Damien concentrated on the sound of Celine’s voice. He closed his eyes, deepening his breath, focusing his energy. After opening his eyes, he saw Celine standing in front of him.
She smiled at him. “You’re getting better at this,” Celine told him.
“Celine, is it really you?”
“Yes, D. It’s me.” Celine approached him. He reached for her. Her warm hand grabbed his. “You’re freezing.” She pulled him close.
“Celine, I miss you.”
“Damien, you…” Celine snapped her head to the side, searching behind her. “You must go,” she urged, her eyes wide. “I shall come to you again.”
“No, Celine,” Damien argued. “Celine, please. Don’t go! No!”
“Go, Damien,” Celine replied, backing away. “Go!” The vision faded away, the world closing in on him.
Damien shot up to sitting, gasping for breath. “Celine! No!” he called. “Wait!” His body trembled, his hands like ice. He pulled the blankets around him, still too stunned to move. The vivid dream felt real again. The sudden departure of Celine left him troubled. He glanced to the clock, it read 11:03 p.m. He should try to go back to sleep, but he realized sleep would escape him. Still, exhaustion coursed through him, as though he had been steamrolled.
Damien laid back, his heart rate returning to normal. He shut his eyes, searching for Celine. He could not find her, only blackness. He pushed it from his mind, determined to sleep. After twenty minutes, he gave up. He could not sleep despite the weariness he experienced.
Damien climbed from his bed, pulling on his shoes and a hoodie. He emerged from his room, padding down the hall to the foyer. He descended the steps, heading for the front door. Perhaps some fresh air would calm his frayed nerves and soothe him into sleep.
He placed his hand on the doorknob, about to turn it when a voice sounded behind him. “Aren’t you supposed to be asleep?”
Damien jumped, startled. He turned to find Gray staring at him, his arms across his chest. He swallowed hard before responding. “Couldn’t sleep, had another one of those dreams.”
“You look like hell,” Gray replied. “Come in and have a brandy. You shouldn’t be wandering around in the middle of the night.”
Damien acquiesced, abandoning his plan for a walk. Perhaps the brandy and company would soothe his nerves enough to sleep. He followed Gray into the sitting room, finding Alexander and Celeste there. “What the hell is she doing here?” he demanded.
Celeste rolled her eyes as Gray responded, “Trying to help.” Gray poured Damien a drink.
“Good evening, Damien. Couldn’t sleep?” Alexander greeted him.
“No, I couldn’t. No wonder! I probably sensed the Wicked Witch of the West was here!”
“Calm yourself, Damien,” Gray said, handing him a brandy. “She won’t harm anyone.”
“She is the enemy! She ruined Celine’s life. And she bit Michael! How can you stand there and say that?” Damien shouted.
“Things change,” Gray replied.
Celeste heaved a sigh. “I am on your side, Damien.”
“Yeah, right!”
“You have a lot to learn about the supernatural world, Damien,” Celeste added. “Gray is correct. Allegiances change, alliances vary. Things are not as black and white as you’d like them to be.”
Damien frowned at her. Alexander added, “She’s correct, Damien. It seems foreign to you, but we have dealt with this for centuries. Trust us.” Damien collapsed onto the couch with his brandy, nodding. “What has interrupted your sleep? You look unwell.”
“Same thing I said,” Gray added.
“Another one of those dreams,” Damien answered, rubbing his face. “I wake up from them exhausted. More exhausted than before I slept!”
“Dreams?” Celeste prodded.
“He’s been having dreams about Celine,” Gray informed her.
“I talked to her this time. I wanted her to stay, but she told me she had to go. She left,” Damien added, staring straight ahead. He ran his fingers through his hair. “Every time I close my eyes, this happens. Every time. I don’t know how Celine handled this.”
“How Celine handled this?” Celeste echoed.
Damien nodded. “When she was Josie, she had dreams like this. Same type of thing. She’d wake up with her heart racing, gasping for breath, couldn’t sleep after. I don’t understand how she survived being this exhausted all the time.”
“Perhaps you should discuss this with Millie,” Gray suggested.
