Page 18 of The Vampire King's Gift

“Speakers don’t last. Maybe it’s what they see. But mostly it’s because they aren’t trained properly,” she said with a shrug. “Balthazar, if you don’t want Christian to last then--”

“You don’t know that’s true! It’s all a rumor. Innuendo. Myths.Lies,” Balthazar growled. “We all thought Speakers were–were just stories! Like Daemon was a story! But it’s real and that means that none of us are experts!”

Christian stared at Balthazar. He knew why Balthazar did not want him to reveal any of himself to her. It made complete sense. They should be circumspect. He certainly wasn’t one to share himself with strangers, let alone dangerous strangers. Yet hewantedto tell her. He wanted to understand how she could have no fear of the dead.

There’s a price, Christian. Remember that. She is not here out of compassion. She wants something,Balthazar’s voice reached him.And I doubt she has anything to give you in return that’s worth the price.

“But to answer your earlier question, Christian, about Heaven and Hell,” Lisette turned to him, ignoring Balthazar. “The Kaly do not know the answer to that question. We take control of the souls of the newly deadbeforethey’ve had a chance to cross through the Veil. So the Kaly do not know what is beyond there.” Her hands curled around the wine glass. “But you, as a Speaker to the Dead, can call any spirit to you from beyond the Veil. You would be able to get the answer to your question.”

Christian blinked. He could call spirits back from beyond the Veil. What might they know? Not just about life here, on Earth, but beyond?

“Now you are starting to understand why being a Speaker to the Dead makes you so rare and valuable,” Lisette nodded as she took in the understanding that must have crossed over Christian’s face.

“I can call anyone?” he qualified.

“Well, some are said to be beyond reach. It is said that some are reborn, but we know nothing for certain as the last Speaker died in the War. So Balthazar wasn’t wrong when he said that we know little, but we know some things,” she answered. “For example, there are said to be books in Nightvallen written by previous Speakers about what they discovered from their conversations with souls. But, those books are more for non-Speakers. You, after all, will be able to learn whatever you want on your own.”

Christian felt something in her mind then--a hunger really--for knowledge. But it wasn’t general knowledge like what he had asked her, butspecific. He thought she might want to speak to someone who went beyond.

“How can you teach me how to control my gift if the last Speaker died so long ago and all their knowledge is missing?” Christian pointed out.

“The knowledge of how to train a Speaker is kept with the Kaly Bloodline while the information on what the Speakers have seen was kept in the Eyros Bloodline,” she answered simply.

It sounded like the truth, but her mind was almostslippery. He wasn’t good enough to truly read her thoughts.

Christian cut a glance at Balthazar. His Master was staring at her without blinking. He likely knew what she was thinking. He couldn’t tell from Balthazar’s expression what it was or what he felt about it.

Lisette leaned forward, elbows on knees, as she asked, “Wouldn’t you like to know what lies beyond? Is there a god or gods? Is there meaning and purpose to life? Do souls continue? Are they actually reborn? You could know these things, Christian. You could truly know everything.”

Christian stared down into the diamond. Those questions she asked were amazing to contemplate. He would want to know those answers. But, weirdly, he wanted to have answers from David first.

Sophia stirred from her place on the arm of the soft and Christian looked over at her. Her silver eyes were full of sadness and a warning. A warning that she made audible when she said, “Lisette, you should tell him about the costs of knowledge. Or would you just encourage him to take the risks so that you could reap the rewards?” Sophia’s silver eyes had turned to the other child Vampire and there was utter coldness in them. “But you might find that the answers you seek will leave you even emptier than you are now.”

Lisette’s shoulders jerked. It was clearly an unconscious movement, one that she wished she had not made. Christian could feel that from her now. Yet her mind was smooth like a mirror. It reflected back at Christian and only for brief seconds could he sense anything of what she was feeling. And it was thathungeragain. It was so strong that she could not altogether reel it back into herself.

“What do you want to know about what’s beyond the Veil, Lisette?” he asked.

And, for a moment, Christian could see Lisette commanding one of the souls she controlled to go through a billowing blue-white Veil that glowed with stolen starlight and return with another spirit. But the moment that the soul touched the Veil she lost control of it. She screamed her frustration, sent bones and spell books flying off of tables as she raged, beat her hands bloody as she pounded her fists against the top of stone coffins. But then the smooth mirror-like image was back.

“You want to reach someone on the other side of the Veil,” Christian stated and did not ask.

“I do. Would you help me reach them?” Lisette asked.

“No, absolutely not!” Balthazar suddenly was standing between him and Lisette. “Christian did notaskyou to trap David’s spirit! He owes younothing!”

“I am only asking for a favor. I am not asking for payment. As you said, I did not make any conditions when I trapped David, did I?” Her faux innocence was marred by her smile.

“You call it afavor, because you know about Christian’s good heart,” Arcius rumbled. “You know by helping him, he will want to help you.”

“Is that such a bad thing? Is that not what friends do for one another? David was causing him distress. I stopped that distress. He sees I have a need. He wants to help satisfy that need.” Lisette looked between the two Vampires. “He does not have to.” She focused on him. “I am not asking anything of you, Christian.”

“Of course you are!” Balthazar snapped.

“If Christian wishes to help me in return out of his own free will then that is his business, isn’t it? Or are you more like Roan and believe you have the right to determine what your fledglings do and do not do?” Lisette asked.

“How dare you!” Arcius growled. He pushed off of the mantlepiece and practically quivered with indignation. “To compare Balthazar to Roan is–is–the utmost insult!”

Balthazar’s eyes were narrowed. “It seems that you really don’t know whatfriendshipis, Lisette, if you would say these things to me.”

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