by G. K. DeRosa
“No we wouldn’t have!” shouted the young guy Marco had pinned down. “We thought she was hot, and we wanted to talk to her.”
Celeste glanced back at the attractive woman in the Anthony’s Pizza’s red and white uniform, noting that she looked ready to faint. “Everything’s going to be okay,” she said to her soothingly. Then she turned her attention back to the blonde wriggling underneath her. “What were you doing at St. Alice’s?”
“I go there,” answered the dark-haired guy struggling under Marco. “I have a test on Monday and I was trying to see if I could steal the answers from Mrs. Ahearn’s classroom. I swear that’s it.”
These guys are only in high school… I had Mrs. Ahearn for English too.
“And now Jaiden’s dead,” said the blonde, looking over at his friend’s lifeless body as if the realization had just now hit him.
Celeste got up and pulled the blonde guy up with her. Marco stared at her incredulously, keeping his grip firm on his captive.
“What’s your name?” asked Celeste.
“Brennan,” the blonde responded.
“And him?” asked Celeste pointing at the other teen.
“That’s my cousin, Curtis.”
“Brennan, Curtis, today is your lucky day. My friend and I aren’t going to kill you, but I am going to give you a warning that I hope you will listen to. Stay away from the Black Devils; they’re nothing but trouble. And I have a message for your pack: Oak Bluffs is under my protection, and if anything goes wrong, I will hold you all personally responsible,” Celeste warned, her eyes taking on a steely glare.
Marco reluctantly released the werewolf and took his place by Celeste’s side. “Get out of here,” he yelled. The two werewolves bolted down the alley carrying the body of their fallen friend.
Without meeting Marco’s chastising scowl, Celeste knelt down beside the pallid woman. She helped her to her feet and putting her arm around her, walked her out of the alley.
“What are you?” the woman asked as she fully took in Celeste’s sword and Marco’s crossbow with wide eyes.
“Neighborhood watch,” answered Marco coolly.
“Do you want us to take you home, Sammy?” asked Celeste, noticing the woman’s nametag for the first time and desperately wanting to change the subject. She and Marco were on either side, holding her up, but the color seemed to be returning to her face.
“Nah, I’m okay. That’s my car right there across the street,” she said pointing. “Those boys just startled the living daylights out of me. These gangs are getting out of control! They must have been wearing some of those new age contacts or something because I swear their eyes were glowing!”
“Yeah, something like that,” said Marco sarcastically. Celeste shot him a nasty glare and he kept his mouth shut until Sammy was safely situated in her old Chevy minivan.
Marco and Celeste paused in front of Anthony’s Pizza as they watched the car disappear into the night. Once she was sure Sammy was safe, Celeste plopped down on the curb in front of the restaurant, deciding to stick around a bit and make sure there weren’t any more troublesome werewolves out prowling.
Marco sat down beside her and finally couldn’t hold his tongue any longer. “What happened back there?”
“I don’t know.”
“You know as well as I do what those guys would have done to that woman if we hadn’t shown up when we did,” he continued.
“No, I don’t know for sure,” she responded. “Maybe I’m just tired of killing without even thinking about it.”
“I hate to break it to you Celeste, but that’s our job. That’s what a Guardian is born to do – kill supernatural bad guys.”
“But what if they’re not all bad?”
Celeste wasn’t entirely sure where this crisis of conscience was coming from, but she had a pretty good idea it stemmed from her guilt over killing Dani Lynn. She never wanted to feel that darkness take hold of her again. She had never felt so out of control before, and it scared her to death.
Marco was interrupted before he could respond by the door of Anthony’s Pizza swinging open and nearly slamming in his face.
“Whoa! Sorry man,” said a preoccupied looking Brian balancing an extra large pizza in his arms.
“Hey!” said Celeste jumping up and nearly knocking the cumbersome box out of his hands.
“You’re back!” said Brian, putting the pizza down on the adjacent bench so he could give his best friend a hug.
