Wilder: The Guardian Series (34 page)

“They’ll find me wherever I am,” said Celeste defiantly. She
surveyed the cave, determined to find a way out or at least a weapon of some
sort.

“She’s got spunk,” said Alek amused.

“I am counting on them to do just that. I only needed to buy
some time to figure out what it is that you are.”

“She is something special, it’s clear,” said Alek. He
caressed her cheek, making Celeste’s skin crawl. She whipped her head out of
his grasp before he could continue.

Looking at Fabian in disgust, she asked, “What do you want
with me?”

“My initial purpose for you was simply to lure out the
Constantins, as our mutual friend Patrick discovered their fondness for you from
the beginning. I always found it quite curious, and it wasn’t until seeing you
in action today that I am beginning to understand it,” said Fabian.

“Yes, no wonder they were protecting her,” said Alek, his
dark eyes filled with excitement.

“You must be the one, the new Guardian,” said Fabian almost
reverently.

Celeste considered denying it, but figured it would be
pointless
;
so instead she stood resolutely glaring at
Fabian.

“Why are you with the Constantins?” asked Alek. “Aren’t you
supposed to kill their kind?”

“Yes and why are they protecting you? It seems that there
must be more to this story, don’t you think Alek?” echoed Fabian.

He nodded and looked questioningly at Celeste.

“I’m not telling you anything,” she said stubbornly.

***

“What did the Council say?” asked Roman as he stopped his
anxious pacing when Stellan finally appeared at the top of the steps. Celeste
had only been gone for an hour, but it felt like a lifetime to Roman.

“They are using their considerable resources to track Fabian down.
Making an act of aggression like this against the newly chosen Guardian will
surely unleash a furious retribution on them,” said Stellan.

“Fabian had to know that this would happen. What could he be
up to that he would be willing to risk all of that for?” asked Nico.

“That question is precisely what worries me.”

“So what are we supposed to do in the meantime, just sit
around and wait?” asked Roman, who had resumed pacing.

“Technically yes, that is exactly what we are
supposed
to do. Now that the Council is
involved, they will want us to stay out of it – especially the two of
you.”

“Well, I certainly can’t sit around here doing nothing.”

“I agree. That is why I started a tracking spell, and we
should have some results shortly,” said Stellan. “Fabian has been blocking my
magic, but I think I’ve found a way around it.”

“Please hurry Stellan. If anything happens to Celeste--”

“Nothing is going to happen to her Roman,” he interrupted.

“We need a plan,” said Nico. “When Stellan finds her, we
can’t just go in there blind.”

“I want to help,” said Dani coming down the stairs. “I read
through some of those journals, but they’re so long and there are so many of
them. I couldn’t find anything about a sword that shoots light out of it. Isn’t
there anything else I can do?”

“We could take her with us,” said Nico. “At the very least,
she could be a distraction.”

“Sure, why not,” said Roman. “But Nico I want you to
understand something – I won’t hesitate to give up my life for Celeste’s.
It is
us
that Fabian wants after all,
but I don’t expect you to do the same.”

“I would do it for her anyway,” said Nico, his dark eyes
unwavering.

“You know there are ways we can make you talk,” said Alek as
he stroked the dagger on his hip.

“Don’t threaten her. I will handle this,” said Fabian,
shoving Alek aside.

“You are no fun at all,” he whined like a spoiled child.

“Celeste, I apologize for how we’ve been treating you,” he
whispered soothingly as he took a few steps toward her. “Perhaps I have gone
about this the wrong way. You know, I too was once part of the Council.”

“You were?” she asked.

“Yes, I was head of the Council for many years in fact. I
oversaw the wellbeing of all the guardians in the world at one time.”

“And what happened?”

“My colleagues and I had a difference in philosophy. I
believed that guardians were no longer needed in this world, and that
supernatural beings should no longer have to hide in the shadows. I wanted
humans, guardians and all
supernaturals
to co-exist
and share the world.”

