Wilder

by G. K. DeRosa

  Celeste dashed to her room to retrieve the old key that her mother had just given her and ran quickly back upstairs. She knelt down, breathless, in front of the trunk and examined the keyhole. She inserted the key, gave it a twist and was awarded with a click. The lid popped open. In the small compartment she discovered an old VHS tape and an envelope. Celeste’s heart raced as she stared at the envelope and recognized the familiar writing. It was her father’s and it was addressed to her. She opened it carefully, scanning the note in her dad’s meticulous penmanship.

  My Dear Celeste,

  I have no idea how old you will be when you read this, but I can only hope that you are a grown woman with children of your own and that you have led a long and happy life – a life that I was a part of. If not, that means that I have met an untimely death, and unfortunately you’ve had to bear the burden of my passing. I’m sorry. Although I am gone, please know that I will always be with you in spirit especially now with all that awaits you. There is so much that I want to tell you and yet I cannot seem to find the words. Many years ago when you were just a baby I made a video for you, and I hope that it will bring you comfort during this difficult time.

  I love you Celeste, and I am certain you will become the exceptional woman that you were destined to be. Take care of your mother, and above all things trust your instincts.

  Love, Dad

  P.S. I have a few items that may be of use to you. I have included the address below:

  U-Save Self Storage

  Unit# 99

  125 Willowbend Road

  A lone tear rolled down Celeste’s cheek as she clutched the note against her chest. She allowed herself a moment of grief to remember her father then pulled herself together. She slipped the Wilder key over her head and securely tied the leather cord around her neck. Celeste had a mission. She picked up the tape and wondered where in the world she would find a VHS player.

  “Well that was a huge revelation yesterday,” said Nico barging into the living room.

  “Which revelation was that little brother, the fact that an ancient vampire is looking for us or that Celeste is pre-programmed to hate and possibly kill us?” The turmoil was evident in Roman’s troubled eyes.

  “When you put it that way, you make things sound so depressing…” Nico leaned against the couch, folding his arms over his chest.

  “We need to find out who that was and why he’s looking for us. I’d bet my life on the fact that this has something to do with Fabian.”

  “Yes, I tend to agree with you,” Nico admitted.

  Roman slumped down on the couch and buried his head in his hands.

  “How’s Celeste?” asked Nico.

  “She seemed to be okay when we left the party.”

  “And how are you holding up?” He glanced down at Roman.

  “Me? I’m fine.”

  “You don’t think that this aversion that Celeste has developed will affect your…uh…relationship?” Nico asked.

  “What are you getting at brother?” Irritation rang in his voice.

  “Nothing, never mind. But I think it’s necessary that we figure out this new ‘evil radar’ that she has magically been gifted with.”

  “She will learn how to control it.” Roman paused tentatively, “But yes perhaps we could use some help.”

  “I think it’s time we pay another visit to Stellan. And maybe this time, we take Celeste with us.” A mischievous grin tugged at his lips.

  Celeste made a quick call to the Oak Bluffs Library, and just as she had guessed, they still had VHS players in their children’s movie room. Picking up her purse and car keys, she headed toward the door. The prospect of facing such an important discovery alone made her stop in her tracks. She picked up the phone to call Brian; he would go with her anywhere. Then she hesitated. Celeste didn’t want Brian to know anything about this. Without realizing it, she found herself dialing Roman’s number instead.

  Minutes later Roman’s sleek sports car pulled into her driveway.

  “Thanks for coming to get me.” She gave him a smile as she hopped into the Porsche.

  “Of course, it’s my pleasure.”

  Every so often when Roman spoke, Celeste was reminded that he wasn’t your average twenty-three year old. In fact, he was well over one hundred years old. The thought that he had been alive for more than a century was too overwhelming at times, so she tried not to think about it often.

  “Roman, I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about my visit with the Council right away. I’ve just been struggling with all of these new feelings that come along with being the Guardian,” she blurted out.

  “You don’t have to apologize to me. I know that you will tell me when the time is right.”

  “I want to tell you about everything.” Celeste began to describe her vision of the Council in detail, including the appearance of her father. As she spoke the words aloud, it became much more real and sharing it with Roman also made it much more bearable.

  “I just have so many questions for them. And they wouldn’t tell me anything!” she complained.

  “From what I’ve heard, the process of becoming a Guardian is shrouded in mystery.”

  “Can’t they just give me a guidebook or something?” She was only half-kidding.

  “Celeste, it’s not that easy. But remember that you were born into this, everything will come naturally to you,” Roman reassured her.

  “Now you’re starting to sound like them with their vague advice.”

  “I’m serious. Don’t you remember how well you took the news about Nico and me being vampires?”

  “You’re joking right?” She shot him a sidelong glance.

  “Okay, well I meant after you ran off.” A smile pulled at the edge of his lips. “As unbelievable as all of this may seem, there is something inside of you that is taking it in stride, right?”

  “Yeah, I guess.”

  “It’s innate, Celeste. And it’s that something that will lead you to become the next Guardian – without a guidebook.” He gave her a smirk.

