New Celestial : A teen paranormal romance series (The Celestial Series Book 1)

by Lisa Champagne

  I answer Adolfo, “We have a couple of hours to spare before we head to the cave. Can you find us a secluded beach, preferably with cliffs?” Adolfo’s eyes signal he knows a location matching my specification, and he begins to drive us towards the beach.

  Lili looks at me in surprise. “We are going to a beach? Shouldn’t we just wait at the cave?”

  “Why not enjoy the beach instead of waiting in the car?”

  Lili’s face twists in thought. “I guess a little sun never hurt anyone.”

  After a quick car ride Adolfo pulls to the side of the road at the top of grey cliffs that surround an empty secluded beach below. There’s a manmade path to climb down, which looks steep and dangerous. Adolfo motions in the beach’s direction saying, “This is the best spot I know, but if you feel unsure about the climb down, I know of another place close by.”

  My reply is quick. “We’ve got it. Can you keep guard and watch the road?”

  “Of course, sir.”

  I grab a bag from the back of the car and gently grab Lili’s hand. She looks at me trustingly as I lead her a couple of feet down the trail. We stop in a spot where no humans can watch us. “Lili, ready to learn to levitate with energy?”

  Her eyes flutter with exhilaration as she scans the surrounding area. “Should we be practicing on a cliff?”

  She always doubts herself even though she’s the most powerful Celestial I’ve ever met. “Remember how I taught you to move objects at school?” She shakes her head yes as her checks flush. Lili embarrasses easily, which I’m sure is a product of growing up with a mother who perpetually tries to change and humiliate her. I ignore her pink-stained cheeks and continue, ”This is exactly the same, but you push your energy out, using the airs own molecules to balance your own.”

  Her face twists in a cute contemplative expression like she’s trying to figure out a math equation. After a couple minutes of silence, she turns to me and asks, “Can you show me?”

  “Absolutely.” I draw energy in from my surroundings, feeling it pool in my core. My energy is usually very dark, but it’s been lighter as of late. I move my energy down my body and push it out of my feet and hands until I levitate off the cliff into the air. One of my favorite things to do is float. It’s where I feel unburdened by my own darkness.

  Lili intently watches my every move while using her hands to feel the air around me. She reaches for my hand and shakily levitates herself. Her face brightens as she starts to get the hang of it. The more you levitate, the easier it becomes. At first you have to think hard, remembering to move your energy with your body, then over time it becomes second nature. I grab Lili’s arm, just in case she needs assistance, and we slowly levitate down the cliff until our feet hit the warm pink sand.

  Once our feet are firmly planted, Lili jumps up and down, levitating herself to jump higher than any human could achieve naturally.

  I playfully shout towards Lili as she spurts around the secluded beach. “Show off!”

  She laughs and tackles me into the sand. I feel such freedom when I’m with her, like she releases heavy restraints holding me down. I can’t allow the Darkness to hurt her. I need to figure out a way to stop it from making her dark before I lose the Lili that makes my whole world feel brighter.

  I grab the bag I brought and unpack two towels and our bathing suits. I close my eyes as she changes in a rush, only opening them when I hear her sweet voice nervously say, “Okay, I’m changed.” Lili looks beautiful. She’s curvy and natural. A combo that makes her even more perfect in a world full of seemingly flawless swimsuit models.

  Lili and I lay next to each other on the soft beach for at least an hour. The sun is warm, pumping endorphins into our bodies as we sweat from the heat. Lili keeps checking her watch, making sure we get to Crystal Cave on time. Before we know it, it’s almost time to leave, and we decide to take a quick swim in the clear blue beach water before heading to the Cave.

  The cool saltwater feels wonderful against our sun toasted skin, giving us an unexpected burst of energy. Lili dunks into the ocean, watching the fish who increasingly surround us in the water. She rises for air with a glowing smile on her face and I pick her up, wrapping her legs around me as we take in the beauty of our surroundings. I can see why Baxoney chose Bermuda to disappear and wish Lili and I could do the same.

