Under Control: Legion Series, #1

By S.M. Ulibarri and Stacy Ulibarri

We all have evil inside; some just have a little more than others.

 

Celine Summers discovers she is half-Demon with incredible powers when a terrifying creature shows up one night to claim her life. She is forced to flee with an alluring man she just met and together they must find out who wants her dead and why.

 

Is she strong enough to fight the inner demon, or will she be forced to lose control?

• Language: English
• Publisher: StacyUlibarri
• Release date: Feb 5, 2016
• ISBN: 9798215901472

S.M. Ulibarri

My passion has been writing from a very young age. Being surprised by the adventure my characters take me on is what I love about starting a story. I have currently published a young adult trilogy and am currently working on my Fallen Angel Series. I have so many plans for future installments and hope you enjoy the ride,

Book preview

Dedicated to

My soul mate and wonderfully

Supportive family

And most especially

My beautiful baby girl

With the hope you never

Stop chasing your dream

PROLOGUE

Her breath pierced through the chill evening air as she hurried down the street. A quick nervous glance behind her every few feet only increased her growing paranoia that they were closing in on her. I just need to make it a few more blocks , she thought to herself. If I can just make it, everything will be fine .

She tried to increase her pace, but that only made the pain in her belly grow. Just five more minutes, she pleaded to no one in particular. Her breathing was growing labored as she stumbled down the hard, cold sidewalk. Once she turned the last corner, she finally saw it.

Courage formed as the big, beautiful iron gates symbolizing her safety were at last within reach. She crossed the street at a much quicker pace, ignoring the pain as she pulled the heavy gate open, then hurried to a large wooden door. The chill air wasn't as harsh since cement walls surrounded her on either side with a roof overhead.

She banged on the door with as much strength as she could muster, allowing hope to fill her senses as the door opened and heat flooded her cool skin.

Her voice was shaking and hoarse as she said, I was told you were expecting me.

Yes, my child, hurry, come inside. Quickly now. The slightly older woman ushered her in, glancing outside nervously before shutting the door on the bitter winter night. Follow me. She then hurried past the young woman, her habit billowing furiously behind her.

After a few moments, they barged into a large room with a row of beds on each side. White curtains divided the beds from one another and each section donned a cross hanging on the wall above it. Towards the back of the room, there was a bed being hastily prepared by three other nuns.

Sisters, the nun who brought the young woman inside said to the other three, She has arrived. One of the additional three sisters ushered the young woman over to the bed, then helped her pull off her long dark coat, revealing her pregnant belly under a thin layer of clothing. She was breathing heavily from strong contractions, moving the baby along.

He assured me I would be safe here. Can you protect us? The pregnant woman asked with desperation practically dripping from her voice.

The sister tried to push the young woman onto the bed without answering, but she refused. She grabbed the arm of the nun, forcing her to make eye contact. I won't allow this baby to come into this world unless I have your word that you can protect it.

The holy woman hesitated for a moment before stiffening her jaw and vowing, You have our word. We will do everything in our power to protect this child. Now please lay down on this bed. That child is coming whether you want it to or not.

As if right on cue, a sharp pain shot through her lower belly, much stronger than the ones before, and she nearly fell to the floor. It took two of the women to help her in the bed while the other two prepared the instruments they might need to assist with the labor.

The pain built and grew closer together. She tried to breathe through it as best she could. It helped, but only just a little, when someone laid a cold wet rag across her forehead. She cried out as the worst pain she had felt yet tightened her belly. Is it time? She asked through clenched teeth. I have to push

It's time, my dear. When you feel the next contraction, I want you to push as hard as you can until it subsides. She felt hands grabbing each of her legs, pulling them apart and up to the side of her ribcage. As the pain built up inside her, she sucked in a deep breath and pushed with all her might, crying out when the contraction slowly subsided.

You're doing great. Only a few more, just like that. With the next one, she pushed just as hard until it again subsided a little. The contraction after that she pushed with everything she had and felt the life slide from her body. She held her breath for a moment as one of the sisters worked on clearing the child's airway. She quickly expelled the air in her lungs and relief spread throughout her entire body when she heard the tiny life she brought into this world begin to cry.

But as the relief spread, she was now able to assess her own condition, and she knew right away something was wrong. The sister holding her child was about to take it away to clean it off, but she instinctively knew she didn't have much time left.

Please. Her voice was weak as she pleaded, I want to see...

Her, the nun finished, smiling as she brought the tiny girl and placed her in her mother's arms. Tears slid from her eyes as she stared down at the most beautiful child she had ever seen.

With all the strength she had left, she pulled the baby girl to her lips and kissed her on the forehead. I love you, my little Celine. Never forget your mother loved you with all her heart. With one last kiss she felt gentle hands lift the only thing in this world she truly loved away from her, then drew her last breath and perished from this life.

CHAPTER 1

Icould sense my alarm clock was going to go off right before it actually did. Grumbling, I flung my arm to the nightstand, shutting it off before the annoying buzzing rang in my ears. One might think after living in a convent from birth that I would be used to getting up at the crack of dawn, but in this particular case, my teenage hormones seemed to be winning over habit.

Sighing, I rolled out of bed, then stumbled to my closet and pulled out some jeans and a t-shirt. I had already decided at an early age I was not going to pledge my life to becoming a nun, which meant I didn't have to wear a habit, thankfully.

Growing up, the sisters tried to make my life as normal as possible. I even attended a public school, although I didn't exactly fit in. I was known as the convent kid and if I wasn't being teased, then I was being ignored altogether. My school career consisted of getting good grades and trying to become invisible. Something I got really good at.

