Caleb stood at the entrance of his castle, watching Caitlin fly away, completely baffled. He could not understand why she had left so abruptly, or what he had done wrong. He thought the night before had gone so well, and she had seemed so happy to be there. Why her sudden change of mind? He racked his brain, trying to think what it might be.Maybe she blames me, Caleb thought, for having to come back in time for me. For losing our child of the 21st century. If it weren’t for me, she wouldn’t have had to come back, she would be safe and sound in the 21st century, with everyone she knew, with everything that was familiar, with that child.Or maybe, he thought, she was still blaming him for turning her. She had asked him, she had begged him, to turn her, and he had urged her not to. But he had relented. Did she resent him for that? For a life stuck in immortality? Or maybe she just doesn’t love me anymore, Caleb thought, at least not like she used to. Maybe she loved the idea of me, b

Caitlin sat there, her heart pounding, as Caleb sat across from her, reading the scroll with concern on his face.She couldn’t believe it. It had been such a magical moment, one of the peak moments of their relationship, and she had felt that she and Caleb were on the brink of getting so much closer. And then that stupid bird had to appear, out of nowhere, diving down like a messenger of death.Whatever the letter had to say, she couldn’t stand the suspense anymore. Her heart now pounded, not with love and excitement, but with fear and dread.With love, it had been signed. That could only mean one thing. It was from Sera. Who else would sign it that way?Caitlin’s body shook with anger. Always, at every turn, Sera somehow managed to be a thorn in her side.“Well?” Caitlin finally asked, with more anger in her voice than she would have liked. But she couldn’t stand waiting anymore.Caleb finally looked up, a mix of concern and sorrow across his face.“It is from Sera,” Caleb said

As Caitlin walked through the fields, heading back alone to Caleb’s castle, she felt the world falling out from under her. She was in a daze, barely paying attention to where she was going. She barely glanced at the sea, barely heard the crashing of the waves, barely noticed that Ruth skipped alongside her, craving attention. Caitlin was oblivious to it all. Once again, she had let her guard down, had been ready for love, and had let Caleb back in. Once again, her heart had been broken.She was so mad at herself. How many times would she allow herself to become vulnerable, only to be crushed again? When would she ever learn her lesson?And how had it all fallen apart so quickly?Caitlin wondered why her life could never just be normal. She felt as if she were always ascending to the highest peaks, only to be brought down to the lowest depths. All she wanted was a normal life, a steady relationship, a place to call home. And she had thought she’d finally found it. This place had seem

Caitlin walked with Aiden in the early morning light, winding their way slowly through the forest, Ruth at her heels. They had been walking like this together, silently, for what felt like hours. On the one hand, no words needed to be exchanged. As always, when she was around Aiden, she felt like she already knew everything he was going to say.Yet at the same time, she rarely knew precisely what he was thinking. What she wanted to know most of all was if he remembered everything. From the look in his eyes, she sensed that he did.Aiden had a funny way of showing up at the strangest moments in her life. Every time she felt like she was at a crossroads, every time she felt unsure of what direction to take, he seemed to appear. And each time he led her back on the path, and she realized he was right—that she should not give up the search for the Shield, for her father, for her own identity. But once she got away from him, once other things happened, it became harder to see clearly. Jus

Kyle stood before the Bastille, hiding in the shadows in that special moment between darkness and light. He knew this would be the time of the changing of the guard, when the night shift vampires would be replaced by the day ones. He knew this would be the moment when they were most vulnerable to attack, and when they would least expect it.He only needed one entry point. One weak, young, vulnerable, and inexperienced vampire. He could take him out, and get inside. It was a crucial first step. Before he could direct Napoleon and his men in a full-fledged attack, he needed to do his reconnaissance first. He needed to make sure that the savage seven were still down there, and he needed to find the angle to set them free.He watched, and waited.This was a funny building, the Bastille, a circular, stone tower that rose right up to the sky. It almost looked like a lighthouse in the center of the city. There were no windows— just a few iron bars here and there. Kyle spotted the multiple