As he held up the torch, suddenly, a face appeared at it—the grotesque face of a vampire of the Lagoon Coven, one of the darkness and nastiest of them all. He had huge fangs which stuck out of his mouth, tiny lips, and eyes that were entirely red. He practically snarled as he breathed. It was a disgusting creature.
All around him, these creatures slowly came to their bars, all grunting at Kyle.
Kyle reached into a pouch on his belt, extracted a powder, and stood back as he threw it onto the silver. He waited, then reached out, grabbed the bars, and tore them off the wall.
A dozen vampires, some of the nastiest creatures Kyle had ever seen, slowly filed out, all pent up, all ready to wreak damage.
“Follow me,” Kyle said.
He could feel them all following, close behind. These needed no instructions. Tearing things apart came naturally to them.
Kyle smiled as they ascended, heading for the night.
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CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Caitlin looked into Caleb’s eyes. As he stood there, she sensed that some part of him did recognize her, was trying so hard to remember.
“It’s strange,” he said. “I dreamt of you last night. I hardly know you, yet somehow, I couldn’t shake the thought of you.”
Caitlin’s heart soared with hope.
“Do you remember me at all?” she asked.
“Somehow…I feel like I do,” he said. “But…I just can’t recall. How do we know each other?”
She paused, debating what to say. Would all of her words, all of her actions, as Aiden warned, now influence the future? What if she said the wrong thing?
She decided to just tell him the truth. This was her moment. It was now or never.
“We know each other in the future,” she said, her heart racing.
Would he think she was crazy?
Even as she said it, she wished she hadn’t. She worried if, by saying it, she somehow created a rip in time, told him something he wasn’t meant to know, affected how things would play out down the road.
He furrowed his brow as he stared back at her.
“We were together once,” she added. She couldn’t stop herself; it was too late now. “Or, rather, we will be together once. I’ve come back in time to save you. I didn’t… I didn’t know you’d be with someone else. I didn’t know you had a child. Well at least, not at this moment in time…I’m sorry,”
she said, stuttering, feeling foolish, “I…didn’t mean to intrude. I had no idea. I was hoping you’d remember…I guess…I was…hoping things would be different. I realize…I know, this must all sound crazy.”
Caitlin, trembling, suddenly felt overwhelmed with emotion. She could no longer control her tears, and she quickly turned to leave.
But as she did, she felt a strong hand on her wrist.
Caleb held her there, stopping her. She could feel the pulse racing through his palm.
Slowly, she turned. Tears poured down her cheeks as she stared into his eyes.
“I’m sorry,” he said. “I never meant to hurt you. I do feel something between us. I really do. But I don’t know what it is. And…” he said, pausing, “I’m so sorry, but I just can’t remember you.”
Caitlin nodded slowly, understanding. At that moment, she realized that there was no hope anymore for them. She felt so stupid to have come back, to be standing here, to be intruding in his life this way. She felt terrible. She had been so selfish. She should have just taken last night as closure. Why couldn’t she have just moved on?
Now, at least, finally, it was beyond doubt. As much as it hurt, he clearly didn’t know her anymore. She had to move on.
“I’m sorry,” she said, wiping away a tear, as he loosened his grip.
She turned to go. Then, before she did, she faced him one last time.
“I just want you to know that I love you. And I always will.”
And with that, she ran and lifted into the air, her wings sprouting, and carrying her into the sunset.
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CHAPTER NINETEEN
As Caleb stood there, watching Caitlin leave, he felt overwhelmed, confused. A mix of emotions swirled within him, as his brain struggled to understand, to remember. He felt certain, somewhere, that a part of him knew this mysterious girl. But he just had no idea how.
As he watched her go, he felt a sadness within himself which he could not explain. He had never experienced anything like it. A part of him wanted to run after her, to call after her to stop. But if she listened, he would have no idea what to say to her. After all, he didn’t know her. And he didn’t understand his own feelings.
Perhaps he was just going crazy, just letting some irrational emotions, some strange premonitions, take over and get the worst of him. He had to stay strong, he reminded himself, to remain rational. After all, none of it made any sense. He didn’t even know her.
But as he stood there, watching her, he could not escape the feeling that he was letting someone precious get away. His emotions suddenly got the best of him, and he prepared to take off after her.
He was about to take off at a sprint, to fly into the air, when suddenly, one of his coven members screamed out his name, and came running up to him.
