The Celestial Rose BoxSet

by Annalee Adams

  “There you are! Why’d you go?” she asked. “Did you walk? You must be mad!” She laughed, noticing my discomfort.

  “Where were you all?”

  “Lucian took a turn, he needed Charles’ help.”

  “What?”

  “Your blood’s done something to him.”

  “What do you mean? Is he okay? Where is he?” I said, as I threw on my clothes.

  “He wouldn’t feed today. He hasn’t drunk since you gave him your blood, and that wasn’t enough. He needs more, and quick. The injuries aren’t healing.”

  “What did he say? Why won’t he feed?”

  “He said he would rather die than kill another. What did you say to him? It’s like he’s gained your moral compass. He actually shed a tear!”

  “Really?”

  “Yeah. He was hallucinating, talking about the people he’d killed before he was a disciple. He felt remorse.”

  “That’s good though, surely?”

  “Not if it kills him!” she said.

  “Yes, but he’s always had emotions, Elisha. He showed them to me.”

  “Not like that... it’s almost like he’s turning into a human again.”

  “That’s not possible.”

  “Well, I don’t know, you didn’t see him.”

  “Where is he now?”

  “At the hospital, come on,” she said, heading downstairs.

  The drive was silent, the sun was setting as the darkness came out to play. The last time I saw the darkness, the beast returned and murdered hundreds of innocent people. The dark always scared me as a child, but now, now it petrified me. I had to hold it in; the fear, the pain. I couldn't show that I was weak. I had got to keep going. My muscles tightened, heart pounded. What could I do? How could I help? It wasn't like I could heal the weak and feed to poor. I was a lousy superhero. All I ended up doing was getting people killed. Humanity was doomed.

  Elisha said Lawrence was still in York. He was busy with another clan, cleaning up the mess. It was a state, apparently, and from what I saw last night, I could completely agree with that. Police everywhere and SWAT was called in. Hunting god knows what, they didn’t have a clue what they were looking for or how to kill it. How would they explain a humongous beast on the news? The bombs or gas leak idea wouldn’t really cut it.

  We arrived at the hospital by the light of the full moon. Elisha pulled over by the entrance, dropping me off so she could park up round the back, out of sight. I’m not quite sure why, but she said she would meet me in there. I waved her off, turned to enter the hospital, and then I heard them, a pack of howling, hungry Lycanthropes. Grizzling and growling at me beyond the treeline.

  “Harland!” I yelled. “Now is not the time.”

  A scarred Lycan appeared out from the trees.

  “I can’t talk to you like that, Harland,” I said. My friend, the monster before me, stood tall on two feet. Crashing down to the floor, his body shook as he shed the skin of the Lycan and formed the body of a human once again.

  “Taylor!” he exclaimed. “You’re alive”

  “Barely,” I said as he ran over naked, hugging me. “Put on some clothes.” I hugged his sweaty body.

  “What? Don’t you like the male form?” he asked, grinning.

  “Now’s not the time.” I smiled. “Lucian's in trouble.”

  “Lucian's always in trouble,” he said, “what’s he done this time?”

  “I don’t know, but I gave him my blood to save him, and... he's changed.”

  “You gave him your blood? Are you mad? You know he’ll want more of you now. Blood is like a drug to those things. One taste and they're hooked.”

  “What?”

  “You need to stay away from him, Taylor, he’ll kill you.”

  “Don’t be stupid! This is Lucian we’re talking about!”

  “Exactly. You don’t know him like I do. He’s evil, all Lilith's disciples are. You do know that, don’t you?”

  “What does that make you then, Harland?”

  “Me? I’m a mistake, babe, always have been, always will be.” He laughed. “We are mutations, and that’s all. But we know what we are and we know where we came from. That’s why we prepare, work together, and we protect our own.”

  “So do they, you know that!”

  “Yes, but are you one of their own, Taylor? You’re not a Disciple, are you?”

  “No, but...”

  “But what? You think he’ll love you fifty years down the line, when he still looks like a twenty-year-old and you’re getting your pension? Wake up and smell the roses, Taylor. You need to either be like them and kill to sustain your life or let them go and wake up to the reality of living like a human.”

