by Morgan Rice
If she looked into his eyes, now, in the daylight, and he told her again that he didn’t remember, or that he no longer loved her, that would be enough. She would be settled, and could go on her way. She would leave Venice behind, and continue on her journey alone. But until then, she still felt in limbo, and unable to move forward.
The sun was setting, and it got colder as she rowed, the current picking up, along with the wind.
She rowed more strongly, heading for the island on the horizon, following Aiden’s directions. When she’d told Aiden that she refused to move on without seeing Caleb, he had finally, reluctantly, told her where to find him. The small island of Murano, on the outskirts of Venice. But he had also warned her not to go looking for him, that it would bring trouble.
But what else did she possibly have to lose, if she lost him? She had to risk it. She had to follow her heart. She knew it wasn’t safe. But then again, love wasn’t safe, either.
Caitlin finally rounded a bend, and the island of Murano stretched before her. It was beautiful, unlike anything she had seen. It looked like a miniature version of Venice, except all the buildings were brightly painted in different colors. As the late afternoon sun lit them up, it looked like a living rainbow. It was cozy and cheerful.
As she rowed down the canal, between the small buildings, she felt a sense of peace and comfort. It surprised her that Caleb’s coven would choose this place. She would have imagined something more Gothic. As she headed deeper into the island, she looked for the church that Aiden had described: the church of Santa Maria e San Donato. That, supposedly, was were Caleb’s coven lived.
She rowed and rowed, her arms getting tired, and after asking a local, was pointed in the right direction. She headed down another small canal, and then the church spread out before her. It all suddenly made sense: here was a massive church in the middle of the small island. It looked ancient, large, semicircular, and foreboding, with columns all around. In some ways, it reminded her of the cloisters in New York. She could understand why Caleb’s people would feel comfortable here.
Caitlin tied her boat and got out, Rose by her side, happy to be on dry land.
She walked across the wide, stone plaza, empty in the late afternoon, headed up the steps, and through the front doors of the church.
It was dark in here, quiet. It was another enormous, ancient church, with endlessly high ceilings, and stained-glass windows on every side. There were hundreds of pews, simple and wooden, and all empty. In fact, as far she could see, the entire church was empty. No priest, nothing.
Caitlin walked slowly down the aisle, taking it all in. She finally reached the altar, and looked up, examining it. There was a large statue of an angel on a pedestal, and behind that, on the wall, several huge animal bones. She’d never seen bones that large. They looked prehistoric.
“The bones of the Dragon,” came a voice.
Caitlin wheeled.
There, walking towards her in the empty church, was a person she recognized. At first, she could not remember who it was. Then, as he came closer, she realized with a shock: it was Samuel. Caleb’s brother.
He looked like he’d always had, with long hair and a beard, serious, straightforward, battle-hardened. He was a somber man, she remembered, but he’d always seemed to be a good person.
He came beside her, and looked up at the wall.
“Legend has it that they are the bones of a Dragon,” he said. “Slain by a hero hundreds of years ago. Of course, it is not a legend. They were slain by one of us. Although, of course, we don’t take credit for it.”
She examined the bones, high up on the wall, and wondered. Then she turned and looked at Samuel. She wondered if he remembered her.
“I’m sorry to trespass like this,” she said. “I was looking for someone.”
“My brother,” he said flatly. It was not a question. She stared into his eyes, and wondered how much he knew.
“Do you remember?” she asked.
He nodded ever so slightly. She wondered if that was a yes.
“Caleb is with his son,” Samuel said.
The word son came out like a reprimand, and Caitlin wondered if he was giving her a message: back away. Leave Caleb and Sera and their son alone.
“I’d like to see him,” she said. “I need to see him.”
He stared at her, thinking.
“Our coven has lived here for hundreds of years,” he said, disregarding her question. “The Murano glass—people always said it seemed inhuman. They wondered how it could be so superior, the best glass in the world. Of course, it is our handiwork. We cannot use mirrors, so glass of this quality is the next best thing.
“We don’t thrive in harming others. We thrive in industry, like the human race. We are at peace now.
“But when someone new comes along, someone from another coven, and makes visits unannounced, and seeks to speak to people whom she shouldn’t, it can only bring us trouble.”
“I don’t want to cause any trouble,” she said. “I just want to talk to Caleb. Please.”
“Do you know what makes a vampire vulnerable?” Samuel asked.
She thought.
“It is not humans. It is rarely weapons. It is rarely even other vampires. We can handle our own against most everything.” He paused. Then added: “It is love.”
Caitlin thought.
“Love is the weak point of a vampire. It can change us. It can lead to our destruction,” he said.
“You have good intentions,” he added. “But that does not mean it will yield good results.”
With that, he turned his back on her and walked back down the aisle.
As she watched him go, she wanted to say a million things, but she was too bewildered by all of his comments. She didn’t know how to react.
