by G. K. DeRosa
With her mom safely out of the way, Celeste sprang into action, Roman and Nico right behind her. Roman lunged forward to strike Brazen in the face with a powerful punch that sent him reeling backward. Nico went after two of the large werewolves and Celeste found herself face to face with Vinny. He was still in human form, but his fangs had dropped and his claws were fully extended. He growled menacingly at her. Celeste had no weapons handy; the Wilder sword didn’t exactly go with her gown. As Vinny leapt, Celeste threw an uppercut, hitting him squarely under the jaw and sending him flying back to break an antique chair to splinters. Another werewolf in wolf form came bounding toward her, his hackles raised, but before he reached her a strong wall of wind formed in between them and sent the confused wolf soaring through the air. Celeste glanced back to see Marie wiggling her nose while standing protectively in front of Brian, as well as a frightened and confused Natalie. Celeste thanked Marie with a quick smile and a nod before turning her attention back to the fight.
A glimmer of silver caught Celeste’s eye in the dining room. Hiking up her gown, she ran toward it and picked up a carving knife from the buffet table. Thank goodness they were setting up for dinner! Now armed, she felt a little better as she sought any sign of Brazen. Spotting him—and Roman—across the room, she ran toward them. Brazen was pinned against the parlor wall and the two already looked pretty badly bruised. Right before Celeste reached them, she was pummeled to the ground by a small, light brown wolf. She struggled underneath him thanks to the voluminous skirts tangling between her legs. The wolf instantly morphed back into a human then grabbed her hand.
“Brazen! She has the ring!” Vinny shouted over his shoulder. “Forget the Constantins, this is all we need.”
“Get it!” Brazen yelled back in between punches.
“I’ll be taking that,” Vinny growled as he grabbed at her ring. Not the ring again! Then he noticed her left hand and the other blue sapphire ring and a perplexed look crossed his angry face.
It was just the moment of distraction that Celeste needed. She pulled the knife out from behind her back and buried it into his belly before he even knew what hit him. His eyes widened in surprise and his limp body collapsed on top of her. Celeste rolled him to the side in disgust, then stood up. Her beautiful dress was torn and covered in blood. Looking around, she saw Brazen had Nico cornered at the far end of the house and Roman was nowhere in sight. After a quick search of the room, Celeste still saw no sign of him. She sprinted toward Nico just as Brazen plunged a dagger into his chest. No! Out of nowhere, Natalie appeared, wedging herself between Brazen and Nico’s crumpled form, which was backed against the wall. Celeste watched in horror as she ran toward them, seeing things almost in slow motion as Brazen’s arm came down to next sink the dagger into Natalie’s chest.
“No!” Celeste shrieked as she slid to the floor reaching her friend. Nico was passed out, but she could see that his wound was already healing. Luckily Brazen had missed his heart. But Natalie had no super powers; blood was flowing mercilessly as Celeste held her drooping head in her lap while pressing futilely down on the wound, trying to apply pressure.
“Give me the ring,” shouted Brazen as he hovered over them, his twisted face marred with fresh cuts and blood.
A fury Celeste had never experienced before surged through her. All of the power she held inside expanded and multiplied until she could feel it running through every inch of her. The darkness it held was creeping into every crevice of her being. “This ring?” she shouted, pointing at him with it. “This is what you want?”
His eyes widened expectantly and he held out his open palm to receive it. Celeste extended her left hand with a powerful thrust and a blinding blue light shot out of the Albsurori ring, sending Brazen flying and crashing through the large picture window. He landed in a tangle of legs outside on the snow-covered lawn. The remaining two werewolves darted out the door as well after seeing the magnitude of Celeste’s power and the chilling look on her face.
“Someone help her!” cried Celeste as she cradled Natalie’s pale face in her arms. Her eyes were closed and Celeste couldn’t hear her breath over the rush of blood throbbing through her own veins.
Marie and Brian rushed over and kneeled down next to them, their faces ashen. Marie picked up Natalie’s limp wrist and frowned. “I don’t think there’s anything we can do,” she said sadly with a shake of her head.
