Betrayed (20 page)

She stood there, wiping her mouth and gasping for breath. She couldn’t remember ever throwing up like that, or for that long. And it had all been blood.

She did not feel herself, and for a moment she wondered if she was really sick. Her entire body’s chemistry felt off, even for a vampire.

As she sat there, breathing, one thing started to become clear: it had not been merely a dream. It was a message. Caleb needed her, she felt sure of it.

And she would do whatever she had to to save him.

*

Caitlin walked quickly through the woods, Rose at her side, and finally entered the little clearing where Aiden’s home was. It seemed so quiet in the morning light, and she wondered if he was asleep.

She doubted that he was. He didn’t seem to ever sleep. On the one hand, she barely saw him, but on the other hand, he seemed to be omnipresent on the island, the guiding hand that kept the place running smoothly.

He had said, when she’d first arrived, that if she ever needed anything, she shouldn’t hesitate come to him, that his door was always open. She hoped that he meant it. She hadn’t expected to ever come to him with anything, but now she really needed it. As she stood there before his door, hesitating, she worried about how their conversation might go.

Caitlin took a deep breath and finally reached up her hand to knock—and as soon as she did, it opened by itself. Standing there was Aiden, staring back with his resolved, steel-blue eyes, expressionless. He was a hard man to read. His eyes shone in the morning light, and once again, she felt as if he were a mountain, as if he’d been on this planet for thousands of years.

He silently turned and walked across the room, leaving the door open for her to follow. She did, Rose on her heels, and closed the door behind them.

Aiden was already seated behind his desk, hands folded across his chest, patiently watching her. Caitlin, nervous, took a seat across from him.

Of course he was awake. Of course he had been expecting her. She had forgotten, as always, the psychic powers of vampires—and especially of this one. He probably already knew everything she was about to say. Nonetheless, she had to say it. If nothing else, she had to hear it for herself.

She cleared her throat, nervous.

“I assume you already know why I’m here?” she began cautiously.

He stared back, neutral. “Why don’t you tell me,” he said.

“I dreamt last night of Caleb,” she said. “That he was in danger. But it felt like more than a dream to me. It felt…
real
.”

“Vampires do not visit each other in sleep casually,” Aiden replied. “Every dream is a visit. An intentional visit. And every dream bears a message. We are not like humans. We can control the dream world.”

Her eyes opened wide in worry.

“Then…it’s true?” she asked. “Caleb is in danger?”

Aiden nodded back gravely. “Yes,” he answered flatly. “Very much so.”

Caitlin felt her heart sink at his words, and she stood, too agitated to sit. How could he be so casual?

“Well—what—I—what do you mean? What do you know?” she asked.

“As much as you,” was all he said.

“Then if it’s true,” she said, pacing the room, “I…I can’t just sit here. I have to go to him. I have to help him.”

“Why?”

“Why?” she asked, confused. “What do you mean, why?”

“What is he to you?” he asked calmly.

Caitlin glared back at Aiden, angry now. Why would he ask her that? He knew how much she cared for Caleb. And he knew how much Caleb cared for her. He couldn’t possibly be asking that question literally.

No, she realized. As with everything Aiden said, it carried another message, a hint. He must be asking her rhetorically. He was trying to coax something out of her, like he always did. He wanted her to work it out on her own, to vocalize it. He wanted her to put a label on their relationship, to say it out loud. He was goading her towards something.

“Caleb is my…” Caitlin began, then trailed off. What could she say?
Boyfriend
was too weak of a term;
husband
wasn’t accurate, though. What was he exactly? Caitlin didn’t know the term to describe it.

“He’s my beloved,” she finally said.

Aiden nodded back, seemingly satisfied with the response. “Are you sure?” he asked.

Again, Caitlin stared at him, sensing that he was goading her towards some revelation. He wanted to know how sure she was, how sure of her own feelings. He must have sensed something else. Yes, that was it: he must have sensed some lingering feelings between her and Blake. Yes. It was a rebuke. He wanted her to get clear on her own feelings, wanted her to decide, to know for sure who she would commit to wholeheartedly.

