by G. K. DeRosa
The intense rays of the sun were scorching her shoulders as beads of sweat trickled down her back; her arms felt heavy and her leg muscles sore. She took in her surroundings as the haze lifted. She was in a clearing, with a bright blue sky overhead and blades of green grass tickling her bare feet. In the distance, she saw a figure walking toward her. He was tall and lean with wavy, shoulder-length chestnut hair and a sword swung over his shoulder. As he grew closer, Celeste could just make out the green specks in his hazel eyes glistening in the morning sun.
She was positive it was him, but not quite as she had seen him last. He looked so young, possibly no older than she was now. “Dad!” she said, as she crossed the few steps between them, throwing her arms around him.
“Hi there, baby girl,” he said, the warmth of his smile reaching his kind eyes.
“Dad – you’re kind of hot!” Kristoff roared with laughter. “Sorry that was really weird of me to say,” she said as she let go of him.
“It’s okay. I imagine it must be quite a shock seeing me like this.” He gently tucked a loose curl behind her ear. “You, my dear, are as beautiful as ever. And I can say that without it sounding weird because I’m your father even if I don’t look like it right now.”
Celeste smiled. “What are we doing here?”
“I was about to ask you the same thing. This is your dream, not mine.”
Celeste remained puzzled, most of the dreams her father appeared in involved the Council, battling demons or relentless training exercises. They were never quite as peaceful as this.
She glanced around at the idyllic surroundings and spotted a small lake. “Come on, let’s go there,” she said.
Father and daughter sat side-by-side at the edge of the lake as the cool water lapped over Celeste’s toes. For a while they shared a comfortable silence, admiring the gently rolling clouds and listening to the songbirds flying overhead without saying a word.
“I guess we could talk,” said Celeste, breaking the silence. “You know, like catch up.”
“Sure, sweetie. I don’t have that much to tell, nothing too exciting happening in the afterlife. How about you?”
“Oh, I’ve got exciting all right,” she said with a shake of her head.
“Yes, I heard about the attack on Astor. You did very well, and you should be proud of yourself. I certainly am.” He put his arm around her shoulder and squeezed.
She certainly didn’t feel proud. “Thanks. I feel like I should have been able to do more though. Sierra was almost killed, and they’re not even sure she’s ever going to wake up.”
“Don’t you worry about her. She’s tough. She’ll wake up when she’s good and ready.”
“Speaking of tough women – Dad why didn’t you tell me about Aunt Maddie? And how could you have let the Council send her off to Poland all by herself?” she asked, looking at him pointedly. For a moment she had forgotten all of the things that had been on her mind lately. She couldn’t imagine her kind father not standing up for his younger sister.
His expression stiffened. “I hadn’t seen Maddie in years when you were chosen. The last I knew of her she had dishonored our family by abandoning her duty as a guardian. I didn’t think she was the right example for you.”
It was strange hearing his familiar fatherly tone coming out of the young man sitting beside her, but she continued anyway. “But she was your sister! You didn’t even try to find out what happened?”
“Of course I did! I searched for her for weeks when I first found out she went after that vampire. She didn’t want to be found. You’ve spent time with her—can’t you see how stubborn she is? There was no talking any sense into her.” He stood up abruptly and began pacing by the edge of the water. “And when she was first chosen and sent away, I tried to talk to the Council. But what could I do? I couldn’t go after her: I was newly married and you had just been born. I thought about offering to go in her place, but I couldn’t do that to you and your mother.”
“I didn’t know…” said Celeste meekly.
“I told you when you were selected,” he said, crouching down beside her, “this is not an easy life that we have been chosen to live. There are always sacrifices that must be made.”
“She just seems so sad,” said Celeste. “I wish there was something I could do to help her. Maybe I can get her reinstated?”
“Oh sweetie, you have such a big heart,” he said as he rubbed her back. “Even if you could talk the Council into it, I don’t know that my obstinate sister would want to go back.”
