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To indulge her, Li’zel and D’vid built one, although they made it clear they didn’t consider it necessary. Julia argued that it was smarter to be safe than sorry before she walked away to admire the stars in the sky. The escape route split in two different directions. One tunnel led to a safe room in the pyramid, and the other headed to the beach where boats would be docked.

Then, one night, before we realised it, everything was finished and ready to move into. All we had to do was move our coffins from the Coven, where it would be deserted. We had cleared it out of all our belongings. All that remained was an empty shell.

Even the murals in our underground cellar had been removed. It was sad, as it had been our home for six years. Mora had taken a year to build. We had to maintain the appearance of living and working in the Villa to avoid being attacked sooner.

The memory of Maryn’s attack lingered while the lessons from it faded. Vam’pirs were hated figures, accused of everything wrong with society.Yeah, right.

Claudias wasn’t blamed for anything. He had got away free from any punishment and remained one of The Core.They hadn’t even kicked him out over his disgraceful conduct. Instead, he had blamed Maurick for everything and they’d believed him. Only Marel had voted against letting Claudias remain.

It just shows you what people want to believe. With public opinion turning against us, it was time to leave Kaltos sooner rather than later.

Kaltons may have hated us, but not as much as what I had begun to hate them. I didn’t understand why they were so against us, and I honestly didn’t care for their reasons anymore. Kaltons could have gone and rotted in hell for all I cared.

I wasn’t the only Vam’pir feeling like this. Especially as those with families were constantly worried as to what our presence might be doing to them. We’d no peace at all, and possibly moving to another continent was not a good idea as we left them unprotected.

But we realised our presence was causing them more grief than our absence. Anyway, we had made it clear that there were villas for them to live in next to our new place. If anyone experienced any trouble, then they were to come directly to us.

We wanted them all to come and start anew, but we couldn’t ask that. Just because we’d had to leave our home country, it didn’t mean that they should as well. Over time, the Kaltons might forget we existed or forget our presence entirely.

We would be so lucky!

That was not to be, though.

I’ll share the tale of the Reckoning later.

Taran had agreed to ship us over in the daylight. We spent the night loading our coffins on the ship. Vam’pirs completely trusted my brother and Anton, who was also coming, to make sure nothing untoward happened.

It was not without sorrow that we left Kaltos. It had been our home, and one that we had fond memories of, but it was nowour nemesis. We would miss seeing our families, but Taran was towing another boat so we could travel back and forth between the continents. Vam’piric families had an offer to visit whenever they wanted. Just bring food was all that we asked, as we didn’t think that they would like our diet!

Marel was the sole person, besides our families, who knew our destination. We’d had to tell him so we could keep receiving our supply of blood. Taran and Anton, between them, had volunteered to bring this over during the day. It was kind of them, as this meant they couldn’t do their jobs. In fairness, we worked out an agreement. They agreed to accept some of our goods as payment to maintain their comfort and have items for trade.

This was the least which we could do as they were sacrificing their lives to help us. Without their aid, we would have severe difficulties, and there was nothing we wouldn’t do to support those that helped us. Vam’pirs owed them a great deal, as they had stuck by through thick and thin. They would, being family, but as Inka’s parents were an example, they didn’t have to.

The day we transported over to Mora, Taran was attacked, and it took Anton to fire a weapon to save him. Anton helped Taran abroad, bleeding and bruised, and set sail without further delay.

A crowd of dissidents had gathered and tried to board the ship, knowing that we were on board.

They had somehow discovered our planned escape, but I was unaware how. Later, we found out that Claudias suspected our intentions. Claudias, being a bastard, had broken into Marel’s office looking for information, which he duly leaked. Luckily for them, Taran not badly wounded, or there would have been hell to pay.

Taran had been shaken up, and he stayed the first night with us so we could keep an eye on him. Anton went back and broughtFather with him and the supply of blood for the next day. I was furious that, once again, an innocent person had suffered. I had to be prevented from going back to Kaltos to seek revenge on the individuals who had harmed my twin.

Although I was dead and he was alive, we still maintained that bond. I realised Taran was hurt but wouldn’t say anything, and inside, I sensed his pain. Taran underestimated the growing animosity towards us, and I understand his desire to take action as my brother.

But just what could he do? Nothing except live the life I would have lived. I didn’t want him harmed.

In all honesty, I was envious of my twin. Taran was alive and had opportunities ahead of him that I was denied. I appreciated Taran giving up his life and job to look after us, but he shouldn’t have had to.

Deep inside of me, I resented him for his human frailties, his tanned skin, and sun-bleached hair. May the Creator forgive me, but I was intensely jealous of Taran’s humanity. Plus the fact that he would die someday and find the existence that was forever denied to me.

I sound incredibly jealous, and I was.

Fortunately, Taran and my parents are no longer alive; otherwise, this would have deeply hurt them. Tragically, I can’t help these emotions, though my family are long ago turned to dust. They have a final resting place, and I carry their love in my heart and their memories in my head.

While they have a resting place, I never will. I don’t think that I realised the extent of my jealousies. Inka did and tried to talk to me about them, but I brushed her concerns off with a wave of my hand. If she persisted, I would snap or walk away.

It was very childish of me, and over the years, I have had the chance to regret every nasty and spiteful word that I said to Inka. But that is my own fault, and I don’t think that she ever blamedme or held it against me. Except for that last fight over Mihal. That is what finally caused us to separate, and if I see my son again, I would kill him for taking Inka away from me.

No, I wouldn’t.