Wilder Revelation: The Guardian Series Book 3

by G. K. DeRosa

  “Are you okay?” asked Roman worriedly.

  Celeste gasped trying to suck in enough oxygen to be able to speak. Finally, her lungs started to expand and took in the much-needed air, the color returning to her cheeks once again. “My mom!” she cried. “We have to help her!”

  “Celeste, you have to calm down,” said Roman, trying to force her to lie down. This was the first time she had a premonition without being knocked unconscious afterward. It was obvious that it was her body’s way of recovering from the strain, but for some reason it wasn’t happening this time.

  “I can’t!” she screamed. “It’s Brazen, he has my mom!”

  Stellan came running down the stairs, his robe flying behind him, having heard the commotion all the way up in his study. “What’s happened?” he asked.

  “She had a premonition,” said Marco.

  “And she never passed out. She was conscious the whole time,” said Nico.

  “Please Stellan, please! You have to do something. Brazen has my mom!” she continued yelling hysterically.

  “I’m sorry, Celeste, but this is for your own good.” In an instant, Stellan pulled out a small syringe from the depths of his robe and stuck it into her arm.

  “No!” she cried, as the warm liquid began coursing through her veins. She kicked and punched blindly trying to fight her way off the couch, but it was no use. She could already feel the effects of the injection dragging her down into its somnolent depths.

  “Did you have to do that?” asked Roman.

  “I had no choice,” he hissed back. “She cannot afford losing all the progress she’s made. It would be a terrible setback.”

  “How long will she be out?” asked Marco.

  “Not long, an hour at most,” he replied.

  “And what about her mother?” asked Roman.

  “I will get on it immediately,” Stellan said, already making his way back toward the staircase.

  “She’s going to be so mad when she wakes up,” said Nico, looking down at Celeste’s motionless figure.

  “Tell me about it,” said Roman with an eye roll.

  Roman sat next to Celeste’s body watching the slow rise and fall of her chest. He reached out his hand and swiped away a stray curl across her forehead, admiring her peaceful expression. The longer she remained asleep, the more he worried about how she would react when she finally awoke.

  “Brian and Marie are on their way,” whispered Nico as he peeked into her bedroom.

  “Good,” he said, rising and following Nico out. “Does Brian think she can help us?”

  “She can definitely get us into the Fae lands, which is where we’re hoping Brazen has taken Celeste’s mom,” answered Nico. “But without getting more information from Celeste about the vision, I’m afraid we’re just working off of assumptions at this point.”

  Roman nodded wearily. “I know Stellan was just trying to protect Celeste, but I wish he had given her just a few more minutes to tell us exactly what she saw. Normally her premonitions are about things that are to come and yet this time, she made it seem like Brazen had already taken her mom.”

  “Everything about Celeste’s premonition seemed strange this time,” said Nico.

  “Where’s Marco?” asked Roman.

  “He’s been with Stellan, trying to locate Mrs. Wilder,” Nico answered as they walked toward the study.

  “Any luck?”

  “Not last I checked,” he answered as they rounded the corner to his quarters.

  Stellan sat slumped over his desk pouring over a hefty spell book and Marco stood peering anxiously over his shoulder. The map of Oak Bluffs stretched out across the desk with a drop of human blood hovering less than a millimeter above it. Roman recognized the intoxicating scent immediately.

  “You’re using Celeste’s blood to find Mrs. Wilder?” he asked.

  “Yes,” mumbled Stellan. “I wasn’t having any luck finding her before.”

  “And now?” asked Roman. “Is the blood supposed to float on top of the map like that?”

  “Not exactly. It does tell me that we are getting close, but there is magic blocking me,” he explained. “And our suspicion is confirmed—she is most definitely in Fae lands.”

  “It must be that fairy that Marie mentioned, the daughter of the Queen,” said Nico.

  “Why can’t we talk to the Queen and tell her what’s going on?” asked Marco. “She could help us.”

