Page 60

Daemon chuckled. “No, I think his furry friends will be back. But they will negotiate much better terms.”

“Can they turn into humans or whatever?” Julian asked.

“Most of them have forgotten how to. The Weryn Vampires can sometimes ease them back into their former forms, but notoften,” Daemon explained. “They are not quite like your idea of werewolves.”

Julian turned back to the forest. If he stared hard enough, he thought he could see more things moving between the trees. There were places where the branches swayed far more than in the rest of the forest and he thought something huge and likely monstrous was walking there. He shivered even as he felt a sense of utter safety.

“You are safe. None would dare breach my walls. Andno, I am not being overconfident,” Daemon chuckled again.

Off to the north was a mountain range with snow-covered peaks. There looked to be regular shapes on the peaks. Julian was reminded ofAt the Mountains of Madnessby H.P. Lovecraft. Were the mountains hollowed out by creatures who built the homes within and without? He thought he saw a spout of fire rise from the highest peak, but it was gone so quickly that he couldn’t be sure if he had seen it.

“Those mountains…” Julian said then paused.

“Yes? What of them?” Daemon sounded unconcerned.

“Does anyone--or anything--live there?” Julian asked.

“Once.” Daemon casually glanced back at the chandelier.

“Oh…”

“I believe that some have crept back into those cavernous halls,” Daemon stated as he regarded the far mountain peaks with slightly pursed lips. His fangs though were out.

Julian wondered if it was safe at all to wander the woods in the Ever Dark or if he would be sticking within Nightvallen’s walls.

“We will go out together, Julian. But there are always risks in the Ever Dark. It is wild and can never be altogether tamed,” Daemon answered him, rubbing his back.

“You know, I was rarely afraid on Earth.,” Julian admitted. “Except those few times when I felt somethingothernearby.”Julian showed Daemon his bare forearm. There was gooseflesh and his hair was lifted on end. “You weren’t kidding that the Ever Dark is dangerous.”

It was then that Julian caught a glimpse of the glimmer of the twin moons on water in the far distance. He realized it was an inland sea or perhaps an ocean. And if he squinted he could see a port with ships far south. Julian excitedly pointed to it.

“You have ships?! Are there cities nearby you can sail to? Or beyond the horizon?” Julian grabbed the front of Daemon’s shirt as he eagerly bobbed up and down.

“There is much to discover, Julian. Already thinking of your show?”

“Totally! I mean I can just see it!” Julian pictured it. “I’ll be near the mast as Christian films me doing the opening with the black water spread behind me and strange lands on the horizon! I’ll tell our audience that we are heading to areas very few--if any--have seen. That there will be friends and enemies we’ll meet. Monsters that will challenge our skills. And secrets galore to learn.”

“Will I be allowed onboard, Captain Julian?” Daemon’s smile was playful.

“You can be my First Mate.” Julian laughed then he went serious as he said, “Scientists are going to gocrazyover this. My parents hadn’t even gone into any of the buildings and they were out of their minds with this place. But there’s so much more than they ever realized.”

“I cannot wait to be properly introduced to them,” Daemon told him.

Julian bit his lower lip. “You think Caemorn will be able to bring them back?”

“I do.”

“I do too, actually.” Julian’s head bobbed up and down. The movement stopped as he realized, “Oh, Caemorn knows he’s Kaly!” His eyes grew huge. “He--”

“Yes, he knows,” Daemon said.

“But I wanted us to tell him!” Julian felt like a child that was denied opening a gift. He tried to put that aside as what mattered was that Caemorn knew and was seeming all right with it.

“He and Balthazar are bonding. This is a good thing,” Daemon assured him. He touched Julian’s chin. “Besides, there will be much to talk about.”

“The two of them need one another, don’t they? I mean, they’re Blood Brothers. Not to mention Christian has powers that come from Kaly,” Julian said.

“They do need each other. I was selfish in the past for not encouraging their friendship,” Daemon said slowly. “But they are both outsiders among the other Immortals. Kaly is second only in power to me. Eyros knew everyone’s secrets and could control people. Not powers that make other powerful beings terribly comfortable.”