TEN

Caitlin lay curled up in a ball on her bed. She had been lying like that for hours. Caleb was long gone now, as was Sera. She didn’t know how many hours had passed since she’d told him to leave. Since then, she hadn’t been able to move. She just lay there, frozen, wanting to die.

How could he do this to her? A child? How could he have not told her?

Then again, she wondered, did he really have an obligation to? They had only known each other for weeks—or was it days? Caitlin was surprised to think of it. It felt like they had been together for years already. Maybe their connection was more fleeting than she thought?

No. That wasn’t right. It was definitely something more. She saw it in his eyes. She felt it in his heart. He had strong feelings for her, there was no question about it. So then why had he kept his past secret from her?

Maybe he had just been waiting for the right time. Technically, they weren’t even officially dating. What were they exactly? Caitlin felt as if they were above labels, as if they had skipped all those steps. What they had was stronger. Deep down, she felt as if they were already together, forever. Crazy, she knew, but that was how she felt. And that was how she thought Caleb felt, too.

He should have told her. If he had truly expected to be with her forever, then he could have found an opportunity to give her the news. Sera and I have a child together. Why couldn’t he have told her? Why was he hiding it from her? Didn’t she have a right to know?

And what of their child? Was it a boy or girl? How old was he or she? She imagined it was a boy. Were Caleb and he close? If not, why not?

And what else wasn’t he telling her?

These questions swirled around and around in Caitlin’s brain, as she tried to make sense of the whole thing. A part of her wanted to excuse him, to explain it all away, and lying here now, she kicked herself for not at least hearing him out, hearing his side of the story.

But another part, a stronger part, felt betrayed. After all, she had seen them kissing. There was no doubt about that. That could only mean one thing: Caleb was still in love with her. There was no other logical explanation.

Caitlin curled up, tighter, wanting to just disappear. Now, of all times, she was cursed with immortality. Going through this heartache was hard enough; now, she’d have to suffer with it not just for one lifetime—but forever. Maybe she shouldn’t have asked to be turned. Maybe she should have just let herself die in that church. It certainly would have been less painful.

Caitlin felt something wet on her face, and looked up to see Rose, licking her, prodding her with her snout. Rose started to whine, as she licked Caitlin more aggressively. She must have sensed Caitlin’s emotions.

Caitlin reached out and patted her, stroking her face. Thank God for Rose. Caitlin didn’t know what she would do without her.

As Rose kept licking and prodding, Caitlin found herself sitting up in bed, slowly snapping out of it. She looked around the room, and wondered: what now? She knew that down below there was an entire community of vampires that had taken her in. They were probably waiting to meet her. Should she go down there?

But Caitlin didn’t really feel up to meeting anyone right now. The pain was too raw, too intense. She needed to be alone, and to sort out her feelings.

She looked over, and saw, on the small, ancient desk in the corner, that it was still sitting there. Her journal. Her old, trusted friend.

Yes, she thought, that’s it. That was what she needed. Pen and paper. To sort it all out. As always, everything had happened so quickly. She could barely remember the events of the last few days, much less the last few weeks. She needed to remind herself.

Caitlin walked over to the desk and sat on the small, medieval chair. She lit a candle, and it illuminated the worn pages of her journal. She turned them back slowly, as the brittle pages made a soft, crackling noise. In the candlelight, she picked up the pen, rested her forehead in one hand, and began to write.

*

How did I get here? And where is here, exactly? I don’t even know anymore. I’m in a room, at the top of a tower, on some remote island, on some huge river. I feel like a fairy princess. Except, my prince charming has just left me.

Where to begin? Caleb. Always with Caleb. Since we first met, there’s been little else I’ve been able to think about. Days and weeks followed, but always, he dominates my thoughts. And my feelings.

When we first met, he was suddenly there at my side, saving me, racing me through the streets in a whirlwind. It seems like nothing has changed in our relationship. Again and again, it follows the same pattern: we are in danger, he is saving me. And the sad thing is, I’ve never really had a chance to thank him, and to tell him how much I love him.

