by G. K. DeRosa
“That’s what worries me,” said Celeste.
***
After a lengthy discussion, Stellan, Roman and Nico had decided that the best course of action would be to determine if this new vampire was indeed a threat.
“We have to find out what brought this guy to Oak Bluffs and what he knows,” said Roman.
Stellan agreed, “Yes, I believe an interrogation is needed.”
“Don’t worry, we’ll find him,” Nico finished.
Roman seriously hoped that this had all been a terrible coincidence, and that they could convince this intruder to leave Oak Bluffs without further complications. As they drove back into town, the sun was setting over the hills in the distance, making it perfect timing for vampire tracking. The two brothers split up to cover more ground, hoping to find the vampire before he caused any trouble.
After all the shopping, Celeste and Natalie were starving and headed to the center of town for a bite. Oak Bluffs had a town square reminiscent of old Western movies. There was a lush green park in the center surrounding the Town Hall and a brick paved sidewalk encircling it. The girls were greeted by the familiar neon red sign of Ralph’s Diner and the jingling bell as the door swung open. Ralph’s was a 50’s themed late night hot spot with the high school and college crowds alike, but even on a quiet Sunday evening the place was packed. The girls ordered a couple things to snack on from the waitress in the poodle skirt and sat back to watch all the action around them. They were sitting in a booth next to the pinball machine, and the tall red-headed boy playing the vintage Star Wars game seemed completely enthralled by it, so much so that every so often he’d back right into the booth and cause the whole table to shake.
Natalie looked at Celeste, utter annoyance written on her face. “Excuse me, you’re spilling my soda all over the place. Can you try to calm down over there?”
At that the boy stopped playing abruptly, and turned around with a conciliatory smile. “Sorry girls, I guess I just don’t know my own strength. Let me make it up to you by buying you drinks.” He flashed his gleaming white teeth and revealed a charming dimple on his left cheek.
“Well, it is the least you could do especially since you spilled all of ours,” retorted Natalie, but her teasing tone was back.
Still smiling, he put his tan leather jacket down in the booth next to Natalie.
As he walked away, Natalie said to Celeste, “What is up with all of these new boys in town? Has Oak Bluffs CC suddenly moved up in the college rankings? This is so great!”
Celeste just rolled her eyes and laughed. A few minutes later, the cute boy was back with three frosty beers in his hands.
“Can we please start over?” he asked. “I’m Patrick.” He had a cocky swagger about him – this was exactly the kind of guy that Celeste hated. But she put a smile on her face for Natalie’s sake as she could tell her friend was intrigued.
Natalie smiled and gestured to Celeste, “This is my friend Celeste, and I’m Natalie. How come I’ve never seen you before?”
Patrick sat down with the girls, and explained that he had just started at Oak Bluffs CC as Natalie had guessed. He had pale skin with a few freckles on his nose, coupled with the ginger hair and name; Celeste guessed he had to be of Irish descent. “I’m from Woodfield. It’s even smaller than Oak Bluffs and this was my closest option for college,” he finished.
As they sat talking, out of the corner of her eye, Celeste saw Roman stalk into the restaurant. Without looking around, as if he had sensed that she was there, his eyes immediately locked onto hers in a tense gaze. He approached their table determinedly, switching his focus to Patrick as he got closer. Roman’s vampire sixth sense was bristling, and he knew without a doubt that this was the intruder he had been tracking.
“Celeste, hello, introduce me to your new friend,” he said brusquely. Celeste could feel the tension emanating from Roman as he stared threateningly at Patrick. Something about his stance reminded her of a snarling dog ready to pounce. She wasn’t the only who had noticed, the entire crowd at Ralph’s had gone silent.
Awkwardly, she managed, “This is Patrick. We just met him here and Patrick this is Roman, my, uh, friend’s brother. And Roman this is Natalie; I don’t think you have ever met her either.”
Roman nodded to Natalie without taking his eyes off of Patrick, who finally broke the uncomfortable silence. “Hello Roman. I think I’ve heard about you actually. You are Nico’s brother, right?” he asked coolly.
At the mention of Nico, Roman’s face tensed up again. “Yes I am. And how is it that you know my brother?”
“I don’t really know him, but we were at the same party the other night, and I overheard some people talking. I guess being new in town, we all have something in common,” Patrick said grinning, as if it was a private joke that only he was in on.
Roman was still standing at the edge of the table, every muscle tense. Celeste reached out for his hand hoping to coax him into sitting down. The electricity sparked like a live wire when their hands touched and for a split second he relented.
“Sit down with us,” she said sweetly.
He considered for a moment and then slid into the booth next to Celeste. Having Roman so close to her sent a tingling chill down her spine. Natalie tried to get the casual conversation going again, but there was no denying the tension in the air. Celeste had an overwhelming urge to get up and make a run for the girls’ bathroom with Natalie, but she was worried about what would happen if she left the two men alone.
Natalie began chatting with Patrick again, which gave Celeste the chance to give Roman a questioning look. He looked anxiously back at her, but would give no sign as to what made him so upset. The conversation carried on awkwardly when to Celeste’s relief, she saw Nico’s smiling face enter the diner. He came straight over and greeted everyone amicably as he pulled up a chair at the end of the table.
