Microsoft Word - BETROTHED.docx (26 page)

Caitlin also sensed Aiden's presence here, and the presence of his coven members. It must have been very bad, if Aiden and his men all mobilized to save the humans in the city. But she didn't sense Sam or Polly's presence here, and she prayed that they were back at Warwick, defending Caleb and Scarlet, should anyone attack.

Caitlin desperately want to dive down below, and help the others. But she knew she didn’t have time. She clutched the vial more tightly, and continued on, speeding through the air, knowing she had to get to Warwick as soon as possible, that Caleb's and Scarlet’s lives hung in the balance.

Caitlin closed her eyes and flew past the horrible landscape, breathing short to prevent the huge clouds of black smoke from entering her lungs. Within moments, the sight was behind her, even as images of humans on fire flashed through her mind. She felt sick to her stomach. But she had to focus on saving the people that she could.

*

Caitlin dove for Warwick, and had a sense of dread as she swooped down low. She landed in the courtyard, at a running clip, and sprinted for Caleb’s and Scarlet’s room. She sensed immediately that this place was empty. She could not understand how that could be possible. How could Sam, Polly and Lily not be here? How could they possibly leave Caleb and Scarlet unprotected, when she had specifically asked them only for that?

She prayed that her senses were misleading her, and that they would be there, in the room, waiting as she entered.

Caitlin burst into the room, and a pit grew in her stomach. As she feared, Sam and Polly were not there. And neither was Lily.

Caitlin's heart dropped, as she walked slowly into the darkened room. She saw Caleb and Scarlet still lying there, on their beds. From here, she could sense they were both still alive, although they both looked deathly ill, and the sight felt like a knife going through her.

Caitlin could not conceive what could have happened. Where could Sam and Polly be? Where was Lily? And where was Ruth?

Caitlin looked around more carefully, and as she did, her heart stopped. There, lying against the far wall, unconscious, was Ruth.

Caitlin walked over to her, knelt down, and felt her rib cage. Ruth was breathing, but in a shallow way. Caitlin looked up and saw signs of blood, of a struggle.

Suddenly, she realized someone had been here, had hurt Ruth. But who? How? And if so, why were Caleb and Scarlet unhurt?

Before she could figure out the answers, she heard a shriek and a snarl, and out of the corner of her eye, saw something plunging for her.

Caitlin was so caught off guard, she could barely react in time, as Lily lunged at her, fangs extended, snarling, and threw her.

Caitlin went flying across room and crashed into a far wall, hard enough to shake the entire room. She slipped to the ground, dazed, and looked up to see Lily charging her again.

Caitlin couldn't process what she was seeing. It was definitely Lily. But Lily was a vampire. And was attacking her. And was stronger than nearly any vampire she’d ever fought.

She had been turned, Caitlin suddenly realized.

And by an evil vampire.

Kyle.

"Yes, that's right," Lily said, in a deep, guttural voice. "Kyle is my master now."

Lily lunged again, but this time, Caitlin was ready. She rolled at the last second, and Lily went head first, right into the wall, and Caitlin turned around and elbowed her hard in the small of her back.

Lily screamed out in pain, as she collapsed to the floor. Caitlin saw her chance to really hurt her, but she couldn't bring herself to. This was still Lily. Her old friend. Who had been turned by an evil, monstrous vampire. It was not Lily's fault.

Caitlin could sense that deep down, the good was still in Lily. And that she could break free of this.

So, instead, Caitlin jumped on Lily from behind, and held her in a deadly lock, keeping her from moving, from hurting anyone, or herself. Lily writhed and squirmed for all she was worth, but Caitlin held her tight, as if trying to hold a demon in place.

"Get off of me!" Lily screamed.

"Lily, it's me! Caitlin! You've been turned. By an evil vampire. I know that the good Lily is still inside. It is still with you. Release the evil strain. Become the Lily that I know.” Lily writhed and squirmed and screamed, and Caitlin sensed a tremendous battle going on within her. It was as if Lily were battling with herself, as if she were possessed.

"Caitlin," came a voice, a new voice, from within Lily. "Free me. Please. I don't want to hurt you.”

