Page 159 of The Star's Sword

He just nodded, looking between Simon and me curiously.

I followed Simon as he led me outside. It was dark out, and the moon was oddly bright tonight, the clouds sparse but puffy and white, instead of smoggy and gray.

Like even the sky felt cleaner.

“How is Samael feeling?” Simon asked, walking us over to sit on a bench in the graveyard. “He wasn’t in good condition when we found him. Even I didn’t know if the flesh exchange would work.”

“He’s doing well,” I said. “Essentially just an incubus now, though he seems to have maintained his incredible strength.”

“He’ll still have rogue powers as well,” Simon said. “Between that and his slayer sword, he’ll still always be a terrifying creature in battle.”

I nodded.

“How about you?” Simon asked. “You’ve been through a lot today. Losing Samael. Getting him back. Saving the world. Is there anything I can do for you, now that we have everyone else settled?”

I threw my arms around him, hugging him tight, which seemed to almost make him a little uncomfortable, though he smiled as we pulled back. “Everything is amazing, Simon. Thanks for looking out for everyone.” I blinked. “I can’t believe you even thought of that flesh exchange.”

“I got the idea watching Vasara perform a miracle once. She brought someone’s hand back, but afterwards I saw someone she had paid to lose a hand. I had to know how she did that.”

“It sounds ghastly.”

“It saved Sam,” Simon said.

“About that, Simon,” I said. “I’m sorry none of us understood why you were with Vasara.”

He shrugged. “It was multiple reasons. I wanted her to be weak from me feeding on her. I wanted to gain her vote for protecting my human colony. But yes, mostly, I didn’t want to ever see a world where Cayne existed but Sammy didn’t.”

I slid him a look. “You’re such a good friend.”

He shrugged. “You know, I wasn’t planning to ascend with you, at first. Not until I figured out how to possibly help Sam. I’m sorry everything with the vampires didn’t work out like we thought it would, but you know, it did give me the time to gain the abilities needed. And so many other things.”

I nodded. “Everything happened as it should. I’m sorry you had to lose so many vampires.”

He shrugged again. “I don’t think I can stay at the keep anymore. I’m too disillusioned by how the vampires worshipped her and turned on me and my friends. After hundreds of years of loyalty, they bought her snake oil instead. It makes me wonder what I’ve been doing with the past few hundred years, trying to help feed them.”

I put my hand over Simon’s. “I think it was noble. How hard you tried to help everyone.”

“But did it matter, if the creatures I helped survive were in the end stupid and bad?”

“Misled,” I said.

“Still,” Simon said, folding his arms stubbornly and looking out at the graveyard, more hurt in his eyes than he would probably ever express.

I felt terrible for him. So many vampires had died, and of the rest, many would still be angry with him for not following Vasara.

“I’m sorry they betrayed you,” I said, putting a hand on his knee. Ever since the night with the unicorn serum, we’d been more bonded. “You didn’t deserve it. Anyone could see you were a good and fair keep owner.”

His red eyes warmed as he looked up at me. “Thank you, Cleo. That means a lot, because it feels like I’ve screwed this whole thing up.”

“No,” I said. “You brought Sam back. You sacrificed your own time and let your friends doubt you, all to try and make sure we all didn’t hurt from the loss of Samael. Simon, you might be the best of us."

“I’m just a vampire,” he said quietly, in a low voice, looking down at his hands. “I don’t even have empathy. Warmth. Connection. I understand those things only through seeing them and trying to imagine.” His eyes met mine. “I’ll never have a heart like you.”

I just hugged him tight once more. “I want a heart like yours, Simon. Because I think it might be the best of all of us.”

Simon was still and quiet, and I could tell he was touched by my words.

When we pulled apart, I stayed close.

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