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CHAPTER ELEVEN
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Destined (Book #4 in the Vampire Journals) CHAPTER TWELVE
When Caitlin opened her eyes, she found herself looking up at a ceiling. It was so high, so far away from her, and she noticed it was beautifully painted in a fresco. She was so disoriented, she tried to remember where she was. She felt that she was lying on her back, and felt that her head was in someone’s lap. Immediately, she remembered.She looked up, blinking, to see who it was, her heart racing.But staring back down at her was not Caleb.It was Polly.Caitlin sat up quickly, shaking off the cobwebs, looking all around.“Finally,” Polly said. “I thought you’d be out forever. What happened?”Caitlin looked all about the room, scanning the masks of the crowd that was quickly petering out. A pang of terror raced through her.“Where is he?” Caitlin asked.“Who?” Polly asked.She scanned the room again. No. This could not be happening. Not again.Caitlin thought back. She tried to remember the moment when he lifted the mask. Looking into his eyes.It hadn’t been Caleb. And
Destined (Book #4 in the Vampire Journals) CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Caitlin sat in the gondola, as Blake stood on the bow behind her, gently rowing them through the small, narrow canals in the inner city of Venice. It was so late now, the city seemed asleep, completely silent and getting darker by the moment, as more and more street torches extinguished. The only thing left to light the night was the large moon above, and the occasional burning candle in a window sill. Caitlin could only hear the slight lapping of the water against her boat, the sounds of Blake’s wooden oar cutting through the water. It was so peaceful, so romantic.This was a whole different Venice, one Caitlin hadn’t yet seen. It was quiet and empty. This was the inner Venice, the narrow canals that cut through the heart of the inner-city, twisting and turning, just like the alleyways did, but on water. Every hundred feet or so, she and Blake would have to duck so as not to hit their heads on a small, stone footbridge. The canals were so narrow, there was barely room for two gondola
Destined (Book #4 in the Vampire Journals) CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Caitlin leaned back in the small boat, looking out at the breaking sky of dawn, and wished the world would end. As they headed further out into the Grand Canal, no land in sight, all she could see was water—and a part of her wished that she could just keep going, never stop, into the horizon, and off the face of the earth. She was so sad, so confused…she just wanted to curl up and die.She had never felt so alone. The person rowing the boat was not Blake, or Caleb, but a complete stranger, a gondola driver that she had found at the pier, who she’d hired to bring her back to Polly’s island. Luckily, Polly had given her money earlier in the night, in case anything happened.Blake had insisted on at least taking her home, but she had refused. Her feelings for him were too strong, and after seeing Caleb, she couldn’t bear to be in a boat with him for one more second. She needed a chance to sort out her feelings, to try to process it all.The irony was that, if they hadn’t run into Caleb
Destined (Book #4 in the Vampire Journals) CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Caitlin ran. The sun was high overhead as she ran through a field of flowers, thousands of roses, impossibly tall, reaching up to her waist. They were all different colors, red and pink and white and yellow, and they brushed against her softly as she ran. Amazingly, they had no thorns, and the feel of the flowers was smooth on her legs, as their smell filled the air.On the horizon stood her father, taller than ever, closer than she could remember. She could almost make out his facial features, and as she ran, she felt as if she were about to reach him.But as she looked down, the field of flowers disappeared, and was replaced by a small, golden bridge. Her father, too, was gone, and on the horizon sat a city, with low buildings, all with red tile roofs. The small, golden bridge went up in an arch and came down the other side.She ran across it, and underneath her, she saw the crystal clear water, glowing blue. She crossed the bridge, about to enter the city, and her father appeared
Destined (Book #4 in the Vampire Journals) CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Caitlin stood by herself on the end of the gondola, rowing it across the wide canal of Venice. Polly was worried for her to go by herself, but after much pleading, she had let her borrow her boat. Caitlin felt that she could handle it, and she really needed to be alone. She needed time and space to think. And most importantly, in the place where she was going, she didn’t want anyone by her side. It was a place she had to go alone. Rose was the only one she took; she sat at her legs appreciatively, happy, as always to be at her side.After her meeting with Aiden, Caitlin had realized that he was right. She had to fulfill her mission. She had to at least to try, to get on the road, to follow the clues, to see where it led her.But at the same time, she realized that she could not embark without closure with Caleb. She needed to know with absolute certainty that he truly didn’t remember, that he truly didn’t love her, that he was truly happy with Sera. After all she had been through, af
Destined (Book #4 in the Vampire Journals) CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Kyle hurried down the staircase, deep into the Venice jail, and as he reached the lower levels, he saw that it was exactly as he remembered it. There was a low, arched ceiling, like a wine cellar, and on either side, were dozens of cells, behind thick iron bars. It was loud down here, hundreds of prisoners’ hands sticking out through the bars, yelling out to Kyle as he walked down the aisle.He wasted no time. He tore at the iron bars with his bare hands, and the iron gave way as he bent it back with a groaning noise, just enough for the prisoners to squeeze out. He did this with each cell as he went, opening one after the other, and in moments, the corridor was flooded with rowdy prisoners, thrilled and bewildered. They all looked to Kyle, all seeming to wonder who he was, how they had earned such good luck. They were jubilant, shouting, victorious.Kyle held up a hand, and they quieted.“I have freed you all tonight,” Kyle began in a loud, commanding voice, “to fulfill a mission f
