Became more of myself.
And then I found out that I was pregnant, and that rocked my world. I just knew that Caleb was in danger. I left the island, to save him. Aiden told me that if I left, I could never come back. I chose Caleb. He was more important to me.
I joined Sera, and together, we fought to rescue Caleb, who’d been captured in the vampire wars. We found him, captured in Kyle’s coven. And we were about to free him.
But Sam had been caught in the grip of Kyle’s terrible influence, and he used his shapeshifting powers in an evil way. He tricked us, and he even tried to kill me. But Sera had stepped in, and gave up her life for mine.
But Sam had actually killed me, because he tricked me to kill Caleb. With my own hands. With the Sword.
Aiden had told me that there’d be one chance to save Caleb: if I went back in time. I had agreed to lose our child, to give up everything, to try. Aiden told me I could never come back. I let it all go for Caleb.
I found myself in Italy, in 1791. Assisi. Venice. Florence.
Rome. It was a whirlwind. In Venice, at first I couldn’t find Caleb, and then when I did, I had my heart broken to discover that he didn’t remember me. I fell in love with Blake, though, and in Florence, I finally found a clue to lead me to my father. But again, Kyle appeared, and stole it away, and captured us both.
In Rome, I fought for my life, in the Colosseum, in Kyle’s cruel games. It was because of me that Blake died, taking a stab for me. Nothing hurt worse than that.
How many people will have to die to keep me alive?
Then their came Sam. I thought he would try to kill me, but he saved me instead. As did Caleb, who finally remembered. The three of us fought our way out together, and made it to the Vatican.
There, I met my people. My true people. They gave me the first of four keys I need to find my father. And then sent us back in time. Yet again.
And here I am now. In this new time and place. Finally reunited with Caleb—or so I thought. I felt sure that this could be the time and place where we could finally be together. When everything was perfect.
And now, it all seems to be falling apart, once again.
And who am I now? A daughter without a father? A sister without a brother? A girl without a boyfriend?
Should I be searching for the Shield? Should I be searching for my father? Should I be chasing after Caleb?
Should I wait for him here?
Or should I leave this place forever?
*
Caitlin burst out the front door of the castle and ran in the night, through a waist high field of grass. As she ran, she tried to set off, to fly into the air, but her wings wouldn’t work. She ran faster, trying to jump, to lift off, but nothing happened. As she continued to run, nearly out of breath, she finally realized that she didn’t have the power she used to.
In the distance, on the horizon, stood a lone figure, his body silhouetted against the full moon. The sky was alight with an enormous moon, illuminating thousands of small clouds. Caitlin ran towards the figure, feeling that it might be her father. Or possibly, Caleb.
As she ran, suddenly, the landscape sloped downward, and she found herself running down, into a valley.
Eventually, she was running up the other side again, up a huge hill. But the hill became so steep, and she grew tired.
The lone figure stood atop it, beckoning, but it was too hard for her to reach him.
The landscape became rocky, and Caitlin found herself slipping on huge rocks as she was trying to run up the side of a mountain. She was losing her grip and as she did, a rockslide began.
She slid downward. She grabbed hold of a large rock, hanging precariously, and looked up, hoping for help.
Her father looked down, holding out a hand.
“Help!” Caitlin screamed.
“Find me, Caitlin,” he responded, as his hand nearly reached hers. “Don’t give up the search.”
Caitlin reached up, trying to touch her father’s hand, but she lost her grip, and suddenly, she was sliding down the mountain, further and further down, until she was falling endlessly into a black hole. She screamed for all she had, knowing that she was plummeting to her death.
Caitlin woke screaming.
She looked al around, breathing hard, trying to remember where she was.
She spotted a dying candle in the corner of the room, and saw Ruth lying on her bed, looking at her with concern. She saw the huge window, open to the moonlight, and realized it was just a dream.
She was stil in Caleb’s castle.
Caitlin got out of bed, covered in sweat, and paced, barefoot, on the stone floor. It felt so weird to be in this huge place alone, to be in his bed alone. She felt like an intruder here, and felt disoriented.
The dream had seemed so real. Her heart was stil pounding as she crossed the room, then through the huge doors and out onto the open terrace. She grabbed a jug of water and gulped it down as she stood on the terrace, looking out. Her throat was parched.
She heard a whining noise, and looked down and saw Ruth at her feet, looking up. She put down what was left of her water, and Ruth quickly lapped up the rest.
Caitlin studied the sky, lit up in the moonlight. As much as she had loved being here the day before, now, she hated it.
It felt wrong to her. Despite the unusual circumstances, she stil felt as if she had been spurned by Caleb. She felt he should have refused, that he should have just been happy with her, and had stayed put. That he shouldn’t have gone flying off the second that Sera contacted him. She knew that she was being selfish, and she understood that he missed his child.
But stil , she felt like she deserved better than that.
Caitlin zoned out, standing there for she didn’t know how long, as she slowly watched the horizon begin to break, the dark blue gradual y melt into a softer, lighter blue. She felt so confused about so many things. Maybe her dream had been a message. Maybe she should focus on the search.
Maybe it was time to let Caleb go from her life.
After al , Caitlin did desperately want to find her father. She did want to have al the searching behind her, to have her life return to whatever state of normalcy there might be. And somehow, she felt, as long as the Shield was out there, as long as her Dad stil loomed on the horizon, her life would never quite be normal.
As dawn began to break, Caitlin realized she needed to clear her head, to stop the thousands of racing, conflicting thoughts swirling through it. Ruth whined again, and this time, Caitlin picked her up. Ruth clearly needed to take a walk, and so did she.
Caitlin walked down the stairs and out the castle, into the dawn, and fol owed the trail through the fields. The trail wound its way right into a patch of woods, and Caitlin realized that would be a perfect place for a long walk.