Caitlin faltered for a moment, but then matched Anna’s pose, head held high. ‘Yes, I wanted to be here, I wanted to be one of you.’
Anna shook her head and sighed, ‘Well, I sincerely hope you’re not as foolish as you just claimed to be. No-one would choose to be like us if they really understood,’ she looked from Caitlin to Steven, ‘I hope you both know what you’ve done, because we are at a complete and utter loss.’ Then Anna turned and strode off.
‘Well that sure told me,’ Caitlin gave an enthused mumble.
Steven knew Anna was right, Caitlin had no idea what she had let herself in for, and he knew he was to blame.
As they passed the electric lighting, Steven tried not to find Caitlin cute as her eyes surveyed everything around her. He did not want to find her so attractive, he did not want to see her as anything other than a friend, yet he had to be honest. She meant far too much to him, there was no way he could simply shut down his emotions. He would not let her see them, but remain they did.
When they got to the lift and Anna gained access, they stood in silence. It was clear to Steven that Anna was not sure what to say. He had a feeling Anna knew something was not right, Anna had always been able to connect with Emily’s feelings, he wondered if she could also sense his.
When the doors opened to the first floor and Steven faced the familiar long corridor of rooms he felt a pang of regret. They looked even more like prison cells now than when he had first seen them. Ashamed, he hung his head low, he did not want to see Caitlin’s reaction.
Her eager voice surprised him, ‘Wow, this is a much cooler version of student halls. And there are no doors, just curtains. I hope no-one snores too loud,’ she giggled.
Anna raised her eyebrows, ‘Hmmm.’
Steven could tell she was warming to Caitlin. It was impossible for anyone not to. Caitlin was that kind of girl. Caitlin steered away from arguments from what he knew, other than the ones she mentioned with her family. Even when they broke up they hadn’t even argued. It was an amicable break-up, too amicable probably.
When they reached the end of the corridor, Anna stopped by one of the only rooms with a real door, and lock.
‘This is your room, you’re both staying together, right?’ Anna looked to Steven.
Steven averted his eyes, and heard Caitlin reply, ‘Of course, we want to be together.’ Caitlin slid her hand in his and every nerve ending flinched. He longed for her touch, but this way it was like getting thin shards of ice piercing his skin.
Somehow, he managed to look at Anna, ‘Yes, of course. Thank you.’
‘I’m sorry, but for now you both need to stay in hiding. We need to introduce Caitlin to the community, we need to explain. It’s not going to be easy. You understand, right?’
Steven licked his lower lip, and then replied, ‘Of course we do.’
‘Great,’ Anna unlocked the door. ‘You have a bathroom, and we have provided food for you. We thought you’d be hungry. All of your things are here. Anyway, I’ll leave you both to it. Someone will come to check on you later.’ She started to head out of the door, but then turned, ‘Steven, it really is good to have you home. Caitlin, we will try our best to make you feel welcome.’ And then she was gone, the door locked again.
This really was a jail cell now.
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Chapter 15
What to do?
Anna hesitated for a split second as she locked the door, it felt wrong. She did not think either of them would be a danger to anyone, but she was worried about what people would think of Caitlin. Her arrival changed everything. When Steven had arrived on the scene that was bad enough, but the fact a normal human could really be changed made everything different. The fictional vampire really existed in their form. They could actually do what they always thought was impossible. She needed to talk to Catherine to get some answers.
Anna made her way back to the lift, and headed out into the jungle. She could see Catherine, Isaac, Ingrid, and Eilif arriving with some of the gear. Carmen and Ian were not there, they usually took care of the ship. They were all in on the secret now, and she wanted to know what they were planning to do.
‘Anna,’ Catherine smiled, and then embraced her. ‘Are they secure?’
‘Yes, they’re locked away. It feels wrong Catherine, but what choice do we have.’
‘None,’ Isaac replied, ‘They have to stay away for now, until we figure out what we should do.’