Celeste returned to her silent reverie for a few minutes as she contemplated her father and aunt’s lives. Were pain and heartbreak the only things in store for her future as well?
“Enough about that,” said her dad with a lighthearted tone. “Tell me something good. How’s college going? Have you met anyone new?”
Her dad knew full well about her relationship with Roman, although he pretended it didn’t exist. With everything going on, he picked the wrong time to bring it up.
“Roman and I are taking a break, so you should be happy about that,” she snapped at him.
“I’m sorry,” he said, but Celeste could tell he didn’t mean it. “Maybe it’s for the best.”
“No, it’s not for the best,” she said, pushing his hand off her shoulder and getting up angrily. He of all people should have been able to understand her, he always had. “All of these sacrifices that you talk about, that we have to make as guardians – he was the one good thing about it all. And now, I just feel empty inside without him.”
“He’s a vampire, Celeste. How long do you think that absurd relationship could have lasted? You’re as bad as Maddie!”
Celeste spun toward him, hurt plastered on her face. She bit her lower lip to keep her tears in check.
“I’m sorry sweetie, I didn’t mean that.” Again his apology sounded hollow. She looked at him incredulously, and with misery in her eyes, she turned away and ran.
***
Alek slipped the dainty ring on his pinky finger and admired the bright sapphire as it sparkled in the moonlight. He didn’t feel any different, but then again just having it in his possession might be all he needed. He made his way back down through the dark tunnels to where he kept her. Standing before the prone figure, he pulled the white linen back. It was incredible how Fabian had been able to preserve her body. Though she had been dead for close to a century, her smooth skin remained flawless and her flaxen hair was soft and shiny. With the exception of her unnatural pallor, it could seem as though she were merely sleeping.
He stepped away from her toward a dark wooden armoire at the end of the room. Taking a key out of his pocket, he unlocked it and both doors swung open. Inside were two ceramic vessels. He picked one up and unplugging the cork stopper, he sniffed. The pungent copper smell made his nose twitch. He paused for a moment, remembering how fortunate he had been to have managed to get these out of the caves that night. Once the Council had stormed in, no one had given a second thought to the blood of the Constantins. He removed the ring from his finger and placed it in a small box next to the blood-filled containers. As he locked the heavy oaken doors of the armoire, a twisted grin curled on his lips. There was just one more thing he needed, and he knew exactly how to get it.
“Come on Celeste, you have to put the star on top of the tree!” called Aunt Maddie.
“I’m coming!” she shouted back from the kitchen. She was putting the finishing touches on the homemade eggnog. It was a Wilder family tradition, one of the few that Celeste actually enjoyed. She walked into the living room, the smell of fresh pine in the air, as she balanced a tray with four frosty mugs of the famous eggnog. Her mother and her aunt were both smiling happily as they hung the last few ornaments on the tall evergreen. Sure it was Christmas Eve, but better late than never, figured Celeste.
Knock, knock.
Celeste put down the glasses and ran to the door.
“Did I miss the eggnog?” asked Brian.
“Nope, right on time,” Celeste responded, handing him a big red mug. “I was about to put the star on.”
Celeste pulled a chair up next to the towering tree and climbed up as Brian held her hand to steady her. Standing up on her tiptoes, she reached for the topmost branch of the tree and carefully secured the shining star. “Okay,” she said. Her mom plugged in the lights and the tree sparkled to life. Celeste jumped down from the chair and stood back to view the brightly decorated Christmas tree in all its glory.
“It looks awesome,” said Brian, taking it in.
“Yeah, it does,” she agreed. It was moments like these that Celeste was truly grateful for. Looking around the room at her mom, her aunt and her best friend, a feeling of happiness swept over her. It would be short-lived though. She had to patrol tonight, and looking out the window as darkness began to fall, she knew she would have to go soon.
“Are you sure you don’t want me to go with you?” asked Brian, hovering outside the bathroom door. They had finished off the eggnog, and Celeste was changing into her patrolling gear.
“Thanks Brian, but my aunt is coming with me,” she said, emerging from the bathroom dressed in black from head to toe.
