Page 86 of The Vampire King's Victory

“There’s even a list sort of like an anniversary list with paper and silver or gold and on it goes,” Arcius said with a knowing nod.

Another frown from Caemorn before he said, “I see. Well, I do not believe in material things beingusefulfor one’s fledgling’s education and--”

“You don’t want to give me any presents?” Balthazar’s lower lip wobbled.

Caemorn pursed his lips. “I want to set the right example for you. You shall receive presents from me, but they will be things that will assist you, not useless baubles.”

“Oh, that sounds… hmmm, presents are to delight, Caemorn. You’re to delight your fledgling, i.e., me,” Balthazar insisted, but though his tone was mock chastising, his eyes were full of warmth and his mind was as well.

“I shall endeavor to honorbothour views on presents,” Caemorn finally agreed. “Now, if you wouldn’t mind, I would like--”

“I’ve already done it,” Balthazar told him, rocking back and forth like Sophia had when she’d talked about the kittens.

There was a long, searching stare at Balthazar by Caemorn. “You did not put anything in that part of me about inappropriatepresents, did you?”

“What? Me? Never! I trust you will do right by me.” Another grin flashed across Balthazar’s handsome face.

“I will endeavor to make up for what I’ve done, you know,” Caemorn said quietly. “If that’s what you want.”

“Yes, I know. Go on now. Integrate and end this thing,” Balthazar told him and that hard nugget inside of him cracked, well on its way to destruction.

Caemorn extended his right hand towards the unconscious figure. Blue-white mist like they had seen at the Well of All Souls left the body and streamed over to Caemorn. It circled him for a moment before sinking into Caemorn’s body. Caemorn’s eyes were closed. Nothing dramatic seemed to happen.

“Caemorn?” Christian asked softly then changed it to, “Kaly?”

Caemorn’s eyelids flew open. His silver eyes glowed. He levitated over three feet from the tower’s floor. His arms went wide and he let out a cry that echoed throughout the Ever Dark. There were answering cries from all over the Ever Dark. The howl of two werewolves was loudest. When Caemorn slowly lowered to the ground again, the flames of the tower went from purple to blue-white. Destiny was purely in Balthazar’s control again.

Caemorn--or Kaly--turned now to look at Daemon and Julian for the first time. He lowered himself gracefully to one knee, bowing his head.

“My king and my prince, I am the Immortal Kaly. I am yours to command. I serve,” Caemorn said in a voice that was andwasn’t his own. But it was the voice Christian and Julian had heard him speak in at Moonfall.

Daemon put a blessing hand on Caemorn’s head. “Kaly, how I have missed you. Prince Julian and I accept your offer of service. We would not be complete without you.”

There was appropriate serious silence.

For a moment at least.

Then Balthazar said, “Whatarewe going to do with these bodies by the way? Bury them? Burn them? That all seems wrong to me, I mean, but we can’t keep letting them clutter up the place.”

Caemorn rose up, a small smile on his lips. “I have a solution to this. What about putting the correct souls back in those bodies?”

“You can do that? I would have thought they’d have left long ago,” Christian said.

“I kept them all in soul gems, of course.” Caemorn gave a shrug as if to ask what else should Christian have thought he’d do. In this case, Christian was glad of Kaly’s determination to let no soul go.

“And what about Heath?” Daemon asked.

“I can restore him as well if that is what you desire, King Daemon,” Caemorn said. “Though a body will have to be formed for him, but the Kaly Palace has plenty of power. I can even draw some of the other Immortal souls here.”

But Daemon shook his head. “They all still exist or have been reborn like you and Balthazar were. We’ll see them… soon.”

PARTY TIME

Three months later...

“Balthazar is acting like a deranged toddler, my king,” Caemorn remarked.

Both of them watched said “deranged toddler” pinball around the royal courtyard where human and Vampire leaders awkwardly socialized with one another. The humans sipped champagne and nibbled on canapes while the Vampires, for the most part, conspicuously ate and dranknothingat all.

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