Microsoft Word - BETROTHED.docx (16 page)

Sam didn't know what it was, but it seemed as if everyone else were moving in slow motion next to him. He’d anticipated their every move, was always a second ahead of them, always felt when to sidestep, dodge, duck, or strike. It had been like cutting through butter, and Sam was amazed at his own skills and power.

Facing him now was Cain—large, muscular, and holding a long staff just like Sam's. He charged, scowling.

But he was no match for Sam. As Cain swung wildly, Sam blocked blow after blow. Cain couldn't get anywhere close.

When Sam was ready, he knocked Cain’s staff clear out of his hands with one sharp strike, and the staff when flying over his head, and into the crowd. Sam then followed up with a hard jab in the solo plexus, knocking Cain to his knees.

An impressed groan rose up from the crowd, and Sam stood there, victorious, yet another coven member down.

Aiden stepped out of the crowd, towards Sam, facing him.

"You are losing," Aiden said, disapprovingly, slowly shaking his head in front of everyone.

Sam didn't know what he meant. He had defeated everyone who had appeared, and easily. He felt stronger than he ever had. He had listened to Aiden's lessons all morning long, and he felt as if he were following every one of them, and becoming a better warrior with each bout. How was he losing? What did he mean?

"You are still fighting from the wrong place,” Aiden continued. “You fight from
here
," he reached out and touched Sam's heart. "Not from
here
," he added, reaching out and touched Sam's forehead.

"You don’t know what you're talking about," Sam spat back, defiant. “Not one of your people could beat me. And you're embarrassed. That's all it is. I fought perfectly. You just refuse to admit it.”

There was a startled gasp from the crowd. No one had ever spoken to Aiden that way before.

But Sam wasn't afraid. He called things as he saw them.

Aiden slowly shook his head.

"Reactive," he said. "Too reactive. Just because you win, doesn't mean that you will always win.

Winning or losing doesn't matter. Fighting from the right place is what matters. Your technique is still external. Not internal. Your emotions control you."

Suddenly, Aiden extracted a staff from within his robe, swung it, and cracked Sam hard along the rib cage.

Sam yelled out in pain, feeling the bruise in his ribs. He dropped to one knee, and looked up in astonishment. He hadn’t noticed Aiden holding a staff—and, more surprisingly, he had never seen a blow coming. How could Aiden have possibly moved that fast? It was like, one moment, he was standing there, and the next, he was in pain.

Sam looked up at Aiden, blind with rage. He had embarrassed him in front of all the others—

and
no one
embarrassed him.

Sam leaned his head back with a primal snarl, and lunged right for Aiden's throat.

Sam leapt through the air, both hands extended, aiming right for Aiden's throat. He couldn't control the rage that was overcoming him. He knew in the back of his mind that he should control himself—but he couldn’t. He was out for blood, and he didn't care who it was.

But just at the moment when Sam expected to feel his hands closing in on Aiden’s throat, Sam instead felt himself go flying through the air, and land, face first, in the mud.

Sam turned, and looked up, and saw Aiden standing off to the side.

How had he done that? A second before, he had been there. Somehow, he had gotten out of the way and thrown Sam, before Sam could even reach him.

Aiden was still shaking his head.

"Reactive," he said. "Predictable. You rely on your strength. It is your biggest asset. But also your biggest weakness.”

Sam leaned back and roared, a primal roar, feeling a rage course through him like never before.

It shook the entire place. Without thinking, he rolled over and grabbed a spear, hoisted it and aimed it right for Aiden’s heart.

The crowd gasped in horror.

Aiden managed to sidestep it, though, and it went flying past him, into a tree many yards away.

Sam would not be appeased. He grabbed whatever weapon he saw before him—a huge battle axe—held it with two hands, and charged right for Aiden. Even as he was doing it, Sam, on some level deep inside, was shocked by his own actions. It was as if an evil strain were coursing through him, one he couldn’t predict or control, forcing him to do so. Deep down, he didn't want to kill Aiden. But some new, unknown, evil part of him had been sparked, and it was carrying him away on its own wings. He realized, even as he was doing it, that there was nothing he could do to control it.

He realized, in some deep part of himself, that, paradoxically, Aiden had been right all along.

