The Celestial Rose BoxSet

by Annalee Adams

  The stench of burning flesh infused the air as it flung me upward, gripping at its arm like a wounded puppy, sniffling in sorrow. I landed smack against a tree, toppling to the ground. My back hurt, my head shrieked forgiveness, and my mind enraged as infernal instincts took over.

  He towered above me, with its gigantic claws it ripped the branches away, tackling through to steal its prey. With a ravenous howl, he leapt at me once more. He was angry, serious, in-fact. Snarling with rabid jaws clashing around me, I held his head back as it clashed and clambered over, trying to go for the throat, for the ultimate kill.

  I needed to reach my sigil once again, I needed that clarity. The heat from my hands was no longer there. I had lost control, lost who I was. Roll, Taylor, roll! Let go and roll. Releasing my hands from his jaw, I rolled. Letting go as his jaws bit down, barely missing my shoulder, clamping shut on the branch of a fallen tree I’d burned down earlier.

  My body electrified, screeching with an explosive fury; I was angry. He’d meant to hurt me. The violent nature of the bite had melded me into a being with nothing to lose. I reached out and gripped my sigil. Fire and rage shot through me and my body inflamed, angry and pained. This beast had tried to rip me apart, bite into me, threatening my life and was ready to take another swipe at me.

  My body ignited, and I screamed. No pain, no fear. Just pure hatred for the monster before me. I felt hotter and hotter, larger than life, more furious and angry than ever before. Reaching out, my blazing hands held the monsters jaw, setting it alight and burning the fur from its body. Flesh smouldered, tissue charred as he jumped back, whimpering in pain. His body changed, shredding skin he became human again. A human Harland after all. How could he?

  A voice rose from the background, a voice I once knew. I could hear it, but no longer feel it. The rage within me, the blazing heat, had taken over. So much anger boiling within. The hatred burned. He attacked me, tried to kill me, bite me. How could he? He must die! He’s just like the beast. He’ll kill everyone. I ran at Harland, an infernal demonic figure blazing in all its glory. Harland’s face scrunched, ready for impact. But before I could reach him, Lucian ran at me, knocked me down, pulled me back from the mere human beast before me. He was so strong, and even through my flames, he held me down. Why would he protect him? He’s a monster. He would have killed me!

  My eyes were ablaze with fire and my body screamed destruction. I was no longer Taylor Lane, I was something more, something greater. I pushed Lucian away, and as he leapt forward to grab me, I melded into shadow I was completely in control and reappeared next to the charred human beast that lay by the tree.

  I tried to grip its neck, and then I heard it.

  “TAYLOR.......”

  A deafening, deepened scream, a compulsive controlling word, a word I knew, a name I knew. Something within me stirred. I paused, and just as I did, my eyes fluttered. The cinders they left behind gave way to an intense bright light. Something had smashed before me. The sound of glass breaking all around me, the smell of fire as the trees burned to a smoulder. The light surrounded me, encased me, warmed me even more than any fiery core ever could. It brought back a feeling I once knew, a deep emotion, one filled with mystery and magic, allure and beauty, pain and misery. The emotions poured throughout my soul, enticing each cell with the reminder of human life, human love. The light was the light of love, a power greater than any anyone had ever known, and it filled me once again.

  I fell to the ground beside the charred beast, and as I did, my light began to deplete. Darkness slowly began to return. The trees were smoking as a whirlwind of Darkwaters danced around, creating a tornado flurry, ending the fiery light burning from within them.

  A naked beast with a charred face croaked.

  “Taylor, I’m so sorry.”

  Why did he attack me? Never mind my pain, though, no matter what Harland was, he did not deserve that. His poor face was burnt to a crisp. How was he still even alive?

  Someone crept up beside me, covering Harland over with a long black overcoat.

  “It’ll be all right, TayTay.” It was Nic “Their kind heal quickly.”

  Harland tried to talk, but I think the pain was taking over. The flesh was singed back around his face. The poor guy sounded in agony.

  “Is there anything I can do to help him, Nic?”

  “Maybe not burn him to a crisp next time,” he laughed.

  Lucian appeared, clothes singed, arms burnt.

  “Oh Lucian, I’m so sorry!” I cried.

