“Are you thinking that the young man was herebeforeDaemon woke up?”Dani sounded horrified.
“That could be.”Daemon didn’t sound much happier about it.
“But that makes no sense.Caemorn sent Selene and Heath to follow Christian and I because they didn’t know where any gate to Nightvallen was,” Julian said, but he sounded like he was grasping at straws.
“To modern Vampires those gates’ locations were lost.But there were plenty of old Vampires and Immortals that were still around and still knew,” Kaito suggested.
“Including Kaly,” Ryder said grimly.
“There are more old ones than have returned here.They could have told our current uninvited guests about the gates,” Dani said.
“Like who?”Daemon asked.
“Like Legion,” Ryder’s voice was dark with rage. “An unknown Ever Dark city would have been the perfect place for Legion and other War Children to hide out.They could come and go as they pleased without anyone knowing.They could have set up a camp somewhere near here.”
“Why didn’t they stay in the city?”Julian asked.
“The city was locked to them.Locked to everyone.Until I opened it,” Daemon said.
“And they would have known that you were here,” Ryder said.“Asleep or not, they feared waking you.So they came in secretly and brought their acolytes with them.”
“They would not have woken me with their trespasses,” Daemon’s tone was filled with disappointment and suppressed anger.
“But could they really be here and we don't know about them?”Julian asked. “And could they survive out there with all those creatures?”
“The Ever Dark is vast and I ammostlyconnected to it now,” Daemon said.“But it will take considerable time for me to be fully myself again.”
“Oh, Daemon,” Julian murmured.
“We must find these trespassers and eliminate them, Weryn,” Daemon said.
“They’ll have gone,” Grayson said as he opened his eyes and lifted his head.He felt exhausted and warm and loved.But also determined.“Kaito, when we met, I was investigating a gate that had opened into Nightvallen.”
“Yes, Master, I remember,” Kaito said.
“I never discovered who made it or how they did it,” Grayson grimaced.
“You think they are working with the Sect of Dawn now?”Dani asked.
“I may be wrong, but I don’t think they would risk revealing themselves here like they did at the party the other night if they didn’t have a quick get away that they thought Daemon didn’t control or know about,” Grayson said.
Ryder framed his face.“We will look into this, my love.But you need to rest.”
“I need to tell you everything I remember,” Grayson said.“I’m okay now.Really, I’m fine.”
He swallowed the bitter taste of that last word.But Ryder didn’t believe him this time.And neither did Daemon.
“You need to rest, Ashyr,” Daemon said firmly even as Ryder pulled Grayson against him.“We will deal with this.”
“I’m your General–”
“You are my beloved friend,” Daemon said.He came over from the mantle where he was standing with Julian and pressed a hand on Grayson’s shoulder.“And you cannot be at your best when you are exhausted.You have done enough for now.Rest.We will take care of it.”
Grayson slumped.Had his recent past weakened him?Maybe he needed to resolve it.Maybe that was the only way he’d be free.
Rest
Two weeks later…
