Page 12 of Ever Dark Academy, Vol. 3

She’d rolled her eyes, but that smile had grown.

Setting her drink to the side, she’d taken his hand and they’d stepped out into the middle of the room.

Everyone had stared at them, especially when they’d begun to do a jig.

But then someone had started humming, another had started to clap, there had been the tapping of booted feet, and sure enough someone found a fiddle and a flute, more than one of each, and the dancing had spread like wildfire. They had broken the ice.

Still smiling at the memory, Grayson turned his head away from the shadowed room to the back doors of the Weryn Palace. They had heavy wooden frames, but the interior was a frosted, etched glass. And just as he looked at the glass, a dark shadow darted up to it.

His heart leaped into his throat and he stumbled back two steps. Whoever this was shouldn’t be there! How had they gotten past the Weryn Palace’s defenses. Unless this was a Weryn Vampire that had been allowed in and--

The door handles jiggled. The doors began to open. Grayson reached for the fire within his chest. It burst into full flame as he readied himself to grab--and crush --whoever was coming towards him.

“Master?” Dani’s voice rose up tentatively.

“Dani?!” he gasped.

She peeked her head around the door. “Master, there you are! What--what’s wrong?”

“What’s wrong?” He gave out a nervous laugh and raked the fingers of his right hand through his hair. “Oh, I don’t know, you sneaking up on me in darkened, empty hallway? Jill was killed.”

“Yes, Balthazar told me, which is why I’m here,” she said, stepping fully into the hallway. “It didn’t seem safe to have you walking alone out here. I think, unless you’re with a group of students, one of us should be with you at all times. Ryder let me in.”

Grayson nodded, his breathing still a little tight and frantic. “Yeah, yeah, that’s probably a good idea.”

“I didn’t mean to scare you.” She gave him a lopsided smile.

He waved off her apology. “I just wasn’t expecting anyone and I was remembering.”

Her gaze went in the direction he waved. A smile crossed her lips. “Our dance!”

“You remember?” He smiled back at her.

“Of course, I do, but you do as well! That’s amazing!” she laughed delightedly.

He grinned back. “Yeah, I can remember some things very well. Others…” He shrugged. “Completely gone.”

“Not forever. I’m sure it will all come back,” she said genuinely.

“I rather think so too. Once I’m turned, I’m betting,” he told her.

She bit her lip. “About that, have you thought of who you’re going to have turn you?”

He grimaced. He’d walked into dangerous territory-- again! --by not thinking before he spoke. Like Ryder, she would likely have thoughts about who should turn him, with herself being on that list.

“I have,” he said. “But I’ve come to no decisions. It must be strategic.”

She furrowed her brow. “Strategic? How? Is there someone in the Ashyr you think that would give you some greater benefit than… than me ?” She added the last almost defiantly.

He shook his head. “No, Dani, not at all. You would be an extraordinary Master.”

She blinked and he could see how what he’d said touched her. “But then I don’t understand--”

“If there’s anyone in Ashyr that turns me, it will be you ,” he assured her.

Her confusion grew. “Who else but an Ashyr would turn you? You need to take your place among us again.”

“No matter who turns me in, I'm still the Immortal Ashyr and you’re still my Bloodline,” he said calmly, but a little cooly.

“But if another Bloodline turns you, you’ll have their gifts!” she protested.

“We don’t know that.” He smiled tightly at her. “Caemorn turned Balthazar--”

“A Kaly slice did. Not Caemorn. And that slice was possessing an Eyros Vampire named Roan Tithe at the time,” she objected. “It’s true that Christian has powers that come from Kaly, but still, Balthazar’s Master was an Eyros, and so there was no question what powers he would have.”

“Imagine if I could have both powers? My own and another Bloodline’s?” he asked as he stepped towards her. “Having the power of Eyros in battle would be something.”

Her brows drew together. “I can see how that would be appealing…”

“But Eyros has Christian right now, so perhaps having another Childe--even one as undemanding as myself--would be too difficult.” He tapped his chin, feeling her discomfort, but wanting her to stretch her mind around this.

After all, if he couldn’t convince Dani this was a good idea, he would never convince the others.

“Or in addition to an army of Vampires, I could make an army of the undead with Kaly’s powers. ”

“Kaly?!” Her eyes widened.

“It would secure me--hopefully--from another attack like the one that took me down last time,” he said lightly, even as the memory of being touched by those cold, ghostly hands that ripped at his soul had the skin between his shoulder blades twitching.

“I…” Dani looked at a loss for words.

“Then, of course, there’s Seeyr. I would know if my battle plans would work or not before I made them,” he laughed.

“That would be handy,” Dani agreed weakly.

“What about Wyvern? Imagine me being able to move armies with a blink of an eye, not to mention myself,” he suggested.

Reluctantly, she admitted, “Fiona’s is wonderful. She would be a good Mistress, I think, though she’s still struggling as they all seem to be with being an Immortal.”

“But I’m not,” he told her and put two fingers underneath her chin to tip her head up to look at his face. “I’m going to be me no matter who my Master or Mistress is.”

She licked her lips and he knew she was going to offer something she feared would offend him or he wouldn’t like, “No matter how careful and respectful a Master is, a Childe is always beholden to them in some way. So you would be beholden to another Immortal.”

“And if you turned me, Dani? Wouldn’t I be beholden to you? My own Childe? My own Bloodline?” he pressed.

But she shook her head. “No! I would only be giving back to you what you gave me!”

He pressed his lips together. “I don’t want you to be my Master, Dani.” Her shoulders slumped, so he quickly pressed on, “You are my Childe! You shouldn’t have to be a parent! That’s not what I want for you or for us.”

“You haven’t mentioned Weryn, but, surely, that’s who you really want to turn you,” she pointed out.

He let go of her chin and turned away. “I’m not sure.”

“Why not? You love him. Do you fear… feel … Do you feel that things would change between you if he was your Master and your lover?” she asked.

His back was strangely stiff. He wasn’t sure where this tension rose up in him from.

To be able to turn into an animal would be incredible.

To share the pack with Weryn would be perfect.

It would meld their two Bloodlines like he’d always wanted.

Not to mention the thought of drinking from Weyrn!

To do that! To have that connection! So why was he hesitating?

Can I be his General when I’m his Childe? Weryn is the alpha of all of his pack. I would be a part of that. But I am alpha too. How would we work that out? Could we co-lead? I think so… but I don’t know for sure.

And as Weryn’s General, he would be ordering the Soldier into battle. He would be sending his Master into harm’s way. Could he do it? Could he even do it now? Did their love compromise their usefulness to King Daemon? Was that why the king had seemed unhappy to see them together despite it all?

Maybe it hadn’t just been disappointment in him for taking his eyes off of Kaly while he was besotted with Weryn in that past that Daemon was reacting to, but future disappointments.

Future failures . Daemon had, of course, not said anything like that.

But Grayson wasn’t blind to what he must be feeling.

Balthazar would know for sure. Maybe he should ask the Eyros Vampire.

But did he really want to know?

He crossed his right arm over his chest, curling his fingers over his shoulder to ease the heavy burden he felt on himself then. He had given up so many things to be the General, to do what was necessary for his king and their people. He’d given up things that had less impact on him than Weryn.

No, I can’t be asked to give him up. I won’t give him up. I’ll find a way to make this work.

Yet in that moment he remembered something about the past. Kaly. They had been very angry with him and Weryn for joining.

“You’re threatening the stability of things,” Kaly had hissed in his ear. “Don’t you see, Ashyr? You’re bringing the whole thing down.”