by G. K. DeRosa
“I’ll take that,” said Roman as he extended his open palm while keeping Celeste cradled in his other arm. She tossed it back to him spitefully. Roman slipped the white gold ring back on Celeste’s hand and smiled as he thought about how perfectly it complemented the antique gold one on her other hand. He spun around on his heels and vamp-sped out of the narrow corridor to join the others.
When Roman reached the entrance of the cave he found the rest of the crew, a bit worse for wear, but everyone was alive. He glanced down at Celeste who had passed out in his arms and he prayed that it wasn’t too late to save her too.
“What happened?” asked Brian, as he caught sight of Celeste’s limp body.
“She used too much power,” said Roman, shaking his head wearily.
Stellan’s eyes fluttered as he began to awaken as if he had subconsciously heard Roman’s words. He found himself lying on the floor with his head supported in Mrs. Wilder’s lap. “Is everyone all right?” he asked, as he tried to sit up.
“Lie still,” instructed Celeste’s mom, her inner nurse voice coming out. “You may have a concussion.”
“I’m fine,” he said, rising stubbornly. “Let me see her.” He held out his open arms and Roman deposited Celeste into them.
“Is she going to be okay?” asked Roman as they all hovered around Stellan.
“I need to get her back home immediately,” he responded.
“Go ahead with Marie,” Roman said. “I need to go back in there for Brazen and Astrid.”
Stellan shook his head. “Roman, remember that Astrid is the Queen’s daughter. Regardless of what she did today, we cannot take her punishment into our own hands.”
Roman growled in response. “Fine. But I will take Brazen and do with him as I see fit.”
Stellan nodded solemnly and Roman turned back toward the caves.
“Do you want me to come with you, brother?” asked Nico.
“No, stay with Celeste and make sure they make it back through the portal safely. Marco, you come with me,” Roman responded.
“I’ll take them through and come back for the two of you,” shouted Marie from up ahead.
With a heavy heart, Roman watched the group disappear deep into the Fae forest for a few moments before heading back into the caves with Marco to retrieve Brazen.
“Did she wake up yet?” asked an anxious-looking Brian when Roman ambled into the living room.
“No, not yet,” he answered. He slumped down on the couch and ran his hands over his face and through his messy hair. “Stellan and Mrs. Wilder are in there with her now.”
“Do they know if she’s going to be okay?” asked Marie.
“It’s too soon to tell,” Roman answered without looking up.
The three of them sat in silence for a few minutes until Marco and Nico emerged in the corridor, coming up from the basement.
“How’s our houseguest doing?” asked Roman. As soon as they had returned from Fae, Stellan had conjured up an impenetrable cell to imprison Brazen. They still hadn’t figured out what to do with him, since killing him didn’t seem to be a feasible option at the moment.
“He’s locked up tight,” said Nico. “He won’t be going anywhere any time soon.”
“I still want one of you down there at all times on guard,” ordered Roman. “Until Brazen’s fairy friend, Astrid, is dealt with, I don’t want to risk a rescue attempt.”
Marco and Nico exchanged glances. “I’ll go,” said Marco, “and you can take the next shift.”
“Thank you,” said Roman as Marco disappeared down the hallway.
“What’s going to happen to Astrid?” asked Marie.
“Stellan wants to address the issue with the Council first. He hopes that they will intercede with the Queen of the Fae on our behalf,” explained Roman.
“She definitely needs to be held accountable for what she did,” interjected Nico.
“It won’t be that easy,” said Marie. “The royals have always been held to a higher standard. Even if the Queen does decide to punish her daughter, I doubt we will find out anything about it.”
“As long as she stays away from Brazen and even further from Celeste, I couldn’t care less what they do to her,” hissed Roman as he stood up abruptly and headed to the kitchen. Nico rose quietly and followed behind him.
“Have you slept at all tonight?” asked Nico, finding Roman rummaging through the cabinets.
“No,” he answered.
