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

Caleb sat there, watching Caitlin leave the tavern, in total shock. He could not believe that this was all happening. Just moments before, it had been a high point for them, one of their very best days, an incredible engagement party, an incredible play, and they were having an amazing time with everyone. It had seemed like things could never get better.And then, moments later, it all came crashing down, and so unexpectedly. Caleb had been absolutely shocked to see Violet, someone who hadn't even entered his consciousness for hundreds of years, and he was at a complete loss for words. He didn't know what to say to her, and he didn't know what to say to Caitlin. It had happened so fast, he was so caught off guard, and before he knew it, Caitlin was leaving."Caitlin!" he had called after her again.But it was no use. She had already pushed her way through the thick crowd, Scarlet in hand, and was already heading out the bar.Caleb wanted to go after her. And he would. But he figure

Caitlin flew down towards Warwick Castle in a panic. She was the first of her coven members to return from London, and she held Scarlet in her arms, clutching her tight. Scarlet had been in and out of consciousness for most of the trip, and over the last hour or so, Caitlin had seen welts begin to form on her face. She was out of her mind with grief and anxiety. She was certain now that Scarlet had caught the Plague.She dove down, behind the inner walls of the castle, into the courtyard, and landed softly. She ran with Scarlet through the large oak door, and down the stone hallways."Aiden!" she screamed, her voice echoing in the empty corridors.“AIDEN!”But he was nowhere to be found, and she did not sense his presence anywhere on the property. Where was he? she thought. Now, of all times, when she needed him most.Caitlin hurried down a corridor, kicking a door open, and hurrying up a flight of steps. She knew that this wing of the castle held the bedrooms, and her first order

Polly knelt beside Scarlet’s side, dipping a cloth continuously into a bucket of cold water, wringing it out, and running it over her forehead and cheeks. Polly's heart was breaking. This poor child was burning up with fever. Several times in the last hours, she had awakened, screaming for Caitlin. Polly had tried to reassure her that she would be back soon, but Scarlet seem inconsolable.Ruth, too, seemed on edge. She wouldn't leave Scarlet’s side, and she spent most of the time whining, laying her chin on her chest, and snarling at anyone other than Polly, Sam or Lily who came close. Ruth was acting as if it were her own child on the bed.Polly felt increasingly worried as she tended to Scarlet’s sores. There were huge welts all over her face, now oozing pus. Every time Polly rubbed one down with cool water, another one acted up. She felt terrible for the child, and she was so impressed by how brave she was, given how painful it looked.Polly ran her hand through Scarlet’s hair ag

Polly flew behind Sergei, following him as they sped through the night. It felt to her like they’d been flying for hours, and she had an increasingly bad feeling as they went.As dawn finally broke, a structure became apparent in the distance. He suddenly dove down low, and she followed.Polly's eyes open wide in surprise, as the structure came into view. There, spread before them, was a magnificent castle, one of the largest she had ever seen, shaped in a huge horseshoe pattern, with high walls, and parapets crowning each of them. In the center, was a semicircular courtyard, with a circle in the middle, atop a knoll, and a grass hill at its far end."Arundel Castle," Sergei announced. "It is where I live."Without a word, he dove down low, right into the courtyard, and Polly hesitated for a moment. She was beginning to feel inside of her that something was wrong. She wondered once again whether she could trust him. But once again, a part of her desperately wanted to try anything f