Page 3 of Ever Dark Academy: Vol. 3
Vampires are not dangerous? What unreality is this woman living in? Caemorn asked.
In the one that we fashioned for her. It’s not polite to talk about the fact that we’re predators, Caemorn. It’s like eating with your mouth open, Balthazar said.
“A fledgling dangerous to humanity is also dangerous to Vampires,” Balthazar answered her. “There is no us versus them in this. Even when we were not openly living amongst you, we needed to be careful that we turned only those who would not act in a way to expose us to unwanted scrutiny. Now that is doubly true.”
Jane crossed her legs the other way. “But you weren’t always successful. There were some Vampires that you had to cull, correct?”
Who told her about the War Children? Caemorn asked.
She doesn’t know who sent her the information, only that it has checked out, Balthazar answered with a sweep of her mind.
“We have been open about that. Not everyone can handle the gift of Vampirism, but we did not have myself, Caemorn or Seeyr--along with countless other Vampires--investigating every single potential fledgling,” Balthazar reminded her.
“Yet, even with all that extra security, I know that there are certain students who have quite the checkered pasts,” Jane said.
Balthazar frowned slightly as he slid through her mind. He saw the documents she downloaded from the shared file site. He saw the photographs of over a dozen students.
“You claim to not want to endanger humans or Vampires with your choices, but I happen to know that several of them are dangerous now as humans,” she said, eyes focused on him. “One of them is even a murderer. So, tell me, how could giving such a person the gift of Vampirism be keeping humanity safe? Unless, what you’re really looking for are recruits for an army to keep Vampires safe from humanity.”
Ryder lifted Grayson so that the young man’s bare back was pressed against the cool shower wall. Grayson gasped into their kiss and his legs tightened around Ryder’s waist at the change of temperature. Ryder grinned.
Hot water sluiced down their bodies, slicking Ryder’s hair against his scalp and over his eyes. He drew back from the kiss to shake it away. He didn’t want to miss a moment of this.
Ashyr, Weyrn whispered, but it was his whisper as well.
Grayson was Ashyr. Ashyr was back. Ashyr was his. The General and the Soldier. How could this not be meant?
Not everyone was so pleased, Weryn murmured. Most were not.
Ryder tried to shake away the voice. He didn’t want this knowledge now when they were entwined around one another. Grayson was like a vine wrapped around his body. Limber and lithe and loving.
We hid our love for so long, but after Daemon went to sleep, there was no comfort, but in each other’s arms, Weryn muttered. And that was noticed.
Who would care if we were together? Ryder found himself asking. Was someone else in love with Ashyr? In love with us?
Wild laughter at that. No, not love. Never love. Just power and the danger of it shifting away.
What do you mean? Daemon is our king. We, Immortals, all have an equal place beneath him, Ryder pushed back as his tongue stroked along Grayson’s.
But power doubled is not the same. A love match. A pack. That shifts everything, Weryn explained.
So Kaly killed Ashyr because we loved one another? And they feared we would rise above the others? Ryder guessed.
In that diseased mind, it was the only reason for such a commitment, Weryn answered.
But no one will feel the same now, will they? With Daemon returned? Ryder asked.
But Weryn only whispered, Ashyr, Ashyr, Ashyr.
Grayson cupped his face, forcing Ryder to focus upon him. “Hey, I lost you. Where did you go?”
Ryder opened his mouth to explain, but ended up only shaking his head.
“I’m fine, Ryder. Daemon did a number on me. I admit I’ll sleep deep, but I’m more than okay for this,” Grayson assured him.
Their clothes were shucked off and discarded like petals on a windy day. Steam swirled around the marble space, causing the candle flames to look as if they had halos around them of gold.
He had found Grayson in here staring at himself in the mirror as if seeking to look past the image reflected back at him. But while Ryder had done much the same earlier, Grayson wasn’t afraid of what might be behind the image, but seeking it.
