Морган Райс - Betrayed

His eyes fluttered open, just a little bit.

“I’m pregnant,” she said. “You have to know...I’m pregnant.”

Caleb’s eyes opened one last time, as he looked at her in recognition, and smiled. “Pregnant,” he echoed softly.

And then, with his final burst of strength, he said: “We will always be together.”

And with that, she felt his body go limp in her arms.

And with every pore of her body, she knew that he was dead.

She looked over and saw the Sword, and her body filled with such hatred at this instrument that had caused so much ruin in her life. She reached over, grabbed its hilt with both hands, leaned back, and drove it with all her might, right into the stone floor, deeper and deeper, until it was driven all the way up to the hilt. As she did, the entire building shook on its foundation, its walls beginning to crumble.

She leaned back her head and roared, the cry of an animal who had lost every reason to live.

Caitlin flew over the Hudson River, Caleb’s dead body in her arms, heading right for Pollepel Island. She dove in, coming lower, aiming for the castle courtyard. The cold river air brushed her face, her tears, but unlike other times, it didn’t calm her. Nothing could calm her, ever again.

Caitlin could see her former covenmates below, training amid the torchlight. She knew that she was banished, and knew they might even have orders to kill her on-site, as Aiden had warned, but she had no choice. She had nowhere else to turn. And she had to see Aiden. She had to know if there was a way, any possible way, that he could revive Caleb. She refused to let him go. And if it turned out there was no way, she would take her own life with his.

She threw caution to the wind as she landed right in the courtyard, to the stunned expressions of her former covenmates. They all stopped training, and in frozen silence, looked at her with eyes wide open. They must have seen her pain, the grief etched across her face, as she held Caleb’s dead body in her arms. She landed in the center of the dusty courtyard, crying, and within seconds, Aiden appeared, marching right for her.

“I warned you!” he said. “I told you that no good would come of your leaving. And I told you that Caleb would die,” he said sternly. “I could have you killed for returning here. You have violated my law.”

“So kill me!” Caitlin screamed back. “I don’t care anymore. I don’t care about your rules, or this island. I just care about him. Caleb. He’s dead. You have to bring him back,” she yelled, pleading.

“There must be a way. There must be a way to bring him back. You have to help me!” Caitlin screamed, sobbing.

All of the other coven members stared, in shock. Even Polly was in shock, too dumbfounded to say anything. Aiden nodded at them: “Leave us.”

Within seconds, they all filtered out of the courtyard.

Now it was just Caitlin and Aiden alone, Caleb’s body between them.

Aiden leaned down and lay a palm on Caleb’s forehead. Caitlin stared at him, crying, hoping for any bit of hope.

Finally, after several seconds, Aiden shook his head.

“He is dead. The life force has left him. Stabbed with a very powerful weapon. The Sword, was it not?”

Caitlin nodded between tears.

“And what have you done with it?” he asked.

“I left it!” she yelled.

Aiden suddenly stood, scowling.

“Stupid girl. You have put us all at risk. Now my island will be attacked! You have brought war on all of us. Your actions were foolish. Selfish!”

“I know. I’m sorry. Please, just help,” she said.

“There is nothing I can do,” he said.

“PLEASE!” she pleaded. “There has to be something. There HAS to be!”

Several moments of silence followed, filled only by the sound of her crying.

“I am afraid there is not,” he finally replied.

“But you told me, you once said that vampires can go back in time. Is that true? You told me that my father was back in time somewhere. That means that Caleb and I can go back, together, doesn’t it? Doesn’t it!?”

She was hysterical.

Aiden stared, thinking.

“The method you speak of, as I once told you, is very unsafe. Most vampires die by trying.

Caitlin looked up at him, hopefully.

“But there is a chance, isn’t there!?” she pleaded.

“Are you prepared to lose your life?” he asked.

“Yes,” she said without hesitating.

“Are you certain of this?”

“Absolutely certain,” she said.

“Very well,” he said. “Follow me.”

Caitlin, carrying Caleb’s dead body, followed Aiden through the forest, Rose at her heels, trailed by her former covenmates.

They all entered the forest clearing, and Caitlin followed Aiden into the center, as the others stood in a loose, wide circle around her.

Aiden stood opposite her, as she lay Caleb’s body down on the grass. A large, full moon hung over them, lighting the clearing.

“There is an ancient ritual among vampires, one seldom used,” Aiden said. “Among humans, it is used as a way to kill a vampire forever. But among vampires, it is a way to resurrect them.

“You will lie here, at Caleb’s side, and we will hold a funeral service for you both, and repeat it three times. If it works, on the third time, you will both be revived, together. Either that, or you will both die for good.

“IF you are revived, you must know that it will not be in this time. You will both wake in a new life, a new place, a new time. You cannot move forward in time, so you will move backwards. We don’t know what place, or what time era.”

“But we will be together?” Caitlin asked.

“You will both be in that time and place, yes. But memories will be wiped clean. Maybe not yours, but definitely his. He has already died, so if you see him again in the new lifetime, he will not remember you. It will be like meeting him for the first time. You will be a complete stranger to him.

He may not even like you. Do you understand?”

“I don’t care,” Caitlin said.

“You will also never be able to return to the present time. So you will say goodbye to this life, this current life, forever. You must be prepared to sacrifice everything you know, to go back to a foreign time and place, and be with a Caleb who will not recognize you, and who may not like you.

It is also possible that you might survive the journey but that he may not. You may end up entirely alone in another lifetime. Are you prepared for all of this? And most of all, are you prepared for this to not work? Are you prepared to die, forever?”

Through her tears, Caitlin looked up again. “Please. I’ll do anything.”

Aiden looked at her gravely for several seconds, as the tense silence hung over all of them.

“Very well,” he said finally, slowly. “Lay down beside him.”

Caitlin lay on her back, on the grass, right beside Caleb. She looked up at the sky, at the huge full moon, and saw the clouds passing over it.

“Take his hand.”

Caitlin reached over, and grasped Caleb’s cold hand in hers, clasping it tightly.

Rose suddenly came running over, and lay down between them, looking at Caitlin and whining.

“Gather around,” Aiden said to the other coven members.

The other members all closed the circle, now standing just a few feet from Caitlin and Caleb, all looking down.

“Caitlin, close your eyes. Imagine a time and a place. Imagine where you would like to be, what time you would like to live in. Hold it in your mind. Don’t let it go. And everyone else, repeat after me.”

As Caitlin lay there, looking up at the moon, she felt her heart pounding, and desperately tried to think. She had no idea where she wanted to be, what time period she wanted to live in. All she knew was that she wanted to be with Caleb. She wanted it so much, her heart almost burst.