Dark Heart Forever (12 page)

‘Now, leave most of the talking to me,’ he said brightly, walking ahead of me. ‘All you need to know is that your father runs a farm and we are distantly related through second cousins of my father’s, whom he doesn’t remember.’ He paused. ‘He has an appalling memory, which will work well for us.’

‘Right.’ I tramped after him, my mind racing. ‘Anything else?’

‘Don’t mention pounds and pennies,’ Luca went on. ‘We trade in krenels.’ He turned and smiled wryly. ‘I’ll explain the denominations of that some other time … And stick to simple words and phrases. None of your mortal gobbledegook.’

‘Thanks very much.’

Luca stopped. ‘Seriously,’ he said. ‘Everything else is just as it is here. Shops, restaurants, schools, even fashion. Though we tend not to wear those horrible neon colours you all like.’

I shook my head. I should have felt annoyed but I found his chattering delightful somehow.

‘Oh.’ Luca stopped, biting his lip. ‘And we don’t have cars or trains or trucks or aeroplanes. We don’t need them.’

‘Is that it?’ I smiled at his back.

Luca hesitated before going on. ‘No televisions, or computers, or telephones. You’ll think we are primitive; our lives are much simpler than yours.’

We had gone deep across the mountain by now and had been moving so fast I felt out of breath. I stopped and, a few feet in front of me, Luca intuitively came to a halt also.

‘How will it work, getting there?’ I asked, panting still. ‘Only I’ve never consciously travelled to a parallel world.’

Luca slowed down in front of me. We had reached a small clearing. He stopped altogether.

‘I’m not sure, but it has happened once, so it should happen again,’ he said. ‘I know it has something to do with what you want. You have to will it.’

I remembered the night of Dad’s accident. Sitting in that car wanting – willing – someone to help us. It had worked then. And it had worked when I’d been worried for Luca in the woods.

‘I think I need to hold on to you,’ I said, feeling suddenly awkward.

He held out his arms. ‘Come on then.’

I moved closer, holding him, noting how his long body felt different to Evan’s. It was slighter, but athletic and strong. I pressed my cheek against his coat, felt his heartbeat and his arms closing around my body.

‘OK?’ he whispered into my hair.

I nodded and shut my eyes, picturing the Water Path, the grand trees, the sound of the water. I began to drift, and Luca’s head rested on mine as he held me.

I had no memory of the journey; my first conscious thought was of a breeze lifting my hair and a familiar rushing sound. I looked into the river, hurrying on its way somewhere, pushing past embedded rocks which stuck up above the surface. A huge bird soared elegantly, following the river. It looked like an eagle. I blinked as I watched it fly. I’d never seen an eagle. From this distance it looked huge, but not ungainly. Just magnificent.

Luca silently watched with me.

‘I read more of the notebook,’ I said at last. ‘She was my age, that girl.’

‘Yes.’ Luca leaned back on his elbows. ‘And it doesn’t have a happy ending I fear.’

‘Who was she?’ I said, more to myself than to him.

‘I believe she was mortal.’ Luca pressed his lips together. ‘And her … lover, I think he was one of us.’

‘A werewolf?’

‘Could be.’ He hesitated before going on. ‘There is a rumour about a male, living on Nissilum, generations ago, who ceased to exist. People say it was the love of a mortal girl that killed him.’

I turned slowly to look at him. ‘Is that why you are reluctant … to fall in love with a mortal?’

Luca nodded. ‘Although to me, the notion that one can control one’s emotions in that way seems ridiculous.’ He sighed, sitting back up and holding on to his knees. ‘But according to my mother, it is perfectly possible to control such things. To decide not to love. Just a matter of ruling with your head, not your heart. Not very romantic.’ He shook his head. ‘But, given what is destined to happen to those of us who fall … it is probably better to keep mortal relationships platonic. Better still never to engage with mortals in the first place.’

I felt vaguely rejected. Stupid. I mean, I knew what I felt with Luca was different. Safer, calmer. Perhaps it was less exciting?

‘You need to get yourself a proper girlfriend,’ I said flatly. ‘Not a pretend one.’

