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CHAPTER ELEVEN
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2024-10-29 19:42:56
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Found (Book #8 in the Vampire Journals) CHAPTER TWELVE
Caitlin and Caleb followed Aiden as he walked down the steep slope of the Mount of Olives, turning amidst hidden paths in the trees. They walked in silence, Aiden several feet ahead.Caitlin was burning with so many questions for him, as always. How long had he been here? How had he known she was coming? And most of all, why did all the clues lead to him? Was he her father?They continued in silence, trailing behind, until they reached a plateau at the base of the mountain, well-hidden by the trees. She watched as he walked right into what seemed like a grove of trees. He disappeared amidst the foliage. After exchanging a look, Caitlin and Caleb followed.As they did, she was amazed at what lay just beyond: nestled amidst a thick grove of olive trees sat a large villa, long and wide. Surrounded by columns on all sides, with wide-open arches, it looked like an ancient monastery, with its clean, simple lines and empty space. Inside was a broad, limestone interior, with a simple courty
Found (Book #8 in the Vampire Journals) CHAPTER THIRTEEN
As the convicts crowded in around Scarlet, one of them stepped forward, the largest of the bunch. He towered over the others, and he looked to Scarlet liked he was seven feet tall. He was bald, with a huge scar across his nose, and bulging with muscles. He was clearly the leader in here.He turned and faced the others.“She’s mine,” he announced. “My plaything. Mine to torture as I wish. Any of you have a problem with that?”The dozens of faces stopped, and Scarlet could see their fear. No one was willing to challenge him. Clearly, this creep was king of the hill in here. The others slowly slinked away, disappointed but resigned.The creep turned and reached down and grabbed Scarlet with one hand by the back of her shirt. He picked her up high in the air with a single hand, and inspected her as if she were an insect. He was so powerful, he held her as if he were carrying a fly.Scarlet wiggled and squirmed, struggling to break free as she was hoisted in the air and as he walked wi
Found (Book #8 in the Vampire Journals) CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Sam marched beside Rexius, Samantha and Judas down the cobblestone entranceway to Pontius Pilate’s palace. Followed by a dozen members of Rexius’ coven, they marched like a small army, dressed in all black, right down the center of the stone plaza. It was dark out, late into the night, the walkway was lit by flaming torches on either side of them. They came to a big arched gate, in front of which stood a dozen Roman soldiers.To Sam’s surprise, several of these soldiers had the temerity to step forward and form a wall to block their approach.But the vampires kept marching, never even pausing, and as they did, Rexius merely smiled and held up a single hand before his face. Sam watched as the soldiers suddenly collapsed, slumping to the ground.Sam marched with the others right over their bodies, and he could feel their soft corpses beneath his feet. They continued marching, across the big circular stone plaza, past the Roman fountains, past the perfectly trimmed cypress trees. They
Found (Book #8 in the Vampire Journals) CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Caitlin ran. She cut through a path in a never-ending field of wheat, the stalks reaching up to her chest, and ran towards an enormous sun, sitting as a ball on the horizon. The sun was just beginning to rise, the pre-dawn light blanketing the sky, and in the distance, she could see the silhouette of her father. He stood there with his hands outstretched by his side, as if waiting to embrace her. In each of his fingers dangled the four keys, glistening in the sun.Caitlin ran with all she had, trying to get closer, but the more she ran, the farther away he seemed to get.The next thing she knew, she was in a desert. She was running up a rocky hill, dust and dirt in her face, the sun beating down on her head. She looked up and saw she was racing towards a huge crucifix, mounted at the top. On the cross was Jesus, crucified, looking down at her.Caitlin ran towards him, wanting more than anything to help him, to bring him down off the cross. But no matter how hard she ran, she kept sl
Found (Book #8 in the Vampire Journals) CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Scarlet stood in her cell, Ruth beside her, and looked up at the group of people before her. There must have been a dozen of them, and she could sense right away that they were different, like her. Vampires. Except, they were not like her. They had a very different energy—a dark energy. She sensed they had very dark intentions.The guard opened the silver bars to her cell, and now they stood just a few feet away, staring down at her. The guard stepped forward and unlocked her silver shackles, and she rubbed her wrists, happy to have them free. She was tempted to try to make a run for it, to dart past them, between their legs, and up the stone staircase. But she knew she wouldn’t make it. Ruth certainly wouldn’t, either. So she stared back at them warily, waiting to see who they were, and what they had come for.As she looked them over, she suddenly thought she recognized one of them. She did a double-take: could it be him?Scarlet couldn’t believe it. It looked just like him, althou