“Okay, but you girls watch your back.”
“What could happen on Christmas Eve? Even the baddies have to take a break sometimes, right?”
Celeste was thrilled that her aunt had agreed to come patrolling with her. She had been dying to see her in action, although secretly she hoped for a quiet night. She still felt the absence of her ring, though she wasn’t sure if it was the power she missed or if it was purely mental. The pair walked shoulder-to-shoulder through the quiet streets of Oak Bluffs as Celeste’s mind wandered.
“I’m glad I came with you,” whispered her aunt. “I didn’t think it would be a good idea at first, but I have to admit, I missed this.”
“I’m really glad you came with me too. It’s much more fun when you have someone with you. I usually patrol with Roman or Nico or both,” she said, her voice filled with longing.
“You’re lucky you have them. I used to dread patrolling alone when I was your age, especially in the wintertime. There wouldn’t be a soul on the streets of Warsaw when it was ten degrees out, but it was still prime time for hunting demons. The cold doesn’t bother them, and if any human was stupid enough to be out in that weather, they made an easy target.”
They had made it to the center of town, and the red neon light of Ralph’s was still shining. Celeste glanced at her watch and noticed it was almost midnight. “Ralph’s will be closing soon. We should stick around and make sure the staff makes it to their cars okay.”
Celeste wrapped her jacket tightly around herself; the cool breeze was giving her goose bumps as they circled around the diner. As they turned the corner behind Ralph’s, they heard a loud crash. Both Celeste and Aunt Maddie jumped. “It’s probably just a raccoon going through the dumpster,” whispered Celeste, “but we better go check it out.”
“Sure,” replied Aunt Maddie. “I’ll go this way, and you can come around from the back of the alley.”
Celeste nodded and took off around the corner. Her rapid footsteps echoed loudly against the stillness of the night. She tried to tread more lightly as she approached the alley behind the diner. Suddenly, she was hit with an ominous feeling in her stomach.
Oh no.
Celeste started running as she heard another loud bang and a muffled shout. She found her aunt just outside the back door of the diner battling a rather large vampire. Celeste sped toward them, her sword raised over her head. Before she reached them, a heavy body landed on top of her, smashing her into the rough cement. Dazed, she tried to push her assailant off of her, but he was too heavy. She struggled, feeling his warm breath at the back of her neck. As he leaned in for a bite, Celeste threw her head back, her skull smashing into his nose with a sickening crunch.
She pushed herself up off the ground and reached for her sword, which had landed a few feet away when the monster jumped her. Glancing toward her aunt, she saw that Maddie had the hulking vampire pinned down and well under control. With her sword in hand, Celeste lunged toward her attacker as he swiped at the blood oozing from his surely broken nose. He was fast though, and he dodged her thrust, which momentarily threw Celeste off balance. As she tried to recover her footing, he was on her again. He reached for her sword-carrying hand and twisted. Celeste screamed and dropped her weapon as the edges of her vision began to blur from the pain. The vampire picked her up and threw her against the building, her head hitting the cement wall with a thud. Her beaten body crumpled to the ground. He was inches from her face now, his sharp fangs about to sink into her soft neck. She looked into his black vacant eyes, and for a moment a feeling of peace took over her. She thought she was going to die, and Celeste was surprisingly okay with it. Then, just as she felt the prick of his canines on her skin, he stopped. His eyes bulged out in disbelief, as the pointy end of a stake was jammed through his chest. Celeste looked up and saw her aunt holding the other end just before the vile creature disintegrated into dust before them.
“Celeste, are you okay?” asked Aunt Maddie, her eyes wide with panic.
“Yeah, I’m fine,” she said, trying to push herself to a seated position. As she did, a sharp pain coursed through her wrist. “Ow!” she cried, holding up her hand.
Aunt Maddie took her wrist and gently examined it. “I think it might be broken.” She helped Celeste to her feet. “Can you make it home, or should we call your mom?”
