“Because he told me about a dream he had, and I’m not sure it was a dream. I believe he was in the Veil.” He looked pointedly between me and King. “Your Dreamveil.”
“How is that possible?” King asked. “We’ve never seen vampires in there.”
“No, you wouldn’t have.” Lysandro licked his lips. “I think we should all move into the living room and get comfortable. This might be a long night.”
We all exchanged worried glances, and I saw King’s grandparents whispering quietly between them as they moved into the other room. King inherited his dreamwalking from Lee, and Rosie had been his tether, so I wondered if they’d ever seen vampires in the Veil.
King pulled me onto his lap on one side of the couch, leaving room for others, and I leaned into his solid strength. I didn’t have a good feeling about this. Stevie must’ve felt the same way because he and his friend—possible girlfriend—Trixie hovered behind us.
Cassi sat on the floor in front of us, pulling Carli between her legs, and Booker sat next to us, looking a little shell-shocked being here. I wasn’t sure if it was because our little motley crew had grown so much or if it was all the power crackling in the room from the various magic users.
Lysandro paced the floor, like he was collecting his thoughts, then stopped. “I’d planned to take tonight to spend time in the library and with my—well, never mind that, but when I stopped at Ego’s to give him blood, he was still asleep. I’m not sure how much any of you know, but a vampire’s sleep is ruled by the rising and setting of the sun.”
Jetty put a hand up in the air. “But you’re always out and about.”
“With your trusty umbrella,” Chance added with a grin.
Lysandro smiled. “Well, I’m very old.”
“He’s actually ancient,” a cute teenager said as he strolled into the room. He had lanky blond hair and strode straight to Lysandro.
“Where did you come from?” the old vamp asked.
“I let him in,” Harry said, reappearing where he’d been next to Buck.
“But why are you here?” Lysandro asked, sounding dumbfounded.
The kid grabbed his arm. “Because you were supposed to come for your feeding tonight, and then you didn’t, and I saw the old tomes you’ve been reading. I know you’re worried about Ego.”
King tensed next to me. “Old tomes?” he asked.
Lysandro huffed and pointed a finger at a vacant chair. The kid grinned and walked over and sat down. “Everyone, that’s my…friend, Benji.”
The kid waved. “And so none of you freak out like Scotty did, I’m twenty-seven.”
I noticed that I wasn’t the only person in the room whose mouth dropped open. He didn’t look a day over sixteen. Lysandro clucked his tongue. “Anyway, as I was saying, I borrowed tomes from Malcolm, King. My apologies, Lorewarden, that I went to him without you present, but with your proximity to Sky, I didn’t want to alarm any of you until I knew more.”
King cleared his throat. “No apologies necessary. I’m more like the Lorewarden in training.”
Worried about my cousin, my impatience came through as I asked, “But what did you need to know? Is something wrong with my cousin?”
“And what about the Dreamveil?” Rosie asked with concern. “My Lee and I never saw vampires there in all our years or on any of our travels.”
Lysandro tugged at the collar of his shirt. “Yes, well, that makes sense. I’m embarrassed it took me this long to piece things together, but my sire and I were always in close proximity until her passing, so we never had to use alternate methods of communication. You see, there’s a space within the Veil where vampires roam. They’re outside of the dreams of humans, but a pocket where Makers can speak with their children during sleep.”
My mind ran a mile a minute trying to connect the dots. “So you think the asshole who attacked my cousin and turned him without his consent is what? Trying to reach him in his sleep?”
Lysandro gave one sharp nod.
“Well, screw him. Ego won’t want anything to do with him. He figured out how to get by this long, so he’ll probably tell him to go kick rocks.”
Lysandro rubbed a hand down his face. “If only it was that easy. A fledgling’s Master can communicate with him in the Veil, but he can also cross him over to where he is, and his body will follow.”
I started to jump up, ready to get in my car and go to Ego, but King brought me back into his chest. “How is that possible?”
“That’s what I was researching. As I’ve told you, it’s not an experience I’ve ever had, so I wasn’t actually sure of the mechanics of it all. And while a vampire isn’t a spirit like Harry or the others, their body will basically transport when a fledgling answers the call of their sire.”
“So what are you saying to us?” Elyse asked. Chance’s mom had grown fond of Ego while he was here, but even more so after he’d left on tour and had video-called every chance he got for more information on being a sound witch and to meditate. I thought she’d probably talked to him more than I did before he just disappeared.
