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

by Lisa Champagne

  After we retrieve the box, we will return to the party, then Lili and I will escape from the school before anyone notices we’ve fled. It’s illegal for any school aged student to not be enrolled in Cognosco and running away from the school can carry a sentence of death, but I have no other option. I think I can hide us, the way Baxoney hid his town. I just need to figure out how to get Lili to leave the school willingly.

  Lili - Office Break-in

  The New Year’s party is formal, requiring an evening gown like from Cinderella’s ball. I’ve never had an occasion to wear a fancy dress before, and surprisingly I feel non-disgusted by the thought. My mom gave me an evening gown for Christmas, and it’s of course obnoxious and over the top, sparkling like a magical dress made by my fairy godmother. No mice design for my mom. It cascades down, with black on top and royal blue sparkles on the bottom.

  With an unexpected confidence flowing from me, I exit my room and head to meet Easton at the New Year’s Eve party. As I walk my mind becomes occupied by the details of our plan and I accidentally run right into James, falling to the floor. Since my sparkly dress doesn’t allow my legs enough room to get up smoothly, James lifts me up.

  He looks down at me with a soft smile and dapper energy, which compliments his James Bond suit nicely. “You look gorgeous, Lili! Can I walk you to the party?”

  I see no harm in walking with him, as long as he knows there’s no hope of it leading to a relationship. “Sure, we can walk together. I’m meeting Easton outside the party.”

  James’ face twists, breaking his cool demeanor. “This shouldn’t be awkward then.” James then smirks in a playful way, lightening the tension between us.

  I can’t help responding in kind. “Not at all, I’m sure he’ll be thrilled.”

  James stops walking and his tone becomes more serious. “I know we can’t be anything more than friends, but I want you to know that I’d love for us to remain friendly. I know you’re into Easton now, but I don’t want to lose you completely.”

  I feel sincerity behind his words. “I’d really like that. Your friendship means a lot to me.” With an agreement struck, James and I head to the party with a lighter energy between us.

  Cognosco’s garden has been transformed into a luminescent celebration. There’s a large glass room with a wooden ceiling. The room is entwined with trees and flowers as though it has been here for centuries. The dark night sky is lit by three large lightning energy balls that levitate in the air, looking like moons lighting up the sky. There’s glass and wood food tables with sweets and a nectar fountain outside the event, surrounded by large climbing trees and antique wooden benches.

  I’m a little early and don’t spot Easton anywhere, so I wait for him outside by the snack table. James insists on waiting with me, though I wish he wouldn’t. My plan for the evening doesn’t include James, and I hope his unexpected presence doesn’t cause any issues.

  “Lili, want to try a glass of nectar?” James holds a glass out for me to grab. I reluctantly take it and quickly gulp it down tasting Horchata, my favorite childhood drink. James and I move to sit down, then I feel an intense annoyance and jealousy overwhelm me, letting me know of Easton’s arrived and that he isn’t happy I’m with James.

  I turn around and spot him striding towards me with an irritated look across his face. James notices Easton’s demeanor and places himself in front of me as though Easton would hurt me. I don’t appreciate the gesture. Easton would never hurt me, and I can take care of myself. No knight in armor needed.

  I step around James and grab Easton’s hand before he loses it, then turn to James and say, “Thanks for keeping me company. Easton and I need a moment alone to talk. I’ll see you inside later.”

  James’ facade reemerges. “Okay, Lili. See you inside.” He then turns to Easton. “Nice to see you, Easton.” James walks inside the shining glass house, leaving Easton and I alone.

  I pull him over by a large tree and say, “I have three things to say and then we will move on. #1 James and I are strictly friends. #2 You must work on your rage and jealousy, or it will drive us apart. #3 You look handsome in your tux.” Easton’s caught off guard by my #3 and loosens his body and energy.

