Getting down himself, he stood in front of me, his muscular frame concealing me from view against the submarine. He turned around and looked down at me.
“You’re going to need to stick close to me until we find your parents. Understood? Follow me like you’re my shadow.”
Holding my arm tightly, he held me close against him as we moved forward. I couldn’t see much, given the dark shades and hood pulled right over my eyes, and I dared not lift either after Caleb’s stern instruction. I could only see what was on the ground a few feet ahead of me.
We had barely been walking five minutes when he hissed, “Duck down!”
He pushed me down behind a bush. He knelt beside me. I held my breath as I tried to listen to what was going on. He parted the shrubbery and peered through it.
“They’re leaving,” he whispered.
“Huh?”
He parted the bush a little more and I raised the hood and sunglasses. We were still near the port—we had been walking along the outskirts of the dark island—and I looked just in time to see a submarine submerging. Even though I only caught the top of the submarine, I knew it was one of The Shade’s subs from its distinctive design.
Before I could say another word, he lifted me up and raced back to our submarine. Flinging open the hatch, he lowered me inside and shut it after him. He raced back to the control room and lurched the vessel forward before I even had a chance to reach my seat.
“We can’t lose them,” he said. “Or we’ll have no way of getting you back to The Shade.”
I gripped my seat as we surged forward. As I looked through the front screen at the dark waters we were traveling through, I couldn’t see anything, but from the way Caleb was navigating the vessel, it was clear that he was following something.
But something didn’t seem right. Home was the last place my parents would have been traveling to if they had been unable to find me on Stellan’s island. They had found Ben, but I couldn’t imagine them returning home without me.
“Do you think they’re definitely heading back to The Shade?” I asked.
“It looks like it. At least, they’re not headed toward my island.”
I wondered if perhaps they had to return some injured vampires back to the island before coming back to search for me.
I settled more comfortably in my chair and looked up at Caleb’s face. His eyes were fixed forward. As the hours passed by in silence, his concentration didn’t break. I assumed that we definitely were headed toward The Shade since Caleb hadn’t said anything to indicate the contrary.
This is it now.
I’m going home.
I’d thought I would be feeling joy and relief.
Instead, watching Caleb speed the vessel forward, I felt strangely numb.
Chapter 37: Rose
A few hours later, the vessel ground to a halt.
I glanced up at Caleb. He stood up and walked out the door. He headed toward the hatch and pushed it open, then lowered himself back down, making way for me to climb up.
Shivers ran down my spine as I looked up at the open hatch.
Just a few steps up toward goodbye forever.
He raised his eyes to me and, reaching for my hand, planted a chaste kiss over it.
“Goodbye, princess,” he said softly.
He motioned to let go of my hand, but I gripped on tight. I began shaking my head.
“No. Not yet. Come with me,” I said, tugging at him to climb up through the hatch with me.
“No. This is where I leave you.”
“Caleb, you’re coming with me whether you like it or not.” I began climbing the ladder to the open hatch, gripping his arm and pulling him with me with all the force I could manage.
Sighing, he caught hold of a pipe sticking out of the wall and pulled himself back.
“Don’t.”
“Look, it’s just for a short while. I promise. Please?”
He frowned at me. “For what?”
“I want you to meet my parents. Th-they’ll want to thank you for everything you’ve done.”
He looked even more reluctant at the mention of my parents. But after several more minutes of my begging, he eventually gave in to my request and followed me out of the hatch.
Looking around the port, I saw the large submarine moored in the harbor. I caught his cold hand, and, entwining my fingers with his, walked toward the entrance of the woods.
I watched his face as he took in the surroundings of our warm island. His expression was a mixture of fascination and apprehension.
“Mom?” I began to shout. “Dad?”
If they were on this half of the island they would hear me easily. One of the many benefits of having vampires for parents.
No reply.
But then a few moments later, my grandfather came into view, rushing along the forest path toward us.
“Grandpa!” I yelled, running toward him.
His face broke out into a huge smile and tears of relief filled his eyes as he swept me up in his arms. “Rose! Oh, Rose! I don’t remember the last time I slept. We’ve all been sick with worry.” He showered my cheeks with kisses and hugged me tight before finally putting me down. “How did you get here?”
“This is Caleb,” I said, smiling and tugging at Caleb’s sleeve. “He’s the only reason I’m here. Caleb, this is my grandfather, Aiden.”
My grandfather stood up straight, his eyes settling on Caleb for the first time. He reached out for Caleb’s hand and shook it. Then he pulled Caleb against his chest for an embrace.
“I don’t know anything about you, boy. But I’m forever in your debt for returning my granddaughter to me.”
Caleb nodded, and gave him a small smile.
“Where’s Ben?” I asked.
My grandfather’s smile faded and worry creased his forehead.
“We found him unconscious in one of Stellan’s submarines. He still hasn’t come to, but we’re hoping he’ll be okay. Corrine’s treating him now in the Sanctuary.”
“What about Mom and Dad?”