  Lili’s eyes widen as she looks in the water and says, “There’s so many fish. They just keep coming.” I look down and notice hundreds of fish circling us in the water like we are a beacon calling them home. My sight shoots up as I hear birds above, also encircling our location. I start to worry that their presence will bring us unwanted attention, checking the beach for threats. I notice a large man standing atop one of the surrounding cliffs, staring at us.

  Unsure if he’s human or Celestial, I urgently lead Lili and I back to the beach as I whisper in her ear, “I think we may have a tail.”

  Lili discretely looks around with a confused look on her face. “Easton, I don’t see anyone.” I turn back to the cliff and find the man is no longer there. No human would be able to disappear from a cliff in such a short time, which makes me certain he is Celestial. But the question is: who sent him?

  Lili - Crystal cave

  Easton and I sit in the vehicle silently waiting for Bermuda’s Crystal Caves to close. Before Easton’s soul was sent to Nirvana, he located Baxoney’s energy in a hidden passage within the caves, and now we need to find him. After being spotted at the beach, Easton and I agree that Baxoney may be aware of our arrival in Bermuda, which could put us in danger. The tension in the car is palpable as Easton and I disagree on how to proceed with our plan.

  “Lili, I know you want to find him, but it’s not safe. He almost killed me when I did a memory location, and now he may know we are coming. He’s an original and his knowledge of energy is much vaster than ours. He’s dangerous.”

  Though finding Baxoney may be dangerous, so is doing nothing. I’ve had dreams of my future, and the Celestial spirit said Baxoney is the answer to the darkness. “Easton, I understand why you’re hesitant, I do.” Easton looks up at me with worried eyes as I continue. “I have no choice but to go. But that doesn’t mean you have to join me. Maybe you could stay here and keep guard.”

  Easton almost implodes with anger as he says, “You think I’m worried for me? I’m worried for you. I would never let you go alone. I’m coming.” He takes a deep breath then continues with frustration. “No need to discuss it further.” Easton abruptly ends the conversation, exiting the car.

  I anxiously look at my hands, processing the journey through the tight tunnel. Small spaces aren’t my idea of relaxing. Easton opens my car door, handing me a light with a stretch band around it. He motions for me to place it on my head as he puts his light on, saying, “We have to venture deep into the cave to find the entrance. It’s going to be dark, so we need as much light as we can get.” I listen, trying to figure out how to place this ridiculous light on my forehead. Easton’s light makes him look like Indiana Jones, but I doubt mine will have the same effect. After way too long I emerge successful, looking like a Cyclops with crazy beach hair.

  Easton grabs my hand, leading me over to the cave. He easily breaks the locked gate, and we enter by walking down windy and dark stairs. Once we make it down the stairs, the cave opens up into what looks like a void of darkness. The air is humid and smells of sulfur, making it hard to take deep breaths. My head light gives me glimpses of crystal blue waters below us and alabaster spikes above. I can’t help but feel the cave is magical in more ways than one.

  I squeeze Easton’s hand as I whisper in his ear, “It’s the most beautiful cave I’ve ever seen.” I briefly pause then add, “And it’s not as small as I thought it was going to be.”

  “Yea, this isn’t the tiny part I was telling you about.” Easton grins at me as we continue walking down the wooden planked walkway. The path creaks with each step we take, making me doubt its safety. Easton stops on the walkway, using
his light to locate our next destination within the cave. His light stops across the water on a dark hole within one of the crystallized cave walls. He points. “That’s the tight space we have to crawl through.”

  Panic fills me. The majestic beauty I admired when we first entered is now gone, and only darkness and fear remain. I’ve never loved enclosed spaces ever since my cousin locked me in a car trunk during hide and seek, and I almost ran out of air.

  My voice is quiet, hiding my terror. “Of course, it is. Do we need to swim to it?”

  Easton undoubtedly feels my fear and tries to reassure me. “It’s only a short period of time, then it opens up. Do you want to swim or levitate over?”