Destined (Book #4 in the Vampire Journals) CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Caitlin looked into Caleb’s eyes. As he stood there, she sensed that some part of him did recognize her, was trying so hard to remember.“It’s strange,” he said. “I dreamt of you last night. I hardly know you, yet somehow, I couldn’t shake the thought of you.”Caitlin’s heart soared with hope.“Do you remember me at all?” she asked.“Somehow…I feel like I do,” he said. “But…I just can’t recall. How do we know each other?”She paused, debating what to say. Would all of her words, all of her actions, as Aiden warned, now influence the future? What if she said the wrong thing?She decided to just tell him the truth. This was her moment. It was now or never.“We know each other in the future,” she said, her heart racing.Would he think she was crazy?Even as she said it, she wished she hadn’t. She worried if, by saying it, she somehow created a rip in time, told him something he wasn’t meant to know, affected how things would play out down the road.He furrowed his brow as he sta
Destined (Book #4 in the Vampire Journals) CHAPTER NINETEEN
As Caleb stood there, watching Caitlin leave, he felt overwhelmed, confused. A mix of emotions swirled within him, as his brain struggled to understand, to remember. He felt certain, somewhere, that a part of him knew this mysterious girl. But he just had no idea how.As he watched her go, he felt a sadness within himself which he could not explain. He had never experienced anything like it. A part of him wanted to run after her, to call after her to stop. But if she listened, he would have no idea what to say to her. After all, he didn’t know her. And he didn’t understand his own feelings.Perhaps he was just going crazy, just letting some irrational emotions, some strange premonitions, take over and get the worst of him. He had to stay strong, he reminded himself, to remain rational. After all, none of it made any sense. He didn’t even know her.But as he stood there, watching her, he could not escape the feeling that he was letting someone precious get away. His emotions suddenly
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Destined (Book #4 in the Vampire Journals) CHAPTER TWENTY NINE
Caitlin, Caleb, and Sam flew over Rome, racing to bridge the short distance from the Coliseum to the Vatican. Caitlin had never been to the Vatican before, and she followed Caleb’s lead. She’d been worried for a moment that Caleb wouldn’t come at all. Back there, in the Coliseum, he didn’t want to leave; he’d been set on diving down and finding Kyle in the crowd, on exacting revenge for Jade. But Caitlin had begged to him let it go for another time. She argued that he would endanger them all by getting bogged down in a fight with those thousands of vampires, and that they’d never accomplish what was more important for the race: finding the Shield. Finally, reluctantly, he’d conceded.As they rounded a bend, Vatican City came into view, and Caitlin was shocked. She had somehow expected the Vatican to be a single building, and was surprised to see that it was in fact an entire city. From this bird’s eye view, she could see building after building, dominated by the huge, dome of St. Pete
Destined (Book #4 in the Vampire Journals) CHAPTER TWENTY EIGHT
Caitlin’s heart whirled with emotions.Sam. Her little brother. Here. Back in time. In Rome. In the Coliseum of all places. On the one hand, she was thrilled to see him.On the other, he stood there, in battle gear, facing her down, a weapon in hand. And with a look on his face meant to kill. How could this be?How had it come to this? What had they done to him?She could sense, even from this great distance, that he was a vampire. She tried to sense his feelings towards her, but it was obscured. As if he were deliberately blocking them.More than anything, she felt sad. Betrayed. Confused. Was it not enough that he’d had to ruin things for her in the 21st century? Had he had to come back now, and still make things hard for her?And after all that she had done for him. All through his life, she had always looked out for him, always been the one he could turn to. She’d always tried to help him, to save him.Had it really come to this? Did he really hate his own sister enough to k
Destined (Book #4 in the Vampire Journals) CHAPTER TWENTY SEVEN
Caitlin ran. She was in a field of flowers, up to her waist, the flowers a brilliant medley of colors. It was a bright day, the sun directly overhead, and in the distance, her father waited.But as she ran, the flowers turned into a field of swords, all plunged into the earth, their tips sticking up and shaking in the wind. She ran through them, cutting a path, heading for her father.This time, there was nothing between the two of them. As she ran and ran, he got closer. She ran for all she had, and soon, she was in his arms.She could not believe it, but she was really in his arms.He hugged her, and she could feel his strength coursing through her body. It was the hug of a father who loved her, the father she’d always longed to have. She wanted to crane back her head, to look up at his face, but she was too happy to just be in his arms.“I’m so proud of you,” he said over her shoulder. “You are your father’s daughter.”She smiled, feeling totally encased in warmth.“When will
Destined (Book #4 in the Vampire Journals) CHAPTER TWENTY SIX
