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Author: Noah
continued, "it holds even more significance.” She turned and looked directly at Caitlin.
"Your key," she said to Caitlin.
Caitlin was baffled. Which key was she referring to? She reached into her pockets, and felt again the two keys that she had found thus far. She wasn't sure which one the woman wanted.
She shook her head. "No. Your other key.”
Caitlin thought, puzzled. Had she forgotten some other key?
Then, as she glanced at the base of her throat, she realized. Her necklace.
Caitlin reached down, and was amazed to realize it was still there. She gingerly removed it, and held the delicate, antique silver cross in her palm.
The vampire shook her head.
“Only you can use it.”
She reached out and gently took Caitlin's wrist, and guided it towards the smallest of keyholes, at the base of the pedestal.
Caitlin was amazed. She never would have even noticed that keyhole otherwise. She inserted the key, turned it, and there was a gentle click.
She looked up, and saw that a tiny compartment had open in the side of the tomb. She looked at the vampire, and she nodded solemnly back.
Caitlin reached up and slowly pulled out a long, narrow compartment. Inside, she was shocked to discover, was a long, golden scepter, its head adorned with rubies and emeralds.
She reached in and extracted it, and was amazed at how heavy it felt, at how smooth the gold was in her hands. It must have been three feet long, and made of solid gold.
"The holy scepter," the nun said. "It was your father's, once.” Caitlin looked at it with a new sense of awe and respect. She felt electrified holding it, and felt closer to her father than ever.
"Will this lead me to my father?” she asked.
Their guide simply turned and headed out the chamber. "This way," she said.
Caitlin and Caleb followed her through another door, and down several more corridors, passing the medieval courtyard of another cloister. As they walked, Caitlin was surprised to see several other vampires, dressed in white robes and hoods, walking through the halls. Most looked down, as if lost in prayer. Some swung incense decanters. A few who passed nodded their way, and continued on in silence.
Caitlin wondered how many vampires lived here, and if they belonged to her father's coven. She had never realized that Westminster Abbey was a cloister, in addition to a church. Or that it was a resting place for her kind.
They finally entered another room, this one smaller than the others, but with high, vaulted ceilings, and natural light pouring in. This room had stark, stone floors, and in its center sat one remarkable piece of furniture: a throne. Mounted high up on a pedestal, at least fifteen feet high, sat the wooden throne, a chair which was extra wide, with arms that sloped upward, and a back that angled on a triangle, coming to a point in the middle. Beneath it, on its corners, sat two golden lions, designed to look as if they were holding up the chair.
Caitlin examined it in awe.
"King Edward's chair," said the vampire. “The coronation throne for kings and queens for thousands of years. A very special piece of furniture—not only for its place in history, but because it holds one of the keys for our kind.”
She turned and looked at Caitlin. "We have been guarding this throne for thousands of years.
Now that you are here, and now that you have unlocked the scepter, it is time for you to take your rightful place.”
She gestured for Caitlin to ascend the throne.
Caitlin looked back at her, shocked. What right did she, a simple girl, have to ascend such a regal throne—a throne that had been sat on by kings and queens for thousands of years? She didn't feel right going anywhere near it, much less ascending its huge pedestal and sitting on it.
"Please," prodded the vampire. "You are entitled. You are The One.” Caleb nodded at her, and Caitlin slowly, reluctantly, climbed up on the huge pedestal, carrying the scepter. When she reached the top, she turned and
"Your key," she said to Caitlin.
Caitlin was baffled. Which key was she referring to? She reached into her pockets, and felt again the two keys that she had found thus far. She wasn't sure which one the woman wanted.
She shook her head. "No. Your other key.”
Caitlin thought, puzzled. Had she forgotten some other key?
Then, as she glanced at the base of her throat, she realized. Her necklace.
Caitlin reached down, and was amazed to realize it was still there. She gingerly removed it, and held the delicate, antique silver cross in her palm.
The vampire shook her head.
“Only you can use it.”
She reached out and gently took Caitlin's wrist, and guided it towards the smallest of keyholes, at the base of the pedestal.
Caitlin was amazed. She never would have even noticed that keyhole otherwise. She inserted the key, turned it, and there was a gentle click.
She looked up, and saw that a tiny compartment had open in the side of the tomb. She looked at the vampire, and she nodded solemnly back.
Caitlin reached up and slowly pulled out a long, narrow compartment. Inside, she was shocked to discover, was a long, golden scepter, its head adorned with rubies and emeralds.
She reached in and extracted it, and was amazed at how heavy it felt, at how smooth the gold was in her hands. It must have been three feet long, and made of solid gold.
"The holy scepter," the nun said. "It was your father's, once.” Caitlin looked at it with a new sense of awe and respect. She felt electrified holding it, and felt closer to her father than ever.
"Will this lead me to my father?” she asked.
Their guide simply turned and headed out the chamber. "This way," she said.
Caitlin and Caleb followed her through another door, and down several more corridors, passing the medieval courtyard of another cloister. As they walked, Caitlin was surprised to see several other vampires, dressed in white robes and hoods, walking through the halls. Most looked down, as if lost in prayer. Some swung incense decanters. A few who passed nodded their way, and continued on in silence.
Caitlin wondered how many vampires lived here, and if they belonged to her father's coven. She had never realized that Westminster Abbey was a cloister, in addition to a church. Or that it was a resting place for her kind.
They finally entered another room, this one smaller than the others, but with high, vaulted ceilings, and natural light pouring in. This room had stark, stone floors, and in its center sat one remarkable piece of furniture: a throne. Mounted high up on a pedestal, at least fifteen feet high, sat the wooden throne, a chair which was extra wide, with arms that sloped upward, and a back that angled on a triangle, coming to a point in the middle. Beneath it, on its corners, sat two golden lions, designed to look as if they were holding up the chair.
Caitlin examined it in awe.
"King Edward's chair," said the vampire. “The coronation throne for kings and queens for thousands of years. A very special piece of furniture—not only for its place in history, but because it holds one of the keys for our kind.”
She turned and looked at Caitlin. "We have been guarding this throne for thousands of years.
Now that you are here, and now that you have unlocked the scepter, it is time for you to take your rightful place.”
She gestured for Caitlin to ascend the throne.
Caitlin looked back at her, shocked. What right did she, a simple girl, have to ascend such a regal throne—a throne that had been sat on by kings and queens for thousands of years? She didn't feel right going anywhere near it, much less ascending its huge pedestal and sitting on it.
"Please," prodded the vampire. "You are entitled. You are The One.” Caleb nodded at her, and Caitlin slowly, reluctantly, climbed up on the huge pedestal, carrying the scepter. When she reached the top, she turned and
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