  “Levitate. You go first.”

  Easton nods then uses his energy to raise his body off the ground. He quickly moves over the water to the small opening in the wall. I take a deep breath then do the same, landing next to Easton with my foot in the water.

  Easton’s face is so close to mine that I feel his breath as he says, “Lili, you’re braver than you know. Just stay close behind me.”

  Easton scrunches his body down so he fits into the cave in a crawling position. I follow his lead and begin to crawl through the tunnel, quickly realizing that the slick tunnel floor cuts my bare knees and palms as I go, but I continue to crawl regardless of the sting.

  Easton stops ahead of me. “Okay. Just know it’s going to get tighter ahead, but it shouldn’t be too long,” he says.

  I give Easton a shaky thumbs up even though I want to desperately turn back. I watch as he begins to army crawl through an impossibly constricted part of the tunnel. He moves slowly, and once it’s my turn I follow his feet into a darkened space, which is only lit by my head lamp.

  After only a minute or two within the new tunnel, I see Easton’s light turn off ahead of me, making me panic.

  I yell ahead and hope he can hear me. “What happened? Are you okay?”

  Easton’s unable to turn around due to the unbearably tight space, but I hear his echo. “My light must have broken. It’s okay, I’ll just feel ahead.”

  I continue following Easton’s feet down the dark and solid tunnel. After only a short period of time my light suddenly quits working, approximately in the same exact spot Easton’s light quit. I abruptly stop crawling, frozen in fear. Terror of the unknown overflows my mind and all I want to do is run away, but I’m unable to move, surrounded by tight walls that now feel like my coffin.

  My voice is scared and barely comes out as a whisper. “Easton? Easton? Easton, can you hear me?” I hear nothing in return. Who knows how long I’ve been laying here motionless? Easton could be too far away and unable to hear me. I close my eyes and dig deep inside, looking for the strength to help myself.

  My instincts kick in and I search for Easton’s energy, finding it only about ten feet in front of me. I also feel at least fifty Celestials ahead, hidden behind a barrier. We are close. I find the strength to move again. Placing one hand ahead of the other, feeling around the tunnel in the dark. There are jagged crystals everywhere, but I try my best to avoid their sharp edges. I crawl until I reach Easton and see a glowing light coming from the end of the tunnel.

  I quickly exit the tight space behind Easton into an open section of the cave and see a reflective rock wall opposite the tunnel.

  Easton grabs me as soon as my feet hit the slippery rock floor. I feel worry in his energy as he asks, “Are you okay?”

  I find my voice saying, “Let’s never do this again.”

  He moves a strand of hair from my eyes. “No argument here.”

  Easton puts me down then walks to the spiked, reflective white wall ahead of us. He puts his hand out slowly, passing it through the wall—exposing an energy entrance to Baxoney’s location.

  Easton declares, “Baxoney’s on the other side. This is a complicated energy barrier. It will try to push us out, but we just need to keep moving.”

  “Okay. I hope there’s not another cave on the other side.”

  Easton grabs my bloody hand tightly as he worriedly says, “Just be prepared for anything!” He then leads me through the white energy barrier. The barrier instantly tries to push us out, making it feel like we are walking through glue. But we keep moving through it, determined to make it to the other side. I see Easton exit from the barrier first, dropping my hand right before disappearing. I push through to follow him and feel the push of the barrier soften right before I emerge on the other side to a group of hostile Celestials’ waiting for our arrival.

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  Concealed

  Lili - Celestial Combat

  As soon as I step through the energy barrier, I’m confronted by a dozen Celestials with hate in their eyes. They all wear similar thin white shirts with seashell buttons up the middle, have salty beach hair and sun kissed skin. They look like they’ve been marooned on this beach for years. The smell of hibiscus and saltwater floats in the air with the sea breeze, and a pristine neon colored ocean gently sways onto the peach stained shore which holds dark grey colored cliffs with harsh edges that enclose the area.