  Stellan frowned. “I considered that, but Queen Elsbetta is extremely private about Fae matters. She may not want a rescue crew made up of vampires, guardians and humans entering her territory.”

  “So better to ask for forgiveness than beg for permission?” quipped Nico.

  “Precisely.”

  “So let’s say that Marie gets us into Fae and we are able to track down Brazen: how are we going to kill him? Last I heard he was still immortal,” said Marco.

  “Killing him isn’t what matters,” said Roman. “We just have to get Celeste’s mom back.”

  “Marco has a point, Roman,” said Nico. “Brazen’s outrageously strong as we witnessed in our last encounter. He took us both out and there was nothing we could do to stop him.”

  “But I can,” said Celeste, appearing in the doorway. Her eyelids were still drooping and the doorjamb was supporting most of her weight, but the look of determination on her face was undeniable.

  Roman rushed over to Celeste, putting his arm around her waist to steady her. “Are you all right?”

  “I am so mad at all of you right now that I want to scream, but I think this sedative is still coursing through my blood stream because I just don’t have the energy,” she said with a half-smile. She was doing everything she could just to stand up straight. “Stellan, what you did to me was so wrong! We’ve already wasted precious time while my mom is God knows where with Brazen.”

  “I’m sorry that you don’t agree with my methods, Celeste, but I will not apologize for protecting you,” he responded.

  “It doesn’t matter now. We have to go and find my mom right away. I’m pretty sure he has her in Fae territory,” she said.

  Stellan smiled in relief; at least his initial guess had been spot on. Then he frowned when he considered the other part of Celeste’s statement. “You cannot go, Celeste. It is absolutely out of the question.”

  “Are we really going to do this again?” she asked. “I’m telling you right now, there will be no sneaking around this time. I am going with or without your permission.”

  Roman turned his face toward hers and saw the fire of determination in her eyes. “Please, Celeste, I am pleading with you to reconsider. You are going to be putting yourself at unspeakable risk.”

  “Roman, you of all people should know better than to ask me to sit this one out,” she said, staring at him intensely. “It’s my mom.”

  Roman nodded hearing the resolve in her voice. “She’s right,” he said to Stellan. “We have to let her come with us.”

  Stellan threw his hands up in the air in frustration. “I don’t even know why I bother.”

  Celeste let go of Roman, walking slowly on unsteady legs toward Stellan. “You’ve done everything you could for me in the past few weeks, and I thank you for it. But this is my mom, Stellan, and not going to rescue her isn’t even a question – no matter the risk.”

  “And what are you going to do if the darkness consumes you while you are in battle?” he asked, his grey eyes weary. “I won’t be able to help you.” He reached out his wrinkled hand and tenderly cupped her face.

  “It’s time I face it, Stellan. I can’t hide out here forever. If the darkness comes, it’ll come and I’ll fight it,” she said determinedly.

  “And we’ll all be there to help you,” interjected Marco.

  Celeste shot him an appreciative smile and looked over at Roman and Nico whose faces were grimly set with resolve.

  “Let’s get going then,” she said as she spun around and her knees buckled and she nearly tumbled
to the ground. Luckily, Marco shot out his arm catching her just in time. “I’m totally fine, I swear!” She quickly picked herself up and stood up straight on her own.

  “Calm down a second, Celeste,” said Roman. “We still have to wait for Brian and Marie to get here—any minute now.”

  Celeste grimaced at the mention of Brian. “Why are they coming?”

  “We needed a way to get into Fae without being detected, and Marie is our way in,” said Nico.

  Celeste was starting to really like Marie. She had proven herself countless times, but Celeste didn’t want Brian in this kind of danger. “Okay, but maybe I can convince Brian to stay here.”

  “Good luck with that,” said Roman. “He’s as stubborn as you are about your own safety.”

  She rolled her eyes, but she knew Roman was right. There was no way she would be able to talk Brian out of going with them.

  Roman’s head whirled toward the window as his vampire hearing heard the rumble of an approaching engine. “They’re here,” he announced.

