by G. K. DeRosa
“I’m not dating anyone!” Celeste hissed, knowing that Roman’s sensitive vampire hearing could undoubtedly hear every word they said.
Turning back towards the whispering girls, Brian asked, “Hey Cel, why don’t I take you home so Roman doesn’t have to go out of his way to drop you off?”
Celeste glanced over at Roman who gave her a guarded look revealing nothing. “Yeah sure, just give me a second. I need to get something from Roman’s car,” she answered.
Celeste walked over to Roman who was leaning casually against his car. It astonished her how he could make any ordinary pose look so attractive.
“Thanks for coming over to talk to me today. I appreciate your honesty, and I feel much better about all the vampire stuff,” she whispered.
“Of course, Celeste, anything you need,” he replied, firmly gripping her by the shoulders. Celeste stood there transfixed for a moment gazing into his deep blue eyes. Roman dropped his hands stepping back as Brian pulled up, his Mustang roaring.
“Be safe,” mouthed Roman as they drove off.
As Roman drove home watching the sun set over the trees, he found himself smiling for no particular reason. It was the first time in a very long time.
Chapter 8
Celeste leaned against her bay window with an American history book open in her lap, distractedly chewing at the end of a pen. Finals would start tomorrow and she had been so preoccupied lately that she was behind in her schoolwork. As she gazed out the window, enjoying the balmy morning breeze, she couldn’t help but think about Roman and Nico. They had actually been alive during the Great Depression, World War I and II, the Kennedy assassination—all of the eras and events that she was studying now. Then her father’s cautionary words from the dream crept into her conscious thought. You must protect the world from evil creatures. She hadn’t told Roman or Nico about the dream and she felt terribly guilty.
How can I tell them? They’d think I’d gone insane. And how am I supposed to protect anyone? I’m just a normal girl.
“Morning Celeste!” said her mom as she peeked into her room. “How’s the studying going?”
“Not so great.”
“I brought you an energy-packed breakfast to help,” she said as she set the tray next to her bed.
“Thanks, Mom. Have you even been to bed yet?” she asked, noticing she was still wearing her favorite pink scrubs.
“No, I just got home about an hour ago, but I wanted to see how you were doing before I went to sleep,” she answered. “Any more nightmares?”
“Luckily, nothing.”
“I’m glad to hear that, sweetie. Let me know if you have anymore, okay?”
“Sure, Mom.”
Celeste almost stopped her mother before she walked out of the room. She wanted to ask her why she had bolted the other morning when she had mentioned the nightmare. Instead, she buried her nose in her book and forced herself to study. Something told her she wasn’t going to get an honest response anyway.
After a couple more hours of studying, Celeste needed a break. She checked her cell phone and saw that Brian had texted.
Come over. I need a study break.
Convincing herself that she had already been pretty productive, Celeste shut her book with a hint of satisfaction and headed over to Brian’s.
Maxi came running to the door when she knocked, jumping into Celeste’s outstretched arms.
“I missed you Cel!” she said, “You never come over and play with me anymore.”
“I know, I’m sorry Maxi, but I’ve been so busy with the last few weeks of school. I promise we’ll have a play date soon,” she said putting her back down on the floor and patting her head affectionately.
“Okay Maxi that’s enough. Celeste and Brian have to study if they want to graduate,” said Mrs. Kennedy as she dragged her out of the living room.
“I miss her,” said Celeste.
“That’s just because you don’t have to live with her.”
“Don’t be mean to your little sister!” she scolded.
“Anyway, how’s the studying going?” asked Brian as they sat down on the couch.
“Not bad. I’m glad we started studying early because the past week has been a total loss. How about you?” she asked.
“I’m just having a hard time concentrating, but I’ll pull it together,” Brian answered. He looked away, pulling out his cell phone from his jeans pocket.
Celeste came back with, “Why? What’s going on?” She could tell he was avoiding her gaze as he played around with his phone.
“Just stuff,” he answered vaguely.
“I know how you feel. I’ve felt like my life has been a whirlwind the past few weeks. You know, it’s my eighteenth birthday on Friday, and I haven’t even given it much of a thought,” she said.
“Of course I know. I would never forget your birthday. This will be our fifteenth time celebrating it together,” he said, finally glancing up at her.
“You’ve been keeping track?” she asked surprised.
“It’s not that hard to figure out. My family moved in next door when we were both three years old, and we’ve spent every birthday together since then.”
“How about that year that you were at basketball sleep-away camp?”
“You mean the year that I ran away from sleep-away camp?”
Celeste let out a laugh. “That’s right! Your parents and all the camp counselors were freaking out because they thought they had lost you and you turned up at my house.”
“I guess I just couldn’t stand the thought of missing your birthday.” Brian smiled at the memory. “And since it’s a pretty important birthday, I have a feeling that someone might be planning a little something special for you.”
“Seriously? Natalie better not be throwing me some huge party.”
“You didn’t hear anything from me, I’m not a snitch,” he said. “But you may want to talk to her about the guest list unless you want all of Oak Bluffs invited.”
Celeste just laughed.