“Let me make you some coffee. Go sit down at least,” said Nico, taking the mug out of his brother’s hand and giving him a gentle push toward the table.
Roman sank down into the chair with a frustrated sigh.
“She’s going to be okay, you know that, right?” asked Nico, as the coffee machine began percolating.
“I don’t know,” Roman answered. “You didn’t see the red light that shot out of her hand. The power behind it was like nothing I’ve ever seen before, and her eyes…”
“Don’t go there, Roman, not yet. We don’t know anything for sure,” Nico said, bringing over two mugs of coffee and joining Roman at the table. “It was a good thing you guys were able to pull off the ring switcheroo. It sounds like that was what provided the distraction you needed.”
Roman nodded his head wearily. “Yeah, it was a good plan. Brazen had no idea the ring he had in hand was actually the Christmas gift I gave to Celeste—not the Albsurori ring. I don’t think she would have had enough strength to defeat him without it.”
A curious expression flashed across Nico’s face.
“What?” asked Roman.
“I was just thinking that we know the ring magnifies Celeste’s strength, but is it possible that it’s magnifying whatever this darkness is inside of her?” Nico wondered aloud.
Roman frowned. “That’s an interesting thought,” he said as he took a sip of his coffee. “I’ll run it by Stellan and see what he thinks.”
Celeste’s motionless figure lay curled up in the blankets, her blonde locks splayed over the pillow. Her mother sat beside her on the bed gently stroking her arm like she had often done when Celeste was a child. Stellan hadn’t left her side since they had returned. He sat on the stool next to her, the deep wrinkles around his eyes and brow seemingly permanently etched into his troubled face.
“I’m so sorry that I failed in protecting her,” Stellan whispered to Mrs. Wilder.
She shook her head and gave him a half smile. “It’s not your fault, Stellan. I know my daughter well, and she is just as headstrong as her father. I knew nothing would stop her from trying to rescue me.”
“I should have stopped her. It is my duty to protect her and keep her safe, no matter the cost,” he continued.
“She would have never forgiven you if you had,” she said, turning her gaze toward him. “Celeste is strong. She’ll fight this and get through it just like she does everything else.”
Stellan bent down to pick up one of the books on the stack by his stool. He flipped through the yellowing pages, and finding what he was looking for began murmuring in Latin. He had been doing it on and off all night, hoping that he could ward off the evil that had taken root inside of his precious Celeste and bring her back to them unharmed.
***
Days came and went and Celeste still remained in her comatose state. With each night that passed, Roman grew more and more concerned. Even Stellan, who had read every single Guardian journal relating to the situation, was stumped. At everyone’s urging, he had finally left Celeste’s bedside and gone to see the Council. He hoped that they could provide some insight into Celeste’s state of oblivion as well as checking on the status of the Queen of the Fae and her wayward daughter, Astrid.
Roman paced by the foot of Celeste’s bed, tired of sitting. That was all he had managed to do for the past few days, sit and wait and repeat. Every morning when the sun rose he imagined Celeste’s brilliant smile and warm hazel eyes greeting him, but everyday he was bitterly disappointed. He wasn’t sure
how much longer he could live without the love of his life, not knowing if she would ever return to him. His life had been empty and meaningless without her, and he didn’t think he could ever go back to that.
Roman walked over to the side of her bed and caressed her pale cheek. She still felt warm, but most of the color had drained from her face. A sudden impulsive thought raced through his mind, but he quickly pushed it aside, dismissing it as foolish. But then again, maybe it wasn’t. Should he try it? They had tried just about everything else without any luck. Sitting down by her side hastily before he changed his mind, he raised his wrist to his mouth and tore into the tender flesh. He gently nudged Celeste’s mouth open and placed his wrist over it. Little drops of crimson blood trickled onto her tongue. He closed her mouth and tilted her head back, whispering, “Drink, Celeste, please.”
