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“Can you imagine if Gregory had come and we did not find out about the Sect until something tragic happened to onr or more of the students?” Julian continued. “No matter what else you do here, you have stopped that. You’ve likely saved lives, Grayson. We owe you for that. Everyone here owes you for that.”

“Not to mention if you keep looking for the Sect and find it,” Christian added.

“I should have known that I couldn’t keep that secret with Eyros Vampires around,” Grayson remarked. “Makes me wonder how the Sect is doing it.”

“There are ways to guard your thoughts,” Christian said. “And like I told you before, not everything is accessible, but you were thinking hard on your plan.”

Grayson nodded. He wasn’t actually annoyed by Christian and Julian knowing as they seemed to approve. Not that it would matter if they didn’t. He’d do what he had to do to keep himself safe. Though normally that meant retreating, there had been times when he’d had to act. A flash of a stiletto smile and drug-glazed eyes flashed through his mind. If he had to go on the offense, he would. That’s what he was doing here.

The sense of not belonging, of being an imposter, eased a little bit, too. Grayson rolled his shoulders back. He wasn’t here out of some kind of pity or charity. He was here because he had gotten crucial information to the Vampires. Now they were paying him back in small part with a place to stay and food to eat. And they, evidently, knew he intended to still keep looking for the Sect.

While there was definitely a selfish aspect to it--protecting himself was crucial--he would also be protecting the innocent people here from fates that had taken Sam and Gregory. He had a purpose and it wasn’t just to pretend to be a student. His goal was greater than that. Grayson opened the door to his new bedroom and blinked.

He recognized this place.

Or more like he recognized the sort of place it was. His grandparents on his father’s side had a cabin that he’d gone to once just the year before they’d died. It was high up in the woods where the snowfall blanketed the ground under a sea of white and the sky was awash with stars so bright and numerous there had hardly been any darkness. He had loved that cozy yet elegant space.

After their deaths, his mother had married his stepfather and that had started the bad times. It had seemed that when the one link to his father--his grandparents--had been broken, everything had gone with it. And this was so like their cabin. Not exactly, but so close. It was like the very soul of it had been pulled out of his heart and placed here before him.

This can’t be possible.

The floor, walls and ceiling were all wood. Bare, open beams were visible on the ceiling. The king-sized bed had a dusky, heather-gray headboard and a broad mattress covered in white and tan blankets. There was a fur throw across the corner of the bed. A dark leather couch sat before a stone fireplace where a fire already crackled. A chandelier in the shape of a wheel with faux candles that could be dimmed reigned above the space.

There was a hallway that led to a walk-in closet and a massive bathroom with a standalone shower and deep soaking tub. The closet was filled with new clothes just like Balthazar had said there would be. He ran his hands over the fine material. This was more than all the clothes he’d had together in his life.

So much to lose...

“This is… how did you… I wasn’t unconscious for long enough for you to change things that much,” Grayson found himself saying as he sat down half in a daze on the back of the sturdy leather couch. That was when he noticed Julian and Christian’s faces. “What? What is it?”

“Ah, we didn’t…” Julian began and then stopped.

Something was wrong. But what could be wrong? This place was perfect. Julian looked at Christian for guidance or advice. Christian’s expression was harder to read. They were clearly talking about something. Christian turned towards him and smiled, though that smile didn’t quite reach his eyes.

“Nightvallen changes to suit certain of the people in it,” Christian said. “It appears to have changed to suit you.”

“Why? I’m not expected here. I mean…” Grayson’s voice drifted off as the two other young men exchanged looks again.

Julian turned back to him and said, “It looks like you’re welcome. I hate to do this, but Christian and I have to get back downstairs. Will you be all right on your own for a bit?”

Grayson almost said, “I’m always alone.” But he just nodded. He didn’t understand how this room could so perfectly suit him. Were they honestly telling him that the city had done this all on its own. For him? Why?

Christian gestured towards a tidy desk beneath a window. There was a thick black, leather binder there and a stapled piece of cream paper with typing on it.

“You’ll find tonight’s activities on the loose paper. You’ll be getting a new schedule every day. The binder has all the general information you’ll need about the school. Maps. Where you can get food. All of that,” Christian explained, clasping his hands in front of him. He pointed to a very fancy watch on the desk in a leather case. “You’ll actually need to use a watch. Phones don’t work here. Oh, and expect some… disorientation. The lack of a day-night cycle will play havoc with your sleep schedule. There are sun rooms and vitamins that we have provided and recommend you take. There are physicians on staff to help you at any time.”

With every word, Grayson’s eyebrows lifted. He shouldn’t have been surprised that there would be such luxury here. Doctors on staff. He hadn’t seen a doctor in… forever. He didn’t get sick often and, thankfully, he’d never broken anything. He’d always been paranoid that something off about him would be given away during an examination. Now he could go if he wanted to without any fear. They already knew what he could do.

He set the coat, scarf and gloves on the bed. He didn’t need them right now. It was so warm and pleasant in the room. As he did so, he couldn’t help but compare his old life to this one. He did feel lucky, but he also experienced a flare of anger that the only reason his life was better in this moment was because had gotten the equivalent of a lottery ticket to the Ever Dark.

With quite the cost.

“Thanks,” Grayson told them. “I appreciate it.”

“We’ll let you get settled in. We’ll see you later,” Julian said and waved as he and Christian left the room and shut the door.

The only sound was the crackle and pop of the fire. Grayson got up from the couch and decided to look more carefully at his surroundings before joining his quad-mates outside.

He ran a hand over the silky dark leather of the couch, noticing that there was a pile of books on a side table. He ran his fingers over the spines. It was The Lord of the Rings trilogy. He’d started reading that the last year before he… he had to leave home. He’d used libraries as places to keep warm during some of the winters and books had been a comfort then. But he’d never read that trilogy again, because it reminded him too much of what he’d lost. But now here they were as if they’d been waiting for them.