Dark Legends, page 152
“Good morning day-after-birthday girl,” said her mom. Her mother’s face looked weary and something else too. She couldn’t quite put a finger on it – was it anxiety, fear? “How was the party?” she asked, forcing a cheery smile.
Celeste decided to do the same. “It was so great, Mom! Natalie did an amazing job with all the planning, and the decorations were over the top as usual. I have a bunch of pictures on my phone that I’ll show you.”
“Great, I can’t wait to see them!” she said. “So what’s your plan for today sweetie?”
“I want to go through more of dad’s stuff in the attic. I didn’t even get halfway through it the other day.”
As soon as Celeste heard her mother’s car pull out of the driveway, she climbed up the creaking stairs to the musty attic. She sorted through more pictures, miscellaneous knick-knacks and yellowing newspaper clippings, among other things. One old newspaper in particular caught her attention; it was from eight years ago, just a month or so before her father died. The headline read “Mysterious Death Blamed on Wild Animal Attack.” She went on to read the editorial, which explained that a woman had been found with bite marks on her neck and had bled to death on the side of the road. A shiver went down Celeste’s spine as she imagined another creature that could have caused that horrific death. She put the article aside, and continued digging in the trunk. She finally reached the bottom, and when she pushed aside a heavy photo album, she noticed a small keyhole and what looked like a hidden compartment.
Celeste dashed down to her room to retrieve the old key that her mother had just given her and ran quickly back upstairs. She knelt down, breathless, in front of the trunk and examined the keyhole. She inserted the key and gave it a twist and was awarded with a click. The lid popped open and in the small compartment she discovered an old VHS tape and an envelope. Celeste’s heart was racing as she looked at the envelope and recognized the familiar writing. It was from her father and it was addressed to her. She opened it carefully, scanning the note in her dad’s meticulous penmanship.
My Dear Celeste,
I have no idea how old you will be when you read this, but I can only hope that you are a grown woman with children of your own and that you have led a long and happy life – a life that I was a part of. If not, that means that I have met an untimely death and unfortunately you’ve had to bear the burden of my passing. I’m sorry. Although I am gone, please know that I will always be with you in spirit especially now with all that awaits you. There is so much that I want to tell you and yet I cannot seem to find the words. Many years ago when you were just a baby I made a video for you, and I hope that it will bring you comfort during this difficult time.
I love you Celeste, and I know that you will become the exceptional woman that you were destined to be. Take care of your mother, and above all things trust your instincts.
Love, Dad
P.S. I have a few items that may be of use to you, I have included the address below:
U-Save Self Storage
Unit# 99
125 Willowbend Road
A lone tear rolled down Celeste’s cheek as she clutched the note against her chest. She allowed herself a moment of grief to remember her father then pulled herself together. She slipped the Wilder key over her head and securely tied the leather cord around her neck. Celeste had a mission. She picked up the tape and wondered where in the world she would find a VHS player.
“Well that was a huge revelation yesterday,” said Nico barging into the living room.
“Which revelation was that little brother, the fact that an ancient vampire is looking for us or that Celeste is pre-programmed to hate and possibly kill us?” asked Roman, the turmoil evident in his troubled eyes.
“When you put it that way, you make things sound so depressing…”
“We need to find out who that was and why he’s looking for us. I’d bet my life on the fact that this has something to do with Fabian.”
“Yes, I tend to agree with you,” Nico admitted.
Roman slumped down on the couch and buried his head in his hands.
“How’s Celeste?” asked Nico.
“She seemed to be okay when we left the party.”
“And how are you holding up?” he questioned.
“Me? I’m fine.”
“You don’t think that this aversion that Celeste has developed will affect your…uh…relationship?” Nico asked.
“What are you getting at brother?” he asked, irritation ringing in his voice.
“Nothing, never mind. But I think it’s necessary that we figure out this new ‘evil radar’ that she has magically been gifted with.”
“She will learn how to control it.” Roman paused tentatively, “But yes perhaps we could use some help.”
“I think it’s time we pay another visit to Stellan. And maybe this time, we take Celeste with us,” said Nico.
Celeste made a quick call to the Oak Bluffs Library, and just as she had guessed, they still had VHS players in their children’s movie room. Picking up her purse and car keys, she headed toward the door. Suddenly, the prospect of facing such an important discovery alone made her stop in her tracks. She picked up the phone to call Brian; he would go with her anywhere. Then she hesitated: Celeste didn’t want Brian to know anything about this. Without realizing it, she found herself dialing Roman’s number instead.
“Thanks for coming to get me,” she said to Roman as she hopped into his car.
“Of course, it’s my pleasure,” he said formally.
Every so often when Roman spoke, Celeste was reminded that he wasn’t your average twenty-three year old; in fact he was well over one hundred years old. The thought that he had been alive for more than a century was too overwhelming at times, so she tried not to think about it often.
