by G. K. DeRosa
“Well, it did.”
“I’m really sorry. She’s strong though, she can fight it,” he said.
“I know that. I’m very aware of what my girlfriend is capable of,” said Roman haughtily.
“Oh,” murmured Marco “so you guys are back together?”
“Yes, we are.”
“That’s um, great…”
“If there’s nothing else you need, Marco, it’s late here,” said Roman.
“Yes, of course. I’m sorry if I woke you,” he answered.
Roman felt a slight twinge of guilt for being so rude, and he adjusted his tone once again. “Thank you for calling about my mother, truly. I appreciate it.”
“Of course,” Marco answered. “And if there is anything I can do to help Celeste, please let me know.”
Roman hung up the phone and a glimmer of hope crept into his heart. At least now he knew where his mother was. Once Celeste awoke and he confirmed she was okay, he would be on the first flight to find her and rescue her from Alek.
***
Lilliana strolled down Via Condotti with a few shopping bags in hand. She had finally given in to Alek’s badgering to wear more modern clothing. At least here in Rome, she had found the fashion more to her liking. She paused at the fountain at the base of the Spanish Steps – Fontana della Barcaccia, a beautiful Baroque marble fountain to take a seat. Lilliana remembered being here before, many years ago with Luka and her boys. Memories of young Roman and Nico splashing in the fountain filled her vision. They had of course first taken them to the famous Trevi Fountain, but it was always so overcrowded with tourists. Lilliana found that the boys enjoyed this small one much better. A smile crossed her lips as she reminisced.
As kind as Alek was being, she knew that this living situation could not last forever. He had given her a second chance at life, and she didn’t want to waste this precious gift while at odds with her sons. Though most of her memories of the day she was brought back were still a blur, she did hold intense feelings of guilt and loss. She hadn’t remembered the boys, and that alone must have hurt them greatly, she knew. As she contemplated her next course of action, Alek sauntered up from behind her.
“I see you are enjoying the beautiful day outside, Mother,” he said, startling her from her thoughts.
“Yes,” she said, turning toward him. “I thought I would take advantage of the unseasonably warm weather to go for a stroll and do some shopping.” She gestured to the mound of bags at her feet.
“Good,” he said. “Though I enjoyed your Victorian gowns, I assure you that you will be much more comfortable in a Max Mara or Valentino dress.”
Lilliana had wanted for some time to discuss the dilemma regarding her other sons, but she feared Alek’s reaction. Perhaps a public setting was the best approach, she thought. Lilliana took a deep breath and began. “Alek, I know that you and my sons do not have a good relationship – ”
Alek cut her off with a snarl. “No, we don’t, considering they are my mortal enemies.”
“But why must it be so?” she asked.
“They killed Fabian. He may not have been much, but he was all I had. And they had you, while I had nothing!” His pale cheeks were beginning to redden as the anger boiled up inside of him.
Lilliana reached for his hand. “My son, I have explained to you what Fabian did. He was a cruel man, and it was because of him that you were taken from me. You must not hold that against my Roman and Nico any more than you hold it against me.”
“He may have been wretched, but he was the only father figure I ever had,” insisted Alek.
“Not anymore! Now you have me and we can all be a family, like we should have been all those years ago,” she said pleading.
He shook his head vehemently. “I don’t think I can. And even if I were willing, I doubt they would be so forgiving after what Fabian and I did to them in the past.”
“All things can be forgiven in time,” she said. “Please Alek, I think that I have shown you the depths of my affection. I only ask that you seriously consider my request.”
“I don’t trust them, Mother. They will try to take you away from me,” he said, his dark eyes enraged.
“I promise, if you allow me to see them, I would never let them take me away. I will stay with you, always.” She stood up and caressed his cheek, and he relaxed slightly. She put her arm through his and led him back to their villa.
