by G. K. DeRosa
“Celeste, are you in here?”
She heard a knock at the door and recognized her aunt’s voice. She almost didn’t answer. Then she realized having another guardian in town could actually be a positive thing with the impending attack.
Aunt Maddie looked pensive as she sat cross-legged across from her on the bed. Celeste had filled her in on the premonition, hoping her aunt could provide some insight. Now, Celeste sat eagerly awaiting a response. She had not, however, mentioned the disturbing Roman flashback.
“You’re sure that the premonition was accurate?” Aunt Maddie asked after mulling it all over in her head for what seemed like an eternity.
“They’ve all been so far.”
“I just find it so hard to believe that anything supernatural could ever get into Astor. We were always taught that the place was impenetrable,” she said, puzzled. “But then again, I didn’t get personal visits from Dante and Sierra very often, so how would I know?” She looked away and started chewing on her thumbnail distractedly.
“You didn’t?” Celeste asked. She had assumed frequent visits were the norm.
“I guess I wasn’t their priority,” she said coldly. “I also didn’t have premonitions, nor could I shoot magical light out of my sword.”
“You heard about that, huh?”
“Everyone in the guardian community has. It’s unheard of. Sure, some guardians get premonitions and pretty much everyone is stronger and faster than most humans, but blasting a powerful sorcerer like that is huge. Not to mention all the kills you’ve had in such a short amount of time.”
Celeste wasn’t sure, but she thought she heard a hint of jealousy in her aunt’s voice. Watching her as she continued chattering on, Celeste felt a strange sense of pity for her. And there was something else. Although her aunt was closer to her mom’s age than her own, Aunt Maddie had a certain childlike quality. Now that her hatred for Roman seemed to have diffused (for the time being anyway), Celeste discovered that talking to her aunt was more like talking to a friend than to an older relative.
“I’m sure you’ve battled all kinds of powerful demons when you were in Europe. We’re lucky to have you in Oak Bluffs,” Celeste said. Somehow she felt her aunt needed the encouragement.
“I do have some crazy stories. Things are so different out there. When I first met Maksim, who was the guardian assigned to train me, I thought I would run home screaming within the week.” A shadow of a smile crossed her lips. “He was tough, but I never would have survived without him.”
“What’s it like in Poland?” Celeste asked, her eyes sparkling with curiosity. She had often dreamed of backpacking through Europe, but all that had changed when she turned eighteen.
“Freezing!”
Celeste laughed. “But you must have felt so free, to be out on your own like that.”
“Free – abandoned – almost the same, right?” she said as she shook her head. “It was hard, but I wouldn’t trade the experience for anything in the world. It made me who I am today.” An expression of sadness fell over her and she turned away from Celeste, switching her attention to the adjacent bay window.
“So will you come to the Induction Ceremony?” Celeste asked hoping to change the subject.
“Oh I don’t think so,” she said standing up.
“But Stellan is going to let the Council know about the vision, and surely they will want as many guardians on hand as possible. I thought we could go together.” Celeste could hear the pleading tone in her own voice and was embarrassed.
Aunt Maddie gave her a rueful smile. “Maybe,” she said and walked out of her room.
The conversation with her aunt had left Celeste disconcerted. She had an unsettled feeling that there was more to the story than her aunt let on. Their talk had, however, succeeded in getting her mind off of Roman for at least a few hours. She picked up her cell phone on the nightstand and noticed a string of texts from Roman. She knew she would have to face him sooner or later, but she needed some time to think first.
***
A fearsome pack of werewolves came spilling out of the massive blue vortex that had opened in the middle of the snowy clearing. Alek eyed them with veiled animosity. The leader, a tall, gruff-looking man with a full dark beard approached him warily as the others lingered behind.
He extended his hand in greeting to Alek, who glared back at it in disgust. The man quickly pulled his arm back, crossing it over his chest. The werewolf towered over him, but by the smug look on Alek’s face, he was not intimidated, not by a long shot. Instead it was this man and his pack, which could have easily overpowered him in brute strength, who seemed uncomfortable.
“Brazen, I presume,” said Alek.
The old wolf grunted in response.
“Are we all set for Astor, then?”
“Yes. My men are ready and we’ve assembled quite a force from the underworld as well. The Council will never see this coming,” he said with a sneer.
“Very well then. And Brazen, don’t forget about the ring.”
***
Celeste laid on her stomach and sorted through the four leather-bound books strewn across her bed. She still couldn’t get over the fact that she could read Faerie, although she hadn’t actually read any of the books Stellan had given her yet. She had pulled them out again hoping it would get her mind off Roman, but she hadn’t gotten more than a few pages in. As she settled on one and began thumbing through the pages of swirly script, she heard a knock at the front door. She jumped out of bed, and peering through the window saw Brian in his blue and gold letterman jacket.
“Hey!” he said when she opened the door. “You gotta sec?”
“Sure, come on in.” She escorted him into the living room, purposely avoiding her bedroom so he wouldn’t see her odd choice in reading material.
Brian plopped down on the couch and watched her eagerly as she sat down beside him. “So?” he finally asked.
