“Try again,” she instructed.
Celine rushed forward, reaching out toward the entrance. This time no barrier struck her. She reached through the mouth of the cave, grasping Celeste’s hand.
“You’ve done it!” she exclaimed. She turned to Damien. “Run, Damien!”
She pushed Damien ahead of her, ensuring he ran toward Michael. Marcus had Gray pinned near the cliff’s edge. He moved in for the kill. Celine took two steps toward them, drawing all her power into her. She screamed, launching an attack at Marcus.
Startled by the strength of the attack, Marcus turned to discover the source. Celine flew through the air at him, knocking him down. They rolled, tangled together toward the woods. As they ground to a halt, Celine pressed Marcus’ arms to the ground, pinning him. “I shall show you the true meaning of betrayal, Marcus,” she seethed through clenched teeth.
With a growl, he shoved her sideways, knocking her to the ground next to him. They both leapt to their feet within seconds. Celine lunged toward him, her fingers crackling with electricity. Marcus dodged her. Alexander and Gray each shot fireballs at him. He blasted back with another circular blast, flattening them both.
He turned to face Celine. They circled each other like wolves fighting over food. “Retreat now, Marcus, and you may survive,” she warned.
“Retreat? Whatever for, Celine? I am just warming up!” he retorted. He shoved his hands toward her, and she responded in kind. The power of their mutual attack was explosive. The two assaults collided, setting off a reaction. An electrical shock wave burst from between them, paralyzing everyone within a mile radius of them. Gray, Alexander and Celeste were blown down, unable to move for a few moments. Damien and Michael, who were running through the woods, suffered a similar fate.
When the effect subsided, Gray sat up, glancing around. Alexander joined him along with Celeste. Gray stared at Alexander, aghast. “Where the hell is Celine?”
Chapter 12
Celine stood up, glancing around. Her attack on Marcus had created a strange effect, like nothing she had seen before. She didn’t see Gray or anyone else, only Marcus. He climbed to his feet, also glancing around.
Celine recognized her surroundings. Somehow their attack conjoined to create a shock wave, sending them to Shadow World. The colorless trees soared around them. Marcus assessed their location. “What have you done, Celine?” he questioned.
“I have done nothing! This is YOUR fault!” Celine bellowed, lobbing a fireball at him.
He dodged it. “My fault? I did nothing!” he responded, throwing a lightning bolt her way.
She leapt to the side, and it sailed past her charring a tree behind her. “Nothing? You tried to kill my family! You call that nothing?” she queried, hurling another fireball his way.
He sidestepped, allowing it to blast the tree behind him. “You’re so emotional, Celine. I simply attempted to remove the barriers that keep us apart.”
She screamed, lunging at him. He grasped her arms, restraining her. “Stop, Celine. We have more pressing matters at hand.”
“Such as what? What is more pressing than destroying you?” she shrieked, struggling against him.
Marcus nodded behind Celine. Celine ceased her struggle, gazing behind her. Her adjudicator stood a few feet away, its eyes blazing red, wings flapping in agitation. “What is the meaning of this, Celine Devereaux Buckley?” it bellowed at them.
Celine pulled her arms from Marcus’ grasp. She turned to face the adjudicator. “Apologies,” Celine remarked. “We do not know how we came to be here.”
“Impossible!” it screeched. “One does not slip into Shadow World, unbeknownst. What are the circumstances by which you came, Celine Devereaux Buckley?” it demanded.
“Ah, but Celine does… slip into Shadow World, that is. She’s been using it as a conduit to communicate with a human on multiple occasions,” Marcus chimed in.
“Explain yourself, Celine Devereaux Buckley!” the adjudicator demanded, its wings flapping furiously, eyes burning red with agitation.
“I… that is untrue. Marcus has left out several key facts, including that he imprisoned me, and I had no other choice! It was the only means by which I could communicate with my family to orchestrate a rescue.”
“Is this true, Marcus Northcott?”
“Yes, however, it is none of your concern,” he submitted.