Catherine turned to Ingrid. ‘I need you to keep a close eye on Caitlin. I gather you became friends?’
‘Yes, we did,’ Ingrid said.
‘Really?’ Anna raised her eyebrows.
Eilif laughed, ‘Don’t be so surprised, my daughter can be a good friend.’
‘Sorry,’ Anna gave an apologetic smile. ‘No offence Ingrid, I just remembered you also got close to Steven in the past. Is that not a problem?’ It was best to be direct.
‘Not a problem at all, the thing with Steven is long gone,’ Ingrid gave a light shrug of the shoulders.
‘Anyway, maybe you can check on them tomorrow,’ Anna said, ‘they have everything they need for the rest of the day. Let’s meet tonight, we’ll all discuss this then. We need to think of the best way forward,’ she paused, the words hard to say, ‘with Emily also gone we have a lot to consider.’
‘You can say that again,’ Catherine stared at the ground for a moment, ‘Let’s get inside. We all need food.
‘Great idea,’ Eilif beamed.
Anna made her way back in, her thoughts in complete disarray. A part of her felt broken, she had sensed the moment Emily had gone. A weight had lifted and another had fallen over her. The loss of her mother and father was hard enough to bear, but losing her twin sister left a gaping hole in her heart. She doubted it would ever be filled again.
The conversation was stilted and awkward as everyone, apart from Anna, got out on the first floor. Anna continued to the upper level, it was always busy by the shops, and she needed to blend in to the crowd. As she made her way past the stalls and watched the children playing games in the open area her eyes glazed over. The community they had built was a sound foundation for a society, her father’s vision had been a good one. Yet, she also knew there would be those that wanted to leave it, to create their own niche in the world, human nature could not be suppressed.
Anna cruised past the multitude of basic shops and arrived at the tables of groups playing chess, ludo, or jenga. It made her smile. It was such a simple thing, a board game, yet it provided hours of entertainment and was a source of major rivalry. It brought them together and it taught the children about fairness and pushed them to try their best, regardless of a win. Saying that, some remained bad losers, which was why they came back for more, she called them the sadistic lot. Her husband, Juan, happened to be one of them.
She eased up behind him and slid her arms over her shoulders and gave him a squeeze.
Juan raised one hand, placed it on her arm and gave her a light caress. Then he turned to face her, and gave a half-smile, ‘Querida, you okay, shall I quit the game?’
Anna nodded, the tears would break free any moment.
Juan got up and opened his arms, ‘I’m afraid that today I lose willingly, my wife needs me.’
The other men seated by the ludo board gave grunts of discontent and rolled their eyes – they had heard it all before.
Juan put his arm around her shoulder and gave her a hug, she loved the fact he was so protective. He kissed her forehead. ‘Let’s go where we can talk.’
They walked off holding hands and Anna did everything in her power to keep her emotions in check.
Finally, once they had reached the lower level, they sat down to talk. It was always quiet in the produce and livestock area.
They sat facing each other on the floor, Juan still held her hand.
Anna loved the feel of his hand – no-one would ever make her feel the way he did. He might irritate her incessantly, but he wa
s hers and she was his. No relationship was perfect and he loved her, she knew from the way he always looked at her. It made her feel complete, like nothing else mattered. She held out her hand and stroked his face, ‘I love you.’
He eased his face into her hand, then asked, ‘Querida, tell me what is bothering you.’
She dropped her hand, ‘Emily is dead.’
Juan immediately bridged the gap between them and held her tight in his arms.
Anna let her guard down and broke down. The tears cascaded down her cheeks, and her throat burned as it constricted. She could not stop her body from shaking. As she let everything out, Juan rocked her gently and stroked her hair, all the time whispering sweet nothings in her ear.
Anna closed her eyes, as her tears started to subside, until eventually she simply whimpered and allowed herself to rest for a moment. It felt so good to be within his protective embrace, there was no-one like her Juan.
