Celine met her on the opposite side of the door. “I realize that, Celeste,” Celine cried. “Take care of my family, please.”
“How touching,” Marcus chimed in. “Now, you may leave, Celeste. Celine and I have much to discuss.”
Celeste glared at Marcus. “Despite my advice, I hope my sister never yields to your demands!”
Marcus jerked her away from the cell door. “You have worn out your welcome, Celeste.”
“Don’t touch her!” Celine screamed from the cell.
Celeste yanked her arm from him. “No reason to get hot under the collar, Marcus. Your temper is so short these days. I am leaving.” Celeste stalked away from him. “Goodbye, Celine. And good luck,” she called as she reached the stairs.
Celine stalked away from the door as Celeste disappeared up the stairs.
“I hope you listened attentively, Celine. I did not command that performance from your sister,” Marcus interjected. “She advised you of her own free will.”
“Haven’t you? You hold her life in your hands. Do you expect me to assume she has any free will?” Celine asked.
“I did not threaten or require her to speak to you, Celine. You have my word.”
“Your word means nothing to me. You are a cruel and intolerable man.”
“You misjudge me, Celine. You find me cruel only because we disagree.”
“I find you cruel because you are cruel. Leave me, Marcus, I have nothing further to say to you.” Celine crossed her arms, turning away from him.
“Fine. I will grant your request and leave you alone. But consider what your sister advises, Celine.” Marcus strode away, leaving Celine alone. His footsteps receded, replaced by silence. Celine sunk to the floor, weeping. Celeste spoke the truth. Damien would take her disappearance on himself. It would weigh on him until it drove him crazy. With each day that passed, he would grow more desperate. As she received updates from Celeste or Marcus, guilt would burden her soul, too. Misery would prevail. What would she do then? Would she give in? Would she continue to fight despite having lost the battle?
Celine collapsed to the floor, curled in a ball. Tears clouded her vision, and she laid on the cold, stone floor. “Damien,” she cried. “I’m sorry.” Her eyes closed as she drifted away.
Gray and Damien walked in silence to the house. “Can you sleep?” Gray queried as they stood outside Damien’s door.
“Uh, I’ll try.” He paused a moment, his hand on the doorknob. “Celine used to sit with me. That helped a lot.”
Gray knit his brow. “Well, I won’t hold your hand as you fall asleep, but if you want some company, I can stay. How about a drink?”
Damien considered the idea. Strange as Gray’s presence might be, he hated to be alone. “I mean, I don’t want to impose so…” he began.
“Why don’t I just grab those drinks,” Gray suggested. “I could use the company, too.”
Damien smiled at him. “Okay, thanks!” Gray returned with two glasses of brandy.
They entered the bedroom. Gray chose the chair, settling into it as Damien climbed onto the bed. Damien sighed, glancing around the room, drumming his fingers on the bed. He pondered if being alone would have been as uncomfortable as he felt right now.
“You should try to sleep.” Gray chided.
“Easier said than done,” Damien admitted.
“Celine is much better at this than I am, I’m sure,” Gray replied.
Damien chuckled. “Yeah, she is. Sorry.”
“Don’t apologize. I realize my shortcomings. Celine is… an extraordinary woman.”
“She is,” Damien agreed. After a moment, he added, “But you’re pretty cool, too. I mean, you have extraordinary talents, too, right?”
“My dear Damien, my talents are nowhere close to Celine’s.”
“What do you mean? Can’t you all do the same supernatural stuff?”
Gray chuckled. “No. No, we can’t. Celine can do far more than I can.” Confusion crossed Damien’s face. Gray glanced to him. “The supernatural world is structured by echelons.”
“You mean, some of you are more powerful than others?”
“Yes, correct.”
“And Celine is more powerful than you?” Damien questioned.
“Infinitely,” Gray admitted.
Damien nodded, inquiring, “What about Alexander?”
“He’s a bit better than me. But Celine is leaps and bounds above both of us. Her power is… impressive.”
“Hmm,” Damien mumbled, pondering the information.