“So are you and Roman dating or something?” Brian asked abruptly.
“Whoa, where did that come from?”
“Well I know you’ve been hanging out with him, and at first I thought you liked his brother, but now I’m not sure anymore,” he said rapidly, as if he had been holding his breath the entire time.
“No, I’m not dating anyone. I like them, though. They are so different, ‘ya know? Not the average guys you’d meet around Oak Bluffs. They’re fun.”
“Good, I’m glad you’re not dating either of them,” said Brian. “I think there is something weird about both of those guys.”
Celeste rolled her eyes. “I sensed that when you gave Roman the third degree at the diner yesterday. What was up with that?” she asked.
“I don’t know. I just don’t like the way he looks at you. Honestly, I don’t like it when any other guy looks at you,” said Brian. Impulsively, he leaned in and stunned Celeste with a soft kiss.
Celeste was so surprised that she didn’t even move at first, but as her brain slowly realized what was happening she put her hand on Brian’s chest to stop him. She pulled away awkwardly.
Brian looked at her face and saw confusion in her eyes. His heart sank. “I’m sorry,” he said immediately.
“No, it’s okay,” she said uncomfortably, “You just really surprised me.”
“I’ve been wanting to do that since the sixth grade, Cel.”
“You have?”
Brian nodded and said, “I just figured if I didn’t do it now, I may never have the chance again.”
How could I have been so clueless?
“Please say something.”
“I don’t know what to say, Brian,” she said, fidgeting with her necklace nervously. “You know I care about you so much; you are my very best friend. I’m just not sure I feel the same way that you do.”
“Okay,” he said. “Let’s just pretend this never happened.” He stood up abruptly, trying to hi
de his embarrassment.
“Are you sure?”
“Yeah, it’s no big deal.”
Celeste felt overwhelmed with emotions. She struggled to find a comforting word, anything to take away the misery that was written all over her best friend’s face. When nothing came to mind, she pulled him into a hug instead. She gave him a hasty kiss on the cheek and ran out the door.
As Celeste sprinted across the lawn to her house, tears began streaming down her face. She felt terribly guilty for hurting Brian. That was the last thing she wanted to do. On some level, she wished that she felt the same way about him as he did about her; then things would be so much easier. Instead she felt this incredibly intense connection to a vampire? What was wrong with her? She plopped down on her bed, miserable, as she contemplated what an awful person she was.
So much for my perfect first kiss…
Celeste had imagined what her first kiss would be like at least a thousand times. She knew very well that most of the girls her age had already been kissed if not done much more than that. But Celeste had always been different. She had seen countless movies where the pretty girl finally gets the hot guy of her dreams – a tear-jerking goodbye scene at an airport, a passionate moment of realization under dire circumstances or a classic kiss in the pouring rain with a montage of romantic music playing in the background. And hers had been nothing like that. She supposed it was rather appropriate that her first kiss be with Brian, since he was “the guy” who had been there for her through it all, but it just wasn’t the epic moment that she had been envisioning for so many years.
Celeste must have dozed off at some point because she found herself in a vivid dream. She was in front of the old Oak Bluffs Library, and a horde of vampires was inexorably marching towards her. She looked in her hand and saw that she was clutching a sword with an elaborate engraving on the hilt, and she had an array of other weapons concealed in various parts of her clothing. She looked up as they grew closer, noticing that she was absurdly unafraid. With a powerful lunge, she threw herself into the advancing mob with her sword raised. Celeste suddenly felt someone at her side and spun around to see her father. He was in full fighting gear, sweat glistening on his forehead, his hazel eyes blazing as he slashed his way through the vampires. She followed him, and they fought side by side for what seemed like hours. Her sword became an extension of her arm, so that with every slice she took down an enemy with brutal force. There was blood everywhere, causing a wave of nausea, but she took a deep breath and drew on a new found strength to continue on. When all of the vampires had been killed, Celeste’s father turned to face her, putting his hand on her shoulder. “Well done, Celeste. You are going to be a powerful hunter, and you will make an excellent Guardian.”
Celeste awoke as Rocky licked her face enthusiastically with his warm, rough tongue. She glanced drowsily out the window and saw the sun was already setting; she had been dreaming for hours. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught a slight movement in the oak tree and again saw the majestic black falcon watching her. It was perched on a thick branch closest to her window, its powerful talons clenched around the limb. Its piercing blue eyes locked with hers. “Roman?” she said aloud, taking a step towards the window. The bird unfolded its black feathered wings and took off into the night.
***
Fabian sat in front of the fireplace, his long silver hair radiant in the firelight; impatiently he twisted the gold ring around his finger. “It has been three days, and I have heard nothing from that incompetent vampire Patrick. How difficult could it be to find one girl and bring her to me?” he asked Alek angrily.
“I hate to say I told you so, but you should have sent me. A newly turned vampire is hardly reliable even on his best day,” said Alek, smoothing his slick platinum hair back.
“You know very well why I couldn’t send you. As youthful as you appear, you would not have been able to blend in with a group of high school teenagers, which is why I needed Patrick. I thought that he would be capable of a simple task, but apparently I was mistaken.”
