Page 27 of The Vampire King's Victory

“He sounds like you and Meffy,” Christian pointed out with a snicker.

Balthazar managed to look affronted even as he was smiling too. “Not in the least. Meffy is not some animated bag of bones! He is soft and sweet and--”

Caemorn’s knock cut off the rest of that paean to the black kitten in mid-sentence. Said black kitten, hearing his name, lifted his head to give a sleepy meow, but then collapsed into a soft heap as Balthazar said, “Come!”

Caemorn opened the door and he and the skeletal bear came into the room. Caemorn glided in with his usual economy of movement while the bear lumbered happily beside him. Everyone’s noses wrinkled. The bear smelled of earth and mold. Caemorn bowed to Daemon who returned it with a nod of his head.

“Gah! You brought that thing in the house, Caemorn?” Balthazar squawked, looking at the dirt tracked on the formerly pristine floors.

“You’re allowed in the house, Balthazar,” Caemorn retorted dryly.

“Touche,” Fiona chuckled, covering her mouth with one hand.

Balthazar scowled at her. “You’re laughing now, Fiona, but just wait until that thing crawls into bed with you!”

She just shook her head, beads clacks, completely unrepentant.

“That’s not a danger. He will sleep on the floor by the foot of the bed,” Caemorn informed Balthazar coolly. “I will share him with Fiona, if she likes.”

“Oh, I think I’m good with the companion I have, Caemorn.” Her eyes slid to Arcius and then she looked down at the table. “But thank you all the same.”

“You’re welcome,” Caemorn answered mildly.

Caemorn’s gaze was on Elgar, forgetting his discussion with Balthazar and Daemon’s summons for a moment, as his interest was drawn to Elgar’s Whispering. The skeletal bear leaned against his leg. He patted its head absently.

“I wanted you all here, because, as with all other Vampires, House Ravenscroft also should be moving to the Ever Dark until things are settled with the humans,” Daemon said. Immediately, all eyes were on him as he spoke with much nodding. “The manor has been found and it will be the first place the humans look again.”

“This is definitely the first group to come, but not the last,” Balthazar muttered as he stared at the FBI agent, the CIA operative and the military commander with flattened lips and narrowed eyes. “I really like the manor. It was the first place that was trulymine.”

“I know and it will be yours again, Balthazar,” Daemon promised him. “But for the moment..”

“It’s not safe? No, it’s not,” Balthazar sighed. “I see your point.”

“How long do you suppose we have until others come looking for these three and the soldiers?” Fiona asked, frowning deeply.

Her ability to teleport always made her leery of staying in one place for any length of time. Now, a safe spot was no longer safe and he knew that she would want to leave.

But she stays put with her friends,Daemon thought.She does not just go for herself.

Seeyr put a finger to her left temple. “The next wave will come in the morning even after Rajani does her magic with their superiors.”

“My magic is not very good if it gives us less than 24 hours,” Rajani replied dryly.

“On the contrary, my dear,” Seeyr said with a faint smile, “you are doing the best that can be done. And what happens next is not a hardship. It’s quite exciting.”

Her sightless gaze turned to Daemon. He knew she felt his joy.

Seeyr totally knows what’s happening,Julian mentally laughed.

Of course.

Confusion reigned in Balthazar’s mind. He had no idea what Daemon was going on about. “Well, I suppose I should find House Ravenscroft and everyone here a place to tuck in. Seeyr, you will find room for us at the Spire, won’t you?”

He clearly hadn’t considered any other place for House Ravenscroft to go. They would be stuffed somewhere, where there was space, where they couldfit. He still did not understand hisplace.

“I am happy to give you room anywhere, Balthazar,” she said agreeably. “Though I think that the Spire is rather stuffed full, aren’t we, Arcius?”

“Oh, yes, but we’ll make room for everyone,” Arcius said agreeably, “even with all the Confessors there.”

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