“But wouldn’t they just kill each other?”

“Maybe at first, but I believed that over the long term we
could have reached a balance of power.”

“Meaning all the humans would have been dead and the
supernaturals
would have taken over?”

“Obviously you are just as closed minded as my colleagues at
the time were. As a result of this disagreement, they banned me from the
Council and sought to strip me of my powers. But I was too strong for them, and
I escaped with my powers intact, as I’m sure you’ve noticed.”

“I’m pretty sure the Council won’t be happy when they find
out you’ve kidnapped me.”

“Of that I’m certain you are correct. But the Council rarely
intervenes and even if they would, they have become old and weak; while I have only
grown in strength, they will be no match for me.”

“We’ll see about that,” she said.

“I see that trying to rationalize with you is getting me
nowhere so I will have to try a more invasive approach,” said Fabian. He
stretched out his long gangly arms and grabbed hold of her head.

Celeste struggled to break free of his grasp, but he was
surprisingly strong. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see red light
surging from his hands as he squeezed her head with an iron grip. It felt like
thousands of volts of electricity were shooting through her skull. She bit her
lower lip to suppress a scream, not wanting to give him the satisfaction. When
he finally let go, the cave spun before her and she collapsed to the hard rocky
ground.

“What did you see?” asked Alek.

“Nothing. It cannot be. No one can close their mind off to my
influence,” said Fabian stunned.

“She is a Guardian: doesn’t that make her immune?”

“Maybe to you or some vampire, but not to me.”

“And yet, here we are…” he said with a sarcastic smirk.

Celeste’s head had stopped throbbing and she had managed to
pick herself off the ground along with a jagged rock that she clenched tightly
in her fist.

“No matter. Whatever the reason is that the Constantins are
protecting you, they should be here soon, and it will mean their imminent
demise.”

“I’ve discovered her location!” said Stellan, racing
frantically down the stairs.

“Finally, let’s go!” said Roman. “Are you ready little
brother?”

“Of course,” he said with a smile.

Roman took the Wilder family key out of his pocket and hung
it around his neck for safekeeping.

“Don’t forget about me!” said Dani as she came running.

Stellan waved his arms and an enormous portal opened in front
of them.

“Whoa, that’s pretty cool,” said Dani.

“Is everyone ready?” asked Stellan.

“Yes,” they said in unison, and they disappeared through the
portal.

“Ouch!” cried Dani as she skidded to a stop on the rocky
ground. She had landed unceremoniously on her backside and was grimacing in
discomfort. Stellan had managed to land on his feet, as he always did when
portal jumping. Roman and Nico were already inspecting their new surroundings
trying to get their bearings.

“Where are we?” asked Nico.

“It appears to be an underground cavern. The tracking spell
had us hovering somewhere over the Ural Mountains right before we left,” said
Stellan.

“We are in Russia?” asked Roman.

“Cool, I’ve never even left the United States!” said Dani.

“Well, there’s no time for sightseeing now. Which way do we
go?”

“Follow me,” said Stellan as he led the way through the dark
and dank passage.

They trudged along in silence as the blackness enveloped
them. The only sound was the echo of their footsteps and occasional
pitter-patter of water droplets from melted ice seeping in through the cracks.

“So what’s the plan?” asked Dani breaking the eerie
stillness.

“There is no plan. We are going to surrender ourselves in
exchange for Celeste,” said Roman.

“And let him kill you?” she asked, stopping abruptly to face
him.

“If that’s what he wants. It doesn’t matter as long as she is
safe.”

“Geez, maybe I shouldn’t have come. How do you know he won’t
double cross us and kill us all? That’s always what happens in the movies with
these evil villains.”

Nico cracked a smile. “We don’t really know what’s going to
happen.”

“So don’t you think we should have a back-up plan at least?”

“Dani, that’s enough! No one said you had to come. You can
still turn back,” rebuked Roman. With an exasperated sigh, Dani shrugged her
shoulders and followed Stellan further into the darkness.

