I’m still researching. There has to be an answer—I simply must learn more.” She finally looked up from her clasped hands to meet his worried gaze. He wouldn’t let anything happen to her again, not after everything she had been through. “I was planning to go see the Albsurori today. I know that you wanted to meet Marja as well. Perhaps I can accompany you,” Stellan offered.
All the fight had gone out of her eyes, and she nodded distractedly at him. “Yes, I would like that.” She stood up and then stopped a few inches away from Stellan. “The boys must not know anything about this. Please, you owe me this—promise me.”
“I promise,” he whispered, “but perhaps Alek could be of some help, especially with the power of the Albsurori and Negrusurori blood running through his veins.”
“No,” she said, shaking her head adamantly. “None of them must know.”
Stellan reluctantly agreed. He knew he had to do whatever it took to make up for what he had done all those years ago. Keeping Dalla’s secret was the worst mistake he had ever made and one that he would surely regret for the rest of his life.
“Let’s go now, before the boys return,” she said. “I don’t want them to see me like this. They’ll know that something is wrong.”
Stellan found a pad of paper on the coffee table and scribbled a quick note explaining that they had gone to see Marja at the Albsurori compound. He hated keeping such a vital matter from Roman and Nico, but right now winning back Lilliana’s trust was most important.
Chapter 20
Marco stared at Celeste from across the kitchen table as she shoveled a spoonful of Cheerios into her mouth. He had been doing it for the past fifteen minutes and it was starting to drive her nuts. “Do you have something to say to me?” she asked with a slight edge to her voice.
Marco immediately lowered his piercing gaze and picked up his toast. “Huh? No, what are you talking about?”
Liar. “Whatever you’ve been wanting to say, just get it out. You’ve been acting weird ever since we got home last night.”
“It’s nothing major, just that I heard from Brennan yesterday and he said that he and the alliance caught Declan and some more of the Black Devils.”
“That’s awesome news!”
“Yeah, he said the Master was taking their punishments very seriously and that we wouldn’t have to worry about them hurting anyone again.”
Celeste let out a contented sigh.
At least that was one less supernatural she had to worry about. She glanced up at Marco again and could tell there was still something else he was working up the courage to say. “Okay, come on, out with it! That’s obviously not what you really wanted to say.”
He took a bite of the Nutella-slathered bread and chewed slowly as if he were mulling things over in his mind. He finally swallowed with a loud gulp and met her inquisitive gaze. “Roman told me that you told him about the marriage contract.”
That so wasn’t the answer Celeste had been expecting. “Oh,” she said, dropping her spoon into the cereal. “What else did he say?”
“Honestly, it was weird how calm he was about the whole thing. I thought for sure he was going to punch me or something.” Celeste couldn’t help but laugh. That was absolutely something Roman would normally do. “And then it got even stranger…” He took another bite of his toast, deliberately cutting himself off.
“How?” Celeste was starting to get annoyed at how he was dragging this out.
“He said maybe it was for the best and that you’d be better off marrying me. He practically gave me his blessing.” Marco’s eyes shot up suddenly as he waited for Celeste’s expression to register.
“Not this again,” she muttered.
Marco’s eyes fell, his face clearly revealing that hadn’t been the reaction he was hoping for. But Celeste was oblivious to the effect her answer had on him as she felt the annoyance with Roman beginning to bubble up inside of her. Where does he get off trying to decide my life for me?
“So did you guys break up or something?” he asked.
Celeste narrowed her eyes at him. “That’s what he thinks, anyway.”
“You don’t think he’s right?” Marco pressed.
“No, of course not. When is everyone going to stop trying to rule my life for me? Roman was just as wrong to break up with me because he thought it was for the best as your dad and my grandpa were in creating that stupid contract in the first place.”
Marco chuckled. It was exactly this fiery spirit that had attracted him to Celeste from the first day he met her. He knew well she wouldn’t willingly fall into his arms just because Roman had ended things, but he had to at least try to win her over.