by Noah
Aiden.
Sam picked up Caleb’s limp body and burst through the bar, running up the steps, out the door, and with three strong leaps, jumping up into the air, carrying Caleb. He flew as fast as he could towards the only help he knew.
He only hoped that it wasn’t already too late.
CHAPTER TWENTY SIX
Caitlin flew down towards Warwick Castle in a panic. She was the first of her coven members to return from London, and she held Scarlet in her arms, clutching her tight. Scarlet had been in and out of consciousness for most of the trip, and over the last hour or so, Caitlin had seen welts begin to form on her face. She was out of her mind with grief and anxiety. She was certain now that Scarlet had caught the Plague.
She dove down, behind the inner walls of the castle, into the courtyard, and landed softly. She ran with Scarlet through the large oak door, and down the stone hallways.
"Aiden!" she screamed, her voice echoing in the empty corridors.
“AIDEN!”
But he was nowhere to be found, and she did not sense his presence anywhere on the property.
Where was he? she thought. Now, of all times, when she needed him most.
Caitlin hurried down a corridor, kicking a door open, and hurrying up a flight of steps. She knew that this wing of the castle held the bedrooms, and her first order of business was making Scarlet comfortable.
She kicked open another door, and found herself in a beautiful bedroom, with a large four-poster bed, enormous windows overlooking the river, and acres of rolling hills. It was peaceful in here, and the bedding was clean and luxurious. It would be a perfect place for Scarlet to rest.
She hurried over to the bed and draped Scarlet down, laying her head gently on the pillow. She reached over and brushed Scarlet's hair, now sticky, off her forehead. But Scarlet's eyes still hadn’t opened.
Caitlin was beginning to feel overwhelmed with panic. If it had been her, Caitlin, who was injured or sick, she wouldn't be worried—and if it had been a fellow vampire, she wouldn't be worried, either. But it was someone else, and someone she loved so dearly—and a human. She felt so helpless, and had no idea what to do.
She knew the horrible twists and turns the Plague could take. She knew, from her history books, that it had wiped out nearly a third of Europe. And she knew that once you got it, your chances of survival were not good. She also knew that the pain and suffering was intolerable, even for an adult.
Her heart broke, as she thought of the pain Scarlet might have to go through while the plague reached its worse over the next few days.
Caitlin ran across the room, grabbed a washcloth, dumped it in a bucket of cold water and squeezed it out. She hurried back to Scarlet’s side, reached up and wiped her forehead with it. It was burning hot.
As she did, Scarlet's eyes fluttered open a tiny bit. Sleepily, she looked over at Caitlin.
"Mommy, I'm so hot," Scarlet said. "It hurts so bad. Can you make it go away?"
Caitlin’s heart broke. She wished that now, more than ever, she was in the 21st century, that she could take Scarlet into a modern hospital, have them give her modern antibiotics, pain reducers, anti-inflammatories. Whatever they could to make her feel comfortable.
But here, in this time and place, there was little she could do except sit by her side, and watch it take its course.
"It's okay, sweetheart," Caitlin said. "It will go away.”
"Do you promise?" Scarlet asked.
Caitlin swallowed hard.
"I promise," she said.
Caitlin felt her heart breaking inside. She couldn't believe how much had happened so fast. Just hours ago she’d been having one of the greatest times of her life. Watching Romeo and Juliet.
Meeting Shakespeare. Celebrating her engagement party, all of her family and friends so close. She had felt truly happy and secure, as if nothing could ever change.
And then, it was as if a storm had hit.
First, Violet.
Then, Scarlet.
Scarlet's illness had taken Caitlin's mind off of Violet and Caleb. But now, she thought of him.
Where was Caleb? Why wasn't he here?
Caitlin became angry now. Did he linger behind, with Violet? Why hadn't he come back to Warwick? Hadn't he realized that Scarlet was sick?
As Caitlin thought about it, she realized that Caleb didn't know that Scarlet was sick, since it had happened outside the tavern. Still, she couldn't help but feeling mad at him. She wanted him to be there, right now, at her side, helping with Scarlet. Telling her that everything would be okay.