  He inhales deeply, speaking softly like a tranquilized bear fighting for control. “Well I have three things to say too, then. #1 You look like a goddess in that dress. #2. You may think you’re friends, but that’s not what James thinks. #3 and I … well I don’t have a #3.” I smile at Easton’s reply, which makes his tone flow like molasses. “Let’s not talk about James. We have bigger things to worry about.” Easton moves besides me and gently kisses my lips—making my energy pop.

  Once I gain my composure, I push our plan forward. “Are we good to go?

  “Yes, Wayward is already in the party chatting with students and teachers. I don’t know how long he’ll be there, but we should hit his office now before anyone knows we are missing. Then make it back to the party before we are missed.” I notice Easton’s energy is discombobulated, but without time to spare, I decide to let it go.

  Once inside Cognosco we quickly walk past the library and to the end of the hallway were Wayward’s office is. The halls are empty and darkened as the loud party rages in the back of the school. Wayward’s office is locked and protected by energy, which isn’t surprising in a school full of Celestials. Easton and I grab hands, entwining our energies once again. The door has defenses built in with a series of intricate locks, each stronger than the previous one. The door’s defenses whip and lash around to avoid each energy burst we use to break through. It’s like an electric wire on speed. We finally blast energy through the first and second ward, which leads us to the last and final lock.

  This lock is dark and heavy, absorbing every energy blast we send its way becoming bigger and grander. I start to feel like the ward is absorbing my energy with every blow, and I become increasingly exhausted every time I send a blast from my core. I lean against the doorway, unable to hold my body upright. Easton grabs my body, giving me the strength to release a final surge of power, which bursts the lock and surrounding lights. I feel Easton’s arms tighten around me as my body becomes limp. He quickly carries me inside Wayward’s office, shutting the door behind us.

  Easton places me on Wayward’s plump desk chair, kneeling beside me with worry. “Are you okay?”

  I weakly respond, “Yes, just drained. Let’s find the box.”

  Easton’s index finger taps frantically on the desk. “The lights in the school are out, which may send people our way. We have to leave in two minutes, tops. You sit and relax. I’ll look.” Easton quickly runs around the room looking for the box Baxoney described. I try to get up and help, but my legs are too shaky to support me.

  Easton frantically shouts, “We’ve got to go. People are coming.” Panic fills me, and the adrenaline helps me to move my arms. I feel an intuitive feeling pushing me to search the desk. I slowly open each drawer, desperately looking for the box. I begin to hear voices down the hall just as I notice what seems to be a fake bottom in the lower drawer. I push it with all the strength I have left until it opens, and the silver box is revealed.

  I shout towards Easton, “I found it!”

  He runs over to me and scoops me up in his arms as he says, “We have to go, they’re here.”

  Easton rushes out of the office, leaving a mess behind us. There are Celestials running towards us from down the hall. Luckily the power is out, so neither of us can see the other. We make it outside the school and Easton quickly levitates with me in his arms.

  We fly to the edge of the school until we lower back down to the ground in an area hidden by trees. We both sit silently, unable to comprehend what happened.

  Easton is the first to speak. “I don’t think anyone saw us. We have to get back to the party, before they realize it’s us. Can you stand?”

  I desperately try to push my body up, but nothing happens. “I can’t. Just go without me.”

  Easton s
hakes his head. “We will have to fake it. You used up most of your energy, so your body isn’t functioning. Nectar provides fake elevated energy, but too much can make you loopy. Nevertheless it’s a risk we are going to have to take.” I nod as Easton continues, “I’m going to hide the box and come back for it later. We can’t be caught with it. If anyone asks, say we’ve been kissing outside this whole time.” Easton hastily hides the box in a nearby tree. He then rushes over to me, picking me up and levitating us back towards the New Year’s Eve party and the danger of our botched break-in.

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  Foundering

  Easton - NYE

  I levitate Lili and I as close to the garden as possible. Floating shiny flowers surround Lili, like bees to honey, irritating me to my core. Everyone is inside preparing to ring in the New Year, so the garden is—luckily—free of Celestials. I gently place her on a bench and rush over to the nectar fountain and grab as many glasses as I can carry. Lili can barely hold herself up, and I can’t help but feel this is all my fault. She doesn’t even have full control of her powers yet. I should have broken in myself and then escaped the school with Lili. Now I don’t know how we are going to be able to prove our innocence and escape when Lili can’t even hold her head up.

