by Morgan Rice
“Yes, even Blake,” Polly answered, reading her mind. “He’s retreated to the far end of the island, and no one has seen him since.”
Caitlin felt the small piece of sea-glass in her pocket, and she felt badly. She wiped a tear from her eye. “Will you take care of Rose?” she asked, barely able to suppress her tears.
Rose whined even more loudly.
“Of course I will,” Polly answered.
Caitlin nodded. She breathed deeply, resolved.
She took a step forward and laid it on Polly’s shoulder and looked into her eyes. “I love you,”
Caitlin said. “And I love this place. With all my heart.”
And with that, she turned and with a sudden leap, she was over the edge, wings spreading, and lifting higher and higher into the night.
TWENTY TWO
As Caitlin flew over the Bronx, she was horrified to see the extent of the devastation occurring on the streets beneath her. On block after block, there was bloodshed, vampires gorging on humans, openly in the night. There were also humans attacking humans, trying to flee in the chaos. It was anarchy. And she couldn’t help but feel responsible. If she’d had just held onto the Sword, if she hadn’t let it slip away, perhaps none of this would’ve happened.
She flew over the Cloisters, came in low, and circled it once more. She hesitated. She debated over whether she should land, whether Caleb would be there. On the one hand, she imagined that he would have long departed, that he was already off in the thick of battle somewhere. She guessed that if he were truly in danger, he would be elsewhere.
On the other hand, she had no idea where else in Manhattan to look for him. The Cloisters was the best lead she had. She felt certain that his fellow coven members would know exactly where he went and would point her in the right direction. It was the logical first place to stop.
Then again, she felt a pit in her stomach at the idea of seeing Sera again. She felt such anger towards her, she didn’t know how she’d react when they met again—and she didn’t trust herself to contain her feelings. Furthermore, Caitlin didn’t exactly receive a warm welcome the last time she came to the Cloisters, and she suspected that Caleb’s people would be even more furious at her presence this time. Maybe they’d even be outright hostile.
It was a chance she had to take, she decided, as she flew in, diving low, and landed on the huge outer terrace overlooking the Hudson.
She walked through the medieval garden and headed right for the doors, before which stood several dozen vampire soldiers, all at attention.
She hadn’t remembered seeing so many vampires standing guard the last time she’d been here.
The coven must be on high alert.
One soldier stepped forward, holding a long spear, and stopped her, deadly serious.
“State your name, coven, and intention,” he said.
She could see how tense all the soldiers were behind him.
“My name is Caitlin, I am of the Pollepel coven, and I’m here to see Caleb.”
The soldier stared her down for another second, then said firmly: “Wait here.”
He turned on his heel, hurried through the large door and slammed it behind him.
Caitlin stood there, waiting in the tense silence. Soon, the door opened again, and two more soldiers walked out.
“Follow us,” one of them said, turning.
Caitlin followed, through the door, and heard it slam behind her.
Caitlin followed the two quickly-marching soldiers down the long, stone corridor, and through an inner courtyard. As they went, she saw dozens of vampires everywhere, openly roaming, all seeming to be in a state of agitation.
They led her down another corridor, then to the base of a staircase, and Caitlin could hear someone wailing in the distance, her cries echoing off the ceilings. The guards stopped at the foot of the steps.
“That way,” one of them said, looking straight ahead.
“Where am I going?” she asked.
Was Caleb down there? she wondered. Why hadn’t he come out to greet me?
The two guards stared, ignoring her. Clearly they had told her all they were willing to.
Caitlin walked down the ancient stone staircase, heading into the darkness, dimly lit by torches.
As she did, the cries grew louder.
Caitlin turned the corner and found herself in a large, stone chamber, deep and narrow, with high, arched ceilings. This somber room was filled with sarcophagi—large, intricately carved sarcophagi of all shapes and sizes, spread throughout the room. Otherwise, it was bare and empty.
Save for one person. Rather, one vampire.
Sera.