***
Roman opened Celeste’s door just a crack and peered in silently. It was early morning, the sun had just barely risen, but he couldn’t wait to check on her. He tiptoed in, hovering by the foot of the bed. Her breath was slow and even as he watched her, entranced by the peaceful look on her face. He hoped Stellan had been wrong. In looking at her now, there was no way he could believe that she could ever give into the darkness. She turned over in her sleep, muttering something Roman didn’t quite catch. He took a few steps closer to her and her eyes sprung open. For a brief second they were the pitch black he had seen the night before, but then in an instant, they were back to normal. The green and caramel flecks in her irises focused on his face, and she smiled.
“Good morning,” he said, trying to sound calm and mask the anxiety he was feeling from the momentary flash of black.
“Hi,” she said. “How long have I been out?” She picked her head up off the pillow.
“Not too long, about eight hours,” he said. “How are you feeling?”
“A little tired, but I’m okay,” she answered.
Roman didn’t know whether or not he should talk about Natalie. It was possible Celeste didn’t remember what had happened the night before. He certainly didn’t want to be the one to drag all of those terrible memories back to the surface again. “Let me go get Stellan and tell him you’re awake,” he said, slipping out the door.
Celeste yawned and looked out the window at the rising sun, enjoying the vibrant yellows and oranges that illuminated the dawning sky. Her head was a little sore and her thoughts were a bit fuzzy, she realized as she stared outside.
How did I get to Stellan’s?
She thought back to the evening before. She remembered bits and pieces – the feel of her beautiful sapphire blue gown on her skin, the melodious Sinatra songs, feeling safe in Roman’s arms. Just then, a heart-wrenching pain filled her chest. No! Natalie! Flashes of the night before came streaming through her mind and replayed the horror of the evening.
“No!” she screamed, choking back a sob.
Roman, Stellan and Nico came racing through the door. “Are you all right?” asked Roman.
“Last night…Natalie…I can’t!” she muttered unintelligibly.
Roman shot a worried look to Stellan and he stepped forward. He sat down beside her on the bed and spoke softly. “Celeste, everything is going to be fine. You must calm down,” he said as he stroked her head gently. Her eyes searched the room in a panic, finally resting on Nico’s. She could see the pain in his expression so clearly her heart hurt for him.
“Nico, is she really gone?” she asked.
He nodded slowly.
“Why?” she shouted. “Why couldn’t I stop them?” She began ranting again as Stellan worked frantically to keep her calm.
“Celeste, you must listen to me. The pull to the darkness that you are feeling, it’s very strong but you must fight it. It is vital that you remain calm,” he said as he forced her to lie back in the bed.
“Please listen to him, Celeste,” said Roman. “If you get too upset, the evil will consume you. And I won’t let that happen.” He walked over to the other side of the bed and sat beside her.
“They’re right,” said Nico. “We’ve had enough loss. We need you.”
Celeste tried to process what they were saying to her. She knew she had been feeling strangely ever since the incident with Dani in St. Petersburg, but she couldn’t believe that actual darkness was trying to take over her. Celeste took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Okay,” she said. “Can you
please explain to me what this darkness is that you’re all talking about now?”
Stellan scowled. “When you came to me a few weeks ago, I didn’t want to worry you. Sometimes the great power that comes along with being a Guardian becomes too much. It’s not that your power is rooted in evil. It’s not, but it has the potential to turn that way.”
“Right, because essentially I’m a killing machine,” muttered Celeste bitterly.
“But a good one that kills wicked things,” interjected Roman.
“So how do we stop this darkness or evil from taking over?” she asked.
“It’s going to take some training – meditation, relaxation exercises, yoga and most importantly, you need to avoid all stress and conflicts,” said Stellan. Celeste opened her mouth to object, but before she could, Stellan continued. “I already spoke to Dante and they are aware of your condition. You have been placed off-duty for the time being, and the Council members all send well wishes for a speedy recovery.”
“So that’s it? They’ve put me on a time-out?” she asked.
“Essentially,” answered Stellan. “This will be good for you. You deserve a break. I spoke to your mom, and she knows you will be staying with me for awhile.”