Caitlin slowly got up, and took several steps back, watching carefully.

Lily turned and looked at her, breathing deep, guttural breaths, like that of a wounded animal.

Lily stared at her, and as she did, her eyes glazed over, turning colors, from brown to black to green.

For a flash, Caitlin recognized the old Lily. She sensed the epic struggle happening within her.

Lily suddenly reached over, grabbed a silver knife off the floor, raised it high and began to plunge.

But she wasn't trying to attack Caitlin.

Rather, she was trying to plunge it into her own heart. To kill herself, Caitlin realized.

Caitlin jumped out and grabbed Lily’s hand, just before the knife could reach her heart. She held her grip with all she had, but Lily’s grip was so strong, it was an epic struggle just to hold it back.

Their struggle seemed to go on forever, both of their hands shaking, until finally, Caitlin squeezed as hard as she could, and got Lily to drop the knife.

Lily leaned her head back and roared, as if trying to exorcise the demon within her.

Suddenly, Lily turned and sprinted across the room. She headed right for the huge stained-glass windows, and without pausing, leapt right through them, glass shattering everywhere.

Caitlin watched as Lily flew out into the night, her huge wings flapping, flying as fast as she could to get away from this place.

“She disappointed me," came a dark, guttural voice.

Caitlin slowly turned, knowing whose voice that was.

Kyle.

He stepped from out of the shadows, missing one eye, his skin charred, and now, Caitlin could see, missing a finger.

He was a grotesque monster, from the depths of hell

He walked slowly towards Caitlin, facing her head on.

“You are a sick, evil creature," Caitlin said. "And you're going to pay for what you did to my friend with your life.”

Kyle smiled back at her.

"You couldn't kill me the first time: what makes you think you can kill me now?” Caitlin fearlessly took two steps towards Kyle, squaring off with him.

"And you couldn't kill me the first time: what makes you think
you
can kill me now?” Kyle snarled and roared, the roar of an animal in its fury—and Caitlin did the same.

Two adversaries, squaring off, neither willing to give an inch, they lunged for each other, both aiming right for each other's throats.

This time, it would be life or death.

Sam dove down low in the night sky, aiming right for Arundel Castle. It was exactly where he had sensed it would be, and he could feel Polly's energy strongly. He felt Polly in distress, and the feeling coursed through his entire body; he was surprised by the intensity with which it had struck him. He was surprised to recognize how deeply he felt for Polly, almost as if she were a part of him.

At first, he been angry, jealous, and resentful to hear that she had flown off with Sergei. He’d had a hard time getting over the fact, and at first assumed that it could only mean that she still had feelings for him.

But the more he dwelt on it, and the more he felt her true feelings of distress, the more he began to realize that maybe it was something else. That maybe she had been duped. Or captured.

Sam had felt nervous to leave Caleb and Scarlet alone with Lily, but he reasoned he’d be back in just a few hours, and that they were safe, and that Polly's life was in definite, immediate danger.

Sam dove down right into the interior courtyard of Arundel and stopped, both feet planted on the ground. He looked around warily in every direction. It was quiet, empty. The September night air had grown colder, and a cold breeze came in off the moat.

This castle was a strange place, shaped like a horseshoe, with a circular, grass lawn in the middle, and a hill on the far end. Its stone edifice was lit only by torches, spread out all along the exterior.

He could sense danger here.

"POLLY!" Sam screamed.

His voice echoed off the stone.

Sam turned, chose a door, and raced straight for it. It was solid, looked to be a foot thick, but he didn't slow down. He leapt into the air, using his full vampire strength, and kicked it open with both feet. It went flying off its hinges, shattering, and Sam ran right into the castle.

Sam sprinted down the empty, stone corridors, screaming Polly's name. He could sense how much danger she was in, and realized he’d made the right choice to come here.

“POLLY!" he screamed again, turning down yet another corridor.

As he entered a grand room, suddenly, doors slammed closed all around him. They were silver gates, and as Sam wheeled in every direction, he saw there were a dozen of them, each slammed shut by another vampire. They were vampire women, all carrying deadly weapons, all facing him.

