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“If you think that we will thank you—” Curtan started heatedly.

Sneering, I waved a hand.

“Oh, I expect nothing from you,” I replied disgustedly. “But Amelia and the six others deserve a thanks. They could’ve left you to the tender mercies of these people. If it hadn’t meant I would have been hunted down myself, I would have left you there. But you all would happily have given up my location.”

A sneer crossed Nathan’s face.

Yeah, he’d have sold me out.

“That is not good enough. You owe Jacques thanks,” Amelia burst out.

“Jacques killed a Vam’pir. None of us owes him anything,” Inka spat.

“Why?” Amelia demanded.

“Amelia, let it drop,” James ordered, and I turned in surprise.

“You know?” I guessed.

“Yes.”

“Barrington told you?” I drawled after a moment’s thinking.

“Barrington didn’t want you to be the only one to know why you killed Julia. He said that you needed someone to understand. And I do,” James replied.

“Damn that man. Barrington was more brother to me than anyone else in this life,” I responded softly.

Several of my oldest friends flinched. My words had stung them.

“What truth?” Eduardo demanded.

James turned and sneered.

“Ask yourself this. Was Julia a strong Vam’pir?” Amelia butted in before James could speak.

I smothered a laugh. Amelia did not care about Vam’pirs or their thoughts. She was in a fine temper.

“Yes,” Kait answered, puzzled.

“Then why would Julia let Jacques drain and weaken her?” Amelia demanded.

Silence greeted the question before Nathan laughed.

“Julia did not; Jacques forcefully drained her. They fought,” he said confidently.

“And I guess Jacques beat her. What a shame we can’t communicate telepathically. Any time during the fight, Julia could’ve called for help. When Jaq attacked her, Julia could have cried for aid. Or when Jacques drained her, Julia surely would have screamed for her family to rescue her. What about when chained to the rocks? Such a shame we aren’t telepathic,” Amelia sneered.

“Amelia,” James warned, but Amelia didn’t subside.

“What a beast Jacques is. He never sacrificed for any of you or supported you. Jacques has never done everything in his power to assist you when you needed it. Even now, Jacques isn’t present to save you despite you all being assholes to him. No, this image is a figment of your imagination,” Amelia sneered once more.

“Why did Julia not call for help?” Emil asked, looking around. Emil looked stunned, as did several of the others.

“Jacques, what is your explanation?” Ricardus demanded.

“There is none for you. The appropriate time for that question was following Julia’s passing. Back then, I would’ve shared everything. However, you judged me out of hand. Truthfully, I owe none of you nothing,” I replied.

Vam’piric curiosity was now tweaked, and guilt swamped half of them. I refused to answer and turned my back on them. The Vam’pirs didn’t exist to me.