Page 42 of The Vampire King's War

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Balthazar kissed Christian’s forehead. Even though part of Christian wanted to melt against his Master, another part of him was standing quite straight and unmelting, almost rigid one might say.

“Christian, you cannot help me in this,” Balthazar repeated again about his determination to not let Christian watch--let alone participate--in changing Kaly’s mind.

“While true, watching you would be a learning experience in the use of the Eyros gift. What you really mean is that you do not wish me to see you do this thing, because you believe I will find it morally reprehensible,” Christian corrected Balthazar’s words.

A smile tugged at Balthazar’s lips, but it soon disappeared as his Master sighed. “Breaking and reforming a mind is a terrible thing.”

“You’re looking forward to it,” Christian corrected again.

“Maybe a little bit,” Balthazar admitted, then shook himself. “But Kaly has it coming.”

“But do you not have complicated feelings about this yourself? Kaly inhabited Roan’s body. He is your Sire and--”

“He is not my Sire,” Balthazar cut him off, showing the first bit of temper--not at Christian, but at the situation. “I am an Immortal. I have no Sire.”

Christian wanted to point out that this was not true. Well, it was true from a certain point of view. But what was actually true was that Balthazar had extremely complicated feelings about Roan and Kaly. There were memories surfacing from the time that he and Kaly had been Immortals before, in addition to the ones from the time that Roan had been alive.

Balthazar clasped Christian’s biceps and looked down at him fondly. “I know you are worried about me--”

“Yes, as anyone would be who cares for you.” Christian looked over at Daemon and addressed the king, “You know that this will not be easy for him, Daemon. You know it will dredge up terrible things.”

Daemon’s red eyes slowly blinked, rather like a cat’s. Christian knew that the Vampire King was seeing something that was not the forest in the Ever Dark, but someplace else. Maybe even some time else. But he focused on Christian and Balthazar then. He came over. A soft smile on his face. He cupped Christian’s face with one hand and Balthazar’s with the other.

“Yes, it will be difficult and painful, Christian, you are right. And I understand your desire to spare Eyros these experiences,” Daemon said.

Christian shifted uncomfortably. “When you describe what he is to do to Kaly in those terms, it seems that my desire to keep him safe is… wrong.”

“I will be fine, Christian,” Balthazar tried to comfort him.

Christian met Daemon’s red-eyed gaze. They both knew Balthazar would not be fine. But Daemon seemed to think that he could not be spared this experience either.

Christian licked his lips and opened his mouth to speak, closed it and then opened it again. “Can’t you do it, Daemon?”

“Christian!” Balthazar scolded gently.

Christian put one hand around Daemon’s that was still on his face. “You could do this without harm to yourself. Balthazar could learn to deal with his past in a different way, another way.”

“We do not ask the king to do things for us! And I can totally handle this!” Balthazar cried, going from loyal retainer to offended Master all in two sentences.

“He says these things because he loves you, Eyros. Do not chastise him for that,” Daemon murmured. He ran his thumb along Christian’s cheek. “Some things cannot--should not--be avoided.”

“You see something then? Some reason he has to do this?” Christian asked. His eyes roved over Daemon’s face, even as he didn’t seek to enter the Vampire King’s mind. That would be a step too far. A line he would never cross.

Daemon’s gaze went distant again and his lips pressed together for a moment before he focused once more on the present before him. “I see… sometimes it is hard to know when to step in and when to allow another to act.”

Balthazar was frowning. “You’re not just talking about me now, are you?”

Daemon shook his head. “Kaly has beset the museum where Julian is.”

“What?!” The word burst explosively out of Christian’s mouth and he rose up on his toes as if ready to run there.

His eyes searched the nearby area for Fiona. She would have to teleport them there since Daemon still needed to conserve strength.

“Kaly is controlling corpses--ones Kaly is creating as well as ones they simply sent there--and Julian is in the front lines against them,” Daemon stated.

“Fiona, you need to take us to the museum immediately!” Balthazar called.

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