“I’ve only seen her abilities matched by one other person,” Gray stated. Damien cocked his head to the side. “Marcus Northcott.”
“The Duke? Hmm. I’d rather not talk about him. At least we are rid of him. We ran into him in the past. He was as charming then as he was in our time.”
“Yes. He was a vile man.” Silence fell between them. “Now, you should try to sleep.”
Damien yawned, slouching down the bed and pulling a blanket over him. “Yeah. I’m sleepy. Hope that’s a good sign!” He switched off the light. “Good night!” he called into the darkness.
“Good night, Damien,” Gray answered him.
He shook his head in the darkness. It wasn’t the same as Celine. He missed her. He stared at the ceiling, wishing she were here. “Celine,” he whispered. He closed his eyes, imagining her return. They would find her, he assured himself. We’ll find you, Celine, he promised as he drifted to sleep.
Damien awoke to darkness. The blackness surrounded him, blinding him. Something was wrong. It was cold, damp. He shivered in the darkness. He reached out with his fingers, searching the area near him. They touched cold earth underneath him. Where was his bed, he wondered? Had he sleepwalked somewhere? Had Gray dozed off and missed him exiting the room?
Damien’s eyes began adjusting. He still could not see much. The details remained hazy, as though a shroud veiled them. A musty scent filled the air. He raised himself to sitting. “Hello?” he called out.
A muffled noise responded. His pulse quickened. “Hello?” he called louder into the darkness.
A garbled sound answered him. He reached out in front of him. “Is someone there?” he called. He crawled forward on his hands and knees. “Who’s there?” he queried.
Noises continued, none of them comprehensible. As he moved forward, something approached. His vision was too blurred to make it out. Light in color, it stood out, glaring against the dark backdrop. He recoiled, fearing what it may be, unable to identify it. “Hello?” he called again.
The object moved toward him in slow motion. He backed away until he hit something behind him. His breathing quickened. “Stop!” he shouted. The blurry figure continued toward him. Hushed noises persisted. He held his hand in front of him, a last attempt to stave off the approaching entity.
Warm flesh touched his hand. Fingers wrapped around his and squeezed. Damien blinked, trying to clear the haze from the scene. An arm encircled his shoulders. Warm breath floated past his ear. “Damien,” Celine’s voice whispered.
Damien shot up to sitting, gasping for breath. “Celine!” he called, reaching into the air.
Gray raced to his side. “What is it? What’s wrong?”
“Celine! I saw her! She was with me!” Damien gasped.
“What? Where? When?” Gray glanced around the room.
“Just now!” Damien exclaimed. Damien raced from his bed into the hallway. “Celine!” he called. “Celine!”
“Damien, you were dreaming,” Gray replied, following him.
“No, I…” Damien paused, pondering for a moment. He shook his head. “No.”
“Yes, Damien,” Gray assured him. “It was a dream, you were asleep.”
“But it was so real! She held my hand, she called to me.” He returned to his room, sinking onto his bed.
Moments later, Michael raced in along with Alexander and Millie. “We heard a commotion, what’s wrong?” Alexander inquired.
“He
was dreaming of Celine,” Gray answered.
“No!” Damien insisted. “She was with me.”
“Here?” Alexander questioned, his brow furrowing.
“No,” Damien answered. “No, we were… I’m not sure where we were. It was damp and cold. There was dirt, like outside. Celine came toward me and grabbed my hand. Well, I assume it was Celine, I couldn’t make the figure out. Everything was hazy. Then she whispered my name.”
“It was a dream” Gray insisted.
“No! It was real!” Damien countered.
“Dreams can be very vivid, particularly when we are under tremendous stress,” Millie interjected.
“No, I…” Damien began, his voice trailing off.
“I believe you,” Michael stated.
Damien smiled at Michael. “Thanks.”
“She probably came to make sure you were asleep though, so you may want to get some more rest,” Michael joked.
“She’d do that,” Damien agreed, chuckling. “I’ll try to go to sleep. Thanks for checking on me, everyone.”