The last few weeks were magical…New York, Salem, Martha’s Vineyard, Edgartown, the Aquinnah Cliffs, and finally, the Freedom Trail. Always on the hunt for the ancient Sword supposed to save mankind.

The deeper we got in our search, the more I started to believe it, the more I started to believe that maybe, after all, I was The One. Maybe it was all true. Maybe I did come from some special lineage that could help save mankind….

The clues lead to more clues, and finally, we found it.

But I’m getting ahead of myself.

First, Caleb and I found each other. On Martha’s Vineyard, on the beach, under the Aquinnah Cliffs, we had a magical night together. We finally had a chance to express our love for each other. We became a couple, and things changed forever between us.

But after we found the Sword, the malevolent vampires stole it away. They also kidnapped my brother, Sam. And then they stabbed me. Caleb was forced to stay with me, instead of chasing after them.

I could have died. I should have died. I felt my life ebbing away. But I insisted that Caleb turn me. I didn’t know if he would. But I hoped. And prayed.

And here I am. Still alive. But alive in immortality.

I woke here, on this remote island. I am different now. No longer a mere human. I feel stronger, more confident. But also more emotional.

The worst blow, ironically, was reserved for the one closest to me, for Caleb himself. Just when I thought we’d be together forever, I discover he’s still with his ex-wife. And I caught them kissing. Worse, she told me they have a child. I have no idea what else Caleb is hiding from me.

I told him to leave. I couldn’t bear talking to him after that. Maybe he would have explained it away, but I don’t really see how. He left, and flew away, and with his flight, he took all my hopes and dreams with him.

I don’t know what life will look like now. And I don’t know if I want to…

*

“Going to sleep all day, are you?” came a quick, jovial voice, in a heavy Irish accent.

Caitlin looked up, trying to figure out where she was, who was talking to her.

As she slowly sat up, she felt the stiffness in her joints, and realized that she had fallen asleep in the chair, head resting on the desk. Before her lay her open Journal. She must have fallen asleep writing.

She could see the sunlight streaming in through the window. Had she slept like that all night?

Caitlin looked up and saw a pretty girl, maybe 17, standing over her, less than a foot away, looking down. She was struck by the girl’s beauty, and her presence. Her skin was a very pale shade of translucent white, her hair was a light brown, and her eyes, large and shining, were a shade of blue. The girl was smiling wide, and her entire demeanor exuded a feeling of happiness and joy.

Caitlin had no idea who she was, or why she was speaking to her, but she could sense already that this girl was of her race—a vampire—and that she was a very kind and happy person.

“You’ve already missed the morning bell, you know,” the girl said, still smiling. “Aiden won’t be pleased. Not to mention there are scores and scores of people who want you to meet. They’re all dying with excitement, you know. First of all, me,” she said all in a rush, excitedly, and leaned back and reached out her hand. “Polly is my name. I’m your new best friend—if I may be so bold. That is, if you’ll have me. There are not many girls like us. I was so thrilled when they dropped you off. But you’re always sleeping.” Polly said, in a rush. “I’ve been waiting forever for you to wake up!”

Caitlin didn’t know which part of her speech to respond to first. She immediately liked her, and she reached out and shook her icy cold hand, slowly waking, trying to process it all. Polly spoke so fast, and so excitedly, and with her Irish accent, it was hard to take it all in. But it certainly brought Caitlin out of herself, made her completely forget what she’d been thinking.

“And who is this?” Polly asked, as Rose ran over and jumped on her. Polly kneeled and gave Rose a hug. Rose was squealing like crazy as she leaned up and licked her face. “Wow! They hadn’t told me about this! A new pet on the island, then!? Double the excitement! I had no idea. Is this a real wolf pup? And what is your name, darling?”

“Rose,” Caitlin said.

“Rose! How delightful. Yes, perfect. You are quite the Rose, aren’t you?”

Caitlin didn’t quite know what to say. She still didn’t really know who this person was, or how she should respond to any of it. It was all happening so fast.

