Page 54 of Ever Dark Academy: Vol. 1

“Meaning that sometimes the cost of knowing is often too high,” she answered.

“That sounds bad.” He stopped, intent on finding Ryder at that moment to warn him.

But Seeyr tugged him forward gently. “I know you believe you’re here to solve that particular problem.”

“Because I am. They killed my friend. They killed an innocent old man for nothing!” Grayson’s voice rose, which had Meffy meowing sadly. He patted the cat as he said more softly, “They’re evil. I think they are truly evil.”

“Some of them are, yes. But some of them are just trying to hold onto what they’ve always known and their place within that known universe,” she answered, not seemingly disturbed by his anger. “But things are changing. And change is hard for everyone.”

He licked his lips. “You said that I think I’m here for the Sect, meaning that I’m wrong about that. If that’s true then what am I here for?”

She patted his arm gently as they left the orchard and entered the raucous square. Her words were nearly drowned out by the raised voices, but he thought she said, “You’re here, because you belong.”

UNWANTED MEETING

Ryder shifted the cloak over his broad, bare shoulders as he surveyed the Weryn who would accompany him in the parade. All of them wore cloaks, too, and nothing else. They would be shifting after all and why destroy good clothing? The cloaks were long, brushing the tops of certain people’s feet, but the hem only came to mid-calf on Ryder. He flexed his bare toes on the grass sward, relishing the coolness of the earth underneath his feet.

His gaze only swung towards the unlit Weryn Palace once. It was a beautiful structure with its deep wrap-around porch, gracious covered balconies and occasional tower spearing the sky.

Huge trees with wide, spreading branches and thick roots shrouded most of the palace from view. Ryder imagined that if he ever stood on one of the palace’s balconies that it would seem like he was living in the trees. In fact, the path up to the front entrance of the palace was lined with these same trees whose branches reached up above him, nearly fifty feet high, and formed an almost arched roof over the pathway.

Silvery balls of light, similar to the mysterious glowing balls on Earth that showed up on abandoned mountains or in deep marshes, appeared between the trees and bobbed lazily over the path. Some of them were so near the palace that he could see a bit of the rooms beyond the mostly shaded windows.

When he had flown over it in bird form, he had found that like the building they were in now, there were vast courtyards and gardens in the Weryn Palace. He had been tempted to land in one of them that had a brightly trickling stream that he could see between the deep, dark trees. But he’d stopped himself at the last moment as electricity had raced through his feathers when he’d dropped down. It almost felt like he was about to shift. But the sensation had been deeper as if some part of him would change forever and never go back to how it had been. He’d avoided the palace after that.

But seeing its darkened entrance now, his heart contracted in his chest. If he truly was Weryn, shouldn't the palace welcome him and open up as it had for Caemorn and Balthazar, along with the other Immortals? Or did it require something more?

The palace opens for the Immortal only after the Immortal opens himself to the palace, a voice that sounded like King Daemon’s whispered in his mind.

His head jerked up as he scanned the crowd for the Vampire King, but Daemon was still in his own palace where the parade would end up that night for the opening ceremonies. Perhaps Ryder had imagined that voice. Or maybe it really was the Vampire King. He didn’t know which was the better thought.

“Everything is in order,” Demos said, stepping up to him. “Smaller shifters in front, followed by the wolves, then big cats and finally the bears, great apes and others. The bird shifters are scattered throughout like you wanted. You haven’t said which form you’re going to take, Ryder.”

“Not sure yet. Maybe bear so that I make sure all get out before me, or bird so I can oversee everything,” Ryder said, still debating the merits of both forms. “Maybe both.”

Ryder was pleased to note that the Weryn looked excited to be there. Without Lawson present to dampen down their natural enthusiasm, Ryder saw that his people were just as interested in the human students--and the other Vampires--as everyone else.

There was no denying that there was a buzz of electricity in the air from being around so many powerful Vampires. Some of the excitement was actually suppressed aggression that came from predators not being terribly fond of being so close to one another. But there was also a surprising sense of comrarderie. Ryder had felt that it was more pronounced in the Weryn overall, but he was seeing it even with the highly individual Kaly.

Regardless of race or sex, most of the Kaly had silvery-white hair. They wore all black so that their heads appeared to glow in the ghostly light of the monstrous Kaly Palace. None knew what the other Bloodlines were going to bring to the parade, but considering the Kaly were masters of controlling the dead, he fully expected dancing skeletons or something equally macabre. But whatever they were doing, they were doing it together. Vampires were seeing other Vampires as “us”. Or perhaps as “pack.”

That should have pleased Ryder, but it just made him feel uneasy and conspicuous. Were the Weryn the only Bloodline with reservations about this school? Were the Weryn being left behind in history’s dust as the other Bloodlines embraced the future? Were either completely right to be doing what they were doing?

“I should ask what’s with the glum expression, but maybe you already know what I’m about to say,” Demos gruned.

Convinced that Demos was going to tease him about Grayson again, Ryder said, “Grayson is supposed to be ingratiating himself with the other students to find out who might be in the Sect or, at least, working with them. I don’t expect to see much of him tonight.”

And he tried not to be disappointed by this fact, but he was not altogether successful.

Demos frowned and lowered his voice, “No, I wish that was what I was going to say, though, in a way, I’m glad to hear that Grayson will be scarce around you tonight. Natasha convinced Lawson to come to the parade.”

The skin prickled between Ryder’s shoulder blades at that same moment as he felt and smelled their Master behind him. It took all of his will power not to spin around and find out exactly where Lawson was. His heart began to beat faster in his chest.

Does your blood run pure, Grayson?

All the saliva in his mouth dried up. He had hoped--no, he had prayed--that Lawson would keep to the Weryn quarters drinking and carousing with the Bloodline, ignoring everything else, before leaving the next day. He had convinced himself that there was little chance for Lawson to even see Grayson, let alone realize the young man’s importance. But Lawson was here and…

Grayson is here.

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