“I am positive,” Celeste answered. “I have no more bloodlust, none of the effects I had even last night.”
“You don’t trust me, mon chérie?” Marcus inquired.
“I just want to be sure,” Celine informed him. “Celeste, will you return in the morning? After the sunrise so I can be sure?”
“Your faith in me is concerning, my dear,” Marcus interjected.
“If she is truly restored, it should be of no concern to you,” Celine countered.
“I have no concerns other than your constant doubt of me. I pledged to cure Celeste, and I have done so. You should be pleased, Celine.”
“I am pleased, Marcus. I only want to be sure that Celeste has sustained no side effects.”
“Be assured there are no side effects. I am no amateur, Celine.”
“I did not suggest you were. And I thank you for restoring Celeste.”
“You are welcome, my dear. And now that you two have spoken, Celeste, might you leave us to discuss private matters?”
“Wait,” Celine interrupted. “Celeste, have you spoken with Damien? Do you know if he is any better?”
“I have not, I’m sorry.” Celine stalked away from the door. She had no confirmation Damien was okay.
“Well, if you have no additional information, you may go, Celeste,” Marcus informed her.
“I shall return tomorrow,” Celeste promised. “I will inquire after Damien this evening for you.”
"Thank you, Celeste."
"No, Celine,” Celeste replied. “Thank YOU! Without you, sister dear, I would still be in that dreadful state.”
“I was the one who put you in that dreadful state.”
“It was not your fault. We’ve discussed this, Celine. Stop blaming yourself.”
“At least it is finished now,” Celine responded. “See you tomorrow, Celeste. I love you.”
“I love you, too, sister dear. Good night, Celine. Take care.”
“Good night,” Celine answered.
Celeste crossed the room, climbing the stairs.
“Are you pleased, Celine?” Marcus inquired when she left.
“With Celeste’s transformation, yes.”
“But?”
“I worry about Damien.”
“And the others, I assume,” Marcus grumbled.
“It is not something I can turn on and off with the flip of a switch,” Celine admitted.
“I will never understand the draw of Grayson Buckley. But, no matter,” Marcus replied. “that is behind you now. I shall soon have all the details handled for our impending nuptials. We shall soon be husband and wife and you shall forget Grayson Buckley.”
Celine stared at him, unimpressed. “And then will I be permitted out of my prison?”
“When I feel you have proven yourself, yes.”
“Always a question of loyalty, isn’t there?”
“You’ve given me little to trust, Celine.”
“I suppose I have,” Celine admitted.
“You can begin proving yourself by signing my book,” he said, waving the book in the cell window.
“Patience, Marcus,” Celine stalled.
“I have had centuries worth of patience, Celine. And I have done what you asked, I have restored your sister.”
“That remains to be seen tomorrow. Besides, I assumed I would sign when we married. It seems that is the best time. A finalizing of our union. A symbol of our bond, both material and ethereal.”
Marcus smiled at her. “I quite like that idea, my dear. Fine. I shall allow you to wait until then to sign. It will be a pleasure witnessing you pledge your soul to me as my wife.”
“I imagined you would like that idea, Marcus,” Celine replied with a slight smile.
He held her gaze for a moment. “Well, on that note, I should continue to make the arrangements. With the latest agreement, I find myself eager to conclude the preparations.”
“As am I,” Celine noted, allowing him to suppose she agreed. In reality, she only found herself anxious to conclude her stay with Marcus. With Celeste’s condition corrected, she could work on freeing herself with her family’s help.
“Really?” Marcus questioned. “How encouraging. Then I bid you good night, dearest Celine.”
“Good night, Marcus.”
He strode away from her, climbing the stairs to leave the mill. She sighed. His fury would know no bounds when he realized she had no intention on marrying him or signing his book. She hoped to be far away when he realized the depths of her betrayal.
Marcus’ fury was something she was too familiar with. She remembered his anger when she informed him of her marriage to Gray. Celine recalled the moment he learned of their secret wedding.