Then, suddenly, as he was walking away, he stopped by the door. He paused, and then called out: “You will find Caleb by the docks. With his son.”
*
As Caitlin walked across the wide, stone plaza, heading towards the pier, the sun began to set, a beautiful orange and red light breaking through the clouds, washing over everything in the surreal light.
As she walked, Rose by her side, she spotted the docks in the distance, and was grateful that the island of Murano, unlike Venice, was practically empty, with very few people in sight.
She couldn’t see Caleb, though, and her heart sank. Had Samuel been misleading her? Why had he been so worried about her presence? Had he seen something that she had not? She had an increasingly ominous feeling, given the warnings from them both.
She searched in every direction, but still, no sign of Caleb.
Then, as she looked down, she saw, sitting there, on the edge of the dock, a boy. He looked to be about ten, and as she looked closer, she realized it was his son. Jade.
Jade was sitting there all alone, staring out at the water, his legs dangling over the edge. He was so cute, sitting there, an exact replica of Caleb. It made her heart break, as it made her wonder what her life with Caleb might have been like. It made her think of the child they would have had together, made her again mourn her lost baby. It made her wonder if she’d made the wrong decision to come back in time.
As Caitlin got closer, Jade suddenly wheeled. He was quick and alert, like his father.
She looked down at his burning blue eyes, and wondered if he was human, vampire, or somewhere in between. She vaguely remembered Caleb having told her that, when he first married Sera, she was human. And she knew that vampires could not procreate with other vampires. So she supposed the child was a half-breed. Like she had been.
Indeed, as they stared each other, even from this distance, she could sense a strong kinship with the boy. Her heart warmed, and she almost felt as if he were her own son.
Jade jumped up, his eyes opening wide at the site of Rose. He ran towards her and gave her a big hug, and she was equally delighted at the site of the boy. She reached up her paws, hugging him back, and licking him all over hi
s face.
“What’s her name?” he asked, as he stroked her fur. He still had the high-pitched voice of a boy.
“Rose.”
“Can I keep her?” he asked.
Despite herself, Caitlin burst into laughter. She had forgotten how unexpected children could be.
“Um…I’m not sure. But you can pet her. It’s obvious she really likes you.”
“Really?” Jade asked, his eyes opening wider. He and Rose played with each other, fake wrestling: he threw her head back and forth, and she pretended to bite his arm, then let go. Caitlin marveled at the site. They looked like two old friends who hadn’t seen each other in forever.
“Rose, gentle,” Caitlin chided, alarmed at their rough play.
Rose immediately backed off, and ran to Caitlin’s side.
“She was just playing,” Jade said. Then added: “Who are you, anyway?”
It was hard to concentrate with his eyes on her. He looks so much like Caleb, so intense. Caitlin could recognize that this was a very powerful boy.
“I feel like I know you from somewhere,” he added.
“I’m Caitlin,” she said, extending her hand.
Jade reached up and shook it, trying his hardest to look like an adult. Caitlin smiled, and had to keep from laughing.
“I’m Jade,” he said.
“What are you doing out here by yourself, Jade?”
“I’m waiting for my dad,” he said, then suddenly turned back to the water.
Caitlin looked out, too, but there remained no sight of him.
“He usually comes in around this time. Before it gets dark. Mom said I could come down here and wait.”
Jade sat back down where he’d been, on the edge of the dock, his legs dangling off, his back to Caitlin, looking out.
“You can wait with me if you want,” he said, tentatively.
Caitlin felt grateful for the offer. She didn’t quite know what to say. This was not how she had expected things to go down. If she waited with him, would Caleb be mad to see her sitting there with his son? Would it make the wrong impression? And what if Sera showed up?
Then again, Caitlin didn’t know what else to do.
Rose didn’t hesitate. She went over and sat beside Jade. Caitlin decided to follow.
The three of them sat on the edge of the pier, looking out at the water, the sun breaking. Jade reached up and stroked Rose’s head.
“You’re the lady we saw last night, right?” Jade suddenly asked.
“Yes,” Caitlin said.
“My mom got mad after we left. She kept asking dad who you were. He said he didn’t know. She thought he was lying,” Jade said.
Caitlin bit back a smile. Kids were so honest. She was tempted to ask more, but she held off.
That wouldn’t be fair.
They sat in the silence, looking out, and Caitlin was surprised at how comfortable the silence was between them. It was almost as if he were a part of her family.
“Do you wait for your Dad here every day?” she asked.
Jade shrugged. “Mostly,” he said. “He said that when I’m bigger, next year, I can go with him.
This island is boring. I want to train. I want to learn how to fight,” he said, a determined edge in his voice.
Caitlin looked at him, surprised at the sudden strength in his voice.
“Why would you want to do that?” she asked.
“Because I’m going to be a great warrior one day,” he said. It wasn’t bravado. He stated it as simply as if he were stating a fact. And Caitlin believed him. She could sense it, coming off of him, off of every pore in his body. This was a proud, young child, a born warrior. He felt like an ancient soul, and a noble being.
