Page 30 of Ever Dark Academy: Vol. 3
Good gods, what did we do?
“And you, Weryn, what are your feelings on the others?” Amaris asked. “Have you forgiven them?”
Ryder opened his lips to say something along the lines of, “I intend to live in the present and the future, not the past.” Or something like, “There is plenty of blame to go around, we must all let it go to move forward.” But no words came out, not those words, not any words.
“Forgive me.” Amaris inclined her head. “You do not remember. You do not know all the wrongs they did to you and yours.” Her silver eyes were alight with lust for the hunt for a moment. “You are wise to wait until you know the whole truth.”
Trust
“Here they are,” Dani said as her hands left his shoulders.
She had practically carried him as they’d raced through the grounds of the Weryn Palace and into the grounds of his. She had stopped and set him down in a rose garden. White, red and dark purple blooms bobbed lazily in the faint breeze. The plants curled along metal constructs. Arches. Squares. Rectangles. Circles. The mixture of these wild, perfumed blooms tamed by metal was interesting and it appealed to him.
Order even in nature. Yeah, that was me. Is me, I guess.
But he wasn’t looking so much at the greenery as looking for the people. At first, there appeared to be no one there in this orderly yet wild garden, but he sensed they were. He felt them. And if he closed his eyes, he swore they appeared to him like flickering flames of icy blue light. Soon, his eyes confirmed what he already knew.
They stepped out from behind the roses and hopped down from the nearby towers of the Ashyr Palace. He found he couldn’t quite take in that yet. But his impression was of contradictions here too. A castle made of white stone, but sections of it were clear, glass-like with more roses crawling up the castle’s soaring exterior. But his eyes were focused on the nearer wonders.
His people.
His Bloodline.
“There are so few,” Grayson whispered, more to himself than Dani as he took in the fifty or so Vampires that approached him slowly, reverently, with hands extended, fingers reaching.
“Not all have come to the school. There are… issues for them with answering a call from Kaly and Eyros. And so many of us wanted to avenge you. Weryn… At first, Weryn was our protector. He wanted to keep us safe, but then…” Dani’s voice drifted off and she crossed her arms over her chest.
What had Weryn done? Not hurt them surely! No, but perhaps used them to hurt others. Used them up in his quest for revenge for my death. And I bet that they went for it. At first, at least.
He touched her shoulder. “It’s all right. You don’t have to talk about it.”
And if he were honest, he didn’t think he was ready to know all that she did.
She looked up at him gratefully. “You should know. You should know everything. But perhaps not at this moment when you’ve returned to us. This is a happy moment. One we couldn’t quite let ourselves believe in.”
He nodded. After so much death in the War, why would they ever consider rebirth? He turned back to the Vampires who had approached him and now stood in a half-circle in front of him. His eyes searched their faces as he searched his memories for remnants of them.
Was Dani his own Childe here? If she was then how many had he lost? Over the ages he’d made them and now…
A male Vampire stepped forward. Short black hair, spiked on the top, and delicate yet masculine Asian features. He was very handsome with a broad jaw and high cheekbones. His silver eyes were filled with such longing as he stretched out a hand towards Grayson’s face. His fingers hovered half an inch from Grayson’s left cheek. He could feel the heat of that skin near his own.
“This is--” Dani began.
“Kaito,” Grayson said.
“You know me? You… remember, Master?” Kaito asked.
But with the name came nothing. His head felt like an empty white room with flickering shadows. He kept expecting the memories to unspool on the white walls before him like an old film.
“You called me Master so…”
“Yes, I am your Childe.” One tear trailed down that handsome face. “I am yours.”
Grayson’s heart clenched. Another Child. Thank goodness! Another one that survived so long and was here for his return. He took that outstretched hand and put it against his cheek. Kaito cupped his face. His thumb ran along Grayson’s cheek so gently as if afraid of breaking him. He again searched for more memories of this man than the name, but they were like silverfish and escaped him.
“I’m sorry, I can’t remember… not yet.” Grayson grimaced. “Just the name and a… a flash of you laughing by the sea. Different clothes. Clothes from another time. Another place.”
Kaito nodded and smiled encouragingly even as his eyes became wet with tears. “Yes, you are remembering when we first met. Long ago when I was a fisherman and you emerged from the sea like some legend of old.”
