He pulled back his hood to reveal glowing, light green eyes. He stared at the three of them, then took a step towards Caitlin.
“You’ve arrived,” he said to her.
It was clear that he had been expecting her. The three of them exchanged a look of relief.
He turned and they followed him inside, and he shut the door behind them.
Seconds later, they heard a loud crashing at the door, as the hundreds of other vampires tried to get in.
Caitlin, Caleb and Sam wheeled, ready to fight.
“Do not worry,” the man said calmly. “Regular vampires are defenseless against this building.”
Caitlin looked up, and saw other vampires trying to fly over the wall, to dive down. But as they did, they bounced back, as if hitting an invisible shield.
“It is protected. Only the holy can enter.”
They walked quickly down the corridor, passing a beautiful open grass courtyard, with a fountain in its center. It felt very much like a cloister inside, as they passed rows and rows of arched stone walls.
They followed the man into another building, and down an endlessly long corridor. The ceiling was high and arched, covered in brightly painted frescoes.
They walked and walked, at a fast pace. It felt like they were walking forever, until finally they turned down yet another corridor, climbed a set of stairs, and entered the most magnificent room Caitlin had ever seen.
She looked up, awestruck.
“The Sistine Chapel,” Caleb whispered.
The three of them entered the huge room, and she could not look away from Michelangelo’s ceiling. Every inch of it, spanning hundreds of feet, was covered in brightly-painted scenes. It was so vibrant, so life-like, it felt like a living thing.
Caitlin heard a shuffling, and looked over and saw hundreds of vampires in the room, all dressed in white, wearing white hoods, and lined up patiently along the walls.
In the center of the room, on a raised dais, stood an altar, and before that stood three more vampires. Their dress was more elaborate than the others, in white robes with gold trim.
The vampire that led them in gestured for the three of them to approach the altar.
Caitlin walked slowly up the dais and before the three vampires, accompanied by Caleb and Sam.
Her heart was pounding. Was her father among these men? What was this coven, exactly? She felt closer to her father than she’d ever had. Felt as if he were in this very room with her.
The vampire in the center slowly pulled back his hood and stared at her with his huge, glowing, light blue eyes. His eyes were so large, so translucent, it felt as if he were not of this Earth.
“We are members of the most holy and most ancient and most powerful vampire coven ever known to man. We have lived thousands of years longer than anyone else, and we guard secrets that no one else is fit to protect. It is thanks to us that the human and vampire races have managed to survive. Few know of our existence—and even fewer are members. Your father is one of us. Which means that you, too, are one of us.”
Caitlin’s heart pounded in her chest. The implications of it seemed overwhelming. These were her father’s people. Here, in the Vatican. She felt so proud of him, and felt special herself. Yet she also burned with questions.
He suddenly held out a small, jewel-encrusted box.
“Your key, please,” he said.
Caitlin looked back at him, puzzled.
She didn’t have a key. Had they mistaken her for someone else?
He looked down and pointed at her necklace.
Caitlin reached down and felt it, forgetting it was even there. Her necklace.
She removed it, stepped forward, and slowly inserted it into the small keyhole.
She turned, and to her surprise, it opened softly.
Inside it, was another key, large and gold.
“Take it,” he said. “It belongs to you.”
Caitlin reached in and took the key, her mind racing. It was heavy, smooth. She could feel an incredible power coming off of it.
“It is one of the four keys,” the man said. “Only you can find the other three. When you have all four, you will meet your father. And he will give you the Shield.
“You are on a very sacred mission,” he added. “You must find him. For all of us.”
“But where is he?” she asked.
“He does not live in this time,” he answered. “You will have to go back, further.”
Caitlin’s mind spun.
The vampire nodded, and the hundreds of vampires in the room came forward and crowded around them, in a tight circle.
The three vampires stepped forward, and each held out a jewel-encrusted chalice, filled with a white liquid.
“White blood,” he said. “The holiest of bloods. You must each take three sips.”
Caitlin, Caleb, and Sam each took a chalice.
Caitlin drank, taking three sips, wondering what would happen. She was surprised by how sweet it was.
More and more vampires crowded around them, closer and closer. They all lowered their heads, as if in prayer, and began to chant.
“…to resurrect another day,” they finished chanting, “in God’s ultimate grace.”
She began to feel light-headed. This can’t be happening. Not so soon. There was so many questions she had left to ask. Who were these people? How long had they lived? How had they know her father? What was he like? What was the next step on her mission? What time and place where they sending her to?
And there were so many questions she needed to ask Caleb. How much did he really remember?
Would he go back with her, together, this time? Would he remember?
And most of all, did he still love her? Would he love her again? Would they have another child?
She needed some time to prepare for the transition. Even just a few minutes.
But it was not meant to be.
As the vampires continued with the funeral service, repeating it a second time, she felt increasingly light- headed.
She grabbed Caleb’s hand tightly, and she felt him grab hers back. It felt so good to be with him, to be by his side. She hoped it would never end. She hoped that this time they would go back together, never leave each other’s sides. She never wanted to be apart from him again.
As they began the funeral service a third time, she felt him lean over and whisper, “I love you, Caitlin. And I always will.”
She felt herself getting lighter and lighter, drifting towards the ceiling, towards the sky, towards some far-off place where heaven and earth met.
And she knew, she just