  Stellan stood up abruptly. “Nico, go let them in and we’ll all convene in the library. You all can’t go in there blindly. We need a plan if we hope to retrieve Mrs. Wilder and assure Celeste’s safety.”

  The four nodded in agreement and Nico hurried out of the study to let the others in. Roman, Celeste and Marco turned to follow, but Stellan called for Celeste to wait. “I need a moment with her,” he said and shooed the boys away.

  Celeste turned to him warily; she half expected him to stick her with another sedative.

  “Your premonition was different today, was it not?” he asked.

  “Yes,” she said. “Somehow I knew that it had already happened or I guess it was in the process of happening.”

  “That’s good,” he said. “It means you are harnessing more control over it. All of these exercises we have been doing are allowing you to hone in on your skill.”

  “Then why did you knock me out?” she asked.

  “You were under too much stress, and I didn’t want to risk another breakdown. Though it’s impressive that you didn’t pass out from the vision like you normally do, it’s still not good for your body. The premonitions take a toll on you, and your brain shutting off is a defense mechanism to allow you to recover,” he explained. “I believe you are getting stronger and you were able to fight against it this time, but just remember not to push yourself too hard.”

  “I’m trying, Stellan,” she said.

  He reached out his hand and gave her a squeeze on the shoulder. “If you feel the darkness encroaching today, you know what to do. Don’t forget all the exercises I’ve taught you. It’s imperative that you do not succumb.”

  She nodded her head, her jaw set firmly. “I’ll be okay, I promise.”

  Stellan led Celeste out of the study to join the others in the library. Celeste could already hear Brian’s voice echoing through the corridor. As she had expected, he was vigorously objecting to being left behind.

  ***

  The entire rescue crew materialized in the middle of a small clearing just outside the city limits of Oak Bluffs. Celeste scanned the group to make sure everyone was accounted for and couldn’t help but notice the exhaustion evident in Stellan’s expression. Opening the portal for so many travellers coupled with all the other magic he had been performing lately had greatly drained him. She stepped over to him quickly and whispered, “Are you sure you should be coming with us?”

  “Yes, of course. I’m fine,” he said straightening his shoulders and walking determinedly.

  Marie led the group toward a small pond, which had just begun to thaw out. The middle was still frozen over, but along the edges, families of ducks swam happily about.

  “This is it,” she said, stopping in front of the water.

  “This is what?” asked Marco, looking around in confusion.

  “This is the entrance to the Fae lands,” she said pointing at the pond.

  Everyone with the exception of Stellan and Nico peered into the dusk with varying looks of puzzlement.

  “I don’t see anything,” said Celeste finally.

  “That’s exactly the point,” said Stellan, taking a step toward the frozen pond.

  “What are you doing?” asked Celeste, tugging at Stellan’s arm as he neared the edge.

  “We can either do it the hard way or the easy way,” said Stellan.

  “I agree,” said Marie. “Jumping in might be the quickest and least painful.”

  Celeste, Brian and Marco’s heads spun toward her in unison as their eyes widened almost comically.

  “We have to jump into the frozen pond?” asked Celeste.

  “It’s either that or walk in slowly, but it’s not as bad as it sounds,” explained Marie. “It’ll only feel wet and cold for a few seconds and then you’ll get sucked into the portal to Fae.”

  “Are you serious?” asked Brian.

  “We really don’t have many other options with such a large group,” said Marie. “This entrance is the least used and will drop us right into the Fae forest. According to my sources, that is where Brazen is hiding out.”

  “I definitely understand why it would be the least used,” said Marco, wrapping his arms around himself with a shudder.

  “Don’t be such a chicken Marco. You’ll hardly feel a thing,” teased Roman.

  “All right, no more wasting time. Lead the way, Marie,” said Celeste, taking a step forward to join her and Stellan at the edge.

  “I recommend a running start, and that you make sure to clear the icier portions to get a direct hit on the portal,” Marie instructed. Everyone nodded at her as they watched hesitantly. “Follow me!” And with that, Marie’s lithe figure went flying through the air, hit the water with a small splash and disappeared.

