Betrothed

Caitlin and Caleb broke into a sprint after her at the same time.

But even with their vampire speed, it was slow going through the mud, and Ruth was way faster than them. They watched her turn and weave through the masses, and they had to jostle their way to keep sight of her. Caitlin could see, in the distance, Ruth turn a corner, and sprinted down a narrow alleyway. She picked up speed, as did Caleb, pushing a big man out of her way as she did, and turned down the alleyway, after her.

What on earth could she be after? Caitlin wondered. She wondered if it were a stray dog, or if perhaps she had just reached a tipping point with hunger, and was chasing after a meal. She was a wolf, after all. Caitlin had to remind herself of that. She should have searched harder for food for her, and sooner.

But when Caitlin turned the corner and looked down the alley, she suddenly realized, with a shock, what it was.

There, at the far end of the alley, sat a young girl, maybe eight, in the dirt, cowering, crying, shaking. Towering above her was a large, beefy man, no shirt, his huge belly sticking out, unshaven, his chest and shoulders covered in hair. He wore an angry scowl, revealing his missing teeth, and he reached back with a leather belt and whipped the poor girl in her back, again and again.

"That's what you get for not listening!" the man screamed in a vicious tone, as he raised his belt again.

Caitlin was mortified, and without even thinking, she prepared to burst into action.

But Ruth beat her to it. Ruth had a head start, and as the man reached back his arm, Ruth sprinted and leapt into the air, opening her jaws wide.

She clamped down on the man's forearm and sunk her teeth all the way in. Blood sprayed everywhere, as the man shrieked an unearthly shriek.

Ruth was furious, and would not be appeased. She snarled and shook her head to and fro, tearing more deeply into the man’s flesh, and would not let go.

The man swung Ruth to and fro, only able to do so because of his considerable size and because she was still not yet a full-grown wolf. She snarled, and it was a sound scary enough to raise the hair even on the back of Caitlin’s neck.

But this man was clearly used to violence, and he swung his big beefy shoulder around and managed to slam Ruth against the brick wall. He then reached over with his other hand and whipped his belt down hard on her back.

Ruth shrieked and yelped. She finally let go, dropping to the ground.

The man, a look of hatred in his eyes, reached back with both hands, ready to bring his belt down with all his might on Ruth's face.

Caitlin sprang into action. Before the man could bring it down, she lunged forward, reaching out with her right hand, grabbing his throat. She drove him back, by the throat, lifting him up, off the ground, higher than her, until she slammed him into a wall, bricks crumbling.

She dangled him there before her, his face turning blue, choking. She was much smaller than he was, but he didn't stand a chance in her iron grip.

Finally, she let him drop. He reached up, scrambling for his belt, and Caitlin leaned back and kicked him hard across the face, breaking his nose.

She then leaned back and kicked him in the chest, a kick so forceful that she sent him flying back several feet. He hit the wall with such force that he left an indent in the bricks, and finally slumped down to the ground, a mess.

But Caitlin could still feel the rage bursting through her veins. She thought of that innocent girl, of Ruth, and she hadn’t felt such rage in she didn't know when. She couldn't stop herself. She walked over to him, yanked the belt from his hand, reached back, and cracked him hard, right across his huge belly.

He lurched up, gripping his stomach.

As he sat up, she kicked him hard, right in the face. She connected with his chin, and sent him backwards fast, slamming the back of his head on the ground. Finally, he was unconscious.

But Caitlin still wasn't satisfied. The rage in her wasn't easily summoned these days, but when it was, she couldn’t turn it off.

She stepped up, placed a foot on his throat, and prepared to kill this man on the spot.

“Caitlin!" came a sharp voice.

She turned, still pulsing with rage, and saw Caleb standing beside her. He shook his head slowly, with a reprimanding look.

“You've done enough damage. Let him go.”

Something about Caleb's voice got to her.

She grudgingly lifted her foot.

In the distance, she spotted a huge tub filled with sewage. She could see the thick dark liquid spilling over its edges, and could smell its stink from here.

Perfect.