Because deep down, Caitlin felt that it would not. That her beautiful, incredible life had just taken a very, very bad turn for the worse. And that it would never turn back around. In fact, Caitlin couldn't imagine how things could possibly get any worse.
Until suddenly, the door crashed open. Sam rushed into the room, holding Caleb in his arms, and Caitlin's heart stopped.
She couldn't believe it. Caleb looked blue, lifeless. Her heart, already broken, broke again. She was wrong about one thing: things could indeed get much, much worse.
*
Caitlin helped Sam drape Caleb on the bed, laying him down beside Scarlet. The bed was so large, it held both of them easily, one on each side.
As Caitlin looked down at the sight, she couldn't believe it: lying there, side by side, were two people she loved most in the world, both draped out next to each other, both deathly ill. Scarlet, she could understand, even if she could not accept it. She had seen the flea bites. She knew what the Plague could do. And she was human.
But Caleb? She could not conceive what could be wrong with him. He was a vampire after all.
Immortal.
Wasn’t he?
"What happened?" she asked Sam, frantic. She felt her heart pounding in her mouth. She had never seen Caleb look so ill.
"I don't know," Sam said. "One minute he was sitting there, the next he collapsed. I flew him back here. The others are right behind me.”
As if on cue, the door burst open, and in rushed Polly, Lily, Tyler, and a dozen coven members, along with Ruth, who ran up to the bed, jumped up on it, and curled up beside Scarlet. She licked Scarlet’s face repeatedly, to no avail, then laid her nose on her chest and whined.
"But it's not possible," Caitlin repeated. “Caleb—" she said, then stopped, not knowing what to say. “He's one of us. How could he be sick like this?”
"I don't know," Sam said answered, solemnly.
Polly hurried over and knelt by Scarlet’s side, taking her limp hand.
"What happened to her?" she asked, filled with alarm.
As she looked, she saw ever-rising welts growing all over Scarlet's face. There was nothing else it could be. "The Plague," Caitlin pronounced grimly.
Sam stood and paced with anger.
"Maybe this was a coordinated attack," he said. “Both of them sick at the same time—it's too strange. But why them? And what could make a vampire sick?”
"Maybe it was an attack meant for someone else," Caitlin found herself saying aloud. Waves of guilt overcame her. Could it have been an attack meant for her?
"But what kind of attack?" Polly asked. "I don't know of anything that could do something like this to a vampire.”
"Neither do I," Tyler said, coming over and standing by the bed.
Caitlin found herself becoming overwhelmed with panic. She placed both hands on Caleb's shoulders, and slowly shook him. She felt so guilty now for having left when she did. Perhaps if she had stayed, it might have somehow prevented whatever had happened to him.
"Caleb," she whispered urgently. "Caleb, please, answer me.” But he didn't respond.
"Go find Aiden!" Caitlin suddenly found herself screaming, frantic. She turned to the crowd, who stood there, gaping. "Go! All of you! Find him!” she shrieked.
The entire group hurried its way out of the room, as if scared of her, closing the door behind them.
Caitlin now found herself alone in t
he room, with just Ruth and Scarlet and Caleb. She lay her head across Caleb's chest, and she couldn't help herself: she began weeping.
She reached over and grabbed his hand.
"Caleb. I'm so sorry. Please forgive me.”
Slowly, Caleb opened his eyes.
Caitlin's heart leapt, and she looked at him with new hope. His eyes were so glazed over, she almost didn’t recognize them.
"Caleb? Can you hear me?”
He slowly nodded, squeezing her hand gently.
"I'm so sorry," she repeated. "For leaving when I did.” He struggled to speak. "There is nothing between Violet and I…."
"I know," Caitlin said, crying. "I know that, Caleb. And I'm sorry for leaving.” Caleb nodded back, seeming to be satisfied, and closed his eyes again.
