[2009 – October]
It had only been a week and the Hellions were still mostly strangers to her even if she was slowly warming up to them as they had treated her nicely, which Celeste had at first attributed to her being Emma's daughter.
Though the more time that she spent with them, the more she realized that it wasn't just her familial relationship with Emma that made them so cordial, it was Elijah.
Whenever they talked about her uncle, they seemed to just speak casually but being a very powerful psychic, Celeste had picked up on their emotions rather easily.
As much as they liked Elijah for being rather easygoing, his mild personality and quiet aura something that they enjoyed being around, they also feared him for what he was capable of. Or more precisely, they feared him because there was seemingly no limit to what he was capable of.
She wasn't using direct telepathy to understand this but judged it by the ambivalent psionic energy that surrounded them, which was something she was as good at as her mother, maybe even better.
Celeste understood their sentiments rather well as she felt how unfathomable her uncle was every time her mother spoke about him or she herself was near him.
Elijah was very kind to her, as was Jean, but that didn't mean that Celeste could ever forget the memories that he had shown her and the terrifying all-consuming dark malevolence that had accompanied these memories as part of Elijah's perception of himself.
The power that he had used to destroy the Facility, she had never felt and believed that she would never feel something so terrible again in her life. It was as if her uncle was carrying a sentient black hole in the very core of his existence, urging him to destroy anything that was alive and extinguish everything that was light.
And yet, not even the faintest trace of this dark force could be felt when one was around him.
She had asked her mother about this as she simply couldn't comprehend how such a thing was possible, Emma's reply though hadn't been what she had expected.
…
"I suggest you give up trying to understand your uncle, Celeste.", Emma stated with a light shake of her head, faint sorrow and conflicting pride in her eyes.
"Different from you and me, and everybody else, Elijah chooses to be human even though his power makes him something else.", she explained cryptically and quietly, "The origin of this power though … It is not something a human can or should wield. I am not sure how he does it but I do know that there are sacrifices to be made in exchange for such power."
"There always are.", her mother added with a whisper.
…
Celeste wasn't sure that she completely understood what her mother tried to express, especially since she had been so vague and didn't want to explain any further, but what she understood was that Elijah's strength wasn't just a 'gift', it was also a burden and maybe even a curse.
And while this realization didn't help her be without fear when facing her uncle, there was this sense of goodwill and admiration for him in her heart. But that wasn't all.
Because despite how scared she was when remembering what Elijah had shown her, Celeste also felt truly safe for the first time in her life, a sense of dependence growing inside of her.
Her uncle might carry a terrible and demonic strength within him but it was also this strength that stood between herself and all those that wanted to do her harm like a dark protector, wielding malevolence and destruction as a weapon of death to protect those that he cared about.
Once again these conflicting emotions clashed in Celeste's heart, causing her to begin understanding that life and freedom might be incomparably precious gifts for her but they certainly weren't easy to master.
Glancing sideways again after finding a comfortable position on her towel, her eyes meet Elijah's as he seemed to have noticed her peeking at him every now and then, his rather stunning green eyes almost glowing while he looked at her with a calm yet ethereal gaze as if he could actually peer into the depths of her mind and simply see even her most intimate thoughts.
A strange prickling sensation spread over her skin, her breath getting caught in her throat.
Elijah didn't say anything though, the mild smile on his face not fading even a bit as he just turned away and gazed up at the clear blue sky before peacefully closing his eyes again, the corners of his lips climbing higher ever so slightly.
…
[Saturday – The Next Morning]
*RING* *RING*
Shutting off the alarm with a quick push of my mind, I woke up without much of a problem, the soul of a Realm Lord clearing my mind of any remaining drowsiness without exception while my Energy Vessel made me feel as if a myriad of dark stars were flowing in my blood, supplying me with an endless amount of energy.
It was difficult to even find the words to compare what I felt, to what a normal human would experience after just waking up.
I felt as if could swallow a star while others first needed a cup of coffee to even feel awake.
Feeling a smaller and softer body moving on my chest, gentle warmth reaching my skin, I looked down and saw Jean trying to burrow deeper into my embrace, not quite willing to welcome the new day, her flaming locks caressing my skin.
She looked adorable as she crinkled her dainty little nose, a small frown sitting between her brows while she moaned unhappily, not enjoying having been woken up. She even weakly grabbed the large blanket we used together and pulled it higher up.
Laughing quietly, I wrapped my arms around her slim form, slipping my hands under the oversized shirt that she was wearing and brushing over her graceful back and perky backside to provide some extra comfort.
I understood her unwillingness since it was only 4:30 in the morning but since we had a long drive in front of us with stops in between, we had to get going to avoid spending the day in the car and have something left of the day when we reached our destination.
"Mhmm.", Jean couldn't help but hum in response to my actions, the frown on her face vanishing as her expression turned to one of quiet enjoyment as if she was a lazy kitten.
Slowly turning over, I laid her down on her back, my lips falling on hers as she looked just too irresistible so early in the morning with her wild hair and sleepy eyes.
An affectionate smile spread on my lips before I drew a path of kisses along her jaw down to her pale neck, my hands buried in her fiery mane as I gently massaged the crown of her head.
Hums and low moans were my rewards while Jean also reached out, her hands wandering over my sides and back lovingly.
We stayed like this for a few minutes, just caressing each other while we snuggled.
I was naturally tempted to wholly eat her up, to feel her bare skin on my own while we were joined as intimately as physically possible, but since we had plans for the day, I restrained myself to a bit of tranquil intimacy.
Leaving another kiss on her lips, I drew back slightly as I looked into her glittering warm eyes, desire and love overflowing inside them.
"I should get ready.", I said quietly, the room still half-dark, "But you can rest a bit more if you want, Firefly. I will wake you up in a few minutes."
Smiling like a blooming flower, Jean raised her head to press her lips against mine again before replying, her left hand brushing over my cheek.
"Wake me up with a kiss.", she requested.