Page 69 of Ever Dark Academy: Vol. 1

“The Eyros’ power makes them seem… more alien from humans than the rest of us,” Ryder admitted.

“They’re power is more personal. More what a human would fear from a Vampire,” Demos said with a grunt. “You see that Night Hag twirling and you know that’s not her nature. So if they can do that to her, what can the Eyros do to you?”

Grayson slowly nodded.

Mairead jumped up and down, clapping her hands excitedly, as if she were seeing her favorite sports team in action. The other students were not as outwardly enthusiastic, but there were many speculative glances at the Eyros Vampires as they calmly walked by with their monstrous charges. How many of the students now wished to become an Eyros?

“This parade wasn’t stupid,” Demos grunted as he looked at the back of Tarn and Farun frolicking amongst the Eyros and the creatures.

“No, it wasn’t,” Ryder agreed, and felt a fool for the second time that night.

The parade had allowed the Bloodlines to show off, to engender interest. Perhaps someone had come wanting to be a Wyvern in order to travel the globe with a thought, but maybe after seeing the Horys’ control of nature they would rather have the ability to strike their enemies down with lightning or cause the earth to shake with thunder. How many had written off the Mirryr only to see that the ability to become anyone at any time, to shift to fit one’s environment, to be whatever and whoever was on top, was damned powerful? And who had seen the ability of the Weryn to become truly one with nature and wanted that as well?

“That was brilliant! Wasn’t it, Eiji-sama?” Mairead breathed, one hand over her heart.

“Indeed. There are only two Bloodlines left. I thought that Lord Ravenscroft would put his own Bloodline last, but evidently not,” Eiji murmured.

“Oh! Oh! Look! There’s someone there!” Mairead pointed down from where the werewolves had appeared.

A single man, dressed in a long crimson coat that hung to his knees stood in the center of the road. His head was lowered so they could only see his fine, white hair. His legs were spread shoulder’s length apart and he had a black walking stick that he had sunk the tip of into the road before him.

Caemorn, Ryder realized, recognizing Lord Caemorn Losus, the Immortal Kaly.

What appeared to be thick white mist surged between Caemorn’s legs and started to flow over the stones towards them. It was so thick and overwhelming that Ryder lost sight of him.

Then the mist looked at Ryder.

Ryder reared back in shock as a ghostly face stared into his own.

“This isn’t mist!” Ryder growled.

“It’s spirits!” Grayson sounded strangled.

Ryder thrust Grayson behind him, keeping their bodies touching as the spirits swirled among them. Aching cold seemed to seep into Ryder’s bones as the spirits caressed his skin. Grayson let out a gasp and Ryder wrapped his arms around the young man. Grayson thrust his face against Ryder’s chest and breathed hard.

“It is all right,” Ryder said as he stroked Grayson’s back, trying to soothe both of them.

“I can feel them,” Grayson said against his shirt. “I can feel them!”

Ryder wished he had a coat to cover Grayson in and keep him from the wispy fingers of the spirits. He looked over at his Blood Brother. Perhaps Demos would give up his coat.

Demos stood very still as a female spirit with a haggard face tried to speak to him, but no words came. That she was suffering was clear. Demos swallowed hard, but averted his eyes from her. The request for his coat died in Ryder’s throat.

“God, I think that was my gram!” Mairead choked out.

“Do not worry. The Kaly would not bring the spirits of people we know,” Eiji cautioned. The Japanese man’s expression though was hard.

Suddenly, there were glowing lights just above head high from where the single figure in red had stood. The spirits were suddenly being drawn away from them. The mist retreated, being sucked into the glowing lights. As the spirits disappeared, Ryder realized what was happening. The lights were soul gems held in Kaly Vampire hands. The spirits were being imprisoned within them.

When all the spirits were gone, Caemorn no longer stood alone, but was surrounded by a dozen Kaly Vampires. All of them, no matter what race, all took on the white hair and solemn aspect of that Bloodline. They slowly lowered their glittering soul gems, now filled with spirits, to their sides.

But they were not done yet. The show continued.

There was a clacking sound as a hundred skeletons, not just human, but some recognizable animals like bear or wolves or deer, but others clearly of the Ever Dark variety, marched out of the graveyard that was the Kaly Palace’s front yard. This skeletal army followed the Kaly Vampires who sauntered ahead of them with Caemorn in their lead.

The only sound other than the clicking of bones was that of Caemorn’s walking stick hitting the stones. The crowd was silent. People looked on with huge eyes and pale faces. Some covered their mouths with their hands as if to hold a scream in as the Kaly Vampires swept by in their stately procession.

Truly the Kaly need no introduction nor does their Immortal, my good friend and co-headmaster of the academy, Lord Caemorn Losus! Balthazar flung his right hand towards the Kaly Vampires.

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