She had no idea how much time had gone by before she opened her eyes. She eased off Juan, and looked up into his dark, chocolate eyes. Juan smiled and eased in to kiss her, it was deep, full of passion.
Anna relished his kiss, which always sent shivers down her spine. She matched him and their lips moved in unison. Finally, they broke apart, Anna felt slightly out of breath.
Juan gave a sly smile. ‘Now that your heart has momentarily stopped grieving, tell me what you know.’
Anna chuckled, ‘You always know how to distract me.’
‘But, of course.’ He gave a content smile.
He was right, the kiss had made her stop and push thoughts aside. Now, they came rushing to the surface. ‘Emily is dead. She nearly killed Steven.’
‘Why would she do that?’
Anna looked around, she knew no-one was there, but it still made her uneasy, ‘Steven had to save Caitlin, a human girl who is now one of us, after Emily attacked her.’
‘How can a human be like us?’ he interrupted.
‘I don’t know, we’ll get more answers tonight,’ she rubbed her thumbs together, ‘apparently, the girl drained Steven and they had to let him feed off my sister to survive. They had no choice.’
Juan narrowed his eyes. He stared up into the sky for a moment. ‘I see.’
‘It was either him or Emily.’
Juan pressed his lips together, his voice rising in anger, ‘This human girl put his life in jeopardy. It led to Emily’s death. The girl could only be like us via another reckless act, just like Steven’s birth. This situation is a mess.’
‘I know,’ Anna trailed.
‘So, what’s going to happen?’
‘We need to get everyone together, tonight, to discuss the future.’
Juan sighed, ‘Again.’
‘Again.’
Anna got up, ‘There’s only one thing that worries me, but let’s keep it to ourselves for now.’
Juan followed suit and stood next to her, ‘What now?’
‘You know how close I was to Emily, how I could feel her emotions?’
Juan nodded.
‘I think I have a weaker connection with Steven,’ Anna paused, ‘and something tells me that things between him and the girl are not as they should be.’
‘How so?’ Juan cocked his head to the side.
‘Steven felt really sad, heartbroken almost. I remembered Emily being the same when she returned. I believe he changed the girl because they were madly in love, it seems strange that he should now feel like a wreck, don’t you think?’
Juan put his arm around her shoulder again. ‘Anna, your senses are unparalleled. It is indeed interesting, and I think you’re right, let’s keep this to ourselves for now.’
Anna was struggling to understand why it felt important, but somehow she just knew that if Steven and Caitlin were not in love it changed things, it changed things a lot.’
***
Lucy had kept perfectly still from the moment she heard Anna and Juan enter her sanctuary. They should have thought about the fact she might be there, but then her obscurity had its advantages. It was handy being a recluse. It was useful to hide, to go unnoticed. It enabled her to hear and see things others failed to notice, like the conversation she had just heard. It was hard to believe even so.
She could scarcely believe Steven had changed a normal human, and this girl had been changed because they were in love. There was no other way the girl could be like them, as hard as it was to believe. Yet, now it seemed the love that had led to the change had faltered, and it was Steven who was heartbroken. Lucy did not want that for him. He was not a bad person. And what they had done, that moment when they had given in to each other, had resulted in the child she now carried. A child she had to protect.
Whatever the situation it was not her place to get involved, or to feel sorry for Steven. There was not much she could actually do. The thing was, as much as she wanted to keep her pregnancy hidden from him she could not change the fact he was the father of her unborn child. Yet, it sounded like he had more than enough to handle at the moment.
Whatever happened, she had to stay away from him.
This latest development could be a problem for her if it held off the plans for a new start in Borneo. She needed that new start, she deserved it.
With a new found conviction, she raised her head high and started to plan, to think of a contingency. If they did not leave for Borneo then she would have to find another way. She had to talk to Catherine. With Emily gone, Catherine would have to help her. After all, the baby she carried was family and she knew family was at the heart of every decision Catherine ever made.