  “But I can’t.”

  “Then your choice is made,” he said, kissing me on the cheek as tears streamed down my face. As he turned, he shifted back into the Lycan, howled at the moon, and the pack ran off into the woods.

  The cold, night air stung my face as I dried my eyes, ready to go in and see my beloved. He was right, though. No matter how hard I tried to put it to the back of my mind, the birthdays would keep coming. The beast would keep attacking and everyone would die around me. It was better that I ended it, give in and leave them to be free once again.

  “Taylor, why haven’t you gone in yet?” Elisha asked, as she walked around the corner towards the main entrance.

  “Harland was here.”

  “Ah, I see he made a good impression,” she said, passing me a tissue.

  The automatic doors to Accident and Emergency opened in anticipation of our arrival. The reception was packed full of people, squashed in like a tin full of sardines. Mothers with sick children, partners with diseased loved ones. The world was falling apart, even without the deadly help of Lilith’s monsters spawning every day.

  I could run and hide, but then who would help those people, the innocence of humanity? They didn’t deserve this, they didn’t ask for the beasts among us. They just wanted to live their normal, routine lives. Raise a family, love forever more. Who were we to stand before their dreams? Even if I wanted to, I couldn’t run. Not for me, but for them.

  A scruffy young girl sat in the middle of a mass of feet, playing with her Barbie doll. With bright green eyes, she sat quietly, not disturbing anyone until I walked beside her, stopping in the queue. She looked up, grinned her toothy smile, and tugged on my jeans. Bending down to hear her she whispered.

  “He’s coming for you, Taylor.”

  “What?” I asked. Did I hear that right? What did this sweet little girl mean?

  “I said,” she croaked, her voice deepening, “he’s coming for you, Taylor.” She dropped her pull on my jeans, picked up her Barbie doll, and skipped off down the corridor.

  I was pale before, the average pale, young seventeen-year-old. No, scratch that, eighteen-year-old. But now, I look like I belonged in the hospital. Overcome with fear, my fists balled up, ready. I didn’t hear that, surely I didn’t? The background noise blurred into one as I listened to the sound of my own heart racing, lungs hyperventilating, glacial specks before my eyes and down I fell, weightless in myself. Crashing down to a thud on the floor, I was a sprawled-up mess that only Elisha seemed concerned about.

  “Taylor, Taylor!” she yelled, slapping me across the face. “Bloody wake up! Now’s not the time for a lie down.”

  Coming to, I sat up to see a young lad pointing and his mum standing by scolding him.

  “She alright?” a porter asked, bringing over a wheelchair.

  “Yes, just too much to drink,” Elisha said.

  “Oh, one of those.” He frowned, walking off tutting.

  Elisha lifted my face to hers.

  “Would you sort yourself out? Don’t go all human on me now, Taylor Lane!”

  “I, I am,” I stuttered. “The girl.”

  “What girl?” she asked. “Come on, it’s our turn.” While she asked where Charles was, I saw the little girl at the end of the corridor,
skipping with her Barbie doll, playing hopscotch with a shadeling. “Taylor, move!” she demanded, pulling me along.

  “But,” I exclaimed, “the girl!”

  “What girl?” she asked, heading down the corridor towards her.

  “That girl.” I pointed as she followed, looking ahead at the scruffy young thing with the shadeling.

  “Taylor,” she gulped, “that’s not a girl.”

  “What, what is she then?”

  “It’s a changeling, a type of shifter.”

  “Like Nic?”

  “No, it shifts into human forms. It kills the human and takes their body.”

  “So, the little girl’s dead?”

  “Yes,” she said.

  “No!” I cried. “doesn’t anyone care anymore?”

  “No, it doesn’t look that way,” she said. “We need to move, now... unless you want to kill a little girl in front of everyone.”

  “God no!”

  “Then go!” she shouted, pushing me up the corridor. We ran as the little girl stopped, turned, and sped down the corridor after us.

