We couldn’t have made this connection earlier—not without knowing about the Aeternae and how Ta’Zan had nabbed a couple of specimens for his experiments. Danika smiled, connecting the dots rather quickly.

“If this is true, and an Aeternae protein was used to make you into a day-walker, Derek, then you’re also part Aeternae, yourself.” She chuckled softly. “One of us, and one of you.”

Acheron grinned. “That’s right. There’s a little bit of our world inside you. Shall we say ‘welcome home,’ then, Derek?”

They were taking this whole thing a lot better than we’d thought they would. Perhaps we’d underestimated them. Then again, we had yet to ask them for their blood, or even to run some tests to compare Derek’s DNA to an Aeternae’s. Maybe they’d be more reluctant.

Then again, if Derek was, as they’d just said, “one of them,” what were the odds that they’d refuse such a request, if it came from one of their own?

Glancing around the table, I could see that both Kalon and Valaine were out of the loop on this one. They’d had no idea—chances were that Danika and Acheron had kept Ta’Zan’s visit a secret from almost everyone. “You seem surprised,” I said to Valaine. “You didn’t know?”

She sighed. “No. But I would never question the Lord and Lady Supreme’s decision on the matter. Given that they had those awful killers removed from Visio by handing them over to this Marlowe or Ta’Zan character, it sounds like a good service done to our people.”

“What about you?” Esme asked Kalon.

He offered a faint shrug in return. “I’m with Valaine on this. It doesn’t really matter to me. Sure, I would’ve loved to meet someone from another world, but fate has been more than generous by bringing you all to us today. I’m satisfied.”

He and Valaine were definitely different from the other Aeternae. Maybe it had something to do with their younger age. The elders we’d met so far were much more relaxed, downright fearless, seemingly with nothing to hide, though they did not shy away from telling us we were digging too deep when they saw fit. They didn’t mind stinging one another, either.

By contrast, Valaine was much more reserved and cautious in her choice of words, while Kalon was loaded with double entendres and sly smirks to deflect from having to tell the truth—particularly an uncomfortable truth. I looked forward to being around them more, because my instinct told me that, if I wanted to get to the bottom of this whole Neraka similarity issue, these two would show me the right way.

Seeley

I’d been watching and listening from the moment Derek and Sofia’s crew set foot on Visio. I’d stayed close to them, paying attention to every single detail—the stolen glances, the whispers, the suspicion hanging loosely in the air. The Aeternae seemed genuine in their discourse, but I still couldn’t shake the feeling that some things were missing from the bigger picture.

The Aeternae were fascinating creatures, but the absence of Reapers, from what I’d seen thus far, worried me. Of course, they were practically immortal, and therefore few of them died along the way. But the Rimians and the Naloreans had shorter lifespans. I should’ve seen at least one or two colleagues of mine by now. Maybe a deeper search of the city would yield better results, but I couldn’t leave Derek’s side just yet.

The dinner was bound to reveal more information. At the same time, I did wonder whether I should start using my omniscience more often. It had been a while since I’d last been in more than one place at once. The whole process wore me out, but these were special circumstances.

The Rimian and Nalorean servants were quiet, eyeing Derek and the others carefully, whenever they got the chance. They didn’t seem scared or worried, which did help ease some of my concerns regarding the Aeternae. The gold guards were not armed, but I’d already learned about their retractable fangs and claws. I figured they could tear other creatures apart quite easily, and therefore did not need any weapons.

Breathing deeply, I took my time analyzing Acheron and Danika, in particular. Either they were being earnest, or they were exceptional actors with plenty of skeletons in their closets. It was too soon to tell, but I knew I’d get to the true bottom of it, eventually. Their beauty and grace were almost otherworldly, and the society they’d helped build was interesting, to say the least.

Valaine was odd. I could lose myself in those black eyes of hers, and shivers ran down my spine whenever she spoke. There was something about her voice that made me soft on the inside. She seemed kind, though I was pretty sure she was holding back a lot. Maybe it had something to do with her environment, with being around foreigners like Derek and his crew. This wasn’t attraction I was feeling toward her, though. It was a different kind of pull, and rather difficult to fully define. I’d have to observe her more over these next few days.

Kalon, on the other hand, seemed like quite the firecracker. Opinionated, arrogant, and impressively self-confident. The mark of a warrior or a future ruler, and certainly not someone who would ever settle for second place. He got up from his seat, bowing politely. “I must excuse myself,” he said, looking only at Esme. “My mother requires my presence for certain issues. I shall see you all for dinner, later tonight.”

Esme didn’t reply, but Danika smiled. “Worry not, Kalon. We will entertain the guests while you’re away.”

Valaine gave him a worried look, but he didn’t seem too bothered. There were unspoken words between them. Their friendship ran deep—I could tell from the way they looked at one another. Like siblings, they spoke more through body language than anything said out loud.

I moved away from the conversation, as they went deeper into the subject of Aeternae blood and how it could be used to produce a day-walking cure. Chances were that Derek and Sofia were going to get what they’d come here for. Acheron and Danika did not strike me as closed off or unwilling to help. If anything, they’d expressed heartfelt pity for the vampires’ condition, their inability to walk in the sunlight.

Glancing up, I found myself in awe of the myriad of stars unraveling before my very eyes. A moon rose lazily in the east, as the last inklings of crimson sunset died to the west, in the Visio twilight. The ocean breeze brushed past me, cooling my skin. It was different in every world—the sunrise, the sunset, the sky, the feel of the wind. They functioned similarly, yet they were nothing alike.

