Vowed (The Vampire Journals, #7) - Morgan Rice Page 0,36

and forth, tears running down her face, overjoyed to see her alive, moving, breathing, talking. It felt like a dream.

Caitlin was so confused. She didn’t understand how it could be possible. Just a moment ago, Scarlet was clearly dead. She was sure of it.

But as Scarlet’s little hands hugged her back, Caitlin didn’t care. She didn’t need to know how it happened. All she cared about was that she was back with her again.

“I’m so sorry,” Caitlin said, over and over, crying. “I’m so sorry. I’ll never leave you again.” Caitlin gradually looked up, and saw Aiden still standing over them, staring down. She felt a debt of gratitude, and wonder.

“How did you do it?” Caitlin asked. “How did you bring her back?” Aiden slowly shook his head, as the entire crowd looked to him.

“You still don’t understand,” he said softly. “I didn’t bring her back. She never died. Only mortals die,” he added, and then as he turned his back, he said his final words, words that Caitlin would never forget, “and Scarlet is no mortal. She is a vampire. And she is your daughter.” CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Kyle hiked with Rynd and his men up a rocky hill on the Isle of Lewis. It had been a long flight to get here, and as they had flown over the Isle of Skye, Kyle had wondered about the wisdom of Rynd’s plan. Kyle had wanted to just dive down right there and launch a direct attack on Skye. But Rynd had insisted that was not the best approach; he had claimed that Skye was protected from vampire attack by an invisible shield. Rynd had suggested another, more devious, way.

They had been hiking for hours, and Rynd had offered few details of his plan. Kyle was not used to following, to taking orders, and he was reaching his limit. Indeed, just as he was getting ready to confront Rynd again, finally Rynd hiked up alongside him.

“Tonight is the Samhain Festival,” Rynd said. “Our kind will flock here from around the world.

It is our night for power, the one night when evil has free reign. We will use the energy of this night to summon our evil cohorts from every corner of the earth. Whatever creatures are out there, they will come to us, like moths to a flame. Then, tomorrow, we will attack Skye as one.” Kyle looked at him, puzzled.

“But I thought you said Skye had a shield, was immune to attack—”

“We can’t lead a head-on attack. But I can use my shapeshifting powers to trick one of them into inviting us. With a formal invitation, the gates will be opened. Then our entire army can attack.” Kyle looked at Rynd with a new admiration. Of course. The sacred vampire invitation. One vampire coven could not cross water to attack another coven. Unless they were invited. And with Rynd’s shapeshifting power, he could deceive someone, and get an invitation.

Kyle smiled broadly. He knew there was a reason he’d wanted to use his old apprentice. He had known, he had just known, that Rynd would be the key.

And Kyle liked his plan. Of course. Samhain. There was no better day of the year to harness the evil forces of the universe. Kyle recalled his heyday, when they would spend entire days leading up to, during, and after Samhain, sacrificing humans, drinking their blood, and on all-night orgies of sex and witchcraft and bloodshed. It was his favorite day of the year. With all of Rynd’s men in attendance, they could collectively perform ceremonies and rituals and sacrifices that could help conjure up even the most evil of spirits. Yes, Kyle was feeling optimistic. It was a very propitious sign indeed.

But Kyle was still uncertain of why Rynd had chosen the Isle of Lewis to celebrate Samhain.

And then they rounded a hill, and Kyle saw it: the Callanish Stones. Of course. Kyle hadn’t thought of these for centuries. But now that he saw them, it made perfect sense. There was no better place Rynd could have picked.

The Callanish Stones had been around for thousands of years, and were an ancient power spot for vampires. Laid out in a crude circle, they looked like the stones of Stonehenge, except these stones were more narrow, haphazard. They sat atop a dramatic knoll, on a remote island, overlooking cliffs and a vast ocean. They were eerie, and exuded a mystical power.

As they approached, a sudden gale force wind met them, and Kyle could already sense the