  “Come on, Lucian’s down here!” she yelled, pulling me along.

  “Where?” I shouted as the girl grabbed hold of me.

  “Pretty little thing. He’s coming for you,” she said

  “Get off me!” I yelled as the corridor lights flickered and the ground began to rumble.

  “She wants you by her side, pretty girl.” The scruffy child said. She was surprisingly strong as she sat on top of me, whispering in my ear.

  “Elisha!” I yelled, but there was no point. Elisha was battling a shadeling while me and the kid had time to play.

  “Get off me!” I yelled again, pushing with all my might.

  “No use pretty girl, she’s coming.”

  “Who, who's coming?” I shouted, squirming to get away.

  “Mummy’s coming.” she laughed, “and she says you’ve been a very naughty girl.” She laughed furiously. “Tut tut tut, don’t frown that pretty face, she’ll be here soon.”

  Pushing harder, my fingers crept towards my sigil. I needed control. I couldn’t kill this girl, after all, she was a child. Clearly one of Lilith’s, but what did Lilith want with me and why weren’t the Darkwaters after me if Lilith was? After all, they were Lilith’s disciples.

  The girl pulled out a little dagger, the perfect size for her frail little frame. Plunging it into my stomach, she laughed.

  “Naughty naughty Taylor.” She grinned as she skipped away.

  As quick as a flash, Lucian sped past, grabbing the child and throwing her down the corridor.

  “Hey” she screamed “No fair! Mummy will be angry with you, Lucian!”

  “What?” he yelled.

  “I have no idea.” I cried as Lucian ran over.

  “Taylor! No!” he yelled. “Help, someone.”

  Elisha ran over.

  “Your blood, Lucian, give it to her.”

  “It won't work, Elisha. I don’t have enough blood. I’m not just a Dark One or a Disciple now, I’m something else.”

  “What?” I asked.

  “I don’t know, Charles doesn’t either.”

  “I’ll get help,” Elisha said, running off to find a nurse.

  “It’ll be okay, Taylor.” Lucian kneeled down next to me.

  “I know.” I smiled as I looked into his solemn eyes, raising my bloody hand to his face, pulling him close for one last kiss.

  “There has to be something I can do,” he said, as a tear fell from his eye. Elisha ran back with a nurse, two assistants, and a stretcher. “I’ll be back, Taylor,” he said as he sped into another room. Seconds passed and out flew a stronger, more agile looking Lucian, blood dripping down his mouth. “I’m here honey!” he said, grinning

  “What?” I said, “What have you done, Lucian?”

  “Oh, it’s bagged blood, perfectly safe for the humans.” He grinned as the shocked nurse fell backwards at the sight of his bloody fangs. Lucian sped over, whispered in her ear, then ran to both assistants doing the same. All three stood up and walked away quietly.

  “Here, honey,” he grinned, forcing a bloody wrist into my mouth.

  “What did you do?” Elisha asked. “Dead blood will send you mad!”

  “I’d rather be mad then alone.” He grinned. “How do you feel now Taylor?” I began to heal.

  “Better, thanks.”

  “It’ll take longer to heal than that, just take it easy,” he said.

  “But what about you, are you alright?” I asked.

  “Me, I’m rosy. Never felt better in my life.”

  “What did Charles say?”

  “He said I’ve grown a conscience and everything I’ve done is coming back to me. I’m feeling their pain... and I am...” He smiled. “I can’t kill humans, not to feed on them, not anymore.”

  “I didn’t know you did kill them.”

  “I haven’t for a long while, but I used to, many years ago... I’m hearing their screams every second I live. Your blood has changed me, made me feel what its like to be human again.”

  “But your heart doesn’t beat, Lucian. You don’t have to be human to care like one.”

  “No, I may not be human, but I’ve changed. I still have my speed, my strength, and still need blood to live. But I also have a heart. It may not beat, yet, but it feels as though it lives once again, inside of me.” He smiled, holding me close.

  “Lucian, come on,” Elisha said, “you’re drawing a crowd.” She pointed.

