Morgan Rice - Betrayed

Suddenly, Caitlin felt dizzy. She staggered and bent over, clutching her stomach.

Sera came running over, putting a hand on her back. She grabbed her shoulder, steadying her.

“What is it?” Sera asked, concerned.

The paint in Caitlin’s stomach had been horrific. She slowly raised herself, and started to breathe again. She took several deep breaths.

Caitlin could see Sera’s expression change as she examined Caitlin’s eyes. Sera reached up and placed her palm on Caitlin’s forehead – and her expression changed to one of amazement.

“You’re pregnant,” Sera said in an astonished whisper. “With Caleb’s child.”

Caitlin nodded back.

Sera’s eyes welled up.

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Would it have made a difference?” Caitlin asked.

“Yes. Of course. You’re carrying Caleb’s child. It is a piece of him. That means the world to me.”

Sera wiped back a tear.

“I’m sorry,” she said. “I’m sorry for how I behaved. Please, forgive me.”

“I don’t harbor any grudges towards you,” Caitlin said.

“I know,” Sera answered. “You’re a better person than I.”

Caitlin smiled, her stomach feeling better, and reached up and put a hand on Sera’s shoulder. “You’re not that bad yourself,” Caitlin said.

Sera smiled back.

The two of them lifted back into the air, heading right for City Hall, determined to rescue Caleb, whatever the cost. But now, Caitlin felt, they were more than just fellow warriors on a shared mission. Now, they were truly friends.

Caitlin and Sera landed on the steps of City Hall. It was quiet here. Too quiet.

They both looked at each other, wondering. They could feel a thick tension amidst the silence. It was eerie. Almost as if they were being set up for a trap.

They had expected to find the place guarded by scores of soldiers, to see tremendous activity, vampires rushing in and out. But then again, their vampires were already spread all throughout the city. Maybe they had all already left home base, and maybe they had, rightly, felt no need to be guarded. After all, who would dare attack them?

As they stood there, wondering, the front door opened. Out walked a single vampire.

He took a few steps towards them, and stopped and stared at Caitlin.

Caitlin could not believe it.

It was Caleb.

He stood there, smiling at her, holding the Sword. The Sword. It was a miracle. He had escaped.

Caitlin felt herself overwhelmed with a huge wave of relief. She broke into tears as she ran towards him, running up the steps. She felt such a rush of love for him, felt so sorry that she’d ever left him. She was determined to never leave him again as she raced up the steps, ready to embrace him.

Suddenly, Caitlin heard a scream: “NO!”

It was Sera’s voice.

Caitlin felt herself being shoved by Sera, right before she could embrace Caleb.

Caitlin hit the ground hard, several feet away, and turned and looked.

She could not believe her eyes.

Sera now stood where Caitlin had just been, right in front of Caleb.

But there was an expression of horrific pain on her face, and as Caitlin looked down, she could see that Caleb had stabbed Sera. Right through the heart. With the Sword.

It had been a stab meant for Caitlin. Sera had seen it coming, and had shoved Caitlin out of the way, had saved her, had taken the stab in her place. She had sacrificed herself for Caitlin.

Caitlin looked up, horrified, the entire world in slow motion, looking at Caleb’s face. How could he do this? How could he want to kill her? How could he kill Sera?

But as she looked closely at his face, her own face fell in disbelief. Right in front of her eyes, his face changed. It was not Caleb after all. It had been a trick.

And the new face that came into view sent a chill through her spine.

Sam. Her brother.

He had tried to kill her.

Caitlin felt as if she herself had been stabbed, as she realized the depth of his betrayal. Her own brother. Masking himself as Caleb. Trying to kill her. And killing Sera.

Sam seemed to register the expression on Caitlin’s face, and suddenly, he seemed to snap out of his trance. It seemed that he suddenly realized the depth of what he had just done. His expression became one of horror, of utter hatred with himself, as he looked down at the bloody Sword in his hand, at the act he had committed.

He dropped the Sword onto the cement, and it landed with a clang. As his face collapsed in an expression of grief and horror, he broke out into a shrill cry.

“Caitlin!” he shrieked. “Forgive me!”

And with that, he turned and ran, back inside City Hall, leaving Caitlin alone, the Sword lying on the steps, Sera beside it, dying.

Caitlin ran over to Sera and sat beside her, crying. She lifted her head onto her lap.

Sera looked up, smiling.

“I’m so sorry,” Caitlin said. “I didn’t know..

Sera struggle to talk, blood pouring out of her mouth. Finally, she opened her lips, her voice faint: “It was a trick… shape shifting… remember… Caleb… is a prisoner… chained… remember… he is chained.… if he is free… it is not Caleb… don’t be tricked….”

“I know, I know,” Caitlin repeated, crying, “I realize now. I’m so sorry.”

Sera lifted her head one last time, struggling to get out her final words.

“Your child,” she said, “raise him well.”

And with that, she leaned back and died.

Caitlin leaned back and wailed in grief. It was too much. In just a short time, she had come to feel such a strong connection with Sera. She felt as if her sister had just been killed in front of her. In her place.

And at the same time, she felt betrayed by her brother.

Caitlin looked over, at the Sword, sitting there, by itself, on the cement.

She gently lay Sera down, and went over and grabbed it. She held it with both hands and let out a primal roar.

At just that moment, the doors to City Hall banged open, and out charged dozens of Blacktides, right for Caitlin.

But she was ready. More than ready. An incredible rage flooded through her – a greater rage than she had ever experienced – and now she wielded the Sword. They had come across the wrong woman at the wrong time.

Seconds later, dozens of them lay dead, helpless to fight back against the Sword.

They kept pouring out the door, though, and Caitlin kept fighting.

Minutes later, hundreds of them lay dead. There were bodies piled on top of bodies, as Caitlin wreaked devastation beyond what she ever could have imagined. She was like a different person.

Finally, the vampires stopped streaming.

But Caitlin was not satisfied. She wanted more.

She would not stop until she entered the sanctuary, and killed Kyle himself.

But first, she’d find Caleb. Chained, like Sera had said. He was down there and chained. And she had to save him.

And now that she had the Sword, nothing would stop her.

Sam ran through the corridors beneath City Hall, faster and faster, twisting and turning. He could not believe what he had just on. His own sister. He had tried to kill her. Why? Had he sank so far?

Up until that moment, ever since he had been turned, he’d felt out of control, like he’d been in a haze. It had just been so hard to think clearly, to get a hold of his new skin, his new life, as if he had just been swept up in a giant wave.

But now, finally, the effects of being turned were wearing off, and he was finally able to see clearly, to think for himself. He realized that he had slipped. He had never wanted any of this. He despised Kyle and the entire coven. Most of all, he realized that he had been played by Samantha. She had wanted him to rise to power for her own sake, her own ambition. She had used him.