  “After you,” said Roman, motioning to Celeste.

  She retorted with a sidelong glance. “Here goes nothing!” she shouted as she sprang into the air.

  One by one they each repeated the chilly descent into the land of the Fae, with Stellan going last to ensure everyone had passed safely through.

  Celeste landed with a thud on the hard-packed dirt of the Fae forest. She got up and rubbed her sore butt, then brushed off the dirt and scanned the dark woodlands around her. She was surprised to be barely damp. She clearly remembered feeling the freezing water as her feet hit the pond, but the journey through the portal seemed to have almost completely dried her off. As they each came hurtling through the watery gateway, Celeste noted that only Nico and Stellan landed gracefully on their feet (apparently they had done this before). The rest of them, like Celeste, ended up skidding across the floor with arms and legs scattered in all directions. If she hadn’t been so concerned for her mother’s safety, she would have been rolling on the floor laughing at the comical scene.

  When Stellan finally joined the circle, he took out a small vial from his robe and whispered a few words in what Celeste recognized to be Latin. The crimson liquid in the container began to glow and floated high into the air.

  “This way,” said Stellan, leading the others through the dense thicket following the glowing orb.

  “We have to be careful,” said Marie. “Sometimes the Queen’s guards are posted around the entryways into Fae to protect against intruders. Everyone keep your eyes open.”

  With Stellan and Marie in the lead following the radiant beacon, the group began their trek through the forest. Though it was nearly dawn, the dense overgrowth of trees above their heads allowed little light to seep through. Celeste had never been into Fae lands before and couldn’t wait for it to get brighter so that she could see what it looked like.

  “Stop,” hissed Roman through gritted teeth after only marching a few hundred yards.

  Nico paused and suddenly heard the noise too. They signaled for the others to drop to the ground. It took a few more seconds before the rest of the crew caught up with their superior vampire hearing, but finally Celeste heard the distinct sound of footsteps ap
proaching. No one dared to breathe as the crunch of leaves on the ground got ever closer. Just a few yards to the left of where the group was hidden by dense undergrowth, two burly soldiers trudged by. The two men had long hair tied back in intricate ponytails and both wore the golden plated armor of the Queen and carried a long spear.

  Celeste held her breath as they passed, praying that they wouldn’t be spotted. She didn’t know much about fairies and their powers, but she hoped neither supernatural hearing nor sense of smell was one of them. After a few tense moments, the footsteps fell away in the distance. Marie was the first to rise and scan the area before she signaled to the others that it was safe.

  “That was close,” said Celeste, exhaling a big breath.

  “Let’s keep moving,” said Stellan. “We need to get there before full light.”

  The rescue crew continued onward as the sun began to creep over the horizon. As it began to get lighter, Celeste could finally make out the foliage around her and to her surprise it was nothing like the forest in Oak Bluffs. In place of the typical evergreens were massive multi-colored canopied trees. It seemed as though each and every leaf were a different color of the rainbow while the bark was a light, almost white color. She couldn’t imagine how beautiful the vibrant hues would look under the bright rays of the sun.

  “These trees are really amazing,” said Celeste as she stared skyward in awe at the varied shades of blues, yellows and reds.

  “You should see it in the spring time,” said Roman. “As you know, the Fae use the magic of nature and as such they wield control over the trees, plants and flowers. It really is extraordinary to see.”

  “So you’ve been here before?” she asked.

  “I have a few times. Not as many as Nico has, of course,” he said, patting his brother on the shoulder.

  “It’s not my fault I seem to be irresistible to fairy women,” Nico quipped.

  “I thought non-fairies weren’t allowed in Fae territory,” said Celeste.

  “We’re not, but there are always ways around the rule as you can see,” Nico answered.

  Celeste glanced over at Brian and saw that he was just as entranced as she was by the beauty of the forest. He stared up in wonder as he walked and nearly tripped over a fallen branch. Celeste reached out her arm just in time to catch him before he stumbled.