  “It’s okay, Taylor. We didn’t know you were that powerful.”

  I was an array of confused emotions and still angry he left me.

  “Where were you, Lucian?”

  “This was your training session. I did pre-warn you that we couldn’t make it easy, and Harland, here, agreed to help out.”

  “So, this was your idea, Lucian?”

  Then a darkened character emerged from the woods.

  “No, my dear girl, it was simply my idea.” It was Lawrence.

  Lucian gasped. “Shit, did he bite you?”

  “No, just missed!”

  Lucian leapt up towards a slowly recovering, naked Harland.

  “What the hell, Harland? You could have killed her. You know females never survive it!”

  Harland appeared to have most of his facial features back, as he leapt back out the way, standing tall, but naked, in a defensive stance.

  “That's why I apologised! And I am sorry, Taylor,” he said while looking me over.

  “You’re bloody lucky you missed!” Lucian said.

  “Yes, I know. She went mental, Lucian, you saw that! She changed into that thing and I had to defend myself. She was about to kill me!”

  “That’s why we had the potion,” Lucian screamed.

  “What thing?” I questioned. Did he mean Seine? Stepping back, I turned and vomited. The sickness within me was pulsating through. The pain radiated across my shoulder, crippling my body one part at a time. What thing were they on about? I felt dizzy, sick to my stomach. My boyfriend was a Darkened Disciple and my best friend a Lycan, and, well, I had no clue what I was. The trees began to sway, the night drew in, and my body took a trip on a merry go round as I drifted off into a land of never-ending dismay, collapsing in to the arms of another.

  CHAPTER 16

  The morning breeze bristled through the window, tickling across my bare legs like feathers catching flight through the winter's reign. The supple scent of roses smothered the room, caressing the air, and soothing the mind of many. Relaxed and fully rested, I felt good.

  Dad knocked.

  “Taylor, breakfast,” he said as he opened my bedroom door. “Blimey, kid, what happened? Did you have a fight with an ostrich?”

  I opened my eyes to a scattering of singed feathers floating in the air. It appeared I had shredded my pillow at some point in the night. I laughed.

  “No, Dad. I must have had a bad dream. I’ll clean it up.”

  “Oh, that’s fine, just glad you’re smiling lately. Life is good, isn’t it? Come on, breakfast is ready. I’m off out in a while, remember?”

  “Yes, five minutes and I’ll be down.” I smiled.

  Lawrence must have said something to cheer him up, he was much happier than he had been. It was as though he wasn't in pain anymore. He was always so depressed after Mum died, we all were, but things were starting to improve. I hoped so, anyway. Even Caleb had stopped crying every night. I didn’t think I would ever see the day. Both happy and full of love, it was a good feeling.

  At breakfast, Dad had really put on a feast of pancakes and strawberries, Greek yoghurt, and bananas. So much fruit, the sight was an amass of colour before my eyes.

  “Right, kids, I have to get going. Can you two be on clean up duty? We have the whole East side to search today, wish me luck!” He was off, out to search for the missing girls. The whole town had formed a search party since the first disappearances.

  “Good luck!” I said, as he
kissed our foreheads goodbye.

  I watched him leave, as happy as life itself, waving as he drove away.

  “Taylor, can I...”

  “Yes, Caleb, I’ll clean up. Go on, have fun.”

  “Thanks sis,” he smirked as he grabbed his bag, leapt up from the table, and headed off down the street.

  Life was quiet once again. The house was silent, peaceful almost. It was nice.

  I started to clean up the breakfast pots when Lucian knocked.

  “Good morning, beautiful,” he said as he put his arms around me, kissing my nose. “Are you about ready?” he asked, helping me with the dishwasher.

  “Yes. Do I need anything special for the trip?”

  “Just your sweet self, leave the rest to us.”

  “Okay, I’m ready then.”

  We headed over to the Darkwater mansion, just as the clan loaded their cars, ready for the trip ahead.

  “Hey TayTay!” Nic shouted, “I’ve brought extra fire extinguishers with me. We’re good to go.” He smirked as I gave him a dirty look.

  “So, where are we off to?” I asked Lucian.

  “Ah ha, just wait and see,” he replied, winking.