She saw her kneeling on the hard stone floor, by herself, in the middle of the room, her cries filling the chamber.
Before Caitlin could even enter, Sera wheeled, her long red hair flying in every direction, and her face distorted with tears and devastation.
“It’s your fault!” she screamed, jumping to her feet, pointing at Caitlin. “It’s because of you this happened.”
So, it seemed that Caitlin would have to face her fear head-on. Sera. It was time for the two of them to have it out. Caitlin felt her own rage welling within her, barely tempered by Sera’s tears.
Before she could respond, Sera shrieked again.
“They’ve captured my Caleb! And it’s all because of you!”
Caitlin’s heart sank at her words. She felt her world spinning, and she was so caught off guard, she barely remembered what she’d been ready to say to Sera. She was at a loss for words.
Captured. That could only mean one thing. They would certainly kill him.
Sera took several steps towards her, now only feet away. She stared with an intense hatred, her sadness morphing into rage.
“Why couldn’t you have just left him alone?” Sera demanded. “You are the one that started all this mess. Because of you, now they have the Sword. Because of you, Caleb had to risk his life to try to get it back. Look where it got him. I hope you’re happy.”
“It was you who came to our island to get him,” Caitlin spat back. “It was you who dragged him into all this. Why couldn’t you just let him be? You couldn’t, could you? You couldn’t stand to see him happy with anybody else. It’s your fault as much as mine,” Caitlin yelled, equally irate.
Sera was trembling with rage.
“I brought him back to be with me, his loyal wife. And to be with his child.”
“You are not his wife anymore,” Caitlin said. “And I know about your child. He died hundreds of years ago. You are full of lies.”
“My son is alive!” Sera shrieked. “Don’t you ever say that!”
Caitlin suddenly realized that Sera was out of touch with reality, crushed by grief. It had molded her. She saw how pathetic she was, and suddenly, despite herself, she felt pity for her. Her anger softened.
“I’m sorry for your loss,” Caitlin said softly.
She could see that Sera had not expected that. Her features suddenly softened. She sat down on the floor, Indian style, and lowered her head into her hands, sobbing.
“Caleb, my Caleb,” she sobbed, “how could they have taken you?”
Caitlin could see how much Sera truly cared for Caleb. It was heartbreaking, in its own way. No matter how delusional was she was, at least her feelings for Caleb were genuine. That gave them something in common.
Caitlin sat down beside her, reached out, and placed a hand on her shoulder.
“Sera,” Caitlin said, “we have to find Caleb before it’s too late. There is no time to lose. Tell me, where is he?”
“The Blacktide Coven,” Sera said. “They’ve caught him. Their entire army. We’d never get him back. My entire coven is afraid to go. No one will even try. It’s hopeless. We’re too outmanned.”
The Blacktide Coven, Caitlin thought. That meant City Hall. She knew where to go. She stood.
“Well, I don’t need their help,” Caitlin said, fearlessly. “I’ll go myself.”
>
Sera looked at her, snapping out of it, eyes opened wide in surprise.
“Are you joking? You’d be slaughtered,” she said. “It would be a suicide mission.”
“Then so be it,” Caitlin replied. “At least I wouldn’t sit here like a coward.”
Caitlin turned and headed for the stairwell.
She felt a hand on her shoulder, “Wait,” Sera said.
Caitlin turned, and Sera looked into her eyes for several seconds in the thick, tense silence.
“You do care for him, don’t you?” Sera asked.
Caitlin just stared back.
“Yes, I can see that you do.”
Sera continued to stare, then slowly nodded, coming to a decision.
“Very well, then,” she said. “I’ll go with you.”
Caitlin was shocked. “What?”
“We’ll go together,” Sera said. “Two stand a better chance than one. Not that I care if you die.
But I don’t want to see Caleb hurt.”
Caitlin stared back. This was the last thing she had expected, but the more she thought about it, the more she realized that it would be wise to have backup. After all, this was about Caleb, not about her.
