“Not anymore,” Ryder said into Grayson’s hair. “It’s over. And you’re here.”
Grayson hugged him fiercely. “It’s over. And I will never leave you again.”
HOLDING BACK
Grayson stared at himself in the mirror of his bathroom. He looked pale. There were faint dark circles under his eyes. There was a hollowness to his cheeks that hadn’t been there before. His jeans hung a little looser on him too. He untucked the black button-down shirt and adjusted his belt one notch tighter. Maybe no one would notice. Maybe if he just ate a little more he’d regain the mass that he’d lost. But the thought of food had no allure for him. When he closed his eyes and thought of eating he saw blood. Oceans of it.
I need to be turned.
The moment he thought this was the moment he turned away from his own reflection. His stomach started fluttering and his palms grew sweaty. His breathing even sped up a bit and his heart thumped heavily in his chest as if trying to escape his body. It was as if he were having a panic attack.
Which was ridiculous!
The Immortal Ashyr did not have panic attacks. Certainly not about something as natural and normal as being turned. Or that would have been the case if he could just make a decision as to what Bloodline and what Master he would take.
But he didn't have to make a decision.
Yet.
Not yet.
But soon.
The Sect of Dawn had not yet been destroyed. They’d been shattered quite a bit with the loss of Legion and Shaela along with one of the Roans, but there were plenty of Roans out there and his ability to find the structures was crucial. He’d located half a dozen more. Not in the students, but in Acolytes that had been brought into Nightvallen just that afternoon.
Balthazar had almost used his ability upon them to scan their minds, but Grayson had stepped in at the last moment. He’d thrown out an arm.
“No! Don’t!” Grayson growled.
There were an even number of men and women before him. All of them had turned at the high-pitched alarm in his voice. He wasn’t surprised at the ones whose heartbeats had tripled in rhythm. For they were the traitors.
“Those six. Him, her, them, her, him, him, them,” Grayson pointed out. “They are Sect.”
Sana and other Wyvern immediately appeared beside those who were identified and they were whisked away to the Kaly Palace. The other Acolytes were shaken. They were looking around at one another with wide eyes and parted lips. But then Balthazar had sent a wave of calm among them, plucking out that most recent memory. There were all smiles again. They had just arrived. No one had been whisked away.
“Welcome to the Ever Dark. Welcome to the Vampire King’s city of Nightvallen,” Balthazar intoned.
The group–now a dozen down–were eager to follow the Vampires that guided them from the south gate to the various Bloodlines who needed extra Acolytes to feed their growing presences. Weryn really needed more and even his small Ashyr Bloodline needed a few.
“How many more are there?” Balthazar muttered.
“They know your taste in Acolytes, Balthazar,” Dani said.
“Oh, no, dear Dani, I didn’t choose these. There is now an application process and a list. Another goddamned list. That’s where I got them,” Balthazar said. “I have no time to go out trolling for Acolytes these days.”
“Maybe you should make the time,” Grayson said.
Balthazar lifted an eyebrow. “You think we’re that compromised?”
“Dani might have been wrong about you choosing those Acolytes, but someone clearly knows our processes and has infiltrated them,” Grayson pointed out. “We should break the cycles that they are expecting.”
“Yes, but the Blood Pact says we need to keep to the lists,” Balthazar said and muttered “goddamned lists” again.
“Could the Sect be working with humanity?” Dani asked. “I mean those in the human world who feel we are a threat?”
“There’s no one–not even those on our side–who don’t think we’re a threat, Dani,” Balthazar said. “It’s all smiles, but they know we are walking on a knife's edge. Stray an inch out of line and they’ll take it as an excuse to crack down on us more.”
“Well, I can keep checking for structures,” Grayson said, trying to hide the welling of exhaustion that thought added to his already growing desire to sleep.
