Betrayed by Morgan Rice

as he took Sera by the arm and led her out the room.
    “Be quick,” Samuel said. “Our time is short.”
    *
    Before they had even entered the side chamber, Sera was already reeling towards Caleb, screaming.
    “You know that you cannot win!” Sera yelled. “You are being foolish. And you will drag your brother into it. The two of you, always so foolish. You will both certainly die this time.”
    “That is our choice to make,” Caleb said.
    “No it’s not!” Sera yelled. “You belong to me, too.”
    “I do not belong to you,” Caleb snapped. “I do not belong to anyone! Least of all you.”
    “We can leave this place,” Sera said. “Just you and I together. We can start our future together. Now is our time. We can go back to that castle in Europe. We can try to have another child—”
    “Sera!” Caleb snapped. He had no patience for this. “Listen to yourself. You’re not making any sense. I have told you countless times that I do not love you anymore—”
    “You loved me once. You can learn to love me again,” she said, equally determined. “We will be together. That is all that matters. Over time, your feelings may change—”
    Caleb had heard enough. He couldn’t take any more of this. Hundreds of years of being in this coven had made her crazy. She could not be reasoned with.
    He turned and walked out of the room.
    But she used her vampire speed to block his way. She stood there, blocking his exit. Her face looked distorted with rage and fear.
    “You cannot leave me!” Sera yelled.
    “I am leaving you,” Caleb said. “I am leaving this entire coven. For good.”
    “For what? For your little battle? And then to run off with your little whore?”
    Caleb could feel himself fuming at her words.
    “That’s it, isn’t it?” she yelled. “You are willing to give up everything, to sacrifice everything—even our love, for that stupid little girl. Well, I’ll tell you,” she said, suddenly smiling in a vicious way, “your girl won’t be waiting for you anymore. You can be sure of that.”
    “What do you mean?”
    Sera paused, smiling, reveling in the moment.
    “I told her.”
    Caleb’s mind spun as he tried to figure out what it was she might have told Caitlin. He knew that whatever it was, it could not be good.
    “What exactly did you tell her?” Caleb asked, slowly, enunciating each word.
    Sera’s smile grew wider, more vicious. “I told her everything about us. Everything .”
    Caleb thought. Everything . That could only mean one thing.
    “You told her about Jade, didn’t you?” Caleb asked, fearing that she had, and knowing already from the look in her eyes that she had, indeed, told Caitlin about their child.
    Sera’s smile was vindictive now. “Yes. She knows we have a child together. And she knows that you love me more. And that you always will.”
    “ Have ?” Caleb asked. “You told her that we have a child together? Or had ?”
    Sera didn’t answer, but only smiled wider. Caleb grabbed her by the shoulders.
    “You misled her!” he yelled. “You misled her on purpose!”
    “Oh, Caleb,” Sera said, shaking her head, “you are so naïve. Who in this world has not misled someone else? Don’t you know by now that all of love is based on lies?”
    She was sicker than Caleb thought.
    He shook his head in disgust, and, before he could do anything rash, he took two steps past her and strutted out the door.
    “That’s right,” yelled the voice behind her. “Now you’ll listen! Now you won’t go anywhere!”
    *
    Caleb strutted out of the room, his cloak over his shoulders, staff in hand, and met his brother.
    “I need but one more minute, my brother,” Caleb said.
    “What is it?” Samuel asked.
    “I need to set wrongs right,” Caleb answered.
    Samuel nodded, seeing his brother’s resolve. “Day breaks soon. Hurry at your task.”
    Caleb strutted down the hall, by himself, into a side chamber, slamming and locking the door behind him.
    This room had been