Vowed

Chapter Seven

Caitlin sat in her large room in Dunvegan in Castle at a writing desk, looking out the window at the sunset sky. She examined the torn page McCleod had given her, holding it up to the light. She slowly ran her fingertips along the embossed, Latin letters. They looked and felt ancient. The entire page was so beautifully and intricately designed, and she marveled at the intricate colors along the paper’s edges. Back then, she realized, books were made to be works of art in and of themselves.

Caleb lay on their bed, while Scarlet and Ruth were sprawled out on a pile of furs before the fireplace on the far side of the room. This room was so sprawling, that even with all of them in it, Caitlin still felt alone with her thoughts. In the adjacent room, she knew, were Sam and Polly. It had been a long day, and a long feast with Aiden’s coven and the king’s men, and they were all settling in for the night.

Caitlin could not stop thinking about the torn page, the clue, where it might lead her, and if it would yield the fourth key. Would her father be there this time? Could it be that he was waiting, close by? Her heart beat faster at the thought of it. Did that mean she would finally find the shield? That all of this would be over? And what would she do then? Where would she go next?

It was all too overwhelming for her to consider. She felt she just had to focus on the clue before her, to take it one step at a time. She thought of what McCleod had said about the holy Grail. He had told her that he and his men had devoted their lives to finding the grail. That legend had it that a woman would arrive and lead them to it. He believed that she, Caitlin, was that woman. Which was why he had given her his precious clue, the ancient piece of paper.

But Caitlin wasn’t so sure. Was the grail just a myth? Or was it real? And how was it tied to her search?

Caitlin didn’t know where all this lead, but as she reflected, she realized that, once again, she had finally found a place, in this castle, with these people, where she felt a sense of peace and comfort. She felt at home in Skye, in this castle, with this king, with his knights, and of course, being back with Aiden’s coven again. She was thrilled to be reunited with Caleb, Scarlet, Sam and Polly. Finally, once again, everything felt right in the world. It was cold and windy out there, and with a fire raging in her fireplace, she was cozy in here, and really didn’t want to venture out there, hunting down more clues. She wanted to stay right here. She could see herself building a home here with Caleb, and Scarlet, and Ruth.

If they pressed on with their missions, how might that affect her relationship with Caleb? Or even endanger Scarlet or Ruth? It seemed that whenever she got close to finding another key, bad things started to happen.

Caitlin slowly set down the brittle piece of paper, and stared, instead, at her unopened journal before her, sitting on the desk. It was now worn, thick with use, looking like a relic in its own right. She reached out and slowly pulled back the pages, turning them all the way until she nearly reached the end of the book. She realized, with a start, that there weren’t that many blank pages left. She couldn’t believe it. When she’d first began this journal, it had seemed as if it would last forever.

She lifted the quill, blotted it into the ink, and began to scrawl.

Caitlin closed her journal and sent down the quill. Still lost in another world, she blinked and looked around the room. She wondered how much time had passed while she was reflecting; she looked out the window and saw that it was twilight, and as she glanced about the room, she saw that Scarlet and Ruth were still fast asleep. On the other side of the room, beneath the torchlight, Caleb seemed to be asleep, too.

Caitlin also found herself feeling sleepy. She felt she needed to clear her head, to get some air. She got up from the desk quietly and began to cross the room, determined to slip outside. She grabbed a fur shawl on the way, wrapping it around her shoulders. Just as she reached the door, though, she heard a soft clearing of the throat.

She looked over and saw Caleb looking at her, one eye open, beckoning her.

She turned and walked over to his side, and as he patted the bed, she sat beside him.

He smiled as he slowly opened his eyes. As always, she was struck by his beauty. His facial features were so perfect, so clean and smooth, his jaw line and cheekbone prominent, his lips full and smooth, his nose angular and perfect. He blinked with his long eyelashes, then slowly reached out and ran one hand through her hair.

“We’ve hardly had a chance to talk,” he said.

“I know,” she smiled back.

“I want you to know how much I still love you,” he said.

Caitlin smiled. “I love you, too.”

“And that I can’t wait to be married to you,” he added, his smile widening.

He sat up and kissed her, and they kissed for a long time beneath the torchlight.

Caitlin felt her heart warm. That was exactly what she had been wanting to hear. It was uncanny how he had always been able to read her thoughts.