“Roman, I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about my visit with the Council right away. I’ve just been struggling with all of these new feelings that come along with being the Guardian,” she blurted out.
“You don’t have to apologize to me. I know that you will tell me when the time is right.”
“I want to tell you about everything.” Celeste began to describe her vision of the Council in detail, including the appearance of her father. As she spoke the words aloud, it all became much more real and being able to share it with Roman also made it much more bearable.
“I just have so many questions for them. And they wouldn’t tell me anything!” she complained.
“From what I’ve heard, the process of becoming a Guardian is shrouded in mystery.”
“Can’t they just give me a guidebook or something?” she asked, only half-kidding.
“Celeste, it’s not that easy. But remember that you were born into this, everything will come naturally to you,” Roman reassured her.
“Now you’re starting to sound like them with their vague advice.”
“I’m serious. Don’t you remember how well you took the news about me and Nico being vampires?”
“You’re joking right?” she asked with a sidelong glance.
“Okay, well I meant after you ran off,” he said with a smile pulling at the edge of his lips. “As unbelievable as all of this may seem, there is something inside of you that is taking it in stride, right?”
“Yeah, I guess.”
“It’s innate Celeste. And it’s that something that will lead you to become the next Guardian – without a guidebook.” He gave her a smirk.
Roman and Celeste walked through the silent library, their footsteps echoing on the marble floor. The children’s room was empty luckily, with the exception of a few colorful children’s books strewn on the bright yellow carpet. Celeste had no idea what the video contained, but she figured the least amount of prying eyes the better. She tried to steady her trembling hands as she inserted the videotape into the VCR and pressed “Play.” First, a few lines of static flashed across the screen, and then her father’s face appeared. It was nothing like she remembered it though. She was astonished at how young he looked. His hazel eyes were vibrant and his wavy shoulder-length brown hair was tousled, and he seemed excited yet anxious.
“He must have recorded this video a long time ago,” she whispered to Roman. “I remember seeing pictures of him looking like this when I was just a baby.”
Hi Celeste! Well, I don’t really know where to begin… It’s hard for me to picture the future you watching this video since I just left the present you in your crib moments ago. This is all so surreal. But now that I am a father, I feel that it is important to document our family history so that one day you can fully understand it. I hope that we will be able to watch this together on your eighteenth birthday, but if for some reason I am no longer with you, I hope that this will help. I will give your mother very specific instructions to give you our family key on the day of your eighteenth birthday. At that time, you will have had the vision if you were chosen the new Guardian. The key is charmed as is the trunk, and the secret compartment will only reveal itself to those who have been selected. Perhaps this will clear up a few things for you.
You have been born into a very special family – the Wilders are a long line of hunters that have been protecting the human world from evil for centuries. In fact, the name Wilder comes from an ancient language meaning “hunter”- you are a hunter, my dear Celeste. It’s hard for me to imagine that when I see your sweet innocent face. When I turned eighteen, I had a vision in which I was chosen by the Council of Guardians to be the next Guardian, and I was trained by my father. And my father was trained by my grandfather and so on. Not all Wilders in a family line are chosen, and no one really knows why some are passed over. If you are watching this video, I can only assume that you have been selected. This is a very special honor Celeste, but I am not going to lie to you and say that it is an easy task that you are poised to take on. You will have to make many sacrifices in your life in order to fulfill your duties. But I want you to have as much of a normal life as possible. As you now know, I managed to do so. I got married to a wonderful woman, and I had you, my beautiful daughter. I wish the same happiness for you.
As a Guardian, you have been given special abilities; you should begin feeling them shortly after your birthday if you haven’t already. You will become stronger and faster, and you will begin to sense the supernatural world around you. Your emotions will be heightened and your survival instinct will intensify. You must learn to trust that instinct, as it is in place to protect you. If I am no longer here to train you, I will make sure to designate someone in my place. The Council will guide you, so turn to them if you need anything. They have been sworn to protect all guardians, and will keep our family secret safe.
There are so many things I want to tell you my darling daughter. Be strong and be brave, and know that I will always be with you. I love you.
At some point during the story Roman had taken her trembling hand in his. As Celeste sat in silence attempting to process what her father had said in the video, she felt a reassuring squeeze.
“So he knew all along,” she said her voice small and shaky as the weight of her father’s message sunk in. “He knew that it was very likely that I would become a Guardian like he was. All those years he lied to us. I thought he was a private investigator, and meanwhile he had been fighting the forces of evil?”
“I know it’s a lot to take in Celeste,” said Roman.
“I don’t think you do. I feel like everything I knew about my father was a lie, all he did was keep secrets and live this double life,” said Celeste sadly.
“But he did it to protect you and your mother, to keep you safe,” he said turning toward her.
“And how am I ever going to be safe now? If he had just told me when I was younger, at least I would have been prepared.”
“It’s not going to be easy Celeste, but you’ll get through this. We will help you.” He cupped her face in his hands tenderly.
