by G. K. DeRosa
“I should have known this had something to do with Roman,” she said ruefully.
Celeste wondered if Aunt Maddie had told her mother about Roman’s role in all of this, but apparently she hadn’t. Celeste decided it was best to keep it that way. “Everything will be fine, Mom. We’ll find Maks, Aunt Maddie will have closure, and we’ll be back on a plane to Oak Bluffs before you know it.”
Her mother made a grumbling sound under her breath. “It’s not like I could stop you anyway.”
Celeste reached over to her mom and pulled her into a tight embrace. “I love you, Mom.” Then getting up quickly, she said, “I have to go tell Stellan and the others now. Wish me luck!”
The trip to Stellan’s was a quick one. With Nico behind the wheel, driving the BMW like he was racing in the Grand Prix, they reached his home in record time. Celeste was relieved because the silence in the car was deafening. She hadn’t wanted to tell the boys until Stellan was present, so the air in the vehicle was thick with rising tension.
Stellan greeted them at the door, his gray eyes murky with concern. With all the drama in her life, Celeste had completely forgotten about Dani Lynn’s disappearance. “Any news on Dani Lynn?” she asked as she entered.
“No, I’m afraid not. She seems to have vanished without a trace, right along with Alek,” answered Stellan gravely.
Celeste noticed that his normally tidy home was a mess. There were books strewn around the living room, pages of loose-leaf papers scattered all over the floor, and empty coffee mugs littered the tables. He pushed aside a stack of books from the couch and gestured for them to sit.
“Now what is it that you have to tell us?” asked Stellan as he took a seat in his favorite arm chair.
Celeste steeled herself and began. She started with Maks’ presence in her vision of Roman and his connection to her aunt, as Stellan had not been brought up to date with this most recent information. By the time she finished, the three men were looking up at her questioningly.
“So I’m guessing there’s no way we can talk you out of this, huh?” asked Nico.
Celeste shook her head. “I have to do this for my aunt. I feel responsible somehow.”
“You’re not responsible for this. I am,” said Roman.
“We don’t know that for sure,” chimed in Nico.
“Which is exactly why I have to go,” she insisted.
“I think this goes without saying, but the Council is not going to be pleased about this,” said Stellan. “We are in the middle of a very dangerous situation with Alek. Now is not the time for the Guardian to be gallivanting across Europe.”
“Is that you or the Council talking?” asked Celeste.
“Both,” he answered sternly. “Your place is here, not chasing after a vampire of no consequence.”
“Remember when I first came to you about the vision Stellan? I didn’t understand why I was seeing something from the past. But now it makes sense, it’s tied into the present and to my aunt. There has to be a reason why the vision came to me, and I’m convinced that it’s so I can help her,” she said passionately. “All of the terrible things I saw Roman doing, it was for this.”
“I think you should go,” muttered Roman under his breath.
Celeste spun toward him. “You do?”
“Yes, the farther you are from Alek the better,” he answered. Celeste grimaced. He’s still trying to protect me.
“She’s the Guardian, Roman. It is her duty to stop Alek,” said Stellan.
“No, he is our problem. I’m sure whatever he is up to has something to do with Fabian. We were the ones that brought him into her life, and we can deal with him,” said Roman.
“I think she should go too,” interjected Nico. “Maybe it’s for selfish reasons, but if finding Maks means clearing Roman, then I think it’s a no-brainer.”
“And what if you find this Maks and your vision proves true? What if he was killed and turned by Roman?” asked Stellan.
Celeste looked into Roman’s eyes, the bright blue gone, a raging storm surging inside, and her stomach clenched. “We’ll deal with it,” she said resolutely.
“Well, I see that there is nothing I can say to change your mind. Perhaps Dante will be able to talk some sense into you,” said Stellan.
Celeste had hoped Stellan would be on her side. She could use an ally when she went to the Council. “Will you come with me?” she asked.