  I quickly sit next to Lili and hand her one nectar drink after another while trying to gauge her energy levels and get us to the party as soon as possible.

  Nectar tastes different for everyone. It attaches to your energy, amplifying it. For me it tastes of vanilla ice cream, though I’m not sure why. Maybe something to do with my past. Nectar is the Celestial drink of choice; it amplify parts of our energy, but if we drink too much, we can lose consciousness and control of our minds and abilities.

  With each glass Lili drinks, I can see her energy returning and a loopy-amplified Lili vibe intensifying. I carefully monitor her levels to make sure she can operate her body and still reign in her mind if she needs to.

  “Okay, Lili. You ready to stand?”

  She strains her face and pushes her body upright, surprised it obeys. A relieved smile floods her delicate face as she extends her arms one by one, ensuring she’s able to move normally. Her eyes open wide and mouth extends to the sky in excitement. “I’m great. I can move and I feel freer than ever before.”

  I take a deep breath as I lead us into the party unseen. Lili’s new energy is right on the edge of control, so I’ll have to keep a close eye on her. I don’t think I should tell her about our escape from Cognosco until the last minute, so the nectar doesn’t make her divulge our plan.

  Once inside the party I look around trying to hear any talk of a break-in. Nothing pops up, convincing me the school is keeping the break-in under wraps. I notice Gwyneth and Miles in the corner of the room, whispering as they look in our direction. I try to act normal and not draw more unwanted attention in our direction, but Lili has other plans. She dances to the music, pulling my hands towards the dance floor as she waves at every Celestial we come across. With all the nectar coursing through her body, I’m not even sure she remembers we just broke into Wayward’s office.

  I lean down and whisper in her ear, “Don’t leave my side. We’ve got to be careful.”

  She looks up at me and winks. “I’ve been concerned of what others thought of me my whole life. It’s wonderful to not care! I want to be the Lili I’ve always wanted to be.”

  Lili continues to pull me onto the dance floor, stopping in the middle of a large group of Celestials where she finds Nora and her new girlfriend, Amanda. I can’t really hear what Lili is saying, but her swinging arms and dancing body tells me that she likes Amanda.

  Lili comes back to my side and begins to twirl on the dance floor, almost starting to levitate. She stops spinning and gathers her energy as I grab her arm and give her a stern look. Lili sticks her tongue out at me and begins dancing again. She moves closer to me, smacking my thigh. “Move your body to the beats. This is what humans call dancing.” I almost laugh but catch myself.

  Across the crowded dance floor, I see James staring at Lili. I can tell he’s trying to figure out a way to naturally come over and dance with her. He may have Lili fooled, but there’s something in James I don’t trust. Just as I predicted, James starts strolling over to us. I instinctually move closer to Lili, trying to block him from advancing any closer. James notices me then alters his plan, asking a girl to dance with him and then slowly making his way over to Lili with the girl en suite. He turns his back towards Lili, dancing with the girl and then intentionally runs into her—fooling no one.

  I give him a murderous look and battle my inner demons as Lili and James start talking. “Hi James! We are always bumping into each other.” Her word choice convinces me James has intentionally run into Lili before. She’s too trusting of people. Lili kindly extends her hand to James’ dance partner and introduces herself. “James is the best, you two are super cute together.” The girl seems confused, which is lost on Lili.

  James whispers something in Lili’s ear and I almost propel him through the ceiling. Why does he always try to infuriate me? Maybe that’s part of his plan to break us up. I try to wrangle my rage, determined to win the battle.

  Like always Lili realizes I’m jealous and comes to my side, helping me fight my dark tendencies. I think she means to whisper, but instead loudly yells in my ear, “There you go again! Don’t you realize I love you?” He words vibrate within my heart, causing a swell of emotions that eliminates all rage and darkness. I don’t remember my human life, but I have no memory of anyone ever saying they love me.