“Mom!” she shouted. “Is she okay? The attack…”
“She’s fine,” said Roman. “We made sure she and the rest of the party guests made it out safely.”
“Thank you,” she said.
“There’s nothing more for you to worry about,” said Stellan with a comforting smile. “All you have to do is rest up and focus on getting better.”
The three men left the room, and Celeste closed her eyes determined to go back to sleep even if her mind was racing a mile a minute with all this new information. I need to get better A.S.A.P. so that I can kill Brazen and make him suffer for killing Natalie.
At breakfast, Roman broke the news to Stellan and Nico about Marco’s late night phone call. The relief written on Stellan’s fatigued face was palpable. The three men sipped their coffee and discussed the best course of action.
“Perhaps I should go with you,” offered Stellan. “If I am at least within a closer proximity to Alek and Lilliana, I may be able to find them with my locator spell.”
“No,” said Roman, “you have to stay here with Celeste. Her recovery is of the utmost importance.”
Stellan nodded back grimly. He knew it was true, but regretted not being able to assist with the rescue efforts. He had witnessed a guardian who had succumbed to the darkness and it had been a terrifying sight, one which he hoped never to see again. “Yes, you’re right,” he finally answered. “I will begin working with Celeste immediately.”
“Good. It’s settled then, Nico and I will leave for Rome tomorrow,” said Roman. He hated the thought of leaving Celeste so soon after her breakdown, but he couldn’t miss this opportunity to find his mother either.
“I’m sure that Marco will be willing to offer assistance. I will call him today to work out the details,” said Stellan.
Roman grimaced. “I don’t think that’s necessary.”
“We need all the help we can get, Roman,” interjected Nico, glancing up from his cup. “Don’t let your petty jealousy get in the way of saving our mother.”
The air in the room turned about ten degrees colder at Nico’s frosty remark. It was apparent to everyone gathered that he had not forgiven his brother for his earlier comments.
“Fine,” answered Roman, rising from his seat. “I’ll book the flights today.”
“Book the flights to where?” asked Celeste, appearing in the kitchen doorway. Her blonde curls were pulled into a messy bun on the top of her head and dark circles marked the soft skin under her eyes.
“You should be resting,” admonished Stellan.
“I can’t sleep anymore,” she replied as she walked into the kitchen and took a seat at the table. “Where are you guys going?”
Roman shot a questioning look to Stellan and he nodded slightly, giving him the go-ahead. Roman knew exactly what Celeste’s response would be once they told her about their trip, and he dreaded it. “Marco called last night,” he began.
“My Marco? From Rome?” she asked. She meant it innocently, but the possessive tone in her voice sent shocks of jealousy running through Roman.
He cleared his throat and continued, “Yes. He called your phone and I answered it. I hope you don’t mind, but it was the middle of the night and I thought it might be important.”
“Sure,” she said. “And what did he say?”
“He found our mother and Alek. He ran into them walking through the streets of Rome.”
“That’s great news!” she shouted, seeing the happiness in Roman’s face. Then a thought clicked in her head. “Do you think Alek sent Brazen to get the Albsurori ring again?” As she said the words, her cheeks began to burn, her eyes narrowing.
“We don’t know that they were after your ring,” answered Stellan.
“They were. Vinny tried to steal it from me when we were fighting,” she replied. “Didn’t Roman and Nico tell you?” Stellan looked back at her blankly.“I guess it slipped their minds after everything that happened with Nat.”
“Well, it’s a good thing Marco found them,” said Roman, trying to change the subject from Natalie’s death. “We’ll find out now one way or another.”
“I’m going with you,” said Celeste.
Stellan sternly shook his head at her. “You can’t go Celeste. This is exactly the sort of situations that you must avoid.”
“How can you expect me to do that?” she shouted rising from her seat. “Alek has brought such misery to all of us, and if he’s somehow responsible for Natalie’s death, I need to make sure that he pays for it.”
