ironically enough.
The
monastery had an oddly empty feel with Vasilije gone. Even with four other Sons,
Kali, and Sasa still there, the place felt incomplete. Terek found Sasa alone
behind his desk, like she was waiting for him to return and reclaim his place
in what had become their home.
"Can't
sleep? Have you heard anything?"
Terek
knew if anything had happened, good or bad, and Sasa had heard, he would have
too, but the sadness he saw in her face told him she could use a friend at that
moment.
"No.
But Solenne called to let me know Saint has gone to help him."
"He'll
be back soon, Sasa."
She
sighed as if she had the weight of the world on her shoulders. "I hope
so."
He
hesitated to ask if she needed blood, not wanting to intrude, but Sasa was
still a young vampire. She may be fine without her sire's blood for a short
time, but that didn't mean she could survive long without any blood.
"Do
you need anything?"
Sasa
smiled sweetly, as if she knew his thoughts. "Thank you, Terek. You don't
have to worry. I sense you're very concerned. I'm fine. I have our home and
everything I need is here."
Hesitating,
he asked, "And blood?"
"Thank
you, but Thane has been kind enough to offer and since he's here all the
time..." Sasa's voice trailed off and Terek sensed a twinge of guilt when
she looked away. Very gently, he entered her mind to listen to her thoughts,
but they were all of Vasilije.
"Let
me know if you need anything, Sasa. I'm never too far away."
"Thanks.
I think everyone's downstairs this morning. Seems no one can sleep."
Terek
made his way to the cellar hoping he'd find lighter hearts to cheer his up.
Sasa reminded him too much of Ilona, so in addition to his concern about
Vasilije, his problems with his own vampire were never far from his mind. For
once, he hoped he could count on Dante to be his usual self.
The
rest of the monastery's inhabitants sat around Thane and Ramiel's table, and
Terek saw in an instant something had changed since he'd last visited them.
Then they'd been sour-faced and miserable, but now their faces were brighter
and everyone was smiling, even Ramiel.
"Terek!
Our long lost Son! Come in and join us," Dante yelled across the room.
Everyone
turned to face him as he sat down at the far end of the table. Terek wondered
what the change that had come over them was about, but he didn't have to wait
long to find out. As he watched, Thane and Sion excitedly shuffled papers,
books, and scrolls.
"We
had another breakthrough. Actually, we've had a few small ones since Kali came,
but this one's much more," Thane said with a smile that reached from ear
to ear.
"More
than what you told us after Saint and Solenne's wedding?"
"Much
more," Thane answered.
This
was exactly the good news Terek needed. Finally, something to break through the
darkness that had settled over his world.
"Well?
Don't keep the good news to yourselves. Let me in on the celebration,"
Terek joked.
"Before
I get into the meat of it, remember the eight sons of Macaria and Navarus? Do
you know their stories?" Thane asked in an almost professorial tone.
Terek
thought about what he'd learned of the original Sons and nodded. "Vaguely.
Do I need a history lesson to enjoy the good news?"
"It
will help," Ramiel said. "This gets pretty thick."
Thane
stood and began to summarize the lore of those first eight who formed the Sons
of Navarus. "The oldest son was named Deimos. He's interesting because
while all the other children of Navarus and Macaria have their own children, he
has none. Pretty violent guy, as far as we know."
"Why
didn't he have any children?" Terek asked.
"You
can't very well have women giving birth to your children when you kill them
all. He had a habit of killing the women who could've given him more
vampires."
"Nice,"
Terek mumbled, wondering if the Archons were related to him.
"Yeah,
he's a real charmer, isn't he?" Dante said at the other end of the table.
"Okay,
but let's move on," Thane continued as he
The
monastery had an oddly empty feel with Vasilije gone. Even with four other Sons,
Kali, and Sasa still there, the place felt incomplete. Terek found Sasa alone
behind his desk, like she was waiting for him to return and reclaim his place
in what had become their home.
"Can't
sleep? Have you heard anything?"
Terek
knew if anything had happened, good or bad, and Sasa had heard, he would have
too, but the sadness he saw in her face told him she could use a friend at that
moment.
"No.
But Solenne called to let me know Saint has gone to help him."
"He'll
be back soon, Sasa."
She
sighed as if she had the weight of the world on her shoulders. "I hope
so."
He
hesitated to ask if she needed blood, not wanting to intrude, but Sasa was
still a young vampire. She may be fine without her sire's blood for a short
time, but that didn't mean she could survive long without any blood.
"Do
you need anything?"
Sasa
smiled sweetly, as if she knew his thoughts. "Thank you, Terek. You don't
have to worry. I sense you're very concerned. I'm fine. I have our home and
everything I need is here."
Hesitating,
he asked, "And blood?"
"Thank
you, but Thane has been kind enough to offer and since he's here all the
time..." Sasa's voice trailed off and Terek sensed a twinge of guilt when
she looked away. Very gently, he entered her mind to listen to her thoughts,
but they were all of Vasilije.
"Let
me know if you need anything, Sasa. I'm never too far away."
"Thanks.
I think everyone's downstairs this morning. Seems no one can sleep."
Terek
made his way to the cellar hoping he'd find lighter hearts to cheer his up.
Sasa reminded him too much of Ilona, so in addition to his concern about
Vasilije, his problems with his own vampire were never far from his mind. For
once, he hoped he could count on Dante to be his usual self.
The
rest of the monastery's inhabitants sat around Thane and Ramiel's table, and
Terek saw in an instant something had changed since he'd last visited them.
Then they'd been sour-faced and miserable, but now their faces were brighter
and everyone was smiling, even Ramiel.
"Terek!
Our long lost Son! Come in and join us," Dante yelled across the room.
Everyone
turned to face him as he sat down at the far end of the table. Terek wondered
what the change that had come over them was about, but he didn't have to wait
long to find out. As he watched, Thane and Sion excitedly shuffled papers,
books, and scrolls.
"We
had another breakthrough. Actually, we've had a few small ones since Kali came,
but this one's much more," Thane said with a smile that reached from ear
to ear.
"More
than what you told us after Saint and Solenne's wedding?"
"Much
more," Thane answered.
This
was exactly the good news Terek needed. Finally, something to break through the
darkness that had settled over his world.
"Well?
Don't keep the good news to yourselves. Let me in on the celebration,"
Terek joked.
"Before
I get into the meat of it, remember the eight sons of Macaria and Navarus? Do
you know their stories?" Thane asked in an almost professorial tone.
Terek
thought about what he'd learned of the original Sons and nodded. "Vaguely.
Do I need a history lesson to enjoy the good news?"
"It
will help," Ramiel said. "This gets pretty thick."
Thane
stood and began to summarize the lore of those first eight who formed the Sons
of Navarus. "The oldest son was named Deimos. He's interesting because
while all the other children of Navarus and Macaria have their own children, he
has none. Pretty violent guy, as far as we know."
"Why
didn't he have any children?" Terek asked.
"You
can't very well have women giving birth to your children when you kill them
all. He had a habit of killing the women who could've given him more
vampires."
"Nice,"
Terek mumbled, wondering if the Archons were related to him.
"Yeah,
he's a real charmer, isn't he?" Dante said at the other end of the table.
"Okay,
but let's move on," Thane continued as he
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