It is our night for power, the one night when evil has free reign. We will use the energy of this night to summon our evil cohorts from every corner of the earth. Whatever creatures are out there, they will come to us, like moths to a flame. Then, tomorrow, we will attack Skye as one.” Kyle looked at him, puzzled.
“But I thought you said Skye had a shield, was immune to attack—”
“We can’t lead a head-on attack. But I can use my shapeshifting powers to trick one of them into inviting us. With a formal invitation, the gates will be opened. Then our entire army can attack.” Kyle looked at Rynd with a new admiration. Of course. The sacred vampire invitation. One vampire coven could not cross water to attack another coven. Unless they were invited. And with Rynd’s shapeshifting power, he could deceive someone, and get an invitation.
Kyle smiled broadly. He knew there was a reason he’d wanted to use his old apprentice. He had known, he had just known, that Rynd would be the key.
And Kyle liked his plan. Of course. Samhain. There was no better day of the year to harness the evil forces of the universe. Kyle recalled his heyday, when they would spend entire days leading up to, during, and after Samhain, sacrificing humans, drinking their blood, and on all-night orgies of sex and witchcraft and bloodshed. It was his favorite day of the year. With all of Rynd’s men in attendance, they could collectively perform ceremonies and rituals and sacrifices that could help conjure up even the most evil of spirits. Yes, Kyle was feeling optimistic. It was a very propitious sign indeed.
But Kyle was still uncertain of why Rynd had chosen the Isle of Lewis to celebrate Samhain.
And then they rounded a hill, and Kyle saw it: the Callanish Stones. Of course. Kyle hadn’t thought of these for centuries. But now that he saw them, it made perfect sense. There was no better place Rynd could have picked.
The Callanish Stones had been around for thousands of years, and were an ancient power spot for vampires. Laid out in a crude circle, they looked like the stones of Stonehenge, except these stones were more narrow, haphazard. They sat atop a dramatic knoll, on a remote island, overlooking cliffs and a vast ocean. They were eerie, and exuded a mystical power.
As they approached, a sudden gale force wind met them, and Kyle could already sense the power of this place. There was nothing more he could have asked for: the Samhain Festival. The Callanish Stones. Rynd and his coven….It was a sure recipe for victory. This time, Caitlin would be his.
As Kyle walked with the others to the circle of stones, he could hear shrieks in the distance. He looked over and saw several of Rynd’s men, sadistic smiles on their faces, dragging a human—a woman—with long blonde hair. They tore off her clothes, until she was naked, and dragged her to the center of the circle, propping her against a rock. As they held her in place, Rynd walked up, extracted a knife, and in one motion, reached down and sliced her throat.
Blood gushed everywhere, and dozens of Rynd’s men rushed in, kneeling and feeding. Rynd lifted the blade, and licked it clean.
Kyle felt his heart warm. He knew that this was going to be the start of a wonderful night.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Caitlin, still holding a sleeping Scarlet in her arms, walked with Caleb through the forest trail, following Aiden. Caleb held Ruth, who was severely injured, but still alive. It seemed that she might make it—albeit with a large scar across her face from where she’d been attacked.
They followed Aiden silently through the twisting and turning forest trail, deep into the woods.
The others had gone back to the castle, at Aiden’s request, leaving them alone. There was something Aiden needed to discuss with them, and clearly he wanted privacy.
As they walked, Caitlin was just so grateful to have Scarlet back, alive. Her mind was still reeling with the news. Scarlet. A vampire. Her daughter. There were so many questions she was burning to ask Aiden. But for now she just wanted to revel in the fact that Scarlet was still alive.
And that she was her daughter.
Caitlin had never been more overjoyed. Deep down, she had always sensed this to be true—
Scarlet, her daughter. Their bond had been so deep, so immediate, and she had thought so many times that she saw herself in the child. Yet she was shocked to actually hear it. It seemed that Caleb was shocked, too: he kept looking over at Scarlet with such deep affection, stroking her hair, and he seemed overwhelmed by the fact that he had a daughter. A real daughter.
Caitlin couldn’t help but think that her wish, at Faerie Glen, had really come true.
The woods opened up, the sun dramatically broke through the clouds, and stretched out before them was the edge of a cliff. On the horizon, there was an expanse of ocean.
Aiden went over and leaned against one of these, his back to them, looking out at the sky.
Aiden sighed, holding his staff, looking ancient as he gazed out at the expanse of ocean. Several minutes of silence passed, and Caitlin wondered if he was ever going to speak. Finally, he began.
“Scarlet is your daughter, the result of your union. You had her in the future. She traveled back in the past to be with you. She has no memory of this, and never will. But she is the daughter you never lived to see in the future.
“Back in Pollepel, you made a decision to give up everything to go back in time, to do whatever you could to save Caleb’s life. Even your unborn child. Now, that decision has been rewarded. Here and now, you are finally getting back what you had lost.
“Scarlet is no ordinary child. She is unlike any other vampire. She is far more evolved, and can sense and see things more deeply. As she grows, so will her powers. Beyond what you could ever imagine. You must watch her closely. At all times. Protect her with all that you have.”
“I will,” Caitlin responded, and meant it. She sensed she was being rebuked for taking her eyes off of her earlier.
“When you found Scarlet in the woods, you made a vow. Vampire vows are sacred. Any and every vow must be exacted. You vowed you would do anything, give up anything, to have her back.
Yes, she is immortal. But at the same time she had a destiny. Your love is what brought her back. It changed her destiny. And yours.”
Aiden turned and looked at her.
“You vowed that you would give up anything. And that vow will be exacted. You will, indeed, have to give up something. Something dearly precious to you.” Caitlin felt her heart pounding. “What?” she asked, afraid to know the answer.
But Aiden just turned and looked away, back to the ocean.