“Well good evening all – and you are?”
“Patrick. You’re Nico right?”
“Exactly,” he replied, grasping Patrick’s hand tightly, causing him to wince.
Celeste hoped that Nico’s appearance would brighten the mood, and after a few minutes she could see that Roman had visibly relaxed. With the drama seemingly concluded peacefully, everyone in the diner had returned to their normal conversations.
“So tell us something about yourself,” said Nico.
Roman eyed Patrick suspiciously as he searched for a response.
“Before you two got here I was telling the girls that I just started at the community college,” replied Patrick.
“Interesting, that’s where I go as well, and yet I’ve never seen you. What’s your major?”
“I’m still undecided.”
“And what made you come to Oak Bluffs?”
“Nico, stop giving him the third degree!” interjected Natalie.
“I’m sorry, I hope I wasn’t rude. I simply wanted to get to know the guy vying for my ladies’ attentions.”
Celeste felt her cheeks reddening and took the opportunity to head to the ladies room. Besides, after two beers she couldn’t put it off any longer.
What a bizarre night this is turning out to be!
When she stepped out of the bathroom, Roman was standing outside waiting for her. His posture was tense, his hands clenched at this sides. “Celeste, listen to me, you need to stay away from Patrick. He is not what he seems to be, and you could get hurt…” he said, his eyes full of concern.
“What are you talking about Roman? Do you even know Patrick? Why would he hurt me? You have been acting so weird ever since you walked in here. Just tell me what is going on,” pleaded Celeste.
“I can’t, but please—you just have to trust me,” he begged, his voice rough with emotion.
“Trust you? I barely know you Roman,” and she turned to walk away, but he caught her by the arm and pulled her firmly towards him.
“Please Celeste, I promise I will explain everything to you, I just can’t right now
,” he whispered, his eyes locking onto hers, just inches from her face. As strange as all of this seemed, the intense connection that she felt with Roman compelled her to listen to him.
“Take Natalie and go home and let Nico and me deal with Patrick. Trust me,” he said as he looked into her worried eyes.
There was something about that look and those mesmerizing blue eyes that were so hauntingly familiar and made Celeste do exactly as he asked.
Once the girls left the diner, Roman and Nico wasted no time escorting Patrick into the back alley.
“What are you really doing here, Patrick?” Nico asked forcefully.
“Whoa, guys, I think we got off on the wrong foot here or something. I didn’t know those girls were with you, okay? I just came in here looking for a bite,” he said facetiously. “I’m sure there are plenty of humans to go around, right?”
“That’s not what my brother asked. Now answer us: what are you doing here in Oak Bluffs?” growled Roman as he shoved him up against the wall. A cat jumped out of the adjacent dumpster with a clang startling the three of them. Patrick tried to break free of Roman’s grasp, but he held strong. Tightening his grip around his throat, Roman hissed, “Answer me.”
“Nothing, I swear. A couple of weeks ago I was just a normal guy, and then one day I wake up, and I’m a vampire. All I wanted to do was sink my teeth into my little sister, so I freaked out and left town. Oak Bluffs seemed as good a place as any to start my new life so I stopped here,” he explained. “You two are the only other vampires I’ve ever met. I’m just trying to figure it all out.”
“What were you doing outside of Celeste’s house the other night?” questioned Nico, still unconvinced by his story.
“I was out flying around looking for a willing donor, and I saw someone walking by themselves so I stopped for a closer look. Geez, what is it about this girl that has you two so worked up?”
“That’s our business, not yours. This is my suggestion to you Patrick: go home, pack your stuff, leave Oak Bluffs and never come back,” threatened Roman.
Patrick looked over at Nico who was glaring at him. Patrick seemed to weigh his options and soon realized he would be no match for these two vampires who were obviously much older and stronger than he was. “Okay, okay, there’s no need to get violent. This place wasn’t that great anyway, I’m outta here.”
Roman and Nico watched as Patrick got into his car and drove off, and both let out a sigh of relief.
“That was easy,” said Nico.
“Too easy,” retorted Roman.
“That guy didn’t know anything; he was a new vampire and obviously didn’t have the brains to be behind any sort of plot against Celeste. He probably really was at the wrong place at the wrong time,” Nico said as he began walking towards the car.
“I’m not convinced little brother. It’s all too much of a coincidence. I’m going to keep watch over Celeste tonight just in case. We can’t risk anything happening to her.”
“I can go,” offered Nico. “When was the last time you got a full night’s sleep?”
“I’m fine, I can handle it,” said Roman. The air glimmered all around him and every molecule in his body vibrated for a split second. And Roman was no longer Roman, instead, a majestic black falcon with piercing blue eyes stood in his place. He flapped his powerful wings and took off into the dark sky. Nico watched as his looming silhouette faded against the bright moon and disappeared into the night.
As Celeste and Natalie drove home from the diner, they couldn’t stop talking about their peculiar evening.
“What in the world was up with Roman?” asked Natalie. “Is he always so intense?”
“I guess he kind of is, but this was way beyond normal,” Celeste replied as she mulled over the entire series of events in her head.
