royal garments, and chainmail, his hands folded across his chest.
Oddly, one of his fingers was raised slightly higher than the others. Caitlin knew, she just knew , why.
She reached down, slipped the ring off her finger, and let her senses guide her to slip it onto the finger of the effigy.
Everyone crowded around her and watched.
The ring fit perfectly.
There was the slightest click, and in the effigy’s other hand, Caitlin saw a small, marble scroll.
She looked at it closely, and saw that its tip was now slightly ajar.
She reached over and pulled at it gently, and discovered that it was hollow. Inside, lying there, sat a real scroll—a real piece of parchment.
Caitlin's heart beat faster as she reached in, and slowly, gingerly, slid out the frail piece of parchment.
Everyone crowded in even closer, as she rolled open the small scroll. On it was a delicate, antique handwriting, which she immediately recognized as her father's. She felt overwhelmed with emotion, looking at it.
She cleared her throat, and read aloud:
My Dearest Caitlin and Samuel,
If the two of you have made it this far, then you're standing here together, joined on your search for me and the Shield. This scroll you are holding has been especially well hidden, so if you are here, it is only because you are meant to be. I commend you both.
You are two fruits of the same vine, the Rose and the Thorn, and you have different destinies.
You are both on the same search, but you must both take different routes. And you might not be searching for the same thing.
Samuel, your road leads to Warwick, where you will begin to find the answers you seek.
Caitlin, find me on the mount of judgment.
With all my love,
Your father.
Caitlin slowly lowered the scroll, and looked over at Sam. He stood there, staring at her, wide-eyed. She could tell that he was taken aback by it all. After all, this was the first clue that was also addressed directly to him. Caitlin remembered the feeling of enormity of having a letter from the past addressed directly to her for the first time.
"Samuel," he said. "No one's called me that in forever.” Caitlin stood there, reading it again, trying to decode it. It warmed her heart that her father had left this for her, and she felt closer to him than ever. But at the same time, the idea of splitting from Sam hurt her. Why couldn't they be on the same journey together? What were their different destinies?
The mount of judgment .
She had no idea what that meant.
She looked slowly at Caleb, wondering if he knew, but he just shook his head, as did Polly, Sam and Lily.
"Warwick?" Sam asked. “What's that?”
Lily cleared her throat.
"That part’s easy. It can only mean one thing. It has to be a reference to Warwick Castle. It’s the oldest in that region, and it’s been a stronghold for your kind for thousands of years.”
"And what about the mount of judgment?" Caitlin asked.
Lily slowly shook her head. "Your guess is as good as mine."
*
Caitlin's mind reeled as she sat at the huge dining table with the others. That letter from her father, which she had since read again and again, had been like a bomb dropped into her consciousness. It held so many implications, both for her future, and for Sam’s. She kept going over every word in her mind, trying to figure out what it all meant.
But she didn't have time to think about it all right now. Lily had led them all to this enormous banquet, laid out so generously, under her supervision. It was indeed a lavish feast. She sat at a huge, oak table, Scarlet beside her, Caleb on her other side, and Sam, Polly and Lily across from them. Just the six of them, sitting at a table meant to hold a hundred, reclining in gilded, gold, stuffed armchairs.
Caitlin examined the silver, the delicate china plates, the fresh flowers, the huge candles, the chandeliers above, and the enormous windows on all sides of them, letting the sunset in. Before them were spread out heaps of every
Oddly, one of his fingers was raised slightly higher than the others. Caitlin knew, she just knew , why.
She reached down, slipped the ring off her finger, and let her senses guide her to slip it onto the finger of the effigy.
Everyone crowded around her and watched.
The ring fit perfectly.
There was the slightest click, and in the effigy’s other hand, Caitlin saw a small, marble scroll.
She looked at it closely, and saw that its tip was now slightly ajar.
She reached over and pulled at it gently, and discovered that it was hollow. Inside, lying there, sat a real scroll—a real piece of parchment.
Caitlin's heart beat faster as she reached in, and slowly, gingerly, slid out the frail piece of parchment.
Everyone crowded in even closer, as she rolled open the small scroll. On it was a delicate, antique handwriting, which she immediately recognized as her father's. She felt overwhelmed with emotion, looking at it.
She cleared her throat, and read aloud:
My Dearest Caitlin and Samuel,
If the two of you have made it this far, then you're standing here together, joined on your search for me and the Shield. This scroll you are holding has been especially well hidden, so if you are here, it is only because you are meant to be. I commend you both.
You are two fruits of the same vine, the Rose and the Thorn, and you have different destinies.
You are both on the same search, but you must both take different routes. And you might not be searching for the same thing.
Samuel, your road leads to Warwick, where you will begin to find the answers you seek.
Caitlin, find me on the mount of judgment.
With all my love,
Your father.
Caitlin slowly lowered the scroll, and looked over at Sam. He stood there, staring at her, wide-eyed. She could tell that he was taken aback by it all. After all, this was the first clue that was also addressed directly to him. Caitlin remembered the feeling of enormity of having a letter from the past addressed directly to her for the first time.
"Samuel," he said. "No one's called me that in forever.” Caitlin stood there, reading it again, trying to decode it. It warmed her heart that her father had left this for her, and she felt closer to him than ever. But at the same time, the idea of splitting from Sam hurt her. Why couldn't they be on the same journey together? What were their different destinies?
The mount of judgment .
She had no idea what that meant.
She looked slowly at Caleb, wondering if he knew, but he just shook his head, as did Polly, Sam and Lily.
"Warwick?" Sam asked. “What's that?”
Lily cleared her throat.
"That part’s easy. It can only mean one thing. It has to be a reference to Warwick Castle. It’s the oldest in that region, and it’s been a stronghold for your kind for thousands of years.”
"And what about the mount of judgment?" Caitlin asked.
Lily slowly shook her head. "Your guess is as good as mine."
*
Caitlin's mind reeled as she sat at the huge dining table with the others. That letter from her father, which she had since read again and again, had been like a bomb dropped into her consciousness. It held so many implications, both for her future, and for Sam’s. She kept going over every word in her mind, trying to figure out what it all meant.
But she didn't have time to think about it all right now. Lily had led them all to this enormous banquet, laid out so generously, under her supervision. It was indeed a lavish feast. She sat at a huge, oak table, Scarlet beside her, Caleb on her other side, and Sam, Polly and Lily across from them. Just the six of them, sitting at a table meant to hold a hundred, reclining in gilded, gold, stuffed armchairs.
Caitlin examined the silver, the delicate china plates, the fresh flowers, the huge candles, the chandeliers above, and the enormous windows on all sides of them, letting the sunset in. Before them were spread out heaps of every
Similar Books
