Page 34 of The Vampire King's Gift

Eyes widened and breaths were held.

“I could tell you that what we know about the Immortals, other than Daemon here, is wrong and that they were brilliant people who didn’t deserve what happened to them. But I can’t,” Balthazar’s voice dropped off. He cleared his throat again. “I don’t actually know what happened back then. The Order doesn’t either. But I have learned some things thataretrue. The first, is that King Daemon, not only exists, but is worthy of being king.”

Daemon inclined his head and there was a scattering of applause and cries of encouragement.

“But you already are learning that on your own,” Balthazar said. “That’s not why I called this meeting. I…”

Words seemed to escape him. He couldn’t say what he needed to. Everyone was looking at him expectantly. William and Isabel had made their way up into the front of the room. Both of them looked at him with shining faces.

Feeling a bit like Robert Downey, Jr. at that moment, Balthazar abandoned any script he had. He stopped trying to speak and sent a single thought instead, not just to his House, but to all of their Bloodline:I am Eyros. I have returned. Come join me.

EYROS REBORN

The room erupted after Balthazar’s “I am Iron Man” statement. Not only with the exclamations in the room over Balthazar’s true nature, but the cell phones that started ringing and buzzing off the hook.

Julian watched as Vampires’ faces were illuminated by the screens of their smartphones as they answered texts and voice calls from other Eyros Bloodline Vampires. Julian hadfeltthe call go out farther than this room but as he saw the multiple calls and texts flooding the phones of those in House Ravenscroft, he realized how very many other Vampires had been contacted.

“Yes, you actually heard that. Balthazar is Eyros,” one said.

“No, he is not insane,” a few more said.

“Oh, by the way, King Daemon is real and staying in our House. He often doesn’t wear pants. Yeah, things have been busy with us. No,I’mnot crazy either,” another said.

“You’re coming?” Everyone asked.

“You’renotcoming? Don’t be a fool! You have to come!” Others followed up with.

“You’re having a breakdown?” A dozen or more asked.

“Yes, yes, we all understand,” everyone told them. “It’s a shock. But it’strue. Come.”

Julian glanced up at the lord of the House. Balthazar stood there in front of the fire, his lower lip caught by his teeth as he looked at the chaos that had erupted in his own House, not to mention his own Bloodline, by his own hand. He appeared a bit like a little kid who had revealed that Santa Clausdidactually exist to a group that had long thought they knew better. It was part mischievousness and part fear.

Daemon stepped closer to Balthazar and, though Julian couldn’t hear what they were saying to one another, they were clearly talking about how things were being received from the expressions on both their faces. Balthazar let out a laugh that sounded slightly hysterical. Daemon patted his back.

They really are best friends.

They should have been the most unlikely of comrades, but somehow Balthazar and Daemon worked perfectly together. Balthazar would never worship Daemon. He would always speak his mind. And Daemon could get the truth from someone he could trust.

Speaking of best friends…

Julian shifted over to Christian who stood below Balthazar, looking rather overwhelmed and clearly wondering if this was what happened when Pandora’s Box was opened. Julian touched the back of Christian’s left hand to get his attention.

“Are you okay?” Julian asked.

Christian turned towards him with his eyebrows lifted. “You’re askingmeif I am okay? What aboutyou? To have Caemorn here…”

“Yeeeeaaaahhhh.”

Julian scrubbed the back of his neck as he remembered finding Caemorn on the beach and then realizing that he was the one who had killed his parents. The motivating factor of his life had been right before him. How many times had he imagined finding the person or persons responsible?

Well, he’d believed them Vampires so his initial thought was to expose them to the world. And then the idea had been that they’d be punished. Perhaps imprisoned. More likely, though he hadn’t allowed himself to truly think this, be vivisected. He hadn’t really realized what he would do if he found theexactperson responsible though. He had just wanted his parents’ deaths to be acknowledged for what it was: murder. That they had been right about Vampires being real. That he had been right that their deaths hadn’t been mere accidents.

“Julian.” Christian clasped both of Julian’s hands in his.

Julian lifted his head. There were tears burning behind his eyes. “I can’t kill him. I can’t… I should be strong enough to do that, but…”

“Strength? That wouldn’t be strength!” Christian cried. When other Vampires started looking at them with interest, he lowered his voice, “He’ll get what’s coming to him, Julian. Daemon won’t allow him to simply walk away from this. You heard what he said about there being no deals.”

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