“Fine,” she said.
Sera suddenly turned, and crossed the room. She stood before a small sarcophagus, just big enough to hold a child, and she crossed herself before it. She prayed, bowing her head until it touched it.
Caitlin watched her, and then she realized. That must be the tomb of her son. Caleb’s son.
In all these hundreds of years, Caitlin realized, Sera had not been able to let him go. For her, he was still alive.
After a few moments, Sera turned and walked alongside Caitlin as they ascended the steps.
As they reached the top, Sera turned down a different corridor.
“Follow me,” Sera said. “If we’re going to die, we should at least have the right weaponry.”
TWENTY THREE
Caitlin and Sera flew over the west side of Manhattan, racing downtown. Getting out of the Cloisters had not been easy. Sera’s fellow coven members had wanted to detain her, but she had absolutely refused to back down. Caitlin had to hand it to her: she was strong-willed.
Sera had taken them upstairs, to the main floor of the Cloisters, and had taken Caitlin to a massive, stone fireplace with intricate carvings. She’d reached in and pulled the heavy iron choker, and had revealed a secret compartment. She’d extracted two weapons for her: a short sword, covered in ancient carvings, and a short, silver spear. Caitlin had stared in awe. They were cruel, medieval weapons of destruction, yet beautiful in their simplicity.
Sera had then brought them to another room, where she’d opened a compartment in what appeared to be a six-foot candleholder, and extracted an immense battle ax. It was also silver, and gleamed in the light. The way Sera squeezed the handle, Caitlin had the feeling that she’d used it before. Many times.
Armed with these weapons, the two of them had flown off into the night, leaping off the parapets of the Cloisters to the protests of her coven members, and heading south, speeding through the night.
They flew over 150th street, then 140th, and as they went, Caitlin looked down and remembered.
Her old neighborhood. She shuddered at the thought of it. She actually flew right over her old high school, and realized that she wouldn’t mind destroying it.
Suddenly, Caitlin remembered. Jonah. She hadn’t thought of him in ages, and the idea of him sent a shock through her system. He must be down there, somewhere, she realized. As she looked down and saw the anarchy, saw the humans being overrun by waves of vampires, she knew that the humans didn’t stand a chance. She remembered that he lived right there, on 131st Street, and she suddenly felt obliged to help them. She didn’t have feelings for him anymore, but at the same time, she couldn’t live with the idea of just allowing him to get killed.
“We have to descend,” Caitlin suddenly said to Sera.
Sera looked over and stared. “Why?” she asked. “We’re not even close. We have no time for distractions.”
“An old friend,” Caitlin said. “I have to help him.”
Sera’s frown intensified. “We don’t have time. And we can’t risk a battle down here. We must stay focused.”
Caitlin knew that Sera was right. Still, she felt an obligation.
So without discussing it anymore, she took a dive, descending right for the street. She hoped that Sera would follow—she could use the backup—but if not, she would be content to be on her own, as she had always been.
Caitlin set down on 131st Street and Broadway, right in the middle of an intersection, and as she did, a car, racing in the mayhem, sped right towards her.
Caitlin turned and saw the car coming, but there just wasn’t time to react. Wide-eyed, she braced herself for what would be an awful impact.
The car began to screech on its brakes, but not nearly in time. A split second later, it smashed into Caitlin, running into her at 40 miles an hour.
Caitlin slowly opened her eyes. She still stood where she’d been, not even bruised, not even knocked over. The car, though, was stopped short where it hit her, its entire fender dented in around Caitlin.
It had not hurt her in the least—but she had destroyed the car. She was stunned, amazed, and grateful she was no longer a human.
The owner of the car jumped out, and stared at Caitlin and then at his car, wide-eyed.
“I’m so sorry!” he exclaimed, looking all around, frantic. “I didn’t see you! I swear! You seemed to just drop right out of the sky. I couldn’t stop in time! Are you OK!?”
