I could barely believe my eyes as she gripped the engagement ring on her finger, pulled it off and handed it to Caleb. She had tears in her eyes as she looked at him, her chest heaving. “It’s better you have this back.” She reached for his hand and closed his fingers over the ring.

Then she turned to me again, placing a hand on my shoulder. “I won’t get in your way again. And I’m sorry for all the harsh words I spoke to you earlier. You didn’t deserve them. I just needed the time I spent apart to clear my brain and think things through. And as I did, I realized I felt like a monster for my behavior… So again, I’m sorry. I wish the two of you happiness. I’ll no longer be in your way. I suppose we’ll have to try to find a way to get off this island. When we do, you can drop me off somewhere and I’ll… I’ll try to start a new life away from all this supernatural craziness. Perhaps, in a few years, I’ll meet a new sweetheart of my own.”

Caleb’s mouth opened and closed, but no words came out. I was sure I looked like a drowning fish too as I tried to understand what game she was playing with us now. It felt like she’d just had a personality transplant. Or been possessed.

Eventually it was Caleb who managed to break the silence. “Annora, I… I’m glad you’ve come to this conclusion by yourself.” He paused, eyeing her steadily. “Because I can’t lie. What we had is gone. It died over the years we spent together in that frozen castle… I don’t love you any more.”

Her jaw twitched, tears looking dangerously close to falling. I expected to see at least some hint of jealousy or anger toward me. But I saw nothing but sadness and regret.

He gripped her shoulder. “Once we manage to get off this island, we’ll take you to the nearest shore and find you somewhere to stay. A hostel, a shelter for the homeless. You can start your life over and stay out of trouble.”

She nodded, then turned away and began climbing back down to her bunk.

I stared at the ring in Caleb’s hands, dumbstruck.

While every part of me wanted to believe that Annora had changed, somehow, I just could not believe it. I didn’t know what game she was playing, what this new change of tack was, but I didn’t like it.

It was somehow more unsettling than when she had challenged me outright.

Chapter 21: Aiden

Even though we still hadn’t managed to locate the bodies of Caroline and Thomas, we held a joint ceremony for them along with Yasmine. Yasmine’s parents were inconsolable. Derek and Sofia did all they could to apologize—but what were words in the face of the loss of one’s child? The death of Caroline and Thomas, and now the death of Yasmine, all within such a short period, sent shockwaves throughout the community of humans.

I’d noticed humans keeping to themselves more and eyeing vampires warily as they passed by. It seemed they’d developed a distrust of all supernatural creatures. This was something that used to happen in the old days of The Shade, before humans were made equal. To see us regressing toward such a state of distrust in such a short space of time was disturbing.

I looked around the moonlit courtyard outside the Sanctuary where we had gathered for the ceremony. The crowd of vampires seemed thinner than it should have been. Some of the most familiar faces were absent. There were a large number of humans attending—albeit sticking to one corner. There were also werewolves, witches, and Brett, who was wearing a new waistcoat for the occasion.

Derek and Sofia stood opposite me, next to Kyle and Anna. I noted Mona, Kiev, Erik and Saira standing in front of me. Matteo and Helina were a few feet behind. Vivienne, Xavier, Corrine and Ibrahim were missing, of course, and Eli was still recovering from the injury I’d caused, being nursed by Adelle. I wondered if that was why it looked emptier… No. As I looked around, I realized that six of our key council members were missing: Claudia and Yuri; Landis and Ashley; Gavin and Zinnia. As council members, they of all people should have been present.

As Yasmine was lowered into a grave by her parents and the ceremony came to a close, the crowds began to disperse. I walked up to Derek and Sofia, both looking far paler than even vampires should. Sofia had tearstains down her cheeks and her eyes were red from crying.

I wasn’t sure if there was anything I could say that could console her. So I didn’t bring up the subject of Yasmine. Instead I asked the question that had been nagging me.

“Why were so many vampires missing?” I asked.

Sofia looked so anxious, I wouldn’t have been surprised if she’d barely noticed. Derek, however, shared my concern.

“It’s odd that they would all be missing at once,” he said.

“Leave it to me,” I replied, pulling my cloak closer against me. “I’ll investigate.”

They had enough on their plate already. This was the least I could do to help.

Since Gavin and Zinnia’s home was nearest to the Sanctuary, I decided to stop by there first. I leapt up to their treehouse and knocked three times on the door.

A ginger-haired lad, Rose’s best friend, Griffin, answered the door. Worry marred his face and he could barely find it in himself to smile at me.

He raised a brow. “Aiden?”

“Where are your parents?”

He drew a sharp breath. “They’re here. Locked themselves in either side of the apartment.”

“Why weren’t they at the funeral?”

He grimaced. “They… they’ve had a fight.”

“Oh. I… I’m sorry to hear that… Now’s not a good time then.”