Epilogue.
I took Eden on the Orient Express, and shopping in Paris, buying her designer clothes. Eden loved the attention and the trip, and I was pleased to watch her regain confidence slowly.
We visited Venice and Barbados as I had promised. Eden regained her strength, and we purchased a yacht and sailed round the world. I saw nothing of the other Vam’pirs and didn’t seek them out. We travelled to Spain and Russia, then returned to see Jack jailed for three years for attempted murder. Not long, typical British justice. But I swore to catch the bastard when he was released.
To help Eden over this, we journeyed to Germany and Egypt. Basically, I took Eden everywhere she had dreamed of going, and after two further years of travelling, we arrived back in England. Eden was surprised at the endless amount of money that we spent and, at first, refused to spend a lot.
When I bought Eden jewels worth thousands of pounds and designer clothing constantly, Eden became slowly accustomed to it. Naturally, it took Eden some time to understand our wealth, but I found joy in it. On my insistence, we opened a joint bank account. Eden fought me for a while before giving in. It was good to pass the time with her, and we enjoyed ourselves immensely.
Eden got acquainted with James and Amelia, and they sometimes joined us on our journeys. Amelia and Eden made friends. James and I were pleased, as Amelia had shunned the Vam’pirs after their shabby treatment. Which meant James and Amelia were alone like Eden and I. Plus I knew that Amelia was still a little insecure. However, Amelia realised there was no threat to James and her. The girls would go shopping together and James and I would sigh wearily as they returned with bags and bags of clothes.
Eden never brought up our aversion to direct sunlight, but I could tell she noticed. When we arrived back in England, I took Eden to Devon, where I owned a large stately manor.
Eden had always dreamed of living in one and I had a great big bow put around the house. Eden had laughed as she pulled the knot open. All the things that we’d picked up on our journeys were in packing cases—and Eden set about making a home.
We were happy, and I kept thinking that tragedy might strike. It did in the shape of Jack.
Jack had been out of jail for two months and had been searching for Eden, intending to finish what he had started.
One night I had been out feeding when I heard Eden cry out in fright. When I rushed home, I found Jack standing over her.
In a blind temper, I grabbed his arm. Once more, I broke it and threw Jack across the floor. My anger knew no bounds as I punched and kicked the bastard to near death. Eden curled up in a ball as she watched.
Torn between killing Jack and comforting her, I staggered over and looked at Eden.
“Jacques, look out!” Eden screamed, and a blade stabbed into my back.
Laughing, I gripped Jack round the throat and broke his neck. I flung the body away in fury.
“Oh God, I’ll call an ambulance,” Eden cried, running to the phone.
“There’s no need.”
“You’ve a knife in you! Of course, there is.”
“Eden! Look at me,” I commanded as I pulled the blade out of my back.
Eden stared through wide eyes as the wound healed. “What are you?” Eden asked, backing away.
Sadly, I sighed and took a deep breath. This was not the way I wanted Eden to find out.
“Eden, I am not mortal. Darling, I cannot be killed except by direct sunlight. I’ve been looking for the perfect moment to share this with you, but I’ve never come across the right opportunity.”
“Not mortal? Then what are you?”
“My race is called Vam’pirs. We are older than the human race and once lived in a city called Kaltos. I am over thirteen thousand years old.”
Eden looked at me and began to laugh hysterically. She waved her hand towards her dead husband and laughed even harder.
I slapped Eden gently around the face, and she stopped laughing with a sob. “Your ex-wife and son?”
“The same as me. As are James and Amelia.”
“And nobody thought to tell me.”
“My love, I wasn’t sure just how you would handle the knowledge. Truthfully, I was frightened of losing you again.”
“We’ve met before?”
“I’ve met your soul before, and I loved that past owner as much as I do you.”
“Did she know about Vam’pirs?” Eden asked, somewhat hysterically.
“Yes. Elizabeth made the choice not to join me, and I will now offer that option to you.”
“Join you?”
“Eden, I offer you immortality, but first, you must understand certain things…”
And so, my story began.
I left Eden alone to read this tale and waited in great fear as to what she would say after finishing it. I have not held back much and have told Eden everything she needed to know. Jack’s body I threw over the cliffs and let the sea take. Jack might as well be useful somehow—and feeding the sea life was the one good thing he’d done. Eden appeared three nights later, taking my hand.
“Jacques, I will drive you crazy,” Eden stated.
Hope rose slowly.
“You can drive me mad all you want.”
“Plus, I’ll spend your money like there is no tomorrow.”
“Always possible to get more.”
“Jacques, I will want to spend more time with James and Amelia.”
“That might be a sticking point,” I teased, and Eden pouted.
“That’s the deal breaker?!” Eden snickered.
Chuckling, I swung Eden up into my arms. “Okay then, I shall suffer James.”
Happily, I kissed Eden.
Laughing, Eden wriggled free and ran through the house with me after her.
First, I healed Eden’s scars as she wanted perfection. Eden couldn’t see that she already was.
My darling has been a Vam’pir for a while now, and we couldn’t be happier. The strange fact is: with my blood in Eden, she’s as strong as a firstborn.
I love her so much that it hurts.
Eden feels the same. How lucky can one Vam’pir be?
2025.
Unthreatened, I kept my back to the shadows as he approached. It had been many years since I’d come across another immortal, apart from James and Amelia. My decree stretched to all of England now. England was known as my playground, and I was merciless in killing. Immortals petitioned to visit, and I either allowed or refused. It depended on my mood. I had Eden and our children to protect. Never would I risk their health and safety.
This visitor approached silently and stopped. “Jacques.” “Tai’moriee.”
“I seek help,” he said simply.
Keeping my back to him, I considered the request. “Are you asking because you gave me warning in Egypt about Ramedes hunting the children? Or because you were the man in the tavern who sent me home in time to save Inka and the rest. Maybe it’s because you saved me from the fire. Do you ask because you gave me your blood to strengthen me in the fight against Ramedes?”
“That and everything else, Jaq.”
“The warning in Rome, the escape in Salem, so many times have I turned around, and you’ve been there, Tai’moriee. Always you, though. Not one of the others.”
“The Tai’moriee were created to watch. To observe. The basic principle was don’t interfere.”
“You created the Tai’moriee, and you broke that rule a good several times,” I said, turning with a laugh.
Curiously, I studied the fellow standing there. He who’d been there since Har’ches fell and we fled alone into the wilderness. So many times in my life, Tai’moriee had interfered. It was as if he couldn’t help himself.
“Of course. Would you have things any other way?” Tai’moriee asked.
I pondered the question.
This immortal had stood by me through everything. Even when Julia died, and he didn’t know why, Tai’moriee hadn’t judged. He just accepted there was a reason I wasn’t ready to discuss.
He truly knew me. And all these many years, I’d kept his secret. If the Vam’pirs wanted to hate me for Julia, they’d lynch me for this.
“No. Brother, it’s time for you to step once more into the open. Time for you to be seen, for your name to be spoken once again.”
Tai’moriee dropped the hood of the cloak he wore and stared before nodding. “Agreed. You kept my existence hidden, Jaq.”
“We’re brothers.”
“Indeed.”
A smile crossed my lips as I reached out and clasped his elbow as he did mine…
“Welcome home, D’vid,” I said.