Stolen Portrait Stolen Soul: A Shadow Slayers Story (Shadow Slayers Stories Book 2)

by Nellie H. Steele

  “Don’t you think we’ve tried that?” Gray questioned.

  “I have no idea what you’ve done!” Damien snapped. “When was the last time she was seen? By whom? Where could she have gone? And why?”

  “I agree with Michael,” Alexander stated. “Why don’t we reconvene in the sitting room. We can discuss the details there.” Damien threw his arms in the air in frustration. “There is nothing to do right now, Damien. Michael is correct, we will find her, but it will not be tonight. And it will not be by executing an ill-conceived plan.”

  Damien sighed, nodding his head. “All right,” he assented, his voice just above a whisper as he stared at nothing.

  “Come on, man,” Michael prompted Damien. “Let’s head down for that drink. We both can use one.”

  “Damien,” Alexander said before they departed. Damien turned to look at him. “We will find her.”

  Damien nodded as Michael led him from the room. Alexander followed, turning back to find Gray still standing in the room. “Coming, cousin?”

  “Yes,” Gray answered, “but I want to re-hang this picture first. We need it, now more than ever.”

  “Let me help,” Alexander replied, picking up one side of the painting while Gray grabbed the other. Together, they carried the portrait of Celine downstairs and hung it above the fireplace in the foyer. “It’s good to see it back in its rightful place.”

  “I agree. Now if we could only retrieve Celine. At least the portrait can protect us until she is back.”

  “Shall we join Michael and Damien?” Alexander questioned.

  “Yes. As much as I don’t want to relive the last few days, they have a right to receive answers to their questions.”

  “He’s just as upset as you are, Gray. Please try to remember that.”

  “I realize that. And Celine would want me to remember that, too.”

  Gray and Alexander entered the sitting room. An orange glow lit the room, emanating from the fireplace. Michael and Damien both nursed brandies. Michael paced the room while Damien sat near the fireplace. He hunched over his drink, staring into it as though it held the answers to all his questions.

  Gray poured a brandy for Alexander and himself. “Listen, Damien,” he began, “I realize what a shock this is. It was to me, too. We all want to find Celine and we will.”

  “I don’t understand. How could she just disappear? Could this have something to do with our visit to the adjudicator? Was this my fault?” Damien questioned, referring to Celine’s summoning of the adjudicator to save her sister Celeste from the curse of vampirism. Celine had called upon the creature, a justice keeper of the supernatural world, to beg for her sister’s rebirth as a witch rather than a vampire. Her request had been denied. In the process, the adjudicator had become angered that Damien, a human, had witnessed their conversation, threatening him. Celine had promised to fight to the death for Damien. Had the adjudicator taken her up on that, Damien wondered?

  “For not being related by blood, you are just like her,” Gray murmured, shaking his head as he sipped his brandy.

  “What?” Damien questioned.

  “It isn’t your fault, Damien,” Alexander reassured him. Damien understood Gray’s comment. He referred to Celine’s characteristic trait of self-blame for all events.

  “The last time she visited the adjudicator she disappeared for twenty-five years,” Damien replied, referencing Celine’s morph into his human cousin, Josie.

  “I’m well aware of what happened the last time. I don’t need to be reminded,” Gray answered. He paused a moment. “But Alexander is correct. This has nothing to do with the adjudicator.”

  “How can you be so sure?” Michael chimed in.

  “Adjudicators do not revisit prior decisions or conversations,” Alexander explained. “If the adjudicator planned to do something to Celine, it would have done it at your meeting. Not after.”

  Damien let the information sink in. “You say she disappeared the night we left for 1791?”

  “Yes,” Gray answered. “I found a note in our bedroom. She wrote she was going to meet Celeste. She didn’t say where. That was the last correspondence any of us had with her.”

  Damien leapt from his seat, pacing the room as he digested the information. “And you spoke with Celeste?”

  “Yes, of course I spoke with Celeste. When she didn’t come home, that’s the first person I talked to.”

  “And she said what?” Damien questioned.

  “She said she spoke with Celine around ten. They spoke for about fifteen minutes before they parted ways. It appeared Celine was returning home when she left. That was the last Celeste saw of her,” Gray explained.

  Damien pondered it a moment. “And the note was in Celine’s handwriting?”

  “Yes,” Gray answered, wrinkling his brow.

  “What did she speak with Celeste about?” Michael queried.

  “According to Celeste, she asked to meet Celine to discuss the physical symptoms Celine was experiencing. The painful memories. Celeste was concerned Celine’s involvement in creating her vampiric condition led to Celine’s symptoms. Celeste felt compelled to tell Celine she did not hold her responsible. She was concerned the stress would harm Celine,” Gray responded.

  “I want to talk to Celeste,” Damien requested.

  “No!” Gray barked.

  “What? Why?” Damien asked.

  “You’re not going anywhere near Celeste in her condition. Either of you.”