Celeste buried her head into his warm jacket and squeezed him tightly. Being with Brian always made her feel at home and safe. She must have held on for a little longer than normal because when she finally let him go he asked, “Is everything okay?”
Celeste pushed the unruly curls that had escaped from her ponytail back into place, sensing her hair must be a mess after the scuffle in the alley. “Yeah, just a little incident with some werewolves.”
“Here?” asked Brian.
“Just back there actually,” chimed in Marco, pointing behind the restaurant.
Brian looked curiously at the dark-haired stranger.
“Oh, sorry guys. Brian, this is Marco, the Guardian from Italy I told you about. And Marco, this is my best friend, Brian.”
The men nodded politely enough, but Celeste couldn’t help but notice it looked like they were sizing each other up. She rolled her eyes.
“So what happened with the werewolves?” asked Brian.
“We killed one and let the other two off with a warning,” answered Marco with an edge of sarcasm in his tone. Celeste ignored it.
“Are you two done patrolling for the night? Do you want me to take you home?” Brian asked.
Celeste certainly felt done for the night. She knew she probably should have walked back with Marco and done another sweep, but she wasn’t in the right state of mind for it. Before Marco could object, she quickly answered, “Yes, please!”
The three of them hopped into Brian’s Mustang, Celeste sitting shotgun with the warm pizza in her lap. “What are you doing out this late getting pizza anyway?” she asked looking over at Brian.
“My parents took Maxi up to my grandparents’ house for the weekend, and I kind of forgot about going grocery shopping for myself. I didn’t realize how late it was, and I was starving.”
“Well you’re welcome to come over and spend the night at my house if you want. Marco’s staying with me for a few days. We can have a sleep over like old times,” she offered.
“And your pizza is welcome too,” said Marco as his stomach growled loudly from the back seat.
Brian chuckled. “Yeah, sure. I think I bought enough to share.”
This was just what Celeste needed. Brian always knew how to make her feel better. She’d tell him everything that happened with Dani Lynn and Roman and she’d feel much better by tomorrow morning. She was sure of it.
***
Stellan’s footsteps echoed through the quiet house as he returned from the kitchen with a hot cup of tea. Sitting in front of the fireplace with books strewn all over the coffee table and spilling onto the floor, he studied the old journal in his lap. He had been reading for hours, but as much as he tried, he simply couldn’t concentrate.
The house was much too quiet. He chuckled ruefully once he realized that he had grown used to Dani Lynn’s constant interruptions and inane questions. He missed the girl. He sighed and adjusted his black horn-rimmed glasses, pushing them further up his nose. The journal he was attempting to read was one from the Albsurori coven. It held details about the power of the ring and its effects on its possessor. His argument with Dalla was still fresh in his mind, and he couldn’t shake the feeling that there was more to this ring than what he knew.
As he continued reading, his thoughts wandered to Lilliana. Somehow, he knew she was safe, but he still worried about her being alone with Alek for too long. His research through the Albsurori journals was twofold: he had hoped to find some mention of a successful resurrection, but so far he had com
e up empty-handed. There weren’t many beings powerful enough to pull off such a feat of dark magic. And dark magic it certainly was. Disrupting the balance of nature by bringing back a life was something strictly forbidden in magical circles. He hated having to utilize books specializing in the dark arts, but if he couldn’t find anything here, he would be forced to do so.
Pushing the heavy book off of his lap, Stellan rose and walked over to the old mahogany armoire that sat in the far corner of the living room. Kneeling down on the floor, he pulled open the bottom drawer, which creaked loudly in resistance. He tossed aside various loose leaf pages, files, and other knick knacks and finally came upon what he was searching for. Tugging carefully, he extracted the leather-covered album, wiping dust off the cover before he opened the fragile, yellowing pages. On the first page he found the picture of Lilliana, Luka, Dalla and a much younger version of himself. Very gently, he lifted the photo from the backing and turned it to take in the inscription on the back. He immediately recognized the bubbly handwriting as Lilliana’s. It read: “My dearest friends, Stellan and Dalla – 1901 Bucharest”.