“No, I’m sorry Celeste. I do not condone this expedition, and I will not pretend that I do,” Stellan answered. He turned and walked away with a scowl, leaving the three of them in the chilly room.
***
Celeste’s eyes flew open, and she was back in Astor. She looked at the imposing Council building before her and shuddered. She knew very well that Dante was going to be furious with her, but she had made up her mind and there was no turning back now. She threw her shoulders back and with head held high, she marched through the glass doors.
Entering the familiar white circular room of the Council’s chambers, Celeste’s eyes fell on the silver-haired figure next to Dante. A bright smile slid across her lips. “Sierra, you’re all right!” she shouted. All eyes turned toward her at the unexpected outburst, but she didn’t care. All that mattered was that Sierra was well again and back in her seat next to Dante where she belonged. Her skin was a shade paler than normal, and her cheekbones were more pronounced, but Celeste could detect a little twinkle in her violet eyes as she peered at her over her purple glasses.
“I am,” she answered finally. “I heard you fought bravely during the assault, and that you saved many lives.”
Celeste resisted the urge to run up and hug her, and instead gave her a dignified nod.
“May I ask what brings you here today?” asked Dante. “Have there been any new developments in the search for Alek?”
“No, I’m afraid not,” admitted Celeste. “But Stellan and the others are hard at work, and I’m sure something will come up soon.” She was having a hard time not squirming as she stood before them.
“So why are you here, my dear?” asked Sierra.
Celeste had been practicing her speech for hours, but now that she was in front of the five pairs of scrutinizing eyes, she was at a loss for words. She looked down at her hands as she fidgeted nervously, but the glimmer from the new ring Roman gave her caught her eye. This ring might not have any magical power, but it filled her with a different kind of strength. She braced herself and began.
“I came today to ask a favor. I have a personal matter that I need to attend to, and I am requesting a leave for a few weeks.”
“A leave?” snapped Dante. “Being the Guardian is not some job from which you can take a vacation.” The Council glanced nervously at one another.
“I understand that, and I hope that you understand that I would never ask this unless it was extremely important,” she replied, keeping her voice steady.
“Celeste, perhaps it would help us understand if you explained what this personal matter was,” said Sierra.
Celeste considered for a moment. She hadn’t wanted the Council to know why or where she was going, but perhaps Sierra was right. “Do you all remember my aunt, Matilda Wilder?” She got a few nods and stern looks from her audience. “She needs my help.”
Dante’s face reddened and he gritted his teeth. “Your aunt abandoned her duty to the guardians and the Council, and you expect us to allow you to go running after her?”
“Please Dante, try to understand. She’s my aunt and I know she regrets what she did. But I’m not her, and I’m not you. I wouldn’t abandon my duty or my family.”
Dante grunted. Sierra nudged him and whispered something in his ear. The redness began to fade, and the fury in his eyes dissipated. “Celeste, allow us a moment to discuss,” came Sierra’s calm voice. The five of them huddled close together and strained whispers filled the room.
After what seemed like an eternity, the whispering subsided and all five members of the Council tu
rned toward Celeste. Her heart was pounding frantically against her chest as she anxiously awaited a response. Finally, Sierra spoke up. “As this is quite an unusual request, we decided to put your appeal to a vote. As it stands right now, you have two in favor of granting your request and two opposed. That leaves one member who is undecided,” she said glancing down the row at her colleagues.
Balthazar cleared his throat. “I am the undecided. Can you assure us that your guardian duties will not go unattended during this leave?”
Celeste stopped to consider. “Yes,” she said determinedly. “Stellan, Roman, and Nico can cover for me while I’m gone. They will continue the search for Alek and make sure that everyone is safe in my territory. I can guarantee it. I will make sure to check in daily so that I’m up to date on everything going on.”
“Come on now, this is preposterous. We’re going to rely on two vampires to keep the human world safe?” snarled Dante.
“And Stellan,” interjected Dalla.
“Those two vampires have fought side by side with me since I became the Guardian. I wouldn’t be the hunter I am today without them,” Celeste said.