Standing in the center of the room was Sergei. He smiled back with an evil, victorious smile.

"Your Polly is now my play thing," he said. "A slave to me. Like all the others here. She will be in my service for the next thousand years."

Sam could feel his anger heating up, rising through his veins. But he didn't try to suppress it this time. Instead, he let it boil and bubble, let it grow bigger and bigger, feeling it about to explode. He
wanted
to explode, wanted to unleash a rage unlike any he had ever known.

"She was stupid enough to listen to me," Sergei said, “not just once, but a second time. And now, she’s paid the price. And so will you. And so will your sister."

Sergei nodded darkly, and the dozens of vampire women encircled Sam from every direction, wielding their weapons—huge battle axes, maces, spears, long swords.

Sam's rage finally let loose, and as they all charged him, he jumped up in the air, higher than all of them, and as he flew, reach out and grabbed the shafts of all their weapons. He flew in the air, holding them, and stripped each weapon from each vampire as he went, one at a time, right down the middle. Then, as he reached the final vampire, he grabbed the huge silver battle axe from her hand, swung it back, and flew right for Sergei.

Sergei’s eyes opened wide. Before he could react, Sam flew at full speed, right at Sergei, and swung the axe down hard.

It was a clean shot. Within a fraction of a second, Sam had decapitated Sergei, his head rolling off his body, and his body collapsing to the floor.

It was as if a spell had been broken. Suddenly, the dozens of vampire women, who had just seconds before been enemies to Sam, now all seemed to be freed from a trance. They retreated from Sam, and milled about the room, giving each other solace. Sam could see in their eyes, and in their expressions, that they were no longer hostile to him.

"Please, forgive us," one of them pleaded. “We never meant to harm you.”

“Where is Polly?" Sam asked.

One of the vampires stepped forward.

"I will lead you to her.”

She ran and took out a set of skeleton keys, to unlock the iron gate.

But Sam had no time to lose. He stepped up, tore the huge door off its hinges with both hands, and set it to the side. The girl looked up at him, shocked.

“Which way?" he asked, forcefully.

She pointed, her hand still shaking, down a corridor.

Sam followed it, and as he did, he could hear Polly's voice, screaming and pounding from behind a door. He stopped before it.

"Stand back!" he screamed.

He then leaned back and kicked the door open, sending it flying off its hinges. He ran into the stone cell, and as he did, Polly was standing there, shaking, crying.

She ran into his arms, and hugged him tightly.

He hugged her back.

"Sam," she said. "I was so stupid. Thank you. Thank you. You saved my life.” She hugged him even more tightly, and he hugged her back. He couldn't help noticing how good it felt to have her in his arms.

And that he never wanted to let her go.

Kyle and Caitlin dove for each other, each in a murderous rage.

Caitlin met him head-on, and they crashed together like a pair of charging rams. They grappled, grabbing onto each other's shoulders. They tore and clawed at each other, and it was a tremendous meeting of strength. Kyle was twice her size, but Caitlin could feel a strength burning through her beyond what she’d ever known. And strangely enough, even in the midst of such a heated battle, she no longer felt overwhelmed by her emotions. She felt calm, clearheaded. In control. She focused on her breathing, on her inner strength, on the life force coursing through her.

Caitlin could sense Kyle’s hatred, his fury. But she was surprised that she could also, as she turned in, sense something deeper underneath: fear. She was shocked to sense that Kyle was afraid.

Of
her
.

After minutes of grappling, Caitlin got the upper hand. She turned and threw him, and he went flying across the room, slamming into a stone wall.

Kyle stood there, staring back at her, wide-eyed, looking shocked.

He snarled as he charged her again, as if to tackle her. But as he did, Caitlin jumped straight up into the air and kicked him right beneath his jaw, sending his chin flying back, and sending him landing flat on his back.

Caitlin then lifted her foot, aiming to crush his throat. At the last second, though, he rolled out of the way, and her foot went into the floor with such force that it put a hole in it. For a second, she was stuck. Kyle elbowed her hard in the back, sending her flying across the room, and head-first into the wall.

Caitlin fell burning pain in her back, and in her head, and momentarily, was dizzy.