Page 29 of The Vampire King's Gift

The last was said clearly as a bell, and it suddenly made sense to Christian. He found himself turning towards David, and without hesitation, he held out the diamond. Then he reached for the spirit’smind. It was something he had shied away from. He felt it like a moth flapping its powdery wings in a lightly clasped hand.

“Come,” he said using Compulsion.

And David was yanked across the room and disappeared into the stone. Christian let out a bark of unexpected laughter. He stared into the diamond.

“I did it. It worked,” Christian said.

He looked up. Caemorn was smiling. Lisette frowned deeply. But not at him. She was clearly displeased with her own performance. Christian slipped the diamond in his pocket. He was in control again.

Balthazar shoved Caemorn against the wall again. The shelves nearby wobbled. “That’s not going to save you, Caemorn. You should have never come here!”

“I came by invitation of the king,” Caemorn said with a strained smile.

Daemon, who had remained utterly silent, other than the single command, put a hand on Balthazar’s shoulder. “Eyros.”

Balthazar let out a growl, but released Caemorn with that simple request. “My king, he better give us something worthwhile--”

“He will!” It was Sophia who spoke.

She came up to the two of them and took one of Balthazar’s hands in hers and Daemon’s in the other. “We can get to Seeyr now. With Wyvern, Eyros and now Caemorn’s assistance, we can get to her. She’s in the Spire! A place only the Preceptor can go.”

Caemorn had been smoothing out his cloak and hair, but he went still at her words and his eyes slid over to Daemon.

“You have Seeyr imprisoned in the Spire?” Arcius’ voice was strangely inflectionless.

Christian could almost see Caemorn decide not to lie. He continued to straighten his clothing and not meet all the curious and bewildered gazes turned towards him.

“Is it true? Is Seeyr imprisoned in the Spire?” Arcius’ voice rose.

One of the werewolves let out a whine as the Confessor must have squeezed its throat a little tighter.

“Yes,” Caemorn finally answered with coolness. “Every Preceptor has kept her there and made her use her powers of prediction to help them in one simple goal.”

His eyes flickered over to Daemon and away. Daemon’s red eyes were fixed upon him. Christian couldn’t read the Vampire King’s feelings or thoughts from that look, but he still wouldn’t have wanted Daemon looking at him likethat.

“What goal is that?” Balthazar asked.

“To stop King Daemon from returning,” Caemorn answered simply. “Clearly, she’s been lying to us all along.”

I AM... EYROS

“We need a House meeting,” Balthazar said as he stared into Caemorn’s face.

It was amazing how he still did–and oddly didn’t hate–this man. He hated what he’d done to Julian’s parents. He hated what he’d gotten Heath and Selene--and perhaps Timothy–into and the grief he’d caused Elena. Heusedto hate Caemorn for kicking him out of Vampire society. And, if he were honest, that had been where the greatest hatred had sprung from. But not anymore.

He had his own House. He had made his own way. He had the friendship of the goddamned Vampireking. Though he was very annoyed at that king at the moment. And finally, he knew who he really was. But Caemorn, though he deserved to get the shit kicked out of him and probably far worse, no longer could be blamed for what had happened to him.

And in that moment, he trusted his gift in a way he had never fully done before, not even when Daemon had shown him what could be done with it against the Kalys. He stepped back from Caemorn even as he swept his mind outwards and used his gift.

He caught hold of the werewolves and Caemorn’s minds. They were now far more bound than they had been physically before. Arcius and William stepped back from the werewolves, who Balthazar allowed to get to their feet, but no farther. Caemorn’s eyes were fixed upon him, that calculating intelligence just radiated from him. Yet the Kaly Vampire couldn’t move a millimeter.

“Your powers have always been extraordinary,” Caemorn said. Balthazar felt Caemorn push against the control he had, but Caemorn could not move a muscle. And if he tried to use his gift, Balthazar would drop him like a rock. “I thought when he called youEyrosthat he simply meant your Bloodline, but… perhaps not.”

Christian was suddenly by his side, wrapping an arm around him. His fledgling’s silver eyes were huge. He could feel Christian’s alarm that his true identity had been outed. He kissed his fledgling’s head. He then glared at Daemon.

Cat out of the bag much, my king? And don’t pretend you don’t know that idiom! Calling me Eyros and calling Fiona Wyvern? Though I notice no one cares or notices about her!Balthazar sent.

It was time, Eyros. I thought you understood that,Daemon answered with a faint amount of amusement.

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