Vowed (The Vampire Journals, #7) - Morgan Rice Page 0,9

walls, secrets that could help her on her search for her father. Once again, she sensed that she was in exactly the right place.

“Is Aiden here?” Caitlin asked Tyler.

“That’s what we’ve been wondering for a while now,” Tyler answered. “I haven’t seen him in weeks. Sometimes he disappears for a while. You know how he is.” Caitlin did, indeed. She thought back to all the times, all the places she had been with them. She desperately needed to talk to him now, to know more about why they had landed in this place and time, to find out if Sam and Polly were okay, to find out about the final key—and most of all, if her father was here now. She had so many burning questions she was dying to ask him. Like, what had happened in London before they were all sent back? Had Kyle managed to survive?

As they approached the castle, Caitlin looked up and admired its architecture—rising fifty feet high, it sprawled over many levels, in a rectangular shape, with several square towers and parapets. It sat boldly and proudly at the top of a cliff, overlooking the vast lake and open sky, and unlike other castles, it was bright and airy, with dozens of windows. Its approach was impressive, with a wide stone roadway leading up to a front gate and an imposing arched doorway. This was clearly not a place one approached easily, and as Caitlin looked up, she spotted human guards on all the towers, watching them like a hawk.

As they approached the entrance, there was suddenly a sounding of trumpets, followed by the rumble of horses’ hooves.

Caitlin turned. Galloping over the horizon, rushing right towards them, were dozens of human warriors, dressed in armor. Leading them was an imposing man dressed in furs, with a large orange beard, flanked by attendants, and bearing the demeanor of a king. He had soft facial features, and seemed to be the type who smiled easily. He had a large entourage of warriors, and Caitlin would have tensed up, if it weren’t for Taylor and Tyler being so relaxed. Clearly, these were friends.

As the soldiers stopped before them and parted ways, Caitlin stopped in her tracks, shocked.

There, in the center of the group, dismounting, were two people she loved most in the world.

She couldn’t believe it. She blinked several times. It was really them.

Standing before her, grinning back, were Sam and Polly.

*

Caitlin and Sam each stepped forward before the two large groups of warriors and met in a huge embrace. Caitlin felt so relieved to be holding her brother, to be hugging him, to see and feel that he was alive, and really here. She then leaned over and hugged Polly, as Caleb, too, stepped up, and gave both Sam and Polly a hug.

“Polly!” Scarlet cried, as she came running up, Ruth barking by her side. Polly knelt down and gave her a huge hug, picking her up in her arms.

“I didn’t think I’d ever see you again!” Scarlet said.

Polly beamed. “You can’t get rid of me that easily!”

Ruth barked, and Polly knelt down and hugged her, while Sam hugged Scarlet.

Caitlin felt herself basking in the warm glow of having her family and loved ones reunited. She thought back to London, to everyone sick and dying, to the time when she couldn’t imagine that a happy scene like this would ever be possible. She felt so grateful that everything seemed to be restored, and marveled at how many lifetimes she had already led. It made her so grateful for immortality. She couldn’t imagine what she would do with just one life.

“What happened to guys?” Caitlin asked Sam. “Last I saw you, you promised me you wouldn’t leave Caleb and Scarlet’s side. And when I returned, you were gone.” Caitlin was still upset at their betrayal.

Sam and Polly looked down in shame.

“I’m so sorry,” Sam said. “It was my fault. Polly was abducted, and I left to save her.”

“No, it’s my fault,” Polly said. “Sergei had said there was a cure, and that I had to go with him to get it. I was so stupid—I believed him. I thought I would save them. But I broke my promise to you.

Will you ever forgive me?”

“And me?” Sam asked.

Caitlin looked at both their faces, and could see their absolute sincerity. A part of her was still upset that they’d broke their word and left Scarlet and Caleb so open to attack. But another part of her, the part that