The Vampire King’s Victory (Ever Dark #9)

6. NIGHTVALLEN

NIGHTVALLEN

A s Julian looped his arm through Daemon’s, the Vampire King turned slightly to look at Balthazar and the others at the table. He was proud of them. They had not harmed one human despite having the provocation to do so and having to deal with modern human weapons and ingenuity.

These three human leaders were not surprising to him in any way. Their behavior was based on fear. Overwhelm the thing you fear with as much force as possible so that it cannot harm you. The problem with that strategy was if the thing--in this case, him, the other Immortals and his Vampires--were quite a bit stronger than one’s strongest attack.

Daemon smiled at the gentle ribbing between Eyros, Seeyr and Wyvern as Elgar expertly Whispered into the three human leaders' ears, convincing them that aligning with the Vampires was the only sensible option and that each of them had thought of it first.

He felt a sense of satisfaction as he saw Elizabeth and Henry drawing closer to the Vampire side than the human one. Henry was quizzing Arcius as usual with the Confessor thrilled to have someone interested in the history of the Order and any number of things. The Thornes would become advocates in the times to come when parents wondered if they should let their children be turned, when they considered whether they, themselves, wanted to be turned. It would be very good for humanity to see people who were smart, thoughtful and empathetic choose immortality.

The three human commanders were not stupid, not entirely. They had recognized that Julian was the biggest threat. Not because of Julian’s growing access to his gifts, but that Julian was so likeable, so down to earth, so accessible. People were drawn to him. They wanted to be in his light or they wanted to be like him. He would be a poster boy for change. For wishing for a Second Life. After all, if it was what Julian had done, it must be good .

But despite these later triumphs, there would be tough times ahead as those whose power Daemon threatened attempted to harm him and his. The manor--a sanctuary, truly--could not be that right now. Balthazar had assumed that House Ravenscroft would still be on Earth, still be exiled, as the takeover of the planet happened, even though he had ordered everyone else to retreat to the Ever Dark.

But no longer. It was time that Eyros took his place where he belonged. The others, too. He had been waiting to do this. His strength was greatly returned to him. His Childe was by his side. It was time to return to Nightvallen.

“Ah, Balthazar, one more thing,” Daemon said and could hardly hide his smile. He was as excited to tell Balthazar as Balthazar would be to hear it.

Balthazar twisted in his seat and looked intrigued. “Yes?”

What do you have in mind, Daemon? Julian asked, his forehead scrunched as he sensed Daemon’s happiness.

Home. Home for all of us, Daemon answered as he ran a finger down that forehead to clear it.

Home… Nightvallen?! Julian looked up at him bright eyed. He searched Daemon’s face and only lightly touched his mind. Julian was getting better at this too. You want to go back there now?

He grinned. It is quite big enough for us to be alone and the others to have their fun, do you not think?

Yes! Yes, of course! Julian shook his head. The joy in him dimmed slightly. It was just the last time we were there…

I know. Daemon squeezed him closer. That’s why we must go back and make new memories.

Yes, I agree. Julian nodded. Balthazar is going to love this? He’s like a cat sitting on a hot tin roof waiting for you to tell him!

He is, Daemon said, taking in the growing excited confusion in the Eyros Vampire. Despite being able to know most anything, Eyros loved to be surprised. He loved it before.

Not only would it assuage old hurts of being excluded in this life, but Balthazar had, in the past, preferring it above even his own. Most of the Immortals had. They all had magnificent palaces in Nightvallen. It would be more than convenient to have Eyros, Seeyr, Wyvern and Kaly all in one place while they awaited the rest of the Immortals to come to their senses or reincarnate. He sent all of this information to Julian.

Bring Caemorn to experience it, too, Julian enthused, rocking a bit back on his heels. Nightvallen should be the place we tell him everything.

Yes, I agree.