"Caleb?” she asked, trying to rouse him again. “Who did this to you? Were you attacked? Were you poisoned?”
But Caleb's eyes closed tight, and he didn’t respond.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Caleb slowly opened his lips.
"Jade. Don't worry. Daddy will be home soon.”
Caleb's heart fell. Jade. His son. He was hallucinating. And talking of leaving this earth.
Caitlin felt more frantic than ever.
"Caleb!" she screamed, shaking his shoulders violently.
But it didn't do any good. His eyes closed, and didn't open again.
CHAPTER TWENTY SEVEN
Caitlin ran. A huge, blood-red sun sat on the horizon, and she ran right for it, through a field of mud. She looked down, and saw that the field was alive, and was completely blanketed with rats.
Thousands and thousands of rats squealed as she ran through them, and as she did, she saw fleas jumping off of them in every direction. A swarm of fleas hovered in the air, and they climbed up and down her legs, covering her entire body, biting her like crazy. She felt her skin on fire from all the bites; she swatted them, but she couldn’t get them off.
On the horizon she saw her father, silhouetted against the sun. And she knew that if she could only reach him, she would be safe.
But this time, his face was obscured. And the more she ran, the further away he became.
She slowly sank into the mud as she went, getting lower with each step. Finally, she couldn't run any further, completely stuck, and completely covered by fleas, and then rats, all biting her in every direction.
She saw before her two coffins. One was large, and the other the size for a child. Caleb lay in one, and Scarlet in the other. They were both covered with welts, and they were both dead.
Caitlin reached out, one hand touching one coffin and one the other, as she screamed. She was trying desperately to reach them, to bring them back. But she herself was being sucked into the earth.
As she flailed, about to be completely swallowed by the mud and rats and fleas, she reached out and grabbed onto one last thing. She looked up, and saw that she was holding a large, golden key. It was attached to a rope, which hung from a tree. She grabbed it with both hands, and slowly pulled herself up.
Suddenly, her father stood over her, still a silhouette against the sun.
"The key, Caitlin," he said slowly. "It can save you. Find it on the mount of judgment. Saint Michael's Mount."
Caitlin woke with a fright, sitting straight up. She looked around, disoriented, and finally realized that it had all been a dream. She was breathing hard, and covered in sweat. She slowly brushed the damp hair out of her face and looked around, trying to get her bearings.
It was nighttime now, and she was still in the room with Caleb and Scarlet. She had fallen asleep lying on top of them, draped across their bed.
She looked up at them, and saw that they were both fast asleep, neither moving, Ruth draped across Scarlet’s chest.
She sensed a presence and suddenly turned.
There, on the opposite side of the room, stood a lone figure. Still disoriented, for a second she thought it was her father.
But as she blinked several times, she realized it was not. She was really awake this time. And it was not her father. It was Aiden.
He studied her, concern etched across his face.
Caitlin stood and faced him.
"Please," she pleaded. "Can you help them?" She hurried over and grabbed both his hands.
"Please.”
Aiden slowly stepped forward, past her, to the bedside.
He looked down at them both grimly, as Caitlin crowded behind him.
First, he went over to Scarlet’s side, reached out, and laid a hand on her forehead. He closed his eyes for several seconds.
Finally, he opened them.
He looked grimly at Caitlin.
"It's not good," he said. "As you suspected, the Plague. She is human. She is frail. It can go either way."
Caitlin felt her heart sink.
"Is there anything we can do? Anything at all?"
Aiden slowly shook his head. “She is human," was all he said.
Caitlin felt her heart tearing in two. She couldn't bear the thought of Scarlet dying. And she didn't know how she could go on without her.
Aiden walked over to Caleb's side, and laid a hand on his forehead. After several seconds, Aiden opened his eyes. This time though, he retracted his hand quickly, as if bit by a snake. He turned and looked at Caitlin with a look of shock.
She had never seen him surprised before.
"He has been poisoned," he pronounced.
Caitlin was shocked.
"Poisoned? By who? What kind of poison? Aren’t vampires immune?”
