Lili’s usual caution and fear seem to be leaving her, and she moves closer to me. “My dad used to tell me that when he first saw my mom, he fell instantly in love. I never believed him, but he insisted. He said my mom was gorgeous and charming, but that wasn’t what drew him to her. He felt an all-consuming power whisper in his ear, saying, ‘She’s the one.’ He said my mom felt the same, but had a harder time understanding the voice. He felt his soul connect to hers, and the rest was history.” I see Lili’s eyes connect with mine, exposing a worry I hoped had left. “I’m not saying that’s us, just that sometimes people are meant to meet… I don’t know.”
“I understand what you’re saying, you never need to worry about that with me. I can feel your energy like it was my own.” Lili reaches for my hand and I want to touch her, but I fight off the urge. Instead, I grab the book from the couch. “Let’s see what all the fuss was about.” I sit on the couch and Lili sits next to me.
The book holds the only record of memory eradication, and I know I should be trying to stop Lili from reading it, but I find myself doubting the Darkness’ true intent and want to discover the procedure’s true purpose as much as Lili does.
The book smells of aged leather and the spine shows no sign of recent use. I flip open the cover and carefully start searching for details on the first memory erasing procedure with Lili reading next to me. Ten minutes into the book, I stumble onto a page that was written about 500 years ago. I anxiously look at Lili and say, “I think I found it.” I begin to read the entry aloud.
May 21, 1500
The first attempt of Celestial training ended disastrously. God’s new Celestials were mostly agreeable, with differing abilities. At first, a few showed promise to be strong, but they quickly became hostile and a threat to us all. It is believed by some that their insubordination is derived from their human birth and the darkness’ hold on Earth.
A council was formed, and a consensus struck that in order to preserve the integrity of the planet the training program must require all Celestials to expunge their memories of their life with humans.
Unfortunately, there has been push back within the school from my second in command, Baxoney. He may have been corrupted by the darkness-infected Celestials. Once he is found, he will be questioned and persuaded to the right path.
Memory eradication is of vital importance to our success and will be executed immediately without interference.
- Adem
The message is short but has a couple of clues we can follow.
Lili starts pacing and silently talking to herself. She stops suddenly turning her attention to me. “Do you know who Baxoney is and why he disagreed with memory eradication?”
“I’ve never heard of him.” I know a way to possibly get the information, but I don’t think she’ll go for it. “There’s a list of all past and present teachers in the library. I could ask Gwyneth to get it for me.”
I see hurt flash across Lili’s face. “I’d rather not involve her again. She’s been nothing but mean to me, but I still don’t want to keep using her. It doesn’t feel right… Maybe we can ask Wayward?”
That is not an option. Asking Gwyneth would be the easiest way, but I don’t press her further. “Let’s not involve anyone else. This could be dangerous.”
Lili shakes her head in agreement then turns the discussion back to Baxoney. “Doesn’t it say that he disappeared?”
“It does. How do we find a Celestial who is hiding?”
Lili purses her lips. “Should I even attempt talking to Adem?”
“Absolutely not! He would never tell us the truth, and we don’t want to involve Celestial leadership.” Lili and I crash and burn for ten more minutes until we both agree we have no idea how to find Baxoney. Lili leaves with the book, determined to find Baxoney as soon as possible, and I sit in my room alone working out a plan of my own to postpone the Darkness from attacking Lili.
CHAPTER TEN
Open House
Lili - Letting others in.
Nora sits on the couch, sipping coffee and reading a book; enjoying her two favorite things at once. I see a playful expression spring to her face once she notices my eyes are open.
“Busy night with Easton?”
I rise from my bed like a lazy zombie who only craves caffeine heading straight for the Keurig. “He’s my mentor.”
“Uh-huh. If my mentor was a lady and a stunner like Easton, I’d have late nights studying too!”
Nora’s PJ’s make me chuckle. She wears a black shirt with a fried egg highlighting each boob and booty shorts with eggs everywhere. “Finding your book boring?”
Nora laughs and turns her attention back to her novel. “Never!”
With the effects of the sleepless night still lingering, I saunter to my desk to grab Sax. Her happy energy instantly connects with mine. “Did you find the book?”
“It was amazing. I’ve never been so scared and so excited.”
“Don’t keep me waiting, what did it say?”
“Some Celestial named Baxoney disagreed about erasing memories, then disappeared. I want to talk to him to find out why.”
Sax responds quickly, stopping me before I can finish. “Baxoney is an original Celestial and was a teacher at Cognosco, but after that he seems to have disappeared. His energy is missing from both planes on Earth.”
“How do we find him then?”
“In order to find anyone on Earth, all you need is an object with their energy attached to it. Baxoney was one of the first teachers in the school and worked with one of your current teachers, Harper. Maybe she knows of such an object.” I start to think of how to broach the subject with Harper when Sax’s voice becomes frightened. “They’re searching the rooms. Get rid of the book now.”
With only two ways out of my bedroom, I run to my large bedroom window, opening the frame quickly as Sax urges me to hurry. I toss the hardcover out the window and catch it mid-air with my energy. I use everything I have to safely float the book away from the school, placing it by the lightning gate that surrounds Cognosco.