“Hey Celeste,” said Roman, putting a calming hand on her arm, “if Alek is responsible I will make sure that he pays for it and every other terrible thing he’s ever done to us. You trust me, don’t you?”
“Of course I do, but I can’t just sit back and watch you two go off on your own.”
Stellan interjected, “You have heard of the saying ‘live to fight another day’ Celeste? I don’t think you understand the full implications of your condition. You need to take this seriously.”
Celeste frowned, her eyes pleading with the men gathered around her. “What if I go and I don’t fight?”
“You know that’s not going to be possible,” said Roman. “If one of us is in trouble, you won’t be able to hold back.”
“And that is exactly why I should be there,” she retorted obstinately.
“Celeste, this is not up for discussion,” said Stellan firmly. “Perhaps I haven’t been clear enough. You are to stay with me and follow my direction to the letter until I say otherwise. If you disobey me, I will be forced to take another approach, with which neither of us will be happy.”
Celeste’s mouth hung open in shock. Stellan had never talked to her like that before, and there was something about the intensity of his tone that frightened her. “Okay,” she said finally as she sank down into her chair.
With the discussion settled, Nico stood up from his seat and walked out the back porch door. Roman waited a few moments and then followed behind him. He knew that if they were to succeed in rescuing their mother and defeating Alek, he needed to fix things between him and his brother right away.
Roman trailed Nico into the woods, following a few yards behind. He knew Nico was very aware of his presence, and yet he never turned around. Roman worried that his bad temper may have really hurt his brother this time. As the pair crept through the silent woods, Roman thought about seeing his mother again. He promised himself he would reign in his temper this time-- and that he’d do whatever necessary to get his mother back. He had been so engrossed in his thoughts that he hadn’t noticed Nico had stopped. Roman looked up suddenly and found himself face- to-face with his brother.
“Leave me alone, Roman!” he growled. “Can’t you see that I want to be by myself?
”
“You know I recall a similar situation just a few weeks ago when you followed me into the woods, and as much as I wanted to ignore you, you wouldn’t let up either,” said Roman.
“That was different,” Nico answered. “Your girlfriend wasn’t dead.”
“No, she wasn’t,” said Roman, “but I thought I had lost her for good and I thought I had killed someone and turned them into a vampire. So I was in a pretty crappy place too.”
Nico snorted.
“I’m sorry for what I said earlier. I was completely out of line,” said Roman, his blue eyes pleading. “You know how I get with things concerning Celeste. And maybe I’m envious of how well you handle things. You never lose control like I do, and I wish I was more like you.” He squeezed his brother’s shoulder and was pleasantly surprised when he didn’t pull away.
“Roman, you don’t think I’m dying inside? What I had with Natalie might not be quite the same epic love that you and Celeste have, but I loved her and I’m devastated by her loss,” said Nico exhaling sharply. “I guess I’ve just learned to handle my pain over the years.”
The two remained silent for a few moments, each contemplating the pain and loss they had experienced. Roman couldn’t fathom what it would be like to lose Celeste. The mere thought of it left him gasping for air.
“I’m so sorry,” Roman repeated. “Is there anything I can do to make it better?”
“Nah, I’ll get through it somehow,” he replied, forcing a half grin.
“It’s that bright and cheery personality you have little brother,” said Roman with a smile. “That’s why you were always mother’s favorite.”
Nico chuckled. “What do you say we kick our half-brother’s butt back to the frozen tundra of Russia, find out if he had anything to do with Natalie’s death and get our mom back?”
Roman put his arm around his brother and steered him back toward the house. “I thought you’d never ask.”
Celeste sat on the back porch, bundled up in a warm coat and matching hat and scarf, her legs crossed underneath her. She leaned back on the yoga mat and tried to relax. The cold seeped in from the wooden boards underneath the thin mat, penetrating the coat’s fabric and sending chills down her back. “This is no use, it’s too cold!” huffed Celeste.