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“You don’t see any deviations? You don’t see any forks in the road? There’s not a chance that it could all go sideways?” Balthazar asked Seeyr.

“It will work,” she repeated.

Balthazar rolled his shoulders and shook out his arms before continuing to move restlessly around the throne room, naturally giving a bouncing bow every time his orbit brought him withina foot or two of the dais where Julian and Daemon sat on their thrones.

When Balthazar passed by Seeyr--Seeyr sat on a smaller, but lovely chair with a carved back and red velvet seat to his and Daemon’s right and Sophia was, of course, by her Mistress’ side--he would ask her that same question with the same caveats and her answer was always the same. The throne room, other than that, was mostly empty and quiet.

While the streets outside were thronged with Vampires as more and more came to Nightvallen, there were few inside the throne room itself. Just himself, Daemon, Christian, Balthazar, Caemorn, Seeyr, Sophia, Arcius, Lisette, Julian’s parents, and Christian’s parents. Fiona was not there as she was playing the role of catching Kaly slices with the other most powerful Wyvern.

Balthazar had wanted no one else present, because he needed to concentrate and, in case, hefailed, despite all of Seeyr’s far-seeing. Caemorn had not disagreed with the plan, but he had hardly said a word since the evening began. Truly though, the fewer people who knew about their plan the better.

Meffy let out a small mew that reminded Julian he had not counted the kitten as one of the attendees. Sophia had Meffy on her shoulder. Balthazar couldn’t hold the beloved cat and concentrate, but couldn’t bear to be away from the black kitten either. Meffy watched Balthazar pace before he yawned and then fell asleep in Sophia’s arms.

Meffy is not concerned,Julian said to Daemon.

Meffy is right not to be,Daemon answered.

He took up Julian’s nearest hand and laced their fingers together. He slowly rubbed an infinity symbol on the back of Julian’s hand that mirrored the one on his wrist.

I heard it from Caemorn’s own mouth in Moonfall that everything was going to be all right, but I’m still nervous!Julian admitted.

Understandable.Daemon nodded briefly.If someone had told you that you would become a Vampire Prince before it happened and you would like it--

More than like it!

Daemon smiled.More than like it, a week before it happened, would you believe it fully? Let alone that your parents would also be returned to you?

No, definitely not,Julian agreed, smiling so hard his cheeks hurt just thinking about his parents. It still hadn’t quite sunk in yet that they were back, even though they were but a foot away from him.

The more we want something, the harder it is to believe we will get it,Daemon answered.

Christian followed Balthazar with his eyes for a moment before hopping down from the dais, looping his arm through his Master’s, and pacing alongside him though now it looked more like a stroll. Except it was in a circle or, more like, a tight oval. Immediately at Christian’s touch, Balthazar smiled and he calmed down. A little.

A very little,Julian thought and a wash of sympathy ran through him again.

His mother stirred beside him, leaning down and murmuring in his ear, “Those two are a study in contrasts.”

She was referring to Balthazar and Caemorn.

“Aren’t they though,” his father said with a grunt of amusement.

In contrast to Balthazar’s pacing and jerky movements, Caemorn kept himself icily still in the center of the throne room. Julian was pretty sure that he wasn’t even breathing. He understood why Caemorn was acting as he was as well.Caemorn, or Kaly, was about to become whole once more. Whether he was crazy and homicidal or himself would be determined by whether Balthazar could mentally control the Kaly slices.

“Explain the plan again please, son?” his father asked.

Julian looked up at his parent’s handsome faces. His father was in a tailored suit, looking a bit like Daniel Craig’s version of James Bond with his muscled, compact form, chiseled jawline and steely blue eyes. His mother wore a black silk top and matching flowing pants.

Julian couldn’t help but be absurdly proud at the figures they cut. They were already being courted by every Vampire Bloodline since neither Daemon nor Julian could turn them. Unlike the Thornes--who were seated by Arcius to their left and speaking comfortably to the new Preceptor--his parents had no doubts that they wanted to be turned. They were determined never to leave him again. Julian sometimes worried that they were choosing eternity inthislife because of the damage losing them the first time had caused him. But they assured him it wasn’t so.

Daemon hadn’t even had to tell his parents that who they chose--the same or different Vampires as their Masters or Mistresses, Bloodlines and Houses--would all be verypolitical. His parents had already figured that out from the get go.

“If we play king-maker,” his mother had said a few nights after they had been brought back, “we should--”

“I am king There is no other,” Daemon had muttered quietly from the couch where he was sprawled out like a sleeping leopard.

The four of them had had dinner in the palace and now were just relaxing. His parents had dined royally Daemon had taken a few bites, but Julian had been unable to stomach anything but wine.

Julian had chuckled and kissed Daemon’s nose. “I knew you were going to say that.”