Everyone except Gray filed from the room. Damien slid under the covers again. He felt foolish for having woken the household. Yet, he still couldn’t believe what he experienced was a vivid dream. There must be more. He sensed it. It was a clue or a warning. What did it mean? Damien fell asleep pondering the value of the clue.
Celine startled from her rest. She hadn’t been asleep. After her confrontation with Marcus and Celeste’s visit, she had wept for an hour before drifting away. Her mind focused on Damien. Celeste’s warning concerning his ability to handle her disappearance disturbed her. She dwelled on his well-being. Instead of falling asleep, she had fallen into a trance. In the trance, she had found her way to Damien, their special connection opening the path. She called to him, but he could not see her. Approaching him, she grasped his hand, pulling him close to her. “Damien,” she whispered before he vanished.
Celine recalled each detail, pulling herself up to sitting. A plan formed in her mind. A slight smile crossed her lips. Marcus’ enchantment prevented her from escaping or anyone from finding her. But she had found a way out. A difficult, dangerous way, but a way. She could communicate with the outside world. Therefore, she could be rescued, she reflected.
Celine glanced out her tiny window toward the sky. Dark clouds sailed past the waning crescent moon. Despite the heavy clouds that rolled through the night sky, the moon remained visible, veiled behind the mist. Celine, hidden behind Marcus’ spell, was like the moon behind the black clouds. Visible yet obscured. And like the moon, she could be found.
Chapter 4
Michael helped himself to the eggs on the sideboard. Damien wasn’t at breakfast yet. He wanted to check on him earlier but didn’t want to disturb him if he was asleep. Instead, he opted to eat, and hoped Damien appeared for breakfast. So far, he sat alone in the dining room.
Avery joined him within five minutes. “Good morning,” she greeted him, pouring herself a cup of coffee.
“Good morning,” he answered.
“It’s good to have you back,” Avery replied, joining him at the table. She referred to Michael and Damien’s recent trip to the past to retrieve Celine’s portrait from the Duke.
“Thanks. It’s good to be back. I’m not as fond of time travel as Damien.”
“I’ve never done it. But I’m with you. I’m not sure I’d want to.”
Michael chuckled. “It’s not all it’s cracked up to be.”
They sat for a few moments before Avery replied, “Terrible shame about Aunt Celine. I hope we find her soon. He doesn’t show it, but Uncle Gray is dreadfully upset.”
Michael nodded his head. “So is Damien. We all are, really.”
“I’m sure.”
“We had a few issues before we went to 1791. But to come back and she’s not here… I wish she was here.”
“You are very close with her. Damien, too.”
“Yeah,” Michael admitted, pausing. “Hey, do you mind if I ask you a strange question?”
“Not at all!”
“When Damien and I were in the past, we came across a cottage on the property, near the cliffs. Is it still there?”
“The caretaker’s cottage? Yes, it is. The cottage hasn’t been used in years, but it’s still standing. Why?”
“Ah, no special reason.”
“Oh, come on,” Avery prodded. “You didn’t ask for nothing.”
“No, I didn’t. You’re on to me,” he chuckled, holding his hands up. “Damien and I had an idea about my moving there since I hadn’t found anything else. It’s no big deal though, just idle chatter while we passed the time.”
“Sounds like a wonderful idea,” Avery admitted. “I’m sure Mother would approve.”
“Well, I’m in no rush. With Celine gone, Damien will hate the idea of me moving, even if it’s that close.”
“I don’t blame him. We’ll all miss you, especially Max and Maddy.”
“Like I said, I’m in no rush, but it’s something to consider.”
As Michael finished his statement, Max and Maddy, Avery’s children, raced into the room. “Uncle Michael!” they shouted.
“Hey, guys!” Michael greeted them.
Maddy threw her arms around Michael’s neck. “We missed you, Uncle Michael!” she exclaimed.
“I missed you both, too,” Michael expressed. “What have you been up to while Uncle Damien and I were gone?”
Max shrugged. “Stuff.”
“Stuff? Care to elaborate?” Michael asked.
“Nope,” Max replied, plopping onto the chair next to Michael.