“They’re still looking for you. As soon as we realized you weren’t with Stellan, your father managed to coerce one of the vampires there to reveal the location of his island. Vivienne, Xavier and a large group of other vampires are still with them storming the place and searching for you. I had to return early with Corrine and a few other witches in one of the submarines to care for your brother.”
“And Anna?”
“She’s here too. She’s been here all along. Your parents never planned to hand her over. They pretended to have her just so they could ambush their submarines… but that’s a long story. Now I must call your mom.”
He reached into his pocket and, pulling out a phone, dialed my parents.
“Sofia? Darling, I’ve got her. Rose. She’s here. Your daughter is back here in The Shade. No, I’m not joking. What kind of a joke would that be? You want to talk to her? Yes, of course. Hold on a second.”
He passed the phone to me.
“Mom?”
“Oh, God. Rose!” My mom began gasping. I heard her pull away from the phone and yell, “Derek! Rose is back home! We can leave now! Yes, she’s back!” She returned to speak to me. “Sweetheart, are you all right? Are you injured? How did you get back?”
“Mom, yes, it’s me. I’m fine. A handsome knight in shining armor rescued me,” I said, winking at Caleb. He smirked and rolled his eyes. I could have sworn I saw a slight blush in his pale cheeks.
“We’re coming home right now, honey. We’ll be back as fast as we can, in a few hours. Just stay where you are. Don’t go anywhere.”
“Don’t worry, Mom,” I said, half laughing. “I don’t plan on going anywhere.”
No sooner had I put the phone down than someone shouted out my name.
I turned around to see Griffin racing toward us. His face was pale, and he had dark circles under his eyes. He looked as though he hadn’t slept properly for days.
“Rose?” he ga
sped as he reached me.
I wrapped my arms around him and I felt him cling to me, breathing heavily against my neck.
“You have no idea how much we’ve all been worrying about you.”
“Griff, I can’t tell you how sorry I am. What we did was incredibly stupid. I—”
“How the hell did you escape?” he asked, looking down at my face.
I took a step away from him and reached for Caleb’s arm, pulling him closer to me.
“This is Caleb. He helped me escape. Caleb, this is my friend Griffin.”
I watched as Griffin stared at Caleb as though he didn’t know what to make of him. His expression was a mixture of surprise and distrust.
“Well, thank you,” he finally said, patting Caleb on the shoulder. “I’m not sure what I’d do without this girl.”
I stared at Griffin, surprised by the strength of emotion in his voice as he spoke those last words. We were close friends, but I supposed that I had never quite realized just how much I meant to him.
Griffin turned back to face me.
“Are you all right?”
“Yes, I’m not harmed. I just have a few scratches.” I squeezed his hand, hoping to reassure him. “But I really need to see my brother now.”
Chapter 38: Caleb
Rose insisted that I stay on the island until her parents returned. Although I felt uncomfortable, something made me give in to her requests. Perhaps it was just because she was so stubborn.
After greeting Aiden and her friend, we headed to see Rose’s brother in a beautiful white stone building they called the Sanctuary. Walking through the hallways, we stopped outside a circular bedroom where Ben lay in the center of a bed. His eyes were open by the time we arrived.
“Ben!” Rose yelled and ran over to him, planting a kiss on his forehead and embracing him.
“Rose,” he whispered, coughing and rubbing his throat. Compared to Rose, he certainly looked worse for wear. He had shadows beneath his eyes, his skin had a yellowish tinge to it and he looked much thinner compared to when I last saw him. I dreaded to think what Stellan had put him through.
I looked at the brown-haired witch who was attending Ben along with several other witches. Her face lit up as soon as she saw Rose enter and she wrapped her in a tight hug.
“How did you get here?” Ben asked.
Rose ran over to me and dragged me to his bed. “Caleb.” The princess beamed up at me. “He saved me.”
Ben looked up at me and smiled, nodding. “I remember you,” he wheezed. “Thanks man, for saving her… and for trying to save me.”
He reached up a hand and I shook it.
It made me uncomfortable how she was touting me as some kind of hero. Still, she was getting pleasure out of it, so I didn’t say anything to her.
Rose stayed beside Ben for a while longer, but it was clear that he wasn’t in much of a state to talk. The witches suggested we leave and allow him to sleep to speed up his recovery.
We left the Sanctuary with Aiden, emerging into the beautiful moonlit courtyard outside.
“Grandpa,” Rose said, “I’m going to show Caleb around the island for a bit, all right? I’ll check back at the port in a couple of hours or so to see if Mom and Dad have returned.”
“Okay, darling.” Aiden gave his granddaughter another hug before we parted ways.
Once we were left alone, she looked up at me. Her beautiful face broke out into a smile. “So,” she said, wrapping an arm around my waist and squeezing me against her playfully, “what do you think of The Shade so far?”
“It’s quite impressive,” I replied, looking back at the witch’s temple.
“You’ve barely seen anything yet.” She had a twinkle in her eye. “I want to take you to The Residences now, but it’s a fair walk. Could you carry me? I’ll tell you how to get there.”
I bent down as she wrapped her arms around my shoulders, her legs around my waist.
I began to speed through the forest, following her directions.
