Page 43 of The Vampire King's Gift

“In the middle of a swamp?” Julian slapped his neck as one of the blood sucking insects decided the king’s fledgling was worthy to be fed on.

“In the midst oflife.” Daemon grinned.

Balthazar could see the Spire and the lights of Solace at a distance. Fiona had gotten the distance about right. That she hadn’t landed them somewhere dry was probably too much to ask. Still, his shoes were filled with water and he felt things sliding against his calves. He was not dressed appropriately for a coup.

He frowned as he heard distantly the sound of many voices raised in… excitement? Jubilation? Bloodthirsty ire? He couldn’t tell. When he tried to reach his mind out to touch theirs lightly, it was like he was trying to figure out the shape of an object swathed in thick cotton. The Spire was doing its best to mute his power as always.

“I think Caemorn has gathered people in the square already,” Balthazar said with a frown. He had truly thought that Caemorn would fail at this or go hide in the Spire until they sorted everything. But it looked like he had been as good as his word.

“In a manner of speaking, yes,” Daemon said, and then he was turning away from the Spire, the people and the lights towards the darkness of the swamp.

Balthazar would have enjoyed the beauty of the Ever Dark—something that had been robbed from him for decades—but standing in black, cold water was really distracting. Julian and Christian though were looking up at the sky with its twin moons and impossible amount of stars, talking softly to one another of the majesty of the place, how the air smelled and even tasted different, and how they longed to not only see Solace, but Nighvallen again. They were already speaking about how they would explore once things with Kaly settled. Balthazar’s heart did a little dance in his chest as he considered how things would change for him once Daemon was installed as king.

As his eyes peered into the darkness of the swamp, he thought,There will be nowhere that is barred from me. I will be able to go anywhere. I am Eyros and the king’s best friend.

The thought of it was suddenly so intoxicating as he realized how near that might be. It wasn’t just a dream that he had never quite believed would be true. It wasn’t some revenge fantasy. They were about to take Solace. It was impossible, and yet it was true. He turned his attention back to Daemon.

Daemon had stepped apart from them, and there was this feeling coming from him that was similar to what he had felt when Daemon Communed with the earth at his house. Arcius stepped closer to Balthazar.

The Confessor whispered, “Do you feel it, Balthazar?”

Balthazar nodded, but asked, “What is it? There’s like a shiver in the air and water.”

Arcius said, “He’s connecting to this place. To the creatures here. I cannot explain it. It is like—”

“Hearing a call,” Balthazar murmured.

He could hear it himself now. It was like a low thrum that was building up in volume. It had started as a vibration in the air and water, but now it was a vibration in him, and not only him, but in everything and everyone. Daemon stood still.

He’s waiting.Waiting for who will answer his call.

He didn’t have long to wait.

Balthazar let out a sharp hiss of breath as suddenly there were hundreds of red flaming eyes on all sides of them, except from the direction of the Spire. He instinctively prepared to fight. The Ever Dark’s inhabitants that were not Vampires were highly predatory and would give as well as they got from Vampires in a fight. And the creatures that had answered Daemon’s call were some of the most fierce, and most frightening.

There were Night Hags of every description. Most looked like wizened old peasant women that he would have recognized from Earth. But one look into their faces and the rapaciousness was evident. They came across as innocent old women until they were perched on one’s chest and ripping out one’s throat.

There were creatures similar to the Wendigo. Their bodies were practically skeletal. The shortest were seven feet tall with long, spindly arms ending in black-tipped claws.

There were more werewolves that put Tarn and Farun to shame in their size and savagery. There were amorphous jellies that if they touched one’s skin they would dissolve it in seconds.

There were winged things with dragon-like snouts and leathery bodies. There were the skipping, hissing, loathsome creatures that looked to be made of melting clay that swarmed Vampires in packs before sucking them dry of all their juices.

Balthazar also saw the strange bog lights that led people to their dooms. There were lizards of enormous size and appetites. There were things that slithered and cawed and croaked and pranced.

He caught sight of beings made of fog who looked like beautiful women until they opened their mouths and their heads became skulls that screamed and sucked down souls. Then there were the trees that were not trees that walked. Beings of rock that ground their way forward followed them. And there were so many that Balthazar could not count them and he had never seen their like before. He hoped never to see it again.

But one thing these monsters all had was Daemon's blazing red eyes. They reflectedhislight. They were his creatures.

He went to his fledgling and tugged both Christian and Julian into the center of their group. It took some doing, because the boys—far from being afraid—were fascinated and wanted to go closer to the monsters that surrounded them. He firmly brought them away from creatures and kept them between himself, Arcius and Fiona.

Fiona’s eyes were practically bugging out of her head. Her gaze flickered from one creature to the next. He saw her itching for a weapon. But really, if the creatures all attacked, their only hope would be Daemon or her ability to teleport them away from here.

Arcius though was as amazed and in awe as the boys. His lips were parted and his eyes were wide with wonder and not fear. That was the problem with religious people in Balthazar’s opinion. Their faith made them oblivious to fear.

“Amazing. Truly amazing. It is not just these beings that have answered his call, Balthazar,” Arcius murmured. “Every single creature in the Ever Dark is aware he has returned. The king! The king! Can you not hear their voices raised in his glory?”

Of course, the monsters weren’t speaking English or anything like that. But when Balthazar allowed himself to touch their minds, it was as Arcius had said. The sense of blessing they felt to be in Daemon’s presence was so intense that he was nearly bowled over by it. These things that seemed to hate Vampires as a rule, did not hate Daemon. They loved him. They worshiped him.

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