He was right, she realized. She did have some lingering feelings for Blake. And if Caleb was truly her beloved, then she could not allow herself to have feelings for anyone else. It required an inner discipline, and this is what he what he was demanding of her.

“Yes,” Caitlin said finally, confidently, definitively. “Caleb. And only Caleb.”

Aiden nodded. “Good. Very good,” he said. “Vampire love is a very sacred thing. It is not something to be given lightly.”

“I have to help him,” Caitlin said again, emphatically. “I feel that he needs me.”

“He does,” Aiden said. “But you won’t be able to help him.”

“What do you mean?”

“Caleb has chosen his own mission. His own fate. He’s chosen to fight for his coven, his family. He’s chosen a very noble mission. “But he cannot win. The forces of darkness are just too strong, and he’s outnumbered. He lacks the full support of his own people. He has headed into a trap. There is no way out for him. And there is nothing—and no one—who can save him now.”

Caitlin stared back, shocked, feeling as if the wind had been sucked out of her.

“It is a fight you cannot win,” he continued. “You would only be enveloped in the darkness. If you were to try, you will surely die, too.”

Caitlin, speechless, felt a hot tear stream down her cheek. Deep down, she sensed that everything Aiden was saying was true.

“I’m sorry to tell you all of this, but you have to know it all. Your mission is too important. Caleb was right all along: you
are
the One. And that means you are the only one who can lead us to the shield. Without the shield, the sword will wreak destruction on an unimaginable scale. We need you. Our entire race needs you. The human race needs you. This coven—your new family—needs you. This is where you are supposed to be, where you
must
be. Your mission is here. You must train, get stronger, and one day, you will lead us to it. It has already been written.”

“But I must go to Caleb,” she said.

“No. I cannot let you jeopardize yourself, or more importantly, our people. I forbid you to go.”

Caitlin stared back, and her sadness began to morph to resentment, to anger. She hated authority, and hated anyone forbidding her to do anything. It pushed her over the edge.

“You can’t forbid me,” she said. “I am free to stay and go as I please. You said that when I got here.”

“What I said was that you can go when you please, but if you go without my permission, you can never return. Ever. Is that a sacrifice you are willing to make?”

Caitlin stood there, stunned. She didn’t know what to think. To give all of this up? This island, her new home, her new coven? All of her new friends? To plunge into darkness, to try to save Caleb, when Aiden insists that he cannot be saved? When he insists that she would die, too?

She knew that, logically, he was right. She needed to stay here.

But emotionally, deep down, she just couldn’t let go her feelings for Caleb, her feeling of duty. She had to make an effort to save him, even if it was hopeless. She couldn’t live with herself if she didn’t even try. And she just couldn’t accept that he would be gone forever.

Caitlin suddenly felt the sickness well up within her again, and without warning, she raced to Aiden’s window, opened the shutters, and threw up, again and again. Blood splattered his stone windowsill.

Finally, she caught her breath and wiped her cheek. The room was spinning. She did not feel like herself.

Aiden now stood a few feet behind her, and as she turned, he looked down at her. His eyes—always so calm, so in control—suddenly widened in surprise. She had never seen him surprised before.

“Oh my,” he said, staring right at her. “I never saw this.”

He was staring deeply into Caitlin’s eyes, and it freaked her out.

“Your eyes…” he said, “…they are yellow.”

The thought of that scared Caitlin. She felt herself trembling inwardly. Was something really wrong with her?

“I don’t feel—well,” she said, feeling dizzy. She felt like she had been poisoned.

“Of course you don’t,” he said, as he slowly reached up and lay his palm on her forehead. He closed his eyes and breathed deeply. Finally, he looked down at her and nodded.

“As I suspected,” he said.

“What?” she asked, nervous.

“You’re pregnant.”

TWENTY

If Kyle was capable of feeling anything like joy, this was the closest he’d come. Just a few short weeks ago, he had been, punished, acid poured on his face, cast out from his brethren—a freak, a pariah, never to set foot here again. Now here he was, back underneath City Hall, the new leader of the Blacktide Coven. He had managed to overthrow  Rexius, to avenge himself on all of his old enemies, and to hold firm possession of the Sword. He even led an army of thousands, and all the local covens had shown deference to him. The world belonged to him.