  Roman and Celeste walked through the silent library, their footsteps echoing on the marble floor. The children’s room was empty luckily, with the exception of a few colorful childrens’ books strewn on the bright yellow carpet. Celeste had no idea what the video contained, but she figured the least amount of prying eyes the better. She tried to steady her trembling hands as she inserted the videotape into the VCR and pressed play. First, a few lines of static flashed across the screen, and then her father’s face appeared. It was nothing like she remembered it. He looked so young. His hazel eyes were vibrant, and his wavy shoulder-length brown hair was tousled. He seemed excited yet anxious.

  “He must have recorded this video a long time ago,” she whispered to Roman. “I remember seeing pictures of him looking like this when I was just a baby.”

  Hi Celeste! Well, I don’t really know where to begin… It’s hard for me to picture the future you watching this video since I just left the present you in your crib moments ago. This is all so surreal. But now that I am a father, I feel that it is important to document our family history so that one day you can fully understand it. I hope that we will be able to watch this together on your eighteenth birthday. If for some reason I am no longer with you, I hope that this will help. I will give your mother very specific instructions to give you our family key on the day of your eighteenth birthday. At that time, you will have had the vision if you were chosen the new Guardian. The key is charmed as is the trunk, and the secret compartment will only reveal itself to those who have been selected. Perhaps this will clear up a few things for you.

  You have been born into a very special family – the Wilders are a long line of hunters that have been protecting the human world from evil for centuries. In fact, the name Wilder comes from an ancient language meaning “hunter”- you are a hunter, my dear Celeste. It’s hard for me to imagine that when I see your sweet innocent face. When I turned eighteen, I had a vision in which I
was chosen by the Council of Guardians to be the next Guardian. I was trained by my father, and my father was trained by my grandfather and so on. Not all Wilders in a family line are chosen, and no one really knows why some are passed over. If you are watching this video, I can only assume that you have been selected. This is a very special honor, Celeste, but I am not going to lie to you and say that it is an easy task that you are poised to take on. You will have to make many sacrifices in your life in order to fulfill your duties. But I want you to have as much of a normal life as possible. As you now know, I managed to do so. I got married to a wonderful woman, and I had you, my beautiful daughter. I wish the same happiness for you.

  As a Guardian, you have been given special abilities; you should begin feeling them shortly after your birthday, if you haven’t already. You will become stronger and faster, and you will begin to sense the supernatural world around you. Your emotions will be heightened, and your survival instinct will intensify. You must learn to trust that instinct, as it is in place to protect you. If I am no longer here to train you, I will make sure to designate someone in my place. The Council will guide you, so turn to them if you need anything. They have been sworn to protect all guardians and will keep our family secret safe.

  There are so many things I want to tell you, my darling daughter. Be strong and be brave, and know that I will always be with you. I love you.

  At some point during the story Roman had taken her trembling hand in his. As Celeste sat in silence attempting to process what her father had said in the video, she felt a reassuring squeeze.

  “So he knew all along.” Her voice was small and shaky as the weight of her father’s message sunk in. “He knew that it was very likely that I would become a Guardian like he was. All those years he lied to us. I thought he was a private investigator, and meanwhile he had been fighting the forces of evil?”

  “I know it’s a lot to take in Celeste,” said Roman.

  “I don’t think you do. I feel like everything I knew about my father was a lie. All he did was keep secrets and live this double life.” Celeste’s throat tightened.

  “But he did it to protect you and your mother, to keep you safe,” he said turning toward her.

  “And how am I ever going to be safe now? If he had just told me when I was younger, at least I would have been prepared.”

  “It’s not going to be easy Celeste, but you’ll get through this. We will help you.” He cupped her face in his hands tenderly.

  “And who is this someone that is supposed to train me? Don’t you think I would have met them by now?” she asked, her eyes alight with apprehension.

  Roman clenched his fists at his sides. She could see how upset he was at not being able to do anything to comfort her.

  “My dad was supposed to train me, and he’s gone. How am I supposed to do this alone?” she wailed.

  Roman’s hands squeezed her shoulders. “You’re not alone, Celeste. You have Nico and me, and we can train you. We have both done our fair share of fighting, and who better to teach you than the enemy.” He gave her a smirk.

  She couldn’t help but feel a little better any time Roman flashed that million-dollar smile. As draining as it was for her to fight the battling emotions inside her whenever she was around Roman, it was worth it. “Yeah, I guess.”

  “Come on, there’s still one more place we have to go today,” he said, taking her hand.

  Roman led Celeste through the sterile gray hallways of the storage facility as the fluorescent motion-sensor lights flicked on upon their approach. The feeling of desolation inside Celeste was mirrored in the empty walkways.

  “Well this is it, storage number 99.” Celeste slowly unlocked the door.

  When the door swung open, Celeste’s mouth dropped. Roman stood stiffly behind her taking it all in. The small storage unit looked like a military arsenal from medieval times. She surveyed the room—swords, crossbows, knives, spears and even wooden stakes lined the walls. Even Roman was taken aback by the magnitude of weapons. He reached up and removed an iron broadsword from the hook on the wall to take a closer look.