I take a deep breath as I close the window and turn around. Nora’s staring at me with an open mouth and a shocked expression. Crap, I completely forgot she was here. I start to explain what she saw when both our bodies freeze, and our bedroom door flings open with a loud thud that echoes within our stone walled room.
Two Celestial guards, one blonde and the other brunette, enter our room followed by Wayward. He has an apologetic expression on his expressive face, which seeps into his voice. “Sorry for the intrusion, ladies. A book was stolen from the library last night, and Celestial leadership wants it found. The book’s energy source was located in this section of the school. Our school guards have accompanied me here to help procure it.” As he talks the Celestial guards stand together in the center of our room. The tow-headed and chestnut-haired Celestials both wear golden plated chest armor with wings etched into the metal. They march to opposite sides of the room, each producing a lightning bolt that spreads through our dorm in search of the missing book. After only a minute of searching, both bolts disappear. The blonde Celestial walks to Wayward, whispering in his ear.
Wayward listens intently then smiles in our direction, his showman mannerisms returning. “Looks like the book isn’t here. You’re both in the clear.” Wayward follows behind his guards, giving us a warning before he exits. “If you know of anything or anyone involved in the incident, please report it. The punishment will be severe for those involved, and for those who don’t come forward with evidence.” The door closes behind him, giving Nora and I control of our bodies again.
Nora paces the room before stopping and looking at me, determination in her eyes. “I try to not get involved in other’s business. In fact, I make a point of it, but what is happening? Why do you have powers? What book did you steal? And why did you steal it?”
I’ve always been fearful to share my secrets. I never told my parents about my powers, afraid they’d thin
k I’m a freak, but that’s basically what caused my dad’s death. I told him too late, and my fearfulness killed him. I can’t do the same thing again. “I’ll tell you all that I know.” I tell Nora about when I first noticed my abilities, my premonitions of The Darkness, how a spirit has been warning me, about Baxoney and about Easton. Nora interrogates me like supreme court judge Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
After her questions die down, she sits silently for far too long. Eventually, she turns to me with a concerned expression. “Wow, you really are an Ab-bi. That seems like a lot to have to keep to yourself.”
“I’m used to it.”
She takes an elongated beat before standing up with rage. “Wayward can suck it. We’ll figure this out together.”
I may not have had real friends before coming to Cognosco, but Nora makes up for all my years alone. “Thanks for the offer, but I...”
Nora interjects quickly. “Nonsense, I’m going to go to the library to start researching how to perform energy locations. Your sixteenth birthday is coming up, and time is of the essence.” Nora begins to exit right as Easton comes busting through our door in a panic. He stops midway through the room when he notices Nora staring at him. She shakes her head and tells him, “I know everything—no need to worry. She threw the book out, used energy to propel it and wasn’t caught. All is safe in our room.” Nora beams and struts from our room in style.
Easton’s energy is full of worry as he tries to hide his concern. “I’m glad you weren’t caught.”
“Ha, me too.” I feel sparks tingling my skin, wanting so desperately for him to hold me, but instead he’s keeping his distance. “I may have found a way to locate Baxoney. We just have to find an object with his energy. There’s a teacher here that may know where to find it.”
Easton replies skeptically, “What teacher would that be?”
“Harper, my Celestial History teacher.”
“I remember her—she isn’t my biggest fan. I lied about doing an assignment and I should have backed down, but I never did. She never let it go and always thinks the worst of me.” Easton takes a deep breath before continuing. “We have no idea if we can trust her, or anyone for that matter.”
“I understand your fear, but there comes a point when you have to trust others. Otherwise, you’ll never trust anyone.”
Easton can see he’s not going to win this one, so he shrugs and says, “It’s your decision. Just know that one of the people you trust will let you down.”
Lili - Harper
After weeks of gaining Harper’s trust I finally decide to proceed with asking her about Baxoney. I enter her small office, which is painted purple. There’s a couple of ancient statues and a ton of different plane models and artwork dating from the early 1800s.
Harper greets me with a question as I take in her office’s decor. “Do you have a fondness for planes, Lili?”
“I’ve always wanted to travel in one, but I’ve yet to book a ride.”
“I see. You of course have deducted from my office that I have a fascination with aircraft. Can you guess why?”
I think about the things Harper has said in class—how she admires people taking a path less traveled. “Is it because humans found a way to fly, even though they were never meant to?”
Harper’s eyes soften as she responds with sincerity. “For someone to achieve something that no one else imagined is a special thing. The Wright Brothers imagined humans could fly, so they created the plane even though those around them said it couldn’t be done.”
It’s interesting when you see someone’s real passion—it lights up their eyes. “I guess I’ve never thought of it that way.”
Harper motions for me to sit. “I know you need to get to your next class, so let’s move on to why you came here.”
Fear tells me not to trust her, but I ignore it, pushing it down deep. “This may seem weird, but I was curious if you remember a Celestial named Baxoney. He was a teacher here when the school first opened up.”
