“One week,” Caleb said.
One week, Caitlin thought. Incredible.
She felt like she’d been out for years. She felt like she’d died and returned to life, but in a new form. She felt washed clean, as if she were starting life again with a blank slate.
But as she remembered all the events that were transpiring, she realized that the passing of one week was also an eternity. They had stolen the Sword. And her brother, Sam, kidnapped. An entire week had gone by. Why hadn’t Caleb gone after them? Every minute counted.
Caleb got to his feet, and so did Caitlin. She stood opposite him, looking up into his eyes. Her heart started beating. She didn’t know what to do. What was the protocol, the etiquette, now that they were both true vampires? Now that he was the one who had turned her? Were they together? Did he love her just as much now that she was of his race? Now that they’d be together forever?
She felt more nervous, like there was more at stake, than ever before.
She reached up and gently lay a hand on his cheek.
He looked down into her eyes, and his eyes shone in the moonlight.
“Thank you,” she said, softly.
She had wanted to say, I love you, but it hadn’t come out right. She had wanted to ask: will you be with me forever? Do you still love me?
But despite everything, despite all of her newfound powers, she didn’t have the courage to say that. She could have at least said, Thank you for saving me, or, Thank you for watching over me, or Thank you for being here. She knew how much he had given up to be here, how much he had sacrificed. But all she could manage was, Thank you.
He slowly smiled, reached up with one hand, and gently pulled the hair from her face, tucking it behind her ear. He then ran the back of his hand, so smooth, over her face, studying her.
She wondered what he was thinking. Was he about to express his love for her forever? Would he kiss her?
She felt that he was about to, and suddenly she got nervous. Nervous for what their new life would be like. Nervous for what would happen if it didn’t work out. So instead of savoring the moment, she had to go ahead and ruin it, open her big fat mouth when all she wanted to do was keep it shut.
“What happened to the Sword?” she asked.
His facial expression changed completely. It transformed from a look of love, of passion, to troubling concern. She saw it happening instantly, like a dark cloud passing over a summer sky.
He turned and took several steps towards the edge of the stone ramparts, his back to her, and looked out at the river.
You’re such an idiot, she thought to herself. Why did you have to say anything? Why couldn’t you just let him kiss you?
She cared about the Sword, that was true, but not nearly as much as she cared about him. About them, as a couple. But she had ruined the moment.
“I’m afraid the Sword is gone,” Caleb said softly, his back to her, looking out. “It was stolen from us. By Samantha, then Kyle. They caught us by surprise. I did not anticipate their being there. I should have.”
Caitlin walked to him, standing by his side and gently reaching up and placing a hand on his shoulder. She hoped that maybe she could change the mood again.
“Are your people all right?” she asked.
He turned and looked at her, even more troubled than before.
“No,” he said flatly. “My coven is in grave danger. And every minute I’m away, the danger grows.”
Caitlin thought.
“Then why haven’t you gone to them?” she asked.
But she already knew the answer, even before he said it.
“I could not leave you,” he said. “I had to see that you were all right.”
Was that all? Caitlin thought. Did he only care about seeing that she was all right? And as soon as she was, was he going to just leave?
On the one hand, Caitlin felt a surge of love for him, knowing what he’d sacrificed. But on the other hand, she wondered if he only cared about her physical well-being? Not about them as a couple?
“So…” Caitlin began, “now that you see that I’m all right… are you going to just leave?”
It had come out too harsh. What was wrong with her? Why couldn’t she be more kind, more gentle, as he had been? She certainly didn’t mean it. It just came out all wrong. What she had wanted to say was, Please, don’t ever leave me.
“Caitlin,” he began softly, “I want you to understand. My family, my people, my coven – they are in grave danger. The Sword is out there, and it is in the wrong hands. I need to get back to them. I need to save them. In truth, I should have left a week ago… and now that I see that you are recovered, well… it is not that I want to leave you. It is that I must save my family,” he said softly.
“I could come with you,” Caitlin responded, hopeful. “I could help.”
“You are not fully recovered,” he said. “That crash landing was not an accident. It takes any vampire some time to fully come into her own powers. And in your case, you also suffered a terrible injury from the Sword. That may take days, or weeks, to heal. If you came, you could injure yourself. The battlefield is no place for you right now. They will train you here. That is why I brought you.”
Caleb turned and crossed the terrace, leading her, and they looked down at the courtyard.
There, far below, were dozens of vampires, lit up under the torchlight, sparring, jousting and wrestling with each other.
“This small island holds one of the finest covens there is,” Caleb said. “They have agreed to take you in. They will teach you. They will train you. They will make you stronger. And then, when your powers are fully developed, when you are fully healed, I would be honored to have you fight beside me. Until then, I’m afraid I cannot let you. The war I am heading into will be very dangerous. Even for a vampire.”
Caitlin’s brow furrowed. She’d been afraid he’d say something like that.
“But what if you don’t come back?” she asked.
“If I am alive, I will return for you. I promise.”
“But what if you don’t live?” Caitlin asked, almost too afraid to utter the words.
Caleb turned and looked out at the horizon, and breathed deeply. He stared out at the clouds, and did not say a word.
Now was Caitlin’s chance. She desperately wanted to change the subject. He was determined to leave, she could see that, and nothing was going to stop him. And it was clear that he could not bring her. She felt a wave of exhaustion, and she knew that he was right: she was not ready to fight. She needed to heal.
She didn’t want to waste any more time trying to stop him. And she didn’t want to talk anymore about vampires, wars, or swords. She wanted to use their precious remaining time to talk about them. Caitlin and Caleb. Them as a couple. Their future. Their love for each other. Their commitment to each other. Where, exactly, did they stand?
More importantly, she realized, throughout all their time together, since she’d first met him, she’s always just taken him for granted. She had never stopped to take a moment, to look into his eyes and tell him exactly how deeply she felt for him. She was a woman now, and she felt it was time for her to step up and act mature, act like a woman. To tell him what she really felt for him. She needed him to know. Maybe he sensed it, sensed how much she loved him, but she had never uttered the words. Caleb, I love you. I’ve loved you from the second I met you. I will always love you.
Caitlin’s heart was pounding, more terrified for this than she had been for anything thus far. Trembling, she reached up a hand, and gently placed it on his cheek.
He slowly turned towards her.
She was ready, finally, to tell him what she thought.