Caitlin stood there, on the hilltop, staring back at Caleb, and she could not for the life of her figure out why he was acting so strangely. She had never seen him so nervous, so at a loss for words. She even thought she could see drops of sweat on his forehead, and she had never seen him sweat before. Why was he so nervous?Was being back here, at his family’s home, making him nervous for some reason? she wondered. And what was it that he wanted to talk to her about?Caleb suddenly knelt down on one knee, keeping his eyes fixed on her."Caitlin, I have lived for centuries, but you are the one and only love of my life. If I have to live a thousand more years, there's no one else I would rather spend it with."Suddenly, something clicked for Caitlin. He was down on one knee. He was talking about spending the rest of his life with her. He was reaching into his pocket, and as she watched, he pulled out a small, black velvet box.Her heart leapt into her throat. She was utterly shocke
Sam walked with Polly through along the river bank, on the outskirts of Warwick Castle. After his meeting with Aiden, he had stormed out of the castle, upset, and had run into Polly, who’d been catching up with her old coven members. Polly had seen the upset on his face, and had suggested that the two of them take a walk.They had been walking for hours now, along the riverside, Sam barely saying a word. He knew he was being rude, and should be talking more, telling her what was on his mind—but he had been too overwhelmed by his emotions. Everything that Aiden had said was whirling through his mind, again and again, each pronouncement going off like a new bomb.Caitlin was the chosen one, not he. His mission was only to guard Caitlin. He wasn't special. He had his own destiny. He didn't choose to be turned—Caitlin did. The person who turned him was darker, evil. He had evil blood running through his veins. He had a possibility of slipping to the dark side. He was way more powerful th
Sergei opened his eyes, and quickly raised his hands to cover them, as they burned from the light. He struggled to see where he was. He was lying in mud, on a steep slope on the bank of a river. He turned his head again away from the light, covering his eyes, which burned a hole through his skull. He looked up and saw that he was underneath some sort of rotting bridge, and he scrambled into the shadows, recessing further and further back.Finally, he could breathe again, and slowly opened his eyes. He took stock of his surroundings, and could tell right away that he was in London. He was, in fact, under the London Bridge, a bridge he could recognize anywhere. He looked up and saw the rotting wood underneath it, saw the huge, stone foundations on the other side, saw the parade of boats passing through the Thames. He recessed further, deeper underneath the bridge, and rats scurried to get out of his way. Deeper and darker in the shadows, he was beginning to feel more like himself."H
Sam stood on the training ground, holding a long staff, facing off with yet another of Aiden's men. There were dozens of his warriors there, and by now, Sam had faced nearly all of them. None of them had posed even the slightest challenge.Sam didn't know what it was, but it seemed as if everyone else were moving in slow motion next to him. He’d anticipated their every move, was always a second ahead of them, always felt when to sidestep, dodge, duck, or strike. It had been like cutting through butter, and Sam was amazed at his own skills and power. Facing him now was Cain—large, muscular, and holding a long staff just like Sam's. He charged, scowling.But he was no match for Sam. As Cain swung wildly, Sam blocked blow after blow. Cain couldn't get anywhere close.When Sam was ready, he knocked Cain’s staff clear out of his hands with one sharp strike, and the staff when flying over his head, and into the crowd. Sam then followed up with a hard jab in the solo plexus, knocking Cai
Caitlin flew through the air, Scarlet on her back, Caleb beside her, holding Ruth, and Lily on Caleb’s back. Coming off the proposal, Caitlin was still ecstatic, riding on cloud nine, and her life felt surreal. She had been brimming with joy the entire flight, ever since they’d left Leeds Castle, ever since the moment Caleb had proposed to her, and since they had adopted Scarlet. They had stopped only to pick up Lily at Windsor Castle, and to tell her the news.Lily had been so ecstatic and delighted, she hadn't stop screaming for ten minutes. She’d gushed over Caitlin's ring, and embraced them both. She’d insisted on coming with them, on being there when Caitlin broke the news to Sam and Polly and Aiden's entire coven.They had been flying for hours now, heading towards Warwick to break the big news, and all the while, Caitlin hadn’t been able to stop turning over in her mind the big moment when Caleb had proposed to her. It had been so surreal, had happened so quick, out of nowhere
Caitlin flew through the air, her entire coven beside her. They had all left Warwick together, heading towards London, to Shakespeare's theater, to celebrate. Caitlin had never been more excited. Here she was, with everyone she loved dearly, heading to celebrate her engagement with a new play by Shakespeare. She could hardly imagine what it could be like to actually see a play of his in the time and place that it was set. She felt herself bristling with excitement.It felt so good to have everyone together, and she was still riding high from being proposed to. She was overflowing with joy. Finally, everything seemed perfect in the world. For the first time, she saw such a bright future ahead of her. Finally, she could have it all—a happy life, surrounded by people she loved, and a time and place in which she could settle down.Best of all, she didn't have to feel guilty about not pursuing her search for her father. She had no idea how to decode the riddle, and neither did anyone else
Caitlin felt as if she were in a dream as she found herself being led through the thick crowd, down a crowded, muddy alleyway, and across the street to a small tavern. She could see actors from the play filing in there, some still dressed in their extravagant wardrobes. They looked relieved, and were laughing, cheering, patting each other on the back. The mood was festive, and she marveled at how jovial these actors were, despite having just performed such a tragic play. She figured that was just the nature of actors: able to change their moods at whim.She held Scarlet’s hand tight as they wound their way through the crowd, Caleb holding her other hand, and Lily in front of her. Sam and Polly joined them, along with the rest of their coven members.Lily ducked into a small, stone tavern, heading down the steps, ducking her head as she went, and they all followed.The tavern was comprised of one small room, with stone floors, and long, well-worn wooden benches. It was crowded and ch
Kyle pushed and elbowed his way through the thick crowd inside Shakespeare's Globe theater. He had stood there for hours, on the outskirts, throughout the interminably long play, waiting for his chance. Romeo and Juliet. What terrible stuff. He had despised every word, stupid stuff of poetry, a waste of his precious time. The only parts he had liked were watching Romeo and Juliet die. He only wished they had died right away. Too bad he, Kyle, wasn’t a playwright, he thought—he could teach Shakespeare a thing or two.But he wasn't there for such trivial matters. He was here for business, real business. He had been waiting forever for the play to end and the crowd to disperse. Vampire poison deep in his pocket, he had been relentlessly tracking Caitlin, and her entire crew, ever since they had arrived. He’d watched their every move, had watched them watching the play, and had bided his time.He was proud of himself. This was the new Kyle. No longer did he waste precious energy by confr