‘Hmmm.’ Luca didn’t look at me. ‘I haven’t met an immortal girl yet who inspires those feelings in me. I don’t think I ever will.’

His answer pleased me, though I disliked myself for it. I didn’t want him, but I didn’t want anyone else to be with him either.

‘Anyway, I thought it was a good thing to come here first,’ said Luca, changing tack.

‘Before you meet my family. It’s a calming place. I don’t want you to be nervous.’

‘I’m meeting a bunch of werewolves,’ I said half smiling. ‘What’s to be nervous about?’

Luca chuckled and as he turned to look at me I saw how his green eyes danced. When he laughed his normally serious face lit up. It jolted something inside me.

I smiled back at him, then looked up at the pale-blue sky.

‘Shouldn’t we get going?’ I said.

‘Yep.’ Luca got to his feet and held out his hand to help me up. ‘Particularly since we are going the slow way.’ He noticed my puzzled face and added, ‘We’re walking.’

Luca and I walked for miles, but he held my hand all the way and I found we were moving briskly, covering the distance quickly. We crossed a vast field of rape and came to a stony path, and then a pretty gate, covered in wisteria. Luca stopped in front of it.

‘The south is divided from the north by a vast river. Northerners pay a toll to cross the bridge into the southern region. We also have to apply to cross over first. My father hates filling in forms. And as I said, his memory is not good. Neither he nor my mother will question you too closely on your family.’

‘OK.’ I nodded. ‘Good to know.’

He pushed through the gate and we walked up a wide gravel drive of sorts, flanked by apple trees. Ahead of me, I saw the front of a large old cottage. It was idyllic.

I felt a mixture of nerves and excitement, and behind that a kind of acceptance. I didn’t feel like a stranger in a strange world. I felt somehow at home.

We reached the front door and Luca turned.

‘Ready?’ he said, touching my sleeve.

‘Ready.’

‘Ulfred! They’re here!’ a familiar voice shrieked. Dalya, her dark hair falling to her waist, stood in front of us. Her eyes travelled up and down me.

‘What is she wearing?’ she whispered rudely to Luca.

‘ “She” is standing right here,’ said Luca, cuffing her lightly on the shoulder.

‘Luca?’ I looked over Dalya’s head to see a tall woman with short, dark hair coming towards us. She wore a long, silky-looking shift dress with what looked like a piece of hewn leather around her waist as a belt. On her feet she wore elegant suede moccasins. Her skin was pale, and her eyes were dark like Luca’s and Dalya’s. She craned her head as she came nearer, gently placing her hands on Dalya’s shoulders to move her to one side.

Up close, I saw she had silvery-grey streaks at her hairline. And her eyes, a rich hazel-brown, were almond-shaped. She was beautiful.

‘Hello,’ she said, extending her hand. ‘My name is Henora. You must be Jane?’ She glanced briefly at Luca, who looked a little tense. ‘I’m so pleased to meet you.’

‘Likewise,’ I said, then blushed. ‘I mean … I’ve heard so much about you.’ I didn’t dare look at Luca. so much about you.’ I didn’t dare look at Luca.

‘I have prepared some food,’ said Henora, turning and gesturing for us to follow her.

Dalya scampered past us and down a long corridor, at the end of which I saw a man, an older version of Luca, waiting in what had to be the kitchen.

‘My mother’s favourite flower is the lily,’ Luca whispered behind me. ‘And she doesn’t eat meat.’

I nodded subtly, wondering exactly how it worked out for a vegetarian werewolf at the full moon.

We walked through into a large but homely room, with rough-painted walls and a large window. A huge stove glowered in the corner and a pale wooden trestle table was set with wooden platters. There was no cutlery, but earthenware mugs next to a jug of water.

Luca’s doppelgänger stood placidly at one end of the table. He beamed from ear to ear.

‘Welcome Jane,’ he said, as Dalya clung on to his arm adoringly. He stepped closer to me, taking me in. ‘I am Ulfred. What a fine-looking girl.’ He leaned forward slightly. ‘Unusual.’

‘Jane is still wearing her workwear,’ said Luca, not looking at me. ‘She came straight from her father’s farm.’

I nodded, my mouth frozen in a clueless grin.