Nothing happened for a few moments and Roman sat back, disillusionment flooding in. Then all of a sudden, her eyelids began to flutter. “Celeste?” he whispered. “It’s me, Roman, I’m here with you. Please come back to me.” Another flicker, and then her eyes shot open and darted apprehensively around the room. For an instant, Roman thought he saw a flash of black, but then it dissipated and her warm hazel irises focused on him.
“Roman?” she murmured, her voice dry and rasping.
A huge smile broke across his face as he pulled her into his arms. “Thank God you’re okay,” he breathed into her ear. She hugged him back tightly, feeling as if she hadn’t seen him in the longest time.
As she cuddled in his heartfelt embrace, flashes of the battle began to flow through her mind. She pulled away quickly, her heart speeding up. “My mom! Is she okay?”
“Yes,” he said, taking her hands to steady her. “Everything’s fine. She’s probably downstairs right now having some breakfast. We’ve all been so worried about you, Celeste. You’ve been out for almost a week.”
“A week!” she shouted, her eyes popping open. “What happened?”
“I’ll tell you all about it, but right now we need to tell everyone you’re awake. They’re going to be so relieved,” he said, as he rushed out the door to yell down the stairs.
The following morning, Celeste crept quietly down the basement steps. The sun still hadn’t risen and the staircase was pitch black, but she didn’t want to risk turning the lights on and waking the rest of the house. She had tossed and turned all night long, her restless mind plagued with shadowy images. After being unconscious for the past few days, she was convinced she had gotten enough sleep for a lifetime. As she made her way into the basement, she traced the walls with her hands to guide her in the darkness. She hit the bottom step, and a light flickered on, nearly blinding her and scaring her half to death.
“Celeste, what are you doing down here?” asked Roman, rising from his guard post.
“I couldn’t sleep and I took a wrong turn?” she teased.
He rolled his eyes at her and put his arm around her bare shoulders. “Aren’t you cold?” he asked, draping his upper body around her.
“Not anymore,” she said with a smile as she leaned in close.
“Okay, enough with the distractions. What are you really doing down here?” he asked.
“I need to see him,” she answered.
Roman shook his head at her firmly. “I don’t think so,” he replied. “It’s too soon. You’ve only been back for a day.”
“Stellan said I could,” she retorted. “He thinks it will give me closure.”
Roman eyed her skeptically. “Are you sure you’re ready?” he asked, remembering the flash of darkness he had seen in her eyes just yesterday.
“Yes,” she answered. “Stellan and I talked about it, and I think I’ve had a revelation of sorts.”
“What’s that?” he asked.
“I think I have to accept that this darkness is inside of me now. It’s a part of me, just like being the Guardian. I need to learn to control it and come to terms with it.”
Roman let out a deep breath, not knowing exactly how to respond. It pained him to think she would have to bear the same inner battle he dealt with everyday. “I know the feeling,” he finally said. He of all people was familiar with the constant struggle of fighting the darkness within. He turned and led her into the far corner of the basement, passing all of the training equipment Stellan had recently had installed. “I guess if Stellan says it’s all right,” he continued as they reached Brazen’s cell.
“I don’t want any visitors,” growled a dirty looking Brazen. He was still covered in grime and dried blood from the fight a week ago.
“So I guess showering isn’t one of his allowances?” asked Celeste as the stink invaded her nostrils.
“He’s lucky he gets fed,” hissed Roman in Brazen’s direction.
“Get out of here, Guardian!” Brazen snarled as he cradled his maimed arm. “I’m not some zoo animal you can throw sticks at through a cage.”
“Don’t you dare talk to her like that,” roared Roman, rattling the four-inch steel bars. “She’ll stay as long as she wants.”
“I need you to know something,” Celeste said addressing Brazen calmly. He looked up in her direction under hooded eyes. “No matter how long it takes, I’m going to make you pay for what you did – for slaughtering all of those people in Astor, for kidnapping my mom and most of all for killing my best friend, Natalie.” Celeste began to shake, but she willed herself to stop and continue on. “And not only are you going to suffer, but I’m going to wipe out your entire pack. The Black Devils will be nothing more than a greasy spot on the road of life that people purposely avoid.”
