Page 52 of The Vampire King's Victory

Daemon nodded. “They know we are a threat of another kind to them.”

“People’s faith is going to be completely shaken,” Julian admitted.

“And, unless they can adapt, their flocks will shrink. But, then again, people cling to ideas long after there are facts to show that these ideas are not true,” Daemon said. “Sometimes, the more facts you give them, the tighter they hold to the lies that sustain them.”

“But that’s--that’s crazy!” Julian frowned deeply.

“Yes, but true.”

The scene in front of them changed. Huge, male Vampires who wore fur and had long hair and beards--who really reminded Julian of werewolves--strode down the throne room’s aisle. In one hand they heldstakesmade of wood, ropes of garlic, large Christian crosses, vials of water and in the other they had canvas bags that dripped a trail of blood behind them.

“We hunted these down,” the hulking, handsome Vampire in the front said as he upended his bag and half a dozen heads plopped wetly onto the pristine floor. “You need to have your Eyros Vampires go out and identify these fools before they get so far with their plans.”

He tossed his other hand’s contents down beside the head.

Julian leaned forward. “Crosses. Holy water. Stakes. Vampire hunters!”

“Respectfully,” the big Vampire said, “The Weryn are here to serve, but we cannot be the only ones whoact. We need our alpha--you--to do something about these unruly humans, King Daemon. Will you?”

Julian let out a hiss and charged the vision of the Weryn Vampire. His hands sliced the air where the hulking man would be at some point. Daemon smiled. The Vampire Prince whirled around, purple eyes glowing red, chest heaving.

“He had--has? whatever!--no right to speak to you like that!” Julian snarled. “He was--will be?--practically challenging you!”

Daemon lightly got down from the throne and put his arms around Julian. “There will be many challenges ahead, my Childe. But with you by my side, I know that we will face them and we will win.”

The ghostly visages of the future were gone. The throne room was empty but for the two of them once more. Daemon lifted his head. He could hear the pool on the balcony of the second floor filling. He smiled. The future would come soon enough. But the present was filled with pleasures he did not want to miss.

“Come, Julian,” Daemon said, “let me show you the rest of your home.”

TRUST

“Are you being fussy, Caemorn?” Balthazar asked as the Kaly Vampire poked into yet another bedroom--this one on the second floor--of the Eyros Palace. Meffy let out a squeak and curled himself under Balthazar’s chin and fell asleep even with his brusk words towards the Kaly Vampire. “You’ve found every single roomwanting.”

Caemorn shot him a narrow-eyed look. “I thought you wished me to be comfortable.”

Balthazar blinked. “I do!”

“And I thought that you wished me to feel at home,” Caemorn added.

Balthazar grimaced as he conceded again, “I do.”

“And I thought you wished me to--”

“The best place for you is the suite of rooms beside mine and Christian’s!” Balthazar flapped his arms. “It’s private. There’s a staircase that leads directly outside so you can whisk home or away without anyone knowing. There’s room for yourbonyfriends.” The skeleton bear had just made a hoarse snuffling sound and pawed at Caemorn’s leg. “It’s opulent yet subdued. I admit it doesn’t have the gothic cathedral look as your own palace, but it's in your style! It could have been made for you.”

Balthazar frowned. Had it been made for Kaly? No, he didn’t think so. While he didn’t think Kaly and he had been complete enemies in the past--not like with Kaly’s current other selves--they weren’t as close as they were now. As he wished them to be.

“I agree that those quarters are at the top of my list,” Caemorn replied as he brushed off the bit of earth from the skeleton bear’s claws on his pants.

Balthazar couldn’t quite figure out how Caemorn managed to look spotless despite the fact he dealt with dead things all the time.

“So why do you have to check out every other set of rooms? Why don’t you trust me and accept the ones I brought you to initially?” Balthazar quickly dropped his hands down from a pleading position.

He didn’t have memories of the palace exactly. But his feet had seemingly known where to take them, which had been to the topmost floor. The main part of this topmost floor was his and Christian’s rooms. They hadn’t gone in yet, though he had caught a glimpse of a sweeping vista of glass-enclosed rooms where there were loads of sparkling things. Oh, he loved sparkles!

No, he’d resisted the urge to go there, but instead had allowed his feet to lead him to another set of rooms that was down half a flight of stairs from his own. This suite of rooms jutted off from the side of the palace, hanging suspended with no rooms below it, above it or on either side of it. He’d known that this would be perfect for Caemorn even before they’d even looked inside.

He had held his breath as he had gestured for Caemorn to precede him and Christian into the space as if showing off a jewel to a connoisseur. There had been an almost breathless silence from him and Christian as Caemorn had surveyed them.

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