“I agree. This seems to be troublesome,” Alexander added.
Damien shook his head. “No. I don’t want a sedative or any drugs.”
“Millie may be able to relieve the source of these nightmares,” Gray responded.
“Why not speak with her tomorrow? It couldn’t hurt,” Alexander added.
“I guess it couldn’t,” Damien agreed. “But I won’t take any drugs! I can’t afford to have my senses dulled while Celine is missing.”
Gray smiled at him. “I appreciate your stubbornness, Damien. It reminds me of Celine.”
Damien appreciated the comment. He finished his brandy. “So, any new leads you’re working on in the middle of the night?”
Gray chuckled. “Nothing that needs your immediate attention. Do you think you can sleep after the brandy?”
“I’d rather hear your theories,” Damien countered.
“How about a game or two of chess,” Alexander suggested. “It may soothe your mind.”
“Why does no one ever want to share information in this house?” Damien lamented, frustrated.
“There’s nothing to share, I’m afraid,” Celeste answered. “We haven’t any real theories. Just discussing possibilities, all of which are rather improbable.”
Damien considered her statement for a moment. “Try me,” he answered.
“Damien, we’re not holding anything back,” Alexander assured him. “We had a brief discussion about any misgivings Celine may have had about returning to her life with us. The possibility that she left on her own came up. We dismissed it almost as soon as it was mentioned.”
“She wouldn’t leave,” Damien insisted.
“I agree, which is why we dismissed the idea,” Gray answered. “But…” Gray paused. “Is it possible she went to Josie’s home? To your aunt’s?”
Damien pondered the questions. “Why wouldn’t she tell us?”
“Perhaps she doesn’t realize.”
“Huh?” Damien questioned.
“Those painful memories she experienced, perhaps they harmed her in some way. Perhaps she’s developed amnesia or reverted to Josie.”
“Ohhhh,” Damien answered, understanding dawning on him. “Oh, I never thought of that! Maybe! I could text Aunt Monica and ask her. Wait,” he paused. “I’ll have to be careful how I word it. If she hasn’t seen or spoken with Celine, I don’t want to panic her.”
“It’s more important to find out if she has seen or heard from Celine than beat around the bush.”
“If Aunt Monica concludes Celine is missing, she will come up here. I love Aunt Monica, but the last thing we need is Josie’s mom running around asking questions while we search for Celine.”
“Good point,” Gray conceded. “Okay, word it however you want, but try to find out.”
“As far as her being at our old place. I don’t know a good way to check that…” Damien paused again. “Oh, wait, I do!”
“Short of traveling there, which I am happy to do,” Alexander chimed in, “there is no other way.”
“There is,” Damien answered. “I can do it right now. Just a second!” He dashed from the room.
“My, he does get a bit overzealous at times, doesn’t he?” Celeste asked.
“Celine says you get used to it,” Gray answered, pouring himself another brandy.
Damien rushed back into the room, his laptop in hand. He opened it and began clattering on the keys. “What are you doing?” Gray queried.
�
�Well, we have several cameras in the house for security, smart thermostat, lights and so on. I can check our account to see if there has been any movement or changes in temperature. I can also check Celine’s accounts to determine if she has accessed them. I tried to track her cell phone already. I can’t locate it, so we’re out of luck there. It makes sense, her phone is probably dead if she has it.” Damien continued clacking on the keyboard. He brought up a series of windows displaying various views of their old home. Gray, Alexander and Celeste peered over his shoulders at his screen. “Okay, front door shows no cars in the driveway.” He clicked to another display. “No one in the living room, no movement in the upstairs hall, nothing in the office.” Damien clicked to another screen. “No history of lights being used, no calls for heat, thermostat is and has been in away mode since before Celine disappeared. So, she’s not at home.”
Gray sighed. “It was worth a shot, I guess.”
Damien continued typing. “What are you doing now?” Alexander inquired.
“Logging in to a few of her accounts, email, social media, that kind of stuff.”
“You can do that?” Gray questioned.
