by G. K. DeRosa
“Oh sorry, I hope you don’t mind, but I was so hungry and your friend here was just too delicious.”
Suddenly, Roman dashed into the room, appearing out of nowhere, and firmly planted himself between her and Magnus.
“Well, I think that’s my cue to leave,” said Magnus. “And don’t worry about your attractive friend, you’ll be seeing her again soon enough.” And he shot out the door before Roman could make a move to stop him.
Roman spun around to Celeste, “Are you all right?”
Celeste had run over to Dani Lynn and was assessing the gaping hole in her neck from where Magnus had bitten her.
“Yes, I’m fine, but I don’t think she is. Can you give her your blood? Won’t that heal her?”
Roman knelt down on the floor and examined her carefully. “I’m sorry Celeste, I don’t think there is anything I can do for her now.”
“Please try Roman. Give her your blood!”
“Celeste, look at her mouth, it’s covered in blood. That’s not her blood; it’s vampire blood. Magnus was trying to turn her. I don’t hear a heartbeat.”
“No, no! This can’t be happening!”
Roman put a comforting arm around Celeste as she crouched down beside Dani staring in shock.
“What are we going to tell Jessica? We have to call the police!”
“We can’t call the police. They won’t be able to help her. And what’s going to happen when the coroner collects her body and a couple of hours later she gets up and walks away?”
Celeste’s rational mind was trying to piece together what was happening. She flashed back to the conversation with Roman about turning a human into a vampire, but she still couldn’t believe it. She looked at Dani Lynn’s mangled body in front of her, and felt the bile rising in her throat.
“So Dani Lynn is really going to become a vampire?”
“Yes, I’m afraid so,” he said.
“Uh oh, what happened here?” asked Nico appearing in the stairwell.
“Magnus happened,” said Roman.
Nico took in the gruesome scene and turned away, looking at Roman. “By the way, what are you doing here?” he asked.
“I came to keep an eye out on things, and by the look of it, it’s a good thing I did.” He stood up now, glaring angrily at Nico.
“And by things, you mean Celeste, right?” asked Nico, standing up to his older brother. “Because you don’t trust that I can protect her?”
“Obviously I was right.”
“That’s enough, both of you,” she said, squeezing herself between them. “As you can see, it wasn’t me that needed protecting.”
Roman and Nico looked guiltily at Dani Lynn’s crumpled body lying in the corner.
Suddenly, a rush of anger engulfed Celeste and she whirled at Roman. “So you’ve been here the whole time? Following me?”
“I haven’t been following you, just keeping an eye on you from a distance.”
“Like at graduation?”
“Yes.”
“And during the whole party?”
“Yes.” Now Roman was getting angry at the onslaught.
“And when I was talking to Brian?”
“Yes Celeste, and I wish I could say that I hadn’t heard your conversation with him, but I did.”
Celeste’s face flushed at the thought of Roman discovering that she and Brian had kissed, listening into their private conversation.
“Unbelievable!” she said and stormed off.
Nico and Roman carefully wrapped Dani Lynn’s body in a crimson bed sheet they found in her apartment, then lifted her into the trunk of the car. Celeste wanted to be there for Dani Lynn when she woke up, no matter what Roman and Nico said. They had told her it wouldn’t be safe, and that she wouldn’t be the same, and that above all things she would be hungry. But Celeste had ignored them and refused to go home. So the three of them piled into Nico’s car, Dani Lynn’s lifeless body in the trunk, and drove to the brothers’ apartment to wait for the inevitable.
“I’m sorry,” said Roman. He watched Celeste as she sat on the bed wiping the blood off of Dani Lynn’s neck and matted dirty blonde hair. “But you let Brian kiss you?”
“I kissed him back too,” she said spitefully. As soon as the words were out of her mouth, she regretted them. She saw the hurt written all over his face, and she felt a stabbing pain in her heart. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean that,” she said.
“No, you’re right. You have every right to kiss anyone you want to. It’s none of my business. I can’t give you what you deserve, and maybe he can,” he answered icily.
“So that’s it? You’re just giving up? You’re not even going to try and fight for this?”
“Celeste, I’ve already told you, I am no good for you.”
“And I’ve already told you that you are wrong. This is my life Roman, and no matter how crazy it has become, you are the one thing in it that has made it bearable.”
“Then why did you kiss him?”
“I don’t know. But it was before you and I…” She paused, fidgeting with the beautiful ring Roman had given her for her birthday, not knowing how to continue. “It was a couple days ago after I had found out everything about my dad and how a vampire had killed him and that my mom knew all along. It just seemed like everything in my life that I had known to be true came crashing down on me. I took off in a panic – my emotions raging, and Brian found me. And that’s when it happened.”
Roman nodded silently, his eyes clouded with sadness.
“It was just comfortable, nice. It was nothing like when you and I kissed,” she said searching his eyes.
“He’s better for you than I am,” he said, the warmth back in his tone.
“But I don’t want him the way that I want you.”
And faster than Celeste’s eyes could follow, Roman’s lips were on hers, kissing her desperately. His strong hand gripped her by the back of the neck, pulling her toward him. A surge of heat swelled through her body as the kiss intensified. It was as if their bodies were electrically charged, feeding off of one another. She gasped, struggling to get a breath in between the relentless onslaught of emotions.
