Cameo and the Vampire by Dawn McCullough-White Read Free Book Online Page B

she began again in a serene tone. "You must have performed a lot of funerals."
    "Yes, too many. That's part of the allure of joining a priesthood that focused on the sun."
    "Well," she looked down at his empty plate and then up into his blue eyes, "you haven't joined the Temple of the Sun, then?"
    "No. No .... I don't think I'm going to. They have some requirements that I might not have."
    "I find that a little hard to believe. I can see your aura. It's beautiful, golden. You're still pure; you could still join us."
    He lifted his eyes. "Are you an acolyte here?"
    "Yes. I was the person who called you. Well, once Caith and Carrington joined me here, we all sent out messages. Very few have found us."
    "You're all in the priesthood?"
    "Yes, that's right. Caith and I are healers … like you. Am I right?"
    Kyrian nodded.
    "But you have friends somewhere else, don't you?" she said suddenly, and he wondered if she could read minds. "Why didn't you bring them along?"
    "Oh ... um, they wouldn't be much help."
    "But when I connected with you in the dreams, you spoke of them. You said they were coming. Aren't they joining you?"
    "Are you all of the Temple of the Sun?" he countered, applying one of Cameo's tactics in order to turn this conversation in another direction.
    "No. No ...." She seemed thrown. "Carrington is of the Sky and Caith of Faetta. Well, you'll meet everyone else in the morning." Sage stood, adding, "It is late now, and I'm sure Caith has gotten a cot made up for you. Come with me."
    Kyrian stood and followed her down a darkened hallway just off the dining room. It was cool and peaceful as they walked together. He enjoyed listening to the light clip, clip that her feet made against the stone floor, and the gentle swish of her garments as she moved ahead of him, until she finally pointed out a door.
    "Caith?" She knocked.
    The young man opened the door. His hair askew, he had clearly fallen asleep waiting for Kyrian. "Come in," he whispered roughly, brushing his short, dark hair from his eyes.
    "Goodnight," Kyrian whispered to her before walking in. "Um, thank you," he blurted as the door closed on her, locking her outside.
    "All right then," Caith pushed on a pair of spectacles. "Here you see I have made up a lovely cot for you, using only the finest in temple bedding. Only the best temples in Faetta carry some of these linens, let me tell you."
    Kyrian glanced at the simple mattress stuffed full of straw and a wool blanket rolled up at the bottom.
    "It's great."
    "Luckily we do have a small hearth in here to stave off the cold," he smiled.
    Kyrian sat down on the mattress. In his current state of exhaustion, it felt like the most comfortable piece of furniture he'd ever rested on. Then he set his shoulder-pack on the ground. The room was a typical cell that generally housed one acolyte, similar to the one he had used at the Temple of the Moon in Yetta, but unfortunately they had to squeeze two people into this one. It was dark, except for the uneven glow of firelight, and it was a bit drafty. He was considering wearing his overcoat to bed.
    "What's that?"
    Caith followed his gaze to the small cage on the ground beside his mattress. "Oh him?" He tapped the side of it. "It's Boris."
    A tiny white mouse peeked out of the small wood box he was hiding in. He seemed somewhat irritated that he was being roused.
    "He's a mouse." Caith smiled, "They're supposed to be nocturnal, but he never seems to do anything but sleep."
    Kyrian watched as the young man fed the mouse a large seed.
    "You travel with him?"
    "Well, yes. This is my first trip in a couple of years, actually, so this is really Boris's first trip ever."
    "I've known people to have dogs, or a horse ...."
    "Never a mouse, hmm? Well, he makes a good traveling companion, except he smells awful! Worse than a horse! But he is easier to smuggle in than a pet horse would be."
    Kyrian smiled. "You're a Temple of Faetta acolyte, right?"
    He laughed, "Yes. That obvious?"
    "A