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“You could not have set yourself a better example. If James loves you, set your fears at rest. That means that Jameslovesyou, and there’s a reason for that. James probably sees aspects of Elizabeth in you, but that does not mean that he doesn’t see you.”

“Hope so,” Amelia replied.

“Contacting James’s sworn enemy for help is courageous. Especially with my reputation. You had no idea what reaction you would receive, and yet you still came.”

“I had to.”

“Because you love James, and I have no doubt that James would do the same for you.”

“Do you think so?”

“I know so. Do not think that James loves you because you remind him of Elizabeth. James is not petty like that. He loves you for what you are. You are not Elizabeth and will never be. Amelia, being yourself is enough.”

“I sometimes wonder if—”

“Don’t.James loved Elizabeth, yes, but it was not an all-consuming love. We have many loves in our lives. That’s an obvious fact considering the number of years that we live. If James is with you, then he loves you, for I saw James shut out emotions from his life. James has opened up to you because you are something truly remarkable. Now, shall we get going?”

Amelia nodded her head, thankful that she had somebody who would help her.

As we left the pub, I caught the look that Eden gave me. It was one that lumped me in with her husband as a womaniser. From Eden’s point of view, Amelia was someone I had just picked up.

In a way, Amelia was.

We ran to Epping Forest, taking no more than a few seconds to arrive. That gave us six or seven hours before the sun rose. Once there, I could sense James faintly, but Amelia was aware of his location. We found ourselves standing outside a badly run-down house that needed a lick of paint and a good builder and carpenter.

“James is in there,” Amelia whispered.

Taking Amelia’s word for it, we crept into the garden or driveway, as it was massive. Cautiously, I turned the frontdoorknob, and the door swung open soundlessly. Strangely, I could sense people, but they were not in the house.

Puzzled, I stood still and reached out.

Ah, clever! They were under the home.

“There must be a cellar,” I whispered.

Amelia nodded, her senses telling her the same thing.

I was unaware of what or who was inside, and I was wary. Someone somehow had captured a strong Vam’pir. And holding James prisoner meant these people were dangerous.

We searched the downstairs for an entrance and came up empty-handed.

Our second attempt yielded the same results.

I motioned Amelia to the stairs, and we crept up them. The upstairs was as empty as the bottom floor, and I sat down stumped. How did you enter the cellar?

Amelia discovered the entrance when she went back downstairs and found a hidden doorway that we had first missed.

Actually, Amelia bumped into a man coming out of it and killed him. The crack as Amelia broke his neck echoed, and we paused, expecting someone else to emerge. No one did.

The door led into an elevator, and we entered warily. It opened into a long hallway with doors leading off it. The doors were locked and unlabelled.

I reasoned that we were in some kind of underground laboratory. A sizable lab at the end of the hallway verified this. We looked through the glass and pulled back as we saw people hurrying about inside of it. We knelt on the floor and peered cautiously through again.

Chapter Twenty-five.

Those occupying the lab were dressed in white coats, and there were eight in total. Armed men observed their actions.

Guards.