Ryder curled his hands over his thighs as the urge to put his nose in the crook of Grayson’s neck and breathe him in nearly overwhelmed him.But Weryn was not done.Better yet, Weryn wanted to be sniffing Graysonandmarking him with his own scent at the same time.Perhaps holding Grayson on his lap?Wrapping his arms around Grayson?Even kissing his pale skin?Dragging his tongue along Grayson’s pale throat…
Grayson’s cool eyes turned towards him and Ryder quickly lowered his head.
“Is everything all right?”Grayson asked.
“Everything is fine,” Ryder’s voice was more of a growl than anything else.“Weryn is just… nearer the surface than usual.”
Grayson reached over and threaded their nearest hands together.“You have shown great restraint.Thank you for that.I know it wasn’t easy.If our positions were reversed, I don’t think I could have done half as well.”
“You do everything well.I am just trying to keep it together.”
Ryder resisted the urge to laugh.Yes, that had all been hard, but the desire to drink from Grayson was his problem now.
Perhaps he looks at the blood-wine and thinks of drinking from us,Weryn offered.
Stop that,Ryder firmly told himself.
Why?Are you so shy as to not wish the others to see he is ours?Weryn challenged.Balthazar has the Eyros giftandthe Kaly gift.Imagine Ashyr being able to shift like we do.What would his first form be?
A raven,Ryder answered without thought.He is a being made of the air, not bound by the earth.And he is wise, too.Watching everything from above.
Yes, yes, I see it, too.But if he drinks from us, he may have other forms, too,Weryn said.
Ryder paused and asked,Is that possible?I’ve only heard of Children of Weryn having one form.But perhaps that is not true.Does–does Legion have multiple forms?
Legion’s form was useless outside of the Ever Dark,Weryn scoffed.
Why?Ryder asked.
Ashyr should be a raven and a fox and a…Weryn’s voice drifted away.
Ryder tried not to curse it.This wasn’t truly another person he was speaking to.It was himself.It was his own memories.Even memories of this life could stay out of reach if he chased them too hard.He imagined it was more so the case if he chased his ones as Weryn.
And then there is the possibility that I will be lost if I do catch them all,Ryder reminded himself.
“Did you not notice that it was a Kaly-Eyros weave that created the structure?”Caemorn asked, drawing him out of his thoughts.
Balthazar blinked.“Ah, I–well, I–it was so quick that–”
“He didn’t notice,” Christian said with a wry smile.
“Okay, no!I didn’t!I just realized that I could pull the end and have it unravel with no danger to anyone.”Balthazar shrugged, but still looked awfully pleased with himself.
Caemorn nodded.“The thrill of discovery.I know it well.”Of course, his voice was as cool and blanched of emotion as always when he said this.“I fear that Ryder is not the only one who may have someone from the past eager to get revenge upon us.”
Balthazar’s brow furrowed.“Are you saying you haveanotherChilde in the Bloodline?I thought Christian and I were the only ones… well, the only onesleft.”
Caemorn was very still as he stared hard into the fire.He spoke very softly as he said, “Not a Childe.”
Balthazar’s frown grew.“Not a Childe so a Grandchilde or–”
“No,” Caemorn cut Balthazar off.He pinched the top of his nose before turning to face them all.“I believed I had retrieved all the slices of myself.”
“Yes, you brought them all back months ago,” Christian said, though he was sitting up more alertly on the couch.
Caemorn’s silver eyes were shadowed.“Yes, but there is one, at least one, that is…missing.I thought it was one that I simply did not wish to confront considering…”
Balthazar stared at him in confusion, but Ryder so that confusion turn to shock then horror.Then the Eyros Vampire shot to his feet.