“Max, that’s no way to speak to an adult,” Avery corrected.
“It’s okay,” Michael answered, placing a hand on the boy’s shoulder. “Something wrong, buddy?”
Max let his chin rest in his palms, not responding. “We’ve been searching for Aunt Celine,” Maddy admitted. “But we haven’t had any luck.”
“Ah,” Michael answered, realization dawning on him. He gave Avery a knowing glance. The two children, in an effort to help, tried to find Celine. Besides the upset they sensed in the household from Celine’s disappearance, having not found her added to Max’s dejection.
“Max, you’re just a child,” Avery replied. “You don’t have to solve adult problems.”
“I’m not a child!” Max argued. “I’m going to be eleven in a few months!”
Michael wrapped his arm around Max. “Wow! You’re getting old!”
“It’s not funny. I’m being serious! I want to help find Aunt Celine.”
“I’m sure you do,” Michael answered. “We all do. But we have to work together because it’s a big project. There are lots of things to investigate.”
“I’ve been trying to investigate, but I can’t find any clues!”
“Oh? What have you investigated so far?”
“Well,” Max pondered a moment, then began naming places, ticking them off on his fingers as he went. “We tried the closed off wing, the basement, and a few of the sheds on the property.”
“Nothing in any of them?”
“No! No sign of her!”
“Hmm,” Michael mumbled. “I have an idea.”
“What is it?” Maddy asked.
“Well, you may not find Aunt Celine this way, but it would be a real big help for everyone. I’m only going to tell you if you really, truly want to help.”
“We do want to help!” Max exclaimed.
“You mean it? Pinky swear?” Michael asked.
“Pinky swear!” Maddy promised, locking pinkies with Michael.
“How about you, Max?” Michael asked.
“Scouts honor!” he replied, holding up three fingers, a trick he had learned from Uncle Damien.
“Okay. It would really help if you both spent some time finding pictures of Aunt Celine.”
“Pictures of Aunt Celine? Why?” Max questioned.
“Because everyone misses Aunt Celine. And everyone would lik
e to be reminded of her. So, it would help if you found some pictures. Perhaps made a card saying how much we miss her. Then everyone can remember her until she’s back. Do you think you can do that?”
“We can do that!” Maddy answered.
“Yeah! And we’ll even make cards to welcome her home, too! We’ll start today,” Max promised.
“That sounds like a great idea,” Michael agreed. “Take your time, look through all the pictures. Make sure you pick the best ones, okay?”
“We will!” Max replied, standing from the chair. “Come on, Maddy. We have a lot of work to do!”
The children left the room. “They missed you. You’re so good with them,” Avery mentioned after they left.
“I missed them, too. They’re good kids,” Michael admitted. “They miss Celine, too. They need to express that. It must be hard for them to process, not fully understanding the circumstances. Hell, I fully understand the circumstances and it’s hard for me.”
“You get used to it,” Avery responded, taking Michael’s hand in hers.
“Thanks,” he answered. “You make it look effortless.”
Michael smiled at Avery as Damien entered the room. “Hey, good morning,” Michael greeted him.
“Morning,” Damien mumbled, helping himself to breakfast.
“I’ll let you two talk,” Avery said, excusing herself.
“Get any sleep?” Michael asked, sipping his coffee.
“Some,” Damien replied. “Not much after that…”
“Experience?” Michael filled in.
“Yeah.” Damien paused, stifling a yawn. “Hey, thanks for not calling it a dream. It didn’t feel like a dream.”
“No problem. What do you think it was?”
Damien shrugged, rolling his eyes. “Probably a stupid dream, like Gray said. He never believes me.”
“I don’t understand why,” Michael answered. “We live in a world with witches, warlocks, vampires, doppelgängers from the mirror world, time travel, adjudicators and at least a half a dozen more things we don’t know about yet and he can’t believe you saw Celine last night?”
Damien chuckled. “Nope. That’s where he draws the line, apparently.”
Gone: A Shadow Slayers Story (Shadow Slayers Stories Book 3) Page 4
