Page 66 (1/2)

Jason gave hthouse with ht cheer you up"

"Maybe I have beenhis head, and walk away As he passed, I looked up, hoping he’d at leastbad, Ara" Jason slid closer in the seat, leaning his elbow on the table, practically face to face with e"

"He’s only thirty" I frowned

"And you’re nineteen"

"That’s hardly twice e"

"I know--but it sounded more repulsive" He sat back in his chair "He’s liketo me that you’re friends with him"

"Jase?"

"I’m sorry I know that’s unfair, but it’s also that…clearly, you’re hurt by his not speaking to you, and…I don’t like that I don’t want you to be sad"

I stood up "I’ to talk to him"

"Why?"

"Because I need to sort this out"

Jason folded his ar alone, can you?"

"Not when people are hurting, Jason" I shook rabbed hthouse?"

"I’llinto my back as I walked away

"What do you want to know?"

I drew a breath "I was thinking about some of our earlier conversations, and I remembered you said that you used the war as an excuse to turn Jason and David"

"Correct"

"And…it was their idea to go, right?"

"Jason’s, yes I believe David followed so as not to appear a coward"

"Really? I was under the iave you that impression?"

"David"

Arthur frowned "Hm Why do you ask, anyway, my dear?"

"Well, e first , you said so the reason you changed thehter all the way across "Did I?"

"Mm-hm"

"And?"

"Well, then you also said that Drake had made a deal with you, that if he let the boys live here after Arietta died, you’d change theht? Drake wanted the boys i to do with this prophecy--and the prophecy has so to do with the feud?"

"To be honest, As have coht since that day, and what I knew then was only half of what I have come to learn since" He ave this prophecy little thought I knew it foretold a child and the involveht blood, and in the back of my mind, wondered if it spoke of myself and my blood--my heir But I never believed it would coely requested I turn the boys"

"How did that change your belief?"

"Because, for Drake to request such a thing directly contradicted the agreement he and I reement?"

"That if I was to be his loyal, eternal servant, I would honour the pro brother, and watch over his family and their descendants for the rest of eternity"

"And not turn them into vampires?"

"Correct My brother knehat I was about to becoiven the option, but he believed va withyears"

"What did he die of?"

"The Black Death" Arthur looked down at his open palm "In my new state, free of human limitations, I was able to comfort many people as they passed--most of them had already watched their own children wither, and die And when one with him But I had made my choice, and I kept my promise to watch over his bloodline, until I broke it for the sake of David and Jason"

"So, how did Drake’s request to turn them make you connect the boys to the prophecy?"

"Drake is a man of honour; he upholds his word, no matter what For whatever reason he needed those boys ireat i to do with this prophecy"

"And, so, you thought David was the Knight the prophecy spoke of then?"

"Yes"

"Because he was born first?"

"Yes"

"But your interpretation of the scrolls was different to Morgaine’s, wasn’t it? So why did you think David was the one?"

His eyes flickered I could see he hadn’t expected etting caught up in his own lies "I have reasons for keeping my interpretations to myself all these years"

"What reasons?"

"I wasn’t sure who I could trust"

"Why?"

"Because Drake told Morgaine about the prophecy He very rarely confides in a person for the sake of an eased conscience I had no way of knohat he had truly said or even offered her to either help fulfil the prophecy or see no one ever heard of it"

"But you want it to coaine now?"

"I’ as her aim is to see you safe and in power, then it seeenda"

I looked down at e, the ancient ancestral connections in all the fine lines "Did…were you searching for a Lilithian--or did you just stu, but I believe Drake was However, we found you purely by accident"

"What about A her an accident?"

"One of Drake’s scouts found her," Arthur said "So I have no way of knowing"