“And what does your Dad think of that?”
Jade shrugged. “He wants me to go to school,” he said. “I hate school.”
Jade’s eyes lowered to Caitlin’s neckline, then suddenly opened wide.
“Wow!” he exclaimed. “What a necklace. It’s beautiful. Can I have it?”
Caitlin reached down and felt her necklace; she had forgotten, as always, that she was wearing it.
She was surprised by how transfixed the boy was to it; she felt bad saying no, but she couldn’t give it away.
But then again, why couldn’t she? And to Jade, of all people? If anyone else had asked her, she would have refused—but there was something about the way he looked at it. Somehow, for some odd reason, it suddenly felt right for her for him to have it. Perhaps, in some small way, it would connect her to Caleb, complete some sort of chain.
She gingerly removed it and handed it to him.
His eyes opened even wider as he took it.
“Really?” he said, clearly surprised that she had agreed. “My Dad would kill me if he knew that I asked you for it. He says I shouldn’t ask for things.”
Caitlin smiled. “I won’t tell.”
Jade put it on, and immediately, it looked like he’d always worn it. He was thrilled.
He turned back to the water, and they sat there in the silence, looking out. They watched together as the sky grew darker.
Finally, after what seemed like forever, he turned to her, and fixed his intense eyes right on her.
“Are you going to be my mommy?” he asked.
Caitlin was shocked. She was so caught off guard, she hardly knew how to respond. She was utterly speechless. Why would he ask such a question? Was he seeing something in the future? In the past?
As she opened her mouth to speak, suddenly, a noise came from the water.
“Daddy!” exclaimed the boy, leaping to his feet, nearly jumping out of his skin with excitement.
Caleb suddenly pulled his gondola right up to the side of the dock. He secured the boat and jumped onto pier.
Caitlin quickly jumped to her feet, too, caught off guard by the quickness with which he approached.
Jade hugged Caleb’s leg tightly.
“Daddy, did you meet Rose?” he asked.
Caleb looked down, as Rose licked his hand.
Caleb placed a hand on Jade’s head, and stared at Caitlin.
He paused. “Jade, can you give us a minute?” he asked, his eyes on Caitlin. “Run home to mommy. I’ll be right there.”
Jade hurried across the plaza, practically skipping with excitement.
“Come on, Rose!” he yelled.
Rose took off at a sprint after him. Caitlin was shocked. Rose had never left her side before, for anyone. It made her sad, but it also pleased her that Rose had found someone she loved so much.
Caitlin stood there, facing Caleb, who stared back at her with intensity. Her heart pounded, as she wondered what he would say. She had no idea what to say herself.
Did he, finally, remember her?
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CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Kyle hurried down the staircase, deep into the Venice jail, and as he reached the lower levels, he saw that it was exactly as he remembered it. There was a low, arched ceiling, like a wine cellar, and on either side, were dozens of cells, behind thick iron bars. It was loud down here, hundreds of prisoners’ hands sticking out through the bars, yelling out to Kyle as he walked down the aisle.
He wasted no time. He tore at the iron bars with his bare hands, and the iron gave way as he bent it back with a groaning noise, just enough for the prisoners to sque
eze out. He did this with each cell as he went, opening one after the other, and in moments, the corridor was flooded with rowdy prisoners, thrilled and bewildered. They all looked to Kyle, all seeming to wonder who he was, how they had earned such good luck. They were jubilant, shouting, victorious.
Kyle held up a hand, and they quieted.
“I have freed you all tonight,” Kyle began in a loud, commanding voice, “to fulfill a mission for me. The streets of Venice are yours tonight. You will rape and loot and rob and destroy and cause as much trouble as you possibly can. You will not get arrested again, I assure you of that. This is why I have freed you. I have done you a great favor. I expect you to do one for me. Does anyone here object?”
There was a brief, stunned silence.
“What makes you think you can tell us what to do?” suddenly shouted one particularly nasty-looking prisoner, a large bald man with a huge scar across his nose, approaching Kyle threateningly.
Kyle leapt towards him, and in one motion tore the man’s head clean off his body. Blood spurted everywhere, as the corpse dropped to the ground.
The crowd of prisoners stared back at him, shocked.
“Does anyone else have any objections?” Kyle asked. It was not a question.
No one else dared defy him.
“Then go!” Kyle yelled.
With a shout, they all scattered like mice, turning and racing up the stairs. Based on their jubilant yells, Kyle could tell they would cause the trouble he wished for.
But Kyle’s work was not done. He headed down the corridor, and descended yet a smaller flight of steps.
He arrived in an even lower, subterranean level of the jail, this one darker, more poorly lit, with fewer cells. And dead quiet. A few torches glowed faintly, and he went up close to a cell. He took a torch off the wall, and held it to the metal, and examined it: as he feared, these gates were not made of iron. They were made of silver.