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“We need to be ready. Shelters like these will protect us.”

“From what?” I wanted to know but he wouldn’t tell me.

I got a bad feeling.

He must have seen the look on my face because he smiled at me, and like that, he was back, the friendly guy from the house.

“It’s going to be okay, don’t you worry.”

“But Tempesto, he seems…”

Joe winked at me. “The bloodsuckers are not going to be an issue pretty soon, trust me.”

“What do you…” but he interrupted me, “I can’t say anymore, I should get going.”

He gave my arm an awkward squeeze and got up and left.

A few hours later, I tried to get up, shuffle around a bit. I couldn’t believe how weak I was.

I had some broth, which helped to make me feel stronger. My mother was still asleep and I walked through theunderground shelter, finding the way out. Nobody paid me any attention as I slowly felt my way out of there.

Outside, the air felt different.

Hot and dry, but there was something abrasive. A sand storm. I turned and looked and saw it happening far away. I had always liked being able to see across the desert plains, the open and clean landscape. I wanted to know what was going on and I wanted to know if Lucca was okay.

I couldn’t help it, I had a feeling Joe was talking about fighting vampires. That worried me. I knew there was a bad faction but they were not all bad. Lucca wasn’t like Chakrat and Tempesto, the vampires who hated humans and saw us as inferior. Lucca had told me that many vampires had little memory of their own life as mortal beings. To them, it faded away as a dream. He told me how he held on to his memories mostly to remind himself of his former humanity. I knew Lucca would do anything to avoid conflict and a return to war.

But what about his sons?

I wasn’t so sure about them. The little I had seen of them had convinced me that they were ambitious and eager for more power. Layrr seemed especially keen to take over the business while Ragnar cared about nobody but himself. I wasn’t sure about Sunil. Luca loved all of them, though. I feared it would be his undoing.

Their avarice was bigger than their love for him.

“Izzy?”

A strange woman stood next to me.

“Yes?”

“I have someone on the line for you,” she held out a mobile phone.

I took the phone.

“Izzy?” It was Lucca. “Are you all right? I’ve been worried.”

“I am. Thank you for coming to get me,” the words didn’t come easily, speaking them felt like having stones in my mouth.

“I wanted to stay but I had things to do and I thought you would be safest with your people.”

“Yes. Thank you.”

Battle lines had been drawn between us. He belonged to one world and I belonged in another. I didn’t know what to say to him.

“Are you safe, where you are now?” he asked me.

“I am,” I said. “Where are you?”

“I am with some Elders.” He paused. “I have been thinking about what you said, I wanted to thank you,”