As for Steven, she did not want to see him or his new girlfriend, if that was what she actually was. From what Anna had said, it sounded like someone had a change of heart, and it didn’t sound like it was Steven. She still remembered Steven’s features, and the attraction. She considered him good looking from the moment they met, but when they talked, when they shared time, she had felt a connection. It just seemed wrong. It was not possible for someone like Steven to be with someone like her, and yet, everything had happened so naturally. They had fit perfectly just like a lock and key, and it had led to the baby she now carried and loved.
Logically, she knew it was not enough to just fit with someone else – there was more to it. She was realistic. What had brought them together was a short lived fling, nothing more. Either way, she had no intention of finding out if the connection they had once shared still existed. It was best to leave him to his own devices, a baby was the last thing he needed right now. And she was more than capable of looking after the baby on her own. She had never been, nor intended to become, the sentimental type. She had only been in love once, and that had been the biggest waste of emotion ever. Ian had broken her heart, and she was not about to let his nephew have a stab at breaking it again.
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Chapter 16
Claustrophobia
Caitlin stared at the small indentation in the ceiling for what felt like the millionth time. It was hard to remember she had been really excited to live in the community two days earlier. But what with the break up, Emily’s death, the sombre arrival and apparent incarceration, this was not really living up to her expectations. She would actually give anything to be back in her student house, chatting to Gemma over a cup of tea and a packet of custard creams. They would be talking about annoying students, or boys they fancied, or the particular man in Gemma’s life, or complaining about the amount of work they had to do. An average student conversation.
Of one thing she was certain, sitting in a confined space with an ex was not up there on her list of top things to do. In fact, it lay at the bottom of the pile. For the first time since Steven had changed her, she was worried about what would become of her. She actually wondered if they planned to let her live, she was a threat to their misconceived existence. The fact she had been created was a problem, and perhaps the best way to solve the problem was to eliminate it. She gave a deep sigh, plac
ed her forehead on her knees and wrapped her arms around her bent legs.
‘Caitlin, are you alright?’ Steven walked towards her and took a seat on the floor next to her.
She lifted her head and met his eyes, she still loved the amber colour. ‘No, not really. This really sucks. I was looking forward to being here, now I feel like I’ve been jailed. I wish I’d listened to you, I wish I’d heard what you were saying.’
‘Honestly, it wasn’t like this when I came here. Sure I hated it, but I was not locked up. They’re obviously scared of something,’ he hesitated for a moment, ‘I doubt it’s us, seriously.’
Caitlin looked away, and stared at the TV, the computer games, the books. They all looked out of place in a room carved out of rock with no natural light. ‘Did you think this would happen? Did you imagine they would do this?’
Steven sounded choked, ‘No, I never imagined this. I’m sorry, for everything.’
Caitlin placed her hand over his, and he faced her, his eyes weary, ‘It’s not your fault, Steven. None of it is.’
He removed his hand and stood up. ‘It is my fault. I should have left you alone. You would have led a happy, normal life if I had not come back for you. My grandparents would still be alive. I have caused unnecessary pain and death.’
Caitlin got up, her hands clasped together now. ‘Steven, stop it. Things just happen sometimes, for no reason, not due to cause and effect. Destiny has a way of steering life sometimes.’
Steven turned, his eyes narrowed, his hand clenched, ‘NO, this is not destiny. This is a bloody nightmare, and I hope I wake up soon. I want this to end.’
The way he shouted surprised her, Steven always stayed so calm, so composed. She gave a small smile. ‘Is this because of the way things are with us?’
Steven huffed, ‘Caitlin, for goodness sake, just get over yourself. My stepmother is DEAD, my mum is DEAD, my grandparents are DEAD, Adam is DEAD – so many have died because of me. The last thing on my mind is what you think of me, besides you have made it clear it’s over. I’m not going to mull any more. This situation is about more than our stupid romance.’ He made his way over to the TV, turned it on and then proceeded to play an Xbox game.
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