by Morgan Rice
rumors, whispers. But he didn’t want to upset her.
“Tel me,” she said. “What did they say?”
“They say that you want to be turned. And that you’l use anyone to get it.”
Kendra looked back at the sky, and for the first time in the day, she broke into a smile.
“Do you believe them?”
Sam shrugged. “I don’t know. I don’t even know you.”
“Wel , don’t. It’s al gossiping. Backbiting. The only way they can get at me. It’s because I’m superior to them. They know they can never be like me. So they pretend that I want to be like them.”
Sam studied her. He didn’t know what to believe. Al he knew for sure was that he was completely enamored of her.
And whether she was being truthful or not, he stil felt sorry for her.
She turned to him, final y, propped herself on her elbow, and looked him right in the eyes. She was only inches away, and he felt his heart race faster.
“Do you think that’s the only reason I want to be with you?”
she asked.
Sam shrugged. She was so close, he could smel her skin, her perfume. He could hardly concentrate, and didn’t trust himself to speak.
As she came in closer, he felt his heart pounding. She was now only inches away.
“Wel , it’s not,” she said.
And then, suddenly, she moved in, ever closer, until both of their lips were touching.
And from that moment on, Sam knew that he was completely, utterly, lost.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Kyle stood before the Bastil e, hiding in the shadows in that special moment between darkness and light. He knew this would be the time of the changing of the guard, when the night shift vampires would be replaced by the day ones. He knew this would be the moment when they were most vulnerable to attack, and when they would least expect it.
He only needed one entry point. One weak, young, vulnerable, and inexperienced vampire. He could take him out, and get inside. It was a crucial first step. Before he could direct Napoleon and his men in a ful -fledged attack, he needed to do his reconnaissance first. He needed to make sure that the savage seven were stil down there, and he needed to find the angle to set them free.
He watched, and waited.
This was a funny building, the Bastil e, a circular, stone tower that rose right up to the sky. It almost looked like a lighthouse in the center of the city. There were no windows
— just a few iron bars here and there. Kyle spotted the multiple layers of silver bars, and knew why they were there.
Inside, deep underground, lay seven of the most vicious creatures that had walked the planet. He had heard that, in addition to the silver, there was another layer of a special metal instal ed, to contain them. He needed to find out exactly which type of metal it was. Once he did, he would know what he needed to break it.
Kyle saw his opportunity, and moved quick. As the shift changed, one of the guards moved just a little bit slower than the others, on the far side of the building. Kyle crept up behind him, and before he could react, reached up and snapped his neck.
The man col apsed, lifeless, and as he did, Kyle grabbed the key off his waist. It was a long, silver skeleton key, and Kyle turned and opened the lock on the silver door. He could have kicked it down, but he didn’t want to cal attention to himself. He was stil vastly outnumbered, and he didn’t know the extent of their protection and didn’t want to risk a confrontation.
Kyle dragged the body so that it would not be detected, and shut the door behind them.
Kyle turned and surveyed his surroundings. It took a moment for his eyes to adjust to the darkness. The only light that came in came from way up high, through bars high above. It was a circular structure inside as wel , with the corridors shaped in steep circles, rising and fal ing from the top of the tower to the basement. It was al stone.
Kyle headed down. He knew that down there, deep in the bowels of the earth, would be where they were locked up.
As he descended level after level, deeper than he imagined possible, hundreds of feet beneath the earth, final y, the staircase ended in a wal . He knew there had to be something behind it.
Kyle took several steps back and charged, putting his shoulder into it. The wal gave way, stone col apsing everywhere in a big crash. He hadn’t wanted to cal such attention to himself, but he saw no other choice.
As he suspected, he saw the staircase continue of the other side, descending even further down.
He took off at a sprint, knowing there was no time to lose.
Final y, he reached it. The staircase ended in massive columns of silver bars, thicker than he had ever seen. More important, he could tel right away that they were coated in some kind of material.
As he reached out to touch them, he felt a burning in his palms, and felt himself being repel ed. This metal was too toxic, even for him.
He gazed closely, trying to detect what it was. Final y, he realized: titanium. The most toxic of al metals for vampires.
He looked past them, and saw additional layers of bars behind them.
He had no doubt now that the savage seven were being kept here.
Kyle heard a faint rumbling noise. As he leaned in, suddenly a long, yel ow claw reached out of the blackness, towards the bars. This was fol owed by a hideous face, with long, orange fangs, drooling. He could smel its rotten breath, even from here. Ancient, primordial creatures, the savage seven were too hideous too look at, even for Kyle, and he had to turn away. For a moment, he felt relieved that they were locked up, and he second-guessed releasing them.
Would he be unleashing a danger greater than even he could control?
But he had no choice. These creatures were just what he needed to unleash a monumental chaos upon the city, and to catch and kil Caitlin. He’d have to risk it.
Don’t worry, he thought, I’l come back for you and set you free.
As if reading his mind, the other six suddenly appeared, too, snarling back.
Suddenly, Kyle heard a rattling behind him. He spun to see several guards bearing down on him.
He was surprised they were so close: they had been quicker than he’d expected.