Celeste grabbed Nico’s shoulder and shook him with her free hand. He finally began to stir with the incessant jostling. “Wake up! You have to save her.”
As Nico’s dark eyes finally came to focus, he saw Natalie stretched across the floor. “No!” he shouted. He quickly bit into his own wrist and held it up to Natalie’s mouth. “Drink baby, please drink,” he said as he knelt down beside her lifeless body.
“It’s too late,” said Marie, putting her hand on his shoulder.
“No!” he growled as he pulled away from her. He picked Natalie up off the floor and cradled her in his lap. “I can’t lose you, not now. Please come back to me.” Nico alternated between rocking Natalie’s body and administering more of his blood to her. He begged her to drink, but there was nothing more he could do. Celeste watched in shock as the grim reality set in.
“Celeste!” shouted Roman as he appeared in the corridor running toward her.
“Where were you?” she asked as the hot tears streamed down her cheeks.
“I’m so sorry,” he said as he sat down next to her and pulled her in his arms. “Brazen bested me. He must have snapped my neck. I just woke up, and I was in the middle of the backyard.”
“She’s dead, Roman. Natalie is gone forever,” she said as she watched Nico holding her dear friend. “How could this happen? Why didn’t I get a premonition?”
“Celeste, this isn’t your fault,” said Roman.
“Of course it is. I’m supposed to protect humans, protect my friends at least! They came after the ring again! I stupidly asked Stellan to drop the cloaking spell for the night because I wanted everyone to see how beautiful the sapphire looked with my dress. This is all because of me.” The sadness she felt began melting away into anger, then rage and fury. She began shaking uncontrollably. Roman wrapped his arms tightly around her, but the tremors only intensified.
“Celeste, your eyes!” cried Marie.
Roman tilted her chin up to look into her eyes and saw the pits of blackness that had taken over them. “Celeste!” he shouted as he shook her. A vacant expression crossed her face, and she was gone.
Roman paced in front of Stellan’s grand fireplace, his bow tie hanging loosely around his neck as Nico, Brian and Marie sat in silence on the couch. Stellan had been with Celeste for the past hour and had asked not to be disturbed. When they hadn’t been able to revive Celeste back at the Dalton Mansion, Roman had called him in desperation. Stellan had immediately opened a portal and transported the lot of them back to his house, and he hadn’t emerged from his study since. Roman was clearly teetering on the edge as he clenched his fists, struggling to remain in control as he waited for news.
“I can’t wait any longer!” he shouted and made a move toward the staircase.
“Roman, wait,” said Nico, grabbing him by the arm. “Give Stellan some time. He was emphatic that he did not wish to be interrupted.”
Roman grunted and turned back to the sitting room. “I can’t just stand around here doing nothing.”
“Maybe there’s something I can do,” whispered Marie. She hadn’t said a word since they arrived at Stellan’s. The boys all turned to look at her. “Before the dance, the Fae were on lockdown because of some supposed intruders. I overheard some of the fairies saying it was werewolves. I didn’t think much of it at the time, and even though the guards didn’t find any trace of them, it had to have been Brazen and his pack. Maybe I can find out what they were doing there.”
“And how they got in,” said Nico. He had dated quite a few fairies in his day and he knew very well that admittance into t
he land of the Fae was nearly impossible for non-fairies.
“Right,” she said, nodding her head. “I can make some phone calls.”
“That would be great,” said Brian encouragingly. Marie excused herself and went into one of the guest bedrooms to see what she could find out. “At least that’s something.”
“Is that going to help bring Celeste back from whatever darkness has consumed her? Or bring Natalie back from the dead?” growled Roman, darting toward him.
“Whoa, chill. At least she’s trying,” said Brian, taking a step back. Roman had completely invaded his personal space in his outrage.
“Roman, this isn’t helping,” said Nico, pulling his brother back.
Roman spun toward him. “How can you be so calm? Your girlfriend’s dead body is lying in the other room with a gaping hole in her chest.”