Visio itself was a masterpiece. I was a fan of the gardens, especially. The trimmed hedge maze, the artesian fountains, the splendid blossoms… great care had gone into its construction and, most importantly, into its growth. It had taken patience, eons’ worth of patience, to create this stunning corner of heaven. No wonder Acheron was proud. It was never easy to accomplish such synergy with the forces of nature, which never bowed before any creature.

“Kelara, are you there?” I called out. No one else could hear me as I reached out to her through our telepathic link. It was the only way I could speak to Death, since the seals kept her down and cut off from the entire Reaperhood.

I needed to understand more about Visio before expressing certain doubts, especially regarding the absence of wandering spirits and Reapers. It was truly odd that I hadn’t seen any.

“Seeley. I’m here, yes. Is everything okay?” she asked, her voice echoing through my head.

Sighing deeply, I leaned against one of the fruit trees, about fifty yards away from the royal gazebo, where GASP and the Lord and Lady Supreme were still chatting and trying out small quantities of spiced blood. My gaze settled on Nethissis—she was the one I looked for, always. The only creature who could help me focus, without even knowing it.

“For the most part, yes,” I said. “The crew landed safely, and they were given a pretty warm welcome.”

I went on to give her details about the conversations and the discoveries made so far, which Kelara then relayed to Death, who had yet to formulate an opinion. After a while, I could hear her voice in the background. “What is it that worries him?”

That was odd. “I’ve never been able to hear Death through someone else before. How is this possible?” I asked.

“Maybe it’s got something to do with the second broken seal,” Kelara suggested. “But she’s right, Seeley. You sound worried. What’s wrong?”

“Technically, there shouldn’t be anything wrong. From what I’ve told you, there’s nothing to worry about. Derek and Sofia’s crew are making progress with the Aeternae, they’re well treated… hell, they might even walk out of here with the blood they need for their day-walking cure, but… Kelara, I haven’t seen a single Reaper in this place, so far.”

“What do you mean?” she replied, and I could feel the tension gather in her voice, almost instantly.

Looking at Nethissis, a knot formed in my throat. “I’ve only been around Derek’s crew on the way in from the landing strip and into the palace, and I haven’t seen any Reapers. No wandering, lost spirits, either. It’s a little odd.”

“You said the Aeternae can live forever. Wouldn’t that imply fewer deaths?” Kelara asked.

“Technically, yes. But they still die, just in much lower numbers. On top of that, it doesn’t explain the many Rimians and Naloreans living here. There should be some Reaper activity, even if it’s slight. It’s weird.”

“I see,” Kelara mumbled, while listening to something Death was telling her. I couldn’t hear it well enough myself, but I figured it was a set of instructions for me. “I will speak to Reapers from the upper circles for you about Visio. Death wants you to stay close to Derek and Sofia’s people.”

“She still won’t tell me why, huh?”

“Sorry.”

I scoffed. “Figures. Death loves her secrets.” There was bitterness in my voice, and I didn’t hide it from Kelara. She understood my frustration better than anyone. We’d had enough of doing things without being told why. We were tired of following orders like mere drones. If there was one thing I’d always appreciated about the First Ten, it was that they’d been granted freedom, that they could no longer be pushed around.

Kelara and I didn’t have that option, and when Death gave an order, we followed through. I’d never complained about this, and I’d never objected to my previous tasks, handed down to me by my superior Reapers. Still, I’d found my voice while working against the Hermessi, and I’d learned to question everything I was told to do these days.

I knew it irked Death, especially since she couldn’t punish me herself yet, but she hadn’t had anyone else penalize me on her behalf. Maybe she appreciated the rebellious spirit. Who knew?

The worst part was that I didn’t know why I was here. I couldn’t understand my purpose on Visio, and her refusal to tell me was quite the mood killer. Death made it very hard for me to obey, sometimes.

“Fine,” I ultimately said. “I’ll stay close to the crew. But please try to get me some answers about Reaper activity on Visio. It’s starting to get creepy.”

“I’ll be in touch as soon as I hear something. I promise, Seeley.”

Leaving Kelara to her work on Death’s remaining 998 seals, I split my consciousness in two. It was time to use my omniscience. It meant I wouldn’t be fully focused in any of the places I’d be, but at least I could capture as much information as possible before settling back solely with Derek’s crew. For the first time in quite a while, I was in two places at once, one part of me staying close to the gazebo, while the other part made its way into the palace.

I focused my visual attention on the palace, while the gazebo conversation lingered in the back of my head. Danika, Acheron, and Valaine were telling Derek and the others about their recent history—the conquest of Nalore, the value of Nalorean teachers, the occupation of Rimia, and the import of Rimian resources, including their much-admired craftsmen. There were things that the Aeternae were very good at, such as building, sculpting, painting, fashion design, and many other artful and industrial endeavors. But the Rimians were even better at some of these, and the Aeternae valued their talents greatly, bestowing great fortunes upon them for their illustrious contributions.

The more I listened, the more I appreciated the Aeternae. Yes, they’d conquered two neighboring planets, and plenty of people must have died in the process, but they had also brought this empire into an impressive balance, ruling through respect and remuneration, not through fear and violence.

As I walked through the palace halls, I paid attention to the servants. There was a healthy proportion of young Aeternae in black uniforms, along with Rimians and Naloreans. They seemed to get along, treating each other with respect and plenty of smiles. I stopped by the kitchen, where Aeternae cooks were toiling over their pans and boiling pots. Rimian maidens worked the dough, which they kneaded and glazed before putting into the brick oven.