Found (Book #8 in the Vampire Journals) (22 page)

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, left 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 her father. 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 destiny alone. Sam had a different destiny. He was stronger, but he was not the special one. His destiny was to protect her.

It was hard for Caitlin to accept. He was her brother and she loved him, despite everything that had happened between them. It was hard for her to accept that she was more special than he. But she knew it was not meant to be. For the millionth time, she wondered how destiny worked, wondered why fate had to take the twists and turns that it did.

She also wondered why it had to take her husband away from her. Her heart was still breaking, and a part of her wanted to fly back there, to check Caleb’s pulse one more time, to see if maybe, by some chance, he was alive.

But she knew he was not. She had held him, had looked into his eyes. She cried as she flew, knowing he was dead, for good this time, and that he would never come back to her. Behind her, clutching her back, she could feel Scarlet crying, too.

Since she had left the Mount of Olives, Caitlin knew there was only one place left she could go. With Aiden gone, his coven gone, Caleb gone, Blake gone—even Sam gone—there was only one thing left she could do: to find her Dad. Maybe, just maybe, if she found him, if she found the shield, it could somehow help the others. Maybe save Sam. Maybe, even bring Caleb back.

And the only person she knew who could lead to her Dad, the only lead she had, was Jesus.

Your guide will appear at the Eastern gate.

She flew away from the Mount of Olives determined to find Jesus, wherever he was. To free him from the Romans. To ask him where her Dad was. Where the shield was. And maybe, even, ask him to bring everyone back.

Suddenly, the sky above her blackened, became filled with dark, storm clouds, as if to match their mood. It was surreal: just moments before it was a clear day, not a cloud in the sky: and now the horizon loomed with the thickest, blackest clouds Caitlin had ever seen. They looked divine. It looked like the end of the world had come.

A single ray of light broke through a hole in the clouds, and it shined down, to a singular spot. The shaft of light landed on a small hill, overlooking Jerusalem, not far from the city. And it lit up one person—and one person only.

Caitlin didn’t even have to look. She sensed who it was. An electric jolt ran through her system, leading her like a magnet.

There, alone, atop a hill, was Jesus.

It was as if a flashlight from heaven were shining down on him. And to Caitlin’s horror, she saw that he was crucified. He was alone atop the hill, crucified on a huge cross. Pegs were through his palms, through his ankles, and he hung on the cross, limp, in the ray of light.

Caitlin felt her heart breaking. She had been too late. Was he already dead?

She swooped down, flying for the hilltop. He was the only one on it, the crowds gone away long ago. She landed right before him, setting down Scarlet and Ruth, right before his huge cross, and looked up at him.

There was such an intense energy coming off of him, as she looked up at him, it was like looking into the sunlight. It momentarily blinded her. She shielded her eyes. Finally, her eyes adjusted and looked at him closely, wondering, hoping, he was alive.

She saw the slightest flicker of his eyes, then saw him lift his head. He opened his eyes and looked down at her. And, despite the horrific agony he must be in, she saw a peaceful look on his face.

Caitlin suddenly felt herself fill with a warmth and peace unlike any she had ever known. It filled her entire body, and she felt a tingling. She didn’t understand what was happening to her; it was like a switch had been turned on, one that could never be turned off. She felt a sense of belonging. Of being home.

And that was when it happened.

As she looked up at him, at the four corners of the cross, suddenly, she was awestruck by a revelation: as she looked closely, she noticed four large locks. One in each corner. Each holding Jesus’s pegs in place. She examined each lock, and saw that each contained a keyhole.

At that same moment, the four keys in her pocket vibrated, practically burning a hole in them. An electric thrill ran through her, and suddenly, all became clear. All the riddles, all the clues, all the dreams, all the keys. All the churches, all the abbeys, all the monasteries.

The four keys. The four locks.

She was speechless. She barely had the strength to breathe.

And before Jesus even said the next words, she already knew what he was going to say.

“My daughter.”

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 for her.

Caitlin found herself bursting into action. After all, this was her father here, nailed to a cross. She couldn’t stand to see him suffer.

She jumped up, and took out the four keys she had found throughout the centuries. She knew already they would each be a perfect fit. As she inserted each key, the earth shook and the skies thundered. It felt like an earthquake, and lightning bolts came down all across Jerusalem. Yet no rain followed. It was surreal. It felt like the apocalypse had arrived.

