Page 22 of Ever Dark Academy, Vol. 3

Moderating Influence

R yder felt Grayson tense as much as saw him do it. He wanted to draw Grayson into his arms and protect him from these words that clearly so upset him. But Grayson became very still and, somehow, untouchable.

Grayson didn’t blink, but just stared at Balthazar.

His expression was unreadable, other than that the emotions running across it were not good ones, but Ryder couldn’t parse what they were.

Shock? Undoubtedly. Anger for what he was accused of?

Maybe. Rage at his mother looking for him?

Perhaps. Betrayal? Had his mother accused Grayson of the murder to the press? Unclear.

“I can see you’re as thrilled about this as I thought you’d be, Grayson,” Balthazar said brightly, but his smile turned into a grimace.

Ryder wondered what thoughts Balthazar had read in Grayson’s mind. Not for the first time, he wished he had that ability, too.

“Should I be expecting the police to come interview me for the murder of my stepfather?” Grayson’s voice was curiously neutral.

Ryder’s heart hurt for him. Grayson had told him what happened, saying he was leaving it behind, forgetting that past, but now it was present again.

He put his hands on Grayson’s shoulders.

Grayson felt as rigid as he looked, but that lessened a little at Ryder’s touch.

His right hand rose up and covered Ryder’s left. Their fingers linked together.

You so want to be done with this life, Grayson, I know it. But it is not done with you, Ryder thought.

Balthazar waved his hands before him as if warding off Grayson’s words.

“No, no, not in the least. The reporter’s charge of murder was, of course, sensationalized.

There are just rumors. Your stepfather died rather spectacularly.

You disappeared without a trace right afterwards.

It’s all very mysterious. Hence newsworthy. But–”

“How did they find out about Grayson’s past so soon?” Ryder asked. He had just heard it the other night when Grayson had confessed it to him. But then he knew his answer. “The Sect of Dawn?”

Balthazar nodded. “Of course. They lose an operative and three Vampires and somehow this human survives? No way they would ignore him even without knowing he’s Ashyr reborn. They have found out everything about him and are using the press as their attack dogs.”

“Did they hurt the owner of the store?” Grayson asked, his voice cracking slightly. “To find out about me? I assume that’s where they would have started. Not that he would have known anything.

“Neither the owner or his family can be found so I assume they did more than that,” Balthazar said and ran a hand through his hair.

“We should have had people protecting them, but I didn’t think they’d focus on Grayson.

I half suspected they would assume he got away by luck and Jill’s incompetence. But they were smarter than I thought.”

“There’s a lot going on. Too much for you to think of everything and handle it, Balthazar,” Ryder said. “Grayson was right that we needed to meet and coordinate. We’re all focused on diverse things but not working together. That has to change.”

He might only have two people in his pack right now that he was certain he could trust but if Grayson confirmed that the others were, at least, not working for the Sect, he would use them and their various abilities to hunt the Sect down and end them.

We need our army, Weryn muttered inside of him.

For once, they were in complete agreement.

“We should bring Grayson’s mother in. Give her protection,” Fiona suggested. She half rose from her seat. “I can get her wherever she is. Grayson, do you have a picture of her or–”

“She’s not my mother, Fiona,” Grayson cut off the Wyvern Vampire.

Fiona’s brows drew together, clearly confused about this statement and Grayson’s abrupt change of tone and attitude. “But I thought–didn’t Balthazar just say and–”

Grayson stood up straighter. His beautiful face was a chilly mask. “She’s just a woman. Immortals don’t have mothers or fathers for that matter.”

“Yes, but we did this time around.” Fiona’s forehead furrowed. “If my birth family were still alive I would–”

“Well, I’m not you, and, thankfully, what happened to me didn’t happen to you. So your memories this time around were sweeter,” Grayson answered in a way that indicated this subject was closed. “I think there is enough on our plates without some human attempting to make a nuisance of herself–”

“But she may be in danger,” Fiona pressed back.

“They won’t kill her if she’s in the public eye,” Grayson said. “They need her out there. Bleating her tale of woe or whatever it is to the press.”

“Unless they decide that killing her in a Vampire attack would get them the type of press they really want,” Fiona countered, but gently.

She clearly sensed how close to the bone this conversation was.