With a mental command he requested Caemorn join them. There was a clatter of bony feet coming down the hallway almost immediately and Caemorn’s voice, “No, not my robes. I told you that before. Now obey me, bear. Oh, all right you can lean against me, but wait until we’re seated.”

There were smirks all around as keen Vampire ears caught Caemorn’s reproach.

“He sounds like you and Meffy,” Christian pointed out with a snicker.

Balthazar managed to look affronted even as he was smiling too. “Not in the least. Meffy is not some animated bag of bones! He is soft and sweet and--”

Caemorn’s knock cut off the rest of that paean to the black kitten in mid-sentence. Said black kitten, hearing his name, lifted his head to give a sleepy meow, but then collapsed into a soft heap as Balthazar said, “Come!”

Caemorn opened the door and he and the skeletal bear came into the room. Caemorn glided in with his usual economy of movement while the bear lumbered happily beside him. Everyone’s noses wrinkled. The bear smelled of earth and mold. Caemorn bowed to Daemon who returned it with a nod of his head.

“Gah! You brought that thing in the house, Caemorn?” Balthazar squawked, looking at the dirt tracked on the formerly pristine floors.

“You’re allowed in the house, Balthazar,” Caemorn retorted dryly.

“Touche,” Fiona chuckled, covering her mouth with one hand.

Balthazar scowled at her. “You’re laughing now, Fiona, but just wait until that thing crawls into bed with you!”

She just shook her head, beads clacks, completely unrepentant.

“That’s not a danger. He will sleep on the floor by the foot of the bed,” Caemorn informed Balthazar coolly. “I will share him with Fiona, if she likes.”

“Oh, I think I’m good with the companion I have, Caemorn.” Her eyes slid to Arcius and then she looked down at the table. “But thank you all the same.”

“You’re welcome,” Caemorn answered mildly.

Caemorn’s gaze was on Elgar, forgetting his discussion with Balthazar and Daemon’s summons for a moment, as his interest was drawn to Elgar’s Whispering. The skeletal bear leaned against his leg. He patted its head absently.

“I wanted you all here, because, as with all other Vampires, House Ravenscroft also should be moving to the Ever Dark until things are settled with the humans,” Daemon said. Immediately, all eyes were on him as he spoke with much nodding. “The manor has been found and it will be the first place the humans look again.”

“This is definitely the first group to come, but not the last,” Balthazar muttered as he stared at the FBI agent, the CIA operative and the military commander with flattened lips and narrowed eyes. “I really like the manor. It was the first place that was truly mine .”

“I know and it will be yours again, Balthazar,” Daemon promised him. “But for the moment..”

“It’s not safe? No, it’s not,” Balthazar sighed. “I see your point.”

“How long do you suppose we have until others come looking for these three and the soldiers?” Fiona asked, frowning deeply.

Her ability to teleport always made her leery of staying in one place for any length of time. Now, a safe spot was no longer safe and he knew that she would want to leave.

But she stays put with her friends, Daemon thought. She does not just go for herself.

Seeyr put a finger to her left temple. “The next wave will come in the morning even after Rajani does her magic with their superiors.”

“My magic is not very good if it gives us less than 24 hours,” Rajani replied dryly.

“On the contrary, my dear,” Seeyr said with a faint smile, “you are doing the best that can be done. And what happens next is not a hardship. It’s quite exciting.”

Her sightless gaze turned to Daemon. He knew she felt his joy.

Seeyr totally knows what’s happening, Julian mentally laughed.

Of course.

Confusion reigned in Balthazar’s mind. He had no idea what Daemon was going on about. “Well, I suppose I should find House Ravenscroft and everyone here a place to tuck in. Seeyr, you will find room for us at the Spire, won’t you?”

He clearly hadn’t considered any other place for House Ravenscroft to go. They would be stuffed somewhere, where there was space, where they could fit . He still did not understand his place .

“I am happy to give you room anywhere, Balthazar,” she said agreeably. “Though I think that the Spire is rather stuffed full, aren’t we, Arcius?”