Nico scowled. “You’re an idiot,” he hissed as he vamp-sped out the back door, slamming it so hard the whole backside of the house shook.
“What’s your problem, man?” asked Brian, taking a rash step toward Roman.
Roman’s eyes widened incredulously. He raked his hands through his hair trying to reign in his temper, reminding himself this was Celeste’s best friend. “I’m just frustrated,” he muttered between clenched teeth.
“Don’t you think the rest of us are too?” asked Brian. “I just lost one of my oldest friends and the last time I saw my best friend she looked like she had been possessed by a demon. This has been a pretty crappy day for everyone.”
“That’s putting it mildly,” said Roman, taking a deep breath and walking to the liquor cabinet. He pulled out two glasses and filled them with ice, then glanced back at Brian. “What’s your pleasure?” He waved his hand at the voluminous collection of whiskeys, scotch, bourbon, and vodka from around the world.
“I don’t know if we should. Celeste’s going to need us to have our heads on straight,” Brian replied.
“I don’t know about your head, but mine will be much better once I’ve had one of these,” said Roman as he lifted his glass and emptied the caramel-colored contents down his throat in a single gulp. Suddenly, his ears perked up and he glanced up at the staircase. Seconds later Stellan appeared, his face haggard as he plodded down the steps.
“How is she?” asked Roman, racing toward him.
The frown on Stellan’s face told him everything he needed to know. “It’s not good,” said Stellan, taking a seat by the fireplace. He pushed his glasses further up his nose and tried to gather his thoughts as Roman and Brian stared anxiously at him.
“Celeste seems to have had a complete breakdown. She’s been under an extreme amount of stress lately as you both know, but perhaps what you didn’t know is the amount of mystical power she holds within. As a Guardian, she possesses far more strength and abilities than an ordinary human and yet she retains all of her human characteristics and inherent weaknesses.”
“What does that mean exactly?” asked Brian.
“It means Celeste’s not strong enough for the amount of power she’s been given,” interjected Roman.
“Not precisely,” said Stellan, “but something dark seems to be overpowering her at the present.”
“Yeah, what was that with her eyes?” asked Brian.
“I’m afraid I’m not sure exactly, but I have been consulting the Guardian journals. Celeste had come to me a few weeks ago about certain feelings she had been having. As soon as she told me, I recognized the symptoms and began researching,” Stellan admitted.
“You mean the darkness she felt take hold of her when she killed Dani?” asked Roman.
“Yes, indeed,” he responded.
“So this has happened before to other guardians?” continued Roman.
Stellan nodded his head. “As I said, humans given such tremendous power are at risk for adverse reactions.”
“But Celeste is the best and kindest person I know. She would be the last person in the world to have dark tendencies,” argued Brian.
“Unfortunately, it has less to do with how the person is on the inside and more to do with external factors. As you both know, Celeste has had much to deal with since she became the Guardian,” he finished.
“So how do we fix this?” asked Roman.
Stellan sighed deeply. “There is a series of rehabilitation methods that must take place. It is a lengthy process, but she will come out of this all right. I can’t help but feel responsible for this. As her mentor, I neglected my duties. I should have paid closer attention to her emotional state.”
“We all should have seen this coming,” said Roman. “She tried to tell me, but I blew it off. She’s so strong, I didn’t think anything of it.”
“And Natalie’s death pushed her over the edge,” finished Brian.
“I’m afraid so.”
“What can we do to help?” Brian asked.
“It’s vital that Celeste regains her sense of self. Spending time with friends and loved ones in non-combative situations should help immensely. We cannot let the darkness taking root overcome her.”
“How is she going to avoid those situations and still be the Guardian?” asked Roman.
“I will have to speak immediately to Dante about this. She will be relegated to my care for the time being. I will see to her recovery and rehabilitation. And remember: she must avoid confrontations at all costs. If she is pushed too far, the consequences could be disastrous,” said Stellan.
“Have you ever seen a Guardian go full dark – like, completely lose themselves?” asked Roman.