"It is a very special type of poison. One I haven't seen in a thousand years. One meant for vampires. This was an attack. A murder attempt, definitely."
Caitlin fell her heart falling, afraid to ask the next question.
“Will he live?”
But she already saw the defeated look on Aiden's face.
“There is no cure for a poison like this," he finally said, softly. "I'm afraid he hasn’t long left."
"No," Caitlin wailed, breaking into tears. "I refuse to allow that!"
Aiden looked back at her, sadly.
"Do you remember that night, back in Pollepel?” he asked. “When you asked to be sent back? I warned you. I told you that time travel was risky. Dangerous. That anything could happen. You knew this, yet you chose to go back. I’m sorry, but you have to be prepared to let go at some point.”
"No!" Caitlin screamed. "Not now. We're about to start a life together. We're about to get married! I can’t allow it! It can't be!"
Caitlin sobbed, throwing her head on Caleb's chest.
She turned and looked up at Aiden, with a new ferocity, and stared into his eyes.
"Back in Pollepel,” she said, “you found a way. So there has to be a way now. There MUST be a way. And if anyone knows it, it's you. Tell me. Please. Think hard. Anything!” Aiden got up and paced. He went to the window, looking out.
After several moments, he sighed, looking grim.
"There is one possibility," he said.
Caitlin's eyes lit up with hope. She ran over to his side, hanging onto his every word.
He faced her.
"But it is risky,” he continued, “It could very likely kill you in the process, even if it saved him."
"Tell me," she said without hesitation. "Whatever it is. Please, tell me. I'll do it.” He stared at her, and his eyes burned right through her.
"Yes, you would do it, wouldn't you? You would kill yourself for him. You truly love him, don’t you?"
Caitlin cried.
"Yes, I do.” She wiped away her tears. "Please, tell me.”
"His maker," Aiden finally said. "The one who turned him. There is an ancient vampire legend that if one vampire is dying, there is one last way to save them: to find the vampire who turned him.
You would need to extract a vial of the turner’s blood, then feed it to the vampire who is sick. Then maybe, just maybe, it could heal him.”
Caitlin's eyes starte
d to brighten with optimism.
"Wait," Aiden snapped, pessimistic. "It’s not that simple. That is just the first step. Once the sick person is fed the blood, he must then feed on the blood of a healthy vampire—a vampire that truly loves him. You see, the sick vampire is supported by two spirits—the one who turned him, and the one he loves now. Then, and only then, will he have a chance for revival.” Aiden sighed, pacing again.
“But it brings considerable risk,” he added. “The vampire he feeds on, the one he loves, will almost certainly die in the process. She gives up her life for the one she loves."
The words went off like a bomb in Caitlin's mind. She would have to find his turner. Violet. She would have to go to her and ask for her help. Then she would have to allow Caleb to feed on her, Caitlin. In the process, Caleb may or may not live. And Caitlin would likely die.
"I'll do it," she said, deciding on the spot.
Aiden shook his head.
"Foolish," he said. “Rash. Impetuous. He will likely die anyway. And you will likely die, too. And then you will both be wasted.”
“And if I do nothing?” Caitlin asked.
Aiden looked grim. “Then he will certainly die.”
Caitlin was resolved.
“How do I do it?” she asked.
Aiden looked at her, disapproving.
"And what of your quest?" he asked. "Your search? Your father? The shield? The entire vampire and human races? Are you that selfish, to sacrifice all of it for one man?” Caitlin suddenly remembered her dream.
"I dreamt of him last night. My father. He held a key. And he told me to find him on St.
Michael's Mount. What does that mean?”
Aiden's eyes opened wide.
"The mount of judgment. Of course. Saint Michael was the angel of judgment. Your father is telling you to find the key on St. Michael's Mount. It is an ancient vampire stronghold. It makes perfect sense. Yes, that is exactly where the key must be.”
He stepped forward and held her shoulders and stared at her intently.
“You must go there immediately,” he said.
