The Last Celestial

The Taurus Woman Part II

While Andrew and Timothy looked at the paintings of the Celestials on display, Jacqueline and Hyacinth remained silent in the living room. With a cup of tea in both of their hands, the two women took their time drinking from the hot cup.

Jacqueline took her time to observe the young woman. She stared at her features and looked in her eyes to see the emotions that are displayed in them. She can sense her confusion and her bewilderment. She can sense how much the young woman wants answers as she is new to the world of Keepers.

She knows how Hyacinth is feeling, for she had been in her place before. So she patiently waits for her to feel comfortable about everything. Forcing the young woman would lead to a sense of discomfort, and they wouldn't want that.

They know they needed to earn her trust, unlike Andrew who grew up with the Keepers and the secrets of the Celestials.

As a child Andrew was already aware of his powers and responsibilities, while Hyacinth only knew so little.

At first, it was hard. Jacqueline was one of the witnesses to how hard Diomedes tried to gain the trust of Hyacinth. Truthfully speaking --- without Andrew, it's highly likely that Hyacinth won't be as comfortable as she is now.

They had to tell Hyacinth about the Celestials, but not the truth about her identity. Especially about the baby. Landon.

It will be a catastrophe if they state and confess everything. The beginning, the truth, the process, the emotions and the secrets. Everything. In excruciating details.

Then, unexpectedly, Hyacinth speaks up, and she tries not to hold back.

Hyacinth looked at Jacqueline in the eyes for a second, then placed her gaze back on the half empty cup. "I had a dream about Scorpio..." She began to tell-tale. "...and it's more like a nightmare."

Jacqueline furrowed her eyebrows and her forehead creased. Little by little, she was getting more concerned and she felt in her gut that something bad had happened to the bane but she didn't speak about it. "What do you mean, Hyacinth?"

"It was a horrible dream." Was what Hyacinth replied.

"Can you tell me more about it?" Jacqueline asked with a smile, keeping her sense of calm. "I promise, I'm a good listener."

Hyacinth bit her lips and visibly squeezed the cup. The veins on her hand popped and became even more visible. "Yes..." She whispered. "I had a dream about Scorpio, and he's calling for my help. I---I remember being trapped by thick veins... and then someone called me. Calling me, and then I saw him, but I don't remember his face."

Jacqueline swallowed hard, and then looked at Hyacinth once more. She was afraid that her hunch was right, and now that it is confirmed, she was absolutely terrified. "Are you sure about this, dear? Are you sure about this nightmare? You know how important dreams are, don't you?" But it's a good thing that she is good with masking her emotions.

She can't let the young woman see how scared she is, or it'll affect Hyacinth's unstable mentality.

"Yes." Hyacinth replied firmly this time.

The middle aged woman hummed then stood up from her seat. She placed the cup of tea on the table then was about to turn around. But before she took a step, she gave Hyacinth a signal and said, "Stand up and follow me. I'm going to give the Elder Keeper guarding the Bane of Scorpio a call."

Hyacinth didn't need to be told twice. She immediately followed Jacqueline's order and trailed behind the older woman. They went upstairs where the phone is placed on a small circular a few steps away from Jacqueline and Elder Diomedes's bed.

The two of them reached the table and stopped to stand in front of it. Jacqueline took a deep breath before circling her fingers on the phone.

She had never done this before.

It was always her husband who took care of the affairs related to the Celestials. But now that he is not here, she needs to step up. It's in her blood to do what is right. She had always known what to do, but her skills had been flaccid and rusted due to playing housewife.

Now she needs to act.

She picked up the phone and dialed the number of the Elder Keeper assigned at the Sahara Fortress. Nathaniel Harris.

The two of them waited and waited for the call to connect. But it seems like their luck ran out this time. The phone remained null, and only the familiar sound of a failed dial tone resounded on the room as Jacqueline puts the call on speaker.

"Looks like it won't connect." Jacqueline said with an absent-minded tone. "That's odd. Nathaniel is not the type of person who will let his phone run out of battery or shut his phone off."

Hyacinth tilted her head to the side then squinted her eyes, a gesture that shows whenever she's confused or doesn't have a clue of what's happening around her. "What do you mean?"

Jacqueline gave a tentative smile to Hyacinth then tried to dial the number again. But for the nth time, the call failed to connect again. She hissed against her breath and let out an annoyed curse. She tried to calm herself by taking deep breaths before she can look Hyacinth in the eyes.

There's no time to tell her husband of her next step. They will be wasting time if they needed to get his approval before then. Plus he is already burdened with what happened to the island of Mindoro.

"Is there something wrong?" Hyacinth asked with concern laced on her voice.

Her big green eyes stared at Jacqueline's soul.

It disrupted the older woman from her train of thought and it almost made her curse herself as she almost panicked.

"Nothing is wrong." Jacqueline answered with a smile. "Let's go down and call Timothy and Andrew. We need to do something important."

There is no other option. They have to go there themselves and check what happened.

"Come now…" Jacqueline said with a louder voice. "We are going somewhere and we need to tell those two boys."

Hyacinth blinked stupidly as she watch Jacqueline walk towards the stairs. "Pardon." She followed her and asked, "Where are we going?"

A loud inhale of breath. "Just follow me, dear. I'll explain to the three of you so I won't repeat myself."

Hyacinth bit her lips but agreed anyway. She didn't know how else to respond to that so she just said a soft, "Alright."

==================   

Timothy swallowed the lump against his throat then he looks at the young man whose expression was as blank as an unstained canvas. He stared at the helicopter they were seated on. Everything is set and they are ready to fly.

He's nervous, but then again, no one can blame him.

It all happened in a blink of an eye.

He and Andrew were enjoying looking at the paintings, and then the next thing that they knew, Jacqueline called for them and announced that they needed to do to Africa. The Sahara Desert to be exact.

Jacqueline had just told them that they needed to go to the Fortress of Scorpio since they were not able to contact Nathaniel.

Others would think of this idea as impulsive, but in this situation --- as crazy as it seems it's the most sane thing that they could do.

Andrew's hands trembled as he strapped on the complex belt of the helicopter the five of them were seated on. Hyacinth's belt had just been buckled by the pilot, a Keeper named Jiao.

"Is this the only option that we have?"

Jacqueline was strapping on her helmet when Nathaniel asked the question. She hummed and then loudly answered, "Yes." She was almost screaming due to the noise created by the rotor system of the helicopter. "We cannot contact the Elder assigned there. Plus, I've always wanted to visit the desert."

As the helicopter lifts from the ground, the five of them prepare themselves with what is to come.

Hyacinth kept her gaze on the windshield, the thoughts of her mated-pair lingered on her mind and what was happening. While Andrew silently talked to the resting Celestial inside of him, trying to communicate and ask for Leo's permission to use the power given to him once more.

"And... we're ready to take off!"

Jiao yelled as he used the controls to propel the helicopter higher and higher. Soon they were amongst the clouds. Their minds fixated on what happened to the Fortress of Scorpio.

Timothy feared for the worse.

His mind had always been playful and he feared that the undying man had the Bane on his hands. His mind circled and overthink of what they're going to do if ever that's the case.

As they fly, he can't help but message Dah. He can't stop himself from telling his best friend what is going on.