Caitlin stood in silver shackles, before the entrance to the Coliseum. She’d been dragged there by two vampire guards, who’d shackled her in her cell by her hands and her feet, and led her up the stone stairs, down a ramp, and to this place. Now that she’d reached the upper levels, traveled down the ramp, and was really here, looking out, the view was awe-inspiring. And terrifying.She had once gone to a baseball game, and she remembered the feeling of walking down the tunnel and first entering the bleachers, when the whole stadium opened up and thousands of eyes were upon her. This felt like that. But bigger. It was the biggest and most intimidating thing she had ever seen.Before her was laid out the Roman coliseum, a massive arena, made entirely of stone. The stone was crumbling and deteriorated, and it had clearly been thousands of years since its heyday. But this vampire coven had somehow managed to bring it back to life. They didn’t seem to care that they sat in crumbling bleac
Destined (Book #4 in the Vampire Journals) CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE
As Caitlin tried to open her eyes, she had a splitting headache. She slowly raised her head and looked about, trying to get her bearings. She blinked several times, and realized that she lay curled up on the floor of a stone cell.There was a small, barred window, way high up, and she could sense that the bars were made of silver, would be impossible to break. A harsh ray of sunlight came through it on an angle, lighting up her face, and she squinted in pain. She rolled over, getting out of the way.In the darkened corner, Caitlin breathed, slowly sitting up, trying to collect yourself. Her head was absolutely killing her, as she tried to remember.She remembered being in a church. Santa Croce. She remembered being with Blake, ascending a pulpit. She remembered finding that secret compartment, opening it.…And then there had been a net thrown over her, her tackled to the ground. And then Kyle, looking down at her, his face grotesque. Kicking her.She sat up straighter and looked a
Destined (Book #4 in the Vampire Journals) CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR
Caleb stood in the rear of the funeral gondola, standing straight, chin proudly forward, as he rode with as much dignity as he could muster. Lying in the boat before him, wrapped in a black shroud, was the body of his boy. It was a boat just for the two of them, the customary funerary gondola, all-black, and longer than usual.Sera would not join him. She had been inconsolable, and she had blamed Caleb. Although he was the one who’d asked her to stay with Jade, she was being irrational, and faulted him. She’d refused to attend the funeral, and refused to even be in his presence. She’d insisted on a divorce.Caleb was reeling. It was so much at once, but the greater pain, to be sure, was Jade. He and Sera had been at odds lately, anyway, and he knew the day was fast approaching of their divorce. But Jade—that was a different matter altogether.Caleb did his best to hold back his tears, but it was a futile effort. He had loved this boy more than he could ever possibly express, had see
Destined (Book #4 in the Vampire Journals) CHAPTER TWENTY THREE
Caitlin woke to the morning light breaking through the large, arched windows. She reached over to the bedside table, put two drops in each of her eyes, closed them, and waited for the sting to go away.She opened her eyes and looked around. She saw that she was lying in a huge, king-size bed, in a massive bedroom, with soaring ceilings, moldings over all the walls, and a marble floor draped in a huge, sheepskin rug. She lay on the finest of silk sheets, covered by fine linens and blankets, her head resting in an impossibly soft pillow. She’d never been in such a luxurious place in her life.And as she looked over, she saw that she was not the only one in it.Blake lay beside her. And they were both undressed.She tried to remember. After that kiss, they had gone inside, had spent the night together. It had been a magical night, and thoughts of Blake filled her mind. A part of her, of course, still thought of Caleb.But that part was slowly fading, becoming smaller and smaller. Lyi
Destined (Book #4 in the Vampire Journals) CHAPTER TWENTY TWO
Caitlin flew, the sky streaked with a million colors in the sunset.After her heartbreaking goodbye with Caleb, she had lifted into the sky and had not stopped flying since. She had cried for hours, but now, finally, the tears subsided, hardened on her face. She was slowly coming to a new, steely resolve. As she had always been in life, she was on her own. She had never been able to rely on the comfort and safety of a father, or brother, or boyfriend.She had wanted to say goodbye to Polly, and to Aiden and the others. But she couldn’t bring herself to. She felt that she had to get as far away from Venice as possible. She couldn’t stand the thought of being anywhere near Caleb when he couldn’t even remember her. It hurt too much.She knew she had to get to Florence—she had known that since she’d arrived—and while she hadn’t set out for any particular place, she found herself heading in that direction. South. Hundreds of miles away from Venice.After hours passed, after she had stop
Destined (Book #4 in the Vampire Journals) CHAPTER TWENTY ONE
Caleb fought with his coven in the streets of Venice, in the midst of heated battle. With Samuel at one side and Sera at the other, he swung wildly with his ivory staff, killing the convicts left and right. The three of them, outnumbered, were charged by a dozen convicts, but these were only humans, and the three of them prevailed.But Caleb was caught off guard as a dozen vampires suddenly charged their way. He recognized them immediately—they were of the Lagoon Coven, hardened criminals that he thought were rotting beneath the prisons. Their presence immediately alerted him to the fact the someone had released them, had been behind all this mayhem. That this was all a deliberate plot.But he hadn’t much time to contemplate it, because soon, they were in the thick of battle.Caleb and his men got separated. One vampire leapt for Caleb’s face, but Caleb stabbed him in the throat. Another grabbed his shoulder, but Caleb wheeled and head butted him. Still another charged from behind,
