by G. K. DeRosa
Wilder Legacy:
The Guardian Series
G.K. De Rosa
Copyright © 2016 G.K. DeRosa LLC
All Rights Reserved. This book may not be reproduced, in whole or in part, in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system known or hereafter invented, without written permission from the publisher, G.K. DeRosa LLC.
Editor: Partner in Prose
Cover Designer: Masa Licinia
Published in 2016 by G.K. DeRosa LLC
Palm Beach, Florida
www.wilderbook.com
To my son, Alexander, who wiggled all around in my tummy as I wrote this final chapter of the series and was born just before its release. I hope one day when he’s all grown up he’ll read this and realize how much he inspired me.
G.K. De Rosa
Table of Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Epilogue
Chapter 1
The contagious laughter of a giggling toddler rang through the air, filling Celeste’s heart with happiness. She watched the curly blond two-year old splashing by the lake with her father as she sat just a few feet away on the old Adirondack chair. It was a beautiful summer day, and the sun felt hot on Celeste’s shoulders as she dug her toes into the warm sand. Her eyes never strayed from the pair, but for once it wasn’t for fear of their safety. She simply couldn’t believe how lucky she was to have them, and she didn’t want to miss a minute of it. She was completely at peace, secure in the notion that her family was perfectly safe here in Astor.
A small flock of ducks paddled up to the shore and the little girl squealed in delight. She clapped her hands wildly as the mother duck approached with five ducklings swimming closely behind. The child tried to reach out and grab one of the baby ducks as they swam by, but her father’s quick hand caught her before she tottered further into the water. Instantly, Celeste sprang to the edge of her seat and her breath hitched as she imagined the baby being pulled under the water, but the terrible thought quickly dissipated once she saw her in her father’s firm grasp. Relaxing again, Celeste tipped her head back and stared into the cloudless blue sky. Above her head, she could just make out two large birds circling. There was something so familiar about them – one white and one black – and yet she simply couldn’t place them. A distant memory stirred inside of her bringing mixed feelings of joy and regret.
A high-pitched giggle brought her back to the present and she re-focused her attention to the happy scene in front of her. The little girl sat on her father’s broad shoulders as he waded further into the still lake, her round face and dark hazel eyes beaming with excitement.
“Is it cold?” whispered Celeste, not wanting to break the serenity of the magical moment.
The man turned toward her for the first time, and pushing back his dark locks with an irrepressible smile said, “No, it’s just perfect. Why don’t you join us?”
Celeste exhaled sharply when she recognized those intense dark eyes darting up at her and for a moment she was completely at a loss for words.
“Mama, come!” said the little girl, her blond curls shimmering in the sunlight.
Celeste went numb. Something was terribly wrong. It wasn’t supposed to be like this. Her heart clenched as she felt the overwhelming sense of loss for someone that she simply couldn’t remember. Focusing on the man standing in front of her, she finally spluttered out the name stuck in her throat, “Marco?”
“Yes,” he said, staring back at her curiously. “Are you coming or what?”
Celeste’s eyes popped open as she shot up straight in bed, gripping the sheets on either side of her. Her heart was pounding against her chest and her breath was coming fast and hard. Looking around in a panic, she finally recognized the old wallpaper and musty smell of her bedroom at Stellan’s.
“It was just a dream,” she mumbled aloud as she exhaled deeply.
She lay back down, trying to calm her erratic heartbeats and steady her shallow breathing. As she stared at the cracks on the ceiling overhead, she tried to convince herself the vivid scene she had just witnessed was only a dream, but something deep inside feared that perhaps it had been much more than that.
After unsuccessfully trying to get back to sleep for over an hour, she finally gave up and pushed the covers aside. She glanced at the clock on the bedside table as she slid her feet into fuzzy slippers. It was nearly seven o’clock and she thought she had heard some rattling coming from the kitchen downstairs. Stellan was always an early riser and she hoped he had some fresh coffee prepared. She stumbled out into the corridor and made her way to the bathroom. As she reached for the doorknob, the door swung open and Marco’s sleepy face looked just as startled as she felt.
“Buon giorno,” he muttered.
Seeing his face immediately brought Celeste back to last night’s much too vivid dream. She stared at him for a few seconds without saying a word before she finally regained her composure. Marco raised a puzzled brow at her. “Morning,” she finally got out.
“Are you okay?” he asked.
“Yeah fine, just still half asleep I guess,” she responded.
“What are you doing up so early?” he asked, leaning up against the wooden doorframe. “Wasn’t yesterday your last day of formal rehab?”
“Yeah,” she said as a smile crossed her face. After three months of strenuous daily rehabilitation sessions with Stellan, she was finally finished. He had officially pronounced her evil free, or as good as she was going to get anyway. “I guess I’m just used to waking up early. It’s going to take me awhile to get accustomed to not having a schedule.” She ducked underneath his arm and slid past him into the bathroom, locking the door behind her.