“So what?” she responded, confused.
“What did you think of Marie?”
“Oh!” answered Celeste. With everything going on, she had forgotten all about their double date.
“Do you approve? Can I start dating her now, mom?” he teased, his sea foam green eyes sparkling.
Celeste paused for a moment and considered her answer. Marie seemed harmless enough, but she had used magic so carelessly and that worried Celeste. Sure, Roman thought she was overreacting, but she still wasn’t quite sure about this girl. She decided to go with a safe answer. “She seems nice.”
“That’s it?” he asked. “I thought I’d get a little bit more than that. Natalie has already given me more after only a five-minute conversation with the girl over four months ago.”
Celeste shrugged her shoulders. “I just want to get to know her better before I make any recommendations,” she said taking his hand. “Your happiness means a lot to me, and so does your safety.”
He pulled his hand away abruptly. “You don’t think she’s safe?” he asked, looking at her incredulously.
“No, I mean… I don’t know yet.”
“Let me get this straight, you’re dating a vampire and you don’t think a fairy is safe?”
Celeste could see he was getting defensive which was the complete opposite of what she was trying to accomplish. Bringing Roman into the conversation was the last thing she needed. “I’m sorry,” she said. “I shouldn’t have said anything. I think dealing with all these supernaturals all the time is making me paranoid.” He gave her a skeptical look. “She’s great, really.”
“Is everything okay with you?” he asked. “You seem a little on edge.”
“I am. I had a premonition, and it was really bad.”
“Why don’t you tell me about it? Maybe it will help,” he said, his earlier anger instantly forgotten at the sight of her worried face.
Celeste snuggled into the comfort of his strong arms and told him all about the attack on Astor, leaving out the parts about Roman, of course.
***
Roman flipped through the yellowing pages of the old photo album as he sipped on his vodka on the rocks. The photo he had paused at was a family portrait typical of the early 1900’s: black and white, with everyone in formal attire and a stern look on their faces. He and Nico couldn’t have been more than seven and five years old, respectively. He ran his finger over the fraying edges of the photo, and his mind wandered back to that day.
“Roman, help your little brother with his jacket,” said his mother, Lilliana. She was wearing her finest dress, a gift their father had brought back from Paris. It was a deep blue satin with lace embroidery that perfectly complemented the glistening sapphire ring on her finger. She hurriedly shuffled the two young boys along as they dawdled, doing their best to avoid putting on the restrictive clothing.
“I don’t want to put on a bow tie,” whined Nico, tugging on his mother’s skirts.
Lilliana let out an exasperated sigh. “Luka, please come help me with your sons. The photographer will be here any minute!”
Their father appeared, his fancy shirt partially buttoned and his hair still disheveled. Lilliana shot him a displeased look. “Why aren’t you ready yet?”
He took her arm and led her out of the boys’ room, whispering urgently. Roman followed them to the doorway to eavesdrop on their conversation as Nico pattered behind.
“We must go, Lilliana. I’ve received word from your father that Fabian is on our trail again. It’s not safe to stay here.”
“No, not again,” she responded, her voice thick with sadness.
“We must. Pack up the boys’ things as quickly as possible, and we will leave immediately,” he finished, his face set in grim determination.
There was a knock at the door signaling the arrival of the photographer. Luka turned away to go, but took a moment to tenderly caress his wife’s cheek. “Everything will be fine,” he assured her.
As Lilliana watched him walk away, she twisted the ring around her finger and murmured, “Please give me strength.”
“What has you waxing nostalgic, brother?” asked Nico slamming the door loudly as he walked in, rousing Roman from his reverie.
“Hmm, nothing,” he said closing the worn leather bound album and tucking it away in the armoire.
“So did you and Celeste come up with a plan to deal with her latest premonition?” he asked. “Whatever it is, I want in.” It was apparent by the satisfied grin on his face that he and Natalie had enjoyed a happy reunion.
“Stellan is working on it with her. We will be sitting this one out,” he responded, taking another sip of the drink.
“Okay, now I see where the vodka comes into play in the middle of the afternoon,” he said with a grin.
Roman grunted and took another big gulp.
“So you’re just going to sit here and let her do this by herself?” he asked incredulously.
“It’s not really up to me now is it? Vampires aren’t allowed in Astor, and there won’t be much I can do from here. And for some reason, Celeste has decided that responding to my calls and text messages are no longer a priority,” he said, throwing his hands up in the air.
“What’s going on? Everything was fine yesterday,” said Nico, sitting down beside his brother.
“I don’t know, but I think it has something to do with her premonition. She gave me a quick recap and then bolted. I haven’t heard from her since.”
“Are you sure she’s okay?” Nico asked.
“Yes, I flew by her house earlier this morning, and she was sound asleep safe in her bed.”
“Have you tried talking to Stellan? Maybe he knows what’s going on,” he continued.
“No. Whatever is bothering her, I’m just going to have to wait until she’s ready to tell me. You know how stubborn she can be.”
“She’s not the only one,” murmured Nico under his breath.