“Shall I go to Oak Bluffs to see if I can find him, or will you send another one of your minions?” asked Alek contemptuously.
“No, I still cannot risk Stellan recognizing you. He has always involved himself in matters that do not concern him when it comes to the Constantins. I will send someone else, but this time I will not leave anything up to chance.”
“Who can you trust with such an important task?”
“I will send Magnus,” Fabian responded with an evil twinkle in his eye.
***
As Roman strode through the front door he was greeted by a tense looking Nico.
“How is she?” he asked.
“Fine for now, I think she is coping pretty well all things considered. And I believe that her powers are starting to kick in. She saw me in the tree tonight, and I think she recognized me. She’s starting to sense things beyond her normal human world,” Roman explained.
“So you neglected to tell her that we can transform into falcons?”
“I think we can inform her of that minor detail a little later,” he responded.
“You just don’t want her to know that you’ve been spying on her for weeks,” admonished Nico.
“I’ll tell her when the time is right.”
“Well we have some news from Stellan,” said Nico gravely. “He asked that we contact him as soon as you got home.”
“So you are sure that it was Fabian that sent Patrick?” asked Nico.
Stellan’s non-corporeal form had appeared in the middle of their living room, and he was pacing animatedly.
“I am afraid so. I spoke to a colleague who confirmed that Patrick had been turned with the sole purpose of coming to Oak Bluffs to track the two of you,” Stellan said solemnly. “Since the selection of the next Guardian is almost upon us, the Council has been keeping a close eye on Celeste. When they discovered that Patrick, a new vampire, had appeared in town they became suspicious and found what we had feared all along.”
“Why didn’t they warn you that he was here?” asked Roman clenching his fists.
“Well technically, I am no longer a member of the Council, Roman. I have been officially retired for some time, so they have no obligation to inform me of anything. Additionally, when Patrick first appeared, they were operating under the assumption that he had come for you and Nico. They did not believe that Celeste was in any danger.”
“So it is our fault that Patrick went after her?” Nico asked as he took the seriousness of the situation in.
“I imagine that he thought it would be the quickest way to get to the two of you,” said Stellan, shaking his head.
“But why after all of these years would he suddenly come looking for us?” asked Roman. “Certainly he has had countless opportunities to kill us before now. Why now, and why involve Celeste?” Roman marched restlessly from window to window as Stellan continued.
“As to the timing, I have no clue. As for Celeste, my guess would be that when Patrick discovered the special attachment you both feel for her (he paused and looked accusatorially at them both), he shared this fact with Fabian. He must have been extremely curious to find out more about her which is why he had Patrick try to capture her,” said Stellan. “But these are merely suppositions boys…”
“So is the Council going to do something to protect her?” asked Nico.
“Unfortunately, they cannot intervene directly, not without Fabian making an overt move. They will be keeping an eye on things as they develop. Celeste’s birthday is only a few days away, and once she comes into her powers she will be able to protect herself,” said Stellan.
“Against Fabian? Alone?” snarled Roman, “Are they insane? He is a thousand- year-old sorcerer with more power than the devil himself. If he has found out what she is, there will be nothing to stop him from getting to her. Celeste is a force of good, and he will do anything to destroy her, just like he did our parents.”
“Roman,
we will protect her,” said Nico, putting his hand on his brother’s chest to calm the mounting rage.
“No, you don’t understand Nico, you never will,” he said, pushing his brother aside. “You didn’t see what Fabian did to our parents. Our parents were strong and powerful vampires and they were nothing up against him. Celeste is just a girl. She is not ready for any of this.” He looked from Nico to Stellan, his eyes filled with fury.
Then Stellan broke in, “We will help her. She will not fight alone, I promise you Roman. I will do everything in my power to keep her safe.”
“So how do you think you did on the final?” asked Brian as he caught up with Celeste walking out toward the school parking lot.
“Pretty well, actually, it looks like all that cramming paid off,” she answered. “How about you?”
“I think I did okay. One down and only four more to go.”
They walked towards their cars together in an uncomfortable silence, when finally Brian said, “Look I’m really sorry about last night. I don’t want things to be weird between us; I should have never kissed you.”
“Brian, don’t be sorry,” she said, turning to him with a genuine smile. “And things won’t be weird unless we let them.”
“Hi guys!” said Natalie as she came bounding towards them. “Thank God at least one final exam is over. I never want to think about American history again!”
“Agreed,” they said together.
“Let’s go for a celebratory lunch at Ralph’s. I’m sure everyone will be there, and I could totally use the sugar high from a chocolate milkshake before going home to study again,” said Natalie.
“Sounds good to me,” said Celeste.
Celeste wished she could talk to Natalie about what had happened with Brian, but she knew Natalie liked him. Now that she and Natalie were becoming so close, she really didn’t want to ruin things. And she really wanted to tell her everything about Roman and Nico, but Celeste had been sworn to secrecy. She understood well that it was safer for Natalie not to know. It was just so hard to carry all of these secrets alone.