  I ignore James and passionately kiss Lili, giving her some of my energy. She gasps and looks up at me, pulling me into another electric kiss. We begin to gain an audience, which includes Gwyneth and Miles. With Lili unable to think straight, I end our make out session sooner than I would like.

  I want to tell her I love her too, but I’m too afraid to be exposed to the Darkness. So instead I say, “You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me,” meaning every word.

  She beautifully smiles at me and begins dancing again as her nectar fueled energy craves to move. I see motion in my peripheral vision and turn my attention to Wayward in the corner of the dance floor; he’s watching us. I turn back towards Lili, determined to make a run for it before we lose our chance, but she’s no longer beside me.

  James is pulling her quickly across the dance floor, and I can’t reach her. I see him practically forcing a glass of nectar down her throat and then urging her to drink another. I’m not sure of his intent, but it’s not good. I push my way to her but can’t get to her in time as she gulps down the big glass in her hand.

  Her energy is so far gone, she’s stumbling and looks lost. I see James lead her off the dance floor and away from me again. With intense fear for Lili running through me and no way to get to her in time, I lift James off the floor with my energy and push him against the wall. The auditorium vibrates from James’ body hitting the glass wall. The music abruptly stops, leaving the room in an eerie silence.

  Lili falls to the floor, unable to control her body and mind once the last glass of nectar hits her. Wayward run to her side, and I levitate myself into the air and through the crowd, landing next to Lili’s fallen body. I help her up and avoid eye contact with Wayward, hoping he doesn’t know we broke into his office.

  Unfortunately, Wayward’s attention is locked onto Lili and I as he talks directly to me. “I assume you were the one who threw James against the wall?”

  I inhale deeply and answer his question. “Yes. You know me, I’m not known for working well with others.”

  Wayward looks from James to Lili and then back to me. “Easton, please let James go.”

  I unhappily release him, then Wayward directs his question to a debilitated Lili. “Do you have something to tell me?” I hold my breath scared for her reply.

  Lili closes her eyes before saying, “I don’t feel good.”

  James inelegantly comes charging t
owards me from across the room as he yells in my direction, “Don’t ever use your energy against me, or you’ll be sorry!” I feel hate, rage and jealousy bursting from him, so I chose to smirk back. I know how to push his buttons. James raises his fist, aiming to hit me, but is blocked by Wayward.

  Wayward stands between us with his hands raised as he pounds his words into our chests. “James and Easton, back to your rooms.” With bated breath I grab Lili in my arms and begin to leave this horrible party. Wayward grabs my arm and pulls me back to him. He talks to me with suspicion. “You go to your room and I’ll take Lili back to hers. She’s in no condition to be with you.”

  My stomach falls and terror releases through my body. I don’t want Wayward with Lili alone. I need to leave the school tonight before the Darkness has a chance to enact the rest of the plan. I try to figure out a way out of this situation. But all I can think of to do is grab Lili and run, hoping I can escape quicker than the Celestials who will follow me.

  Right when I’m about to bolt with Lili, Sebastian strides to my side. He grasps my arm, calming my energy. He turns to Wayward and says, “I’ll take her. It would look odd for you to be alone with a debilitated student. Not very good optics. You should stay at your party.”

  Wayward shifts uncomfortably, then after a minute of internal debate says, “Okay, you can escort her to her room. Easton, I’ll talk with you in my office before you return up to your chamber.” I look at Sebastian with gratitude. I’ll have to try to get to Lili as soon as I finish with Wayward. All I can do is pray it’s not too late.

  Lili - Stranded

  I wake slightly after midnight with a pounding headache. I can’t remember much past breaking into Wayward’s office, just bits and pieces from the party. I faintly recall James and Easton getting into a fight, but beyond that I’m at a loss. I feel a pit in my stomach that something bad has happened to Easton, and I need to find him as soon as possible.