Celeste stared at her reflection in the mirror as she brushed her teeth and splashed some water on her drawn face. She couldn’t help but think back to the dream and remember the indescribable sense of happiness she had felt. It was the most incredible feeling in the world, like nothing she had ever experienced before. Was that little girl really mine? She ran her hands under the faucet again and splashed some more cold water on her face as she shook her head in disbelief. It can’t be… I’m meant to be with Roman, not Marco. As she dried off her hands and ran a brush through her own curly blond hair, she remembered a conversation she had had with Marco on the back porch of Stellan’s house several months ago—after she and Roman had gotten back together. He had questioned her assertion that she and Roman were really destined for each other. “Marco doesn’t know what he’s talking about,” she said aloud.
“Celeste, are you in there?” came a familiar voice from the other side of the door.
She unlocked the door and stepped out of the bathroom to see Roman’s bewitching blue eyes and smiling face holding two cups of coffee. A huge grin spread across her lips and she wrapped her arms around his waist. “I’ve missed you,” she said as she tipped her head up toward him.
“I missed you too,” he said as he bent down and kissed her on the forehead. “And if I weren’t carrying this hot coffee, I’d show
you just how much.”
Celeste could feel the heat rising from her belly and moving up to her flushed cheeks. She took one of the mugs and grabbed his free hand, pulling him toward her bedroom with a mischievous grin. Before they reached her door, they heard footsteps coming up the stairs and paused.
“Celeste, is that you? Are you awake?” asked Stellan from the top of the staircase.
She had to fight the overwhelming urge to duck into her room with Roman for some much-needed alone time and ignore his call. She looked up at Roman and with a reluctant twist of her lips responded, “Yes, I’m up.”
“Come down. I have something for you.”
“Okay, I’ll be there in a sec,” she answered.
“Come on, let’s go,” said Roman as he pulled her back out to the corridor.
“Ugh,” she grunted. “Wait!” She put her coffee mug down on the side table by the door and did the same with Roman’s. Then she got up on her tiptoes and wrapped her arms around his neck to gently brush her lips against his. He quickly responded, running his hands down her back and sending chills up her spine as the familiar sparks ignited all around her. After a few moments of breathlessness, Roman finally backed away, tugging her grudgingly down the long hallway toward the spiral staircase.
“Surprise!” cried Mrs. Wilder as Celeste rounded the corner into the kitchen behind Roman.
“Mom, what are you doing here—and at this hour?” she asked, as she took in the delicious smells wafting through the entire space. Stellan, Marco and Nico were all gathered at the kitchen dinette with hungry looks on their faces. An array of breakfast goodies was spread on the table, from croissants to bagels, scrambled eggs and bacon to pancakes and waffles, as well as fresh fruit and juices.
“Stellan told me you were officially finished with your training and I insisted on coming up to celebrate with you,” she said with a big smile. “I am so proud of you!”
“Thanks, Mom, this looks amazing,” said Celeste as she eyed the food hungrily and took a seat next to the boys.
“We are all very proud of Celeste,” said Stellan raising his glass of orange juice. “Over the past few months you have shown extraordinary levels of discipline and dedication. I am confident that not only have you succeeded in controlling the growing darkness inside of you, but you’ve also become immeasurably stronger in respect to your innate Guardian abilities, which should assist you greatly in the future.”
Celeste gave Stellan a grateful smile. It wasn’t often that he praised her so openly, and it meant the world to her. Spending the past few months with Stellan had caused Celeste to appreciate their relationship even more, especially after he had been so upset with her when she ran off to Rome to find Alek. Glancing across the table at Stellan’s kind gray eyes, she was filled with love and admiration for the man who had become much more than her mentor. He was like the grandfather she never got to know.
“It’s all thanks to you, Stellan,” said Celeste, “and to all of you too. I couldn’t have done it without your help.” She looked at everyone seated at the table and was truly happy for having each and every one of them in her life. Even if meeting them had brought on all the supernatural craziness, she wouldn’t have wanted it any other way.
Roman squeezed her hand under the table and she shot him a smile. For the first time in a long time, things were pretty quiet in the Guardian world. There was no big evil trying to kill her or her loved ones. Maybe Brazen was wrong… She had been able to relax and enjoy her off-duty stint, fully concentrating on controlling her powers and honing in on her developing skills. But as much as she had enjoyed the sabbatical, she found herself itching to get back into the game.
“Well, this is just the beginning of the celebrations,” said her mom. “Don’t forget it’s your birthday this Friday.”
“Like I would ever forget,” she answered. “I can’t believe how much has happened in the past year since I turned eighteen.”
“It seems like a lot longer than just one year,” interjected Nico. “It feels like a lifetime ago that I met little, innocent Celeste Wilder at that college party.”
Celeste balled up her napkin and threw it at him with a laugh. “Yeah, who knew you two were going to get me into so much trouble.”