  “This sword is quite old. Judging from the etchings in the hilt my guess would be sometime in the eighteenth century.”

  Celeste picked up a couple of knives. “Look they all have the same symbol engraved on them.”

  “Do you recognize it?” he asked.

  “No, should I?”

  “I think it might be the Wilder family symbol. I’ve heard stories that every hunter family has a unique one.”

  “Wait a minute,” she said examining the symbol more closely, “it does look kind of familiar. Yes! I think I saw it in my dream.” It was the first dream she had in which her father was training her. She had been holding a sword with the exact same symbol on it.

  “All of these weapons must have been passed down through the generations.”

  “That’s pretty crazy, huh? This sword could have belonged to my great-great grandfather.” Her gaze ran up and down the silver weapon.

  Roman looked at the symbol more closely. “I believe this is from the Phoenician alphabet – that looks like the letter W.”

  “And what are those? Swords and a sun?”

  “Yes, those are common elements in hunter symbols.”

  Roman continued walking around the room to more closely admire the archaic weapons. As strange as this had all seemed to Celeste when she first walked in, she began to feel more at ease as she familiarized herself with her families’ treasures. There was something about being here that made her feel closer to her father and to all of her ancestors. A surge of power sprung from inside her as she picked up a small sword with a gilded handle and the now familiar engraving. As if by instinct, she began swinging it around ever so gracefully.

  “Look at you, you’re quite a natural,” said Roman.

  “It’s weird, but I felt something when I picked up the sword – like it was supposed to be mine.”

  “Well then, I think you should take it with you.”

  “Where am I going to keep it, under my bed? What if my mom finds it?”

  “Celeste, I think it’s time you had a talk with your mother. From what your father said, it seems like she may know a little more than what we think she does.”

  “Where have you been all day?” Nico glanced up from his laptop as Roman shut the door behind him.

  “Researching some family history with Celeste.” He didn’t meet his brother’s eyes.

  “So is everything all right with the two of you now? She didn’t try to kill you or anything?” Nico asked.

  “She’s getting a handle on her urges, yes.”

  “And how about your urges, Roman?” He gave his brother a sidelong glance.

  “I’m fine.”

  Nico looked at him doubtfully.

  “I’m keeping my distance, okay?” Roman tried to assure his brother.

  Nico chuckled. “Are you really? If this is keeping your distance, I can’t imagine what dating would be like for the two of you.”

  “Dating? Nico, don’t be absurd. I don’t date.” He grunted and raked a hand through his hair. “Even if I wanted to be with Celeste, we both know that’s impossible.” He turned away, shielding the tortured expression in his eye.

  “Why is it so impossible? You can deny it all you want, but I’ve never seen you act this way with anyone before. You obviously care about her, so why can’t you just admit it?”

  “To what end? So that I can torture myself with something that I can never have? She’s a hunter and I’m a vampire. The universe certainly likes to play its dirty tricks, doesn’t it?”

  “So that’s it? You’re just going to “protect” her and be her friend?”

  “Exactly. And I don’t want to talk about this anymore,” said Roman, slumping down on the couch. “On another note, I was thinking about what you said about bringing Celeste to meet Stellan. You were right, and I think we should go tomorrow.”

  “Hey Mom, do you have
a sec to talk?”

  “Oh sure sweetie, I’m just going to pop this lasagna in the oven for you for dinner tonight, and I’m all yours.” She wiped her hands on her tomato-sauce-splattered apron. Celeste often wondered how her mother found the time to still cook dinners while pulling twelve-hour shifts at the hospital.

  Celeste walked into the living room and curled up on the couch to wait for her mom. She considered the best way to say she had been chosen the next Guardian and that she was responsible for saving the world from all things evil. Why don’t they make a Hallmark card for that?

  “So what’s up?” her mother asked as she sat down beside her.

  Celeste steeled her nerves. “Remember that key you gave me for my birthday from dad?”

  “Yes, sure.”

  “Well the other day, I was looking through the trunk, and I found a secret compartment on the bottom.”

  Celeste paused to read her Mom’s face to gage a reaction, but so far it was blank.

  “And the key was a perfect fit. I found a note from Dad. It was more than a note—there were instructions and a video tape,” she continued.

  Her mom’s cool façade began to crumble as Celeste went on. She stood up and walked back and forth in front of the window.

  “I watched the video, and it was of Dad when he was much younger, and he told me about our family…uh… legacy.”

  At that, her mother broke down and turned to her, angry tears streaming down her face. “Oh no Celeste, I never wanted any of this for you. I was hoping that I could protect you from it all.”

  “So you knew? Why didn’t you tell me?” Celeste jumped up. “I’ve been going crazy for the past few weeks having the strangest nightmares and visions, and worrying about what I was going to tell you.” She was pacing now too.

  “I’m sorry, sweetie, but I had hoped with all my heart that you wouldn’t be chosen. That you wouldn’t have to bear the responsibility that your father had to.”

  “Well, I was chosen and I do have to. How could you keep that from me?”