“Patrick seemed like a nice enough guy, so I just don’t get why Roman went all crazy when he saw us with him,” Natalie continued.
“Me either. He came into the diner acting like he didn’t know him, but the way they stared each other down, you’d think they had been mortal enemies or something.”
“Maybe he was jealous because you were talking to another guy,” offered Natalie with a devious smile.
“Ha, funny, but it really felt like something much more serious than that. I mean I can’t say I know Roman well at all, but there was a genuine desperation in his voice when he told me to leave. It actually scared me…”
“All I know is that he better have a pretty good explanation. After all, I was having fun!”
Celeste dropped Natalie off at her house, and headed back home. She suddenly felt exhausted. The bizarre evening had really drained her emotionally, and she couldn’t stop thinking about it.
What did Roman mean when he said Patrick could hurt me and that he wasn’t what he seemed to be?
Celeste’s head reeled with questions as she got into bed and turned off the lights. She thought she would never get any rest, but moments after her head hit the pillow she fell into a deep sleep with Rocky snuggled up next to her. Meanwhile, outside her window a dark falcon perched in the oak tree, keeping watch over her until daylight.
Chapter 5
When Celeste headed out to school the next morning, she found Brian sitting on her front steps.
“Walk with me to school?” he asked as he held out his arm for her.
Celeste hooked her arm in his and recounted yesterday’s events (as was the norm when they hadn’t seen each other for a day), the warm sun shining down on them as they walked. She decided to exclude the part about Roman’s strange behavior and focused instead on the shopping and prom portion of her evening.
“Natalie’s costume is great. She is going to look so cute in it!” she said. “What are you going to wear?”
“I don’t know. I haven’t really thought about it that much. I mean, a suit is a suit, whether it’s the 20’s or the 80’s, right?” he asked with a sidelong glance.
Celeste laughed, and said, “You better come up with something good. Natalie is really excited about prom, and she’s put so much time and effort into it. Actually, I was supposed to ask you if you’d help out with decorating the gym on Thursday night. Natalie already dragged me into it, so I think it’s only fair that you help too.”
“Sure, Cel, anything for you,” said Brian.
As they were walking under the familiar archway of St. Alice High School, Celeste’s phone rang. She signaled for Brian to keep going and stopped to answer it when she saw the caller I.D. read Nico.
“Good morning beautiful!” said Nico as she picked up the phone.
“Unless you are calling with an explanation, I don’t really have time to talk, I’m about to walk into first period,” she said curtly.
“I know, I’m sorry Celeste. I just wanted to check up on you and see how you were doing. Can we grab a coffee or something this afternoon?”
“Sure, I guess we could do that.”
“Okay great, I’ll pick you up from school then. See you later.”
Celeste tried to focus on Mr. Wilson’s lecture about the Vietnam War, but her mind just kept wandering. She couldn’t believe that this was her last week in high school. Prom was in just a couple of days, then final exams, her birthday, graduation, and her life as a high school student would be over. She really wished that her dad could be here to see her graduate and head off to college. He had gone to NYU too, and she was sure that he would be thrilled that she was following in his footsteps.
Celeste was interrupted from her thoughts by the shrill ringing of the fire alarm echoing through the building. All of the students filed out of their classrooms like they had practiced hundreds of times during mandatory fire drills. As they marched outside and met in their designated areas awaiting further instructions, something at the edge of the woods behind the school caught her attention. She squinted to try to focus better, and could have sworn she saw Patrick. His bright auburn hair stood out against the dark foliage of evergreens, and he was we
aring the same tan leather jacket from the night before. He was staring in her direction. She looked around searching for Natalie to confirm her suspicions, but when she looked back at the woods Patrick (or whoever it was) was gone.
When the final bell rang, Celeste grabbed her backpack and found Nico in his fire engine red BMW M5, waiting for her with a gleaming smile and radio blaring. It was hard for her to stay mad at him; he just had such a way about him. As she got in the car, he gave her a swift kiss on the cheek, and they sped off to the café.
The café was filled with the pungent aroma of freshly roasted coffee beans, and Celeste’s stomach gurgled in anticipation. After the barista handed them their frothy cappuccinos, they retreated to a comfy sofa in the corner to talk.
“So about last night,” began Nico uncomfortably, “I’m sorry Roman overreacted the way he did. He can be a little overprotective at times. I guess it’s a side effect of being the big brother-slash-father figure of the family.”
Celeste blew on her steaming mocha latte and took a careful sip. “That seemed like something way more than simple overprotectiveness. Does he know Patrick or something?”
“Not exactly…but he knows guys like Patrick. The type who would come into a small town diner and prey on innocent high school girls with alcohol,” he stammered.
“I know we’re pretty sheltered in Oak Bluffs, but that’s what Roman meant when he said that Patrick could hurt me?” asked Celeste incredulously.
“Yes, exactly,” he answered without looking up from his cappuccino.
“It seemed much more personal than that.”
“I’m really sorry if he frightened you. My brother does have a flair for the dramatic at times.”
Celeste looked at Nico, still unconvinced. “I think his paranoia is rubbing off on me because I thought I saw Patrick today at school.”