"Power is not all that it seems," Bastian warned.
Zelus growled. "You just don't want to give it up." He leaned forward, his body aggressive.
The air in the room grew tenser. The vampires alert.
Bastian let out a low, quiet laugh. "I would give up all my power if it would ensure peace between all the beings."
"You're crazy, man," Zelus told him.
"Maybe. But," Bastian growled. "I do have power and I do rule these lands."
Everyone in the room trembled slightly. The power that flowed from Sebastian was more than Twyla had ever felt. Even his shadows were almost solid.
Zelus cleared his throat and tried to look less scared.
"You will get the power you so desperately crave," Bastian promised. "Just be warned that it is not all that it appears to be."