“Oh, yes, but we’ll make room for everyone,” Arcius said agreeably, “even with all the Confessors there.”

“ Confessors ? Oh, yes, of course. All the new little recruits for your little religion ,” Balthazar groaned and leaned his head back.

Arcius frowned and said, “You are one of the Immortals, Balthazar! You should take the Order more seriously!”

“Eyros has never taken much seriously, Arcius,” Seeyr said with a laugh. “That’s part of his charm.”

“Yes, but you all are very important to all of us. Immortals. And you will need to lead the humans as well,” Arcius stated firmly. “Balthazar must not be so flippant !”

“Don’t be upset with me, old friend.” Balthazar smiled tenderly. “I will try my best for you. But you can’t blame me for dreading being among the faithful. They’re so dull .”

“But they worship you,” Christian reminded him.

Balthazar’s eyebrows lifted. “Well, there is that .”

“Don’t encourage him, Christian,” Elizabeth cautioned.

Henry dragged his gaze away from Elgar’s Whispering, and said, “I think he’s beyond that, dear. Balthazar is a walking Id.”

“You mustn’t gang up on me, Henry! Or I won’t tell you about my hundreds of years of life this time and my immortality from before!” Balthazar threatened.

“But you enjoy talking about yourself so that would harm you more than me,” Henry said with a twitch of his lips.

“Dad already knows you too well,” Christian snickered.

Balthazar kissed his cheek. “Ah, he does at that! Fine, I shall just have to do with the worship of the Confessors!”

“No worship for you. Not exactly. I have something else in mind,” Daemon said, that smile twitching his lips. “Elgar, is the first stage of the Whispering completed?”

Elgar, who had been Whispering without stopping, went quiet and nodded. “Yes, King Daemon, to make it work right I should cease now. They should sleep and I will continue next evening.”

“Are we taking them to the Ever Dark?” Rajani asked with a faint frown. “I would leave them here. I’ll have our Acolytes report on exactly where they are tomorrow for Elgar to continue his work.”

“We should leave them here,” Daemon suggested.

Balthazar groaned again. “Ah, we’ll have to empty the place of all electronics. They’re going to swarm in here and dust everything with fingerprint powder and be looking through my underwear drawers and--”

“That’s what you’re concerned about? Your underwear drawers?” Fiona’s eyebrows crept upwards.

“Some of us have more things than can fit in a handbag, Fiona!” Balthazar pointed out.

“I travel light because things are not important. It’s who you bring with you that matters,” Fiona reminded him.

“Yes, yes, that’s very touching. But I like my silk pajamas and they will be violated by human fingers so they’re lost to me,” Balthazar sighed. “And I might remind you that the Spire is going to be cramped so you’d best love being with all of us.”

“We’re not going to the Spire,” Daemon said.

Do we have to go to the library to open the gate there? Julian asked. I think they’ll all burst if they have to wait that long.

No, do you not remember how I first came to this world? Daemon asked.

Julian’s eyes widened. You’re going to just open a gate? Right--right here?

Right here.

Daemon led Julian over to the wall. He sliced open his right pointer finger with one fang. His blood welled up, rich and dark, and he traced the infinity symbol--his symbol--on the pristine wall. It glowed a deep red.

“Daemon, why are you smearing blood on the--oh, my…” Balthazar’s voice cracked as a swirling gate appeared. “Where does that… does that lead… uhm, are we…”

“We’re going home, dear,” Seeyr said as stood up, grinning from ear to ear, just as Sophia came in, kittens perched all over her. She also was carrying two bags.

“I know which room is mine!” Sophia cried happily. “And I love it, Mistress! It’s the best room!”

“Of course, my little chickadee,” Seeyr said, putting a hand unerring on Sophia’s nearest shoulder, missing a cat entirely.

“At least until we get to return here and I get my old room back,” she said with a solemn nod at Balthazar.

