Page 17 of Ever Dark Academy: Vol. 3
“Damn straight he would,” Demos murmured.
Ryder’s brow furrowed. “Yes, he--I would. But what about the others? The ones Weryn wanted to end? You think that’s in me?”
Grayson knew he had to tread so carefully here. “You’re a protector. You give everything for your people. You always have.”
“But killing them is not protecting them!” Ryder’s voice was hoarse with confusion.
“What about the War Children?” Demos asked.
Ryder’s forehead bunched. “They’re sick. They can’t be helped. If they could be--”
“Tell me there’s not a lot of sickness in Lawson’s House? It’s not just the lack of loyalty, Ryder. They’re dangerous because they’re weak and have no bonds. Vampires like that can’t be trusted. They put us all at risk. Lawson chose them for that very quality,” Demos said, his big hands flexing in front of him.
“There might be some that can become worthy,” Siban added. “You spared them so that they might have that chance. But you may come to find that you won’t be able to in the future. Some will fall. And when they do, you will protect us from them. Whatever it takes.”
Ryder stared down at the ground, his gaze distant, clearly thinking of what Demos and Siban had said. “You always see things before I do, Demos. Siban, you still believe that I can make worthy choices even after everything. I don’t know what I’d do without you. both”
“You don’t have to. I’m not going anywhere.” Demos clapped his shoulder.
“And neither am I.” Siban nodded.
Grayson framed Ryder’s face with his hands. “Weryn isn’t bad, Ryder. I don’t know what happened after I died, but I know the person you were before and that was a leader. You could be ruthless, but only because you had to be.”
Memories wanted to flood in then. Memories of them on the battlefield, another one, long ago, and Weryn standing there amongst the blood and gore naked as the day. Face and chest splashed with crimson. Long hair flowing back in the ragged wind. A spear thrust through a pile of enemies three deep. Clear, silver eyes met his. Bloodlust fully under control even as others lost themselves to it. Grayson blinked rapidly, one hand going to his temple. The images faded, but the scent of long ago blood was still in his nostrils.
“Ryder, you haven’t changed at all,” Grayson told him, voice a little hoarse as if he’d been yelling battle cries. “You’ve always done what had to be done to keep us safe. Especially the hard things. We’ve always counted on you for that.”
Ryder gazed into his eyes, unblinking, and, finally, he smiled as if he liked whatever he saw. “When you put it that way, I do want to be that person.”
“You are that person,” Grayson assured him.
Ryder pressed his lips together and with an almost sheepish expression said, “Part of me almost thinks I won’t be able to open the palace. That it will remain locked.”
“Ah, I don’t think that’s going to be a problem. Look!” Demos pointed to two large statues on either side of the steps up to the entrance to the palace.
One was a lion-like creature, but with several heads and the barbed tail of a scorpion. The other was a werewolf-like creature with claws larger than those on the werewolves Grayson had seen during the parade. But Demos wasn’t just pointing to the statues themselves as proof of Ryder’s ability to open the palace. No, it was the glowing red-gold flames that illuminated their eyes and burst to life on their backs. They were massive torches, lighting the way forward.
“Wow,” Grayson whispered.
“Yeah.” Ryder took his first step down the path.
The first set of blue-white lights of the avenue changed to that red-gold in a burst of flame. Ryder let out a delighted yet startled laugh and glanced back at Grayson with shock and awe in his eyes.
“Go on,” Grayson said. “Keep going. I want to see your palace come back to life.”
Ryder extended a hand to him. “Come with me. Be by my side, Ashyr.”
Grayson took that outstretched hand. “Always.”
Suddenly, every single set of lights on the avenue flared from the ghostly blue-white to the red-gold of Weryn. The color was like fire and blood and life. It was warm and inviting and beckoning.
As they walked together towards the Palace, the mist cleared and the palace became clear. It was not tall, only four stories, but it went deep, surrounding what looked like a small forest in the center. There were walkways open to the air on every level. Places to sit. Places to gather. Places that truly wanted to be filled with people.
When they reached the steps, the moment that Ryder put his foot on the first one, lights flickered on inside the palace on the first floor. There was a whump sound as fires ignited in fireplaces. Red-gold light spilled out of windows that yearned to be open to the air.
The stone felt alive underneath Grayson’s feet. Electrical tingles wound up his legs and centered in his chest with every step they took. While he had felt drained at Daemon’s palace, here he felt energized. They reached the double doors made of wood, bound with copper. The doors were huge and carved with hunting scenes. Ryder ran his fingers over the carved wood and grinned.
“I almost remember making these,” Ryder said.
