Scarlet squirmed against her shackles, but no matter how much she tried, she could not get free. The group of convicts slowly approached. She backed up, until she was flush against the stone wall.
Soon, she hit it, and there was nowhere else to go. Outside, she could see the guards watching, the sadistic smiles on their faces. Clearly, they would revel in this, watching her suffer.
The crowd closed in, now only feet away.
Scarlet only wished that she didn’t have to die this way.
CHAPTER TWELVE
Caitlin and Caleb followed Aiden as he walked down the steep slope of the Mount of Olives, turning amidst hidden paths in the trees. They walked in silence, Aiden several feet ahead.
Caitlin was burning with so many questions for him, as always. How long had he been here? How had he known she was coming? And most of all, why did all the clues lead to him? Was he her father?
They continued in silence, trailing behind, until they reached a plateau at the base of the mountain, well-hidden by the trees. She watched as he walked right into what seemed like a grove of trees, puzzled. He disappeared amidst the foliage. After exchanging a look, Caitlin and Caleb followed.
As they did, she was amazed at what lay just beyond: here, nestled amidst a thick grove of olive trees, sat a large villa, long and wide. Surrounded by columns on all sides, with wide, open arches, it looked like an ancient monastery, with its clean, simple lines and empty space. Inside was a broad, limestone interior, with a simple courtyard and roman fountains. It reminded her of all the monasteries they had visited over the centuries.
Milling about silently were dozens of Aiden’s people, dressed in long, white robes, hands tucked in and heads lowered as they walked, as if in meditation or prayer. Caitlin was surprised they weren’t sparring, training, fighting, as Aiden’s coven always had. Here, they seemed more quiet, peaceful. Yet, at the same time, she could feel the power emanating off of them. She wondered if this silence, this meditation, was a form of training.
Caitlin couldn’t believe it. Just when she’d thought they were all alone, they had found Aiden and his coven, here in this time and place. Here, at the base of the Mount of Olives. Had this been the purpose of all the clues? To lead her to him? Was it time for her to use the four keys that lead to her father?
Caitlin looked all about, looking for any sign, any clue, as to where the four keys might fit. But there was none. She felt more confused than ever, and hoped that Aiden had answers.
Finally, he stopped and faced them.
“Yes, you are right,” Aiden began. “They are training.”
Caitlin flushed, embarrassed he’d read her mind.
“You just don’t see it, as you did in other times and places. In other days, it was a training of the body, a training of swords, and shields, and spears, and arrows. Here, it is a training of the spirit. Of the mind. It is a much deeper and more profound training. The final training, the final level of becoming a warrior. Here, our very souls are at stake.”
Caitlin surveyed the building with a fresh respect for the coven members, many of whom simply stood there, staring off into the horizon, hands folded, eyes closed. She wondered what the training entailed, and how it made them better warriors. She thought back to some of her earlier training sessions with Aiden, when he had pushed her to look inside. To stop fighting. It had been some of the most powerful training she could remember.
She turned back to Aiden. She was burning with so many questions, she hardly knew where to begin.
“Are you my father?” she began.
Her words shocked even her. She hadn’t meant to be so blunt, so direct—but the words just came flying out. She couldn’t help it—she had to know. Was it him, all this time? A part of her felt that it was. But another part wasn’t sure.
His response surprised her even more.
“That is a distinction of which I would be very proud,” he said, smiling slowly. “But alas, it is not the case. No. I am not he. But I know him very well.”
Caitlin felt her heart pounding. At least that put that idea to rest. But she was equally excited by the idea that Aiden knew him. And it made her wonder: was he here? In this place? Was she about to meet him now?
“No, he’s not here,” Aiden replied. “Nor can I reach him myself. If it were that easy, we wouldn’t need you, would we?” He smiled, then asked: “Do you have the four keys?”
She nodded.
“Good. You will need them.”
“But I still don’t understand,” Caitlin said. “Where is he? When will I see him?” Her heart was pounding with anticipation.
“There is a final relic waiting for you,” Aiden said. “One last, final clue, that will lead you to him. We have been holding it for you here, in safekeeping. Of course, I cannot open it. Only you have the key.”
Caitlin looked back at him, puzzled. The key?
He looked down at her necklace, and Caitlin suddenly remembered. She reached down and felt it, her heart pounding.
“Where is it?” Caitlin asked, expecting him to present her with perhaps a locked chest of some sort.
Aiden shook his head.
“Before I lead you to it, you must first complete your training. Tonight, you and Caleb will spend the night with us, and rest up for your final night before you see him. In the morning, we will ascend to the Mount, and you will complete your training. And then, you will meet your father.”
Caitlin swallowed at the thought of it.
“Great forces are aligned against us,” he continued. “Even now they have put into motion plans to destroy us. We have no time to spare. At the first light of dawn, we shall ascend to the mountaintop. And then you must find your father, and get the shield—quickly.”
“What about Scarlet?” Caitlin asked the question burning most inside of her.
Aiden slowly shook his head, and Caitlin’s heart sank.
“Now, of course, you ache to find her. But you must find your father first. Only by finding him will you find her. But I must warn you: you must keep sight of what is important. The shield. Humankind. The greater good. Saving us all. One day, you might have to choose. Between family, and humankind. Between your legacy, and your destiny. It will not be easy; in fact, it will be the hardest choice of your life. I cannot explain: this must all remain hidden for now. It will be revealed when it is meant to be revealed.”
Caitlin racked her brain, trying to understand what he meant. But she had no idea. It was all too mysterious.