Page 13 of The Vampire King's Gift

“Is that to shock me?” she asked with a dismissive wave this time.

“It did,” Balthazar said as he leaned forward and started pouring the blood-laced wine into delicate crystal balloons.

Lisette picked up one of the wine glasses that was bigger than her hand and took a delicate sip. She nodded in approval. “Not as good as ours, but very acceptable.” Her gaze met his. “I heard you enjoyed our wine. I am having a case sent here.”

Balthazar couldn’t help but touch his temple, where he felt the memory of the hangover the corpse powder infused alcohol had given him. “You are definitely the masters of that liquor. Thank you for the gift.”

She nodded and took another sip. “Why tell me about Kaly? You have no fear of the Immortals. You follow the greatest of them.”

“Kaly is a different matter. They are not happy that Daemon has returned,” Balthazar explained.

“No, I would imagine not. Daemon threatens the whole order of things.” Lisette drained her glass and stuck it out for more. Balthazar filled it again. “Well, you don’t need to worry that we will have any loyalty to Kaly.”

“Why not?” Arcius asked, frowning.

She gave him one of those small smiles that Balthazar was beginning to understand a little of. “Because we aren’tsentimental.”

“No, you aren’t. And you don’t want to be subjugated again,” Balthazar read from her mind.

“Indeed, we do not. King Daemon is not interested in us as the Immortal Kaly would be. He has other interests. Even now, Daemon plays in the water while we are here. Not interested in having us bow and scrape. Instead, he has us speak together. Making our own plans. That is good,” she said.

Christian leaned forward and asked, “I’m still unclear why you aren’t angry about Balthazar changing your memories, making you like us.”

She laughed, but not unkindly. “A very good question. But you must understand that the very fact that Balthazar can do this means that he is a good ally to have. He does not want to subjugate us either. Not to say he could not be a fierce enemy if we were to go against him. But I sense…” She turned her ancient eyes on him again. “I sense he truly wants an alliance and I am happy to give it.”

“You would never have sought it on your own,” Sophia said, her voice neutral, but there must have been a dig in there that Balthazar couldn’t hear. A history perhaps.

Balthazar was annoyed at first as he saw anger flash across Lisette’s face. But then she laughed again.

“You are right, Sophia. I have gotten to the top on my own and had always thought to remain there on my own. But things have changed,” Lisette said.

Sophia nodded soberly. “They have.”

Balthazar noted then that Christian was looking anxiously into one of the dark corners. He looked and saw no one, of course. But Lisette turned and looked as well. She stiffened and then turned back to them.

“You can see him, can’t you, little bird?” Lisette asked Christian.

His fledgling’s eyes darted to her and then back to the corner. “Yes. As can you, evidently.”

“Of course, I am a Kaly Vampire. Butyouare not so… so how can you… oh!” Her silver eyes widened hugely. “It cannot be! But itis. Perhaps more than your mind control gift has led us to be friends, Balthazar.”

“Oh, how so?” Balthazar was stiff as a statue. David was in the goddamned room and he could not do anything about it. He couldn’t even see the bastard.

“Your fledgling is a Speaker to the Dead, is he not?” Lisette asked, and as soon as she said these words, the Kaly Vampires that had accompanied her, but remained still as stone, reacted by straightening. All their eyes went to Christian who shrank from their appraisal.

But then Christian straightened. He leaned towards her. “I am. Do you know something about my kind?”

She smiled. “Yes, I do. You are rarer than diamonds.”

“I do not see why the Kaly would care about a Speaker. You are able to speak to the dead any time you like,” Balthazar admitted.

But she shook her head. “We can speak to those souls that are newly dead. If we are there for their deaths, we can steal their souls for our own power. We can resurrect only thebodiesof the longer dead. But aSpeakercan summon any soul they want.”

Christian looked alarmed and then intrigued by this. “Any soul?”

“Even ones that have passed beyond the Veil,” she told him.

Christian laced the fingers of his nearest hand with Balthazar’s. “I’m only interested in stopping this spirit fromhauntingme.”

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