Caleb flew, holding Ruth, Caitlin at his side, and Scarlet on her back. Caleb marveled at how inseparable Caitlin and Scarlet had become since they'd met. It was strange looking at them, as it seemed as if they’d always been together.The four of them flew through the breaking sky of dawn, heading north towards his castle in Leeds. It had been a solemn departure this morning, as Caitlin and Sam had parted ways. The two had embraced, tears in their eyes, as they had each decided to go their own ways, to pursue their own clues. Caleb thought that Caitlin had made the right decision. Sam clearly needed to pursue his clue, and she needed to pursue hers.Polly had surprised them by announcing that she was going with Sam. Sam had seemed surprised by that, too. But Polly had quickly added that it was purely for professional reasons, that she thought, since Caitlin had Caleb, it would be better to balance out the numbers, and have her help Sam. After all, they were all searching for the same

Kyle flew through the London night, feeling happier than he had in ages. He hadn't had that much fun in he didn't know when. It put such joy in his heart watching that bear tear apart those humans, watching them trample each other. He smiled wider and wider, as he kept flashing to the images of the people screaming, being torn to bits—and one particular image, of watching the bear tear a man's torso in half. He felt like a kid again. He was happily surprised to realize that this night, and his entire time in London, was turning out to be much better than he’d expected.He flashed back to his infecting all those rats under the wharf, and he imagined them, even now, racing through the streets, infecting other rats, carrying the plague to the far corners of London. He could see in his mind’s eye all the fleas that the rats would host, and all the people the fleas would bite. The plague, in just a matter of hours, would begin to spread like wildfire. He laughed out loud. He couldn't help

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

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, 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