Page 25 of Ever Dark Academy, Vol. 3

“Weryn sired many. I’ve sired none,” Ryder reminded him gently. “And Lawson wasn’t exactly a role model in the Master department.”

“You have a Master’s soul.” Grayson pressed up against Ryder’s side. “And a romantic. I am certain that–even without your memories as Weryn–you will be up to the task of courting me.”

They’d reached the steps of the dorm. They turned towards one another. Their hands linked. Both of them were reluctant to leave the other.

“Be safe tonight. I will be nearby at all times,” Ryder began.

“I’m not the target,” Grayson reminded him.

“You are a student and a student is the target.” Ryder was frowning rather adorably. “And they are already going after you by using your mother.”

Grayson’s mouth tightened at the mention of his mother. He didn’t blurt out that she wasn’t his mother. Ryder knew the distinction, but clearly wasn’t buying it. He wasn’t completely either. But he didn’t need this emotional complication now.

“Yes, and that rather loses its punch if I’m dead, I would imagine,” Grayson pointed out. “Right now I’m everything wrong about this selection process to become a student. Or maybe everything right .”

“You mean that, of course, Vampires are looking for killers?” Ryder guessed and shook his head in disgust. “If they had any idea what kind of control it takes not to kill someone you’re feeding from, they would understand why we absolutely cannot take in people who view life as anything but sacred. ”

“The War Children. Is that how you chose them? If they were killers?” Grayson asked quietly and tentatively. “It’s hard to imagine Siban like that, but–”

“I don’t remember much about Siban, but knowing my general,” here Ryder gestured to his head as if it contained the soul and essence of Weryn there, “feeling is that I chose those for whom life mattered very little. More than that, I chose those who wished to kill. Who enjoyed it.”

Grayson suppressed a shiver. “It is quite understandable and wise.”

“Wise?” Ryder’s eyes widened. “You cannot mean that. It is sacred to bring a Childe into our world! I perverted that to its very core by what I did!”

Grayson let out a slow breath. “You wanted to win. You needed to defeat Kaly. They were not an easy foe. And that very sacredness of the every Childe you’d already created meant you did not want to send those you loved to their Second Deaths.”

“But instead I created creatures like Legion to go to his,” Ryder’s voice sounded dead. “Yes, I did that. I purposely withheld anything from them but a purpose to kill for me. Bring me back bloody trophies. Who could kill the most would get the most attention and affection.”

“You motivated them by using the Master-Childe bond.” Grayson nodded. “Again, eminently logical. You chose Children that would not move your heart too much.”

“Siban does,” Ryder corrected him. “They are precious to me. I feel like a fraud trying to be anything to them but a friend though. All these Vampires have come to me and I feel nothing for them. I cannot connect. And here I would even pretend to be your Master? I don’t know.”

Grayson bit his lower lip. “Balthazar said what he did to you to keep your Weryn memories at bay was merely to give you more time to accept them, Ryder. You will remember. You will feel things again. Many things. Your openness with me is not a fluke. It is not an aberration. I remember you.”

Ryder’s eyes lifted to his. “You do.”

It was not stated like a question, but Grayson still nodded. “I do. And there is nothing in how you are portraying yourself to me that feels false. So maybe the great gulf you both fear and hope is not truly there between who you were and who you are.”

Ryder studied him. “And what of you, Grayson?”

“What of me?” Grayson shrugged and couldn’t quite meet Ryder’s eyes again.

“You are pushing back so hard against anything in your life as Grayson, rejecting it, yet there is nothing that I’m seeing or experiencing that tells me you aren’t Ashyr,” Ryder said. “I hear Weryn in my head sometimes. Making comments.”

Grayson’s eyebrows lifted in surprise. “R-really?”

“Yes, and while he doesn’t seem to recognize the other Immortals, he recognizes you,” Ryder said. “So your personality as Grayson isn’t so far from what it was as Ashyr. Not as far as you want to make it.”

Grayson grimaced. “I know what you are doing.”

“Do you? Because I’m not sure.”

“You’re worried about me. All of you are. But, though you cannot remember it, I have always been able to separate my emotions from the task at hand. That’s what I’m doing now. All things being equal, I would deal with my–my mother , but as they are not…” He just shrugged.

“I didn’t win the War, Grayson, when I went against my nature and stuck to logic,” Ryder said with a press of lips. “Instead, I created so much pain. Perhaps if I had listened more to my heart, it would have been different.”

Grayson kept his head down and didn’t answer. Ryder had a point, but this was different! He needed a clear head to see what was in front of them.

“I’ll consider talking to my mother at some point. But not now.” Grayson shook himself. “There’s too much to do and consider.”