“I’m sorry…” Caitlin began, “who are you again?”

“You’re not the only one on this island, dear,” Polly began with a smile, “there are scores of us you know. All down below. We’re one big, happy family as they say. But no point sitting here and talking about it. Let’s go see for ourselves. I’ve been assigned to give you the tour. To tell the truth, I volunteered. I was dying and dying to meet you, and I wanted to be first,” Polly said, and without hesitating grabbed Caitlin’s hand, and led her happily out the open door.

As they entered the open air, Caitlin felt stabs of pain and recoiled at the harsh sunlight; she immediately lowered her head and covered her eyes.

“Oh dear, you haven’t been out in the sunlight yet, have you?” Polly asked.

The pain was so intense, it was unlike anything Caitlin had ever felt. It was her first experience as a true, full vampire in the sun, and it was oppressive. She tried, but couldn’t open her eyes.

She felt a soft hand on her forehead. “Lean back, dear. This won’t take but a minute.”

Caitlin leaned back, and Polly reached over and put two drops from a small canister into each of Caitlin’s eyes. Caitlin felt the burning sensation, as she clutched her eyes again. She waited several seconds, then she was able to open them.

She breathed deeply, the pain gone.

“You’re one of us now,” Polly said. “You can’t get away with prancing about wherever you please, like a human. The sunlight is a real thing for you now. No joke. You must take these drops every morning,” she said, thrusting a canister into Caitlin’s hand, “and use your skin wraps, too.”

Polly inspected Caitlin’s skin. “I see you’ve already been wrapped, so that will do for now. But you have to replace them, you know, at least every few days.”

Polly took Caitlin’s arm and led her across the terrace, and down a narrow, winding stone staircase. “Come on Rose, we can’t wait all day!” Polly said.

Rose hesitated at the top, looking down at the steep staircase, then suddenly bounded to life, following close behind.

Polly laughed. “Poor thing, she’s probably famished. How long has it been since you fed her?”

Caitlin tried to think. She couldn’t even remember.

“We’ll take care of you, too,” Polly said to Rose, petting her.

As they descended the steps, Caitlin began to feel better, more like herself. She took an instant liking to Polly, and already felt as if she knew her forever. She already had a new friend, someone who clearly cared about her, and she had Rose. She also realized that she hadn’t seen daylight in days, and seeing the sun and sky lifted her spirits.

Not to mention, Polly was right. Rose needed to be fed. Things needed to happen in the real world. Life needed to go on. Yes, she would have to snap out of it, to function again. Life could indeed go on without Caleb, she realized, as painful as that felt.

As they descended the steps, Caitlin thought of all the new friends she was about to meet, and, if they were anything like Polly, she actually looked forward to it. Yes, she needed to meet new people. Anything to get the thought of Caleb out of her mind.

As they descended the stairs, twisting again and again, Caitlin was afforded a bird’s-eye view of the entire island, in every direction. It was beautiful. The stone castle and its ramparts spread out in every direction, some taller, some lower, most of it crumbling, but some of it, especially inside the courtyard, beautifully intact. There were plenty of open courtyards in every direction, planted with vibrant grass and gardens, and there were acres of land beyond the castle walls, all filled with a dense forest. The island seemed to be in a state of ruin, yet at the same time, it felt very comfortable, lived in. And everywhere, in every direction, she could see the river, sunlight glistening off the water. Fresh breezes came from every direction, and cooled her as she descended.

“Where are we?” Caitlin asked. “I mean, this island. What country are we in?”

Polly laughed playfully.

“My dear, you are disoriented, aren’t you? We are still in the good old US of A. In fact, we are still in New York. That water you see all around you, as big as it is, is not an ocean. It’s just a river. The Hudson, actually. You’re right smack in the middle of it. And not even that far from Manhattan. Just 70 miles. Or, in our mode of transportation, a twenty minute flight,” she said with a wink.