  “She’s right, we need to go,” he said, picking me up and carrying me out of the hospital.

  “Is it healing, Taylor?” Elisha asked.

  “Yes, but not like before.”

  “You need rest, let’s get you home.” She smiled, helping me into Lucian's car.

  “I don’t think she should go home, Elisha, not if the beasts after her.”

  “True. You’ll have to stay with us, Taylor.”

  “I can’t, what about my dad, Caleb?”

  “They can come to. Lawrence won’t mind. He’s taken a liking to your father,” she said. “I’ll meet you at the mansion when you’re ready.” She smiled and then walked off to her vehicle.

  Lucian jumped in beside me in the car.

  “Ready, my light?” He smirked his usual contented face and drove off, screeching the tyres as we left.

  “Are you okay?” I asked. “After what Lawrence said... I’m worried.”

  “I should be asking you that question,” he said as he glanced over at my bloody stomach.

  “I’ll be fine, I’ve been through worse.” I said.

  “And, don’t worry. I’m feeling fine, rejuvenated, in fact, and I have you to thank for that.”

  My expression pained as I noticed my wounds were still sore, still bleeding. Lucian’s blood wasn’t working as well as it should have. Was the blade poisoned? It felt like something was spreading through me. Every minute that ticked by I felt weaker, colder. Lucian knew, I could tell by his face he was worried. I vowed I’d let Lawrence check me over as soon as I could. I needed to pack a few things for the journey to the Darkwaters, needed to heal, and needed to tell my father the truth about who I was. No more secrets, no more lies.

  CHAPTER 19

  Once I was home, Lucian helped me to my room. It was a room I’d not seen since I was seventeen. It had only been a few days, but it felt like a lifetime away for me. So much had happened since, so many darkened memories, and now there were little girls after me with the strength of a beast and the lure of the innocence. Who could I trust now? Who was I safe with? I didn’t realise humans could be monsters, too, beasts dressed in the carcass of a corpse, taking over the life, slaughtering their families. God, anyone could be one of those... things. How would I know for sure? I couldn’t exactly go around killing anyone that jumped out and screamed ‘BOO’, could I? Then again, I couldn’t kill anything that looked human. It just seemed wrong, against some moral code, I guess. Give me a deadly
rotting beast anytime and I’ll happily draw swords, but a tiny little girl, no chance.

  Lilith was beyond manipulative. What did she want from me? Why was I so special to her? To anyone? Nothing made sense, nothing had for the past two years. I’d lived day in and day out, fighting to stay alive and for what? What have I achieved? What is the point of all this blood shed? I didn’t even realise there was a war going on until I was slap bang in the middle of it. Did I ask for any of it? No. Then why the heck did my life keep turning upside down? Why couldn't I be normal again, back with my mother and Caleb, eating our last picnic together on St. James Park? I missed those days, those carefree days. Nothing mattered back then, just us, family, love and friends. I’d give anything to have that back.

  But then, what about Lucian? His love for me was never-ending as was mine for him. I couldn’t live in that day of happiness again without him by my side. His smile, his laugh, his touch. He was a gentleman at heart, caring and courteous. My mother would have loved him. The Darkwaters were an upside-down type of family but they were one I’d grown to love. My own extended family of monsters, a mixed mess of perfection through mutant beings.

  Glancing around the room, it looked dark and dismal. Where were Dad and Caleb? It was supposed to be family night. A home cooked meal, a board game or a film. Lucian was invited, too, of course, but it didn’t look like that was happening. Family night would have to wait as we scarpered to live at the Darkwaters. I wondered if they would want to partake. Huh, I couldn’t really see Julian playing a board game.

  As I laughed, Lucian walked over.

  “It’s good to see you smile,” he said, kissing me. “I’ll go and water these.” The flowers he’d bought me sat wilting in the vase by my bedside, dehydrated and in need of attention. I smiled as he left the room and headed downstairs.

  The front door opened.

  “Hi, Lucian. How’s my darling daughter?” Dad asked, as he met Lucian in the kitchen. “Taylor?” my dad shouted, “How was your birthday?”