“Did you hear?” his coven member asked, eyes wide in a frenzy. “What’s happening in Venice?
There’s been an outbreak of prisoners. They’re tearing apart the city. If we don’t do something, all the humans will die.”
Caleb furrowed his brow in concern.
“But how is this possible? Who is behind this?”
“We don’t know. But there is no time to waste.”
The coven member ran off, heading for the water.
As Caleb turned and looked, he saw all his coven members streaming out of the church, out of the surrounding cloisters, heading towards the water. As they did, they broke into flight, their wings sprouting, lifting them high into the air. His entire coven was being summoned.
His brother Samuel came running up. “Did you hear?” he asked, urgently.
Caleb nodded, and as he did, Samuel reached out and handed Caleb his ivory staff, while Samuel donned his golden gauntlet.
“Will you fly into battle by my side?” Samuel asked.
“Always,” Caleb said.
Just as they were getting ready to depart, Sera came running out, all geared up for battle, dressed in a thick, skin-tight, black suit, impervious to nearly any weapon, and carrying a short spear. She looked fierce, as she always did before battle.
Caleb was annoyed to see her here.
“We need someone to stay with Jade,” Caleb reprimanded. “He should not be left alone.”
“I’m not letting you enter battl
e without me,” Sera said. “Jade will be fine. The battle is in Venice, not here. There is nothing to fear. And I’ve ordered him not to leave the church.”
“I don’t like it,” Caleb said.
“My brother,” Samuel interjected, “we have no time to waste.”
Caleb offered Sera one last look, but he could see her mind was made up. She was the most stubborn person he’d ever met.
“Fine,” he said. “Let’s go.”
And with that, the three of them turned and sprinted towards the water, and within moments, were flying into the coming night.
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CHAPTER TWENTY
Kyle watched with glee as his plan was executed perfectly. All around him, Venice was in shambles. The pathetic humans ran for their lives, as the hundreds of released prisoners terrified them in every direction. Finally, the humans had finished being so happy, had stopped their stupid games, stopped their music, tore off their masks, and ran for their lives.
They didn’t get very far. The convicts were on a rampage of looting, raping, and killing, while the released vampires went right for blood. They killed people on the spot, either tearing off their heads, or diving right for their necks and sinking their fangs in deep. They fed and fed, and soon the squares of Venice looked like a battleground. Bodies lay everywhere, storefronts were smashed, tables were turned over…
And it was all just beginning. Kyle had not been this happy in years.
Kyle waited, searching the skies, and as he watched, perched on the waterfront, he finally saw what he was looking for. The sky darkened as scores of vampires flew overhead. It was Caleb’s coven, he knew, heading right for Venice. They were so easily led. They rushed to quell the violence, as he knew they would, and in doing so, left their island unprotected. Kyle had sensed Caitlin’s presence strongly on that island. Now, finally, he could go and kill her.
As they blanketed the sky, like a flock of bats, and descended to the shores of Venice, Kyle saw his moment of opportunity. He lifted off into the air, the sole vampire flying in the other direction, completely unnoticed, and headed right for Caleb’s Island.
His mouth watered at the thought of finding her there, all alone, and capturing her, or killing her slowly.
It was, finally, time for payback.
*
Jade stood at the waterfront and watched the sky. Rose sat loyally by his side, and had not left it once.
Jade knew that he should not have left the church, as he’d promised his mother. He felt bad for breaking his word, but he just had to see what was happening, to watch the battle. Battles like this didn’t happen often, and he was bursting out of his skin with excitement. He had run to the waterfront the second they’d left, and had watched as his dad had lifted into the sky. He was so proud of him, and of his uncle Samuel, that he nearly felt his heart leap out of his chest.
Yet he also burned with frustration. He would do anything to be among them now, to be flying at their side, carrying his weapons, helping them in battle. He was almost ten, after all. Why didn’t they treat him like an adult already? He just wanted one chance. He knew that if he were with them, he would prove himself, too. He couldn’t wait for the day.
Jade knew he couldn’t go back inside. He was too excited. He would stand there all night if he had to, watching the sky, waiting until each and every one of them returned. There was no place else he could possibly be.
In the meantime, since he was the only one left on the island, he imagined himself as its sole protector, the lone soldier appointed to stand watch, to guard over all of their precious possessions.
Yes, he realized, this was a very sacred obligation, and when his father and uncle and mother returned, they would be proud of him. They would all say, look at Jade: he stood guard for us fearlessly.