But Balthazar had staggered to his feet and was staring at the gate as if he couldn’t quite believe it.

“Nightvallen,” Balthazar whispered. “Tell me that…” He pointed. His arm shook. “We’re going to Nightvallen.”

“Yes, Eyros. And your home there is exactly as you left it,” Daemon told him.

“I… I can’t remember… remember it yet. But that’s all right! It’ll be like learning it all anew again!” Balthazar was smiling so broadly that he looked ready to cry. He had an arm slung over Christian’s shoulders. “You’ve been there, my darling. Is it as wonderful as they say?”

“Yes, Balthazar,” Christian told him. “It is.”

Suddenly, Balthazar blanched as he realized what had happened the last time that Christian and Julian were in Nightvallen. “Oh, Christian, I didn’t mean to--are you okay with going?”

“Of course! I look forward to this time not being chased down like a gazelle on the plains though,” Christian said with a crooked smile. “This time I’ll get to enjoy it.”

Balthazar kissed Christian firmly on the temple. “Brave boy.”

“Are we going as well?” Elizabeth asked.

“It would be for scientific inquiry,” Henry added, eyes huge behind his glasses.

“Of course, you are coming,” Daemon told them. “Everyone here is.”

Caemorn had been holding himself very stiffly by his skeleton bear, but tried to hide his relief by patting it again.

He, too, thinks he has no place, Daemon thought. He and Balthazar are so very alike.

They really are like brothers, Julian remarked, agreeing with his assessment.

“Let me just tell everyone the plan,” Balthazar said even as he looked ready to jump through the gate. “We need all of our personal effects packed and brought through. Will the gate--”

“It will stay open until the last of our people is through,” Daemon assured him.

Balthazar barely closed his eyes before he was opening them again, already having sent the commands to his people. He really was getting better at this.

“Follow after us,” Daemon said as he led a grinning Julian through the gate.

Julian gripped him rather tightly when they emerged on the other side. He glanced over at his fledgling.

“I really don’t like gate travel,” Julian admitted. “My stomach can barely handle it.”

“We shall have to settle you down then.” Daemon drew a finger down Julian’s cheek.

Julian leaned into the touch, but it was then he realized where they were. He blinked and gazed around them.

“We’re not on the road!” Julian cried.

“No, my gates lead inside the city itself, all others lead outside,” Daemon explained. “And I brought us here .”

They were right by his old tomb. Julian was gazing at the structure, remembering. He was as well. No longer was he a stone statue on that slab. No longer was he separated from everyone, starving, alone, hopeless. Julian was suddenly hugging him fiercely.

“You’ll never be alone again. I swear it,” Julian told him.

He rested his forehead against his fledgling’s. They had but a moment of just the two of them in the sepulchral silence of Nightvallen before Balthazar’s voice burst upon the scene.

“By God, it’s huge!” Balthazar crowed as he spun in a circle with Christian, gazing at the vast and ancient city of Nightvallen. Meffy, who was on his shoulder, gave out a squeak at the wild movement. He was soothed with kisses.

“You’re glad it's not quiet. It needs to be alive again,” Julian said to Daemon as they watched the other two call out the wonderful things they saw.

Or rather, Balthazar called out and Christian nodded and said, “Yes, that’s a tower. Oh, yes, that’s a dome. Oh, and that is…”

“You’re right. I want it filled with life,” Daemon said. He brought both of Julian’s hands up to his lips and kissed the backs of them repeatedly. “You know exactly what to say.”

Julian’s gaze softened. “Truthfully, it’s what I want too. When Christian and I first came here, I wondered what it would be like filled with Vampires.”

“Even with all of House Ravenscroft, Lisette’s House, and more, it will still be very empty,” Daemon said.

“Yes, but Balthazar will make up for the lack of people with the amount of noise he’s making,” Julian laughed.