“Yep, I can do it. For being a cybersecurity expert, she picks the most ridiculous passwords,” he mentioned. “Okay, nothing on social media, emails have been unread for over a week. She hasn’t checked anything.”
“What does this prove?” Celeste queried.
“If Celine reverted to Josie, she’d be checking her email,” Damien assured them. “Josie was always connected. The only time she wasn’t was when she started having the issues with the dreams and… well, became Celine.”
“The lack of access on Josie’s accounts seems to suggest she has not reverted to Josie,”
Alexander surmised.
“Correct,” Damien concurred. “Last piece of evidence for that theory will come from Aunt Monica tomorrow. I’ll text her in the morning. If there is no sign of Celine with Aunt Monica, I’d say it’s safe to assume Celine did not revert to Josie.” Damien closed his laptop. “If you don’t mind, could we play that game of chess now?”
“Of course,” Alexander replied.
Damien and Alexander spent the next two hours engaged in a few games of chess. Damien excused himself in the wee hours of the morning, supposing he could sleep. He fell asleep just before sunrise. Despite having no answers, he felt as though he had accomplished something by ruling out one possibility.
Celine pulled herself from her communication with Damien. She wanted to speak with him, but something warned her to leave. She opened her eyes, allowing her senses to return to her cell. She sensed danger. After climbing to her feet, she glanced out the window into the basement. Marcus must be nearby. The danger she sensed must be his presence. Within seconds, the sound of footsteps reached her ears. A figure descended the stairs, approaching her cell.
“Ah, Celine, you are still awake. How fortunate,” Marcus said.
“What do you want now?” Celine asked, annoyed.
“I wanted to impart one last important detail from our conversation.”
“It could have waited,” Celine assured him.
“Ah, but it may influence your decision, my dear. Therefore, I made the effort to return.” He dangled a small crystal vial on a string. It sparkled, glowing from within.
Celine’s brow furrowed and her curiosity overcame her. “What is that?” Celine inquired.
“Remember when Benjamin Abbott painted your portrait and captured a piece of your soul?” Marcus questioned.
“Yes,” Celine answered.
“While I was… away, I learned how to transfer soul shards from one object to another.” Celine cocked her head as understanding set in. Her jaw dropped open in disbelief. “While it proved difficult, I retrieved your soul shard from your portrait, Celine.” He dangled the container in front of her. “So, if you are expecting your portrait to preserve the Buckley household when I begin my assault, it will do you no good. I have rendered it useless.”
“You are lying!” Celine screeched.
“Oh, come, Celine. Have I ever lied to you?”
“Give it to me,” Celine demanded.
“Oh, no, mon chérie!” He stared at the sparkling vial. “I couldn’t bear to part with it. It is my most prized possession. For now.”
Celine set her jaw, furious and frustrated. “Well, I shall allow you to return to your contemplation. Au revoir, Celine.” He strolled away, disappearing up the stairs. Celine held back tears. The situation was becoming more dangerous by the moment. She hoped she could force a solution soon. Yet she still had to proceed with caution. She couldn’t endanger Damien’s life to save hers. She wanted to reach out to him again, but she stopped herself. Patience, Celine, she chided herself, patience.
Damien awoke mid-morning. He yawned and stretched. A glance at the clock sent him leaping from his bed. He raced around his room, dressing for the day. He admonished himself for sleeping so long. He should have set the alarm. How foolish he had been. The few hours of sleep helped, but he hated to get such a late start on the day.
He hurried from his room down to the dining room. Coffee should still be available on the sideboard. He’d grab a cup before searching for everyone. As he entered the dining room, he found a note on the table. Gone to Alexander’s. Meet us there when you wake up. ~ Gray
Damien gulped down a cup of coffee, impatient to get to Alexander’s. While he drank it, he pulled his phone from his pocket. He opened his text app and sent a text to his aunt, Josie’s mom: Good morning Aunt Monica… just checking in… how are you?