Found (Book #8 in the Vampire Journals) CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Caitlin stood beside Caleb, at the base of the Mount of Olives, her heart breaking inside. She had just completed her training and she knew it was time to say goodbye to Caleb.They had to part ways; there was no way around it. Aiden had made it clear that she was needed out there, on the search for her Dad, and that Caleb was needed here, to stay and defend the coven, with Aiden. There was nothing Caitlin wanted less than to have to part ways with him. She wanted him to join her, especially now, on the final leg of her search for her father, for their daughter. She hated her destiny. Why couldn’t they just stay together, live their lives together in peace? Why were they always destined to be torn apart?As she stood there, looking into Caleb’s eyes, she could see that there was nothing that he wanted more, too. But they were both dutiful warriors. They were both loyal to a fault, and they both knew where they were needed. They would not let others down. And they both knew that if Ca
Found (Book #8 in the Vampire Journals) CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Scarlet stood there in disbelief, watching as the old man held the vampire shield high above his head, the ground beneath her quaking. She watched as he transformed, became younger, stronger. Rays of light continued to shoot out from the shield, completely filling the room, and the other vampires continued to bow low to the ground, shielding their eyes from the intense light. She too, had to turn away, so much light filled the room. Beside her, Ruth whined.She managed to peek a glance, and as she did, she was confused by what she saw: shadows, then shapes, seemed to pour out from the shield. At first she thought maybe her eyes were playing tricks on her, but as she looked closely, she realized they weren’t. It looked like spirits were flying out of the shield, forming in the light. At first, they took the nebulous form of shadows; but then they hardened, turned into shapes. And within moments, these shapes transformed into people.Vampires.Scarlet was even more surprised to see th
Found (Book #8 in the Vampire Journals) CHAPTER NINETEEN
Caitlin flew as fast as her wings would take her, racing towards Jerusalem. She held in her mind that it still was possible to find her Dad, to find Scarlet, find the Shield, and to get back in time to help Caleb, Aiden and the others. She wiped away her tears, and tried to brush the negative thoughts out of her mind. She insisted on holding in her mind that all would be well. She flew even faster, determined to defy fate, determined to make everything okay.Caitlin flew so fast, she barely even noticed the land of Israel below her, the rolling hills, beautiful in the morning light, barely even noticed the topography changing from mountains to valley to city. In fact, it wasn’t until she was flying directly over Jerusalem that she was shaken out of her reverie. She looked down, and was taken aback by the site.The city of Jerusalem, sprawled out below, was the most magnificent sight Caitlin had ever seen. She had been to extraordinary cities and countries in her lifetime, all through
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Found (Book #8 in the Vampire Journals) CHAPTER THIRTY SIX
The entire drive home, Caitlin was sick with worry. She felt there was no rational person left in the universe. She had thought that driving into the city and speaking to Aiden would calm her, would make her return home feeling better, with everything explained and back in its rational order.But he had just made everything a million times worse. Now she wished she’d never visited him—and more than anything, she wished she’d never gone to the attic. She wished she’d never had that dream, and had never seen that journal. She wished she could just make it all go away.Just yesterday, everything was perfect in her life; now, she felt that everything was upside down. She almost felt that, by going to the attic, and opening that box, opening that book, she unleashed something horrible into the universe. Something that was meant to be kept locked away.A part of her still told her that all of this was ridiculous. Maybe Aiden had lost touch with reality after all these years of teaching. M
Found (Book #8 in the Vampire Journals) CHAPTER THIRTY FIVE
Caitlin’s hands trembled as she drove. Her hands hadn’t stopped shaking since she’d put down her journal hours before. She’d read every page, then started over, and read it all over again. It was like watching her life flash before her eyes. It was like reading about a life that had been kept secret from her, a life she’d always suspected she’d had, but was afraid to believe was possible. It was like holding a piece of herself she never knew existed.It excited and terrified her at the same time. She no longer knew what was real and what was imagined. The line was blurring so much, she wondered if she was losing her mind.Being a scholar, a rare book expert, she also analyzed and scrutinized the book itself, with an expert’s eye. She could tell, scientifically, objectively, that it was real. An ancient book. Thousands of years old. Older than any book she’d ever held. That in itself would have been enough to stump her. It didn’t make any sense. How was it possible? In her own attic?