But it was too late. He swung down, right for Aiden’s chest, ready to cut him in half.

There was another horrified gasp from the crowd, and Sam expected to feel the blade entering Aiden’s flesh.

But at the last second, instead, he felt himself go flying through the air, and felt the blade plunge into the mud.

Sam, bent over, his back exposed, felt a sharp point in the small of his back.

He turned and saw Aiden standing there, unharmed, holding a sharp spear to his back.

Finally, Sam realized he was defeated, broken. The fighting spirit inside him departed, and the evil strand that had overcome him passed just as quickly. He felt emptied out, hollow, embarrassed, and remorseful.

Aiden stood there, scowling down.

All the other vampires, except Polly, started to charge towards Sam, as if to exact revenge for their leader.

"No!" Aiden shouted, and the vampires all stopped. "He's not in control of what he does. I don't want him harmed."

Aiden reached down and held out a hand. Sam felt terrible, so guilty, as he slowly reached up and took it, and allowed himself to be pulled to his feet by Aiden, the man who he had just been prepared to kill.

Sam hung his head low. "I'm sorry," he said.

"Don't apologize to me," Aiden answered. "Apologize to yourself. You are reckless. A danger to us all. This is why you were not chosen. And until you acknowledge your faults, you will never overcome them."

Sam looked up into Aiden's eyes, took a deep breath, and finally realized he was right. He realized that he did, indeed, have so much to learn.

"Will you teach me?" Sam asked. "I am ready now.” Aiden stared back, and Sam couldn't decipher the expression in his eyes. But suddenly, Aiden's eyes drifted higher, towards the sky, clearly watching something.

Sam turned, to see what it was.

Sam's heart leapt. There, on the horizon, flying towards them, was a group of vampires, flying low.

And leading them was his sister.

Caitlin flew through the air, Scarlet on her back, Caleb beside her, holding Ruth, and Lily on Caleb’s back. Coming off the proposal, Caitlin was still ecstatic, riding on cloud nine, and her life felt surreal. She had been brimming with joy the entire flight, ever since they’d left Leeds Castle, ever since the moment Caleb had proposed to her, and since they had adopted Scarlet. They had stopped only to pick up Lily at Windsor Castle, and to tell her the news.

Lily had been so ecstatic and delighted, she hadn't stop screaming for ten minutes. She’d gushed over Caitlin's ring, and embraced them both. She’d insisted on coming with them, on being there when Caitlin broke the news to Sam and Polly and Aiden's entire coven.

They had been flying for hours now, heading towards Warwick to break the big news, and all the while, Caitlin hadn’t been able to stop turning over in her mind the big moment when Caleb had proposed to her. It had been so surreal, had happened so quick, out of nowhere, and she kept reliving it, again and again. Her heart filled to the brim. She felt that now, flying beside Caleb, and with Scarlet, Ruth and Lily there with them, and about to be surrounded by her brother and all their friends, she truly had all that she needed in the world. She wished that she could just freeze this moment, and that everything would stay like this forever.

In fact, she wondered if maybe it could. She had no idea where her next clue led, and no concrete leads to follow until she figured it out. Unless Sam had a new lead, she saw no reason why she couldn't stay with Aiden's people for a while, live in peace, and enjoy this moment. And, of course, plan the wedding. She figured that a vampire wedding, as rare as it was, must be an extraordinary event.

Caitlin dove down with the others as Aiden's coven came into view. She found them all, as she suspected, on the training ground, and spotted Sam in the middle, facing Aiden. She was happy to see that he was here, training, and that Polly was not far from him.

They dove in and landed, and as they did, the coven parted ways for them. She set Scarlet down, as Caleb set Ruth and Lily down.

Polly broke through the ranks and hurried over to her.

"OH MY GOD!" Polly screamed out, as she reached over and lifted her hand, holding it close, inspecting, "IS THAT A RING!?!?!?"

Polly screamed in delight as she grabbed Caitlin’s hand and held it up, inspecting it, her mouth wide open, her eyes wide in excitement, bringing her hand to her mouth in shock.

Caitlin beamed, knowing that Polly lived for news like this. Polly got excited by even the smallest news—so news like this must have been like an earthquake in her world.

