Page 32 of The Vampire King's War

Your mother,Kaly interrupted. Her spirit came to the priory.

Caemorn swallowed. Kaly was saying that his mother had come to the priory before Caemorn had arrived there so long ago. That meant his mother had died before Caemorn had arrived.

She was stoned to death. For me,Caemor realized and, startlingly, tears pricked his eyes. But he said to Kaly, Really?

Yes, she was so desperate to make sure that her little boy was safe that she flew right to the priory, right to me,Kaly answered.

And she told you of me?Caemorn’s voice was flat.

Of course. She wanted you to be taken care of. She was so desperate.

Caemorn swallowed. Or tried to. It seemed even that function Kaly controlled. He might drown in his own saliva. What a way to go.

What did you do to her?Caemorn asked even as he knew it was a bad idea, but what did it matter any longer? There were no more games to play with Kaly. Unless Daemon swept in and saved the day, this was going to go very badly for him and everyone else.

I’m so glad you asked,Kaly said. I used her to fuel the shield I used to go outside that day we met.

You were covered--

But there was a chance the wind could have swept back my hood! I couldn’t chance that. Besides, she was grateful to be there when we met,Kaly told him.

You used her whole life force just in case?Caemorn’s voice was chill.

Now, now, Caemorn, you’ve done less with more! Don’t act so superior to me!Kaly laughed sharply.

You’re quite right. I have. To enemies not to…He stopped. What was he to Kaly really? A friend? No. A lover? Hardly. His fledgling? Of course, but what did that mean to Kaly? Nothing, less than nothing. And you wonder why I chose Daemon over you.

The ghosts--all with Kaly’s mind in their eyes--glittered at him. There was an evil, angry intensity in them. He had hurt his Master for once. The ghosts swooped towards his paralyzed form. The chill of them was almost unbearable. Though he had schooled himself to avoid showing any physical reactions to discomfort or pain, he was almost grateful for Kaly’s control of his body because, even him, with the ghosts sucking out a trail of energy from him would have caused him to flinch.

I chose Daemon! I CHOOSE DAEMON! Caemorn screamed as the ghosts ripped at the ties that bound him to his immortal flesh.

You will regret--

No, I won’t!

While he could not move, he still had some control over his own powers. The soul gems he had filled earlier were at his fingertips now and he siphoned energy from them to keep his own strength up. He had seen a Vampire stripped of all energy by ghosts before. He’d done it to many Vampires himself. But the souls he had trapped would not last forever. Yet if he kept his Master focused on him, there would be hope for the others.

Kaly’s mind battered against his, Daemon will never love you! He’ll never care for you! You killed his fledgling’s parents! You think to make yourself a teacher to Christian? Friend to Eyros? How pathetic and delusional can you be, Caemorn?! You are worthless and--

Maybe Daemon will not love me. Maybe Julian will hate me. Maybe I will never teach Christian or claim Balthazar’s friendship. But I still choose Daemon over you!Caemorn roared. No matter what you do, I choose him!

There was an inarticulate roar of rage from the ghosts. They were a tornado of hostile energy. Kaly sent them towards him like avenging angels. Their cool countenances seemed to peel back to reveal the deathsheads they truly were. He felt one soul gem drain then another then another. He was so cold he felt that even if he could move he thought he might shatter into a million tiny pieces. But then he was looking into Fiona’s eyes and not the pitiless blue-white glow of a ghost’s.

She and Kaly were speaking, but he couldn’t seem to hear them. His ears and mind were filled with Kaly’s screams of rage. Soul gem after soul gem failed as he protected himself and Fiona from the main brunt of them. He saw two figures in the mass of ghosts. Artemis and someone else. A woman. But they were both Kaly. All were Kaly. Everything was Kaly. He was down to the last soul gem…

His eyes met Artemis’ and he saw that familiar smile that he had always wished to be turned upon him. A fond smile. A loving smile. A knowing, intimate smile. But it was a smile reserved only for times when there would be unspeakable pain.

Yet he wasn’t there to suffer it.

Fiona had teleported them away from Kaly. Not too far away, but out of the view of the ghosts and the two bodies Kaly inhabited. Caemorn though could still not speak. He realized he was lying beside Balthazar and Christian. He could see that their souls were not in their bodies. Kaly had them! If Fiona teleported them away from here the thin line connecting the two would snap and--

But Fiona disappeared and left them there. At that moment, Caemorn wanted to curse her. He wanted to scream that she was a coward to leave them. But his mouth didn’t move. His right eye twitched.

You think you can hide from me, Caemorn? Do you think I can’t find you wherever you are?Kaly asked, but the sexless voice was… strained? Yes, strained. Thin and pale and worn through as if Kaly was the one hanging on by a thread.

Caemorn concentrated on that voice. He had an idea. He closed his eyes–somehow he did it. And he concentrated on the voice. He envisioned it as a point of light. A silver point of light. And he held onto it and traced it back. It came from Artemis, but there was another silver light. A familiar soul in another body just a few feet away.

Ah! Yes, I see it now. I see your soul, Kaly,Caemorn thought with pleasure.

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