Morgan Rice - Vowed

She shook it off. After all, she was also a worried mother now, and it was natural that she would have such anxieties, especially since they were flying in the opposite direction, further and further away from Skye. Caitlin told herself to be strong, not to give in to silly worries. After all, Scarlet was in such good hands, protected by Polly and Sam and Aiden and all the others. What could possibly go wrong?

Besides, they couldn’t turn back now, even if they wanted to. There was an urgency to their mission, and the sooner they completed it, the sooner they could be back. And the sooner they found the ancient shield, her father, the more protected Scarlet would be.

After hours of flying, finally, Caitlin sensed the chapel beneath them.

Rosslyn.

Caitlin looked down, and was amazed: this church looked ancient, even for this time, with dozens of narrow, angular spikes rising up along either side of it, lending it an ornate feeling. It was a huge, sprawling structure, built in a dark orange stone, with a sharply sloped, black tiled roof, giving it a look distinct from any other church she had seen. It exuded a certain energy, and Caitlin felt as if she were in the presence of a truly sacred place.

They landed before its entrance, and as they approached it, Caitlin was in awe of everything about this place. It looked like a place of legends. Even its front door was immense, towering over them, with huge, arched doors and a metal knocker. It was embedded in a massive, stone, arched frame, ornately carved. It looked like the entrance to a fairytale.

Caitlin and Caleb exchanged a look, each quietly wondering if they should knock. They reached a silent agreement, and Caitlin stepped forward, grabbed hold of the huge, iron knocker, and slammed it. The sound reverberated throughout the empty courtyard.

No response.

Caitlin slammed it again and again.

They waited, but still no response.

Caitlin had enough of waiting. Finally, she put her shoulder into the door and pushed hard. It was open, but was such a heavy door, she had to push for all she was worth. The door opened slowly, with a creek, and moments later they were inside. Caleb shut the door behind them, and the slam echoed throughout the empty church.

Caitlin was in awe at the sight before her. She had been to some of the greatest churches in the world, and yet this church was different than them all. Built in a reddish stone, it held one of the most ornately designed interiors she had ever seen. Every inch was covered in some shape or design, carved with thousands of symbols, drawings and shapes. Huge, thick columns of stone, the size of tree trunks, filled the nave, rose to the ceiling in arches that curved in every direction, just as thick. This place was clearly built to last. At its far end, the church culminated in an elaborate altar, behind which sat a fifty foot tall, arched stained glass window, showering the room with a soft, muted afternoon light.

With all the signs and symbols carved into the columns and walls and ceiling, Caitlin could not help but wonder what secret messages were hiding here. It was so silent she could hear a pin drop; she sensed she was in the presence of a very sacred place.

“So, you have arrived,” came a sudden voice.

Caitlin and Caleb wheeled. Standing there, not ten feet away, was a fellow vampire, dressed in all-white robe, smiling back.

Caitlin wondered how he had managed to get so close so quickly. But, luckily, she did not sense any animosity.

“Rosslyn Chapel,” he continued, “burial place for kings and queens for centuries. The site of many a vampire pilgrimage. And the rumored resting place of the Holy Grail.”

He stared back at them, smiling.

“But you have not come here to be buried. Or for a pilgrimage. Or to seek the Grail. You are here for something much more special.”

He stared, intently studying Caitlin.

“I thought you’d be older,” he said with a smile.

Caitlin felt her cheeks reddening; she wasn’t sure how to respond. She was caught off guard that he even knew of her at all.

“You have the key?” he asked.

Caitlin slowly nodded back.

Seeming satisfied, he turned and strutted down the long, church aisle.

Caitlin and Caleb exchanged a look, then followed, unsure where he was leading them. As they went, Caitlin felt her heart fluttering, and could feel that they were on the verge of something huge.

Their footsteps echoed as they walked down the empty aisle, reverberating off the ceiling, hundreds of feet high. Caitlin had the odd feeling that there were many eyes on her, although as she looked around the church, surveying the upper balconies, she saw no one.

“People have come to Rosslyn from far and wide, seeking the Grail,” the vampire said as he walked, his back still to them. “What they seek, of course, is hidden far beneath us. In the lower crypts. The reason they never find it,” he said, stopping before the altar, and facing them, “is because there is no entrance. It was walled off. Centuries ago. And no one knows where to look. Or that it even exists.”

He stared intently at Caitlin.

“Your key will reveal it.”

He nodded at the altar. Caitlin looked, and saw a tall, golden staff, intricately carved, placed squarely in the altar. At first glance, it looked like an ornate candle holder. But as she looked closely, she could see that it was not. It was an ancient staff, shining in the light, with biblical images carved into it. She could see a tiny hole in it, just big enough to hold a key.

The vampire nodded at her again.

“I hope your key is the right one. We only have one chance at this. If the wrong key is inserted, it will destroy the trail forever. Are you sure it is the right one?”

Caitlin swallowed hard, feeling sweat break out on her forehead. At Eilean Donan, they had only given her one key. She assumed it must be the right one.

Caitlin nodded. She reached up, and slowly inserted the key into the slot. It fit perfectly.

She breathed a sigh of relief.

She gently turned to the right, and as she did, she suddenly heard a rumbling behind her. The staff before her suddenly sank into the ground, lower and lower, and then a wall slid open behind them.

Caitlin was in shock. An ancient passageway had been revealed, clouds of dust coming out of it, leading into the blackness.

The vampire looked at her and smiled. “Well done,” he said.

He led the way, taking a torch off the wall, and the three of them walked through the opening and down an ancient, stone stairwell, twisting into the blackness.

They finally reached the lowest levels, and continued down a corridor, barely lit by the torch. Finally, they reached a room.

In it was a single object: a golden stand, on which sat a huge, ancient Bible. The ancient book must have been two feet wide and long, covered in an ornate casing of silver and gold.

The three of them crowded over it. As Caitlin stared, she could feel the scroll heating up in her pocket, and she knew, she just knew, that this was the book from which the page was torn.

Caitlin gently pulled back the heavy pages, surprised at its weight. She turned the pages gingerly, crackling as she went. Each page was thick, and heavy, ancient from years of use, ornately illustrated in all different colors, in drawings all along the edges. The text was in a handwritten scrawl, in ancient Latin. She felt as if she had stepped back into another time.

Caitlin turned and turned, until she reached the middle of the book, and finally, she found it. The torn page. She reached into her pocket, extracted the rolled up scroll, and carefully lined up the other half of the torn page.

It was a perfect match.

They all crowded in closer.

As the pages came together as one, Caitlin could not believe what she saw. Each page showed one half of an ancient shield, sun rays coming off of it, shining. As she lined the pages up together, Caitlin realized it could be none other than a picture of the ancient vampire shield.