  “She is the last one to have seen Celine. She may have information we need!” Damien entreated.

  “We’ve already spoken to her. Both of us,” Gray said, referencing Alexander.

  “But you may have missed something. Something I can pick up on!” Damien insisted.

  “The answer is no,” Gray answered.

  “Perhaps it should be arranged,” Alexander suggested.

  “Are you crazy, Alex? If something happens to either of them, Celine will never forgive us.”

  “We should keep Michael away, I agree. But Celeste wouldn’t be foolish enough to attack Damien. I will go with him. It should be safe,” Alexander suggested.

  Gray considered it for a moment. “Fine. Speak with her again. Just be sure she keeps her distance from him.”

  “Great!” Damien exclaimed. “Let’s go.”

  “Just a moment, Damien. We should postpone this discussion until you’ve both had some proper rest.”

  “Proper rest? Are you kidding? I can’t rest!”

  “Damien, your conversation with Celeste is useless if you are too tired to process the information,” Alexander stated.

  “Okay, okay, fine. Tomorrow night then,” Damien agreed. “So, what else can you tell us?”

  “There isn’t much else,” Gray admitted. “Celeste was the last to see her. There has been no trace of her. We’ve checked buildings on the estate, checked in town. There’s nothing.”

  “I realize you said this had nothing to do with the adjudicator,” Damien said, “but ‘disappeared without a trace’ sounds supernatural, doesn’t it?”

  “We were aware the last time she disappeared because of the adjudicator,” Alexander answered. He paused, glancing to Gray. “We… were given the chance to say goodbye.”

  Damien swallowed hard, realizing how horrific that must have been for them. “But it’s not like a normal person could have taken her, right? She’d just blast them with one her fireballs and come home.”

  Gray nodded. “You’re right, it’s not a normal person. She wasn’t abducted. I’m not sure that knowledge helps us.”

  Damien collapsed onto the couch. “What a mess.”

  “Perhaps you and Michael should get some rest,” Alexander suggested. “We’ll start fresh in the morning.”

  “Or evening. Celeste will be unavailable in the morning,” Damien answered.

  Alexander chuckled. “Yes, but we can review other things.”

  “I couldn’t sleep if I tried. Where is Celine and
her special touch that puts people to sleep when you need her?” Damien jumped from the couch, pacing the room.

  “I’m sure Millie can help you with that,” Alexander suggested.

  “A nice sedative, the doctor’s favorite drug of choice,” Michael lamented. He did not have fond memories of Millie’s rounds of sedation as he recovered from his vampire bite, courtesy of Celeste.

  “It’s a good idea. You need your rest,” Gray agreed.

  Damien shook his head. “No, thanks. I’ll go attempt to rest. I won’t rest, but I don’t want to be drugged. I need to keep a clear mind. What time should we reconvene?”

  “Whenever you both feel up to it. We’ll be here,” Alexander assured him.

  “Shoot for 7 a.m.?” Damien suggested.

  “That’s fine,” Alexander answered.

  “Great, see you tomorrow morning,” Damien replied. Damien and Michael exited, leaving Alexander and Gray remaining in the sitting room.

  “Poor Damien. This is a lot for a human to bear,” Alexander noted.

  “Yes, the sedative will do him good.”

  “Too bad he refused it.”

  “Refused or not, he’s getting it,” Gray insisted. “They both are. I may need your help.”

  “Bold move, Gray. Is it necessary?”

  “If we don’t, he’ll worry himself sick. And if anything happens to him while Celine is gone, she’ll never forgive me. Come on, we’ve got our work cut out for us.”

  Gray set his glass down, striding from the room. He tracked down Millie, having her fill two syringes with a sedative.

  Damien and Michael climbed the stairs and navigated the halls to their rooms. “I’ll see you in the morning,” Michael said before ducking into his room. “I hope you sleep.”

  “You, too.”

  Damien entered his room. He glanced around, sighing. Tears formed in his eyes. Before going to 1791 to retrieve Celine’s painting, he had spent several nights here with Celine. He recalled eating ice cream and discussing the mystery of her painful memories before falling asleep. She hadn’t been concerned, spending her time worrying about Michael’s recovery and her sister’s condition more than herself.

  Celine’s painful memories: another mystery they hadn’t solved. When did it end? After centuries of being tormented by archenemy Duke Marcus Northcott, Celine had finally banished him to the netherworlds. With the torments from that evil man behind her, they had hoped to live a peaceful life. Instead, a variety of physical symptoms ranging from nausea to pain accompanied by memories shooting across her brain, plagued Celine. When hypnotized, Celine had admitted a presumption of danger caused these symptoms. They had never ascertained what the danger was because Damien and Michael were transported to 1791 to find Celine’s missing portrait.

  With that problem solved, they had returned home to find that Celine’s problems had only worsened. Damien paced around his room. “Where are you, Celine?” he asked to an empty room.

