Page 6 of The Vampire King's Victory

All of them froze, even stopped breathing, as the thunderous sound of falling stones ended and there were only a fewcracksandrumblesand then silence. They still kept their shoulders against the doors for long moments.

“I think it’s all right,” Julian said and slowly pulled back from the doors.

They held. The others pulled back too and stared at the doors.

“Well, weren’t not getting out that way anymore. Tons of rock are against those doors. Guess the ceiling’s the best chance we’ve got,” Julian said as he glanced up at the roof that was open in spots.

“There’s no need to get out. The gate will appear here,” Caemorn said as he dusted off his once pristine black robes.

The robes reminded Julian of a headmaster’s robes, but more goth. Caemorn wore black trousers tucked into knee-high black boots. He had on a tunic with an elaborate sash around his waist done in silver embroidery. There was a crest on the center: a skull with a crown. The tunic had a high Chinese-type collar that framed Caemorn’s almost delicate white throat. The cloak was longer in the back than the front and had a deep hood.

“What are you wearing?” Julian asked.

Caemorn lifted a pale eyebrow and his lips twitched a bit. “I forgot. You don’t know. Because it hasn’t happened yet.”

“What are you talking about? What hasn’t happened? And what do you mean thatwetold you about the rockslide and the doors not breaking?” Julian demanded.

This was Kaly. He should have been afraid or furious. But instead he simply felt frustrated yet relatively calm.

I don’t sense any malice from him. This isn’t the person who attacked us at the museum, Julian thought.But if Caemorn is Kaly… this makes no sense!

“I told you that Moonfall is out of time. You can access it from any time period on Earth or the Ever Dark,” Caemorn explained patiently. “People from years apart, centuries, millennia apart can meet here at the same time.”

“So you’re from the future?” Christian asked, his face screwing up.

Caemorn nodded and smiled. “Exactly.”

“We told you what happened here because when we go back to Earth it will bebeforeyou come here?” Julian asked, figuring it out.

Another nod. “Yes, you’ll tell me what happened. You’ll tell me everything.”

“What’s everything?” Christian tilted his head to the side.

“I’m so glad you asked that. But first.” Caemorn went over to a desk at the far wall.

The room reminded Julian of a disused church that had been turned into a study of sorts. There were bookcases on the walls, though no books were there any longer. They were in boxes as if someone were moving. The desk had a lit candelabra on it and an open book in front of a chair as if Caemorn had been sitting here reading.

Waiting for us.

There was also a soft cloth bag to the right of the book. Caemorn picked it up and offered it to Julian.

“What’s that?” Julian asked, not reaching back.

“Julian! Those are your--”

“Parents’ soul gems. You’ll need these before you go back so I can… well, so I can undo what I did,” Caemorn stated and shook the bag at him.

Julian snatched it out of Caemorn’s hand and clutched it to his chest. The bag felt warm, almost as if he could feel his parents' living skin. Caemorn’s expression shocked him as it was sad and happy at the same time.

“I know how much you’ve suffered, Julian, without them,” Caemorn said softly, his eyes shadowed.

Julian’s eyes flashed with anger. “You don’t get to talk about that! If you’re Kaly…”

“Thatifagain.” Caemorn shrugged as if amused.

“You just seem like Caemorn,” Julian admitted.

“I wondered when you changed your mind about me. When you considered me a friend,” Caemorn stated and smiled. “When you caught sight of me on the cliff, your voice was so relieved. That was the moment, I think.”

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