Before he could react, Kyle felt himself being picked up and slammed into the silver bars. He felt pain rack through his entire body. He was shocked, more than anything else, to realize how powerful these vampire guards were. Paris had certainly spared no expense in guarding this place.
But Kyle was no slouch. He’d been alive for thousands of years longer than most, and he had plenty of tricks up his sleeve. He summoned his primordial rage, and managed to grab two of the four guards facing him and smash their heads together.
They col apsed, but the other two jumped Kyle, knocking him down and kicking him several times. He was stunned by their speed and strength, but he managed to catch his breath just long enough to grab one of their feet, break his ankle, and swing him into the other guard.
But it barely phased them. The four guards immediately recovered, and were pouncing back for Kyle. He couldn’t believe how fast they were.
He didn’t want to risk fighting them any longer. Now was not the time. He saw his chance, and he leapt through the crowd, taking off at a sprint, back up the staircase.
They were right on his heels.
Kyle realized he could not outrun them, and he leapt into flight. Using his wings, he flew higher and higher, up the staircase, up the shaft, aiming right for the ceiling. He knew he couldn’t risk stopping, so he gained speed and braced himself for impact.
He smashed through the stone ceiling, and seconds later was in the air, flying fast away.
He flew off into the horizon, and turned back to see the guards standing on the roof, watching him. But luckily for him, they wouldn’t fol ow. Their orders were to guard the Bastil e.
Kyle was stunned from the ordeal as he flew away, and realized he’d need more manpower than he needed. He l
ooked forward to returning, to storming the place with Napoleon’s men, and demolishing the place down to the ground.
CHAPTER TWENTY
CHAPTER TWENTY
Holding Ruth in her arms, Caitlin flew beside Aiden, high over the country.
She looked down and watched as the landscape changed.
At first, they had flown over the shoreline, and she had watched the crashing waves, the magical cliffs and beaches; then they had turned towards land, and the landscape changed to rol ing hil s, then to woods. It was an entirely new part of France, one she had never seen, and she couldn’t believe how endless this country seemed.
Caitlin felt torn with mixed emotions as she flew. On the one hand, she was happy to be beside Aiden, beside someone she knew and trusted, someone who, she knew, would not abandon her. She was excited to see wherever it was he would take her, and excited to begin her training and her mission anew. She wondered if she might see Pol y there, and the thought warmed her. She also wondered if Blake could be there, and the thought left a pit in her stomach.
She wasn’t sure how she would react to that.
At the same time, her heart stil broke at the thought of leaving Caleb. She imagined him arriving home, at his empty castle, and finding her gone. She had never promised him she would stay. But stil , he seemed to hope she would. He would not know where to find her. Would this be the last time they ever saw each other?
Had she turned her back on a perfect life? If she’d waited just wait a few more days, it was possible that al would be peaceful and tranquil with Caleb, for the rest of their lives.
Was she leaving prematurely?
Caitlin couldn’t help feeling as if she was were swept up in an endless tide of events; it felt like an undercurrent in an ocean, taking her out further and further, to more clues, back to another time, another place, another artifact, another key. She prayed that this might be the final time and place, that this time, for sure, she would find her father and the Shield. Then maybe, after it was al done, she could stay in one place. And maybe even stay with Caleb. Would her father like Caleb? It was a question that had often crossed her mind.
Caitlin looked down and watched as the thick woods eventual y gave way to open fields, and as eventual y, these, too, gave way, to formal, wel -tended roads. The sky opened up, and in the distance, on the horizon, Caitlin spotted the most magnificent structure she had ever seen.
It wasn’t just one structure but several—huge marble buildings, spread out over an enormous compound, separated by formal, ornate gardens, with a huge fountain in the middle. Flying over it, circling, again and again, Caitlin marveled that anything manmade could be that perfect. It looked like a palace fit for a king.
As she fol owed Aiden, circling, getting lower, she began to realize that this was where his coven lived. She was shocked. Pol epel had been magnificent, and so had his island outside of Venice. But this place outdid them al . She vaguely recognized the buildings, and wondered if she had seen pictures once somewhere.
“Where are we?” she yel ed out, as they circled lower.
They dove in low, and landed on a road on the edge of the woods.
As they landed, he turned and looked at her:
“Versail es,” he said. “Your new home. At least, while you choose to train here.”
A servant stepped forward from behind a horse and carriage, dressed in royal finery. He took several steps towards Aiden, and bowed.
“You wil now receive your formal introduction to the palace,” he said. As he did, the servant hurried around and opened the gilded door to the carriage for Caitlin, waiting for her.
She was confused. “What about you? Aren’t you coming?”
“I have important matters to attend to. You’l be shown your room, and when you are ready, you’l meet me on the training field.”
And with that, he took several steps and leapt into the air, flying off.
Caitlin turned to the servant, who stil stood there, holding the door.
“Thank you,” she said, embarrassed to be waited upon.
“You don’t need to hold the door. I’m not royalty, after al .”
He smiled back as Caitlin stepped up into the carriage, and then closed it behind her.
