she would have bet that Pol y would have been the one who was her closest friend, but already things had changed so quickly.
The room suddenly quieted, as a huge velvet drape moved in the back of the stage, and several of the candles were snuffed out by the servants. A man, wearing a long, black velvet coat, high col ars, and a white shirt with huge cuffs, strutted dramatical y out onto the stage. The lights were dim, so it was hard for Caitlin to get a good look at his face.
But already, she could see that he walked very dramatical y, ful of himself, and that he had a huge shock of black, wavy hair.
As he walked closer, right to the edge of the stage, only feet from her, Caitlin got a good look at his face.
Her heart stopped, as her entire body when cold.
No. It couldn’t be.
“I am going to sing for you tonight a series of motets by Vivaldi,” the singer announced dramatical y.
He turned and nodded to the musicians. He opened his mouth and on cue, the musicians played.
Caitlin studied his face closely, praying she was wrong. But she wasn’t. It was definitely him. She was beyond shocked.
She was horrified.
Standing before her was one of her greatest enemies.
Sergei. Kyle’s sidekick. The man who had stolen the Sword from her in the King’s Chapel in Boston. The man who had stabbed her in the back. The man who had worked closely with Kyle to help make her life hel .
She recognized the scar across his cheek. It was definitely, absolutely him. There was no doubt about it.
Caitlin felt her entire body start to shake. She wanted to lunge forward and take revenge, kil him with her bare hands.
But of course, she couldn’t. He was singing, performing, and the room was fil ed with people who had been hospitable to her. For whatever reason, they had taken this man in. Didn’t they have any idea who he real y was?
Worst of al , Pol y sat there beside Caitlin, her best friend, fil ed with desire for this creature.
Caitlin couldn’t conceive it. Pol y was clearly completely hypnotized by him.
Caitlin didn’t know what to do. First and foremost, she felt a burning desire to warn Pol y. And then, to warn the others.
There was no way that this was just a coincidence, she felt.
Clearly, Sergei had come back in time. Probably looking for her, Caitlin. Probably stil looking for the Shield.
Probably sent by Kyle. He probably infiltrated al these people, and had been playing them al to his purposes. He would probably feign forgetfulness, loss of memory. He would probably insist that he was not the person she thought.
But Caitlin knew. Every ounce of her body knew. The scar she stil bore in her back, by her kidney, throbbed at the sight of him. That scar had never gone away. And this was the man who had to pay for it.
It took every ounce of Caitlin’s wil to sit there while he continued his song.
What was worse, worse than everything, was that, despite it al , Caitlin had to admit that his voice was beautiful. It was, in fact, the most beautiful thing she had ever heard. It was like the voice of an angel, come down from heaven. And the song, it was so peaceful, so medieval. It sounded like something that could be sung in a monastery somewhere.
How was it possible? Caitlin wondered. How could such a hideous creatures could produce such beautiful music?
Was life so paradoxical?
Despite everything she knew and felt about this man, Caitlin found herself getting hypnotized by the music, too. It was strange, as if he’d had an unearthly power. She had to force herself to snap out of it.
Final y, after what felt like hours, the songs ended, and the room erupted into huge applause, everyone jumping to their feet, clapping. She couldn’t believe how ignorant they al were.
Pol y turned to Caitlin, eyes shining.
“So? What did you think? Isn’t he amazing? Isn’t he gorgeous? Oh my God, wasn’t that incredible? Don’t you just love him!?”
Not waiting for an answer, Pol y grabbed Caitlin’s arm, preparing to drag her to the stage, to meet him.
But this time, Caitlin resisted.
Pol y stopped and looked at her, confused.
“What’s wrong?” Pol y asked.
Caitlin tried to col ect yourself, to stay calm.
“Pol y, we have to talk.”
“You have to meet him first,” she said. “We can talk after—”
“No!” Caitlin snapped. “We have to talk