“Was it?”
She looked back at him, at the blazing intensity in his eyes, and could see how deeply he felt things.
“Yes,” she answered.
His face seemed to relax.
“Then why did you leave me?” he asked.
Caitlin sighed, trying to think what to say.
Finally, she simply said, “I’m sorry.”
“Do you always run when you’re interested in someone?” he asked, with a small smile.
She smiled back. “Now that I think about it, I guess I do.”
“That’s a bad habit,” he said, his smile widening.
He turned and looked at the city, and she studied him as he did. He was still very mysterious to her. He was a man of few words, and he was so soft-spoken. She could feel the intensity that burned off of him, and it scared her. He felt like a man who lived life on the edge. He seemed like a hopeless romantic, like someone who was always embroiled in a passionate affair.
“That man you spoke to the other night,” Blake continued, “the one with the child. How do you know him?”
Caitlin was at a loss. She had no idea how to explain it. “It’s complicated,” she finally said.
“Do you have feelings for him?” he asked.
Caitlin paused.
“Yes,” she said, truthfully.
She saw Blake’s face fall in disappointment.
“But,” she added, “that was in the past.”
He looked at her, confused.
“What I meant to say was…we’re no longer together.”
As she spoke the words aloud, it pained her to hear them—but even as she said it, she knew that it was true.
Blake looked at her with a new hope.
“I followed you to Florence hoping that you would say that,” he said. “From the moment I met you, I couldn’t stop thinking about you. Last night, I visited your island, and Aiden told me you’d left for Florence. I don’t know why you’re here exactly, but I can sense that you’re searching for something. I want to help you. I want to be with you.”
He turned and faced her, and took a step closer.
She looked up into his eyes, at his smooth, flawless skin, and felt completely overwhelmed by his presence. She was unable to resist. He looked down at her, reached up, and slowly stroked her face with the back of his hand. She closed her eyes. She remembered that night on Pollepel, that same feeling she’d had. Now it came back, but stronger.
And as he leaned in, and his lips touched hers, she felt her heart swell again. She found herself kissing him back, meeting his lips with equal force.
She found herself melting, and knew that something inside of her was slowly coming back to life.
Caitlin woke to the morning light breaking through the large, arched windows. She reached over to the bedside table, put two drops in each of her eyes, closed them, and waited for the sting to go away.
She opened her eyes and looked around. She saw that she was lying in a huge, king-size bed, in a massive bedroom, with soaring ceilings, moldings over all the walls, and a marble floor draped in a huge, sheepskin rug. She lay on the finest of silk sheets, covered by fine linens and blankets, her head resting in an impossibly soft pillow. She’d never been in such a luxurious place in her life.
And as she looked over, she saw that she was not the only one in it.
Blake lay beside her. And they were both undressed.
She tried to remember. After that kiss, they had gone inside, had spent the night together. It had been a magical night, and thoughts of Blake filled her mind. A part of her, of course, still thought of Caleb.
But that part was slowly fading, becoming smaller and smaller. Lying next to Blake, feeling his energy, she felt she was exactly where she was supposed to be right now.
Caitlin lay there, studying his face, still sleeping, so peaceful. She wondered how far back they went, exactly how many lifetimes they’d known each other.
She finally crawled out of bed, her bare feet feeling good on the cool marble, and walked across the room, to the enormous window. She looked up: the window was at least fifteen feet high, with lace curtains that blew in the breeze.
She leaned out and watched the dawn break over Florence. The river lit up, glowing in the soft light. Birds chirped in the trees all around her.
A strong breeze came in, cooling her down on the warm summer morning, and blowing the drapes back. They billowed in the wind all around her, as she felt the wind caressing her face.
Caitlin looked into the distance, out at Florence, and for the first time in a long time, she looked forward to the day ahead. She couldn’t wait to explore the city, to continue the search for her father, for the Shield, especially with Blake by her side.
Finally, she was not alone.
Caitlin and Blake held hands as they exited his palace and made their way down the endless marble staircase. She felt like a new woman. She had bathed in the enormous bathtub, and had changed into a new outfit that Blake had given to her. He had actually laid out several outfits for her.
She had chosen a simple, black one, not too tight, one which was elegant and yet which seemed to fit in with the times. It had long, black pants, and a light, long-sleeved shirt, all black and all made of a silky material. The outfit was completed by a pair of open-toed sandals. She ached to see what she looked like in a mirror.
She wondered briefly why Blake had all those clothes, but she didn’t want to ask, to ruin the moment. After all, she figured, he had been alive for thousands of years, and it was only natural for him to have had past relationships. It didn’t bother her, and she was grateful for the clothes.
As they headed down the road, towards the river, it widened, and became busier, the occasional person and horse accompanying them. They blended into the crowd and, held hands. She looked up, and was glad to see that his wound had already healed.
They walked across the small bridge, crossing the river Arno for Florence.
“The Ponte Vecchio,” Blake said.
Caitlin looked over at him. He looked happy and content, in his element.
“It is known as ‘the gold bridge.’ See the merchants? All the little tables? This is where they sell gold. The finest gold in all of Europe. It is not only the entry bridge to Florence, but it also happens to be
As they strolled across the bridge, offering an incredible view of the water and the city, Caitlin looked closely: small tables lined the bridge, around which stood merchants and customers, all examining various piece of jewelry.
He took her hand, and led her to a small booth.
She looked down, and was amazed to see it filled with gold bracelets, necklaces, rings, pendants…. They all shone in the light.
Caitlin fingered a bracelet.
“Try it on,” he said, smiling.
She shook her head and put it back. “I was just looking. I don’t have any money.”
He picked it up.