“You shouldn’t go back to that house, Celine,” Gray warned her after the ceremony. “It’s too dangerous.”
“I must retrieve the music box from my father. It is the last thing he gave me before his murder. I must have it. Only that. I shan’t be long. No one will be there. They will all still be at the ball.”
“If you insist,” Gray acquiesced. “But please, be careful.”
“I promise,” she added, kissing him before leaving.
She hurried to her sister’s home, entering the darkened house. Emptiness and silence filled the space. Even so, she crept to her room and crossed to her dressing table to retrieve the music box.”
“You haven’t done anything foolish, have you, Celine?” a voice inquired from the darkness.
Startled, Celine spun around to face the noise. A lamp lit from near the corner, casting deep shadows across the face of the Duke.
“What are you doing here?” Celine questioned.
“Checking on you. Did you assume I wouldn’t notice that you slipped away from the ball?”
Celine stood straighter, summoning all the courage she had. “I am leaving in the morning.”
“You’ll do no such thing, Celine. I will not allow it.”
“You do not own me,” Celine retorted.
“I may not, yet, but your brother-in-law is your guardian and I’m certain he will agree with me.”
“He is no longer my guardian,” Celine countered.
“Oh?”
“No. That would now be Grayson Buckley, my husband.”
His eyes grew wide. He sprung from his chair. “You foolish girl! You married him?”
“Yes, we are married,” Celine answered.
He stalked closer to her, seething with anger, his fists balled at his sides. She braced herself, wondering if he might strike her. After a moment, he inhaled deeply, setting his jaw. “No matter, we will simply have a small legal affair to clear up before our own wedding.
“Legal affair? We are married in the eyes of God.”
“Oh, my dear Celine, the eyes of God no longer shine upon creatures like us. But if you mean in the eyes of the church, well, that, my dear, is what annulments are for.”
Celine bristled. “Never. We are in love!”
He lunged at her, grasping her arms and pulling her toward him. “Love? You dare speak to me of love? I offered you the world, is that not love? Anything you desired I would provide for you. What more could you want?”
“Unhand me!” she cried, wriggling in his grasp. “Grayson and I are married, and tomorrow we will leave this place.” She freed herself, backing up a few steps, clutching her music box.
Marcus eyed her but allowed her to distance herself. “Yes, you do that. Leave this place with your new husband, with your love,” he spat, disdain dripping from him. “But know this, my darling, wherever you go, I will be there. I will always be there, Celine. I will not rest until you are mine. And I will use whatever means necessary to persuade you. Let’s see how far your love can take you.” Celine fled from the room, tears streaming from her face.
Celine swallowed hard recalling the memory. His reaction would be no different now. His fury would know no bounds. She had to be prepared for the fallout from her decision. She considered givi
ng in for a moment, wondering if the price she and her family would pay for this betrayal might be too steep. No, she resolved, she mustn’t. She could not give in to his demands. They would manage. They would do what they must to fight against him. They had to.
Chapter 10
Damien awoke the following morning groggy. He yearned to roll over and sleep the day away, but his worry for Celine drove him from his bed. Gray greeted him from the armchair. “Good morning,” Gray said.
“Good morning,” Damien answered through a yawn. “Sorry, still a little groggy.”
“It’s fine. How are you? Recovered?”
“For the most part,” Damien answered. “Have you heard anything about Celeste?”
“She stopped by last night, asking about you. She didn’t give anything away. My guess is she’s indebted to the Duke.”
Damien sighed, pondering for a moment. “Do you think she’s always been? That she helped him abduct Celine?”
“If she did, I’m not sure it began willingly. Anyway, my concern is not Celeste’s loyalties. Those have always been questionable at best. My concern is Celine.”
“I hope she hasn’t incurred any debts with that creep,” Damien replied.
“Me too. Although she’s smart. And she’s savvy. We’ve dealt with him for a long time.”
Damien nodded. “I want to believe you, but I’m still worried.”