“I can see that you want nothing to do with this woman, Grayson, but that doesn’t mean we can simply ignore her. ”

Grayson stood very still and very silent for some time. “You’re right, Fiona. You see farther.”

“I see… what I see,” she said with a wave of a hand. “I just know that we can’t allow her to be out there doing whatever the Sect wants her to.”

“Indeed, not. I expect you will take care of this, Balthazar,” Grayson’s voice was cold and clipped. “I don’t care what you do. Just make sure she has no adverse effect on our king and–”

“She claims she’s been looking for you since you disappeared,” Balthazar offered.

Grayson, if it was possible, became more rigid. “I don’t care.”

“Don’t you?” Balthazar pressed. “You thought she abandoned–”

“In every important way she did. But that doesn’t matter.

All I care about is our king and us.” Grayson gestured to them all.

“As I said, there is enough complexity in what we are doing that we don’t need such distractions.

I know you are all thinking that I should be upset and anxious about this person, but I am not unless she has a negative impact on us and our plans. That is all.”

Balthazar’s eyes flickered over Grayson’s face. “Well, there are some things I can do to handle this, but I believe–”

“Then do them,” Grayson said and turned away from Balthazar as if the subject of his stepfather and mother were of no consequence to him any longer.

“I’m going to need your assistance with that,” Balthazar’s voice rose slightly.

Grayson, however, did not turn back to him. “You hardly need my help to make someone and their story disappear.”

“Disappear? You want your mother–” Ryder began then stopped himself.

Grayson turned towards him. His face was still that beautiful, unreadable mask. “She is not important to me. If she is a threat, I want her neutralized. That’s all I have to say on it.”

Silence fell at that.

Ryder could tell that the others were disturbed by Grayson’s frigid responses about this woman. Or maybe “disturbed” was the wrong word. More like concerned.

He was concerned. Because while Grayson was saying he didn’t give a damn about this woman it was clear that he did.

Grayson was worried about the owners of the shop he’d worked at.

He’d cared deeply about a homeless man who was headed to an early grave because he was an alcoholic.

So did Grayson really expect him to think he didn’t care about the woman who had given birth to him and raised him for half this life?

No. Grayson cared for strangers. He must have cared for her.

And if he truly didn’t then he would be open to whatever plan Balthazar had that involves him. But he isn’t.

Grayson rolled his shoulders back and said, “The Mirryr event is tonight, right?”

“Yes, in about eight hours,” Seeyr answered. These were the first words she’d spoken since the subject of Grayson’s mother came up. “It’s a masked ball.”

“Of course, it’s a masked ball.” Fiona rolled her eyes. “That’s not going to make it harder to take care of the students. We can tell the humans from the Vampires by smell, but who had the time to memorize those.”

“I did,” Ryder answered.

They all looked at him. Even Grayson who lifted an eyebrow.

“I thought you had no interest in the students before now, but you’ve sniffed them all and memorized their scents?” Grayson pointed out, a slight twitch appearing on his lips.

Ryder stood up straighter. “I am keenly aware of who is in my territory.”

Balthazar looked delighted as he said, “You really are like those stories about the alpha wolf knowing every one of his pack by scent–”

“They are not my pack, Balthazar,” Ryder replied dryly.

“Not yet.” Fiona smiled. “Are you going to put your hat into the ring now and look for fledglings among them, Ryder?”

Ryder’s eyes flickered to Grayson, but he quickly looked away. “I, personally, won’t, but I want my Bloodline to. If there is someone among the student who appeals to them–”

“Oh, there are.” Balthazar grinned like a naughty school boy.

Ryder frowned. “Why would you choose students you knew appealed to the Weryn when we were not participating?”

“Because he wanted to lure you to participate or punish you for not doing so,” Grayson guessed. “Or Seeyr knew you’d change your mind.”

Seeyr lifted her shoulders. “A little of all of that. But tonight is the Mirryrs’ turn to shine. We need to support them.”

“If we shut down their party or alter it the Sect may know and change their own plans.” Grayson ran his hands through his hair, causing some strands to stick up.

Ryder smoothed them down and was rewarded with a genuine smile.

“Right now, at least, we know that the attack will take place during the party.”

Balthazar gestured to the door that led out into the hall. “I’ve asked Charlie to come by. He is leading the Mirryr for now.