“Us?” exclaimed Roman and Nico in unison, flashing their most innocent smiles.
“Yes, you! I was a totally normal high school senior before you two showed up in Oak Bluffs,” she teased.
“You know you wouldn’t have had it any other way,” said Roman as he kissed her on the cheek.
“Actually, since you mentioned it – when do you think I can start patrolling again, Stellan?” she asked.
“You should be able to start right away. I will inform the Council that you will be back on active duty, and you can even return home as soon as you’re ready,” he said with a hint of remorse in his tone.
Celeste caught the twinge of sadness in his voice, but didn’t want to bring it up in front of the others. She had been so eager to finally go home and get back to her routine that she hadn’t even considered Stellan’s feelings. If anything, she thought he would be relieved to get a break from the constant training.
“That’s wonderful news,” said her mom. “That means I can take you home today.”
“Mom, if it’s okay with you, I think I’ll spend one more night here and head back tomorrow. I need to get caught up in supernatural current affairs with Roman and Nico and the Council.”
“Okay, okay. I know Guardian duty comes first,” she said ruefully, raising her hands in the air. “But for now, can we enjoy this breakfast and each other’s company for a bit? I haven’t seen you in weeks and I want to get caught up with my daughter.”
After the delicious breakfast and a quick catch-up session with her mom, Celeste was ready to get down to business. Mrs. Wilder had left reluctantly to return to Oak Bluffs without her daughter, but only after Celeste had promised repeatedly to be back home the following day. She, Marco, Roman and Nico now sat around the long table in the library waiting for Stellan to begin the discussion.
“As you know, Celeste, the boys have been covering your guardian duties during your rehabilitation, and you’ll be pleased to find that they’ve done an excellent job,” said Stellan.
Nico flashed a triumphant smile as Stellan regaled the group with some of their more colorful victories. He couldn’t help but chime in at times. “You should have seen me and Roman when we took down that marari demon last week. One of its heads was spitting fire at us and the other one spewed this nasty green mucus that paralyzed anything it touched. Roman came up behind him and ripped one of his heads right off! Then I threw a bag over its other head, and when it spit out that disgusting phlegm, it paralyzed itself. It was so cool!”
Celeste laughed as Nico recounted the story and re-enacted every vivid detail for her benefit.
“I think that’s enough of that,” said Roman. “I’m sure Celeste doesn’t want to hear about each and every one of our kills.”
“No, I do,” she said, her eyes lighting up. “I’ve been starting to feel a little antsy cooped up here for these past months. I’m really anxious to get out there and fight.”
Roman glanced over at Stellan with a worried expression on his face, but Stellan responded with a reassuring nod. Celeste couldn’t help but notice the unspoken interaction between the two.
“We might as well get this over with now,” she said with a huff, her eyes fixed on Roman’s. “Stellan, will you please tell Roman that I’m perfectly fine and completely capable to go back to full-time fighting status.”
Roman stared innocently back at her.
Stellan cleared his throat, pausing to gather his thoughts. “Celeste has done remarkably well as I mentioned earlier. Over the past few months, she has managed to stay in control in spite of the darkness which took hold.”
“So she’s a hundred percent cured now?” asked Nico.
“Unfortunately, it is not something that can be fu
lly cured. It’s not like the mumps or the measles that can be completely eradicated. Once the evil has taken root, which it firmly did over the course of Celeste’s last encounters with Brazen, it became a part of her.”
“But I have it completely under control,” interjected Celeste. “It’s like I told you a few months ago, Roman—I think this is the new normal. The darkness is inside of me, but I can manage it and use it as a new source of power.”
This entire conversation was making Roman incredibly uncomfortable. The topic of controlling darkness hit much too close to home for him. He couldn’t accept that Celeste would have to deal with many of the same feelings he had been struggling with since he became a vampire. He tried to summon a convincing smile when he saw that Celeste was staring expectantly at him.
“Celeste has grown much stronger and more focused,” Marco chimed in. “She’s going to kick some major demon butt now that she’s back.”
Roman glanced up at Marco with annoyance written across his face. “Good, so that means you’ll be going back to Rome soon then?”
Marco narrowed his eyes at him and muttered, “I have to get my orders from the Council. They will decide when it’s time for me to leave.”
Celeste rolled her eyes at the two of them. “So now that that’s settled, can you guys tell me what else I’ve missed? Is Brazen still imprisoned in Astor?” she asked.
“Yes, he is,” said Stellan. “The Council is holding him in the prison in the underground bunker where we all fled during the attacks. Dalla and the Albsurori have been trying to find a spell to turn him mortal again, but so far, no luck. He’s under twenty-four hour surveillance by a team of guardians so he’s of no threat to anyone.”
Celeste gave him a pleased nod. “Are the Black Devils still around?”
“Not many of them,” answered Roman. “Most scattered once Brazen was captured.”
“There were those two the other night—” began Nico. Roman shot him a glare and he quickly shut up.