He finished his coffee and zipped his hoodie as he made his way across the foyer. He stepped into the crisp air outside. Already autumn was fading, giving way to winter. Soon it would snow here. His phone chimed as he set off on the path to Alexander’s. He pulled it from his pocket, swiping it open. He received a return text from Aunt Monica: Hi sweetie! I’m doing just fine! It’s great to hear from you. How is the move going? I miss both of you!
Damien read it, pondering it as he formulated a response. Aunt Monica missed both of them. Did she mean in general or did she mean because she hadn’t heard from Celine? Damien devised a response to find out: We miss you, too! Speaking of… has Josie called or texted you? She said she was planning on calling and I didn’t get to ask her if she did.
Alexander’s house came into view. He hurried toward it, impatient to continue searching for Celine and to get out of the cold. As he approached the door, his phone chimed again. He considered checking the message before knocking, but the cold drove him to seek entrance. He knocked at the door. Alexander greeted him in moments. “Come in, Damien,” he invited him.
Damien entered the foyer, pulling his phone from his pocket. “Good morning. I got Gray’s note. Sorry I wasn’t here earlier, I slept in.”
“No problem at all,” Alexander assured him. “We’re in the sitting room.”
They entered the sitting room, joining Gray, Millie and Michael. “Hey, good morning, buddy. Finally got some sleep, huh?” Michael asked.
“Yeah, a little,” Damien admitted. He swiped open his phone. “I’m talking to Aunt Monica. Following up on the Celine flipped back to Josie theory. She just answered.”
Damien read the message: I haven’t heard from her. I assumed she was busy with the move and new contracts. The last time I heard from Josie was about two weeks ago.
Damien typed back: I’ll remind her to call, she’s been really busy with those new contracts.
Monica responded in seconds: Thanks, sweetie, although I realize how busy you both are. Don’t be too hard on Josie when you remind her ;)… She hates that!
Damien answered: Haha, I know!
He pocketed his phone. “Okay, she hasn’t heard from Josie in two weeks,” he announced. “So, she is not with Aunt Monica, nor has she contacted Aunt Monica.”
“Well, that’s that then,” Gray said. “Back to square one.”
“Back to square zero is more
like it. We have nothing to go on! This is so frustrating,” Damien fumed, collapsing on the couch. “How can we ever find her?”
“We found her after twenty-five years. We’ll find her now,” Gray assured him.
Damien sighed. “I guess,” he conceded.
“Let’s work on these troubling dreams you’re having, Damien,” Millie suggested.
“They aren’t troubling,” Damien countered. “It’s nice to be with Celine again. If it wasn’t for the ill-effects, I’d almost want to have them.”
Millie smiled at him. “Tell us again about them. What has been the same in each? What has been different?”
“Uh, well,” Damien began. “They all occur in the same place. And they all include Celine.”
“Those are the similarities, what are the differences?” Millie prodded.
“The amount I can see or hear.”
“What do you mean?” Millie questioned.
“The first one, I could barely make out anything. I realized I was outside, but everything was blurry. Like a haze covered my eyes. And I couldn’t hear anything. It all sounded muffled, like I was underwater. The second one, I could see things around me, but my hearing was still muffled. After a few seconds, I could hear Celine’s voice and then after I concentrated, I could see her. In the third episode, I could see Celine almost right away.”
“So, this is a recurring dream. Each time you have it, you progress a little further.”
“That seems like a fair assessment,” Damien agreed.
“The obvious answer is this is related to Celine’s disappearance. Your subconscious mind is struggling to process the anxiety and worry you are experiencing. It’s manifesting in your sleep by allowing you to see Celine.”
“That makes sense, too.”
“Can you alleviate them?” Gray queried. “The negative physical effects are taking a toll already and he’s only experienced three dreams.”
“We can try hypnosis. Let his subconscious tell us why things are manifesting this way.”
Damien gulped. “Hypnosis?” He grimaced.
“Yes,” Millie replied. “It doesn’t hurt.” She chuckled.
“Yeah, I realize that. But it seems… weird. Letting you probe around in my subconscious mind.”
Gone: A Shadow Slayers Story (Shadow Slayers Stories Book 3) Page 6
