Page 24 of Ever Dark Academy: Volume 6

“No, I’m here because I couldn’t understand how a human could continue to thwart us from the moment we encountered you first in a shop then in a church then at the Mirryr party then on the beach, and there were a few more instances besides that,” she laughed bitterly. “You escaped us each and every time. But no one is that lucky.”

“I had a lot of help,” Grayson said, which was true, but not the whole truth.

Grayson felt dread beginning to build in him. The flame of his power in his chest was small. A little larger than it had been in the Ever Dark since now that he was here it wasn’t trying to siphon parts of his power to his palace. Yet he was still weak. Weaker than he’d been when he’d worked in the shop. Weaker than at the church. Much weaker than when he’d slammed his stepfather against the wall. He had a ridiculous urge to go see the wall. His mother had preserved everything else, he could well imagine that she’d kept the bashed in wall and bloodstains.

“The Sect is just a bunch of people with no future,” Ryder pointed out, cracking the knuckles of his big hands. “Not the best and the brightest. Just the dregs of the War. Like you.”

“I wouldn’t do that,” she said just as Fiona was just about to lunge and grab her.

“Why not?” Fiona asked, her silver eyes glowing. She was literally an inch from the woman’s back. Her hands traveled millimeters from the woman’s skin. “I don’t even have to touch you to take you.”

“Indeed not, Wyvern. But if you take me anywhere I don’t want to go then this woman’s soul will be lost to you forever,” she answered.

Grayson gasped. “Kaly.”

Of course! That was what was wrong! The body was right. The face was right. The voice was semi-right. The movements were passable. But the soul–the soul that could be seen in the eyes–was wrong.

What has he done to my mother’s soul?

A cruel smile lifted the woman’s lips. “Not quite. Roan. I prefer that name because it is me and I am it. Like I said though, who I am is really not the question here.”

“You put a slice of your soul in a human body? A mortal one?” Charlie looked at Roan as if she were something unpleasant he’d stepped in.

“What does it matter?” Roan cocked her head to the side. “That it is easier to break this body, I suppose you mean. But so what?” She lifted her right hand as she shrugged. “Every body–Vampire, human or Immortal–is breakable. It’s just the amount of force that has to be used.”

“But the soul is eternal,” Grayson muttered.

A nod. “Yes. You understand. Death is not the end. Not even an end.”

“Why are you here?” Grayson asked. “Why have you done this? She’s nothing to you. She’s nothing to anyone important in the Vampire world.”

“But she’s someone to you,” Roan qualified.

Grayson could argue that she wasn’t. But he was here so that played against any argument he could make. Actions spoke louder than oceans of words. But there were multiple meanings that could be taken from his actions. They weren’t clear as glass. So he could lie–or tell the truth–that even if his mother mattered to him, he could not put her above his duty to his king. Yet his father was here. Listening. He would be devastated to know that Grayson could just give her up to an enemy like that.

I can’t allow what he’ll think of me to alter what I do. My duty compels me.

His hands shook and he suddenly swallowed acidic bile that filled his throat.

“And what does that matter?” Grayson deflected. “I’m just a student–”

“No, you are not!” Roan cut in and her eyes narrowed in barely suppressed rage.

“Is it because of me that you’re here?” Ryder’s voice was low, dangerous.

In the distance, Grayson thought he heard a howl as if nearby wolves knew their master was here.

“You?” Roan sniffed. “You were Legion’s obsession. Not mine.”

“You trapped me in a soul gem. I owe you for that,” Ryder growled.

“You slaughtered so many of your brothers and sisters, I’m sure that they owe you for that,” Roan said dismissively. “Besides, what can you do to me? Kill this body? Kill Grayson’s mother?”

“Caemorn could bring her back,” Grayson said simply.

But Roan shook her head. “The Harrows are special and had a very special reason to come back as they once were. Julian didn’t spring to life from out of nowhere and his need for them was quite extraordinary.”

“You made dozens of Roans like there was a copy-machine out there. You think Caemorn couldn’t make one woman? You’re wrong,” Grayson said.