Caitlin surveyed herself, took a few steps away from the car, and realized that she was perfectly fine. She smiled inwardly. Immortality certainly came with its benefits.
“I’m fine, don’t worry,” she said.
“Wait,” he said, bewildered, still trying to figure it all out. “It’s not possible. I slammed into you, I was going so fast. How are you OK? How is my car so dented up?”
He looked back and forth between her and the car, wide-eyed.
Then he suddenly looked around, realizing how dangerous the streets were, ran back, jumped into his car, and, with the hood still smoking, took off. Luckily for him, it still ran.
Caitlin looked around, trying to get her bearings. It was mayhem down here. People were fleeing in every direction, looting stores, smashing windows; cars were piled high on the curb. Vampires chased people down every street, and other people ran from each other, infected with the plague. It looked like the apocalypse.
She spotted it. Jonah’s building. Just as she got ready to ran towards it, she heard a noise. Sera, landing beside her. Caitlin was relieved, but Sera was scowling.
“I’ve only landed because I could use you in finding Caleb. Not because I like you. And not because I care if you die,” she said.
“You said that already,” Caitlin said. “But thanks either way.”
“This better be quick,” Sera added.
The two of them sprinted towards Jonah’s building.
As Caitlin reached the front door, ajar, she saw the lock had been broken. She let herself in, and as they entered the lobby, she saw several humans on the ground, dead, a small group of vampires feeding on them.
As they entered, the vampires were alerted to their presence. They suddenly turned from their feast, claws extended, eyes red, and hissed. These were evil creatures, vampires unlike any Caitlin had ever seen. She sensed that they were of a different vampire race. She assumed that they had come to join the mayhem, had come rushing in from some covens around the city, and maybe even from other cities.
Whatever they were, they sent a shudder up her spine. She hoped that she’d never look like that.
Before they could pounce, Caitlin and Sera, both finely trained soldiers, charged at the same time. Caitlin had her sword and spear extended, and Sera had her battle ax raised high.
The group of vampires charged them. Caitlin
slashed left and right with her sword, ducking, rolling, and flipping over them. She was too fast. She chopped off their limbs left and right and severed their heads, and they never stood a chance. She killed three in the blink of an eye.
Sera was just as capable. In the same amount of time, she jabbed and lunged, using her battle ax to chop one vampire clean in half. She displayed even more rage than Caitlin. Within moments, they were both splattered in blood, and the six vampires lay dead on the ground.
Caitlin walked down the hall and looked at the elevator, but knew that would be a bad idea. They would be stuck if attacked, and the electricity might also give out.
She darted for the long, wide, marble staircase, and Sera followed.
The two of them bounded up the six flights to Jonah’s in no time, and as they did, Caitlin kicked in the door, bounding into the hallway. Sera followed close.
Caitlin quickly looked both ways, braced for danger. The emergency lights in the hall flashed on off, and amidst the flashing, Caitlin could see several dead humans, sprawled on the floor. She turned to her right, following the apartment letters, and there, at the end of the hall, three vampires were clustered outside a metal apartment door, ramming it with their shoulders. It was a solid, metal door, and it was not giving. But it did start to bend, and clearly, it wouldn’t hold for long.
Caitlin looked at the letters and realized that it was Jonah’s door.
Caitlin charged the vampires, Sera by her side, and this time, Caitlin extracted her spear and threw it ahead of her. It pierced one vampire right through the throat, and then magically returned to her. The other two vampires turned and charged. One of them leapt in the air, right for Sera, but Sera was ready, crouching down, and raising her axe. It lodged right into the vampire’s stomach.
Caitlin extracted her sword, as the other leapt at her, she leapt, too, meeting it midway, and jabbing her sword through its throat.
All three vampires dead, Caitlin and Sera rushed to the door.
“Jonah!” she yelled out.
There was no response.
“Jonah!” she screamed again. “It’s Caitlin. Let me in!”
After a second, there was a rustling inside, followed by “Caitlin?”
