Page 14 of Ever Dark Academy: Vol. 3
Ashyr…
Grayson was smiling at him, but there was a concerned look in his eyes. Ryder forced a grin on his face.
“I didn’t get a chance to see the other palaces open, I’m pretty curious what it will be like,” Ryder said. “So let’s do it, shall we?”
Grayson nodded eagerly. He turned to Dani. “I’m sure you want to be in on this, too, but I need you to tell the Ashyr Vampires to pull back for now. I’ll talk to them after in some secluded spot.”
“What about outside the Ashyr Palace? It’s near the Weryn Palace,” she suggested. “And there are plenty of secluded places there.”
“Sounds perfect, Dani,” Grayson said. He hopped off of the chair. “Okay, let’s open a palace!”
Red-Gold
Grayson linked his fingers through Ryder’s as they walked down the moonlit streets of Nightvallen together. The air was faintly warm and sweet. He heard laughter from Demos and Siban from behind them. Dani had gone to gather the other Ashyr Vampires to wait for him until after the opening of the Weryn Palace so it was just the four of them. Grayson tilted his head back and smiled up at the moons and the countless stars.
“It’s always a perfect night in the Ever Dark,” Grayson said. “Even when it rains. Have you experienced one of the really big storms that come in off the Gray Tides?”
“Gray Tides?” Ryder’s brows drew together
Of course, Nightvallen is new to him. He doesn’t remember this place.
“The ocean… which is right there.” Grayson pointed in the direction of the sea.
He could almost hear the waves if he concentrated hard enough. If he had his vampiric hearing he would have been able to suss them out over the whistle of the wind, the excited exclamations of students, and the greetings of Vampires. He stretched out his other hand to the side, allowing it to ride the air. As Ashyr, he’d used his gift to fly. He could do it now. But he was not supposed to use his powers, not just because someone could see, but because it would drain him. Another human problem.
“It hasn’t rained since I’ve been here,” Ryder confessed. He ran this thumb over the back of their linked hands. “What’s it like?”
Grayson’s smile grew as he explained, “The whole sky comes alive with layers of silver and black clouds. Lightning--blue, purple and gold--streaks across it in huge, interlocking trees of light. They paint the buildings with brilliant colors as the rain washes them clean. The rain itself is cold, but refreshing. It chills the skin almost immediately. And there’s a taste of freshness to it like the first spring on a desert planet. I’ve sat out on the roof of the Ashyr Palace and just let it fall over me.”
Ryder gazed down upon him with an almost fascination. “You remember all this?”
“I remember some of it. But far from everything. So far. But more is coming back every minute really,” Grayson admitted. He squeezed Ryder’s hand. “It will for you, too.”
Ryder grimaced. “I’m not so sure I want to remember. Maybe Caemorn and Balthazar have the right idea. Start fresh.”
“You think Caemorn doesn’t remember?” Grayson’s eyebrows lifted.
Caemorn’s face flashed before his mind’s eye. All the times that Caemorn had spoken of the past with such sadness and guilt. Shame was written into every tense line of the Kaly Vampire’s form whenever those times were spoken of. He was simply waiting for someone to call him out on it.
You are the cause it all happened.
You are the cause of the War.
You are the cause of all this death...
But Grayson had meant what he said to Dani. Kaly had been sick. He had seen it, but his love for Weryn had taken priority. Maybe it was vain to think he could have helped Kaly like Daemon would have and stopped all this before it had begun. But he would never know now. That was the past. Some parts of it had to stay there.
Ryder blinked. “You think he does?”
“I don’t think Kaly would allow themself not to know. Knowing was very important to them. Is very important to him. That’s why they got into so much trouble,” Grayson explained, as his mind offered him visions of Kaly experimenting on themselves, wanting to go farther than anyone else, not being afraid of what could happen. “They want to understand all the big questions. I think Daemon has many of the answers they seek, but he… he won’t tell.”
“Why not?” Ryder asked as they walked around the fountain.
Grayson resisted the urge to use his gift to pick up some of the water and splash Ryder with it. He could imagine that leading to them both getting very wet as they began a water war in the fountain itself. He’d try it later.
“Because Daemon knows that the answers are never as satisfying as the questions,” Grayson answered with a grin. “And there might not be a way to truly express the truth. Words are so inadequate most of the time.”
“They are.” Ryder’s expression was tender. “I could never tell you how I…”