Found (Book #8 in the Vampire Journals) CHAPTER THIRTY FOUR
Rhinebeck, New York (Hudson Valley)Present dayCaitlin Paine hurried through her house as night began to fall, trying to get everything ready in time. It was almost six o’clock, and in moments, everyone would be here. She rushed through her oversized, old Victorian house, floorboards creaking as she hurried from room to room, tidying. She wanted everything to be perfect for tonight.Caitlin hurried into her kitchen, grabbed the cake plate she’d been hiding, and carried it through the double doors. As she did, Ruth, her large Husky, followed at her heels, sniffing the cake and wagging her tail. Caitlin set it down in the center of the dining table, hoping her daughter, Scarlet, hadn’t seen it yet. After all, tonight was Scarlet’s big 16th birthday, and even though it was a weeknight, Caitlin had a special surprise in store.Caitlin had been looking forward to this all week. She’d tricked Scarlet into thinking they weren’t going to celebrate until the weekend, and had secretly
Found (Book #8 in the Vampire Journals) CHAPTER THIRTY THREE
Caitlin looked up at Jesus, unable to speak, unable to breathe. It was beyond what she could process. Yet at that moment, she knew it to be true.Jesus was her father.All this time, he had been the one she had been searching for.Your guide will appear at the Eastern gate.It was Jesus. He was her guide.And he was also her father.A feeling raced through Caitlin, a feeling unlike any she had ever had. It was a feeling of being special. A feeling of belonging. A feeling of pride. In her father, in herself. She was special. Her lineage was special. Beyond special.Caitlin could hardly even conceive what it all meant.She burst into action. After all, this was her father here, nailed to a cross, and she couldn’t stand to see him suffer. She jumped up, and took out the four keys, already knowing they would each be a perfect fit. As she inserted each key, the earth shook and the skies thundered. It felt like an earthquake, as lightning bolts came down all across Jerusalem. It was
Found (Book #8 in the Vampire Journals) CHAPTER THIRTY TWO
As Caitlin flew away from the Mount of Olives, Scarlet on her back, holding Ruth, her heart was breaking in a million pieces. She was so overwhelmed, she hardly knew what to think. Down below, she was leaving Caleb, her husband, dead. Blake, dead. Aiden, dead. And her brother, Sam, alone to fight that army. He had finally come back to her, had become the brother she once knew. Her heart had soared to see him come back to himself. And abandoning him now, like this—after she had vowed to never abandon anyone again—was the most painful of all. But at the same time, his remaining down there, fighting that army, was enabling her to flee, to search for their Dad—who, Aiden had said all along, was their last hope for salvation. Still, despite everything, she wished that Sam, the last familiar face in the world, could join her, could come with her to find their Dad together.Caitlin recalled Aiden’s words, centuries ago: she was the chosen one. Finding her Dad was her destiny, and her desti
Found (Book #8 in the Vampire Journals) CHAPTER THIRTY ONE
“Sam!” screamed a voice.Sam suddenly stopped, hypnotized by the voice, his sword frozen in mid-air.“SAM!” screamed the voice again.Sam turned and looked, and Caitlin saw who it was.Scarlet stood there, hands on her hips, red-faced, screaming at Sam.“Don’t you hurt her! That’s my mommy! What kind of brother are you?”Scarlet stepped forward, fearless, and positioned herself between Sam and Caitlin.Sam stared back, perplexed. He still held the sword, as if frozen.“It’s your job to protect her. Don’t you remember? IT’S YOUR JOB!”Sam blinked several times.“You promised to protect her. And me. What kind of brother are you?” Scarlet screamed, chastising him.There was something about the tone of Scarlet’s voice—something so honest and real—that it seemed to break through an invisible barrier, to reach Sam. It seemed to reach to the core, to break him out of a trance, to reach all the way to Sam himself, to the man who was once a brother, who was once an uncle.Slowly, Sa
Found (Book #8 in the Vampire Journals) CHAPTER THIRTY
Caitlin faced off against Kyle, Rynd, Rexius, and his legion of vampires. As she stood there, she could feel the rage slowly overcome her. She hadn’t felt rage like this in she didn’t know how long. It was a deep, primal rage, and it overcame her like a storm. It was the rage of a creature with nothing left to live for. It was the most powerful thing she’d ever felt.Caitlin wanted vengeance. She needed vengeance. For Caleb. For Aiden. For Blake. For herself. Every ounce of her body geared up to fight this army. Her entire world turned red, and she knew that she needed to kill every last one of them.Caitlin leaned back and roared, the roar of a thousand dragons. The ground beneath her trembled, as her battle cry reached up to the very heavens.As the ground shook, she saw fear on the faces of Kyle and Rynd. They must have sensed that they were up against a changed person, against a person unlike any they had ever faced. This was the new Caitlin. The Caitlin who had completed her tr
Found (Book #8 in the Vampire Journals) CHAPTER TWENTY NINE
Caitlin raced through the air towards the Mount of Olives. She managed to put a good distance between herself and her pursuers, and wasn’t worried about them.What she was worried about was what she might find. She had a pit in her chest, a deepening sense of dread she could not shake, that something terrible had happened, that all the people she loved in the world were gone. She felt as if she were already an orphan in the universe.She thought back to Jesus’ words, and willed herself to be calm.Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to her life?Caitlin flew across the arid landscape of Israel, watching Jerusalem and the never-ending palm trees beneath her. She was drawn to this city, yet found herself hating it at the same time. This place was too intense for her, and she associated it with everything that had gone wrong in her life. She just wanted to get away—far, far away, with Caleb and Scarlet. Alone. Just the three of them. To a place where they could live out their
Found (Book #8 in the Vampire Journals) CHAPTER TWENTY EIGHT
Caitlin slowly opened her eyes, in excruciating pain. As the light hit her eyes, it felt like knives entering her forehead. She had to squint—even though it was dim in here, lit only by torches.She felt aches and pains all over her body and as she tried to move, she realized she was chained. She looked over and saw chains binding her hands and feet to a wall. She was standing upright, arms and legs outstretched, chained, her back against a cold stone wall, the cold metal digging into her wrists and ankles. She struggled against her shackles, and realized they were silver.She felt a huge welt forming on her cheek, and realized that was the spot where Sam must have hit her. The thought of that hurt her more than the lump. Sam. Her own brother. She could hardly conceive it. Had he so thoroughly turned to the dark side that he would attack even her?Apparently, he had. And that hurt her more than she could contemplate. Sam, she realized, was no longer her brother. Their relationship w