She reached down, hoisted the man above her head, even though he easily weighed over 300 pounds, and walked him across the alley. She threw him, headfirst, into the vat of sewage.

He landed with a splash. She saw him stuck, up to his neck, in all the excrement. She enjoyed the idea of his waking up, realizing where he was, and finally, she felt satisfied.

Good, she thought. It is where you belong.

Caitlin immediately thought of Ruth. She ran over to her, and examined the belt mark on her back; she was cowering, and slowly regaining her feet. Caleb came over, too, examining her, as Ruth placed her face in Caitlin's lap and whined. Caitlin kissed her on the forehead.

Ruth suddenly shook them off and darted across the alley, to the girl.

Caitlin spun, and suddenly remembered. She hurried over to her, too.

Ruth ran to the girl, though, licking her on her face. The hysterically crying girl slowly stopped, distracted by Ruth’s tongue. She sat there in the mud, in her soiled, dirty dress, covered with belt marks on her back, blood oozing through, and looked up at Ruth in surprise.

Her wet eyes opened wide as Ruth kept licking her. Finally, she reached up, slowly, hesitantly, and petted Ruth. She then reached up and gave her a hug. Ruth reciprocated, coming in close.

It was amazing, Caitlin thought. Ruth had detected this girl from blocks away. It was as if the two had known each other forever.

Caitlin came over and knelt down beside the girl, reaching out a hand, and helping her sit up.

"Are you okay?" Caitlin asked.

The girl looked at her in shock, then at Caleb. She blinked several times, as if wondering who these people could be.

Finally, slowly, she nodded yes. Her eyes were open wide, and she looked too afraid to speak.

Caitlin reached out and gently stroked the matted hair from her face. “It's okay," Caitlin said. "He won’t hurt you anymore.”

The girl looked as if she were about to start crying again.

"I'm Caitlin," she said. "And this is Caleb.”

The girl looked at them, still not speaking.

"What's your name?" Caitlin asked.

After several seconds, the girl finally answered: “Scarlet."

Caitlin smiled. “Scarlet," she repeated. "Such a pretty name. Where are your parents?"

She shook her head. "I don't have any parents. He is my ward. I hate him. He beats me every day. For no reason. I hate him. Please don't make me go back to him. I don't have anyone else.”

Caitlin turned to Caleb, and saw him look at her, both thinking the same thing at the same time.

"You're safe now,” Caitlin said. “You don't have to worry anymore. You can come with us.”

Scarlet’s eyes opened wide in surprise and delight, and she nearly broke into a smile.

"Really?" she asked.

Caitlin smiled back, reached out her hand, and Scarlet took it, as she helped her to her feet. She saw the wounds on her back, still oozing blood, and from somewhere deep within herself, Caitlin suddenly felt a power overcome her. She thought of what Aiden had taught her, of the power of being one with the universe, and deep within herself, she suddenly felt a power surging that she'd never known. She had always felt her power for the rage, but she had never felt a power like this. This was different, a new power, tingling up from her feet to her legs, through her torso, through her arms, to her fingertips.

It was the power to heal.

Caitlin closed her eyes and reached out, and gently placed her hands on Scarlet’s back, where the marks were. She breathed deeply, and summoned the power of the universe, summoned all the training Aiden had given her, and focused on sending white light to the girl. She felt her hands grow very hot, and felt an incredible energy coursing through her.

Caitlin wasn't sure how much time had passed when she opened her eyes again. She looked up, slowly opening them, and saw Scarlet staring back at her, eyes wide in amazement. Caleb stared at her too, also amazed.

Caitlin looked down, and saw that Scarlet’s wounds were completely healed.

"Are you a magician?" Scarlet asked.

Caitlin smiled wide. "Something like that."

Chapter Six

Sam flew over the British countryside, Polly at his side, but keeping her distance. Their wings were spread out but they were not close to touching, as they each wanted space from each other. Sam preferred it that way, and he assumed she did, too. He liked Polly, he really did. But after his debacle with Kendra, he wasn't ready to get close to anyone of the opposite sex for a long time to come. It would be a while before he could trust someone again. Even someone who had been close to his sister, as Polly seemed to be.

