Page 47 of Dragon Slayer

Constantine ignored him, so Val did too. “But, Uncle Romulus said–” He caught himself, teeth snapping shut, but too late. No one outside the family was supposed to know who exactly his uncle was, and he’d just blurted it out in a fit of panic.

Constantine sucked in a breath. “Your unclewho?”

Before Val could answer, Sphrantzes leaned down and reached for Val’s shoulder.

Val winced, and a second later Sphrantzes stumbled back after his hand passed right through Val’s body. He panicked as calmly as a man who thought he’d just touched a ghost could panic, Val thought.

“What – how – but–” He clutched Constantine’s sleeve and tried to drag him away. “A demon! This is a portent of disaster! The Turks–”

Constantine stood and clapped a hand over his friend’s mouth, silencing him. His own mouth smoothed, a smile barely suppressed. “George, how long have we been friends?”

Sphrantzes made a gesture with his eyebrows that left Constantine nodding.

“Yes, exactly. And in that time have I lied to you? Deceived you?”

He deflated with a muffled sigh and shook his head.

Constantine removed his hand and gestured to Val. “This young man has been visiting me for several months now,” he said, his smile fond enough to ease some of Val’s panic. “George, meet Prince Valerian, son of Vlad Dracul, Prince of Wallachia. Valerian, this is my closest friend, George Sphrantzes.”

Val sketched a shaky, but correct bow.

“And Val,” Constantine said, gaze narrowing, “I think there’s some things you’ve neglected to tell me, isn’t there?”

Val took a deep breath, and, ignoring the look of utter disbelief on Sphrantzes face, decided that he had to tell the truth. He trusted Constantine, for better or for worse. He’d come to him for a reason, he was convinced.

He said, “Well, actually…”

---