  Easton stiffly stands with his arms raised in the air about fifty feet in front of me. The space between us feels vast as the beach Celestials begin to surround us. Their energy is a weird mixture of hostility and fear, making me feel uneasy.

  I worry that things will turn violent fast if I’m unable to convince them we are peaceful. “I’m Lili and that’s Easton. We don’t mean you any harm. We just…”

  A large Celestial with overflowing muscles and a dark tan interrupts me to make his intentions known. “I’m Sam. You’re not wanted here. Leave the way you came.”

  Sam’s aggression towards me makes Easton respond aggressively, “We will leave as soon as we talk with Baxoney, not before. We know he’s here.” As soon as Baxoney’s name is said, I feel an energy shift in the Celestials on the beach as a lightning bolt shoots from Sam’s hands towards Easton. Easton quickly blocks it with an energy shield, and before I know it, chaos ensues on the beach.

  Easton quickly sends a bolt of electricity from both of his hands, sending two Celestials flying through the air.

  I try to stop the fighting by screaming, “We come in peace!” but it is too late. I see an energy bolt shoot by my head, hitting the pink beach sand and exploding it into the air like a bomb from the sky. Time slows as I turn around to block another energy bolt sent by a scrappy girl who looks like she wants me dead. I just learned how to block energy in class and am far from an expert, but my sloppy shield does the trick for the moment.

  I try to steady myself before another energy blow comes my way, searching the beach for attackers. I see three Celestials in front of me and helplessly watch as they send three bolts in my direction. I channel my energy into another shield and pray it’s strong enough to protect me. The bolts slam hard against me, pushing my feet and body about five feet back in the sand, but my shield holds—protecting me. The more I use my abilities, the more confident I become. It’s nice to be myself and not have to worry about hiding my energy’s strength.

  The attacks persist and each new bolt that comes allows my attackers to get closer to me. If they get any closer, they can simply grab me, and I know I’m not a match for five Celestials in a hand-to-hand battle. It feels like Whack-a-Mole. Once I stop one, another one appears.

  My body begins to shake from energy depletion, making me scream for Easton. I search the beach then the sky and find him levitating in the air above the darkened cliffs. He’s exchanging bolts back and forth between at least six Celestials. He looks like he’s in a war with Zeus as a storm of lightning flies back and forth, hitting the surrounding cliffs and sending heavy rocks flying onto the beach.

  While I stare at Easton a bolt of electricity hits my back. It feels like a thousand needles poking me. I fight through the pain as I fall to one knee in the sand. I look up to see the scrappy Celestial smiling back at me. Her cocky grin irritates me, reminding me of Gwyneth. Without
thinking I send out my first offensive attack, throwing a lightning bolt from my hands into the girl’s chest. She flies in the air and then hits the sand with a heavy thud. I take a deep breath of relief, pushing myself to my feet.

  I hear Easton in my head say, “We can’t let them capture us. We need to blast them all at once. I’m going to combine my energy with yours.” Easton’s voice drops from inside my mind as I watch him begin to levitate in my direction. He’s chased by the six Celestials he was battling.

  I begin to levitate in the air, heading towards him, when another bolt comes my way. Without time to block I drop from the sky, landing on the sand in a summersault. The bolt misses me, and I begin to rush in the air toward Easton. Easton and I meet halfway between the cliffs and the beach. He grabs my hands in a rush, pulling me into him. I feel relief as our energies begin to combine. They entwine in each other, becoming strong and unbreakable like a helix.

  Easton yells, “Now!” and on his command we push all the power we both have out of our cores in unison. The energy blast looks like an ocean wave, knocking every Celestial on the beach and in the sky to the ground. I feel exhausted from the large blast, like all my energy’s evaporated. Easton grabs me in his shaky arms, and we begin to lower to the beach.

  I suddenly feel an unexpected blast hit me in the back of my head. My vision becomes blurry, and I feel myself falling to the ground and away from Easton just as I lose consciousness.

  Lili - Finding Baxoney