“Whoa, whoa, I would say get a room, but I guess technically you are in one,” said Nico as he walked into the guest room finding Roman and Celeste in a compromising position.
Celeste could feel her face flush with embarrassment as she untangled herself from Roman’s arms.
“So our sleeping beauty hasn’t awoken yet, I see.”
“It shouldn’t be long now,” said Roman visibly flustered, “so we should keep watch over her until she does.”
“Ah right, so that’s what you were doing,” said Nico with a wicked grin.
“Oh! With all the vampire craziness, I totally forgot to tell you about my vision,” Celeste interrupted.
“What vision?” asked Roman.
“During the graduation ceremony, I got a blinding headache and then I saw images of Magnus and Dani Lynn, and it was pretty much an extended preview of what happened a few hours later.”
“So it was a premonition?” asked Nico.
“Yeah, I guess it was. I couldn’t make out all the details, but looking back on it, it was definitely a warning, and I totally missed it.” She felt horrible all of a sudden. What kind of a Guardian am I if I couldn’t even save my friend?
“That could be an extremely useful gift,” said Roman.
“That must be one of your new Guardian powers,” added Nico.
“Next time I will have to pay closer attention to what I see. It was just so hard with the searing pain in my head. I should have done something to save Dani Lynn.”
“It’s not your fault Celeste. You didn’t know what it was,” said Roman.
“And at least you found her; if you hadn’t who knows what Magnus would have done to her,” said Nico.
“You mean besides kill her and turn her into a vampire?” she said sarcastically.
“He could have taken he
r with him. At least she’s here with us, and we can help her,” said Nico.
“Speaking of Dani Lynn – look I think she’s waking up,” she said.
Dani Lynn’s eyes were red and bloodshot as she looked painfully around the room trying to recognize her surroundings. Celeste tried to walk over to her, but Roman held her back protectively.
“Dani Lynn, it’s me Celeste. How do you feel?”
“I’m so thirsty, my throat feels like it’s on fire,” she answered. “Where am I and what happened?”
“You’re at my place,” said Nico. “You had a bit of an accident, and we brought you here to recover.”
She sat up, and looked around still squinting from the morning light. “Can you close the blinds? My eyes are killing me and my head is throbbing.”
Celeste scooted past her to get to the window, and as she did Dani Lynn’s vacant eyes shot up towards her. Like a wild animal pouncing on its prey, she lunged at Celeste, her new fangs in full view. Roman, who was much faster, attacked her in mid-air and pinned her to the bed in an instant.
“Celeste get out of here, it’s not safe for you,” said Roman as Dani Lynn wriggled underneath him trying to get free.
“No Roman, I need to be here for her. Just hold her down, let me try to talk to her,” she insisted. Celeste walked to the opposite end of the room so that her scent would be less appealing to the struggling Dani Lynn.
“What is wrong with me?” Dani asked desperately. “Why do you smell so good?”
“Dani Lynn, I’m so sorry, there’s no easy way to say this. You were killed and now you’re a vampire.”
“I’m a what?”
“A vampire. And that overpowering feeling that you have is the thirst for blood, but you must fight it,” said Nico.
“This can’t be happening. This must all be a really bad dream. There’s no such thing as vampires,” she said, rubbing her temples.
“I’m sorry Dani Lynn, but this is real, and you are a vampire just like Roman and Nico,” Celeste said taking a step forward.
Dani Lynn’s nose twitched at the subtle movement, and her incisors sprang out through her gums. She quickly clapped her hand over her mouth.
“Celeste is your friend, and you don’t want to eat her, right?” asked Nico.
“No, of course I don’t…but I need her blood!” she said jerking savagely. Roman had to use all his strength to keep her down.
“Geez, I had forgotten how strong new vampires were,” said Nico.
“I could use some help here little brother, if you’re not too busy of course,” said Roman.
“Calm down, Dani Lynn,” Nico said as he sat on the bed next to her. “Take deep breaths and try not to focus on the hunger.”
“I can’t help it, it’s all I can think about,” she said, her canines extended. “Ouch!”
“Be careful, those fangs will take some getting used to,” he said. “Roman, grab a bottle of blood from the fridge. I’ve got her.”
Celeste watched in awe as Nico gently fed Dani Lynn the bottle of blood as she gulped it down hungrily.
“More, I need more!”
“No, that’s all you get for now,” he said. “You have to learn to control the hunger, and there is no time to start like the present.”
“Come on, let’s leave Nico and his eager new pupil. You are far too delicious of a distraction,” Roman advised Celeste.
Celeste was sufficiently convinced that Nico knew what he was doing and that her presence could possibly be causing more harm than good, so she gave in and left them alone.
Celeste sadly pondered the fate of her friend. She couldn’t imagine what she must be going through. Then her thoughts went to her poor family; Jessica and her parents were going to be devastated by their loss. All of these thoughts ran through her mind as she considered for the first time what it truly meant to be a vampire. Roman and Nico made it look so easy, always in control, or at least most of the time anyway.