  He changed his clothes, slipping into pajama pants and a t-shirt. He continued pacing the floor barefoot. His mind reeled. The incredulousness of the situation weighed on him. A dozen questions rattled through his mind. Why had they insisted he rest? He’d never be able to!

  A knock sounded on his door. He glanced at the door. Michael, he surmised. He must not be able to sleep either. A late-night planning session was just what they needed. Damien plodded to the door, pulling it open. “Couldn’t sleep either, huh?” he asked. “Oh, ah, sorry,” he said as Gray entered the room. “Thought you were Michael.”

  “Sorry to disappoint,” Gray replied. “Mind if I come in?”

  “Well, you’re already in, so I guess not,” Damien answered.

  “You’re supposed to be asleep,” Gray chided.

  “I’ll be all right,” Damien replied.

  “Let’s make sure of that,” Gray countered.

  “Listen, Gray, I get that you want to do right by Celine but…” Damien began before Gray jabbed him with the needle. “Hey! What the hell? What are you… what’re you doing?” Damien slurred as the fast-acting sedative took effect.

  “We’ll find Celine. Get some rest, Damien,” Gray answered, walking him to the bed. Gray let Damien fall onto the bed, covering him with a blanket. He turned off the lights and exited the bedroom. He repeated the same maneuver with Michael, leaving him to rest as well. With Michael and Damien asleep, Gray returned to his suite for a long night of pacing.

  Celine stared out of the small window into the night sky. The moon waned. Days had passed since Celine wandered into the mill’s cellar, becoming trapped by Marcus Northcott. Celeste requested a meeting with her, luring her to the mill’s basement. Celeste had not acted out of malice; she had been forced to do Marcus’ bidding. Her vampiric condition costing her freedom of choice in the matter.

  Celine sighed. No amount of supernatural force on her part had freed her from her prison. Marcus’ enchantment of her cell held her fast, making escape impossible. It also made rescue impossible.

  She had awoken earlier when a flood of new memories entered her mind. They provided evidence that her cousin, Damien, and friend, Michael, returned from their time traveling journey. They had retrieved the painting. Marcus confirmed that fact. Despite his loss of the painting, Marcus had joined her earlier to gloat. He lost the painting but maintained his control of Celine herself.

  Celine stood, shuffling to the window. She breathed in the cool night air. She longed to reunite with her family. She yearned to witness the excitement on Damien’s face as he presented them with the painting. She craved observing Michael’s cool demeanor as he let Damien shine. She desired to gaze into Gray’s stormy blue eyes.

  She shook her head, a tear rolling down her cheek as she imagined the shock on Damien’s face when Gray informed him she was missing. Damien would take this the hardest. Guilt would ricochet through him. He’d insisted on solving the problem, even if it cost him his health. Damien wouldn’t sleep, wouldn’t eat until she was found. Yet, according to Marcus, no one would ever find her.

  Celine imagined the world without her. Everyone would move on. They would be forced to. What would become of her? Would she spend eternity in this cell? No, she promised herself, she would rally. She would find a way. She had returned to Gray after a twenty-five-year absence. She would return to him again, she vowed.

  “Admiring the stars, Celine?” a voice asked behind her.

  She closed her eyes, annoyance filling her. “Haven’t we spoken enough today, Marcus?” Celine inquired.

  “I assumed you’d be in a better mood. Your friends have returned triumphant! You should be overjoyed.”

  Celine stalked from the window to the door. “I’d love the chance to celebrate with them. Perhaps you’d be inclined to open the door and allow me a night out.”

  Marcus roared with laughter. “Oh, Celine, when did you become such a comedienne?”

  “I wasn’t joking,” Celine countered.

  “Then I am sorry to disappoint you, my dear. Any celebrations must be put on hold. Unless you’d care to celebrate with me.”

  Celine rolled her eyes, a grimace on her lips. “I wouldn’t care to do anything with you.”

  “Oh, why do you insist on being so stubborn, Celine? Do you not realize the potential that exists by joining me?”

  “Marcus, we have entertained this conversation many times already. My answer has and will always be ‘no.’”

  Marcus sighed. “Then I leave you alone to reconsider.”

  “There is nothing to reconsider, Marcus. We are at a stalemate!” Celine shouted as he walked away from her.

  “No, my dear,” he answered, turning to face her. “Stalemates exist when there is no way forward for either party. While I agree there is no way forward for you except to join me, I have multiple avenues yet to be pursued.” He turned on his heel, stalking away.

  Silence settled over the room as his footsteps receded. Celine returned to staring at the night’s sky. Turmoil rule
d her mind. Marcus was correct, he held the upper hand. Centuries of warring between them had gotten them nowhere. She left a wake of destruction and collateral damage wherever she traveled. How much more would she cost her family?

  Want to read more? Find out what happens to Celine, Damien and the rest of the Shadow Slayers in Gone! Click here to read!