“It is my concern when my peace is disturbed, Marcus Northcott!” the adjudicator shrieked, flying within inches of them.
“We apologize,” Celine stated, “we did not mean to disturb your peace. We came to be here this time by accident.”
“Explain, Celine Devereaux Buckley!” it demanded, its hot breath wafting across Celine’s face.
“We were engaged in a… spirited argument. I’m not sure what happened, but there was some sort of melding of our supernatural powers and we both ended up here. We will depart from this realm without further controversy.”
“Yet you choose to continue your battle after arriving here!” the adjudicator cried, pacing in front of them.
“Again, our apologies, if you would allow us to return…” Celine began.
“So that you might engage in another argument and return here to disturb my peace, Celine Devereaux Buckley?”
“We will not,” Celine promised.
The adjudicator ceased pacing, staring at Celine. “What understanding have you and Marcus Northcott arrived at to ensure this?”
Celine glanced to Marcus, raising an eyebrow. “Well…” she began.
“As I suspected!” the adjudicator hollered. “You have fought for centuries. No more! I shall ensure your fighting ceases for the term of my repose! I will not be disturbed!”
It stalked back and forth in front of them. They awaited its decision. “I have decided,” it stated after a moment. “Celine Devereaux Buckley, I shall return you to your realm. Since Marcus Northcott is the root cause of the issue, he shall remain in Shadow World for the duration of my repose.”
“Now, just a moment…” Marcus objected.
“SILENCE, MARCUS NORTHCOTT!” it bellowed, its eyes returning to a fiery red.
Marcus appeared unimpressed. “I demand to see Bazios.”
“I SAID SILENCE! Bazios cannot and will not help you! He is bound by my decision. Come, Celine Devereaux Buckley. I shall return you to the material realm.”
Marcus grimaced. “Well, it appears you have won again, dear Celine. For now.”
“Enjoy your stay, Marcus,” Celine replied. “I know I shall.” She stepped away, then turned back. “Oh, there is one more thing. You have something that belongs to me. I want it back.”
“Oh?” Marcus questioned, playing coy.
“My soul shard. I want it.”
“No. I believe I’ll hang on to it. A reminder of you during my stay in Shadow World.”
“I…” Celine began.
“Come, Celine Devereaux Buckley!” the adjudicator shouted at her.
“This isn’t finished,” Celine warned, before stalking away after the adjudicator.
It opened a portal in front of Celine. “Step through the portal. Goodbye, Celine Devereaux Buckley,” the adjudicator concluded.
“Goodbye,” Celine said. “And thank you.”
Celine stepped through the portal, leaving behind Shadow World with Marcus Northcott in it. She stepped into the sky above the clouds in her world. She plummeted toward the earth, landing on her feet in a crouched position with a loud clap.
“Celine!” Gray shouted, racing toward her.
“Gray!” she answered, standing.
He wrapped her in his arms, kissing the top of her head. “Thank God you’re all right.”
“I’m fine, Gray,” she said, wrapping her arms around his waist.
Alexander and Celeste joined them. Celine reached out to grab both of their hands. “What happened?” Celeste asked. She glanced around. “Where is Marcus?”
“Gone,” Celine answered. “For th
e moment, anyway.”
“What happened? Where did you go?” Alexander asked.
“I’m not sure,” Celine replied. “We ended up in Shadow World. How, I still don’t understand.”
“Shadow World?” Celeste questioned.
“Yes,” Celine responded. “Our adjudicator was there. It was not pleased that we were disturbing its peace. In the end, it chose to keep Marcus there until it finished its repose. It returned me to earth and insisted Marcus stay.”
“I can’t imagine how that went over,” Alexander answered.
“Not well, the adjudicator didn’t give him much choice. Even Marcus wouldn’t dare flout an adjudicator. Still, we must prepare. When he returns, I’m sure he’ll want to pick up where we left off.”
“I agree, but I’d like a moment to enjoy having you back,” Gray answered, squeezing her in his arms again.
Celine returned his embrace. “And I owe you a hug as well,” Celine said, stepping away from Gray and pulling Celeste into an embrace.