A million questions raced through Caitlin’s mind, but before she could ask, Polly began again, in her chipper tone, “This island is named Pollepel. The humans like to call it Bannerman’s Island, just because they don’t know what it’s really called, but Pollepel is the name. It’s been here since ancient times, and it’s always been a sacred place for our kind. For thousands of years, we used this place exclusively, no humans allowed. Even the Indians were scared of it: it was practically the only place in America they wouldn’t dare come. They knew that it was ours.

“Then the Dutch came along, in the 1600s, with their tall sailing ships. That’s when it got its proper name. Pollepel is Dutch for “Polly.” They named it after a young girl who got stuck on the ice and came ashore here, rescued by the man who married her. In case you’re wondering,” she said with a grin, “that’s how I got my name, too. Polly. Hope you like it. I was dropped off here as an infant. Abandoned by my parents, you might say. This coven, they took me in. In fact, this island is the only place I’ve ever known. When they dropped me here, our fellow vampires didn’t know what to name me. So they named me after this place. Some people say I am this place. Like I said, I’ve never known any place else. Not that I’d want to.

“But it’s not all about me, as I often forget,” Polly said in a rush. “There are dozens of us here, and I love them all—bratty and unruly as all of them are. We all belong to the same coven, the Pollepel Coven. One, big happy family, as they say—although we’re not that big, and most of the times, we’re not that happy with each other. That’s what living on an island will do to you. Especially when you’re all stuck in your teenage years for the rest of your lives.”

Caitlin looked down, and could see all of the teenage vampires spread out below. They were in small groups, all over the courtyards. Most of them were engaged in some sort of training—some were fighting with mock, wooden swords, others were throwing spears, pole vaulting. It almost felt like a military camp, but more relaxed.

“We are a coven of misfits,” Polly continued. “There are just 23 of us—actually, 24 now, with you here. We’re a pretty select group, I’d say. We’re all here because no one else will have us.”

“What do you mean?” Caitlin asked, finally able to get a word in. The more she talked, the more Caitlin felt at home with Polly. But it was really hard to get a word in with her. She spoke so fast, and barely took a breath.

“We’re all vampire misfits,” Polly said, matter-of-factly. “You don’t get dropped off here unless you’ve done something wrong, or are a huge pain in the ass. Unless someone, somewhere, doesn’t want you. Unless you’re on the run from something. Ours is the coven that takes you in when no one else will.

“I, for example, was dropped here as an orphan; others were dropped here because they’re half-breeds, or products of a forbidden relationship. Still others were left here because they have special powers, powers that others in the vampire world don’t understand, and won’t accept. It makes for quite fun dinner conversation, I’d say,” Rose said with another wink.

So that’s why Caleb dropped me here, Caitlin thought. No other coven would take me in. Certainly, his wouldn’t. And he didn’t know where else to bring me.

It all made sense to Caitlin now. Once again, she was the outcast. But strangely enough, this time she felt as if she fit in, as if she weren’t the only one who was odd. Maybe she could make friends here, find the community she never really had. The island was certainly beautiful enough, and she could already see herself feeling at home here. Maybe even, over time, she might stop thinking about Caleb. After all, what other choice did she have?

They entered the courtyard of the huge castle, and Polly led her through the training grounds, past several vampires. Caitlin fell a familiar nervousness in her stomach, as if she were showing up at her first day at a new school. She realized she was nervous to meet these people; she hoped that they liked her.

“This is Tyler and Taylor,” Polly said, gesturing. “Vampire twins. You don’t see that often. Their coven didn’t want them, so they ended up here. Good for us. They are some fighters. And while we always know what each other is thinking, those two really know what each other are thinking.”

Caitlin watched them. The identical brother and sister were startlingly attractive, maybe 16, and the two of them sparred against each other with bamboo swords, going blow for blow, parrying each other’s every move. They were each worked up in a sweat.

As Caitlin passed, Taylor, the girl, turned and smiled, and waved at her. Her brother, Tyler, used the opportunity to lunge in and whack his sister on the leg with his bamboo sword.

Taylor turned and screamed at him, indignant. “Not fair! That was cheap.”

Tyler just laughed.

“Will you two quit it and come over here and give our new sister a proper hello?” Polly chided.