“No, don’t call her. I’ll be all right. Let’s just get out of here.”
***
“Even Christmas sucks when you’re a vampire,” complained Dani Lynn. She, Stellan, and the brothers had spent the night pouring over countless old texts trying to find out anything that could help them. Red, their inept werewolf CI, had still come up empty-handed and frustration was growing.
“How about this one?” asked Nico as he pulled out a massive dusty book from the top shelf.
“Put that back!” reprimanded Stellan.
“Whoa,” said Nico, dropping the book and holding his hands up in surrender.
“Pardon my outburst,” said Stellan, quickly picking up the thick leather-bound book and placing it back on the top shelf behind a few other hefty ones.
A hint of recognition flashed through Roman’s eyes. “That’s Fabian’s spell book, isn’t it?”
“Yes, I’m afraid so.”
“Why do you have it?” continued Roman.
“This is a very dangerous book. Should it fall into the wrong hands, there’s no telling what havoc would ensue,” he explained.
The boys nodded and continued their search as Dani Lynn sulked in the corner.
***
The botched fight in the alley had Celeste seriously questioning her Guardian skills. She tried to plaster a smile on her face as she, Aunt Maddie, and her mom opened presents on Christmas morning, but the encounter was plaguing her. She looked at her bandage-wrapped wrist as flashes of the night before flooded her vision. If Aunt Maddie hadn’t been there, I’d be dead right now. The somber realization sent a chill down her spine.
“Sweetie, do you like your presents?” asked her mom, forcing her out of her dismal thoughts.
“Yeah, thanks Mom, they’re perfect,” she said, folding the new clothes and placing them in a neat stack to take up to her room. They were just what she needed considering the unsightly state of her current wardrobe.
“How’s your wrist?” she asked, noticing Celeste was cradling it in her good hand. “I wish you would have let me take you to the hospital last night.”
“It’s much better already. Thanks for wrapping it. You know I heal more quickly than normal, and it would have brought up too many questions if I had gone to the hospital.”
“She’s right,” chimed in Aunt Maddie. “Anyway Celeste’s tough, she was great out there.”
Celeste threw her aunt a grateful smile. They had deci
ded not to tell her mom how close she had become to ending up a vampire’s snack. There was no sense in worrying her.
A small flutter in Celeste’s stomach signaled the approach of visitors, and seconds later she heard the rumble of a familiar engine in the driveway. Drawing the curtain back, she peeked out the window and saw Roman and Nico walking up the sidewalk.
Great. She knew Roman was not going to take her injury well.
Mrs. Wilder opened the door for the brothers and with a warm smile escorted them into the living room. Surprisingly, her mom had actually been upset by the news of her and Roman’s break up. Celeste knew that her mother didn’t really approve of their relationship, but she guessed that knowing a hundred year old super strong vampire was fighting beside her daughter gave her some comfort. And she supposed her mom had been right: she had never come home with a broken wrist when she patrolled with Roman.
His eyes widened and he inhaled sharply at the sight of Celeste’s wrapped wrist. He rushed over to her, the bright blue of his irises clouded. “What happened?”
“Just a little skirmish with some vamps last night,” she said, shrugging it off.
“I’ll heal you,” he said as he lifted his own wrist to his bared fangs.
Before he broke the skin, Celeste stopped him. “No, I don’t need it,” she said, turning away.
He looked disappointed at her denial. As though refusing to take his blood and be healed were a personal insult and a reflection of their damaged relationship. “You know you shouldn’t be patrolling by yourself,” he said, his worried dad voice coming through.
“I wasn’t by myself,” she responded. “I was with Aunt Maddie, and she pretty much saved my butt.”
Aunt Maddie smiled from across the room. “It was nothing at all.”
“Where were you guys last night anyway?” Celeste questioned, suddenly realizing she was feeling a bit resentful toward the two of them. Why hadn’t they been there to protect her? Especially Roman, who had promised to always be there for her. She knew she was being irrational, but giving into her teenage hormones felt good once in a while.