“I am so pleased you are free, sister. I apologize for my part in this.”
“You had no part in this, Celeste. You had no choice due to your condition.”
“What part?” Gray asked.
“Nothing, it’s over,” Celine answered.
“No,” Celeste argued. “I was the one who lured her to the cell. When Marcus returned, he used my condition against me. I had no choice. If I wanted to survive, I had to do his bidding.”
Gray shook his head at her. “Stop, stop this. Celeste is no more responsible than I am. She had no choice. And it’s over now. Thanks to all of you.” Celine glanced among all of them. She reached out to embrace Alexander, thanking him for his help as well. “Now, I really need to find Damien. He deserves a hug, too.”
“He was exceptionally brave,” Alexander admitted.
“Yes, I agree,” Gray added. “He went through hell, but he was determined to keep the communication lines open with you.”
“He deserves a nice long rest,” Celine replied. “Maybe some ice cream.”
“Well, let’s get back to the house and get him that ice cream,” Gray answered, wrapping his arm around Celine’s shoulders.
Celine grasped his hand as they set off down the path toward Alexander’s home. They reached the edge of the woods, stepping under the canopy of white pines. Ahead, Celine spotted something laying on the ground. Within a moment, they were close enough to recognize Michael’s and Damien’s limp forms.
“Damien?!” Celine shouted, racing toward him. Both he and Michael laid face down on the ground. Celine rolled him over. “Damien?!” she cried again, shaking him.
Gray, Alexander and Celeste joined her. They rolled Michael over. “DAMIEN!” Celine shouted, feeling for his pulse.
“Is he breathing?” Gray asked.
“He has a pulse, he’s breathing. Why won’t he wake up?” Celine questioned, tears streaming down her face.
“Michael is the same. Perhaps the shock wave? We weren’t affected, it knocked us down, but there were no other effects,” Celeste answered.
“I’m not sure. We need to get them home, let Millie check them.”
“Yes,” Gray agreed. He lifted Damien.
“Careful,” Celine warned. “Careful, in case he’s hurt.”
“I’ve got Michael,” Alexander replied, lifting Michael.
They hurried back to Alexander’s home. Bursting through the door, Celine raced to the sitting room. “Millie!” she shouted. “Come quickly, it’s Michael and Damien. Something is wrong with them.”
Gray and Alexander carried them upstairs, placing them in the bedrooms they had been using. Millie followed Celine upstairs, checking first on Damien, then Michael. She did a full physical exam on each before discussing their conditions. Celine paced the floor of Damien’s room.
“Try to relax, Celine,” Gray advised. “You’ve been through a lot, too.”
“I can’t,” Celine murmured. “Not now. What have we done to them?” She crawled onto the bed, taking Damien’s hands in hers. A tear fell onto her cheek. “Damien, please be okay.”
Gray rubbed her shoulders. “It’ll be okay, Celine.”
“You don’t know that!” Celine whimpered.
“Come on. He didn’t survive Shadow World and multiple run-ins with the Duke to let a little electrical shock hurt him.”
Celine wiped her tear away, smiling at Gray. “Thanks,” she said as Millie entered the room.
Celine leapt from the bed. “Well?”
“First, welcome home. I have examined both Michael and Damien.”
“And?” Celine demanded.
“They are suffering from the same symptoms. Both are non-responsive. Breathing is normal at this moment. Heart rate was slightly elevated but not significantly. Pupils are equal and reactive. There appear to be no signs of any trauma.”
“What does that mean?” Celine asked.
“I’m not sure of the cause yet, but you said some sort of electric pulse may have hit them?” Millie asked.
“Yes. There was some reaction between one of the attacks Marcus and I launched against each other. It’s never happened before, but it sent some kind of shock wave out. It didn’t seem to affect Celeste, Gray or Alexander, but it sent Marcus and me to Shadow World. I assume it was strong enough to affect a human.”
“I see. Well, so far, there is no sign of anything serious. No breathing or heart trouble, no burns to the skin like you would see in a lightning strike, for example. Perhaps this is a reaction to the pulse. A sort of shock.”
