Page 20 of Ever Dark Academy, Vol. 7

“WHAT?!” Balthazar’s voice went into an upper octave, likely more the domain of dogs. “How can that be good?”

“Because I remember sending him back to his body.” Caemorn’s forehead furrowed as he concentrated intensely. “Yes, he was in… Lasting.”

“Grayson in Lasting? You think they’re in Lasting now? We should go there–”

“No, not now. When I was dead. During the War,” Caemorn answered.

Balthazar let out a sound that was a mixture of a gasp and a cry. “Oh, could that be? Are you saying that they went back in time? What Bloodline has the ability to time travel? Oh…”

“What, Balthazar?” Caemorn’s eyes went sharp with inquisitiveness.

“I… I think… I don’t know. I just remembered for a second talking to Fiona about it. Telling her I was jealous that her gift was so powerful and then… then someone told me that I had the Kaly and Eyros gift in the future,” Balthazar said with a tone of wonder. “Oh, dear gods, they did go back in the past! They’re in Destiny and I’m being a prat!”

“Ah, I do not understand–”

“Caemorn!” It was Balthazar’s turn to grab the other man. “Caemorn, they’re in Destiny with me and I don’t want to die, but more importantly… more importantly… Elgar.”

Caemorn’s silver eyes were blank at first, but then filled with understanding. “Ah.”

“Yes. Ah. My fate was to die. Pretty gruesomely. But I knew I’d be coming back. Elgar would come back too, but only after staying in the goddamned dirt the entire time. With worms eating us both. Starving. Going mad. Losing himself.” Balthazar’s voice was filled with grief and self-loathing. He ripped at his clothing as if it were his flesh. “He’s the way he is now because of me. And while you may be right that as Immortals we take care of each other and ourselves, my sole duty was to take care of him. Elgar is my Childe. I don’t know how I could ever let that happen to him. But I do.”

“Because you had no choice,” Caemorn said. “In the end, there will be no choice for you. Because if there were, you would make a different decision. But since you did not then it means that you could not.”

Caemorn drew Balthazar into an embrace. Elgar could feel how tight it was. How warm. How loving. How safe Balthazar felt. And he did not feel alone. Not anymore. Not like he did now…

He did now…

Balthazar was Eyros reborn.

Elgar remembered Mirryr’s question to him, Elgar, if you knew that Eyros would be happier than he could ever be if he went through this thing, what would you give?

Anything.

Everything.

“Elgar!” Balthazar’s voice was filled with such love and sadness mixed.

“Yes, Master, I am here,” Elgar tried to say, but while it was his voice–slightly more diffident and stilted, but still his–it didn’t come from him. It came from within the room Caemorn and Balthazar were in.

“Dear boy, what have you got on your chest there?” Balthazar laughed, even as he wiped tears away from his face quickly, likely so that Elgar did not see them. “What on earth–”

“It is the beginning of a special tattoo. It is your skull, Master, within the Eyros symbol and surrounded by roses. A combination of Kaly and Eyros,” the Elgar in the room answered.

Elgar recognized himself though he was thinner than he should be. Lanky more than muscular. And he could see that as his future self, he supposed that was, had no shirt on, but only a pair of very baggy trousers, no socks or shoes either. His long black hair hung over his shoulders. It was glossy with health and there was a tint of pink in his cheeks. His silver eyes were bright too. He was clearly proud of the tattoo that his fingers followed the outline of.

“Demos is the artist. He does all of Ryder’s tattoos. Is it not beautiful? It will be more so when it is complete,” Elgar said with more of that evident pride.

Balthazar went closer to him and reached over to touch the tattoo. “It is lovely. Demos is a skilled artist indeed. If the, ah, skull is now inked on your chest, will you still need the real one to carry?”

“Not all the time. Only on special occasions,” Elgar told him a little uncertainly.

“Ah, well, that’s good. Very good. It’s in the skull box that Caemorn gave you?” Balthazar asked.

Elgar nodded. “Oh, yes, it is the most beautiful box.” His fingers twitched a little as if he wished he had the box–or maybe the skull–in them. “But having the tattoo of your skull on my body will ensure that you are always with me.”

There was a sharp intake of breath from Balthazar. “I am, Elgar! I promise I won’t leave you again! I will never leave you again! I–”

“It’s all right, Master. Do not be upset.” Elgar reached for Balthazar and tentatively grasped his shoulders as if he were not quite sure of touching anyone. “That’s what I came to tell you. That’s why I had to leave Demos and the needle. Because I knew that it was time.”