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“It’s not really time travel. Moonfall is simply on another timestream than ours. We go there at the same time no matter when it is here,” Christian explained. “It was comforting seeing him. How he was. How things are going to be. I got this sense… of peace.”

“And a little melancholy,” Balthazar pointed out.

“Because he was thinking of all the good times we’d had. Sometimes those are so--sopoignantthat they can make you sad,” Christian told him with a wry smile that said he knew those emotions very well. “Seeing the Harrows will do that. Joy so keen that it cuts right through you.”

“So my whole plan… My whole damned plan with Kaly was forthisto happen. All of this?” Balthazar spread his arms wide. “Death. Rebirth. Roan. All of it?”

“I don’t know if you knew all the particulars. But you were willing to do whatever it took to fix things,” Christian said.

“That is our Master,” Elgar whispered.

Balthazar quickly turned to Elgar. He awkwardly drew his older fledgling into a hug. The skull was between them. But Elgar went from stiff and unresponsive to melting against him. They were not romantic partners, but Balthazar, of all people, should have known how important it was to have a Master who loved his Childe.

“Elgar, I’m so sorry. I should have told you!” Balthazar cried, meeting Christian’s gaze over Elgar’s shoulder.

Elgar’s voice was muffled as he had his face pressed against Balthazar’s shoulder, “You couldn’t, Master. The other Kalysmight have learned it from me. The least people possible had to know. And you suffered more than I. I only wish I had risen earlier to protect you from Roan.”

Balthazar gave Elgar a fierce kiss on the side of the head. His elder fledgling gave out a soft pleased sound. Meffy squeaked as he was being disturbed from his 20-hours of rest a day. He pulled back.

“So do you think Caemorn will be more insufferable or less knowing he’s Kaly?” Balthazar asked.

“More,” was said in unison.

But then Christian added, “Like I said, he was at peace. Whatever we do, if Kaly is at peace I can’t think of much better. Because it means the rest of the world must be fantastic.”

Balthazar nodded. “Must be so to put a smile on Kaly’s face.” He slung an arm around Christian’s shoulders. “Let’s take a nighttime stroll home.”

Christian kissed his cheek. “Let’s.”

Meffy mewed.

ADAPT

Julian stared at Daemon’s palace with open-mouthed awe and delight. Taking in the whole thing was nearly impossible; it was so huge. Like a massive layer-cake it spread endlessly to the sides and rose impossibly upwards into the night.

It had elements of Greek and Egyptian architecture, along with many other styles that he only half-recognized and didn’t know the names to. The central part of the palace appeared to be a gigantic step pyramid with other buildings attached to it as if they had grown organically out of it.

There were sweeping balconies with classical Greek columns. There were hanging gardens that allowed waves of greenery to flow over the walls. Night blooms as large as his head in every color imaginable erupted from elegant stone planters. Their delicate heady scent perfuming the night.

There were long, glass-enclosed rooms that simply jutted out into the air so that one could view any part of Nightvallen unimpeded. He saw arched galleries and majestic multi-storied rooms with inlaid panels that were works of art in themselves. There were domes of crystalline glass and towers so tall that they appeared to be spearing the night sky.

There were so many questions in his head about what came first. Did Daemon and Immortals bring these styles of architecture to Earth or did they take what they found there over the ages and bring it here? Considering how long it seemed Daemon had been asleep, it almost ruled out any other possibility than that they had introduced humans to them.

So much for ancient aliens!Julian snorted.They were really ancient Vampires!

The palace was not dark and dead or cloaked in dust and debris of ages long past as Julian had expected it to be. It was clean, pristine and well-lit. When he and Christian had come here none of the buildings had any lights on. They had been closed and locked. It had reminded him of people leaving their homes before a hurricane. They meant to come back, but the places were boarded up tighter than Fort Knox.

But that was not the case now.

It seemed every single door and window of the palace was thrown open. Julian could see curtains moving in the soft, night breeze along many of the gracious balconies. There were warm rays of light shining out of almost every room. He saw the crackling flames of fires in massive fireplaces casting warm pools of golden light before them. There were torches and candles and lanterns all lit, but giving off no smoke.

The whole aspect was welcoming as if the palace was awaiting party guests. Julian half expected to see servants flitting about in tuxedos with trays of canapes and glasses of champagne from room to room, while others would be making sure that all was ready for the return of the king. Fresh bedding and dusted mantelpieces, along with well-aired furniture and glasses laid out with fresh decanters of blood.

“There’s nobody else here, right?” Julian asked Daemon.

The Vampire King had been silent and had allowed Julian to slow their pace and just gaze upon the palace with large eyes.

“No,” Daemon answered simply.