I feel fright enter her normally bubbly energy. “Why are you asking?”
“He’s hiding and I need to find him. I can’t tell you why, but I can tell you that I mean him no harm.“
Harper stays silent for a while before responding. “I promised you trust on your first day, and that’s what I’ll give you. Please don’t make me regret helping you.”
“I won’t.”
She nods. “Baxoney did teach here a while back, and I considered him a friend during that time.”
A spark of hope ignites in me as I ask, “You were friends? What was he like?”
She softly smiles in remembrance. “He was stubborn and proud, very unfriendly. “
His description reminds me of Easton. “Do you happen to have an object he touched? Something with his energy attached?”
“Why would you need that?”
I take a breath and try to answer carefully. “I need to find him.”
She grabs my forearm from across her desk and begins searching my energy. I allow her to see all of me, making myself vulnerable to her. I hope she sees good and not evil. Her eyes widen in surprise as she quickly gets up and grabs a round metal case in the bottom drawer of her desk. “Inside this case is Baxoney’s energy ball. He left it on my desk the night he vanished. Each ball can be traced, so it must stay in this case until you need to use it.” Harper opens the case to show me a small metal ball with Celestial etchings on it which I’ve previously seen used by Elizabeth, who came to my house on my fifteenth birthday.
She closes the case and hands it to me, filling me with questions. “What does the ball do?”
“An energy ball is given to all Celestials after they graduate. It grants access to our Verve, the Celestial City, from Earth. It’s similar to a transporter.”
The lights of the room begin to flash to warn that class is about to begin.
I feel gracious for the help. “Thank you, Harper.”
I turn to leave with the ball case in my pocket when I hear Harper say, “Have someone help you with locating Baxoney. Energy location can be dangerous if the person you’re locating doesn’t want to be found.”
I nod and leave her office as I replay her warning in my head.
Lili - Energy practice
Baxoney’s energy ball burns a hole in my pocket, making each minute of my energy class feel like an eternity. The voice of my teacher, Blake, vibrates through the room. “All right. Find your partner and start searching each other’s energies. I know some of you haven’t been able to connect yet, but maybe today is your day.”
Everyone scrambles around trying to locate their partner. James comes to my side and asks, “Want to team up?”
“Of course.” James is a perfect partner to have. He’s generous and is already aware I have abilities—allowing me to let loose. I see Nora in the corner of the room with her newest fling, Lauren. She looks in my direction pointing at Lauren and making an exaggerated wink in my direction.
James nervously asks, “Lili—do you mind if I go first? I need all the practice I can get.”
I nod then begin prepping myself to be searched. I put on a happy facade to hide all my insecurity and secrets beneath. I’ve been able to hide my true self for my entire life, so protecting my energy from James comes naturally. “I’m ready. You’ve got this.”
James’ face twists in concentration as he works to use his energy. I don’t feel him searching me at all or expanding his energy from his core. I feel his energy trying to expand but unable to separate from his body. After a couple of minutes, I see James look defeated.
His puppy dog eyes swim with emotions as he says, “I guess it’s another thing I’m unable to do.” James has had problems in all of our classes. He hasn’t found what abilities he’s good at yet—which has left him insecure.
I try to help him by touching his forehead and instructing him, “Your mind is too tense, loosen up. Stop trying to control it. Be one with your energy and expand together. You’re not its m
aster, nor is it yours.” James’ face loosens as he looks at me with hope, trying again to expand his abilities. I can tell he’s on the brink of getting it, so I grab his hand and show him how I work with my energy. His confidence increases as he slowly begins to get it.
With newfound confidence, he tries to use his energy again. I feel him lightly searching me in a tender way. I let go of James’ hand and his energy returns to his body as he exclaims, “That was amazing! I can’t believe how powerful you are. Your energy is the most radiant thing I’ve ever experienced.”
“Thanks. I’ve had a lot longer to practice.”
James moves closer to me as he whispers in my ear, “What is the best part of being able to manipulate energy amongst humans?”
I answer him away from his ear, not wanting to be too intimate with him. “It was hard being so different, but my abilities made me realize that everyone has something going on that we can’t see on the surface. Most of the bad is a trickle effect. One person does something to another, and it spreads and grows bigger. I guess it’s given me insights I wouldn’t have had without it.”
He sweetly looks at me and I feel guilty as I feel him open his heart to me. “I love the way you see things. You’re like no one else I’ve ever met.” James is handsome and sweet, basically the epitome of the boyfriend I’ve always dreamed of before I met Easton. That’s the tricky thing with dreams—they never seem to work out the way you think, though sometimes that’s for the best.
James begins moving around nervously. “What are your plans later tonight? A bunch of students are going to Austin to check out a band at Stubs. Do you want to come?” My emotions contradict each other as I debate how to answer. I’ve grown up being isolated and alone. Not because others refused to include me, but because I chose to isolate myself. I can think of a thousand reasons to not go, but I’m tired of standing on the sideline. I’ve started to fit in here and make real friends, and I don’t want to lose that.
New Celestial : A teen paranormal romance series (The Celestial Series Book 1) Page 9
