Once we were left alone, she looked up at me. Her beautiful face broke out into a smile. "So," she said, wrapping an arm around my waist and squeezing me against her playfully, "what do you think of The Shade so far?"
"It"s quite impressive," I replied, looking back at the witch"s temple.
"You"ve barely seen anything yet." She had a twinkle in her eye. "I want to take you to The Residences now, but it"s a fair walk. Could you carry me? I"ll tell you how to get there."
I bent down as she wrapped her arms around my shoulders, her legs around my waist.
I began to speed through the forest, following her directions.
"Okay, stop here," she said, as we approached a particularly tall redwood tree. I put her down and she pointed upward. I couldn"t help but inhale at the sight above me. Magnificent penthouses sprawled out among the treetops. They looked more stunning than rumor had made them out to be.
We entered the elevator and rose to the top. Crossing the veranda, she pushed the front door open and led me inside. She pulled me past a luxurious sitting room and along a number of gla.s.s-covered walkways until we reached a s.p.a.cious oval bedroom.
"This," she said proudly, "is my room." She pushed the door wide open and gestured that I step inside.
I looked around the room from the outside, hesitating to step in. Somehow, it felt strange to be stepping into her private s.p.a.ce.
Growing impatient, she tugged on my shirt and pulled me inside.
She walked to a corner of the room and pointed to a large stack of CDs.
"As you can see, they"re mostly cla.s.sical," she said, grinning. "Or at least that"s my excuse for not being able to dance to club music... Now let me show you the Sun Room."
She led me back along one of the gla.s.s-covered walkways and we stopped outside another room. She pushed the door open to reveal a room lit so brightly with LEDs, it gave the illusion of sunshine. The walls were covered with a mural of a sandy beach.
"This room has some history for sure," she said. "My dad destroyed it once. Ripped it to shreds with his bare hands. He used to have a real tough time controlling his temper. Then my mom decided to recreate it."
Next, she led me into the music room. Calling it a room was rather an understatement. It was more like a small hall. Wind and string instruments lined the walls and at its center was a large grand piano.
I walked around the circ.u.mference of the room slowly, taking a closer look at all of the instruments. Only the best for the Novaks.
Rose took a seat at the piano. I walked over to her as she began to play. But as I approached, she stopped. She moved up along the seat, requesting that I sit next to her. I acquiesced.
"Now you"re a prisoner of my castle"-she grinned-"I"d like you to play for me, Mr. Caleb Achilles."
I smiled down at her and bowed my head. "Very well, your highness."
I sat down beside her and stretched out my fingers over the keys. Closing my eyes, I began to play. And as soon as I did, I felt glad that she"d made this request.
Losing myself to the music helped to ease the pain that had been eating away at me ever since the moment had arrived for Rose"s escape.
When she rested her head against my shoulder, I still didn"t open my eyes. I wanted to remain lost in that moment, with her warm body against me. I remained still, committing these few seconds into my memory. A memory I hoped I"d be able to draw on for the rest of time.
Her soft hand folded over my forearm.
"I wish you didn"t have to go," she whispered, pain traced in her voice. Pain I recognized as constricting my own chest.
I opened my eyes to see her lovely face, the shadow of tears br.i.m.m.i.n.g in her emerald-green eyes.
I didn"t know what to answer her.
My throat felt dry.
Without considering my actions, I reached out and brushed her warm, flushed cheek with my fingers.
Then a bang from the living room broke through the silence.
Quickly composing myself, I stood up in time for Mr and Mrs Novak to enter the room.
Chapter 39: Rose.
"Rose!"
My parents drew me into a tight embrace, kissing every part of my cheeks and forehead they could reach.
"What happened?" my mom asked, pointing to the bandage on my cheek.
"Oh, it"s really nothing. Just a scratch."
Once we had finished hugging, I took a step back and reached for Caleb"s hand. "This is Caleb," I said. "I"m here because of him."
My dad looked Caleb over from head to foot, as though he was sizing him up. I wasn"t sure if he approved of Caleb at first, given the serious expression on his face, but then he smiled, reached out a hand and shook his warmly.
"Caleb," he said. "Thank you."
My mom drew him in for a hug. "If there"s ever anything we can do to repay you," she said, gripping his shoulders and looking him in the eye, "please don"t hesitate to ask."
"Nothing will be required," Caleb said, taking a step back.
"Rose!"
