Vowed (The Vampire Journals, #7) - Morgan Rice Page 0,20

the look of anxiety in Sam’s eyes: it was clear he did not want to fight her.

But they were pitted against each other, and as the crowd screamed out, they had no choice but to gallop towards one another. At the last second, Sam raised his lance just enough to miss her, allowing her to strike him square in the chest. Caitlin watched as, for the first time that day, Sam fell from his horse, hitting the ground hard. She then noticed the confused and surprised expression on Polly’s face. Clearly, Sam had taken a fall for her.

As the day grew long, the jousting eventually subsided, and was replaced with other contests and games. There were games of throwing small metal balls into circular targets; games of lifting heavy boulders and throwing them; games with slingshots, with bows and arrows, and even games with spears, aiming for fish in a flowing creek.

Scarlet came running up to Caitlin when they took out the bows and arrows. “Please, Mommy, can I try?” she pleaded.

Caleb looked down at her. “I don’t see why not.”

Scarlet ran off with a delighted squeal, Ruth following. She grabbed the bows and arrows and took aim, with all the other warriors, at distant targets.

An amazed crowd began to gather around the girl, as one by one, warriors stopped what they were doing and stared. Caitlin, too was in shock. Scarlet hit every target perfectly, putting the grown warriors to shame. Caitlin couldn’t believe it. Clearly, Scarlet had an innate skill. Caitlin wondered where it came from, and she felt more proud of her than ever.

As a never-ending stream of games and competitions came and went, the day grew more and more festive. Competitions started to peter out, replaced with banter, laughter and camaraderie, as more food and wine and blood were rolled out into the fields. As the sun slowly began to set, painting the sky in a blanket of orange, it transitioned to a full-fledged party, the day’s former opponents all hugging each other, sharing drinks and huge pieces of meat over roasting fires. The tournaments transitioned to a feast.

Caitlin found Caleb, and the two shared drinks and food, laughing with human and vampire opponents they had fought on the field, surrounded by dozens of well-wishers, as torches were lit, the music grew louder, and the feast seemed to grow bigger and bigger. Caitlin fell her heart warm, surrounded by so many people she loved. It had not only been a fun day, but also a productive one, sharpening her skills in many ways, and teaching her much about Scarlet, too. It had also brought her and Caleb so much closer. She felt his love for her, and she felt the same. She was excited to think that the first step to their wedding day was now behind them, and that now they were that much closer to being wed.

“Now it’s time to plan the wedding!” she yelled out excitedly, and a chorus of girls cheered their approval.

“It’s going to be the most beautiful wedding you’ve ever seen,” Polly said.

“I already have ideas about the flowers,” Taylor chimed in.

Caitlin felt a bit overwhelmed, as all the girls suddenly began to chime in with their opinions.

Before she could respond, she noticed something in the distance, over their shoulders, that made her stop in her tracks.

At first she thought she was seeing things, that it was an apparition. But then, as she watched, she saw it was real.

She felt the glass goblet slip from her fingers and crash to the ground, as she stood there, frozen, not believing what she saw.

There, in the distance, standing at the edge of the wood, watching her with his intense eyes, was a man she could never forget.

It was Blake.

CHAPTER TEN

Sam hadn’t felt this happy in years. He’d a fun day of jousting with everyone, of joining in all the festivities surrounding Caitlin and Caleb’s tournament day. He also, he had to admit, felt thrilled to be near Polly. In truth, he hadn’t been able to stop thinking about her. He wondered if she realized he’d taken a fall for her on the jousting field. Fate had them paired against each other, and he knew there was little else he could do: in a million years, he would never lay a finger on her.

As they had rolled out vats of wine and of blood-infused alcohol, brought out huge slabs of meat roasting on a spit, Sam drank and ate and joined in the