Sister. Caitlin liked the sound of that term. She’d always wanted a sister.

Taylor and Tyler came jogging over.

Rose ran up to greet them, and Taylor’s eyes opened wide in delight. “Oh my God! She’s beautiful!” she exclaimed, kneeling down and hugging the excited Rose.

Rose licked her face.

Tyler then stood and embraced Caitlin in a big hug.

Caitlin was taken aback, and tentatively hugged her back.

“I feel like I’ve known you forever,” Taylor said, as she leaned back and studied Caitlin’s face.

“My turn,” Tyler said, prodding Taylor to the side, stepping in and hugging Caitlin, too.

Caitlin was once again surprised, and didn’t quite know how to react. She was about to hug Tyler back, but suddenly, with her newfound vampire senses, she felt an electric chill run through her. She could actually, truly, feel what this vampire was feeling. And it scared her. She knew that he was attracted to her.

Caitlin quickly withdrew from his embrace, feeling as if she had somehow just been disloyal to Caleb. Tyler stared at her, and she could feel his attraction as if it were a tangible thing.

“OW!” Tyler screamed.

He turned and saw that Taylor had whacked him hard in the back with her bamboo sword.

“That’s what you get!” Taylor said. “Leave the new girl alone.”

Caitlin smiled and waved, as Polly took her arm and continued to lead her through the battlements. Soon they were on another path, and in another courtyard.

“Most of us are sleeping now,” Polly said. “We can come out in the light, of course, but most of us still don’t want to. The only ones usually up at this time are the ones doing guard duty, or the ones training because Aiden forced them to.”

“Aiden?” Caitlin asked.

“He’s our coven leader. Like a trainer and mentor and school principal all rolled into one. He’s ancient. He’s been here forever, probably longer than the island itself. No one knows exactly when he came here, but he’s thousands and thousands of years old. A real sweetheart, as long as you’re on his good side. He’s the one that will set your course. He keeps things in shape around here, keeps us all on track. We all answer to him—that is, if we want to stay here. But he’s more like a father figure than anything else. And he’s one of the best vampire trainers around.

“Anyway, as I said, most of us are sleeping. They’ll be out in force tonight. See over there—that’s where we sleep.”

Caitlin looked, and as they walked through another stone archway, she saw, off to the side, several arched doorways leading into the castle.

“And over there, that’s where we eat,” Polly continued, gesturing.

Caitlin saw a huge, stone dining table, long enough to hold at least 30 people, placed to the side of the courtyard.

“We rotate. One of us is always on hunting duty. That one brings in the deer for everyone else. This island—luckily, it’s full of them. Acres and acres of forests, in case you haven’t noticed. Anyway, the person on duty brings in the meal for everyone else. One of Aiden’s rules. He wants us all to eat together, to dine as civilized people. It’s actually more drinking than eating, but at least we do it together.”

Rose went running over to the table, jumped up on it, and started sniffing. As she did, she started to whine.

“I think she’s hungry,” Caitlin said. “Is there anything I can feed her?”

Polly smiled, “I think we can manage that.”

Polly walked over to a stone cauldron, lifted its lid, reached in, and pulled out a slab of raw meat. Rose’s eyes lit up at the sight.

Polly threw it across the yard and Rose bounded after it, pounced, and ate in delight.

“Thanks,” Caitlin said, so appreciative. She didn’t know what she would have done without Polly.

“No shortage of raw meat around here,” Polly said with a smile. “Rose will be in heaven.”

Suddenly, Rose issued a low, guttural growl. It shocked Caitlin, as she had never heard Rose make any noise remotely like it. She assumed that maybe some other person or animal had approached Rose while she was eating, but she looked around, and saw nothing. She followed Rose’s gaze, and then saw what she was looking at.

There, in the distance, a teenage vampire approached them. Dressed in all black, he wore a sullen expression, and his large, black eyes burned with a fierce hatred. Even from so far away, Caitlin could feel a dark energy coming off of him. She could also feel her new friend, Polly, tense up beside her.