“I understand, Damien. I’ve dealt with this for centuries and I’m worried, too. I just want her home.”
“Me too.”
“I hate waiting around for her to contact you, but I suppose we shouldn’t go to the mill until we’ve got the all clear from her.”
“Yeah, I hate it, too, but you’re right. Another day of waiting.”
Gray sighed. “Unfortunately.”
“I’m going to take a quick shower to wake up,” Damien said after a moment.
“All right,” Gray said, returning to his book.
Damien closed himself in the bathroom. He stared in the mirror for a moment before turning the water on. He hoped Celeste was fixed. He couldn’t stand this waiting. They needed to start trying their formulated incantations, testing them, learning from them. It was the only way they could rescue Celine. And they had to rescue her soon. The longer the Duke imprisoned her, the likelier things could go terribly wrong.
He stepped into the shower, letting the hot water and steam relax his tense muscles. Tiredness hung over him, although he wouldn’t admit that to anyone. He couldn’t. He couldn’t risk them sedating him, so Celine couldn’t contact him. He turned off the water, toweling off. He wrapped the towel around his waist and pushed back the shower curtain, stepping out of the shower.
“You’re a hard man to catch alone, Damien,” a voice said.
“Oh, geez! Holy crap!” Damien shouted, almost falling into the tub. He gulped as he recognized Marcus Northcott across the room. Marcus leaned against the wall casually, his arms crossed. “How did you get in here?” Damien quickly added, “How did you get back?”
“Carefully,” Marcus replied. Damien eyed the door, wondering if he could make a run for it. “I wouldn’t try for it,” Marcus stated, noticing his gaze. “And in case you’re wondering, they won’t hear you if you call for help.”
Damien gulped again. He squeezed his eyes shut, bracing himself for the inevitable attack he would sustain. “What on earth are you doing?” Marcus questioned.
Damien popped one eye open. “Preparing?” Damien answered in question form.
“Whatever for?”
“Aren’t you going to kill me?” Damien queried, opening both eyes.
Marcus rolled his eyes, striding toward him. “No. I am here to extend an invitation.”
“An invitation?”
“Yes. If you wish to see Celine, meet me at 10 a.m. at the cave leading to the beach. Come alone, tell no one. I am trusting you, Damien. If you cannot abide by the rules, Celine will be the one who pays for your imprudence.”
“You’ll let me see her?”
“Yes.”
“I’m not sure I can get away. As you mentioned, they’re keeping a close eye on me. I’ve been… pretty distraught over Celine,” he replied, dancing around an explanation.
“That, dear Damien, is not my problem. If you want to see Celine, meet me as instructed.” He turned on his heel, stalking toward the wall.
“Okay,” Damien answered, staring after him. “I’ll be there!”
“I look forward to it, Damien,” Marcus called behind him before disappearing through the wall as though it wasn’t there.
Damien collapsed to a seated position on the edge of the tub. Sweat beaded on his forehead. He ran his fingers through his still-wet hair. His hands still shook from the encounter. He didn’t know how he’d manage it, but he had to make it to that meeting. He considered telling everyone. No, he decided, he couldn’t risk it. He wouldn’t endanger Celine, and he was certain they’d never let him go alone to meet the Duke.
A knock at the door interrupted his musings. “Everything okay?”
“Yep,” he called, trying to steady his voice. He pulled on his clothes, emerging from the bathroom. “Sorry, the warm water was really relaxing. Spent longer than I expected trying to clear my mind.”
“No problem. Hungry?”
“You bet! And dying for coffee! Oh boy, can’t wait for breakfast. Eggs, toast, perhaps some bacon. Orange juice,” he babbled.
“All right, let’s head down then.”
It relieved Damien that he was with Gray and not Celine. She’d have realized he was lying in a heartbeat and already have called him on it. Gray hadn’t yet learned the telltale signs of Damien’s fibbing.
After breakfast, Damien and Gray joined Michael and Alexander in the sitting room. Alexander explained the progress they made in their research. They had several avenues they planned to pursue. They awaited the green light from Celine to move forward.
