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What do you mean, I wonder? Oh, wait! It looks like the black bag military op is starting!Balthazar sounded so pleased.I cannot wait to face the holy-water wielding thugs! Get back here soon or you’ll miss out on all the fun!Come, Meffy, we’re off to battle!

Christian put a hand up to his forehead and sighed. “I’m really wondering if getting him a kitten was the best idea.”

“Do you think Meffy is egging him on or that Balthazar is showing off for Meffy?” Julian asked.

“A little of column A and a little of column B.” Christian used his hands as balances.

Daemon snorted. “Eyros has always enjoyed himself in battle. Come, we must make sure he does not have too much fun.”

“What’s our plan? With the humans?” Julian asked him.

“We’re going to show them up close and personal how dangerous it is to go up against us. But we mustn’t hurt them,” Daemon counseled. “They are to be our subjects.”

Julian’s eyebrows rose. “Oursubjects? Well, your subjects, but--”

“You’re the Vampire Prince, remember?” Christian nudged his best friend. “They are, in fact,yoursubjects, too.”

“Okay, so shock and awe, but no killing?” Julian confirmed. When Daemon nodded, Julian said, “You might want to let all the Vampires know at the manor about the no-killing bit.”

Daemon passed that message along to everyone. “Done. Shall we?”

He extended both hands to them. Julian took one. Christian the other. He used the power of Wyvern to teleport them back to Ravenscroft Manor. Not inside the manor house itself, but on the periphery of the estate, behind some bushes. Balthazar and Caemorn were there.

“Ah, finally!” Balthazar hissed. He grabbed Christian and kissed him thoroughly before wagging a finger and saying, “Bad fledgling. Naughty, bad fledgling.”

Christian looked completely unrepentant, reaching over and scratching Meffy between the ears. The battlecat was perched, as always, on Balthazar’s left shoulder.

“I wasnotnaughty. I was doing what was right,” Christian told him. “And I will do it again.” He frowned. “Of that I’m sure.” His expression cleared. “I don’t want to hurt you for the world but--”

“The world was at stake,” Balthazar finished and grimaced. “You’re going to make me age.”

“You have to trust us,” Christian told him.

Another grimace. “I know.” Balthazar glanced at Daemon. “It’s just hard to be the ones left behind.”

“We were actually almost perfectly safe,” Christian said with a faint laugh. He was looking at Caemorn.

“If you have to blame someone, Balthazar, you should blame me,” Julian answered. “I was the one who convinced Christian to go.”

“I wouldn’t have considered doing anything else,” Christian said.

“Considering I was the one to tell them where the gate was, I am the one to blame ultimately.” Caemorn touched his throat, which had Balthazar wincing.

Julian turned to Caemorn. He stood there, looking at him for long moments, before he suddenly hugged the Kaly Vampire. Caemorn stood there, stiff and bug-eyed, as Julian practically lifted him off of his feet. Daemon bit his inner cheek to stop from laughing and feeling touched at the same time. Julian was forgiving Kaly though Caemorn did not know it. All that had happened in Moonfall was clear to him. There was much that pleased him in it. But still, to see the Ever Dark crumbling like that… he shuddered and focused on this moment.

“Thank you, Caemorn,” Julian said. “Thank you so much for everything.”

Caemorn blinked. “All I did was give you a location and a symbol–”

“It’s more than that.” Julian squeezed him again, which silenced Caemorn. The Kaly Vampire awkwardly patted Julian’s back as the embrace continued probably longer than Caemorn had ever been held. And to haveJulianbeing the one to do it was completely unexpected. Julian continued, “It’s so much more, Caemorn. We’ll tell you all about it after we deal with this.”

“Tell me…” Caemorn was blinking rapidly.

His gaze lifted to Daemon and confusion was evident. Daemon just smiled and nodded. That had Caemorn blinking more. Balthazar’s eyes had narrowed and he was looking among all of them. Like Daemon, he could have just known by looking into the boys’ minds what had happened, but he wanted thesurprise. Julian came back by his side. Daemon wrapped an arm about him. His Childe’s mind was filled with excitement and relief. Julian leaned his head on Daemon’s shoulder and Daemon kissed it.

He’s back with me. Everything now is as it should be. The beginning of everything.

He gave Julian another kiss. Julian hummed happily.