by G. K. DeRosa
As Celeste contemplated all the ways she was going to torture Nico into explaining himself, Roman marched into the room. His usual cool demeanor was gone. He looked like he had been in a fight - his shirt was crumpled and his messy hair hung carelessly over his eyes.
“It’s taken care of. Do you think you can handle getting her home safely little brother?” he hissed at Nico.
“Roman, you owe me an explanation,” Celeste interjected, poking a finger into his firm chest.
“A simple thank you for saving your life would have sufficed,” said Roman, batting away her finger.
“And now it’s time for the last dance,” the DJ announced.
Nico looked at Roman and then at Celeste, both were fuming. “I know what will make everyone feel better, a nice calming slow dance,” and he pushed the two of them together and disappeared into the crowd.
Celeste glared at Roman, reluctant to give in so easily, but what with being only inches away from him she was quickly losing her resolve. Roman let out a frustrated breath and closed the distance between them. When he put his hands on her hips, she couldn’t help but feel the familiar sensation of electricity where he touched her. Their eyes met as she rested her arms loosely around his neck, and as she gazed into them, the fear and anger began to drift away.
“Thanks for saving my life tonight, Roman,” she said breathlessly.
“It was my honor and my duty,” he responded formally. “And I apologize for not being honest with you about Patrick from the beginning. I know that I owe you an explanation, and I wasn’t lying when I said I would give you one. I was just hoping that all of this wouldn’t have started so soon.”
“All of what?” she asked.
“We have a lot to talk about Celeste, but this is neither the time nor the place.” And with one quick move, he skillfully dipped her in time with the music leaving Celeste breathless once more and entranced by his deep blue eyes.
“Are you sure you don’t want to ride back with us in the limo?” asked Natalie, poking her head out of the sunroof. “We are going to grab a snack at Ralph’s on the way.”
Before Celeste could respond, Roman interjected, “Don’t worry about her Natalie, I have my car so we can drop her off on the way home.”
“How are the three of you going to fit in his Porsche?” she asked Celeste. “Oh I get it… You’ll have to sit on Nico’s lap – how cozy!”
Roman looked nauseated and Celeste just shook her head with a weary smile. She waved goodnight to a despondent Brian, and they pulled away in the limo.
As soon as they had situated themselves in the Porsche (and yes, Celeste indeed had to sit on Nico’s lap, to her chagrin), she asked, “So did the police come and arrest that creep Patrick?”
Nico looked to Roman for insight, and he finally answered, “Well, no, not exactly.”
“Roman, stop the car! I am not going anywhere with the two of you if you don’t start explaining yourselves immediately,” threatened Celeste. “Maybe it’s completely normal to get thrown into the trunk of a car by a complete stranger from wherever you came from, but this doesn’t happen in Oak Bluffs, and it definitely doesn’t happen to me!”
Roman pulled over to the side of the road, and Celeste jumped out of the car.
“Celeste, please get back in the car. It’s the middle of the night and you can’t be walking in the road,” said Nico, trying to reason with her.
At that, Celeste spun around and slipped on the uneven pavement. Still wearing her beautiful high heels, she was unable to regain her balance, and she began to fall. In a flash both Nico and Roman were at her side, but they weren’t fast enough to catch her. Her head hit the pavement with a thunk and she passed out from the impact.
“Quick, do something Roman!” Nico said in a panic. “She may have a concussion from the fall.”
Roman picked up her head and saw that there was blood where she hit the concrete. He had to look away, as he felt his canines extending at the sight of the fresh blood. He took a moment to steady himself, and with a quick bite to his own wrist, he positioned it delicately on Celeste’s mouth and forced her to drink his blood.
“Come on, let’s take her home. We can watch over her there until she wakes up,” said Roman, picking up her limp body and gently placing her on Nico’s lap in the car.
At the apartment Nico carried a still-unconscious Celeste into the spare bedroom and laid her carefully on the bed.
“What are we going to do?” asked Nico. “She’s going to be awake soon, and we can’t keep dodging her questions – unless you want to keep her knocked out for a few more days.”
“I know,” said Roman exasperated. “I was just hoping we could put this off until after her birthday, but I don’t think there is any way around this.”
“Can’t we compel her to forget everything that happened tonight?”
“You know that doesn’t work with other supernatural beings,” he replied.
“But she hasn’t come into her powers yet, so maybe it would work,” Nico continued.
“No, it won’t work Nico. I tried the other night when I was outside her window to reach into her mind, and it was useless. I had no influence over her.” Roman hovered over her still body, and gently brushed a stray golden curl away from her face.
Nico was surprised at his brother’s confession. He rarely used any of his powers, and he wondered what had made him do so with Celeste. “So what are we going to do then?” he asked.
“I suppose we are just going to have to tell her the truth.”
“We can’t! Stellan warned us about interfering!”
“I’ll deal with Stellan. And anyway, she would have found out eventually.”
“Not if she isn’t chosen,” Nico reminded him.