Brazen stood up and sauntered to the edge of the cell, just inches away from Celeste.
“Back up!” yelled Roman.
Brazen obeyed and took two steps back, but held onto the bar with his one good hand. “Do what you have to do, Guardian,” he spat out, “but just remember that there’s only one of you and there are thousands of us. You kill me, you wipe out my pack and there will still be hundreds more waiting to take my place. It’ll never stop. There will always be someone coming after you and targeting the ones closest to you until someone finally kills you. It’s only a matter of time. That’s not a life I would ever want.” And with that, he turned away and walked back to the far side of his cage.
Celeste spun around, her heart pounding and dashed through the basement and up the stairs. Roman chased after her, finally catching up to her as she fled outside to the back porch. Her chest was heaving, and she had covered her face with her hands as she sobbed.
“Everything’s going to be okay,” said Roman as he wrapped his arms around her. “Brazen doesn’t know what he’s talking about. Don’t let him get to you like that.”
“He’s right, Roman. None of this is ever going to end,” she muttered in between sniffles. “It will be a never-ending life of fighting and running and watching those that I love die because of me.”
“No,” he said, shaking his head. “I won’t let it be that way for you.”
“There’s nothing you can do. It’s the life of a Guardian. It’s my family legacy.”
Do you want to be the first to find out what happens to Celeste and the Constantins next? The final book in the series will be released in July 2016. Sign up to my mailing list to get sneak peaks, and bonuses and be the first to know when it’s out! www.wilderbook.com
For now, here’s a sneak peak of Wilder Legacy!
Chapter 1
The contagious laughter of a giggling toddler rang through the air, filling Celeste’s heart with happiness. She watched the curly blond two-year old splashing by the lake with her father as she sat just a few feet away on the old Adirondack chair. It was a beautiful summer day, and the sun felt hot on Celeste’s shoulders as she dug her toes into the warm sand. Her eyes never strayed from the pair, but for once it wasn’t for fear of their safety. She simply couldn’t believe how lucky she was to have them, and she didn’t want to miss a minute of it. She was completely at peace, secu
re in the notion that her family was perfectly safe here in Astor.
A small flock of ducks paddled up to the shore and the little girl squealed in delight. She clapped her hands wildly as the mother duck approached with five ducklings swimming closely behind. The child tried to reach out and grab one of the baby ducks as they swam by, but her father’s quick hand caught her before she tottered further into the water. Instantly, Celeste sprang to the edge of her seat and her breath hitched as she imagined the baby being pulled under the water, but the terrible thought quickly dissipated once she saw her in her father’s firm grasp. Relaxing again, Celeste tipped her head back and stared into the cloudless blue sky. Above her head, she could just make out two large birds circling. There was something so familiar about them – one white and one black – and yet she simply couldn’t place them. A distant memory stirred inside of her bringing mixed feelings of joy and regret.
A high-pitched giggle brought her back to the present and she re-focused her attention to the happy scene in front of her. The little girl sat on her father’s broad shoulders as he waded further into the still lake, her round face and dark hazel eyes beaming with excitement.
“Is it cold?” whispered Celeste, not wanting to break the serenity of the magical moment.
The man turned toward her for the first time, and pushing back his dark locks with an irrepressible smile said, “No, it’s just perfect. Why don’t you join us?”
Celeste exhaled sharply when she recognized those intense dark eyes darting up at her and for a moment she was completely at a loss for words.
“Mama, come!” said the little girl, her blond curls shimmering in the sunlight.
Celeste went numb. Something was terribly wrong. It wasn’t supposed to be like this. Her heart clenched as she felt the overwhelming sense of loss for someone that she simply couldn’t remember. Focusing on the man standing in front of her, she finally spluttered out the name stuck in her throat, “Marco?”