Vowed (The Vampire Journals, #7) - Morgan Rice Page 0,73

sound of the ocean waves crashing far below was overpowering, and Caitlin could feel the spray in the wind.

As they approached, on foot, the castle looked even more imposing. Caitlin couldn’t spot anyone. This place seemed to be completely, eerily, deserted.

But she knew they were in the right place. She felt it. There was no other place they could possibly be. She could feel the three other keys throbbing in her pocket, and she knew they were guiding her, telling her that she was about to have the fourth.

Caitlin and Caleb crossed the land just as the sun was beginning to set, covering the sky in pink and red. It was a staggeringly beautiful site, and Caitlin felt as if she were on top of the world. She was on guard the entire time she crossed, ready for an ambush. Luckily, none came.

They finished crossing, and stood on the small island, before the castle. Together, they approached the imposing, ancient stone wall, walking right up to the massive wooden door. The door must have stood fifty feet high, dwarfing them. Caitlin looked up at the huge metal knocker, then looked to Caleb.

He nodded back.

“If they are for us, they will answer,” Caleb said. “If not, they will know we’re here anyway.” Caitlin agreed silently, and was about to reach up and grab the ring.

But at just that moment, something caught her eye, something in the distance. At first, she thought she was imagining it. But then, she turned her head and looked more carefully.

There, down in the distance, hundreds of feet below, bobbing in the water, was something.

Caitlin felt sure of it.

She turned and walked to the edge of the cliff, looking down, shielding her eyes from the glare.

Caleb came up beside her, slipping his arm around her waist.

“What is it?” he asked.

At first, Caitlin sensed more than saw something, but finally, something came into view. There, in the distance, bobbing in the ocean waves. A small boat. Like a rowboat, with a small sail.

Caitlin’s heart stopped. Every pore in her body told her who was in that boat.

Scarlet.

Without hesitating, Caitlin jumped and dove straight down off the cliff, hoping her wings would take. She plummeted to earth at a thousand miles an hour, and, at the last second, her wings finally took, and she soared in a clean arc, gliding right out to sea, Caleb right behind her.

Without pausing, Caitlin swooped down, picked up Scarlet, held her in her arms, and continued to fly. Right behind her, Caleb scooped up Ruth.

Caitlin hugged Scarlet tightly, and she hugged her back; as she did, Caitlin could feel her shaking over her shoulder. The child was definitely shaken up, and Caitlin had absolutely no idea what she was doing out there, alone, in the middle of the ocean. Why was she in the boat, by herself, the middle of the sea? And heading towards her? How was it possible? Especially after Polly and Sam had vowed that they would watch over her?

Suddenly, Caitlin was overcome with dread, as she realized there was no possible way they would have left her alone, have set her out to sea, unless something terrible had happened to them. But what?

They flew up the cliff, landing back where they had started, right before the entrance to the castle. Caitlin set Scarlet down, as Caleb set Ruth down, and Caitlin brushed the hair out of Scarlet’s eyes, trying to calm her as she cried.

Caitlin knelt down, leaned in and kissed her on her forehead.

“Shhh,” Caitlin whispered, stroking her hair. “It’s all right. Everything is all right now. Tell Mommy what happened.”

“He put me in a boat,” Scarlet began, crying, “with Ruth. I wanted to stay and fight. But he said I had to go. Then he pushed the boat into the ocean. He said it would take me to you.”

“Who?” Caitlin asked, confused.

But Scarlet began crying again, and only held out her little fist, as if to hand her something.

Caitlin reached out, and Scarlet dropped a small piece of sea glass into her hand.

Caleb was at first puzzled—and then she realized. There was only one person in the world who would have given her this glass.

“He told me to tell you that he loves you,” Scarlet added.

Caitlin felt as if a knife had plunged into her heart. Blake. He had saved Scarlet. He had put her in the boat, sent her off. She felt more indebted to him than she ever had.

But saved Scarlet from what? That was