“Look, you said it yourself; you feel her power already, her attraction. So do I, so did Patrick. I don’t think there is really any doubt about what she is,” he finished, shaking his head wearily.
As Celeste floated in a state of half consciousness, she had another dream. But this one, unlike all the prior terrible ones, was a pleasant dream. Her father was alive again, and he was teaching her, no training her really, how to fight and to use weapons and to develop her powers. He told her that all of the stories of frightening monsters that he had often read to her as a child weren’t fairy tales at all, but in fact were real. “Celeste, it’s going to be your duty, just as it was mine, to protect the world against these horrific creatures,” her dad said.
As terrifying as it sounded to Celeste, there was something inside her that seemed to understand and take it in stride. It was almost as if she had subconsciously known all along.
“I’m very proud of you Celeste, and I know that you are going to be an incredible force of good in the world. I will always watch over you and keep you safe.”
As he said goodbye to her, Celeste pulled her dad close for a hug and cried as he disappeared before her eyes.
Celeste awoke with a start and could feel tears rolling down her cheeks. As she looked around the room disconcertedly, she recognized Nico sitting at the foot of the bed, and Roman pacing nervously behind him.
“What happened? My ankle hurts…” murmured Celeste.
“You fell when you were trying to run away from us,” explained Nico. “Do you remember that?”
“I remember that I’m mad at you two,” she said as she tried to sit up.
“Be careful, we don’t want you to pass out again,” said Roman, approaching her cautiously.
“I’m fine,” she said as she felt her head and her hand came away sticky, “Was I bleeding? I don’t even have a bump.”
“Yes you were, but we cleaned it up for you,” said Nico. “Roman’s a great nurse.”
“But I don’t even feel a cut on my head –”
“Remember that talk I kept promising you?” Roman interjected, “I think it’s about time we had it.”
Chapter 7
Roman’s dark brows furrowed as he tried to deci
de where to begin. Celeste noticed how uncomfortable he looked (a look she had never seen before), and almost felt sorry for him as he squirmed in the black leather armchair across from her. She waited for him to start as she situated herself in the bed under the warm comforter, while Nico remained silent at the foot of the bed.
“I suppose we should start from the beginning,” he said, fidgeting with a pen in his hands. “Our father, Luka, descended from a wealthy family out of what is now Eastern Europe. Our grandparents had a large estate, and their son was handsome, noble and well-to-do and thus could have had any woman he desired. When he met our mother, Lilliana, it was love at first sight.” A faint smile slide across his face, and then he continued. “At first she did not wish to be courted by him, which of course made him want her all the more. He knew that she felt something for him, but he simply could not understand what was holding her back. It was only with time after Lilliana could no longer fight her feelings for him that she told him the truth.”
Roman paused to take a breath.
“Lilliana came from a family of great witches, and she had been destined to marry Fabian, a powerful sorcerer.”
“I’m sorry, did you just say witches and sorcerer?” Celeste interjected.
“Celeste, please let me finish. I know this sounds insane, but before you stop me, I need to tell you everything.”
She nodded silently.
“Lilliana’s betrothal to Fabian had all been arranged even before she was born. She could not go against her family’s wishes, and she dared not cross Fabian, as he was known for his immense power and cruelty. But none of that mattered to father—he loved her and could not bear to live without her. The very night that she revealed who she was, he convinced her that in order to be free, they must escape together. They married in secret and spent the next twenty years on the run. During that time, Nico and I were born, but any time we felt comfortable in one particular place, we were forced to move on, constantly worried that Fabian would one day find us. Over the years, Fabian grew in power as well as in his hatred for our father for stealing his betrothed all those years ago.”
With a reassuring glance, Nico urged him to continue.
“As Fabian’s thirst for revenge intensified, he devised a punishment worse than death for our family. He created a curse that would make us immortal, forcing us to run from him for the rest of time, taking away our mother’s power as a witch, and condemning us to an eternity as vampires. Since we were turned through a spell, and had not suffered death, we, unlike other vampires, kept our humanity. It was our mother who found the strength to fight against our most terrible predatory instincts, and she found ways for us to survive without killing humans.”
Realizing that the story had come to a close, Celeste stared at Roman, wide-eyed in disbelief. His eyes bore into hers, anxiously awaiting a response.
“So you’re telling me that you and Nico are vampires? And that your mom was a witch, and there has been an evil sorcerer chasing you around the world for years?” she repeated.
“For 116 years, to be exact,” said Nico.
“Either you guys are crazy, or I really did hit my head too hard on the side of the road,” she said, pushing away the comforter and sitting up.
“I know it’s a lot to take in Celeste, but sadly I promise it is all true,” confirmed Nico. “And it’s not just vampires and witches, there’s a whole supernatural world out there that humans have no idea exists.”
As insane as it all sounded, she couldn’t help but remember the dream she had just had about her father.
But that was just a dream; it wasn’t real…Or was it?
“Prove it.”
“Prove what?” asked Roman.
“That the crazy story you just told me is true. How do you expect me to believe any of this?” she asked, her voice rising.