They then went over to Balthazar and Christian to join in on the fun. Balthazar’s eyes were shining. His mouth was open in a wide grin as if he were going to laugh. He turned to Daemon with that wild, happy look.

“Finally, on the inside! No more an exile! I’m where I belong!” Balthazar cried then blushed. “That was quite a revealing set of statements, wasn’t it?”

Daemon clasped his left shoulder. “They were true.”

“Yes, yes, thanks to you,” Balthazar said then blushed again. “This is quite ridiculous. I’m quite ridiculous.”

“I can’t argue with that, but that’s part of your charm,” Christian said.

“As is my raging Id so I’m not sure--”

“Oh! That was… oh, I hope I’m not going to be sick,” Elizabeth said as she and Henry came through the gate next.

“Mom!”

“Elizabeth!”

Both Julian and Christian raced to her side. She waved them away as she rested her hands on her knees and breathed deeply.

“I’ll be all right just… just need a minute,” she assured the boys even as Christian rubbed her back.

“She was like this for the first 24 hours on that cruise we took,” Henry said, looking at his wife with concerned affection. But his gaze couldn’t help but swing out onto the city. His mouth dropped open. “My God, Julian, this is what your parents discovered, isn’t it?”

Julian nodded and smiled. His right hand slid into the pocket of his pants, and Daemon knew that he was touching their soul gems. “Yeah, isn’t it incredible?”

“Incredible?” Henry let out a dry laugh. “That does not even come close to describing it.” His gaze slowly trailed over the massive towers, the soaring domes, the minarets, the pyramids, and more. “No wonder they believed this was going to change the world. Knowing Vampires are real is one thing. But that still puts them in the human world. Here…” Henry just shook his head, amazed at it all.

At that moment, Fiona and Arcius arrived through the gate. They were arm in arm. Fiona’s gaze swept over the city and up to the night sky that was spangled with stars. Her lips parted.

“It’s more beautiful here, isn’t it, Arcius?” she asked. Her hands traced the lines of the buildings. “It feels more alive. I don’t know.”

Arcius nodded. He hadn’t blinked once since they arrived. Daemon knew that, to Arcius, Nightvallen was close to second to him in the man’s belief system.

“I’ve never seen anything like it,” Arcius breathed. “And we’re going to call this place home ?”

“Can you believe it?” Balthazar chuckled and elbowed Arcius.

“I see you are not worried about your underwear being fondled?” Fiona’s lips twitched.

“I told William to make sure to grab all of it,” Balthazar told her.

She just shook her head.

Seeyr and Sophia were the next two to arrive. Seeyr’s long white gown trailed behind her as she immediately glided towards his old tomb. Sophia put the bags down and followed after her, simply adorned with the other kittens. Daemon came too as Seeyr touched the doors of the tomb.

“We left you here. Alone,” Seeyr said softly.

“There was no other way,” he said, even as he had been bemoaning that fact not too long ago. But he knew it was true.

She rested her forehead against the cool marble. “I hated doing it all the same. Knowing what you were going to go through.”

“What we all went through,” he stated. “Your part has been very hard.”

“But I knew-- mostly --how it would end,” she said with a wan smile. “I truly will be able to rest here and regain my strength.”

He held her for a moment. “Yes, Seeyr, rest.”

At that moment, Rajani and Elgar appeared through the gate. Rajani’s quick and intelligent gaze took in everything with one fell swoop, or so it seemed. She was smiling in moments and nodding her head with approval.

“Now this is a place to launch an empire from,” she said simply.

Seeyr snorted softly. “For a Vampire of her age, she is truly like one of the conquerors of old.”

“Indeed, I am glad she is on our side rather than the other Kalys’,” he said.

“Yes, quite so,” Seeyr agreed.

Elgar, who really had eyes only for Eyros’ skull, did look up and his gaze fixed upon the direction of Eyros’ palace. His lips opened and trembled for a moment. There were tears in his eyes. Christian and Balthazar were immediately next to him, soothing him.

