Page 31 of Ever Dark Academy: Vol. 3
“Legend?” Grayson laughed softly.
“More than that.” Kaito stroked his cheek again. More tears were streaming down his face.
Grayson couldn’t put the pieces together about this man, but just like with Dani, he felt warm inside when he looked at him. This feeling of caring and wanting to protect filled him. He tentatively reached to embrace Kaito and the man surged into his arms and clutched him. For just a moment. Before letting him go and stepping back.
Disciplined. He’s always been that way. To show so much even now is not like him. My silent fishermen, he thought, not sure where these lines came from, but accepting they were like the other things that filled his head. True, even if he couldn’t quite grasp the source of them.
Another man stepped up then as Kaito had stepped back. He and Kaito exchanged a friendly look. This new man had the golden complexion of the mediterranean. His close-cropped black beard showed patches of white and there was frost at his temples. He was lean and wore cowboy boots with dark jeans and a flared red shirt. He moved with a sensual slide that most Vampires had, but it was emphasized as if his hip joints were oiled.
The rich Spanish voice rolled over him, “Master--”
“Nero.” The name left his lips so easily.
He was immediately encased in a set of powerful arms. He was lifted up off his feet despite being several inches taller than Nero. He swung Grayson in a huge circle with Grayson making alarmingly high-pitched squeals of delight.
“Nero! Nero! Down boy!” Grayson laughed and patted the Vampire’s shoulders.
“There he is! There is our Ashyr! Wanting to be seen as all formal when he is like a little boy wanting to be spun around!” Nero laughed.
But he did set Grayson down gently. Grayson was still laughing himself--yes, maybe like a little boy--when Nero stepped back, still grinning at him. A wide, irrepressible grin. And, in that moment, he had a flash of Nero amongst the olive trees in a white toga-style outfit.
“You had a big family, Nero. A vineyard and olive trees,” Grayson murmured. “But…”
“I was sick.” Nero kept smiling. Shrugged. “A cancer of the blood. You could smell it. I wouldn’t get to see my daughters married or my grandchildren born let alone my great-great-well, too many greats now to even contemplate. You gave me all of that, Master, and so much more.”
Grayson pinched the top of his nose. His head hurt as he tried to remember more. “I loved your villa. The smell of flowers and the sea--”
“Whoa! Are you all right, Master?” Dani gently steadied him.
“Yeah, just…” He swallowed and steadied himself. “I’ve used my power a lot recently and--”
“Haven’t gotten enough rest,” Dani said with a lifted eyebrow.
“And the memories.” Grayson blinked then looked up at the palace. It glittered at him and he finally felt the faint pull on his energy. It was going into the palace. “Ah, and the palace.”
“The palace?” Dani asked as all turned their attention from him to this creation of stone and glass, the sturdy with the light, the protected with the revealed.
“It’s trying to connect with me so I can open it. But, as a human, I’m guessing that it would drain me dry before that happened,” Grayson grimaced.
“Then we should leave here,” Dani said, even as the others looked alarmed and yet forlorn.
“It’s okay. We can stay for a little while longer, but I shouldn’t get any closer. Now that I’m aware of it, maybe I can block the power drain,” Grayson said.
He wasn’t sure how to do that, but he envisioned that line of power going from the flames in his chest where he kept his power burning into the ground through his feet. He cut off the transfer there. Imagining the soles of his shoes were doors shutting tightly. He grunted. It had worked, but he still felt the palace’s reach.
“Well, we should make a Vampire right away to stop this dangerous draining,” Kaito said and Grayson was amused at how the other Vampires came to attention at this Childe’s barest nod.
They were going to pick Grayson up and take him to wherever the Ashyr were living currently. But he held up a hand.
“No, Kaito. I am not going to be turned yet.” His eyes slid to Dani, who looked down, still unhappy about his decision not to choose her.
“Why? Being human is dangerous!” Nero shook his head.
For a moment, Grayson saw him, lying on his bed, sweating, eyes unfocused, the cancer burning through his blood and bones and skin.
“Being human is giving us an edge right now,” he contradicted.
“Against what?” Kaito asked.