Each key was a perfect fit, and as she inserted each one, each lock melted away.

She inserted the last one, and Jesus fell off the cross. He slumped down, limp, into her arms.

She caught him as he fell, and held his body. She knelt, holding him in her arms.

Her father, in her arms.

Her whole body lit up with an electric feeling. It was like holding the sun.

And yet she was also filled with a profound sadness. He was dying.

Tears poured down her cheeks, and she didn’t try to stop them.

He looked up at her, barely opening his eyes with what little strength he had left. She could see these were his final moments on earth.

Jesus looked up, into her eyes, and as she looked down at his glowing green eyes, like two shining marbles, she could feel the love radiating off of him. She could feel that he was her father. That he had always been her father. She could feel how much he loved her. How proud of her he was.

As she looked at him, she realized: this was the man in her dreams. This was the elusive face, the silhouette against the sun. This was the man she had never been able to see before. The man that was always just out of her reach, on the horizon.

And now here he was. Not just in her dreams. But real. He was really here. She held him in her arms, and it felt so good to know that he was real.

This moment, this one moment, made everything—all the centuries, all the battles, all the conflict—worth it. Finally, she had found him. Her father.

“I am with you,” he said, his voice weak. “I have always been with you. And I am more proud of you than any father could be.”

He smiled weakly, his eyes closing again, and Caitlin felt herself welling up with pride. These were the words she had always longed to hear from her father. For so long, she’d had so many things she’d wanted to ask her father when she found him, so many things she wanted to say.

But now that she was here, with him, she was speechless. She never expected it to be like this. She didn’t even know where to begin. She struggled for the right words, but none came.

It wasn’t fair. She had looked forward to this moment for as long she can remember, and now, finally, when she found him, he was dying. He was leaving her. She desperately wanted to savor each and every last moment.

He opened his eyes, and Caitlin could sense it was for the last time.

“I grant you the power and authority over every demon. The power and authority over every disease.”

His eyes fluttered, then closed. Before he took his final breath, he said one last thing:

“I will always be with you, my daughter. Even in your dreams.”

He then closed his eyes, and Caitlin could sense it was for the last time. Suddenly, there was a great rumbling of thunder, as his body went limp.

Ruth barked like crazy, as Scarlet wept behind her.

Caitlin let out a great wail, rising up, blending with the sound of the thunder. She felt she had lost the greatest thing she had ever found. She didn’t even know what to say. How could she ever get over this?

Caitlin wanted to hold her father, to never let him go. But as she cradled him in her arms, suddenly, she felt his body lifting. To her amazement, right before her eyes, Jesus’ body suddenly turned lighter, translucent. It lifted as she watched, ascended, higher and higher, up into the air. It became an orb of light, and went straight up, all the way to the heavens, right into the clouds themselves. There was another great clap of thunder, and of lightning, and then he disappeared.

“Caitlin,” came a soft, female voice.

Caitlin wheeled, on edge, not knowing what was coming next.

Standing there, dressed in a white robe, with long brown hair and hazel eyes, looking down sweetly, was a woman she recognized. It was a woman she had seen photos of her entire life. She racked her brain, trying to remember.

Suddenly, it hit her. It was Mary. Mary Magdalene. Jesus’ disciple.

Caitlin could hardly believe it.

Mary reached out a hand.

Caitlin took it, and slowly rose.

“Caitlin,” she said gently. “I am your mother.”

Caitlin’s heart stopped.

It was too much for take in at once. Jesus, her father. Mary Magdalene, her mother. She hardly knew what to say, what think.

Mary stood there, placed a hand on Caitlin’s shoulders, and looked down at her sweetly. In those eyes, Caitlin could feel all the love of a mother, all the love of the mother she never had. She felt overwhelmed by it, felt almost as much energy radiating off of her as from Jesus.

“We are so proud of you,” Mary said. “You have unlocked the four keys. And now, the shield is yours.”

Caitlin looked at her, perplexed.

“The shield?” she asked. “But I thought it was lost to us.”

Slowly, Mary shook her head.

“There is a second shield. The first is merely a weapon. It is very powerful. But it is the lesser of the two. A decoy.

