She wanted to stay here, she really did, but a part of her worried that maybe she had a duty, an obligation, to be somewhere else.
“Wrong,” Aiden said suddenly, startling her, as he read her mind. “This is exactly where you are meant to be right now.”
The idea that he could reach into her mind and hear exactly what she was thinking freaked her out. Of course he could. She should have known better.
“But what of my brother?” she asked.
He slowly shook his head.
“Sam is under the influence of some very dark forces. I’m afraid there is nothing you can do for him now.”
Caitlin sat up, alarmed. “What do you mean? That makes it sound like he needs my help.”
“It’s too late for him,” Aiden answered firmly. “I know that is hard for you to accept, but you must. If you try to contact him, I assure you, you will only hurt yourself. And him. If you want to save yourself, and others, you must let him go.”
“And what of Caleb?” Caitlin asked tentatively, almost afraid to ask. She wanted to know if Caleb needed her, and more importantly, if he still loved her. But she was afraid to ask it, so she just let the general question suffice.
Aiden breathed deeply. “He dropped you here for a reason. This is where he wants you to be right now.”
What did that mean? Did that mean that he still loved her? That he wanted her safe and protected? Or that he wanted to get rid of her?
“You have to let Caleb go for now,” Aiden said. “You must focus on your training. You cannot be distracted. I can already feel how distracted you are by him, and that is a very dangerous place to be. Your thoughts must be clear. Completely empty. Do you understand me?”
Caitlin looked down and felt her cheeks flushed, embarrassed. She slowly nodded.
“And what about my search for my father?” Caitlin asked. “Is it true that I’m the One? What does that mean exactly? Does it mean I’m supposed to save the vampire race or something? Isn’t there something I’m supposed to be doing? Is it wrong for me to just sit here?” she asked, the questions all pouring out at once.
“You do, indeed, hail from a very special lineage,” Aiden said slowly. “Your father is a remarkable man. I know that you want to find him, and I know that he wants to see you. More importantly, you will indeed be the key to finding the weapon that can save both mankind and the vampire race.”
Caitlin looked at him intently.
“What do you mean? I thought that was the Sword? I thought we already found it?”
He smiled. “I see that you have not thought carefully of the riddle. I’m surprised at you.”
Caitlin thought. The riddle? What had she overlooked?
“The Rose and Thorn,” he continued. “Don’t you see? There are two sides to every dynasty, to every lineage. Caitlin and Sam. And there are two weapons as well. A weapon to attack, and a weapon to protect. The Sword is the weapon to attack. But there is one other weapon. An even greater one: the weapon to protect. The Rose and Thorn. The Thorn is the Sword. And the Rose is the Shield.”
“The Shield?” Caitlin asked, amazed.
“The Sword can wipe out the human race,” he said, “and portions of the vampire race. But the Shield can save them both. And when you find your father—when you truly find your father—he will lead you to the Shield.”
Caitlin’s mind spun. It was so much to take in.
“So then…shouldn’t I be out there? Shouldn’t I be searching for him? For the Shield?”
Aiden shook his head again. “You still don’t understand. You will never find your father in this lifetime.”
Caitlin stared at him, shocked.
“What do you mean?”
“Your father lives in another time. Another century. The only way to find him would be to go back—backwards in time.”
Caitlin’s eyes opened wide. “Is that possible?” she asked.
“For a vampire it his. But it is not something to be done lightly. It comes with a great price.
Once you go backwards, there is no coming back to the present. Ever. Everything you know, anyone you know, any memory and experience—everything from this lifetime—will be completely wiped away. When you go back, you start all over again. It is irrevocable. Worse, not all vampires survive the trip. You could very well die by trying.
“And there is no guarantee that if you go back, you will find your father, or the Shield. You don’t know exactly which time or place he is in right now.”
Caitlin’s mind reeled as she sat there, considering the implications. Wipe out everything she knew. To wipe out Sam, and Caleb. This place. She couldn’t imagine doing that.
“As I said, you are exactly where you need to be right now,” he said. “You must heal fully, and you must train. Wherever you go, you cannot go forth unto you first become the very best you can be.”
He got up from behind the desk and stood before her. She stood, too, sensing that their meeting was coming to a close.
“I would like to have you in our family,” he said, “if it is something you choose to accept.”
Caitlin didn’t have to think hard about that. Not only was there no other alternative she could think of, but she really liked everything she already knew about this place.
“I would be honored,” she answered.
He smiled. “Excellent. Your training begins today.”
*
Caitlin stood in a large ring of vampires, all in a wide circle, in the inner courtyard of the castle.
The ground they stood on must have been a training ground, because the grass was all worn down and the floor was comprised of a dusty dirt. Caitlin could feel the heat coming off it on this unusually warm April day. The sun seemed to be shining stronger than she ever felt, even with her skin wraps on.
Her entire coven was out, all standing quietly in the circle, 24 in all. She scanned their faces, and was amazed at how different they all looked. Some were shorter, some taller, some with cropped hair, others with long hair, some with serious expressions and others looking more relaxed. It was split evenly between boys and girls—12 of each. They all looked to be in their teenage years, although she knew they were all far older than that. She couldn’t really see their faces clearly—it was hard to focus because she was too nervous. They all stood at attention, in perfect silence, waiting for Aiden to begin.