“They’re here,” announced Alek. “A portal was opened at the
mouth of the cave. They should arrive momentarily.”

Fabian grunted. “That was quicker than I thought. Stellan’s
magic must not be as weak as I had imagined.”

Celeste thought she saw a flash of concern in Fabian’s hard
eyes, but it was gone now. He reached for her and grabbing her by the arm
shoved her toward Alek.

“Do something with her so that she doesn’t interfere.”

“My pleasure,” said Alek with a wicked grin.

With a flip of his wrist, Celeste found herself in some sort
of invisible cage. She banged against the clear walls and felt a lapse of
hysteria set in as she pictured a pantomime she had once seen as a child. She
paced around the cage determined to find a way out, no matter how ridiculous
she looked. She was still holding the rock she had picked up earlier and
tightly held it concealed in her fist. She knew Roman and the others would be
here soon and the thought of what Fabian might do to them terrified her.
 
Suddenly, she heard a loud explosion and
saw rocks crumbling down at the edge of the chamber. Through the rubble came
Stellan followed by Roman, Nico and Dani trailing behind. Celeste’s heart
plummeted.

“Finally! I thought you would never get here,” said Fabian.
He had a malicious grin on his face and his eyes were twinkling in the
torchlight as he slowly walked towards them.

“Have you come to join the party?” asked Alek with his usual
glibness.

“We are here for Celeste,” said Stellan, his stern eyes
unblinking.

Celeste caught Stellan’s eye and tried to send him a wordless
warning from her invisible prison. They were stepping right into a trap, and
she was helpless to stop them.

“Ah yes, your precious little Guardian. Well as you can see,
she is perfectly fine,” he said with a nod towards Celeste.

“Fabian, don’t be a fool. Now that you know who she is, you
would be wise to let her go immediately,” said Stellan.

“Now what would be the point of that? I’ve come so far; I
don’t think I can turn back now. Besides, having the Guardian under my power
could prove to be quite useful.”

“This was never about her,” said Roman stepping forward. “You
came for us, and here we are. Let her go with Stellan, and my brother and I promise
not to put up a fight.”

“As if you could,” added Alek. What he lacked in height, he
more than made up for in bravado.

Celeste looked desperately to Roman and she could see the
torment in his steely eyes as he returned her gaze. She couldn’t let him do
this. She wished she had her sword more than anything.

“Fine, it’s a deal,”
Fabian
said
extending his hand. “Alek, put the Constantins in the cell with Celeste.”

“Let her out first,” said Stellan, ignoring his overture.

“But why? I thought they would want to have a moment to say
goodbye. And besides she is my insurance policy that the boys behave. You,
Stellan, I have no further use for.”

And with a wave of his hand, he flung Stellan like a ragdoll
against the side of the cave where he landed on the floor with a crash. Roman’s
fangs extended and he let out a vicious snarl.

“Uh, uh, uh,” said Fabian wagging his finger at Roman. “You
promised you would not fight me. Stellan will be fine, he just needed a little
time out.”

Celeste looked on in horror as Alek escorted Roman and Nico
toward her and opening an invisible door shoved them in. Celeste ran to Roman
wrapping her arms around him. As she did, she felt the leather string around
his neck and saw the Wilder key tucked under his shirt. Pretending they were
engaging in a romantic embrace, Celeste slipped the cord over her head. She
quickly clasped the key in her hand, and focused all her power into summoning
the Council as Dante had taught her. All she could do now was hope that it
worked.

“Roman, I won’t let you do this. I won’t let you both die for
me,” she said, holding his face between her shaking hands.

“It’s not up to you Celeste. It is our choice, and this is
what we have decided. We’ve both lived very long lives. Your life has just
begun, and I want you to live it to the fullest,” he said, his voice thick with
emotion.

Celeste looked over at Nico who nodded in agreement.

“But I can’t imagine a life without you in it,” she said as a
tear rolled down her cheek. “I don’t want to live without you. I can’t.”