I didn't have any regrets, though. I was raised in a loving home with dozens of mothers to care for me. I never had to go without anything I needed and there was always a sister around to sneak me an extra cookie after dinner. Of course, that meant I did get a little pudgy there for a while. 

Now, as I stood in front of a mirror, I gazed at the tall, lean girl looking back at me. There were days I hardly recognized my own reflection unable to believe I was seventeen. I still expected a little girl to be looking at me from the other side of the mirror.

Instead, it was a young woman mimicking my movement as I carefully brushed my long hair that was so blonde it was practically white. Which, surprisingly enough, was my natural color. Most people just thought I bleached it since my eyebrows and eyelashes just happened to be a light brown.

Once the tangles were gone, I carefully set my brush down on my dresser and took one last look at myself, then left the room.

I walked into the enormous kitchen, which was unusually busy this morning. Normally it was quiet by the time I made it to breakfast, but today they were making food to take to the starving children living on our streets. I grabbed a muffin and a glass of milk, then sat down on a stool at the counter.

The sisters moved about, ignoring me as they prepared the food. I stuffed a big bite of muffin in my mouth, wanting to get out of here as soon as possible. I just graduated from school and with my eighteenth birthday coming up, I wanted to experience my newfound freedom.

With my mouth half full, I asked sister Theresa, is there anything you would like me to do before I go out today?

She was an older, plump lady with smile creases around her eyes and lips. She was standing across the granite countertop, packing food into boxes. Her eyes sparkled as she smiled up at me and said softly, we have everything under control, but you may want to check in with mother superior before you leave.

Sister Theresa was my favorite person in this world. I felt like I could tell her anything without judgment. There were many nights she would stay up late with me while I blubbered about being an outcast at my school, or we would chat about the boys I thought were cute. Even though I was invisible to the opposite sex, that didn't keep me from admiring them from afar.

Sister Theresa was the closest thing to a mother I had. She could always tell what I was feeling and had a knack for showing up just when I needed her most. She was also one of the few sisters that happened to be present at my birth and she would tell me often what my mother had been like. 

I must have asked her to tell me the story of my birth over a hundred times. I never tired of the way Sister Theresa would describe how beautiful my mother was or the way she protected me above herself. My heart often ached at never getting the chance to know her, but she left me in great hands.

I'm on my way right now. I winked at her as I walked from the kitchen, taking what was left of my muffin with me. Ambling down the hallway of the convent, I couldn't help staring at the intricately carved stone walls or the hundreds of high stained glass windows that lined the hallways. I could hear my footsteps echo with each step I took on the cold stone floor, the familiar sound bringing me comfort. 

When I was younger, I used to pretend I was a princess who lived in a castle, which wasn't much of a stretch. The entire convent was made of stone, said to be handcrafted by a holy man.

Apparently, this holy man blessed every stone before laying it in place, thus creating a protection over the convent. But considering how big this place was, I wasn't quite convinced that the story was true.

Even still, I loved it here. This was my home, but more than that, my birthplace. I loved walking the halls, stopping now and then to take a deep breath. I knew my mother once walked these hallways and even though any evidence of her was gone, I could almost feel her memory etched deep in the stone, which made me feel as if part of her was with me.

After taking a couple of turns, I knocked gently on a big wooden door. Mother superior called out, inviting me inside. I opened the door, then tiptoed to the empty chair in front of her desk and sat down.

She was busy ruffling through some papers in a file cabinet at the corner of the room. After finding the one she needed, she closed the drawer, then sat in a chair on the other side of her desk. Laying the folder down, she glanced up at me and said, how may I help you, Celine? Her fingers intertwined as she rested her hands on the file she had just retrieved.

She was in her late forties but looked quite young for her age. She came to the convent in her mid-twenties, when I was very young, but I quickly got the impression she wasn't very fond of me. I once overheard her telling one of the other sisters that I should be placed in an orphanage so they could find me a proper family. She insisted a convent was no place for a young child. 

Once she became our Mother Superior, I was afraid that I would be kicked out. Even though she disapproved, luckily for me, she knew that as a servant of the Lord; the decision was not hers alone to make. For the most part, she was very cordial to me, but I could feel her disapproval from time to time.

I'm just checking to see if you need any help with anything before I go out today.

She stared at me silently for a moment. Out? she finally questioned.

Yes. You gave me permission to go to the mall today.

Ah yes, I did say that. You realize that we have service planned this morning. It wasn't really a question, but I nodded, anyway.

I can stay and help if you would like Mother Superior. My heart started to sink until she shook her head. It wasn't that I didn't like serving others. I only got to go shopping for new clothes a few times a year. It was something I really looked forward to, and this would be my first time going alone. 

No, your offer is very thoughtful, my child. You may go, just so long as you are home by six.

Yes, mother. Thank you. I stood up quickly, hurrying to the door, wanting to leave before she changed her mind.

Celine, she called out just as I opened the door. I paused, letting her continue. Just be careful.

I will.

CHAPTER 2

Even though I spent the entire day alone, it was one of the best days I had in a long time. I was able to catch a movie, get some ice cream at my favorite ice cream parlor and visit every store in the mall.

I was so excited to get home and show Sister Theresa my new wardrobe that I didn't notice the big red No walking sign on the light pole across the street. I had taken a couple of steps onto the asphalt when, all of a sudden, I felt a pair of firm hands grab my shoulders from behind and practically throw me to the sidewalk.

A car horn followed the sound of tires screeching, then I felt a stab of pain in my hip from where I landed on the pavement.

Ow, I mumbled, rubbing my side where I landed.

I'm so sorry. Are you ok? I heard a