Stellan removed his glasses to wipe away the single tear that came unbidden. He remembered that day so clearly. It was the day that Lilliana decided to run away with Luka, thereby setting in motion all of the terrible things that would befall their family for years to come.
Stellan forced the dismal memories to the back of his mind. There was nothing he could do about the past, but there was something he could do right now. Feeling renewed with a sense of purpose, he hurried up the stairs to his study. Over his desk hung an oil painting depicting a small farm in the countryside. Looking at it brought a smile to his face. He slid the painting over gently, revealing a hidden door. Waving his hand over the seemingly impenetrable door (it had no key hole, keypad or hinges), it swung open. Stellan reached in and pulled out the small vial containing Alek’s blood.
Stellan hastily cleared his desk of all the miscellaneous papers and books and pulled out a large world map from the desk drawer. Laying it flat on the table, he placed a tiny drop of blood in the center. Closing his eyes, he placed his hands over the blood and began to murmur rapidly in Latin. As he spoke, a stream of light burst forth from his outstretched hands and electrified the blood so that it began to move. It raced across the map, landing squarely in St. Petersburg at the exact spot where they had last seen Alek and Lilliana.
Stellan let out a sigh of relief. The fact that Alek was still where they had left him was a good sign, he reasoned. If Alek had something malicious planned for Lilliana, he would have surely disappeared with her by now. At least she was safe for the time being, and Stellan knew exactly where she was. That thought alone was enough to momentarily comfort him. He pulled out the photo he had tucked into his robe and ran his crooked finger over the figures fondly. He vowed then and there that he would not fail Lilliana again, no matter the cost.
Celeste rolled over in her bed trying to block the early morning sun that was mercilessly shining through her bay window. Struggling to go back to sleep, she put the pillow over her head to drown out the guttural sound of snoring emanating from right below her. Shaking her head groggily, she glanced down and saw Brian curled up in a sleeping bag on the floor by her bed. His head was tilted back and his mouth hung open as he wheezed loudly, with no regard for those around him. Even Rocky looked disturbed by the racket. But for some reason, the comforting sight caused a smile to cross Celeste’s face. It brought back sweet childhood memories of countless sleepovers and much more innocent times. She giggled as she recalled an old photo of the two of them taking a bubble bath together with her favorite rubber ducky, both covered in soapy suds all the way up to the top of their heads.
“Stop watching me sleep, it’s creepy!” mumbled Brian as he turned sleepily toward Celeste.
“I couldn’t help it, you were snoring so loud it sounded like there was a buzz saw in my bedroom,” she retorted.
“Well you know, it could be this hard wooden floor I’m sleeping on. It’s probably not the best for my breathing.”
Celeste scooted over on the bed and gestured for him to come up. Brian was probably the only guy in the world that could get away with this without Celeste’s mom totally freaking out.
As Brian climbed in and made himself comfortable, Celeste said, “Sorry I passed out so early last night. I don’t think I even made it ten minutes into Guardians of the Galaxy.”
“No, you didn’t. But it was kinda cute watching you drool on my shoulder,” he replied with a smirk.
Celeste reached over and pinched him in the arm hard. “Ow!” he yelped, rubbing his bicep. “It was fine really. Marco and I watched till the end and then I dragged your butt up to bed.”
“Thanks,” she said. “I’m really glad you came over last night and that you’re here now.”
“So are you going to tell me what’s going on with you?” he asked, propping his head up on his hand so he could face her.
She took a deep breath and quickly summarized everything that had happened since leaving for Warsaw. She felt like she had told the story so many times now, she was tired of hearing it herself. When she finished, Brian looked at her with a sad expression in his sea green eyes.