Do they feel that hunger every time they are around me too?
“So what is Nico going to do with her now?” Celeste asked, finding Roman in his bedroom.
“He’s going to have to keep her isolated from humans for awhile until he’s sure that she can control herself. It’s not going to be easy, but if she has strong will power, she might make it.”
“Might?”
“Celeste, I don’t want to lie to you and give you false hope. It’s not easy to control the bloodlust. Nico and I are different because of how we were turned, as I’ve told you before. We have our humanity, but I’m afraid that Dani Lynn does not.”
“So what if she can’t control it?”
“Let’s not worry about that right now.”
“I would have to kill her, wouldn’t I? I mean, isn’t that what I’m supposed to do as a Guardian? I’m supposed to protect humans from things like her.”
“Let me take you home, Celeste. It’s well past dawn and your mother will be getting home soon. She’s going to be worried if you’re not.”
As tired as Celeste had been when she passed out on her bed, she still had vivid dreams for the few hours she slept that morning. She didn’t mind them though because her father was there. He brought her to the now familiar storage room filled with their family weapons, and after they had selected a few, they were magically transported to a lush open field where they spent the day training in the sunshine.
“Celeste, the sword that you are holding is very special. I see that you have already chosen it as your own,” he said.
“It was weird—from the first moment I saw it, I was drawn to it.”
“That sword was forged from a mystical metal that is lethal to all supernatural creatures. The Guardian who wields that sword is no longer bound by a wooden stake to kill a vampire, or silver for a werewolf, or iron for mischievous fairies. You are fortunate that it has chosen you.”
The grass was soft under Celeste’s bare feet and the sun felt warm on her shoulders as she and her father lunged and parried first with swords then on to spears, axes and stakes. After what seemed like hours, her father gave her a parting hug, and she awoke in her bed slightly sweaty and definitely sore, but with a contented smile on her face.
“Good morning sweetie! Late night?”
“Yeah, I stayed at the party pretty late, and then we went to grab some food at Ralph’s,” she said, pouring a hot cup of coffee.
Celeste didn’t know why she lied, but she just couldn’t tell her mother about Dani Lynn, not with all the explanations that would have to go along with it. She suddenly began to understand why her father had kept the truth from her for so many years.
“Good, I’m glad you had some normal high school fun with your friends.”
Celeste shot her a look. “Don’t start Mom.”
“Celeste, we have to talk about this.”
“No, we don’t,” Celeste responded, heading for the door.
“Don’t walk away from me. I need to tell you something about your father.”
It bothered Celeste that her mom could push her buttons so well. She knew exactly what to say to make her stay. “What?”
“Please sit down.”
Celeste pulled out the chair at the kitchen table and slumped down on it, defeated.
“Your father was the Guardian when I met him, and as I told you before, he didn’t tell me at first. For the longest time, I thought he was seeing someone else,” she grinned ruefully. “He would cancel our dates, disappear in the middle of the night, and he was always so secretive.”
“Humph.”
“Finally, on the day he proposed, he told me everything. He didn’t think it was fair for me to agree to marriage before knowing what I was getting into. That’s all that I want for you – to be able to make a choice.”
“It’s not exactly the same thing Mom. You could choose whether or not to marry Dad. It’s not that simple for me. I was chosen.”
“I don’t pretend to know what that responsibility must feel li
ke for you, but I know that in life we always have a choice.”
“Well, I don’t feel like I do.”
“I wanted to talk to your father about this very thing, but whenever I brought it up he would get upset. We had no idea he would be taken away from us when you were still so young. We had hoped there would be time to discuss what to do in this situation.”
“I know what he would want me to do. He’d want me to be the Guardian.”
“But is that what you want?” her mom asked.
“Yes, I think it is.”
Mrs. Wilder put her hand on Celeste’s shoulder and squeezed. “You’re a very brave girl, and I’ll stand by your decision as I stood by your father.”
“Thanks, Mom. I appreciate the support.”
Her mom started to walk away, and then turned back. “By the way, is everything okay with you and Brian now?”
“Not really. Why?”
“I saw him hanging out in front of his house earlier. It seemed like he was trying to decide whether to come over here or not.”
“I have to go talk to him,” she said.
“Go easy on him, sweetie.”
Celeste stepped out into the warm sunny day and marched across the yard to Brian’s house. She dreaded the thought of the awkward conversation that would undoubtedly ensue. She had to tell Brian the truth about how she felt no matter how scared she was of losing him. Natalie was right; she had to set him free.
“Hey,” said Celeste as Brian opened the door in his basketball shorts. He was just in his basketball shorts, and she found herself staring appreciatively at the smooth definition of his chest and upper arms. “Can we talk?” she said, recovering herself.
“Sure. Let’s go for a walk though okay? My parents and Maxi are all home. Let me put a shirt on, and I’ll be right out.”
Celeste nervously twisted the ring around her finger as she waited for him on the steps. Finally, he came out and by the look on his face, he seemed to know what was coming.
“Brian, I’m so sorry about last night. I shouldn’t have avoided talking to you about the kiss, and I want you to know that it wasn’t something that I took lightly. I really just needed some time to process it all.”
