Page 39 of The Vampire King's Victory

Finally, Julian was able to say, “But Eyros is your best friend and longtime companion. I get it. Christian is the same for me. And no matter how much you mean to me, you don’t replace Christian in my heart just like I don’t replace Eyros in yours. So stupid to be jealous. If even for a second..”

“Nothing you feel is stupid.” Another kiss.

Julian felt a little dizzy from those words and those kisses. He couldn’t wait for his parents to meet Daemon. What would they think? They’d be amazed by him. But would they be worriedabout how entwined he and Daemon were? Or would they see their own love in him and the Vampire King? He was going to find out. Caemorn would bring his parents back.

“In addition to the Vampires, there will be the humans who will want to come here representing their governments,” Daemon continued on with his list of guests again.

Julian blinked once more. “Of course. All the world leaders. I mean they’ll want to have someone here too.”

“There will be embassies, of course, in the city. And I’m sure there will be scientists and artists and media and… well, just people who will want to live here,” Daemon explained with a broad sweep of his arm to encompass the whole city. “Perhaps a lottery. We mustn’t let only those with money or influence get here. But everyone should have an opportunity. And then there will be the school of course.”

“The school?” Julian’s forehead furrowed. “Caemorn mentioned something about that--”

“Yes, yes, but that’s for later,” Daemon said with one of his cat-like smiles. “Shall we go in?”

“Ah, yeah! Definitely!” Julian cried as he realized that while the outside of the palace was magnificent and worthy of long study, he wanted to see the inside. He’d had glimpses of it through Daemon’s eyes before, just the bedroom. But there was so much more to see!

As they walked towards the low, marble steps that led to the magnificent front entrance, a large, round fountain with a cloaked and hooded statue holding a pitcher in their arms, suddenly started to run. A stream of silvery, icy water splashed from the pitcher into the formerly dry pool around the statue’s feet. It appeared like the statue was pouring water into the pool. Julian nearly jumped ten feet into the air and clutched at Daemon as the water splashed happily.

Julian let out a laugh. “Oh, man, that scared me! I guess I’m a little jumpy.”

“You need not ever be afraid here again, Julian. You are perfectly safe,” Daemon told him as he gently set Julian back firmly on his feet. “The Ever Dark will protect you as well, especially in Nightvallen. You are free to wander here without restraint.”

Julian couldn’t help but think of that terrified sprint through Nightvallen from Heath and Selene. But this place hardly felt the same to him anymore. Even though his heart was still in his throat about the fountain.

Damn water.

“Really? Yeah, I guess I feel that. I mean this place is incredible,” Julian said though he did keep a tight hold on Daemon’s arm. “Christian and I just filmed a little bit in here before--well, before we met you. I kept thinking how people were going to love seeing all of this. I also thought, of course, that it would expose Vampires so I suppose both are true if we actually showed the footage.”

“I think your viewers will enjoy your show when you start filming it again. Ever Dark is the perfect location for that,” Daemon said.

Julian brightened. “You really want Christian and me to do the show? Here?”

“Of course, it will be very important in how we recruit people for the school and in how people, generally, view us,” Daemon said.

Again, with that school!

But Julian wasn’t about to be waylaid with questions about that. “I could totally see doing a show on someone deciding on whether they want to become a Vampire.”

“Yes, and the benefits of each Bloodline,” Daemon nodded along with him.

“We could start with ‘so you know you want to be a Vampire? But what Bloodline would be best for you? Well, here, today, we’re going to talk about the Kaly Bloodline.’ And then we’d interview Caemorn or something,” Julian said, deepening his voice as the announcer. “Then again, maybe Lisette would be better. Caemorn might scare some people. Everyone’s going to want to be an Eyros if we interview Balthazar. I’ll have to beg Fiona to come on with him, just to balance him out.”

“He charms everyone. I always had to counsel him to not grow his Bloodline too large,” Daemon admitted. “When you know what someone thinks, you can tell them what they want to hear. He has to remember he cannotgivethem everything they desire, even if he knows what it is. But he has tried. He has always been on the lookout for interesting people who are a little in need.”

“Yeah, I can totally see that.” Julian bobbed his head. “I think he’ll be a little less needy for people since he has Christian.”

“Indeed.”

Julian then couldn’t help himself as he started to plan what he and Christian would need to explore the Ever Dark and all the interviews they could do. It was both overwhelming and amazing.

“We’ve got to get a ton more cameras here and our computers for the editing software,” Julian listed out. “Mics and the right lighting. I want to look at everything and really map it out, you know? Show people how amazing this place is and all the people.”

Daemon chuckled indulgently. “Of course. It is a good thing you are a Vampire, because what you see above,” he gestured all around them as they mounted the steps, “is nothing compared to what’sbelow.” He made a flick of his wrist to indicate the ground.

Julian’s forehead furrowed as they reached the two large heavy doors that were carved with a scene of Daemon on a throne. “What’s down below?”

Daemon’s red eyes flared with amusement. “You shall see. But perhaps not tonight.”

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