“What can we do? Will he come out of it?”
“I’ve never dealt with this before. Most of your attacks don’t leave your victims this stunned, only a little maimed. But I will continue monitoring both of them. We’ll note any changes, even small ones. In the meantime, we’ll keep them warm to counteract the shock. Stay with them, talk to them.”
“Do you suppose they will wake up?” Celine asked.
“There’s no reason to believe otherwise, Celine,” Millie assured her. “If their vital signs were any cause for concern, I wouldn’t be saying this, but I am optimistic. Sometimes the body does this to protect itself, heal itself.”
Celine wandered to Damien’s bed, sinking onto the bed next to him. “Thanks, Millie,” Gray answered.
“You’re welcome. Call me the moment anything changes. Are we planning on keeping them here?”
“Whatever you judge is best,” Gray replied.
“Let’s not move them for at least twenty-four hours. We’ll reassess then.”
“Fine. I’m sure Alexander won’t mind.”
“Alexander won’t mind what?” Alexander asked, entering the room.
“Millie suggests we don’t move Michael and Damien for at least twenty-four hours.”
“No problem at all. And I assume you three will stay as well?”
Gray glanced to Celine, holding Damien’s hand. “Yes, that would be best,” Gray answered.
“I’ll have the rooms prepared.”
Celine gazed at Damien’s sleeping form. She pulled his blanket a little higher around him. She squeezed his hand. “Damien,” she sniffled. “You’ll be okay. You have to be. I’m so sorry for all of this. If I could take this from you, I would in a heartbeat. You just rest now, relax. Let your body heal itself and then you come back to me.”
Chapter 13
1812, London
Damien rubbed his eyes and peered around again. Confusion clouded his face. He glanced toward Michael, curious to determine if Michael was experiencing the same phenomenon. The puzzled expression on Michael’s face confirmed he was.
“Ah,” Damien began, “are you seeing what I’m seeing?”
Michael cleared his throat before he answered. “Are you seeing horses and buggies, cobblestone streets, people in old-fashioned clothes?”
“Yep,” Damien confirmed.
“Then I’m seeing what you’re seeing.”
Damien whir
led toward him. “Okay, that’s good, not great.”
“What?” Michael asked, confused.
“Good that we’re experiencing the same thing. Not great because I have no idea why we’re experiencing this.”
“Me either, how did we get here? Where did we get these clothes? Do you remember changing?” Michael asked, staring down at his nineteenth century garb.
“I don’t. I have no idea how we got here or where we got these clothes. I don’t remember anything about being sent to London,” Damien answered.
“How do you know it’s London?” Michael asked.
Damien pointed to a structure dominating the landscape in the distance. “Buckingham Palace,” Damien said. “Or at least part of it.”
“Oh, right, good catch! It looks different. So, now what?”
“There’s a wing missing, we must be in a time before it’s built. It’s not added until 1847. And no idea! I cannot remember what we’re doing here, can you?”
“Nope. I don’t even remember being sent here.”
“Me either!” Damien exclaimed. “It’s clear we’ve time traveled. But every other time we’ve time traveled, we’ve remembered doing it and what we were here to do. This time I’ve got nothing.”
“I don’t recall anything either. I don’t remember Celine sending us here or what, if anything, she told us to do.”
“Great! That’s just perfect,” Damien shouted, throwing his arms in the air. “Now what? We have no idea when we are or why we’re in London in whatever year this is!”
“Perhaps I can find out from that kid on the corner. He’s selling papers. They must have the date on them, right?”
“Yeah. Good luck. I doubt we have any money to buy the paper from him.” Damien’s face lit up. “Wait! Check your pockets!”
“Why?” Michael asked, already checking his pockets while he waited for a response.
“Celine usually gives us a letter of introduction and some money. If we can find it, perhaps we’ll have a clue as to what we’re doing here,” Damien explained, checking his pockets, too.
Gone: A Shadow Slayers Story (Shadow Slayers Stories Book 3) Page 16