Roman looked to Nico, but he shrugged his shoulders in bewilderment.
“Fine, but just remember, you asked for this.”
Roman focused on Celeste’s neck. He could feel the rhythmic thumping of blood pulsing through her carotid artery, and his fangs popped out instinctively. Celeste stared in horror. Before she could cry out, he used his vamp speed to dash out of the room and return with a glass of water for her.
“I figured you’d need this,” he said as Celeste sat slack-jawed.
“You really are a vampire?” she asked, struggling to form the words. Abruptly she stood up, getting ready to make a run for it if necessary.
“Yes.”
Celeste’s mind began to race and was flooded with images of all the recent events. “What about Patrick? Is he a vampire? Was that why he tried to kidnap me – so he could drink my blood?” she asked incredulously.
“Well yes, he was a vampire, but there is more to that story than just blood lust. But you don’t have to worry about him anymore. I took care of it,” Roman said.
“What do you mean ‘you took care of it’?”
“Don’t worry about it,” Roman said dismissively.
“Roman, you said you would tell me everything,” she said staring at him point blank.
“Fine, I killed him, and buried his body in the woods behind the school,” he admitted coldly.
All the color drained out of Celeste’s face, and she looked at Roman horrified.
“You killed him?”
“Celeste, he was already dead. And anyway, we are vampires and that is what we do. My brother and I are different than most, but the majority are evil beings with no sense of morality and a blinding predatory nature. I did what I had to do to keep you safe.”
“I need to get out of here,” said Celeste.
“I’ll take you home,” offered Nico.
“No, I can’t even look at either one of you right now. I just need to leave,” she said as she pushed past Nico and rushed out.
The warm sun was just starting to come up, and as Celeste walked determinedly her head was spinning with everything Roman and Nico had just told her. It couldn’t be true. As her mind fought to make sense of the inexplicable, she thought of the dream and her father’s words.
No, it can’t be. There are no such things as vampires and witches and sorcerers…
She reached into her purse to call the only person she really wanted to see right now.
Brian pulled up in his Mustang just minutes after hanging up with Celeste. She could tell from his bloodshot eyes and tousled hair that he must have been out late last night.
“What are you doing walking way out here at this time of the morning?” asked Brian.
“I ended up spending the night at Nico’s last night,” she explained. “Don’t look at me like that Brian, nothing happened. After the dance, we were hungry so they brought me back to their place to eat, and I passed out in their spare bedroom.”
Celeste hated lying to Brian, but there was no way she was going to tell him about the crazy night she had.
“So why are you walking home by yourself at this hour?” he asked with a sidelong glance.
“I wanted to get home before my mom did, but I didn’t want to wake Nico up. So I snuck out thinking I could walk home, but it ended up being a lot further than I thought. Thanks for coming to get me.”
Brian looked skeptical and asked, “Are you sure you’re okay?”
“Yeah, I’m fine, just a little tired and hung over,” she confessed.
They drove back the rest of the way in a comfortable silence. With the top down, the fresh morning air blowing through Celeste’s curls was just what she needed to clear her head. As they pulled into Brian’s driveway, she leaned over and gave him a kiss on the cheek.
“Thank you for always being there for me, Brian.”
“Always,” he said.
“Well that went well,” said Nico caustically as he slammed the door. “Brian picked her up just down the street, in case you were wondering.”
“She just needs some time to process it all,” said Roman. “Just imagine what a shock this must be to
her. Yesterday morning she woke up a normal high school girl, excited about going to her senior prom, and by the end of the night she had been kidnapped, knocked out, and told of the existence of vampires, witches, sorcerers and everything in between.”
“I understand all that, I just wish we could have found a better way to tell her so that she wouldn’t have run scared. We had each other and our family when this happened to us. She doesn’t have anyone to talk to about it.”
“We’ll be there for her Nico; remember, we only just told her half of the story. Right now we need to figure out who sent Patrick after Celeste. He certainly wasn’t putting her in the trunk of his car for an afternoon snack, and I definitely don’t believe he was acting alone,” finished Roman.
“Why did you have to kill him?” asked Nico. “We needed him alive to question. How are we going to find anything out now?”
Roman came back with an exasperated, “Don’t you think I know that?”
“So why did you do it?” Nico retorted.
“I lost it; I was so furious, I completely lost control,” said Roman angrily.
“You do feel something for her,” said Nico with a puzzled expression. Roman cut him off with a growl and stomped off to his room, slamming the door shut behind him.
Roman sat in his room brooding as he gulped down a bottle of blood. He wasn’t even sure why he had gotten so mad at Nico and that bothered him. He was never like this. He was always in control. Roman didn’t understand what had come over him, and he certainly didn’t like it. Why did Celeste have such power over him? She drove him crazy. Now was not the time to fight with his brother. They needed to work together to determine what they could about Patrick’s appearance in Oak Bluffs. As much as Roman dreaded it, he decided it was time to let Stellan in on last night’s events.