***
Celeste was nervous. The Induction Ceremony was in less than twenty-four hours, and she couldn’t shake the horrific images from her vision. As she searched through her dad’s old trunk in the attic, she hoped to find some inspiration among his things. She had been through it countless times, but somehow being near it brought her comfort. Attempting to travel to Astor by her own power had her nerves rattled. She needed to try out a test run today before she embarrassed herself in front of Stellan tomorrow.
Sitting in front of the old chest, Celeste breathed in and out slowly and clutched the Wilder key around her neck. She could feel her power surging all the way from the tip of her toes to the top of her head. She focused her energies on Astor. Stellan had said that she needed to visualize it, but it was nearly impossible to visualize somewhere she had never been. Sure, she had been in the Council’s circular room, but that’s definitely not where she needed to transport herself.
It had been almost an hour, and Celeste still hadn’t budged. She was no closer to getting to Astor than if she tried by car. She let out an exasperated sigh and laid down flat on her back as the dust kicked up around her from the grimy attic. She pulled the cell phone from her back pocket (which she had turned to silent) and saw more missed calls and messages from Roman. A terrible sick feeling came over her at the thought of him. It was no wonder she couldn’t concentrate on getting to Astor when her heart was so torn up over him. How could my Roman be that monster I saw?
Pushing the dark thoughts away, Celeste sat back up and forced herself to concentrate. She took a few cleansing breaths like she had learned in yoga class and thought back to the many days she spent meditating in Stellan’s sunny backyard. In her head, she repeated the mantra, “Astor, Astor, take me to Astor.” Suddenly, a flash of light blinded her, and she was thrust through what she could only describe as an intense roller coaster ride. Her stomach flipped violently, and she had to suppress the urge to throw up. Seconds later she opened her eyes and found herself in the middle of the Council’s chambers. Four pairs of eyes looked expectantly up at her. She immediately recognized them as Dante, Sierra, Seraphina, and Balthazar and her face flushed.
“Celeste, you have not been summoned. What are you doing here?” asked Dante sternly.
She was mortified. “I’m sorry,” she said quickly. “It’s just that I’ve never been anywhere else in Astor, and this is where I ended up.”
Seraphina gave her an encouraging smile. “That’s quite all right dear, just head out through that door and follow the hallway out to the main atrium. You’ll find the exit to the town square right in front of you.” She pointed to a blank spot on the white wall and a door appeared.
“Thank you,” said Celeste, rushing out of the room with her head down.
As she stepped out into the gorgeous sunny day, her mouth dropped open at the beauty that was Astor.
Toto, I don’t think we’re in Kansas anymore.
There was not a single cloud in the perfectly blue sky, and everywhere she looked was meticulously manicured. From the colorful flowerbeds to the flawlessly shaped evergreens to towering glass buildings in the distance, everything was impeccably cared for. And the weather, how could it be so warm in the middle of December? As she stared in awe at her surroundings, a familiar face came into view.
“What do you think, Celeste?” asked Sierra, her long silver hair pinned back neatly.
“Oh it’s amazing. I had no idea that Astor was so extraordinary,” she answered.
“Yes, well, it occurred to me that it may be a bit overwhelming for you since this is your first time here, and I decided to come check on you.”
“Thank you,” Celeste said, unable to keep from admiring the beauty around her.
“Would you like a quick tour?” she offered.
“Yes, that would be lovely.”
As they walked through the main square, Celeste was taken aback by the contradicting elements of classic features enhanced by modern wonders. Tall glass buildings dotted the skyline, but on the streets below she felt the quaint charm of an old Parisian village. Granted, she had neve
r actually been to Paris, but it was just as she had seen in pictures. Celeste watched the passersby in curiosity, wondering what it must be like to call Astor home.
“So everyone here is a retired guardian, right?”
“That’s correct. You can see that our population tends to be on the older side as most retire around the age of forty. But it is not always the case. Some very successful guardians are released from their duty at a much younger age so we do have some young families as well,” she explained as she pointed at onlookers.
“Do all guardians have to come here once their duty has ended?”
“No, of course not. Some choose to live out their lives in the human plane, but it is greatly recommended for them to come here. Once they are no longer on active duty, living in the outside world often becomes too dangerous for them and their families.”
Celeste nodded and noticed a group of children walking together with an elderly guardian leading them. “Is there a school for kids too?”
“Yes, we do have a small population of young children who attend school here. Most of the ones you see ahead are children who have lost their guardian parent,” she said pausing for a moment. “When a guardian is killed in battle and leaves a family, we do our best to keep them safe by bringing them here.”
Celeste looked puzzled. “How come I wasn’t brought here when my father died?”
Sierra shook her head. “It is ultimately the decision of the surviving parent if they choose to come here. Your mother was not partial to the idea.”
As they continued walking, Celeste made a mental note to discuss that with her mother at a later date. She couldn’t believe that she could have grown up in this magical place. Sierra pointed out a few of the main buildings in the town square – the school, library, town hall, police and fire stations, and of course the imposing white marble Council building which sat in the center of it all.