"Yes," Caitlin said, beaming, "it's true. We're engaged!” A big roar of approval rose up from all the coven members, as the tension in the air seemed to break.

Polly jumped up and down like a child.

“OH MY GOD OH MY GOD OH MY GOD!!!!!” Polly screamed, over and over. She gave Caitlin a huge hug, wrapping her arms around her tight.

Caitlin smiled over her shoulder, and hugged her back.

"I'm so happy for you! I'm so excited! How did it happen!? Tell me every detail! When is the wedding? Can I be your maid of honor?!?”

Before Caitlin could respond, Polly broke away from her and ran over and hugged Caleb.

Caitlin didn’t know which question to answer first. She hadn't even thought of when the wedding would be, and hadn't given any thought to a maid of honor. But as soon as Polly said it, she realized that felt right. She would be honored to have her as her maid of honor. Although she still had no idea what was involved in a vampire wedding, or what it would even look like.

All the other coven members quickly hurried over, surrounding Caitlin and Caleb, embracing them, asking them a million questions at once. Caitlin recognized so many faces from the past, and she felt very loved. She was thrilled to share the news with all of them, and delighted to see the excitement on all their faces.

Sam stepped forward slowly from the crowd, and looked at her. As he did, he looked dazed and confused, as if he had just been interrupted from something. She could not figure out his expression, or what was going on with him. She couldn't tell if he was happy for her or not. He just looked startled.

"Sam?" she asked. She truly hoped that he would be happy for her.

"Is it true?" he asked. "You guys are getting married?"

Caitlin nodded back, beaming. She reached over and held Caleb's hand. "It's true," she said.

Sam stepped up and hugged her, a strong embrace, and she could feel the power coursing through his veins.

He slowly turned and looked to Caleb, then reached over and hugged him, too.

"I’ve always liked you," Sam said. "Take good care of her.”

"I will," Caleb said.

"When is the wedding?" Polly asked.

"Where are you guys get married?" Tyler asked.

"How many people will you invite?” asked another.

“Are you going to have an engagement party?" someone else asked.

Caitlin's mind spun with all these questions. She had always dreamed of her wedding day, and now that preparations were finally here, she felt overwhelmed by all the things that lay ahead of her.

"Can I be your flower girl?" Scarlet asked.

Everyone laughed.

Caitlin draped her arm over her shoulder, and kissed her forehead. "Of course you can.” Caitlin picked her up and held her, and suddenly turned to everyone.

"Everyone, Caleb and I have more big news: Scarlet is our daughter now."

The entire crowd shouted with excitement, running over and giving Scarlet a big hug.

"I never knew that you had such a big family," Scarlet said to Caitlin, and the crowd laughed.

Aiden stepped forward, and Caitlin turned to him. She hadn’t considered what his reaction to all of this might be, and seeing him now in the flesh, she was a bit worried, wondering what he would say. He was always so serious, so focused on training, she wondered what he would think of a wedding. Would he consider it a distraction?

Behind his silver beard, she saw him break into a small smile.

"Happiness is a good thing," he said. "Very powerful. But remember: you have an important destiny in this world. Never lose focus."

He turned and disappeared into the crowd, and before she knew it, he was completely gone.

As Caitlin turned she saw Sam standing there, his head down. He had a funny expression, as he watched Aiden leave. She knew something was wrong with him, and wanted to know what it was.

Was it related to her engagement? Or was it something else?

She also wanted to know what clue he had found, and why her father's letter had sent him to this place.

"Sam," she said, approaching. He looked up. "Can we talk?” Looking despondent, he slowly nodded.

Caitlin leaned in and kissed Caleb. "Excuse me for just one moment," she said, as she took a few steps off to the side of the crowd, which was now swarming around Caleb and Scarlet.

"What is it?" Caitlin asked Sam, as soon as they were out of earshot. "Are you not happy for me?”

"No, not at all,” Sam said, suddenly putting on a forced smile. "I’m thrilled for you. I'm sorry. I didn't mean for it to seem that way. It’s not that at all.”

"So what is it?" she asked.

"It has nothing to do with you," he said.

“Well?” she prodded. “What is it?”

Sam hesitated. Finally, he took a deep breath.