Page 32 of The Vampire King's Victory

Fiona put a hand to the center of her chest. “It’s beautiful. It feels…”

“Like home?” Arcius asked.

She nodded and quickly blinked back tears.

“Though you already know which one is yours, Seeyr, we must identify it for the others,” Daemon said as he brought another lightning bolt down and a brazier filled with blue flames atop a structure with many minarets and a labyrinthine maze of other buildings.

Seeyr was smiling. “I cannot wait to see inside again.”

Finally, Daemon turned towards Caemorn who was waiting with that oddly expressionless face turned towards him. He brought the lightning again, which lit a brazier atop a structure of white stone and much stained glass with sculpted towers that reached into the air as well as those that delved into the earth. The flames were orange.

“That is your palace, Caemorn. The Kaly palace,” Daemon said.

Caemorn went more rigid, if that were possible, as if he were reading between those lines. He tilted his head to the side, opened his mouth, but then shut it again. Instead, he turned to Julian.

“I am certain that you and the king will wish to be alone and enjoying yourselves, Julian, but I need your parents’ soul gems to start the process of--”

Before Caemorn could get all of the words out, Julian had taken the soul gems out of his pocket and placed them in Caemorn’s outstretched palm without hesitation. Julian then held Caemorn’s hand with the soul gems in it, which had Caemorn’s eyes widening a fraction. That was the equivalent of an emotional shout from him.

“I trust you,” Julian said with all the sincerity in the world in his voice. “I trust you, Caemorn.”

Caemorn then bowed to Julian. “I will prove you right to trust me. I will bring your parents back.”

With that, Julian let go of Caemorn’s hand and went to Daemon. Daemon curled an arm around his fledgling’s waist.

“Go, and explore everyone!” Daemon urged. “Enjoy yourselves in Nightvallen!”

YOUR PALACE OR MINE?

Balthazar rubbed his hands together eagerly as Daemon and Julian walked off towards the central palace. Sauntering like they owned the place. Which they did.

But I have a palace too! A palace!

He felt rather delirious. Oh, who was he kidding? Hewasdelirious. Deliriously happy! He took in a deep breath, hands on hips, as he surveyed Nightvallen. The city was more magnificent than he’d imagined. Ten times as large as anything he’d seen in the Ever Dark, and despite it being abandoned, it felt morealivethan the Spire. The marble was well polished. The gold on top of Daemon’s tomb gleamed.

I wonder if he’ll knock that down,Balthazar thought with a grimace.Not a great place for memories for him. Let alone Christian and Julian.

Christian was staring down at a bit of ground. There was nothing different about it than the rest of the space. But one brief glimpse into his fledgling’s mind told him thatthiswas where he had been attacked. Right here.

Are you all right, dear heart?Balthazar asked him.

Christian let out a breath.Yes, I’m fine. I just feel like a completely different person than when I was last here. It seems like the attack was ages ago.

Yes,Balthazar agreed.Both our lives are hugely different.

“Things are going to be difficult for Elena coming here. She’s sense Heath’s passing,” Seeyr said as she gestured to the spot near where Christian had been attacked.

“Are you part-Kaly that you can sense the remnants of his soul?” Caemorn asked her.

“I foresaw this,” she said simply.

“All of it?” Christian asked. “Everything?”

She nodded. “Well, I should amend that. Some things were unclear. Others were fully obscured until decisions were made. But yes, I knew that there would be death here for two Vampires who attacked the prince and his best friend.”

“The weight of knowing all of that… I can’t imagine,” Christian said.

“That’s why though I am eager to see my palace again, I am dreading it,” Seeyr told him. “Because there will be so few of my Bloodline even after we all gather.”

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