Free Destined by Morgan Rice Page B

were from knowing what online meant.
    Sam focused. He sensed Kyle behind those walls. He tightened his fist, preparing for battle.
    Sam took off at a sprint for the structure. He felt deep down that he was at least as strong as Kyle, and if he was going to die fighting him, better to get it over with.
    Sam ran up the steps and put his shoulder into the huge, open doors; oddly, they were already ajar, as if waiting.

    He found himself running down the corridor and right into the center of the main, circular room of the Pantheon. He braced himself, ready for a fight, ready to confront Kyle, ready to go down swinging.
    But as he finished charging into the room, as he stopped and looked around, to his surprise, he saw that the room was completely empty. His footsteps echoed off the walls, off the huge dome ceiling, off the marble floor, as he turned in every direction, looking for Kyle, looking for any adversary.
    He was stunned. He’d felt certain that Kyle was here, and had never before been so misled by his senses. Was this some sort of trick?
    Before he could finish the thought, Sam suddenly felt something moving towards him, impossibly fast, and at the last second, he looked up to see what it was. Hundreds of vampires, their wings out spread like bats, had been clinging to the ceiling, waiting for him.
    They now all dropped like spiders, diving right for him, hundreds of them, only feet away.
    It was too late for him to react. All Sam could see was the terrible blackness of hundreds of vampires descending, eager to devour its prey. Their squeals and snarls were horrible, and as their huge wings wrapped around him from every direction, he could not help but wonder if this would be the last thing he saw on earth.

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CHAPTER EIGHT
    Caitlin stood there, stunned. She could not believe that it was really Polly. She looked exactly the same as she had, with her distinctive translucent white skin, her light brown hair, and her blue eyes, large and shining. She also looked the same age, somewhere around 18. Rationally, Caitlin knew that she should have expected this; but seeing it face to face threw her completely off guard.
    Polly broke into a wide smile, grinning from ear to ear, displaying her beautiful, white teeth—the exact smile that Caitlin remembered. It was uncanny. And it felt so good to recognize someone. For the first time, Caitlin didn’t feel so alone.
    “Well, you sure know how to fight, don’t you?” Polly asked. It was the same accent, the same voice, the same mannerisms. Polly examined Caitlin for a moment, and something like recognition seemed to cross her face, and then quickly went away.
    “I’m Polly,” she said, extending her hand. “And to whom do I owe the pleasure?”
    Caitlin didn’t know what to say. She was really shocked. If there was anything more uncanny than seeing Polly again, it was having Polly not recognize her, as if she were a complete stranger, as if they had never met, never shared any of their experiences on Pollepel.
    Of course, Caitlin knew there was no reason why Polly would remember her; after all, Caitlin had come back in time, not forwards. Still, Caitlin had known her so well, so vividly. It was completely eerie. She almost wondered if Polly were kidding,