Page 16 of Ever Dark Academy, Vol. 3

But there are only three of my Children here. Three left entirely? Or more out there, ignoring Daemon’s call? I’ll have to get that information from Dani, he realized.

He felt for the constructs sharp edges in any of them, but he found none.

Letting out a breath, he released them all.

Dani’s hand was at his back as he nearly wobbled again.

She gave him a look that asked if he was all right while telling him to not use his gift anymore than he had to. He nodded at her.

“Thank you for indulging me,” he said to them with a smile.

“Did you just want to show us you still have your gift?” Nero asked.

“Master does not show off, Nero,” Kaito said slightly repressively.

The other man laughed again, holding his stomach that was flat as a board, and answered, “We should be happy if he would show-off for us! That means he’s strong and well!”

But Kaito just gave Nero a raised eyebrow and shook his head. These two, evidently, liked to poke at one another. Grayson smiled.

“Kaito is correct, though I don’t mind showing off either,” he added with a flash of a grin. “But what I did was look for constructs in your mind that the Sect of Dawn is using to hide their members’ true intent from Balthazar and his Eyros.”

“Sect of Dawn?” Kaito’s brow furrowed. “That is a children’s story about Vampire hunters.”

“Not a story. Not Vampire hunters. Some of them are Vampires…” Grayson grimaced.

Losing Jill was really going to cause problems. They had no idea what the Sect was offering. And the information--

“Nero? What is that look?” Dani asked.

Grayson looked up at the man with the big smile who was not exactly smiling at the moment. He looked, not sheepish, but concerned.

“Nero?” Grayson’s voice was a little sharper than he intended. “Do you know anything about the Sect of Dawn?”

Nero straightened. “Yes, yes, Master, I am sorry. I did not want to say, at first, because I’m not sure if it is the same thing.”

“What is the same thing?” Grayson pressed, struggling to keep his voice calm.

“I was drinking with some Weryn,” Nero confessed with a slightly guilty look at Kaito.

“You were feeding with those animals?” Kaito’s voice had dropped several octaves.

“Yes, Kaito, and if you look at our Master’s face you will see he is upset with you for calling them animals and not at me for drinking with them!” Nero pointed out.

Kaito’s eyes flashed to him. His fangs were out and his shoulders were seemingly puffed up as if to make himself look bigger for a fight. “I--I am sorry , Master, but you were not… you do not know…”

“Weryn’s returned,” Grayson said firmly. “He’s back and we’re back. Him and I. Just as we left off. Do you understand, Kaito?”

His fledgling gave a stiff nod, more of a half bow.

“I want to know what happened to all of you.” Grayson gestured to the other figures around them. “Every single one of you. I would know everything. I still love him. I will always love him. But I will hear and accept what your experience has been.”

Kaito nodded again, but with less stiffness. Grayson turned back to Nero who didn’t look as happy about his “win” over Kaito.

“Nero, who were these Weryn?” Grayson asked. “Ones that have come here?”

But Nero shook his head. He grimaced, putting his hands on his hips. “No, some War buddies.”

“Nero!” Dani’s voice was filled with repression this time.

He held up a hand. “I know. I know . But they had my back, saved my Second Life, so many times. That they weren’t in favor when the Order was put back into place…

Well, we now know that the Order was just another effort by Kaly to control everyone.

So I thought: what is the harm in seeing them again? ”

“What was the harm?” Kaito asked, glaring at Nero.

He ran a hand through his thick salt-and-pepper hair. The curls sprung back irrepressibly as his smile normally did, but Nero looked unnaturally grim.

“I was asking them what they thought of everything. Daemon’s return.

The exposing of the Order as a work by Kaly.

All of it,” Nero explained. “They were close mouthed, which was strange. People like us who had fought against Kaly so hard should feel good about them being exposed and rooted out! But they were not. They acted as if what took--what is taking--the Order’s place just as tainted. ”

Grayson’s fingers curled against his palms. He hardly recognized his voice as he said, “Daemon has returned .”

Nero bobbed his head in agreement. “I tried to tell them that, but they were born during the War. They have no understanding of what we were under Daemon and what we could be again. All they saw was the old, corrupt ways being painted over with a fresh coat.”

