She felt the wind sucked out of her, as if she had been hit by a bat. All the love that she had felt for him, the connection she thought they had, went rushing out in a single breath. She felt like crying. She wanted to turn and run, but didn’t know where to go. She felt ashamed.
“Well,” she said, fighting back tears, “at least your wife will be happy to know that you were just doing your job. That you don’t have any feelings for anyone else. Or for anything but some stupid sword.”
She turned and walked away. She didn’t know where she was going, but she had to get away from him. Her feelings were just too overwhelming. She didn’t know how to make sense of them.
She had only gone a few feet when she felt a hand on her arm. He turned her back around. He stood there, looking down into her eyes.
“She’s not my wife,” he said softly. “We were married once, yes, but that was 700 years ago. It only lasted a year. In the vampire race, unfortunately, they don’t forget things easily. There are no annulments.”
Caitlin tossed his hand off of her, “Well, whatever she is, she’ll be happy to have you back.”
Caitlin kept walking, right for the steps.
Again he stopped her, this time getting around her and standing directly in her path.
“I don’t know how I’ve offended you,” he said, “but whatever I did, I am sorry.”
It’s what you didn’t do, Caitlin wanted to say. It’s that you didn’t care, that you don’t really love me. That I was just an object, a means to an end. Just like every guy I’ve ever known. I had thought that this time, maybe, it was different.
But she didn’t say that, instead, she just lowered her head, and did her best to suppress a tear. She couldn’t, though. She felt the hot tears streaming down her cheeks. There was a hand on her chin, and he raised it, forcing her to look up at him.
“I am sorry,” he said finally, sounding sincere. “You were right. It was not the only reason I saved you.” He took a deep breath. “I do feel something for you.”
Caitlin felt her heart swell.
“But you must understand, it is forbidden. The laws are very strict on this. A vampire can never, ever, be with a human, or a half breed, or anyone who is not a true vampire. The punishment would be death. There is no way around it.”
Caleb looked down.
“So, you see,” he finally continued, “if I were to feel something for you, if I were to act for some motive other than for the general good, then it would mean my death.”
“So, then, what’s to become of me?” she asked. She looked around, “Clearly, I’m not welcome here. Where am I supposed to go?”
Caleb looked down, shaking his head.
“I can’t go home,” she added. “I have no home left. The cops are looking for me. So are these evil vampires. What am I supposed to do? Go out there on my own? I don’t even know what I am anymore.”
“I wish I had the answer. I tried. I really did. But there is nothing more I can do. One cannot defy the Council. It would mean both of our deaths. I am sentenced to 50 years confinement. I cannot leave these grounds. If I did, I would be banished from my clan forever. You must understand.”
Caitlin turned to go, but again he spun her around.
“You must understand! You are merely human. Your life will end in 80 years. But for me, it’s thousands. Your suffering is short. Mine is endless. I cannot be banished for eternity. My coven is all that I have. I love you. I feel something for you. Something even I don’t understand. Something I’ve never felt with anyone in 3,000 years. But I cannot risk leaving these walls.”
“So,” she said, “I’ll ask you again. What’s to come of me?”
He just looked down.
“I see,” she answered. “I’m not your problem anymore.”
Caleb opened his mouth to speak, but this time she was gone. Really gone.
She made her way quickly across the terrace, and down the stone staircase. This time she was really gone, heading into the Bronx in the dark, New York City night. She had never felt more alone.
Kyle walked straight down the stone corridor, flanked by a small entourage of vampires. They headed quickly down the hall, their footsteps echoing, one of his aides holding a torch out in front.
They were heading deep into the corridor of command, a subterranean chamber which no vampire ever entered unless given permission. Kyle had never been down this deep before. But on this day, he was summoned by the supreme leader himself. It must have been serious. In 4,000 years, Kyle had never been summoned. But he had heard of others who had. They had gone down there, and had not come back up.
Kyle swallowed hard, and walked faster. He had always believed that it was best to greet bad news quickly, and get it over with.
They came to a large, open door, guarded by several vampires, who stared coldly back. Finally, they stepped aside and opened the door. But after Kyle passed, they held out their staffs, preventing his entourage from following. Kyle felt the door slam behind.
Kyle saw dozens of vampires lined up, at attention, along the wall, standing quietly on either side of the room. Front and center in the room, seated in a massive, metal chair was Rexus, his supreme leader.
Kyle took several steps forward and bowed his head, waiting to be addressed.
Rexus stared back with his cold, hard, icy blue eyes.
“Tell me everything you know about this human, or half-breed, or whatever she is,” he began. “And about this spy. How did he infiltrate our ranks?”
Kyle took a deep breath, and began.
“We don’t know much about the girl,” he said. “We have no idea why the holy water did not affect her. But we do know that she was the one who attacked the singer. We have him in custody now, and as soon as he recovers, we expect him to lead us to her. He was turned by her. He has her scent in his blood.”
“What coven does she belong to?” Rexus asked.
Kyle shuffled in the darkness, choosing his words carefully.
“We think she is just a rogue vampire.”
“Think!? Do you know anything?”
Kyle, rebuked, felt his cheeks redden.
“So you brought her into our midst without knowing a thing about her,” Rexus said. “You endangered our entire coven.”
“I brought her in to interrogate her. I had no idea she would be immune–”
“And what of the spy?” Rexus asked, cutting him off.
Kyle swallowed.
“Caleb. We brought him in 200 years ago. He had proved his loyalty many times. We never had any reason to suspect him.”
“Who had recruited him?” Rexus asked.
Kyle paused. He swallowed hard.