They had been flying for hours, and as Sam looked down in the morning light, he saw endless stretches of farmland, with occasional small houses, smoke rising from their stone chimneys, even on this beautiful fall day. He saw the occasional person out in their yard, tending to clothing, hanging sheets on strings. There were not many houses, though. This countryside seem so entirely rural, he began to wonder if cities even existed in this time – whatever time and place they were in.

Sam had no idea where to go, and Polly hadn’t been much help. They had both used their keen vampire senses to tune in, to try to use their close connection to Caitlin to sense where she might be. They had both intuited that she might be in this general direction, and they had been flying for hours. But since then, they had seen no clues or direct leads. Sam’s instincts told him that Caitlin was in a large city. But they hadn't passed anything remotely like a city for hundreds of miles.

Just when Sam was beginning to wonder if they’d chosen the right direction, they rounded a bend, and as they did, he was shocked at what unfolded in the distance. There, on the horizon, sat a sprawling city. He couldn't recognize what city it was, and he wasn't sure that he’d be able to recognize it at all, even up close. His geography was pretty bad, and his history was even worse. It was the result of being moved one too many times, of falling in with the wrong friends, of not paying attention in school. He had been a C student, although he knew he had the potential to get A's. But with his upbringing, it had just been too hard for him to find a reason to care. Now, he regretted it.

"It’s London!" Polly called out, in delight and surprise. "Oh my God! London! I can't believe it. We’re here! We’re really here! What an amazing place to be!" she yelled, excitedly.

Thank God for Polly, Sam thought, feeling stupider than ever. He realized there was a lot he could learn from her.

As they got closer and buildings came into view, he marveled at the architecture. Even from this great distance, he could see church steeples rising into the sky, punctuating the city like a field of lances. As they came even closer, he saw just how grand and magnificent all the churches were – and was surprised that they already looked ancient. Beside them, all the other architecture was dwarfed by comparison.

As he began to take it all in, he sensed keenly that Caitlin was here. And the thought of that excited and thrilled him.

"Caitlin's down there!" he yelled out. "I can feel it.”

Polly smiled back. "So can I!" she yelled.

For the first time since landing in this time and place, Sam finally felt grounded, felt a strong sense of direction, and of purpose. Finally, he felt as if he were on the right track.

He tried to sense whether she was in any danger. Try as he did, he was coming up blank. He thought of the last time he had seen her, in Paris, right before she’d fled the Notre Dame. She had been with that guy – Caleb – and he wondered if they were still together. He’d only met Caleb once or twice, but he’d liked him a lot. He hoped that Caitlin was with him, and that he was taking care of her. He got a good feeling from their being together.

Polly suddenly dove lower, without warning, getting closer to the rooftops. Either she didn't care about Sam following, or she just assumed that he would. It annoyed Sam. He wished she’d given him some warning, or at least cared enough about him to signal that she was diving down low. And yet, a part of him sensed that she did care. Was she just playing hard to get?

And why did he even care, either way? Didn't he just get through telling himself that he wasn't interested in girls right now?

Sam dove down lower, to her level, and they flew just feet above the city. But he also made a point of veering off to the left, so that they flew even further apart. Take that, Sam thought.

As they approached the city center, Sam was blown away. This time and place was so different, so unlike anything he had ever seen or experienced. He was so close the rooftops, he felt as if he could almost reach down and touch them. The majority of buildings were low, just a few stories high, and were built with slanted roofs, topped with what looked like huge piles of hay or straw. Most buildings were painted a bright white, with brown lines framing them. The churches – huge, marble, limestone – rose up out of the landscape, dominating entire blocks, and here and there were a few other large structures that looked like palaces. Probably, he guessed, residences for royalty.

The city was divided by a wide river, over which they now flew. The river was bustling with traffic – boats of all shapes and sizes – and as he looked over at the streets, he saw that they were bustling, too. In fact, he couldn't believe how packed they were. There were people everywhere, hurrying to and fro. He couldn't imagine what they could possibly have to hurry about. It wasn't like they had internet, or e-mails, or faxes, or even phones.