And the war was just beginning. That battle had been glorious. Once he had killed Samuel and captured Caleb, it had turned into a rout, his men slaughtering them all. They had put up a good fight, but in the end, his men just outnumbered them. They had now gained tremendous ground, and even more neighboring covens had flocked to join him. His army already spread uptown, block to block, like a swarm of locusts, wiping out all the humans, and concentrating their force as they headed towards the Cloisters to wipe out the White coven. Soon the entire city would be his. And after that, his Master Plan could begin.

Kyle smiled wide. The apocalypse he’d always dreamed of was finally here.

There was only one tiny thorn in his side. It was the tiniest of thorns, but still, it lingered. Caitlin. That girl. He hated prophecies, and he especially hated the prophecy swirling around her. He hated her lineage. She being the One. The only one who, according to Scripture, could put an end to this apocalypse. He knew it was all nonsense, but the problem was, the other vampires didn’t. They believed in it. And that amounted to psychological warfare.

He knew from the start that he would have to find her and kill her once and for all. After that, and only after that, he could rest easy, and total annihilation could begin.

Which is why he was especially pleased that they’d managed to capture Caleb. Caleb was a better warrior than he’d expected. Kyle had to admit there was a moment there when he feared he might be beaten by him. But then Sam came along. Sam had not only turned into one of his best soldiers, he had turned into his most loyal and trusted soldier. He had saved Kyle’s life. He had proven his loyalty. For that, Kyle would always be grateful.

More importantly, he had given Kyle the opportunity he needed to capture Caleb. And now, with Caleb in hand, he was certain that Caitlin would come. They only needed to bide their time, and he was sure she would show, like a moth to a flame.

He grinned again. Yes. His plan was working.

And if there was anything better than his killing her personally when she arrived, it would be to watch her own brother, Sam, kill her in front of his eyes. Oh, he thought, that would make for such a perfect day. The joy of it, the memory of it, would sustain him for years to come. Yes, what a perfect ending for her. Killed by her own brother’s hand.

Moreover, it would cement Sam’s loyalty to him forever. It would make him the loyal, trusted consigliore that he could rely on as he extended their war past New York. It would serve two purposes, and Kyle was delighted with himself that he’d even thought of it.

And what better weapon to finish her off with than the very weapon
she
had led him to? The Sword would kill her for good this time.

In the huge chamber of bustling vampires, Kyle leaned over and whispered into Sergei’s ear, and soon several guards were scrambling, cutting through the crowd, with orders to find Sam and Samantha.

Within seconds, the two of them stood before Kyle’s throne.

The room grew quiet, as the coven turned to watch. It was not often that Kyle summoned someone before him.

“Sam of the Blacktide Coven,” Kyle said slowly, authoritatively, “you have proven yourself in battle. For that, we are indebted to you.”

There was a loud clamor in the room, as all the vampires roared approvingly.

Sam stared back, expressionless, just as he had been since being turned. He still looked as if he were lost in a haze.

“You have but one act left to cement your loyalty to our coven,” Kyle continued.

Sergei came running over, holding the Sword.

Kyle leaned over and took it, holding it in both palms out in front of him. It gleamed in the torchlight.

“One day, your sister will come to us. It is inevitable. And when she does, we will kill her.” Kyle leaned forward. “More specifically,
you
will kill her. With this Sword.”

Sam stared back, expressionless.

“And with this act,” Kyle continued, “you will prove your loyalty to me once and for all. And when you do, I shall award you the rank of General, and guarantee you power and riches beyond what you ever dreamed.

“Sam of the Blacktide Coven, do you accept this mission?”

Sam stood, staring back, unblinking. His expression did not change either way.

Kyle began to become annoyed. He felt his face start to flicker with rage.

Suddenly, Samantha stepped up between them and bowed low.

“My master,” she said. “Sam is still in a state of shock from being turned, and from his first vampire battle. He is not fully comprehending. I ask that you grant me a private audience with him to explain. I promise I will not disappoint you,” she said with another bow.