Damien half-listened. His mind wandering to his encounter earlier this morning. He glanced at the clock every other second, drumming his fingers on his knee. He hoped his agitation didn’t show. He determined he’d need fifteen minutes to get to the cave from here. He’d need a few minutes to sneak out.
“Game of chess?” Alexander asked as the time drew near for Damien to escape.
“Ah, sure!” Damien fibbed. “Oh, just a sec. I’d like to get a cup of tea. It really soothes my nerves.”
“I’ll get it,” Gray offered.
“No, no, I’ll get it,” Damien insisted. “Stretch the old legs for a spell… eh… minute.”
Gray gave him an odd glance. “I’ll come with you then.”
“No! I mean,” Damien backpedaled, “it’ll take me five minutes max. I’ll be fine. Celine never contacts me this early. Besides, if I’m not back in two minutes you can send out a search party.”
“What’s wrong with you?” Gray asked.
“Me? Nothing. Just tired of being waited on. I want to pull my weight. I feel decent for once, and I’d like to be somewhat autonomous. Do a little for myself,” Damien rambled.
“You’re doing more than your share, Damien,” Alexander asserted.
“Still. I’m capable of fetching my own cup of tea. So… I’ll just go fetch it,” Damien said, backing away toward the door. “Back in a minute!”
“He is odd,” Gray admitted as Damien left the room.
“Judge much?” Michael retorted.
“I can’t help it his behavior is odd,” Gray countered.
“Let the poor guy alone. He’s risking his life to communicate with Celine. If he wants a minute alone to get himself a cup of tea, let him have it,” Michael argued.
Gray rolled his eyes. “Fine, fine.” Gray paced the room, checking his watch often. “How long does it take to make a cup of tea?” he asked after a few minutes.
“While I doubt Celine would visit him this soon after her last visit, perhaps it’s best to check,” Alexander suggested.
“I
agree,” Gray answered, stalking from the room. Minutes later, he raced back in the room. “We’ve got a problem.”
“What is it?” Alexander queried.
“Is it Damien? Did Celine call him to Shadow World? Is he sick?” Michael questioned, leaping from the couch.
“No,” Gray replied. “He’s gone.”
Celine awoke at dawn. Streaks of red, yellow and orange painted the morning sky as the sun rose. Celine paced her cell, waiting for Celeste’s arrival. Each moment after the sun rose set Celine’s nerves further on edge. Had something happened? Was Celeste not well? Did her transformation not go as expected?
An hour after sunlight banished night’s darkness, Celine heard footsteps overhead. She gazed out the door’s small window, hoping to see Celeste. Within seconds, Marcus and Celeste strode down the stairs.
“Good morning, Celine!” Marcus greeted her. “As promised, your sister, visiting you in broad daylight.”
Celine smiled at Celeste. “And how wonderful daylight feels upon me,” Celeste admitted.
“Oh, one more piece of evidence for you, mon chérie,” Marcus added, removing a cross from his jacket pocket. He waved it in front of Celeste. “No effect.”
“None,” Celeste agreed. “I am cured, Celine. And I have you to thank!”
“I am so pleased for you, Celeste.”
“Are you quite satisfied, my dear?” Marcus inquired.
“Yes. I am,” Celine admitted. Ample evidence proved Celeste’s condition was restored. One issue could be eased from her mind.
“Celine,” Celeste said, “I was unable to talk to Damien last night, however Gray assured me he was surviving. They are monitoring him carefully to ensure his anxiety over your disappearance does not overwhelm him.”
“Thank you for the update,” Celine answered. Celeste was unable to speak with Damien. Was he still ill from his visit to Shadow World? They were keeping him from Celeste. Why?
“Now, Celeste has many things to attend to, don’t you, Celeste?” Marcus answered. Celeste nodded, averting her eyes from Celine. “Run along.”
Gone: A Shadow Slayers Story (Shadow Slayers Stories Book 3) Page 13