He caught Dani looking at him in faint alarm and realized that he was squeezing his hands so tightly together that his fingernails threatened to break the skin. He forced himself to relax his fingers.

“So they judged before they knew anything?” Grayson asked, voice still low and taut.

“Besides Nero here, no one of the old blood would associate with them,” Kaito said sternly. “Even those that stay away do not seek them out. They are more than exiled. Most of them are on death lists.”

“Ryder and Demos can tell you more about that,” Dani explained.

“But some Vampires from the war are mentally unbalanced. In the past, so long as they kept to themselves and didn’t reveal us to humans, they were left alone.

But if they acted out of line in any way their Second Lives were forfeit.

Ryder was responsible for taking out more War Children than most.”

“He made more War Children than most,” Nero reminded her.

When she gave him a sharp glance, he lifted a shoulder.

“What? Master has said we should tell him the truth. I am not trying to change his feelings for Weryn--not that I could--but he needs to know. You cannot fight a foe you don’t understand! ”

“How are they foes, Nero? You haven’t gotten to that part,” Grayson pushed gently.

He was certain that Ryder knew, better than anyone, just how many War Children that Weryn had created and all the crimes that they had committed. Unconsciously, he guessed that Ryder had taken it upon himself to hunt them down to fix his mistakes.

“One of them, Leandra, got blood drunk. I had to pull her off…” Nero grimaced and looked away.

“I stopped her from ending a life. But in her cups, she told me that I should want to join them . Not respond to Daemon’s call, but to another’s, one more worthy, one bathed in blood, Vampire and Immortal alike.

We even have a name, she said. We took it from our hunters. The Sect of Dawn.”

Grayson grew cold. “What else did she say?”

“Nothing. She fell unconscious and I… I wanted nothing more to do with them. They were animals. She wasn’t the only one who nearly fed to the humans’ deaths. She was just the one I stopped,” Nero admitted, this time with a sheepish look at Kaito.

“You are always bringing in strays, why am I surprised when you do the same with Vampires?” Kaito shook his head. “But if these Weryn killed the humans--”

“I don’t know. They took them away before I could make sure and I--I just wanted away from them. Because they started looking at me like I was an enemy.” Another shrug.

“It’s good you got away. I have a feeling they would have done something terrible to you.

They kill people--Vampires and humans alike--without compunction,” Grayson said, his mind flashing back to Sam and then his, Ryder and Demos’ own fight against Jill and her cohorts.

“Nero, you haven’t seen any of those Vampires--or associates of those Vampires--here in Nightvallen, have you? ”

Nero’s eyes widened. “By the gods, no! They aren’t allowed in the Ever Dark anymore. None of them would come here. They’d be spotted and--”

“Taken care of,” Balthazar’s voice rose up from behind him. “But we do need a list of all of your drinking compatriots, Nero, and how you met up with them in the first place?”

“That’s what I was going to suggest,” Grayson said.

Grayson turned and saw Balthazar and Caemorn standing there in the lane. He found himself smiling broadly at them both. He half-noticed, but ignored the stiffness that had entered every single one of his Vampires.

“Yes, yes, I heard your thoughts like a trumpet signaling the end times. You found another piece of the puzzle!” Balthazar answered easily. “Bravo, Grayson! You’re like an immortal Sherlock Holmes.”

“I think you rather fancy him yourself with that plaid getup. What century is that from, Balthazar?” Grayson asked as he approached the other two Immortals.

Balthazar was dressed in what could only be termed a three-piece suit in some kind of brown, red and yellow tweed outfit. He had a cane and was twirling it around his fingers.

“It’s from no actual year. It’s my own creation!” Balthazar picked at an imaginary piece of lint from said outfit. He likely just wanted to draw yet more attention to it. Though it was rather screaming itself.

Grayson felt Kaito, Nero and Dani all flank him, but they weren’t being outright hostile. Dani, especially, was keeping it cool, which was helping the others do so as well.

“So you thought you’d take credit for Ashyr’s work?” Dani lifted an eyebrow.

“I have plenty of good ideas myself, but I also have all of your ideas too, so why limit myself?” Balthazar answered.

“He’s efficient that way,” Caemorn answered.