Vivienne and Xavier came racing into the room, followed by a group of other vampires. My aunt and uncle took it in turns to hug me. Then I faced the others. Everyone in the room-including my parents-looked utterly disheveled, their clothes b.l.o.o.d.y and torn, scars of recently healed wounds covering their body.
As I looked around the room at them, a crushing sense of guilt welled in the pit of my stomach.
Ben and I caused them all so much trouble.
"You," Zinnia said, pointing an accusing finger at me, "have caused me more aggro in the last twenty-four hours than Griffin has managed in the past year." Then she nuzzled me on the head. "I"m glad you"re safe, kid."
Someone tugged on my hair. I turned around to see Ashley glaring at me.
"So, how was Scotland?"
I couldn"t help but laugh at the sarcastic expression on her grimy face.
"Yeah, princess. How was Scotland?" Claudia had entered the room, her clothes looking particularly battle-worn, her thick blonde hair a matted mess. "Next time the two of you decide to go gallivanting about, a little warning would be appreciated."
"I"m so sorry, guys," I muttered.
"I should hope so," Eli said, crossing his arms over his chest and looking down at me sternly. "You both are exceedingly lucky to be alive. We honestly thought that we"d lost you."
My parents broke through the crowd and approached me. My father put his hand on my shoulder. His fierce eyes always melted me.
"You"re going to get an earful from us too later, don"t you worry," he said. "But for now, we"re going to check on your brother."
He bent down and placed a kiss on my head. Then they left and the others trickled out too after them, leaving Caleb and I standing alone in the music room once again. He had moved over to a corner as soon as the crowd of vampires had entered.
One look at his ashen face, and I knew what he was about to say.
Chapter 40: Rose.
"I need to leave now."
I realized that inviting him onto the island had been nothing more than an excuse to delay this moment.
Gulping back the lump in my throat, I nodded. I looped my arm through his and we walked out of the music room, through the corridors and out of the penthouse. Neither of us spoke a word as we took the elevator down to the ground and made our way back along the forest path toward the Port.
Throughout The Shade"s history, the Port always had been a place of goodbyes. But I had never hated the place as much as I did now.
I walked with him until he stopped at the edge of the jetty.
His breathing mirrored my own as he looked down into my eyes one last time. Heavy. Constricted.
"I"d rather not drag this out any longer," he said, his voice husky as he detached my arm from his.
I nodded, biting my lip to prevent it from trembling.
"Goodbye," he said.
"Goodbye."
He turned and motioned to climb back through the hatch.
"Caleb," I stammered just before he lifted himself off the ground.
He turned to look back down at me, frowning.
"What?"
"If there"s ever a way you can free yourself from that island... Please, come back here."
He froze at my words, his chocolate-brown eyes locked on mine. Then something sparked in them that I had never witnessed in such intensity. Pa.s.sion. Desire. Fire. Before I could even realize what was happening, he"d leapt back down and wrapped an arm around my waist, pulling me close against him. Gripping the base of my neck with his other hand, he forced his lips against mine.
The strength of his hunger for me overpowered my ability to return it in kind. I closed my eyes and reached my hands into his hair, gripping it and pulling myself closer against his body. Breathing in his scent, I relished every second that his tongue brushed against mine.
And then just as abruptly, it was over.
Still breathing heavily, he pulled away.
"I don"t belong in your world, Rose."
He lifted himself up against the vessel and a few seconds later, he was gone.
When the hatch clicked shut, I could no longer hold back the tears. The ache in my chest consumed me.
d.a.m.n this cruel port and its tradition of first-and-last kisses.
As the submarine disappeared beneath the waves, it felt like a piece of me was drowning with it.
Chapter 41: Aiden.
My life and the lives of most other vampires on this island had been utterly taken over by the disappearance of the twins. We"d used every hour of the day worrying about them and trying to locate them.
Although Ben appeared shaken by whatever he had gone through in Stellan"s island-far more shaken than Rose-the twins were back.
Life can finally return to normalcy.
The first thing I did was seek out Adelle. She"d been worried sick just like the rest of us, but she hadn"t come with us on any of our excursions because she-along with Abby and a few other witches-had to keep up their duties looking after the children on the island.
I suspected that at this time of day she might still be in her office in the school. I raced through the corridors and knocked on the door, relieved to see that my guess had been correct.
She stood up, her eyes widening as soon as she saw me.
"What"s going on?" she asked, hurrying over to me.