Page 28

“Confessors? Oh, yes, of course. All the new little recruits for your littlereligion,” Balthazar groaned and leaned his head back.

Arcius frowned and said, “You are one of the Immortals, Balthazar! You should take the Order more seriously!”

“Eyros has never taken much seriously, Arcius,” Seeyr said with a laugh. “That’s part of his charm.”

“Yes, but you all are very important to all of us. Immortals. And you will need to lead the humans as well,” Arcius stated firmly. “Balthazar must not be soflippant!”

“Don’t be upset with me, old friend.” Balthazar smiled tenderly. “I will try my best for you. But you can’t blame me for dreading being among the faithful. They’re sodull.”

“But they worship you,” Christian reminded him.

Balthazar’s eyebrows lifted. “Well, there isthat.”

“Don’t encourage him, Christian,” Elizabeth cautioned.

Henry dragged his gaze away from Elgar’s Whispering, and said, “I think he’s beyond that, dear. Balthazar is a walking Id.”

“You mustn’t gang up on me, Henry! Or I won’t tell you about my hundreds of years of life this time and my immortality from before!” Balthazar threatened.

“But you enjoy talking about yourself so that would harm you more than me,” Henry said with a twitch of his lips.

“Dad already knows you too well,” Christian snickered.

Balthazar kissed his cheek. “Ah, he does at that! Fine, I shall just have to do with the worship of the Confessors!”

“No worship for you. Not exactly. I have something else in mind,” Daemon said, that smile twitching his lips. “Elgar, is the first stage of the Whispering completed?”

Elgar, who had been Whispering without stopping, went quiet and nodded. “Yes, King Daemon, to make it work right I should cease now. They should sleep and I will continue next evening.”

“Are we taking them to the Ever Dark?” Rajani asked with a faint frown. “I would leave them here. I’ll have our Acolytes report on exactly where they are tomorrow for Elgar to continue his work.”

“We should leave them here,” Daemon suggested.

Balthazar groaned again. “Ah, we’ll have to empty the place of all electronics. They’re going to swarm in here and dust everything with fingerprint powder and be looking through my underwear drawers and--”

“That’s what you’re concerned about? Your underwear drawers?” Fiona’s eyebrows crept upwards.

“Some of us have more things than can fit in a handbag, Fiona!” Balthazar pointed out.

“I travel light because things are not important. It’s who you bring with you that matters,” Fiona reminded him.

“Yes, yes, that’s very touching. But I like my silk pajamas and they will be violated by human fingers so they’re lost to me,” Balthazar sighed. “And I might remind you that the Spire is going to be cramped so you’d best love being with all of us.”

“We’re not going to the Spire,” Daemon said.

Do we have to go to the library to open the gate there?Julian asked.I think they’ll all burst if they have to wait that long.

No, do you not remember how I first came to this world?Daemon asked.

Julian’s eyes widened.You’re going to just open a gate? Right--right here?

Right here.

Daemon led Julian over to the wall. He sliced open his right pointer finger with one fang. His blood welled up, rich and dark, and he traced the infinity symbol--his symbol--on the pristine wall. It glowed a deep red.

“Daemon, why are you smearing blood on the--oh, my…” Balthazar’s voice cracked as a swirling gate appeared. “Where does that… does that lead… uhm, are we…”

“We’re goinghome,dear,” Seeyr said as stood up, grinning from ear to ear, just as Sophia came in, kittens perched all over her. She also was carrying two bags.