Морган Райс - Betrayed

“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.

Caleb flew over the Manhattan night sky, Sera trailing behind him, and as he dove lower, flying over the Bronx, he could see, with his vampire vision, the details of what was happening on the streets below. It was mayhem. Humans were fighting humans, stores were being looted, cars were piled up in the streets. It looked as if a war had broken out.

Worse, Caleb spotted vampires of the Blacktide Coven spread throughout the streets, attacking humans. Humans ran in every direction, from the vampires, from each other, from those infected with the Bubonic Plague, and from the occasional policeman. No one knew who was attacking who, it was clear. And it was also clear that the victors were the vampires. They were feeding everywhere, in a frenzy, on humans. Blood lined the streets.

Caleb’s heart sank. He felt sorry for the humans, and angry that the other vampire covens would act with such impunity, especially right in his coven’s neighborhood. Clearly, this was all being orchestrated. Surely Kyle must have returned to his coven with the Sword, and now, they must all feel invincible.

It would only be a matter of time until Caleb’s coven was attacked itself. And by then, Caleb knew, it would be too late.

Caleb flew over the ramparts of the Cloisters and landed on its wide outer patio, Sera a few feet behind him. She was still there, always on his heels. He never seemed able to get rid of her. She had followed him in flight, all the way from Pollepel Island. He knew that she would. But that didn’t mean he had to acknowledge her.

She had come to him on Pollepel on a mission to bring him back, and now here he was, and she must have imagined herself to be the returning victor. But he wouldn’t let her claim that victory. He had decided to return on his own volition, for his own reasons. What she failed to see, what she always failed to see, is that it had absolutely nothing to do with her.

Caleb strode across the stone patio, past dozens of vampire guards, who all came to attention as he walked. Caleb had never seemed quite this display of strength before; his coven must truly be on guard. Usually, there were just two guards; now, with a quick glance, he noted at least 50. All soldiers, all armed, and all watching the night sky.

Caleb was sure that, if they hadn’t had recognized him, they would have attacked him before he’d even reached the ground.

“Aren’t you going to wait for me?” Sera asked, marching up beside him as the large, arched door was opened for them.

Caleb ignored her, continuing his march—until he felt her cold, icy grip on his arm, felt her fingers digging into his flesh. She stopped him, and turned him to face her.

“I will not be disrespected by you in front of our people,” she snapped in a hushed tone. “We will enter together. We are still a couple.”

“We are not a couple,” Caleb shot back. “I don’t know how many times I can tell you this.”

“Just because you don’t think we are, doesn’t mean that we aren’t,” Sera shot back, equally determined. “You married me 600 years ago. There are no divorces in the vampire world. Our separation was never sanctioned.”