“Now that we’re here, I want to marry you. Before we continue on our search. Right here. In this place.” He studied her. “What do you think?”

She looked back at him, her heart racing with conflicting emotions. It was exactly what she wanted, too. But she was also scared. She wasn’t sure how to respond.

Finally, she stood.

“Where are you going?” he asked.

“I’ll be back soon,” she said. “I just need to clear my head.”

She kissed him one last time, then turned and walked out the room, closing the door softly behind her. She knew that if she stayed, she would end up in his arms, in the bed. And she first really needed to gather her thoughts. Not that she had any doubts about him. Or about their marriage. Or about their wedding. But she still felt conflicted, divided, over whether she needed to be out there, pursuing her mission. Was it selfish to put the wedding first?

As Caitlin walked down the empty, stone corridor, her footsteps echoing, she spotted a stairwell heading up, and saw natural light filtering down it. The castle roof, she realized. That was just the place she could go to get privacy and fresh air.

Caitlin hurried up the steps and into the twilight air. It was colder up here than she imagined, a late October wind driving strong. She wrapped her furs tightly over her shoulders, and was grateful for the warmth.

As Caitlin walked slowly along the ramparts, she looked out over the countryside in what little light was left. It was breathtakingly beautiful. On one side, the castle was perched beside a vast and lake, covered in mist. On the other side was a great expanse of trees and hills and valleys. This place felt magical.

Caitlin walked to the edge of a rampart, staring out, taking in the landscape – when suddenly, she sensed another presence. She didn’t know how that could be possible, as the entire roof had been empty. She slowly turned, not sure what to expect.

She couldn’t believe it.

Standing there, at the far end of the roof, was a lone figure, his back to her, looking out over the lake. An electric thrill ran through her. She didn’t need to see his long, flowing robes, his long silver hair, or the staff at his side to know who it was.

Aiden.

Could it really be? she wondered. Or was it just an illusion in the twilight?

She crossed the roof, slowly walking over to him, and stopped a few feet away. He stood so still, his hair blowing in the breeze, not turning. For a moment, she wondered if he was real. Then came his voice.

“You have come far,” he said, his back still to her.

Slowly, he turned and faced her. His eyes were a large shining blue, even in the dim light, and they seemed to look right through her. As usual, his face was expressionless. Intense.

Caitlin was thrilled to see him here. There had been so many questions she was dying to ask him, and as usual, he seemed to show up at just the moment when she needed guidance the most.

“I didn’t know if I would see you again,” she said.

“You will always see me,” he answered. “Sometimes in person, and sometimes otherwise,” he answered cryptically.

A silence hung between them, as she tried to gather her thoughts.

“There is only key left,” she found herself saying. “Does that mean I will see my father soon?”

He studied her, then slowly looked away.

Finally, he said, “That depends on your actions, doesn’t it?”

His habit of answering a question with a question always drove her mad. She had to try again.

“The new clue,” she said. “The page. The torn page. I don’t know where it leads. I don’t know what to look for. Or where.”

Aiden stared off into the horizon.

“Sometimes clues look for you,” he answered. “You know that now. Sometimes you must wait for things to be revealed.”

Caitlin thought about that. Was he telling her to do nothing?

“Then… is there nothing for me to do?” she asked.

“There is much for you to do,” Aiden responded.

He turned and faced her, and slowly, for the first time in as long as Caitlin could remember, he broke into a smile. “You have a wedding to plan.”

Caitlin felt herself smiling back.

“I wanted to. But I was afraid that it was frivolous,” she said. “That I should put on hold. That I should be searching first.”

Aiden slowly shook his head.

“A vampire wedding is not frivolous. It is a sacred event. It is the merging of two vampire souls. It brings more power to each of you, and more power to our entire coven. And it will only deepen your growth, your skills. I am proud of you. You have grown greatly. But if you are to evolve to the next level, you need this. Each union brings its own power. Both for the couple, and for the individual.”

Caitlin felt relieved, excited – but also nervous.

“But I don’t know how to plan this kind of wedding. I would barely even know how to plan a human wedding.”

Aiden smiled. “You have many friends who will help you. And I will preside over the ceremony.” He smiled. “I am a priest, after all.”

Caitlin smiled wide, liking the thought of that.

“So, what do I do now?” Caitlin asked, excited, nervous, not knowing where to begin.

He smiled.

“Go to Caleb. And say yes. Let love take care of the rest.”