Still, other parts of the city were relatively peaceful. The dirt roads, the river, and all the boats provided a tranquil feeling. There were no racing cars, buses, horns, trucks or motorcycles revving. All was relatively quiet.

That is, until a sudden roar rose up.

Sam turned his head, and so did Polly.

There, off to the side, they spotted a large stadium, built in a perfect circle and rising several stories high. It reminded him of the Roman Coliseum, although much smaller.

From his bird’s-eye view, it looked as if there were some sort of large animal in the center of it, running around, with many other small animals running around it. He couldn't quite figure out what it was, but he could see that the stadium was packed with thousands of people, all standing, on their feet, cheering and roaring.

He suddenly felt a tingling in his body as he watched. Not because he could tell what it was. But because he suddenly sensed Caitlin's presence there. Strongly.

"My sister!" he yelled out to Polly. "She's there," he said, pointing. “I feel it.”

Polly looked down, and furrowed her brow.

"I'm not so sure," she said. "I don’t feel anything."

She turned her head in the other direction, and pointed at the bridge looming before then. "I sense that she's there."

Sam looked, and saw a huge bridge spanning the river. He was surprised to notice that it was covered with shops of all sorts, and even more surprised to see, as they flew over it, that there were several prisoners standing there, on a scaffold, nooses around their necks, hoods around their heads. It looked as if they were about to be executed. And large crowds gathered around them.

"Okay," Sam said, and suddenly dove down low, right for the bridge. He figured he would pre-empt her, and be the first one to dive down this time.

Sam landed on the bridge, not turning around, and moments later, he sensed Polly land several feet behind him. She caught up to him, and the two of them walked side-by-side, keeping their distance, he not looking at her, and she not looking at him either. He was proud that he was keeping their relationship purely professional. There wasn't even a semblance of closeness, which was clearly what they both wanted.

Sam was amazed at the sights on the bridge. It was overwhelming, with so much stimulation coming at him from every direction.

"Tan your leather, son?” a man asked him, holding a piece of rawhide up in his face. The man's breath stank, and Sam dodged out of his way.

"Now where?" Sam asked Polly.

She scanned the bridge, looking everywhere for Caitlin, as did he. But there was no sight of her anywhere.

Polly finally shrugged. “I don’t know,” she said. “I had sensed her here before, but now… I’m not so sure.”

Sam turned and looked off at the horizon, back towards that stadium.

“I sensed her back there,” he said. “In that stadium we flew over.”

"Okay,” Polly said, “let's go that way. But let’s walk – just in case she’s on the bridge."

As they walked across the bridge, through all the vendors, Polly seemed to cheer up again, to slowly become her jolly self. "Look at the fashions of all these people!" she said. "I mean, look at what they wear! It's amazing, isn't it? I don't think I would ever be caught dead wearing something like that. But I can see the functionality of it. I wonder how these fashions even come to be. I mean, how do they just change from generation to generation? So crazy, isn't it? And I was thinking, if I lived in this time, if I was one of these people, what color would I wear…"

Sam sighed. Polly had begun talking again, and he knew there was no stopping her now. Inwardly, he tuned her out.

As they walked, Sam scanned all the faces on the bridge, looking for any sign of Caitlin. He kept thinking he saw her, for a second, only to be disappointed. At one point, he saw a girl from behind that looked just like her, and grabbed her shoulder.

“Caitlin!” he exclaimed.

But the girl turned, and he was embarrassed to realize it wasn’t her; she gave him an odd look and walked away.

Soon they were over the bridge, standing on land, and Sam spotted a huge sign which read “Southwark.” He turned right, in the direction of that stadium.

Конец ознакомительного фрагмента.

Текст предоставлен ООО «ЛитРес».

Прочитайте эту книгу целиком, купив полную легальную версию на ЛитРес.

Безопасно оплатить книгу можно банковской картой Visa, MasterCard, Maestro, со счета мобильного телефона, с платежного терминала, в салоне МТС или Связной, через PayPal, WebMoney, Яндекс.Деньги, QIWI Кошелек, бонусными картами или другим удобным Вам способом.