Impressions of Three Men in Black

Impressions of Three Men in Black Part 23

Impressions of Three Men in Black

Chapter Twenty-Three

Darkness descends before Night

Celeste finally spends time with Marcus.

** I'm back online and sooner than I thought! My apartment complex provides the Internet in the rent now. As long as I pay the rent, I will be connected. Sorry for the delay, and thanks for your patience. Now on with the story**

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Marcus was worried about Celeste. They had not spoken in days, and while he knew both Aro and Caius had been with her not long ago, he had not. He found himself eager to know how she was and whether his brothers were able to convince her not to give up on them just yet. She did seem interested in the potential conflict with the Romanians, but would it be enough to bind her to them so that she would feel compelled to remain here in Volterra, loyal to the three of them as well as the rest of the coven. Would she agree to stay where she was loved, or request to leave the coven, something Aro would most likely not allow.

Deep in thought, Marcus inhaled sharply, despite his lack of need for air. He feared Aro's anger at Celeste for even hinting at wanting to part from him and his brothers, her sworn mates, but Marcus promised himself he would protect her no matter what might come, even if it meant defying Aro's orders.

Marcus wanted to find her though, and as soon as possible.

Eventually, he came across Celeste sitting in the gazebo when he decided to head outside to the garden. He knew it was one of her favourite places to sit and contemplate. Sometimes she'd walk among his roses and bend to smell those he'd bred to have the strongest fragrance. It pleased Marcus to explain the technique he used to create roses with just the perfect scent.

He saw Celeste sitting at one end of the rounded bench, leaning her head against the support pillar. He was about to take the three steps up to join her when he noticed her eyes closed and a single tear sliding down one cheek. It was obvious she had been crying for a while. The tall vampire was at her side in a flash.

Celeste was still feeling conflicted between wanting to help her mates and desperately needing a break from them. While listening to the discussion at the meeting, she knew she would be useless to Aro and the others in her current state. Being mortal would be a liability in any confrontation. She could insist on being changed sooner than later, but she was still so unsure about the process. According to what Aro had told her, she would be completely changed within 3 days. But they'd warned her of the lack of control she'd experience. The bloodlust would be very strong at first, stronger than any hunger she'd ever felt or would feel. It would dominate her very existence for nearly a year, if all went well. If not...

Unsure how to handle her feelings, Celeste remembered how much her mates had done for her. They all expressed their emotions differently, enabling her to see each man as a reflection of her own personality.

Aro appealed to her mind, the inquisitive side of her persona. He knew so much, causing her to admire the intellect of the long-lived vampire. They could talk about any topic, their discussions inevitably turning into debates. His memories of historical events, and his opinions of said events, kept her rapt with interest for hours.

Caius appealed to her more emotional side, the easy anger her friends said was something they had learned to avoid. Her temper could be as volatile as Caius', if not shown as much publicly. Where Cauis would say what was on his mind without filtering his thoughts first, Celeste could still manage to think first, speak second.