Морган Райс - Betrayed

Sam stared back, expressionless, just as he had been since being turned. He still looked as if he were lost in a haze.

“You have but one act left to cement your loyalty to our coven,” Kyle continued.

Sergei came running over, holding the Sword.

Kyle leaned over and took it, holding it in both palms out in front of him. It gleamed in the torchlight.

“One day, your sister will come to us. It is inevitable. And when she does, we will kill her.” Kyle leaned forward. “More specifically, you will kill her. With this Sword.”

Sam stared back, expressionless.

“And with this act,” Kyle continued, “you will prove your loyalty to me once and for all. And when you do, I shall award you the rank of General, and guarantee you power and riches beyond what you ever dreamed.

“Sam of the Blacktide Coven, do you accept this mission?”

Sam stood, staring back, unblinking. His expression did not change either way.

Kyle began to become annoyed. He felt his face start to flicker with rage.

Suddenly, Samantha stepped up between them and bowed low.

“My master,” she said. “Sam is still in a state of shock from being turned, and from his first vampire battle. He is not fully comprehending. I ask that you grant me a private audience with him to explain. I promise I will not disappoint you,” she said with another bow.

Kyle breathed deeply. “Very well. You have but a few minutes. Nothing more. And if the answer is not what I want, you and your boyfriend will both pay the price. I assure you.”

Samantha ushered Sam into a side chamber of the hall. She closed the door behind them, and as the two of them stood alone, she spoke to him in a quick, agitated whisper.

“Sam, I need you to focus, I need you to listen to me,” she pleaded.

He was still staring, expressionless, and she wondered how badly the turning had affected him.

He barely seemed like he heard her at all.

She stepped up, grabbed his face with both of her palms, leaned in and kissed him hard. She held it for a long time.

She retreated, and looked into his eyes. There was the slightest flicker of recognition. Maybe she had broken a bit of the spell.

“Sam, we are in grave danger. You have to accept that Sword. You have to tell Kyle that you will kill your sister.”

Sam stared at her, blinking. It seemed like he was starting to register.

“Sam, you have to do this. If not, they will kill us. And once the Sword is in our possession, there’ll be nothing stopping us. After you kill your sister, we can take out Kyle. With the Sword, you will be stronger than he. You would become the new coven leader, and I will be at your side.

Together, we can climb to greater heights than ever.

“Sam, please listen to me!”

She shook his shoulders, trying to elicit a reaction.

“Repeat after me: I will accept the Sword,” she said, looking right into his eyes. “I will kill my sister.”

Sam looked at her, still in a trance. “I will accept the sword,” he echoed, slowly. “I will kill my sister.”

Caitlin sat on a wide stone parapet, Rose by her side, looking out at the water. She had found this small, crumbling ruin on a deserted part of the island, on the shore, almost at eye level with the water. She felt she could gather her thoughts here, alone, and she desperately needed to. The entire sky was lit with the pink hues of the sunset, and she felt as if she were sitting on the edge of the world.

Her mind spun. There was so much to think about, she didn’t know where to begin.

Pregnant. That word had rocked her world. She had never imagined it could even be possible—

it had only been a week or two since she’d spent the night with Caleb. She had been shocked when Aiden revealed to her that vampire pregnancies happen much more quickly. It didn’t take three months to find out. It only took three days. And while one vampire cannot get another vampire pregnant, he explained, that night that she and Caleb had been together, Caitlin had still been a half-breed.

Caitlin swallowed in fear. What kind of a baby would this be? Human? A Half-breed? A true vampire? And what kind of a mother would she be? She could barely take care of herself, she barely even knew who she was. And what kind of a father would Caleb be? Would he even be in the child’s life? Would he even be alive to see the child? Would she?

These thoughts and more swirled throughout her mind. But even worse, overriding all of these thoughts was the pressing, gnawing feeling of Caleb’s being in danger. Of Aiden’s words. She could not get them out of her mind. Caleb in danger…no way to help him…forbidden to go…she could never come back….

Every bone in her body screamed for her to chase after Caleb, to go save him—especially after reading his letter, after knowing his deepest, truest feelings for her. How could she just let him down, especially after all that he’d done for her?

But on the other hand, she was overwhelmed by what a sacrifice it would demand. She would have to leave this place, her new home, her new family, forever. She could die in the process, according to Aiden. And that meant that she would kill her new baby with her.

Should she sacrifice all this to try to save him?

Then again, how could she not?

As Caitlin sat there, the sun setting, tears streaming down her cheeks, she cursed her bad luck.

This was always her fate. It seemed that every time she found something she loved in her life—

whether it was a new home, new school, a new friend—it always seemed to be taken away from her.

Life gave her great things only long enough for her to know how much she loved them. Then it pulled the rug out from under her. Change seemed to be the only constant.

Logically, she knew what she had to do. She had to stay put. For herself. For the baby. For her covenmates. For her race. For her destiny.

But emotionally, she just could not let go of Caleb.

She sat there for hours, thinking and thinking.

And finally, her heart won the battle.

She would go to Caleb.

Caitlin stood in her small room, looking over her possessions one last time as she finished dressing in her battle outfit. She had been given it during training, and she loved it. All-black, it was made of a material she couldn’t pronounce and didn’t recognize, but she knew that it was light as could be, and stronger than a bulletproof vest. The material wrapped snugly along her legs, torso, arms, and neck, covering her from feet to chin. It had black boots to match. She zipped it up, all the way to her chin, and patted down her arms. She felt invincible.

She surveyed her room one last time, grabbing her journal and her few possessions, and then left, heading out onto the wide, stone landing.

She looked out at the open sky, getting ready to take the leap, her final leap, when she suddenly heard a whining. She looked down and saw Rose sitting there, looking up at her with pleading eyes.

It seemed as if Rose was begging her not to go, as if she knew what lay in store for Caitlin.

Caitlin squatted before Rose, reached up, and stroked her face. Rose licked her, whining she did.

“It’s OK, Rose,” Caitlin said. “It will be OK.”

“Weren’t you going to say goodbye?” came a voice.

Caitlin looked up, startled, and there came Polly. She had tears in her eyes.

“I’m sorry,” Caitlin said. “I didn’t really know what to say. And I didn’t know how you’d take it.”

Polly nodded back. “I found out from Aiden,” she said.

Caitlin’s eyes opened wide. “Aiden? But I didn’t tell him yet. How did he know—”

“He knows everything,” Polly reminded.

So. He knew all along that I’d go, Caitlin thought. She wondered how disappointed he was in her, and she felt badly, as if she’d let him down.