Page 57 (1/2)

"Grapevines?"

"Yeah" He kind of laughed "It was a novel written by a very old va I don’t recall the surname, but--"

"Thompson," Jason said out of the blue We looked up at him; he wandered over and sat beside me "I remember it It was Thompson"

"Well, so…what does that mean? Was it a prophecy or just some fictional story, written by hed "Your dad’s not a vaes I’ve seen it and I’ve heard his heartbeat--even read his mind I can’t read vampire minds, you know that"

"Well,into it And this book, I don’t reed as if to say he didn’t either, "--But I’et it I want to find out how many similarities there are"

"Do you think, if this was Arthur’s book, ?"

David shook his head "The book was of very little significance, Ara I only thought of it because I was thinking about us and rerapevines It was an unassuht that flittered past in ajust clicked It probably has no relevance at all"

I nodded "Will you tell , will you tell me?"

He looked at Jason "I will I proain "Thanks"

"Don’to I need to sneak into Elysiuuards change over It’s the easiest tiet in"

"Oh Okay So, why don’t you take Quaid and Ryder with you--I’et his hands on a Pure Created, but Mike won’t listen"

David nodded, cupping a hand over o sneak down to the barracks and see what the deal is"

I squeezed hihter "Thanks, David"

He squeezed back "You take care, okay? I’ll hopefully have word back about this book before toainst his chest "Okay"

Jason stepped up, and David broke away frolad you’re alive, bro," he said

"Yeah" Jason patted David’s back "Me too And don’t worry, I’ll watch over her for you"

David nodded, studying ht?"

I smiled "Yeah It is"

"Okay Just…"

"It’s fine, brother" Jason reached across and clapped David on the shoulder "I won’t touch her I swear"

He nodded, satisfied, and leaned in to kissonly a wispy breeze and the billowing curtain

"Good thing this isn’t Australia," I said

"Why?"

"Because he’d have a hard ti in and out if there were flyscreens on all the s"

Jason laughed loudly

"So, ere you thinking before?" I asked, rehts

"Oh, u, kind of surprised as well "I can’t believe you picked up on that"

"I pick up on everything," I said, and sat down on his bed

"Well--" He sat down, too "David said Arthur’s notes differed to Morgaine’s deciphering of the prophecy--that he didn’t seem to have scribed any possibility of a child that can cure vampirism"

"So?"

"So, why does he want a child with you, on the premise that he wants to be free, if he doesn’t believe the prophecy?"

All the blood drained fro "Wanna know so else?"

"Sure, why not?"

"David had a flash of an i; it was er in there"

"What, a picture of it, or the actual dagger?"

"Just a picture--done in charcoal He knohat he’s looking for, but hasn’t found it--and his not being here has soerness to be crowned"

"Wow, and you got all that frohts happen very quickly, Ara Once a neuron in your brain fires up, it sends other signals, like knocking over a line of dorab that first thought at the flick of that switch, and there’s nothing anyone can do to stopyou don’t want to share, I’ve already seen it"

"Okay, so you think he wants to be sworn in as king for soreater purpose?"

"Yes And I want to knohat it is"

"Maybe just to finally be king"

He shook his head "No It wasn’t that I felt it--saw the look on his face He thought it was a great idea but not for that reason Enough of a great idea that he’s going along with you and I pretending to be together"

"What, didn’t he like that idea?"

Jason nearly laughed "No I think I caught a flash of hih ross"

"Sorry" He laughed He wasn’t sorry "But he’s going along with it So he either really wants to flush out the traitor by lie of a pregnancy, or really wants to be crowned"

"Coreed to us in a pretend romance awfully quick for the David I know--and that was before the idea of crowning canant and knows he’ll be forced to return if that truth co his mouth

I nodded and looked down at ht I was pregnant"