“I just can’t believe that I killed Dani, Brian. I don’t know what came over me, but it was the scariest thing. It was like I wasn’t even in control of my body. I don’t want to become that, a supernatural killing machine that doesn’t feel anything anymore,” she said.
“You won’t. You could never,” he said, running his hand through her tangled curls. “You have the biggest heart of any person I’ve ever met. You’ve been under a lot of pressure lately, and you probably just had a momentary lapse.”
“Maybe.”
“What did Roman say about all of this?” he asked.
“Pretty much the same thing you said.”
“You see? I may not exactly love the guy, but he knows what he’s talking about,” he replied.
“We decided to make our break a little more permanent,” she admitted, willing the tears not to spring forth.
“You did?” he asked, his eyes wide open in amazement.
“Things are just so crazy in both of our lives right now, and you know how he always thinks he’s not good enough for me.”
“Uh oh, is he trying to secure your future with me again?” he asked with a wry grin.
A half smile crept across her face. “No, not this time.”
“Okay, good, because you know I’m kind of dating someone.”
“How is Marie doing?” Celeste asked, glad to change the topic to a happier subject.
“She’s good, I think. I haven’t seen her that much during the holiday break. She was doing fairy stuff,” he said with a shrug.
That made Celeste wonder. She hadn’t seen Marie since she found out about Alek being raised by the Queen of the Fae. She was curious to ask her exactly how much she knew about that.
“Aren’t we all in the same Macroeconomics class this semester?” asked Celeste.
“Yeah, I think we are. I guess we’ll all see her on Monday then.”
“Ugh, I’m so not looking forward for classes to start again,” complained Celeste.
“Me neither,” said Brian. “At least it’s basketball season so I’ll have an excuse to miss some classes.”
Celeste shook her head at him disapprovingly. Brian was just cruising through community college hoping to get drafted by a Big Ten university next year. He spent all of his free time practicing with the Crusaders basketball team even in the off-season.
Knock. Knock.
Marco’s head appeared in the doorway and for a minute it looked like his eyes were going to pop out of his head when he took in the scene before him. He mumbled “sorry” and quickly darted back slamming the door behind him.
It took a second for Celeste to realize what had happened, and with a laugh, she shouted for Marco to come back in. Opening the door only a sliver, he peeked i
n again.
“Come in,” she said as she sat up on the bed. “It’s not what you think.” Brian had a huge smile on his face and Celeste turned on him with a glare. “Stop that!”
“Hey, it’s none of my business,” said Marco, holding his hands up in the air.
“Brian slept on the floor, he just got into bed with me this morning. Besides he’s like a brother to me, and we have actually slept together many times.”
“Not in the biblical sense,” interjected Brian, his eyes sparkling.
Marco looked unconvinced, but he nodded anyway. “I just came by to let you know I was going to go out and buy some breakfast. I figured I owed Brian since we ate his pizza last night.”
“Great!” said Celeste, whose stomach was already rumbling.
Marco backed out of the room warily and closed the door. As soon as he left, Celeste burst into laughter. “I’ve never seen Marco so uncomfortable in my life!” she laughed. “He’s usually so smooth and collected – that was absolutely priceless.”
“I’m glad I could get a laugh out of you, even though I think it was at my expense,” said Brian. “Is it really that ridiculous for someone to think that we could have actually ‘slept’ together?”
The comment caught Celeste completely off guard, and she opened her mouth to try to speak but nothing came out.
“Relax Cel, I’m joking,” said Brian.
But there was something about the way he said it that made her think he wasn’t. Celeste pushed the thought away because she had too much on her mind right now to even consider the notion that Brian still had some sort of residual feelings for her. He was with Marie after all, so it was crazy.
“So what do you think about this Marco guy anyway?” asked Brian, interrupting her wayward thoughts.
“He’s been great,” she said. “He was really there for me in Warsaw and St. Petersburg, and it’s been nice having him here to hunt with.”