‘Good girl,’ said Henora approvingly. ‘Family loyalty and a strong work ethic. So encouraging to see it in the younger ones.’ She gave Luca a wry look and turned to attend to a pot on the stove.

I stole a baffled glance at Luca, but he wisely refused to meet it.

‘I do what I can,’ I found myself saying. ‘I apologise for not being smarter.’

‘With beauty like that, I hardly think it matters,’ said Ulfred, winking at Luca. ‘How is it down south, Jane? It is so long since we have visited our cousins.’

I stared hard at him, groping for the correct answer. ‘They are well,’ I said at last. ‘Getting on with things … you know.’

Ulfred nodded, seemingly satisfied with my response. He bent down and planted a large kiss on Dalya’s cheek.

‘I must get over to see them more often,’ he said, straightening up. ‘Before I entirely lose track of my relatives.’ He studied me. ‘You know you don’t have the look of the Hunter about you, Jane. You have a more rounded face than is customary … heart-shaped … and bigger eyes. Grey, too … rather unusual.’

I held my breath for a second, wondering if I had just been busted. How stupid. Dogs generally don’t have grey eyes. Cats, maybe. I swallowed. And dogs were not known for their friendliness to cats. Let alone this bunch of alpha canines. I waited for the penny to drop.

But Ulfred’s attention was elsewhere now, he tousled Dalya’s hair and asked his wife if he could help her with anything.

Luca took the opportunity to flash me an encouraging smile, but I felt nervous, my mind beginning to race with the potential for all of this to go horribly wrong.

The sound of the main door banging made us all turn to see a boy of around fourteen striding noisily down the hall.

‘Lowe.’ Henora shook her head, a small smile on her lips, defying the firmness in her voice. ‘Late … as ever.’

The boy walked through into the kitchen. Like Luca, he was slender, with the same delicate features, but his hair was lighter, curling slightly and he had Dalya’s deep brown eyes. He started taking his boots off, his eyes on me as he spoke to his mother.

‘Cadmium had me hacking down the hedges inside the palace gates,’ he said. His voice, not quite broken yet, was husky and a little petulant.

Henora smiled. ‘This is Lowe,’ she said turning to me. ‘He has spent the morning at the Celestial Palace, preparing the grounds for the Great Ball …’ She glanced quickly at Luca. ‘He could have done with some help you know, Luca.’

Luca grunted, watching as his younger brother tapped mud from his boots on to the stone floor.

‘I had other plans today,’ he said calmly. But for the first time I detected a slight edge to his voice. ‘And you know I’m not much good at manual work.’

Lowe gave a short laugh and slapped Luca lightly on the shoulder. ‘Not much good, or not much interested?’ he said jovially before turning to Henora. ‘I like to do it, Mother. Luca is a delicate soul. You know that.’

Though some years younger than Luca, Lowe had the authoritative air of an older brother.

Henora smiled indulgently at him, before moving back to the stove.

Ulfred came forward. ‘Introduce your guest, son,’ he said lightly.

‘Oh … yes.’ Luca flushed a little. ‘Lowe, this is Jane … My friend from the south.’ He glanced at me. ‘Jane, this is my little brother, Lowe.’

Lowe and I nodded in greeting and I felt him appraising me, not very subtly.

‘Lucky Luca,’ he said slowly, coming closer. ‘She is wolf … I presume?’

‘Of course,’ Luca said. ‘What else would she be?’

Lowe shrugged. ‘I just don’t recognise her, that’s all.’

‘You don’t know everybody in the whole world,’ piped up Dalya, to my relief. There was something too clever about this boy.

‘True.’ Lowe’s eyes lingered only slightly on me before he turned to survey the table. ‘What’s for lunch, Henora? I’m hungry.’

‘Roasted vegetables and braised owl,’ she said, stirring something in a pot on the stove.

I blanched. Braised owl?

Luca nudged me gently. ‘It tastes like rabbit,’ he whispered. ‘If you’ve ever sampled that.’

I nodded. I had. I hadn’t liked it much either.

‘The meal is ready,’ said Henora. ‘Take your seats.’

Luca and I were sat side by side, while Lowe and Dalya briefly squabbled about their own seating.