his.
He was certain this time that she was giving him a message.
“You’re different than the others,” she said quietly, out of earshot of the guards. “The others are ancient. They’ve been around forever. They’re more predictable. You’re younger. More naïve. That’s a good thing.”
Sam didn’t know what to say to that.
“Wel ,” he said, smiling, “I guess you’re not half bad yourself.”
Once again, his sarcasm fel flat. She stared back coldly, and he thought that he blew it for sure this time.
But suddenly, she added: “To answer your question: No. I don’t. But maybe, quite soon, I wil .”
Then, without another word, she turned and walked away.
Sam stood there staring after her, speechless.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Caitlin sat there, her heart pounding, as Caleb sat across from her, reading the scrol with concern on his face.
She couldn’t believe it. It had been such a magical moment, one of the peak moments of their relationship, and she had felt that she and Caleb were on the brink of getting so much closer. And then that stupid bird had to appear, out of nowhere, diving down like a messenger of death.
Whatever the letter had to say, she couldn’t stand the suspense anymore. Her heart now pounded, not with love and excitement, but with fear and dread.
With love , it had been signed. That could only mean one thing. It was from Sera. Who else would sign it that way?
Caitlin’s body shook with anger. Always, at every turn, Sera somehow managed to be a thorn in her side.
“Wel ?” Caitlin final y asked, with more anger in her voice than she would have liked. But she couldn’t stand waiting anymore.
Caleb final y looked up, a mix of concern and sorrow across his face.
“It is from Sera,” Caleb said. “It says that Jade is alive. That she has managed to resurrect him, and to bring him back in time. That he is here, now. That he wants to see me.”
Caitlin’s heart plummeted. She felt as if she’d been stabbed with a knife. She could see already, from the look on Caleb’s face, that an offer to see Jade was something he could not refuse. And that if she tried to get in the way, he would resent her forever, would always view her as the person who prevented him from seeing his son.
“How is that possible?” Caitlin asked. “How could she possibly resurrect him?”
Caleb looked down at the letter again, shaking his head, looking puzzled himself. “I don’t know,” he answered. “I real y don’t.”
He looked at her with sorrow and guilt.
“Caitlin,” he said, and she could hear the grief and longing in his voice. “I’m so sorry. I would never ever want to leave you. And I never would. But this is different. It is my son .”
Caitlin suddenly stood, overwhelmed with anger. Caleb stood, too.
“You have to understand,” he said, reaching out and grabbing her as she turned to walk away. He turned her to face him. “He is my son . And this is a chance for me to see him alive again. How can I walk away from that?”
“You love her,” Caitlin said. “You stil do.”
“No,” he insisted. “I promise you, I do not. This has nothing to do with Sera. It is only about Jade.”
Despite herself, Caitlin burst into tears.
“How can I prove it to you?” he asked. “You met Jade. You know what a special human being he is. How can I turn my back on him? How can I never see him again?”
Caitlin stood there, crying, not knowing what to say.
“You can accompany me,” Caleb said. “I wil prove it to you.
I wil prove to you that this is not about Sera. We can go together. We wil see Jade. And then we can bring him back here, to live with us.”
“And you think Sera would al ow that?” Caitlin asked. “Al ow us to take her son away from her?”
Caleb furrowed his brow.
“He’s my son, too. And regardless of what she wants, I don’t plan on spending any time with her. I’m going to see my son. I don’t need to be with her to be with my
He was certain this time that she was giving him a message.
“You’re different than the others,” she said quietly, out of earshot of the guards. “The others are ancient. They’ve been around forever. They’re more predictable. You’re younger. More naïve. That’s a good thing.”
Sam didn’t know what to say to that.
“Wel ,” he said, smiling, “I guess you’re not half bad yourself.”
Once again, his sarcasm fel flat. She stared back coldly, and he thought that he blew it for sure this time.
But suddenly, she added: “To answer your question: No. I don’t. But maybe, quite soon, I wil .”
Then, without another word, she turned and walked away.
Sam stood there staring after her, speechless.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Caitlin sat there, her heart pounding, as Caleb sat across from her, reading the scrol with concern on his face.
She couldn’t believe it. It had been such a magical moment, one of the peak moments of their relationship, and she had felt that she and Caleb were on the brink of getting so much closer. And then that stupid bird had to appear, out of nowhere, diving down like a messenger of death.
Whatever the letter had to say, she couldn’t stand the suspense anymore. Her heart now pounded, not with love and excitement, but with fear and dread.
With love , it had been signed. That could only mean one thing. It was from Sera. Who else would sign it that way?
Caitlin’s body shook with anger. Always, at every turn, Sera somehow managed to be a thorn in her side.
“Wel ?” Caitlin final y asked, with more anger in her voice than she would have liked. But she couldn’t stand waiting anymore.
Caleb final y looked up, a mix of concern and sorrow across his face.
“It is from Sera,” Caleb said. “It says that Jade is alive. That she has managed to resurrect him, and to bring him back in time. That he is here, now. That he wants to see me.”
Caitlin’s heart plummeted. She felt as if she’d been stabbed with a knife. She could see already, from the look on Caleb’s face, that an offer to see Jade was something he could not refuse. And that if she tried to get in the way, he would resent her forever, would always view her as the person who prevented him from seeing his son.
“How is that possible?” Caitlin asked. “How could she possibly resurrect him?”
Caleb looked down at the letter again, shaking his head, looking puzzled himself. “I don’t know,” he answered. “I real y don’t.”
He looked at her with sorrow and guilt.
“Caitlin,” he said, and she could hear the grief and longing in his voice. “I’m so sorry. I would never ever want to leave you. And I never would. But this is different. It is my son .”
Caitlin suddenly stood, overwhelmed with anger. Caleb stood, too.
“You have to understand,” he said, reaching out and grabbing her as she turned to walk away. He turned her to face him. “He is my son . And this is a chance for me to see him alive again. How can I walk away from that?”
“You love her,” Caitlin said. “You stil do.”
“No,” he insisted. “I promise you, I do not. This has nothing to do with Sera. It is only about Jade.”
Despite herself, Caitlin burst into tears.
“How can I prove it to you?” he asked. “You met Jade. You know what a special human being he is. How can I turn my back on him? How can I never see him again?”
Caitlin stood there, crying, not knowing what to say.
“You can accompany me,” Caleb said. “I wil prove it to you.
I wil prove to you that this is not about Sera. We can go together. We wil see Jade. And then we can bring him back here, to live with us.”
“And you think Sera would al ow that?” Caitlin asked. “Al ow us to take her son away from her?”
Caleb furrowed his brow.
“He’s my son, too. And regardless of what she wants, I don’t plan on spending any time with her. I’m going to see my son. I don’t need to be with her to be with my
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