“It’s all right, Elgar!” Balthazar said as he patted his elder fledgling’s back. “I’m here. I’m safe. We’re all safe.”

“Y-yes,” Elgar said as tears trickled silently down his cheeks. “I just never thought we would return to this happy place, Master.”

Christian hugged him. “If you want, you don’t have to leave it.”

But Elgar shook his head. “I must Whisper to make sure that everywhere is a happy place.”

Finally, a figure walked through the gate. It was Caemorn. And his bear. The creature lumbered after him. But still, he seemed so alone. Daemon was not surprised when Julian immediately went up to him. Daemon took leave of Seeyr and Sophia to join them.

Caemorn’s face was curiously expressionless. But that was not because he felt nothing upon seeing Nightvallen. It was because he felt too much and was hiding it.

“It’s amazing, isn’t it?” Julian was saying to Caemorn.

Caemorn’s eyes traced the tops of the buildings. “Yes, it is. Indeed, it is more than I thought it would be. I wish to explore, but sleep tugs at me. Where will I be staying, King Daemon?”

Daemon smiled at all of them. They gathered round as they were curious about that, too.

“Will we be staying in your palace? I’m guessing it's that big one in the center,” Balthazar said, rocking back and forth on its heels.

“You all, of course, have a place there with me. But you also have your own domains here,” Daemon said.

He tilted his head back and closed his eyes. There was a flash and lightning struck nearby as he used the Horys gift to light the sacred flame on top of the Eyros Palace. He opened his eyes. All were looking at where a brazier atop a many-domed structure to the south of Daemon’s residence was now lit up by a bright yellow flame.

“That is your palace, Eyros,” Daemon said.

Balthazar’s mouth worked. “That’s--that’s huge .”

“Yes, it is,” Daemon smiled. “It suits you and you have a large Bloodline.”

Balthazar kept blinking.

Daemon brought down another lightning bolt which lit up another brazier atop another palace, but this time with a green flame. This one had lean, tall towers with air bridges connecting them. It seemed almost to float.

“Fiona, that is your palace. The Wyvern palace,” Daemon said.

Fiona put a hand to the center of her chest. “It’s beautiful. It feels…”

“Like home?” Arcius asked.

She nodded and quickly blinked back tears.

“Though you already know which one is yours, Seeyr, we must identify it for the others,” Daemon said as he brought another lightning bolt down and a brazier filled with blue flames atop a structure with many minarets and a labyrinthine maze of other buildings.

Seeyr was smiling. “I cannot wait to see inside again.”

Finally, Daemon turned towards Caemorn who was waiting with that oddly expressionless face turned towards him. He brought the lightning again, which lit a brazier atop a structure of white stone and much stained glass with sculpted towers that reached into the air as well as those that delved into the earth. The flames were orange.

“That is your palace, Caemorn. The Kaly palace,” Daemon said.

Caemorn went more rigid, if that were possible, as if he were reading between those lines. He tilted his head to the side, opened his mouth, but then shut it again. Instead, he turned to Julian.

“I am certain that you and the king will wish to be alone and enjoying yourselves, Julian, but I need your parents’ soul gems to start the process of--”

Before Caemorn could get all of the words out, Julian had taken the soul gems out of his pocket and placed them in Caemorn’s outstretched palm without hesitation. Julian then held Caemorn’s hand with the soul gems in it, which had Caemorn’s eyes widening a fraction. That was the equivalent of an emotional shout from him.

“I trust you,” Julian said with all the sincerity in the world in his voice. “I trust you, Caemorn.”

Caemorn then bowed to Julian. “I will prove you right to trust me. I will bring your parents back.”

With that, Julian let go of Caemorn’s hand and went to Daemon. Daemon curled an arm around his fledgling’s waist.

“Go, and explore everyone!” Daemon urged. “Enjoy yourselves in Nightvallen!”