This room, too, was carved of a medieval stone, with an arched ceiling and two big, arched windows which looked out at the river. It was simple and austere, and the view was beautiful, the river seeming to fill the entire room.
Caitlin sat in the large chair opposite his desk, as Aiden sat behind it. Caitlin could feel the river breezes coming in through the open windows, and it refreshed her. She turned and focused on Aiden.
He sat behind his desk and stared at her. He was an unusual man—or vampire, that is. He was tall and broad, and his long silver hair, neatly combed, fell down past his shoulders, and blended into his beard. He had intense blue eyes which fixed on her, and didn’t waiver. He looked to be in his 60s, but she knew he was far older than that. This was an intense man. Not the kind of man who seemed to joke around. Ever. Not that he seemed stern—he didn’t. He just didn’t seem frivolous.
He stared at Caitlin intently, looking into her eyes, and she sensed that he was finding out all that he needed just by staring. It made her uncomfortable. She wondered what he was discovering.
“I took you in here,” he began, in an official sounding, deep voice which nonetheless relaxed her, “because Caleb asked me to. Consider it a favor to an old friend. He assured me that you would be harmonious, easy to get along with, a good fit with the rest of my coven. As you know, there are only 23 of us—24 now, with you here—and I accept new vampires very, very selectively. We must all live in harmony with one another if we are to get along here.”
“I didn’t start the fight,” Caitlin said defensively. “Cain started it. Why don’t you reprimand him?
He’s the jerk.”
The second she said it, Caitlin knew that she was right, but she also knew that, as always, she’d spoken before thinking, and shouldn’t have been quite so harsh.
“Cain has his issues, you are correct. I do not excuse his behavior. But I do not give up on my people, even if they have problems. That is what this coven is about. We must learn to work through our differences, to overcome our inner faults. Cain is working on it. Not as hard as he needs to be, I admit. But he will be held accountable for his actions today, I assure you.”
Caitlin began to speak, but he held up his hand.
“Despite what you may think, I did not bring you here to reprimand you. On the contrary, I am quite proud of how you handled yourself today, and of how you stuck up for Polly.”
Caitlin suddenly felt her whole body relax. She had never, in her life, heard anyone say that they were proud of her. She suddenly viewed Aiden in a different light. She liked him. He seemed like the father figure she’d never had.
“I already know your side of the story. And I know his. In truth, I saw it all happen before it did,” he said cryptically.
That threw Caitlin for a loop. Could Aiden see the future? And if he could, why hadn’t he stopped it? She was more and more intrigued by him.
“So then why am I here?” Caitlin asked.
Aiden looked at her for a moment, then suddenly turned and looked out the window, at the river, and exhaled deeply. As he spoke, he looked out at the water.
“It was time for me to meet you,” he said. “To tell you about this place. I assume that Polly already filled you in,” he said and broke into a smile. “She is not, how do we say, afraid of a good conversation.”
“But there is more you must know. Pollepel Island is a very special place. I take in recruits selectively, and train them thoroughly. While everyone here is a misfit in their own way, is an outcast to the vampire community, everyone who leaves here is a force to be reckoned with. And we, collectively, are a force to be reckoned with. I do not like to think of myself as a leader. I prefer to think of myself as a mentor. I supervise all the training that takes place here, and I see to it that every vampire here becomes the best that he or she can be.
“When you leave here, I assure you, you will be the very best you can be in every skill of vampire warfare,” he said. “The funny thing is, no one who comes here ever wants to leave, and never has.
We are a band apart.
“We are also a family, and I take family matters very seriously. We train together, we dine together, we share duties, and we watch each other’s backs. Always. Which is exactly why behavior like Cain’s was so unacceptable. He very rarely acts this way. I’m sure that the presence of a new coven member is what disturbed him. It will not happen again, I assure you.”
He leaned back and collected his thoughts.
“If you want to stay here, if you want to be part of our family, there are certain rules that must be followed. You must be willing to share in our work duties. You must be willing to stand for guard duty. You must be willing to train your hardest, and to pledge an oath of loyalty to your fellow coven members. You are free to leave at any time, but if you leave without my permission, you may never return. We take this matter very seriously, so think strongly before you do anything rash.”
He fixed his eyes on her.
Caitlin’s mind reeled, as she thought it all through. She loved being here already, loved Polly, loved the island, and really liked Aiden. But she was also a bit nervous. To never leave without permission? The reality began to sink in that this might really be her new home. And more importantly, that she might not ever see Caleb began.
She was still furious at him, of course, and a strong part of her felt as if he’d abandoned her, that he loved someone else, that he didn’t even care anymore. So she shouldn’t even have cared, and shouldn’t have thought twice.
But there was still a small, nagging part of her that wondered. Did he still care for her? Was there some misunderstanding? And if so, should she go to him?
There was also a part of her that still worried about Sam. After all, he was her brother, and he had been taken hostage. A part of her felt that Sam had betrayed her, too, had somehow led Samantha right to the King’s Chapel to steal the Sword—and that even if she found him, he’d have no interest. But still, there was a small, nagging part that wondered. Was Sam in danger? Did he need her help?
And what of her search for her Dad? She still really wanted to know who he was, where he was.
She felt as if she had been so close. She wanted to get back out there, to look deeper. And if it was all true, if she really was the One, didn’t she have some sort of special mission? Shouldn’t she be out there saving the world, or something like that? Was it right for her to sit here, safe and protected on this island? Especially while war was breaking out in Manhattan?