Grayson had reached them both, but he shifted his stance so that he was facing Caemorn. Unlike Balthazar, the deadly angel was dressed in all black from the flared collar of the long coat at his throat to the black, knee-high boots. His white skin and hair practically glowed.

“I--I’m glad you came to get me,” Grayson said and moved to hug Caemorn.

But Caemorn stepped back and stared at him as if he had quite lost his mind. Grayson grimaced. Balthazar let out a hiss of breath rather like a cat.

“He was trying to hug you, Caemorn! To show you no hard feelings for killing him so his people don’t fang out at you!

” Balthazar informed the other Immortal who turned his head towards the Ashyr Vampires who were much closer than Grayson had realized.

Caemorn then turned back to Grayson who was shifting from foot to foot.

“No, no, Caemorn. It’s too late now. You’ve made it weird. ”

“Weird?” Caemorn’s fine brow furrowed.

“Yes, yes, you have. So no hug now! We’re working on his interpersonal skills, but he’s still not quite there, Grayson,” Balthazar answered.

“No, I should have asked to touch him before just assuming it was all right,” Grayson contradicted. “It was my mistake, Caemorn. I’m sorry.”

Slow blinks from the Kaly Vampire. “There is no need for apologies. I do not…”

“Hug. Or touch. Or let people get near you,” Grayson said, nodding with every word. “I knew that. I know that. I just…”

“He pictures you as a wounded cat that needs help and he’s holding out some treats so he can assist you, but you’re staring at him with large, distrustful eyes and--”

“Balthazar! That’s not helping!” Grayson glared at him.

Balthazar picked at the invisible lint on his clothes. “I don’t know. If you’re a cat lover, like myself, you’d be won over instantly by such a description.”

“I am not a cat lover.” Caemorn stared at Balthazar darkly.

“Oh, no! You are a dead bear person! Bone Bear was in my bed again! Christian found mold in an unmentionable place!” Balthazar wagged a finger at him.

This bizarre conversation left Grayson blinking. He decided he didn’t want to know.

“In any case, I still need to speak to everyone here,” Grayson said, gesturing back towards his Bloodline, who were looming over them.

It’s best you don’t, Balthazar’s voice was in his head. They won’t understand why you are considering being turned by me or Caemorn or anyone else other than Dani or one of them. Truly. It will just lead to bad things right now. Let them get settled while we have our talk.

But there’s so much I need to tell them about the Sect and--

You will have time, but we must coordinate first. You were right about that, Balthazar said. But you have to set boundaries right now, Grayson. Trust me on this. They see you as a kitten that needs rescuing right now.

A kitten--

A declawed kitten in need of milk and petting. Yes, yes, I’m afraid so, Balthazar told him. They lost you once. They cannot lose you again. And reason and logic don’t play well against fear like that.

Grayson nodded. He turned back to Dani, Kaito and Nero who were all practically pressed against his back.

Declawed kitten it is. But Dani knows better.

“I need you three to recall everything you know about the War Children. Every War Childe still out there and the rest as well. Anyone who would have the power to bring people together,” Grayson instructed them.

“That is a long list,” Kaito warned him.

“Good, that means we’ll have lots to work with. When you’re done brainstorming, you need to meet up with--”

“Christian and Julian! Those two are edging to help and we know that they are safe as houses so… they will meet up with them,” Balthazar cut in.

Grayson nodded. “Do that.”

“And what about you?” Kaito asked.

“Where will you be?” Nero added.

“Meeting with the other Immortals,” he answered.

“Alone?!”

He wasn’t quite sure who said that, but it sounded like everyone, but Balthazar and Caemorn.

Grayson held up a hand. “Yes, alone . I’ll be safe with them until--”

“Safe? With Kaly?” Kaito looked as if Grayson wasn’t a kitten, declawed or not, but a lunatic. It was almost like the look Caemorn had given him with the attempted hug.

“Yes, I am safe with Kaly. We’ll discuss this later, but I need you to do as I say now,” Grayson commanded them.

They all three straightened. They blinked at one another as if a little surprised he had it in him in human--declawed kitten--form.

“You need to trust me,” Grayson told them. “Even if it’s hard. Maybe, especially , if it’s hard. Can you do it?”

They all three nodded, but he wasn’t sure if he believed them.

Don’t worry, Balthazar said, the promise will hold. For now.