He’s just as great a warrior as us.
As Jade watched the sky for the slightest fluctuation, there suddenly appeared, in the distance, a lone figure in it, heading his way. Jade’s heart leapt. He could tell even from here that this was a vampire, and that it was not of his own coven. Who could it be? he wondered. And why was he heading this way?
Maybe, Jade realized with a pounding heart, that this would be his first test as a soldier. He tensed up, and held his spear high. He reached into his waistband and reassuringly felt his favorite slingshot and small pouch of stones. He had spent many days looking for the smoothest, roundest stones down at the waterside, and they all fit perfectly inside the sling he had created. He’d spent countless afternoons practicing with it, hurling the stones at tree branches, at targets in the water. He had even taken aim at birds recently, and had managed to kill quite a few. No one else took him seriously, but he knew that, with this weapon of his own design, he had become a force to be reckoned with.
As Jade watched, the figure suddenly came very close, diving and landing on the dock before him, just feet away.
Jade’s heart pounded and he felt his mouth go dry, as he saw the size of this vampire: he was enormous. He was dressed in all black, in some sort of battle armor, and as his wings retracted, Jade saw how muscular he was. He was even bigger than his Dad. Worse, he looked terrifying: half of his face was completely scarred, as if it had been torn off.
Rose tensed up, too, growling.
Jade again felt along his side, for his slingshot. But his hands trembled, and he was not so sure it would do him any good. This man looked like pure evil.
Jade swallowed.
The man took several step towards him. Jade wanted to step backwards, but he forced himself not to. Instead, he tried his hardest to act like a man, standing his ground, puffing out his chest and raising his chin. He tried to put on his meanest look. He would never allow himself to be a coward.
No matter who was approaching him.
“Stop right there and explain yourself!” Jade yelled out, trying to use his fiercest voice.
Unfortunately, his voice hadn’t yet changed—it was still too high-pitched, and it cracked a bit.
The man laughed out loud, and took two more steps forward.
“I warn you,” Jade yelled, “I am the son of Caleb! This is our island! You will do as I say!”
The man stopped, and this time looked genuinely surprised.
“Caleb, you say?” he asked. The man’s voice was dark and deep, coming out almost like a growl.
Jade took some comfort in this. It seemed like his father’s name had impressed the man.
“That’s right,” Jade said, emboldened. “And no one lands here without permission. So you had best leave right now!”
Jade again felt his side for the slingshot, but his hands were trembling, and it was hard to feel exactly where it was.
The man smiled back.
“Very interesting,” the man said.
The man looked about the island, as if smelling the air, as if trying to sense something. After a while, he seemed disappointed.
“Your father had a visitor. A woman named Caitlin. Where is she?” he asked.
“She left before everyone else did,” Jade said. “But she gave me her necklace. It’s mine now. She said I could keep it. And if you don’t leave now, my Dad will be back any minute,” Jade said, throwing out the scariest thing he could think of.
The man scowled, seeming disappointed.
“Where did she go?” he demande
d.
“I have no idea,” Jade said. “And even if I did, I wouldn’t tell you.”
The man smiled again, but this time his grin was more evil than before.
“You are a defiant little boy,” he said. “Just like your father. Unlike your father, you will pay the price for standing in my way. Your father has caused me grief throughout the centuries. In time, I will kill him myself, with my own two hands. But in the meantime, it will suffice for me to kill you.
Let this be a lesson for him.”
With that, the man started taking several steps toward Jade.
Jade’s eyes opened wide and his heart pounded in his chest. The time had really come: the time for battle. He’d gotten his wish.
But now that it was here, his hands shook so hard, it was hard for him to control them. Hard for him to think clearly, to remember. The slingshot. The stones. He found himself frozen, unable to move.
He wanted to act, but as the man came closer, a part of him was just too scared to actually break into action.
Rose, as if sensing Jade’s inability to act, suddenly burst into a snarl, and ran right for the man.
She leapt into the air, and dove right for his throat. It happened so fast, it caught the man off guard. Rose clamped her jaws down hard on this throat, making the man stagger back several feet, shocked. He grabbed at Rose and tried to pull her off, but he was unable. She bit too hard. Blood was everywhere, as she held onto his throat, unwilling to let go.
Finally, the man got hold of her, and threw her off him. He slammed Rose down so hard on the stone that, with a yelp, the wind was knocked out of her. Then, with a scowl, he lifted up his boot, and Jade could see that he was about to crush her head.