“Yes,” he said nodding solemnly, “unfortunately I have. Once the evil inside has its grip, it is nearly impossible to destroy.”
Roman tiptoed to Celeste’s old room on the second floor. The door was ajar and he peeked his head in, listening to her breathing. Stellan had warned them to let her rest, but he couldn’t resist coming to check on her. He had been so worried when he saw the inky black invade her eyes. The Celeste he knew and loved was gone for that moment, leaving nothing but emptiness in those obsidian irises. He appeased himself by watching her sleep for a few more minutes, then noiselessly closed the door and went down the corridor.
As he approached the steps, he heard familiar footsteps rounding the staircase. “I’m sorry,” he said as Nico’s grim eyes met his.
“I can’t deal with you right now,” Nico replied, darting past him. “I have to go see my dead girlfriend.”
“Nico, please,” he shouted behind his brother, but Nico didn’t even give him a second glance.
Downstairs Roman found Brian, Marie and Stellan in conversation. Apparently Marie had successfully gotten information from her fairy friends. Roman quickly sat down to join them. “What did I miss?” he asked.
“Brazen seems to have enlisted the help of some fairies,” said Stellan. “That would explain why we were having such a hard time tracking him.”
“Why would the fairies help him?” asked Roman.
“It’s not the fairies,” interjected Marie, “it’s one particular fairy, Astrid.”
“Who’s Astrid?” asked Brian.
“She’s Queen Elsbetta’s youngest daughter,” said Marie with a devious smile.
“The Queen’s daughter?” questioned Brian stunned.
“Do you think the Queen has been helping Brazen?” asked Roman. “And could Alek be involved?”
“I don’t know anything about Alek,” answered Marie. “But Astrid has always been one that likes to get into trouble. She’s a spoiled brat and likes nothing more than to cause mischief. I heard she’s been known to date outside of our species, which is strictly forbidden for royals.”
“So this is some sort of cry for her mother’s attention?” asked Roman.
“That’s what I’m betting,” she responded.
“Regardless, if Alek is involved or not, we need to find him and Lilliana,” added Stellan. “Once we do, I’m hoping we will finally get some answers.”
Stellan left to notify the Co
uncil about Celeste’s situation and Brian and Marie finally headed home, only after innumerous objections on Brian’s part. Roman promised to let him know the moment that Celeste woke up, appeasing Brian enough so that he agreed to leave. Now Roman sat in the living room in front of the crackling fireplace, with nothing but his unsettled thoughts to accompany him.
Roman nodded off after the third glass of bourbon, his troubled mind finally finding solace in sleep. He felt as if he had only been sleeping for a few moments when the buzz of a cell phone woke him from peaceful slumber. Searching the dark room, he found Celeste’s silver clutch on the adjacent chair. He opened the purse and found the phone. Seeing the familiar face flashing on the screen, he briefly contemplated not answering it, but when the call came through once again, he changed his mind.
“This is Roman,” he answered formally.
“Hi Roman, it’s Marco. Is Celeste okay?” he asked, his tone strained.
“Not really. Is that what you’re calling about? How did you hear?” Roman asked. He found it hard to believe that word could travel that fast within the guardian community. He hadn’t even heard Stellan come back from his visit to Astor yet.
“Hear what?” he asked, sounding perplexed.
“Never mind, Marco. What are you calling about at this hour?” Roman asked, a bit more harshly than he had intended.
“I wanted to give Celeste a heads up that I just spotted Alek and Lilliana in Rome,” he said.
“What?” asked Roman. “Are you sure it was them?”
“Yes, I’m positive. I trailed them for a few blocks just to be sure. And no, they didn’t see me,” he confirmed.
“Thank you for calling,” said Roman, modifying his tone.
“Wait, now you have to tell me what’s going on with Celeste. What’s wrong?”
While Marco listened attentively, Roman explained the series of events that led to Celeste’s breakdown.
“I can’t believe this is happening to her,” Marco said after a long pause. “I’ve heard stories, but I never thought the darkness could really take hold of someone like that.”