“And who is this someone that is supposed to train me? Don’t you think I would have met them by now?” she asked, her eyes alight with apprehension.
Roman hated feeling powerless. Seeing Celeste so upset and not being able to do anything to comfort her was killing him.
“My dad was supposed to train me, and he’s gone. How am I supposed to do this alone?” Celeste wailed.
“You’re not alone Celeste. You have me and Nico, and we can train you. We have both done our fair share of fighting, and who better to teach you than the enemy,” he said with a smirk.
She couldn’t help but feel a little better any time Roman flashed that million-dollar smile. As draining as it was for her to fight the push and pull inside of her whenever she was around Roman, she felt it was somehow worth it. “Yeah, I guess,” she said, sounding slightly less miserable.
“Come on, there’s still one more place we have to go today,” he said, taking her hand.
Roman led Celeste through the gray sterile hallways of the storage facility as the fluorescent motion-sensored lights flicked on upon their approach. The feeling of desolation that Celeste felt inside was mirrored in the empty walkways.
“Well this is it, storage number 99,” Celeste said as she unlocked the door.
When the door swung open, Celeste’s mouth dropped in shock. Roman stood stiffly behind her taking it all in. The small storage unit looked like a military arsenal from medieval times. As she surveyed the room, she saw swords, crossbows, knives, spears and even wooden stakes lining the walls. Even Roman was taken aback by the magnitude of weapons. He reached up and removed an iron broadsword from the hook on the wall to take a closer look.
“This sword is quite old. Judging from the etchings in the hilt my guess would be sometime in the eighteenth century.”
Celeste picked up a couple of knives and said, “Look they all have the same symbol engraved on them.”
“Do you recognize it?” he asked.
“No, should I?”
“I think it might be the Wilder family symbol. I’ve heard stories that every hunter family has a unique one.”
“Wait a minute,” she said examining the symbol more closely, “it does look kind of familiar. Yes! I think I saw it in my dream.” It was the first dream she had in which her father was training her. She had been holding a sword with the exact same symbol on it.
“All of these weapons must have been passed down through the generations,” he said.
“That’s pretty crazy, huh? This sword could have belonged to my great-great grandfather,” she said inspecting it.
Roman looked at the symbol more closely. “I believe this is from the Phoenician alphabet – that looks like the letter W.”
“And what are those? Swords and a sun?”
“Yes, those are common elements in hunter symbols.”
Roman continued walking around the room to more closely admire the archaic weapons. As strange as this had all seemed to Celeste when she first walked in, she began to feel more at ease as she familiarized herself with her families’ treasures. There was something about being here that made her feel closer to her father and to all of her ancestors. She felt a surge of power springing from inside of her as she picked up a small sword with a gilded handle and the now familiar engraving. As if by instinct, she began swinging it around ever so gracefully.
“Look at you, you’re quite a natural,” said Roman.
“It’s weird, but I felt something when I picked up the sword – like it was supposed to be mine.”
“Well then, I think you should take it with you,” suggested Roman.
“Where am I going to keep it, under my bed? What if my mom finds it?”
“Celeste, I think it’s time you had a talk with your mother. From what your father said, it seemed like she may know a little more than what we think she does.”
“Where have you been all day?” asked Nico looking up from his laptop as Roman shut the door behind him.
“Researching some family history with Celeste,” he said evasively.
“So is everything all right with the two of you now? She didn’t try to kill you or anything?” Nico asked.
“She’s getting a handle on her urges, yes.”
“And how about your urges, Roman?” He gave his brother a sidelong glance.
“I’m fine,” he retorted.
Nico looked at him doubtfully.
“I’m keeping my distance, okay?” Roman tried to assure his brother.
Nico chuckled. “Are you really? If this is keeping your distance, I can’t imagine what dating would be like for the two of you.”
“Dating? Nico, don’t be absurd. I don’t date, and even if I wanted to be with Celeste, we both know that’s impossible.” He turned away from Nico, shielding the tortured expression in his eye.
“Why is it so impossible? You can deny it all you want, but I’ve never seen you act this way with anyone before. You obviously care about her, so why can’t you just admit it?”
“To what end, Nico? So that I can torture myself with something that I can never have? She’s a hunter and I’m a vampire. The universe certainly likes to play its dirty tricks, doesn’t it?”
“So that’s it? You’re just going to “protect” her and be her friend?”
“Exactly. And I don’t want to talk about this anymore,” said Roman, slumping down on the couch. “On another note, I was thinking about what you said about bringing Celeste to meet Stellan. You were right, and I think we should go tomorrow.”
“Hey Mom, do you have a sec to talk?”
“Oh sure sweetie, I’m just going to pop this lasagna in the oven for you for dinner tonight, and I’m all yours,” she answered, wiping her hands on her tomato sauce splattered apron. Celeste often wondered how her mother found the time to still cook dinners for her while pulling twelve-hour shifts at the hospital.