  The journey took a little over an hour, through winding country roads and across vibrant green fields, misted with the essence of the previous night’s storm clouds. We pulled up on a dirt path beside a forest of evergreen trees, shading the journey ahead from the noon sun.

  As I clambered out of the car, Lucian sped round to offer his hand.

  “Thanks.” I smiled. “So, what are we doing here?”

  “You’ll see.” He smirked. “We’re stronger in the dark. Jump on.

  “On what?” I questioned, as Elisha and Nic laughed.

  Julian emerged from the other car laden with bags. He shot ice in front of him and started skating, picking up speed. Within seconds, he had vanished.

  “Are you two coming?” Lawrence asked, as he walked across the woodland.

  “Well Taylor, you may be unique, but you’re still not as fast as me,” Lucian smirked, as he ran circles around me.

  “Hmm,” I disapproved as he laughed, picking me up and carrying me in his arms. I sat with my legs around him, kissing him as he took off, ready to soar through the skies.

  The rush was unreal. The wind flapped through my hair, caressing the long trellises as I caught myself giggling to the sound of normality disappearing. Lucian laughed, and we settled down to a slow stop beside a clearing about two miles in.

  Julian was already there. He’d started putting up tents when we showed up. The rest joined us later, taking the slow route in. Elisha and Nic collected logs for the enormous camp fire, while Lucian sawed down a tree ready to cut into log seats. It looked perfect, and all the while Lawrence stood looking up to the sky. He was in a world of his own a lot of the time. He was simply one of the most intriguing men that you could ever hope to meet. He shared plenty of stories that night, some myth and some legend. But whether they were all based on fact or fiction was down to the beholder to find out.

  Lucian assured me each of the triumphant battles were real, even down to when mankind nearly ended abruptly, as the they fought with Lilith and her disciples in the battle of the roses. A battle known only by the scent of roses that ladened the field of the dead as the fallen Femme Fatales withered into Earth’s core once again.

  It was good when a disorganised family came together, really mixed as one, and bonded in the most beautiful way. Lawrence was determined to help me ‘light on, light off’, as Nic called it. He had watched far too many hero movies of late.

  The aim was to get me to concentrate and ignite my fingers, in the hope that one day I could control the ability and throw fireballs at passers-by. It was an amusing thought, but one that may get me locked up later in life.

  “It’s just not working, Lawrence,” I said, dismayed as I tried hard to concentrate. “Whenever I use the sigil, it works the first time, but without it, I’m no one.”

  “Wow, that’s depressing, TayTay.” Nic laughed.

  “Shut it, Nic,” I said, punching him in the arm. He had become like an annoying brother over the time I’d known him.

  “That tickled.” He taunted.

  “Maybe it’s down to belief,” Elisha said as she wandered over sitting beside me.

  “What do you mean?”

  “Perhaps you need to believe you can do it, then you’ll be able to.”

  I sat, staring in to the flames of the campfire, imagining the fire consume my body, encircling itself around me. Imagining the energy passing through me, congregating to one exact point, the tips of my fingers. And as I did, my fingers ignited. Only a little, the tiniest of flames, but a flame none-the-less. I jumped up from the log in amazement. My first flame that I had made without the use of the sigil. It really meant that I could control it, one step at a time, and it felt good!

  “Oh crap,” I yelped, as I flung the flame over to a bush beside me.

  The clan laughed. Nic literally rolled off the seat in laughter as Elisha tutted and grabbed the nearest fire extinguisher.

  “Fantastic, Taylor!” Lucian exclaimed, hugging me.

  Over the next hour I sat in Lucian's arms bringing fire to my fingertips, seeing how it felt, what it was like to move it around. I had come so far in a matter of hours and the Darkwaters really helped me to improve.

  As the night crept in, the stars shone like crystallised cocoons, filled with a mass of triumphant light. They had won the war, taking over the sky just for a little while longer.

  I’d spoken to Lucian about the Yuletide ball; the academy had cancelled it, much to our disapproval. Elisha was mad after she’d spent so long planning it, but the students' safety had to come first and with so many going missing, the board didn’t want to risk it.

  The bonfire began to diminish further as the night grew colder. No matter how much I threw flames at it, there was not enough wood to burn. I sat up from Lucian's arms, stretching.