“Okay, stop here,” she said, as we approached a particularly tall redwood tree. I put her down and she pointed upward. I couldn’t help but inhale at the sight above me. Magnificent penthouses sprawled out among the treetops. They looked more stunning than rumor had made them out to be.
We entered the elevator and rose to the top. Crossing the veranda, she pushed the front door open and led me inside. She pulled me past a luxurious sitting room and along a number of glass-covered walkways until we reached a spacious oval bedroom.
“This,” she said proudly, “is my room.” She pushed the door wide open and gestured that I step inside.
I looked around the room from the outside, hesitating to step in. Somehow, it felt strange to be stepping into her private space.
Growing impatient, she tugged on my shirt and pulled me inside.
She walked to a corner of the room and pointed to a large stack of CDs.
“As you can see, they’re mostly classical,” she said, grinning. “Or at least that’s my excuse for not being able to dance to club music… Now let me show you the Sun Room.”
She led me back along one of the glass-covered walkways and we stopped outside another room. She pushed the door open to reveal a room lit so brightly with LEDs, it gave the illusion of sunshine. The walls were covered with a mural of a sandy beach.
“This room has some history for sure,” she said. “My dad destroyed it once. Ripped it to shreds with his bare hands. He used to have a real tough time controlling his temper. Then my mom decided to recreate it.”
Next, she led me into the music room. Calling it a room was rather an understatement. It was more like a small hall. Wind and string instruments lined the walls and at its center was a large grand piano.
I walked around the circumference of the room slowly, taking a closer look at all of the instruments. Only the best for the Novaks.
Rose took a seat at the piano. I walked over to her as she began to play. But as I approached, she stopped. She moved up along the seat, requesting that I sit next to her. I acquiesced.
“Now you’re a prisoner of my castle”—she grinned—“I’d like you to play for me, Mr. Caleb Achilles.”
I smiled down at her and bowed my head. “Very well, your highness.”
I sat down beside her and stretched out my fingers over the keys. Closing my eyes, I began to play. And as soon as I did, I felt glad that she’d made this request.
Losing myself to the music helped to ease the pain that had been eating away at me ever since the moment had arrived for Rose’s escape.
When she rested her head against my shoulder, I still didn’t open my eyes. I wanted to remain lost in that moment, with her warm body against me. I remained still, committing these few seconds into my memory. A memory I hoped I’d be able to draw on for the rest of time.
Her soft hand folded over my forearm.
“I wish you didn’t have to go,” she whispered, pain traced in her voice. Pain I recognized as constricting my own chest.
I opened my eyes to see her lovely face, the shadow of tears brimming in her emerald-green eyes.
I didn’t know what to answer her.
My throat felt dry.
Without considering my actions, I reached out and brushed her warm, flushed cheek with my fingers.
Then a bang from the living room broke through the silence.
Quickly composing myself, I stood up in time for Mr and Mrs Novak to enter the room.
Chapter 39: Rose
“Rose!”
My parents drew me into a tight embrace, kissing every part of my cheeks and forehead they could reach.
“What happened?” my mom asked, pointing to the bandage on my cheek.
“Oh, it’s really nothing. Just a scratch.”
Once we had finished hugging, I took a step back and reached for Caleb’s hand. “This is Caleb,” I said. “I’m here because of him.”
My dad looked Caleb over from head to foot, as though he wa
s sizing him up. I wasn’t sure if he approved of Caleb at first, given the serious expression on his face, but then he smiled, reached out a hand and shook his warmly.
“Caleb,” he said. “Thank you.”
My mom drew him in for a hug. “If there’s ever anything we can do to repay you,” she said, gripping his shoulders and looking him in the eye, “please don’t hesitate to ask.”
“Nothing will be required,” Caleb said, taking a step back.
“Rose!”
Vivienne and Xavier came racing into the room, followed by a group of other vampires. My aunt and uncle took it in turns to hug me. Then I faced the others. Everyone in the room—including my parents—looked utterly disheveled, their clothes bloody and torn, scars of recently healed wounds covering their body.
As I looked around the room at them, a crushing sense of guilt welled in the pit of my stomach.
Ben and I caused them all so much trouble.
“You,” Zinnia said, pointing an accusing finger at me, “have caused me more aggro in the last twenty-four hours than Griffin has managed in the past year.” Then she nuzzled me on the head. “I’m glad you’re safe, kid.”
Someone tugged on my hair. I turned around to see Ashley glaring at me.
“So, how was Scotland?”
I couldn’t help but laugh at the sarcastic expression on her grimy face.
“Yeah, princess. How was Scotland?” Claudia had entered the room, her clothes looking particularly battle-worn, her thick blonde hair a matted mess. “Next time the two of you decide to go gallivanting about, a little warning would be appreciated.”
“I’m so sorry, guys,” I muttered.
“I should hope so,” Eli said, crossing his arms over his chest and looking down at me sternly. “You both are exceedingly lucky to be alive. We honestly thought that we’d lost you.”
My parents broke through the crowd and approached me. My father put his hand on my shoulder. His fierce eyes always melted me.
“You’re going to get an earful from us too later, don’t you worry,” he said. “But for now, we’re going to check on your brother.”
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