Dante rolled his eyes. “Balthazar, has she answered your question satisfactorily?”
“I believe she has,” he replied. “I will give you my vote, and your request will be granted under one condition.”
“Okay,” said Celeste warily.
“A few weeks is a rather vague amount of time. I propose we put a time limit on this little adventure. I recommend we give Celeste a one week time period to deal with her family matter, after which she must return, regardless of whether or not her task has been accomplished.” He turned to look at the others, and they all nodded in agreement.
“I have another stipulation to add,” interjected Dante. “As I have a pretty good idea what this little escapade is about, I insist upon sending another guardian to accompany you and your aunt.” Celeste groaned, but dared not open her mouth. “I will have a guardian of my choice meet you in Poland, correct?”
How does he know where we’re going?
“Yes,” Celeste replied. This was going to make things more difficult. It was going to be hard to explain this to another guardian tag-along, but she had no choice but to agree.
“Fine,” said Dante. “Against my better judgment, you have been granted a one-week leave. I expect you to maintain in contact at all times should something urgent arise.”
Celeste nodded her head enthusiastically. “Yes, of course. Thank you Dante, thanks to all of you!”
Back in her house, Celeste had to admit that all in all things had gone much better with the Council than expected. A small part of her thought Dante might kick her out right on the spot after hearing her outrageous request. Sure, there was going to be another guardian going with them, but maybe that would end up being a good thing. She just had to be sure that whoever it may be never found out Roman’s part in all of this. Though the Council had been tolerant of him thus far, she doubted that killing and turning a human being would be something they could overlook.
Lying on her bed after the action-packed day, Celeste’s eyes began to close with the fading light.
“Celeste, come in Celeste!” came the static-filled voice through the walkie-talkie on her bedside table.
Turning to look at the clock, she saw it was just past seven. She shook the sleepiness off and picked up the walkie-talkie. “I hear you loud and clear, Brian. What’s up?”
“I’m coming over. Over and out.”
Celeste pushed herself out of bed and made her way down the stairs just in time to see Brian at her door. Without so much as a hello, he barged right into the living room.
“I know something is going on, and I can’t stand not knowing. I feel like Marie knows more about your life lately than I do.”
“I’m sorry, Brian. Ugh, everything is just such a mess. I haven’t even had time to fully process it myself,” she said, flopping down on the couch.
His eyes suddenly fell on the two suitcases at the bottom of the staircase. “You’re going somewhere?”
Celeste patted the spot next to her on the couch. “Sit, this is going to take a while.”
Walking out of the bathroom in her pajamas, Celeste heard a flutter of wings outside the open window. She pushed the curtain aside, and could just make out the outline of a dark falcon as it alighted on the thick branch of the lofty oak tree. The magnificent bird turned his bright blue eyes toward her and stared ardently. Celeste knew that if she said nothing, he would remain out there standing guard for the rest of the night. She stared back at the falcon, her heart torn, as she wrestled with her emotions. Finally, she swung the window open all the way and ignoring the blast of frosty night air, motioned for him to enter.
The falcon tilted his head and gave her a sidelong glance as it perched on the footboard of her bed. She walked toward him cautiously, like one would approach a wild animal. Reaching out her unsteady hand, she stroked its smooth feathers and he responded with a peaceful cooing sound.
“I kind of like you like this,” she said with a giggle. “I can talk and talk and you can’t say a word back!” The falcon shifted uncomfortably underneath her touch. “Hey now, don’t get your feathers in a ruffle,” she said with a mischievous smile, and then burst out laughing at her own joke. He let out a raucous caw that echoed through the quiet house.
“Shhh!” The bird eyed her curiously, and she could have sworn she saw him smirk. “Okay Roman, as much fun as hanging out with the bird you is, I have to go to bed soon, and I’d like to say goodbye.”