  “I’ll go get some firewood.”

  “Want me to join you?” Lucian asked.

  “No, I’m good. You finish your story, I won’t be long.”

  “Okay, my light,” he smiled, reminding me I was the light in his darkness once again. He didn’t worry about protecting me as much now, not after he’d seen me as the infernal monster. That’s an image I doubt he would ever forget.

  I wandered into the darkness that surrounded us. Under the light of the moon and shimmering of stars, I felt at peace. It was a beautiful night, one I yearned would last for an eternity. Picking up a bunch of fallen branches, I headed back. Something startled me. A soft whimpering sound carried through the wind. It sounded like the turmoil of a child seeking its mummy. Igniting my fingers, the light caressed the trees before me. The whimpering grew louder, sounding more painful, agonising. It sounded like someone was in serious distress and needed assistance immediately. I wanted to help, but on a darkened night, all alone with only me and the monsters of the night, the friend I call fear crept up my backbone.

  I gulped, swallowing back the panic, as my anxiety levels shot through the roof. I ran, the broken moans of a female ahead.

  “Help me, please, someone, help me!” she wailed.

  The wind rippled across the night sky as raindrops began to fall, bringing back a moist touch to the leaves below me. Distinct pain shot through the air, radiating from the voice ahead. The whimpers turned to fully fledged screams, a force so great it quaked the ground around me. Anguish emanated from the row of trees ahead. I was so close, within a stone’s throw.

  She sounded tortured and badly hurt, and then there was the sound of howling flooding through the night. I knew that sound. It was the sound of a Lycan, and a hungry one at that.

  I rushed over to the site where the screams took on the pitch of a tormented spirit, screeching with turmoil and sorrow. Breaking through the trees, I saw that the clearing was empty. I started to wonder if the noise had come from inside me. Had I s
tarted to hallucinate things now, too? It didn’t make any sense. Then I saw the bloody shape of a human girl hidden beneath the shrubbery.

  “PLEASE NO...” she screamed as she clawed at her own face.

  Her delicate human hands were deformed and tapered to razor sharp claws. She appeared to be fighting another being that resided in her own body. Her face changed, mirrored itself into another. Her soul was tormented by the shape of something greater, darker, and as sinister as the corrupt nature of a shadeling itself. What was she? What had happened to her?

  In my brief hesitation, a million thoughts passed through my mind, and within a mere second, another face appeared beside her own. It was morphed into that of a Lycan, but something larger and deadlier than any Lycan. The beast. Her body was cracking and breaking as she wretched, vomiting her humanity away. Her skin tore from her body as whatever was within her was clawing its way to get out. The poor girl was suffering the most painful death any human could ever suffer.

  Standing in shock at what was happening, I reached out.

  “Take my hand.”

  Not that I knew what good that would do. Which was her hand now? The broken bloody skin that hung from her elbow where a hand used to be or the clawing menace before me? The serrated claws swiped out at my body as I stumbled backwards bending over in pain.

  “KILL ME...” she wept with all that remained of her tear ducts. “PLEASE KILL ME...” she roared with every breath left within her. Her mutilated body urged for my response. The agony of the mutation before me pained everything within me. I had to, she needed me to, so I did.

  Breathing in the deepest of breaths, concentrating all my energy to the tips of my fingers, I created an immense fireball, one of pure energy, an inferno waiting to happen. I gave her one last sorrowful look. Her weeping eyes changed as they met my own, she tried to smile and mouth the words to thank me as the fiery blast ignited her being.

  The half-formed creature within her roared as it swallowed its shell whole, battering its former cocoon to within an inch of life it burned, smouldered, and seethed. It smelted its own skin, leaving a metallic taste in the air. Beside the body, I fell hard to my knees. I had killed the girl, ended her pain, taken her suffering. Whatever the creature was, the poor girl could not have survived the change. The saddest part about it was that I knew her. It was the last of the missing girls; Sarah, from Ms. Morai’s class. I wept for her short life, wept for her tragic end, and wept for all that she would never know. How could her family grieve now, with so little left of her? The flames smouldered down, as the crisp cindered corpse lay shape to a half-eaten human and half-mutilated monster.