“The second, the more powerful, is the one that we guard. The one that only
you
could find. It is the divine one. The one meant only for the chosen one. For you.”

Caitlin’s heart pounded in her chest. A divine shield? She could hardly imagine what it was.

“Do you have the key?” Mary asked. “The final key?”

For a moment, Caitlin was puzzled. And then, she saw Mary looking down, at her throat. And she realized: her necklace.

Caitlin slowly removed her necklace and reached out to hand it to her mother.

Mary shook her head.

“No. You must open it.”

Mary turned and looked up at the cross, the huge crucifix on which Jesus had been crucified.

Caitlin followed her gaze, and examined it. In its center, where the four beams met, she saw a small keyhole. She was amazed. The final key?

Caitlin walked over to it and reached up and inserted her key. To her surprise, it was a perfect fit.

Suddenly, her necklace dissolved before her eyes, and as it did, a small compartment opened up inside the middle of the cross.

Mary walked over, reached in and extracted an object.

Caitlin watched in awe as she saw Mary pull out a bejeweled chalice. It sparkled in the sunlight.

Inside it, was a white liquid.

“I present to you, the shield.”

Caitlin stared, confused.

“The shield is the Holy Grail,” Mary explained. “And the Holy Grail is the Antidote.”

“Antidote?” Caitlin asked.

“Do you remember your father’s final words? He has granted you power and authority over all disease. And that includes the disease of life.”

Caitlin wracked her brain, trying to understand.

“The shield, the most powerful weapon on earth, is an antidote. An antidote to the disease of vampirism. When you drink this, if you choose to, you will unleash the antidote. You will cure the disease. From the moment it touches your lips, vampires will be no more. Including you.”

Caitlin tried to process it all, flabbergasted.

“Using your final power, you will be able to make one last choice. You will choose where you want to live, as a human, as a mere mortal. To live in a world in which vampires do not exist. You will choose your loved ones, choose who you wish to surround you. Choose your place and time. Choose your age. And you shall live just as any other mere mortal. But it is a final choice, for all time.

“And by drinking from this Holy Grail, by opening this ancient shield, you will have saved mankind. Vampires will be no more. The world will be cured again.”

Caitlin reached out and took the heavy goblet with two hands. She looked down at the white liquid and was overwhelmed, as thunder erupted all around her.

The ramifications of her choice were overwhelming. Where would she live? What time? What century? What place? Who would she want around her? Who would she be? How old would she be?

She would have to live a normal, mortal life. Just like any other human. Which meant that she would die. And which meant there would be no more vampires left in the world. Ever.

This was the shield. The ancient shield. She had found it. She could hardly believe she was holding it. And when she took a sip, it would change the course of history. Forever.

Caitlin slowly lifted it to her lips, feeling the tears run down her cheeks as she did. It would be the biggest decision of her life. She was scared. She could hardly imagine what would happen after she drank it. She knew that this would be her last moment as a vampire. She would come back somewhere, sometime, as a mere human. And all of this, her vampire life, would be a memory. Or maybe, not even a memory.

Caitlin closed her eyes and breathed deeply, her hands shaking. She slowly raised the goblet, and as she did, she felt the cool white liquid touch her lips. She felt it touch her tongue. Then she felt it, slowly, drip down her throat.

Mary slowly, gently, took the goblet from her, smiling, and as she did, Caitlin suddenly felt her whole world spin.

Caitlin reached out and held Scarlet’s small hand, as she felt herself get lighter and lighter. Scarlet squeezed hers back.

Suddenly, Caitlin’s mind filled with memories, as her whole life flashed before her eyes. She saw herself in New York, in Pollepel, in Edgartown, in Salem; she saw herself in Boston, Venice, Florence, Rome, Paris, London and Scotland. She saw herself in castles, palaces, abbeys and churches. She saw herself with Caleb, saw herself meeting him for the first time, falling in love, getting married. She saw Caleb’s child, Jade. She saw Scarlet. She saw Aiden, Polly, and anyone and everyone who ever meant anything to her.

It all came rushing back her, so fast. She tried to grab onto the memories, to freeze them. But she could not. It was like trying to hold onto sand. Her life was already changing. And nothing would ever be the same.