It was smal and cozy in here, as Caitlin settled back on velvet cushions, Ruth in her lap, and looked out the dainty glass window. The servant jumped on board, whipped the horses, and they were off, the horses trotting, taking Caitlin through the manicured road leading to the palace.
Caitlin leaned forward and looked, and Ruth did, too. She marveled at the perfectly cut grass, the endless, formal gardens designed in every shape, the huge fountain bursting at its center, the perfectly trimmed hedges. She marveled at how smooth the roads were, how white they were, how wel taken care of. It was like riding on air.
As they pul ed up to the main entrance, Caitlin saw several people come out to greet her. She felt embarrassed. The sleek, marble steps, were already crowded with servants, royals, al sorts of people teeming, waiting to get a glimpse of her. They al watched with expectation as the carriage pul ed up.
They came to a stop and the servant opened the door for her, and she slowly climbed out.
As she looked at the crowd, at al their fine outfits and elaborate hats, she suddenly felt self-conscious of what she was wearing. She looked down and was mortified to see that she stil wore the simple wardrobe the nuns had given her.
Caitlin ascended the steps—there seemed to be hundreds of them—until she final y reached the top. The crowd stared back. She wondered who exactly was supposed to introduce her, to show her around, now that Aiden had left her to her own devices. She scanned the faces, hoping to find someone familiar, and especial y hoping to find Pol y.
But she didn’t recognize anyone. And she suddenly felt like a stranger here.
Caitlin heard a giggling, and turned to see several girls, dressed in incredible finery, whispering and laughing at her, as they eyed her from head to toe. Caitlin felt her cheeks redden. Clearly, they were making fun of her.
Caitlin suddenly felt under scrutiny, and wanted to leave this place. Everyone here seemed so formal, so uptight, so judgmental. And she didn’t recognize anyone. She was thinking of turning around and leaving, when suddenly, someone stepped forward from the crowd.
She was one of the most beautiful women Caitlin had ever seen. She was dressed in a long, green, satin dress, with high col ars that framed her perfect cheekbones. She had dark skin, standing out amidst al the pale, white faces, and she looked to Caitlin to be of African descent, and maybe 18. She had large, emerald green eyes and long lashes, and she stood so erect, with such a straight posture, so regal. Caitlin wondered if she were a princess.
She turned to the girls who were giggling and scowled at them.
“Silence yourselves!” she snapped. “That is not how we treat our guests!”
The group of girls quieted.
The woman took two steps towards Caitlin, and curtsied.
Caitlin curtsied back, trying her best to remain dignified.
She was so grateful for this woman’s intervention, whoever she was.
“It is a great pleasure to meet you, Caitlin,” she said. “Aiden has told us al about you. I am Lily.”
Caitlin shook her hand. “Thank you,” she said.
“I’ve asked Aiden for the honor of escorting you, and showing you our grounds. Would you like to accompany me?”
“I’d be delighted,” Caitlin said, relieved to be away from this crowd.
Caitlin stepped up, linked arms with Lily, and the two of them began walking away from the steps, Ruth at her heels.
“Don’t mind them,” Lily whispered to Caitlin as they walked, the crowd parting ways. “They are young. And bored.”
Caitlin couldn’t help smiling. She real y liked Lily already, and already felt that they would be close friends.
“Caitlin!” suddenly came an excited voice.
Caitlin recognized the voi
ce immediately.
She turned, and there, rushing at her, dressed in a royal gown but otherwise looking exactly as she’d remembered her, was Pol y.
Pol y came rushing towards her and embraced her in a huge hug, before Caitlin could even react.
Ruth whined hysterical y, until Pol y leaned down and hugged her, too.
“Oh my God, I can’t believe it!” she said in a rush. “I had a dream about you last night. It was so weird. I mean I know I’ve never met you before. At least not formal y. But in the dream it was like, I remembered everything. Pol epel, Venice—the whole thing. Was it real y you? I can’t believe it!”
Caitlin couldn’t help smiling back. She was delighted to see Pol y, and even more delighted that she remembered.
“Yes, it was me. It is me. The same old Caitlin. I’m so happy you’re here.”
Pol y embraced her in a second hug. Judging from the stares of al the formal people around them, it seemed that Pol y was breaking etiquette.
“Oh my God, it’s incredible!” she said. “We have so much catching up to do. I have to show you around,” she said, as she grabbed her arm and began to lead her away.
Caitlin stopped and turned to Lily, who seemed disappointed.
“Lily was just about to,” Caitlin explained to Pol y. “I’d like for her to join us.”
“Oh my god, of course!” Pol y said. “Lily is awesome!”
And with that, Pol y locked one arm with Lily and one with Caitlin, practical y dragging the two of them away from the crowd.
They walked towards the huge marble entrance of the palace. Caitlin had never been in such a magnificent place in her life. Not only was everything built in such a grand scale, but everything was so wel -maintained. Everywhere she looked, she saw freshly cut flowers. The floors were draped in magnificent rugs, there were endless wal hangings, tapestries, oil paintings; there were rare china vases.
If that were not enough, huge crystal chandeliers hung everywhere, their light reflected by dozens of ornate mirrors. The sun shone through rows of windows larger any she had ever seen.