“That’s Cain,” Polly said. “He’s one of us. But he doesn’t always act like it. He has real dominance issues. He can be the typical bully. I think that’s why he was left here to begin with—nobody else would deal with him. We’ve all asked Aiden to kick him off, but he refuses. Aiden still believes he can cure him, from whatever he has. I myself don’t. I can’t stand the sight of him. Usually, though, there a lot of us around, and when there are others, it’s not quite as bad. In fact, I rarely see him out and about. He must have sensed that you were here. A newcomer. That’s him—always wanting to assert his territory. Unfortunately, I’m not as strong as he is. We’ve gotten into our fights before, but I always lose, and it’s painful. And Aiden’s never around to see it. He’s been punished, but it hasn’t done much good. I’m sorry, but the other 22 of us are great, I promise. Every family has its rotten apple.”

As Polly talked, Cain slowly approached, now about 30 yards away.

Rose’s growling grew louder as he walked in their direction. As he walked past Rose, her growl turned into a snarl, and Cain reached down and smacked Rose as hard as he could, right on the nose. Rose, still a puppy, just yelped and cowered.

Caitlin was outraged.

“Don’t you touch my dog!” she screamed.

“Is that which you call it?” Cain answered in a dark, guttural voice.

Caitlin could feel the rage beginning to well inside of her. This was her first experience of true vampire anger, and it far exceeded anything she had ever felt as a human. She only hoped that she could control it.

Cain stopped just a few feet before them. He looked Caitlin up and down with something like a scowl. Caitlin felt as if she were being violated.

“So what’s this new riffraff that washed on shore?” Cain asked, glaring at her.

“Don’t you talk to her that way,” Polly said.

Cain looked at her maliciously. “I’ll talk to her anyway I please,” he said slowly. “And there’s nothing you can do about it.”

He turned back to Caitlin.

“I asked you a question.”

Caitlin met his dark, raging eyes, and felt the hatred pouring through them.

“It wasn’t a question,” Caitlin shot back. “And even if it was, I wouldn’t answer it,” she added defiantly, through gritted teeth.

Cain slowly shook his head and smiled.

“You have a big learning curve ahead of you,” he said. “You’re going to need to learn who’s boss around here.”

“You’re not boss of anyone,” Polly said, “even if you like to think—”

Cain suddenly reached back and smacked Polly hard, right across the face. It had all happened so fast. Polly was shocked, and Caitlin could see that she was too scared to fight back.

But Caitlin wasn’t. Caitlin couldn’t control it any longer, and she let her rage overcome her. She heard a guttural growl rise up within her, as she leaned her head back and roared.

She charged right for Cain, her hands out, going right for his throat. She grabbed it with both hands, and kept charging, pushing him back further and further.

Cain, in shock, stared back, eyes wide, unable to breathe, clearly shocked that anyone would dare fight back.

He reached up and grabbed Caitlin’s wrists, trying to shake loose her grip. He must’ve assumed he could, since he must have been stronger than anyone there.

But he was in for another shock. Caitlin carried a strength which Cain clearly could not understand. He was unable to pry loose her fingers.

Caitlin finally drove him right down to the ground, landing on top of him, both hands still on his throat, squeezing him to death.

Cain kicked and struggled, but there was nothing he could do. Caitlin was winning, and she was going to kill him.

Even in her haze, Caitlin wondered if one vampire could kill another, and the more that she choked Cain, the more she felt that she could. That she would. She had no intention of stopping.

Caitlin dimly heard a bell ringing again and again, and within seconds, the courtyard was filled with vampires, dozens of them, all crowding around, watching, shouting. The entire coven had gathered to watch.

Apparently, no one wanted to interfere. Maybe they all would be happy to see Cain killed.

And so would she. All of Caitlin’s anger, all of her upset, all of her disappointment—towards Caleb, towards her brother—it all converged at once, found its subject in this bully. He had picked the wrong girl to bully at the wrong time.

If Caitlin was certain of anything, it was that she would indeed choke this boy to death.