Ryder smiled broadly and squeezed his hands. “Good. I’m glad. Now, please keep a set of eyes in the back of your head tonight.”

Grayson nodded. “I promise. We’ll stop the Sect of Dawn.”

But Grayson knew–as he stared at his reflection in the mirror in his bedroom–that even if they caused the Sect of Dawn’s plans to fall through tonight, that only stalled them. It didn’t actually stop them. And they wouldn’t have Jill to warn them of what was going to happen as a back-up plan.

I need to find another Sect member. There will have to be someone there tonight. That’s my secondary goal. Save the students. Secure another Sect member.

With a final brush of his hands down the front of his outfit, Grayson left his bedroom and joined his room mates in the common area of their dorm.

“My, my, Grayson, don’t you shine up nicely!” Mairead called from where she was leaning against her beloved pool table.

“You clean up pretty good yourself,” he told her genuinely.

She was wearing a black and silver babydoll style dress. Her bright red hair was tamed into artful waves. Her domino mask was black.

“We all look very nice. Check out the doc’s outfit! And, of course, Eiji-sama is handsome as a peach!” Mairead complimented all of them.

Amara had on black dress pants and an elegant silver shirt with scarf.

Her nails and lips were done in a deep, almost blood red.

Her dark hair shone with health as it brushed her shoulders.

Eiji, for his part, wore a formal yukata that was almost all silvery white with a black sash and black embroidery at the collar and cuffs.

He smiled and bowed slightly to Grayson.

“You are making me blush, Mairead,” Eiji said with a chuckle.

“You look so sweet blushing!” Mairead continued to tease.

Grayson thought of the fact that Eiji had killed someone.

There was more than one murderer in this room.

He quickly wiped any sign of his knowledge from his face.

But he wondered if any of them were in the Sect.

Gregory was supposed to room with them. Wouldn’t it have been easier for him to be with others in the Sect?

But, then again, Gregory was taking the place of someone.

He wouldn’t want to be with more Sect members as they would know he didn’t belong there and would be in danger from them.

How many Sect members could really be among the students? I can’t believe that too many could get past Balthazar, Caemorn and Seeyr.

“Earth to Grayson!” Mairead waved a glass of champagne in front of him. “Where’s your head gone? Oh, wait , I bet we can guess!”

He took the glass of champagne from her.

Already cold perspiration had formed on the outside of the flute and he took a deep sip.

He needed to keep himself clear and sober tonight, but one glass wouldn’t hurt.

He needed to loosen up a little. He wasn’t sure if he’d felt this same way as Ashyr, but Grayson had always shied away from crowds, let alone parties! And now, he was willingly going to one.

“Mairead, stop picking on him,” Amara said with a shake of her head. “Just because he is not answering all of your questions–”

“Actually, I do owe you guys an explanation.” Grayson grimaced and lowered his head, looking a little bit like he was ashamed as he told them their oh-so-plausible cover story.

He felt all eyes upon him. Even Amara’s.

“So… as you probably already guessed, I knew about Vampires before they outed themselves to humanity. You see, before the academy was even a twinkle in Daemon’s eyes, Ryder was courting me,” Grayson admitted with a shy smile and duck of his head.

“He was going to turn me, but then the Blood Pact was entered and only students accepted to the academy were to be turned so… the Weryn objected because of this.”

“Oh, my, I wondered what would happen to those people the Vampires wanted to turn, but who they hadn’t before the academy opened,” Amara said with a touch of sadness. “I’d hoped that they would just be grandfathered in.”

Grayson shook his head, but then shrugged. “Maybe others were, but not me. It’s caused massive issues.”

“That is why you were meeting with everyone!” Mairead again anticipated what he was going to say. She so wanted to be in the know that she was anticipating his lie.

Another nod. “Things have been worked out for Ryder and me. I’m in the class. The Weryn Vampires now are looking for fledglings among the students. Ryder and I… well, things can move forward.”

“So you’re going to do everything with us even though Ryder and you are already together?” Mairead blinked.

He nodded. “Part of the requirements for going forward. So! Now you guys are not going to get rid of me.”

Mairead squealed happily and bounced over to him before she gave him a hug. Her cheeks were flushed with champagne. Eiji smiled in a grandfatherly way at him, but Grayson wondered if he bought the story at all. Amara gave him an embrace as well.

“The more the merrier,” Amara said.

“He’s not more , Amara. He’s already taken and so he’s accounted for. He’s even opened up spaces in another Bloodline too! You, my friend, are all good in my book,” Mairead enthused. “So shall we get this party started?”

They all clinked their glasses together in agreement even as Grayson thought, And please let it not end with one of you dead.