Before she could even blink, Roman stood before her in all his male glory. He was dressed in black (maybe to go with his feathers?) from head to toe, and his sapphire blue eyes shone in contrast to his pale skin, which almost glowed in the moonlight. “I’m glad you came tonight,” she whispered breathlessly, still feeling the familiar pull toward him. He looked so good, and her body ached to be near him, to be wrapped in his arms. It was just a few weeks ago that she had been in his arms, sitting right here on her bed. They had been happy for a while; somehow Celeste had known that it wouldn’t last. That was what had made every moment they spent together so precious.
“I’ll always be here for you,” he replied quietly, his voice rough with emotion.
She took a step toward him, the moonlight casting shadows across his beautiful face, and then stopped. His turbulent eyes bore into hers, filled with so much desire, and shadowed by terrible pain. She knew he needed her just as much as she needed him, but she couldn’t hold his piercing stare any longer. She dropped her gaze as she nervously twisted the ring around her finger. While her eyes were averted, he crossed the small distance between them and pulled her toward him, his lips brushing lightly against hers. As their lips met, a fiery sensation surged through her body. The kiss deepened, and Celeste struggled to stay on her feet. One of his hands clutched the back of her head pulling her ever closer and the other roamed her body possessively. Her mind swam in a sea of passion and reckless abandon, feeling only the thrill of his kiss and the fire of his body pressed against hers.
Then suddenly the shrill chimes of the old grandfather clock downstairs rang through the still house, snapping them both out of their impassioned haze.
“I’m sorry,” breathed Roman as he quickly jumped back.
It was like a bucket of ice water had been dumped on top of her. The absence of Roman’s arms left an icy sensation on the surface of her skin. She couldn’t shake the feeling of the finality of the kiss, as if it were a final goodbye. “No, don’t be sorry,” she said. “I wanted that as much as you did, and I’m pretty sure I always will.”
Roman responded with a sheepish smile. “Happy New Year, by the way.”
Celeste glanced at the clock on her nightstand, and sure enough it read 12:01am. “Happy New Year, Roman,” she said as she took his hand. “I’m going to find Maks, and I’m going to figure out what really happened. Then I’m going to come back home to you
and we’ll work this out, okay?”
“What if you can’t get past what I did?” he asked, his voice wavering.
Celeste pressed a finger to his warm lips. “We’ll figure it out.” He leaned in and gently brushed his lips against her forehead. She pulled him closer and hugged him tightly, committing to memory the feel of his body against hers. She inhaled deeply and breathed in his musky scent as her face pressed against his chest. And then in a split second, he was gone. She ran to the open window and caught a glimpse of the sleek falcon soaring through the moonlit sky. A tear rolled down her cheek as she mouthed goodbye, hoping above all things that they would be together again soon.
Celeste gripped the armrests until her knuckles were white as the enormous 727 barreled down the runway. This wasn’t her first time on a plane, but it’s not like she traveled much. The last time she had been on one was for her ninth birthday, when her parents took her to Disney World in Orlando. It had been the best birthday she had ever had with party guests like Snow White, Cinderella, Ariel, and of course Mickey and Minnie in attendance. Celeste tried to focus on the happy thoughts as her stomach dropped and the plane took flight.
Aunt Maddie turned to Celeste, noticing the pale ghost of a person sitting next to her. She pulled out the little white bag from the seat back in front of them and handed it to her. “Are you going to be needing this?”
“Eww a barf bag! No, I think I’ll be okay,” she said weakly. “I took some Dramamine right before we got on.”
“Don’t worry, the plane will be leveling out soon, and then it’ll be smooth sailing for the next eight hours.”
“Eight hours? I don’t know if I can last that long,” said Celeste as she squirmed in her seat. She had asked for the window seat, thinking she would enjoy the views, but now she just felt trapped. She looked across her aunt at the gray-haired elderly lady sitting on the other side of her. Her head was tossed back and she was snoring peacefully. Celeste envied her.
“Why don’t you watch a movie?” suggested her aunt. “They usually have some pretty good options on these international flights.”