Dark Heart Forever (21 page)

We watched as the last one disappeared through the door.

‘So,’ I said lightly. ‘Have you had any more … pictures in your head?’

Luca looked confused.

‘You know, about Evan?’ I held my breath, hoping the answer was no.

Luca looked as though he was about to say something, but he hesitated.

‘Do you mind if we don’t talk about Evan tonight? It’s just … I’m quite enjoying having you to myself.’

He sounded so formal, yet so sweet, I pushed any more questions out of my head.

‘Of course,’ I said, relieved. ‘And me too. I mean—’

‘I know what you mean,’ he said smiling. ‘Come on … I’ll show you the gallery.’

He led me across the slippery marble floor, so polished and clear I could see the vibrant blue of my dress reflected as clearly as if it were a mirror. At the end of the hall was an ornate staircase, wide at the base, the gold-plated banisters curling prettily outwards. The steps were covered by an ivory-coloured velvet carpet. As the stairs wound round I saw a vast painting, gilt-framed, overlooking the hall.

‘That’s Cadmium,’ Luca said, nodding at the painting. ‘Captured in his prime.’

As we climbed up to it I saw an astonishingly good-looking man. Dressed in a white robe, like a handsome blond Roman emperor, a delicate silver and gold crown lay amongst the curls on his head. His blue eyes were piercing, even from a few feet away.

‘Fine-looking, isn’t he?’ said Luca, craning his head to get the full picture. ‘I must have seen this painting a thousand times, and every time I look at it, it makes my breath catch in my throat.’

‘Where is he?’ I whispered, for reasons I couldn’t fathom, except that I felt as though I were in a sacred church of some kind.

‘Now?’ Luca glanced back at the hall, which was empty but echoing the sounds from inside the ballroom. A shriek of laughter cut through the hubbub. ‘I haven’t seen him all evening. There must be something going on that needs his attention.’

We continued up the ivory carpet, passing a glowing picture of Celeste, smiling benevolently; the ultimate matriarch with sapphire-blue eyes, and a fine, heart-shaped face, she wore a necklace with a semi-circular silver pendant.

‘Matilda,’ said Luca, nodding at a pretty, buxom woman wearing a white cape. Though like the others she was blonde, her eyelashes were dark, and two rosy spots on her cheeks gave her a more human quality. ‘Eldest daughter of Cadmium and Celeste. She’s away somewhere,’ Luca said vaguely. ‘Doing some good work or other. She is married to Reuben.’

Next we passed Dorcas, Matilda’s younger sister, Luca said. Unlike the others she had a melancholic look about her, and her hair was a darker shade of blonde, and her skin a little less youthful. I wondered where she was tonight …

‘What’s this?’ I said as we climbed further, approaching a gilt frame with no picture, just a plaque beneath it with the name
Raphael
written on it.

‘Raphael. He’s what you’d call “in the dog house”.’ Luca turned to me, continuing in a low voice, ‘Remember we talked of him when you met my family for the first time?’

‘He’s … mad?’

‘That’s what they say.’ Luca looked about us, checking we were very much alone. ‘But nobody really knows for sure. He has always been a bit … volatile.’

‘So they’ve removed his portrait to teach him a lesson?’

‘It’s a gesture,’ Luca said. ‘Celeste needs to set an example, but she adores Raphael.’

Further up the staircase the next portrait was also missing. Not even a name. I looked questioningly at Luca.

‘Raphael’s father, Dorcas’s husband: Gabriel,’ he said. ‘Nobody knows exactly what has happened to him.’ Luca’s face paled slightly.

‘Sad,’ I said, taking in Luca’s sorrowful expression. He nodded, but moved to continue up the stairs.

At the top of the staircase was a large landing and another double-fronted door. Two white chairs sat either side. I glanced at Luca.

‘Celeste and Cadmium’s reception room,’ he whispered, taking my hand and pulling me towards it. He knocked firmly, but there was no answer. We looked at each other. ‘Let me show you … just for a moment. The view is spectacular.’

He gently opened the door and the light that flooded through the room was dazzling. The whole of the opposite wall was window, overlooking a midnight-blue sky, a nearly-full moon and the tops of cedar trees in the grounds.

A long wooden sideboard with rows of drawers underneath sat against one wall, while in the middle of the room was a large circular table covered in photographs. I moved towards it, my eyes sweeping over the images.

Family photographs. There was Celeste with her daughters, one of her holding a baby, and a large one of Cadmium and a boy of around thirteen or fourteen. To say he looked angelic was a huge understatement. The boy had long, curly hair and was dressed in a pale-blue robe of some kind. His hair looked damp and curled around his neck and shoulders, as though he had been swimming; little drops of water sat on his forehead. He looked serious, with his father’s arms loosely around his neck. I moved closer. Something about the boy held my attention.

‘That’s Raphael,’ said Luca quietly. ‘He looks sweet doesn’t he? But he was just starting to behave oddly …’

I said nothing, continuing to stare at the image of father and son. I couldn’t explain why I couldn’t take my eyes off it – but Raphael was captivating somehow. Shifting my gaze to Cadmium, I saw that his eyes were the same colour and shape as his son’s.

‘Where was his father?’ I asked. ‘Gabriel?’

‘Gabriel had just disappeared by then.’ Luca shook his head. ‘Raphael took it very hard.’

‘Poor boy.’ I frowned.

The sound of footsteps on the stairs startled us and I jerked, knocking the table. Something fell from behind the photograph of Cadmium and Raphael.

‘Quickly,’ said Luca. ‘We must leave.’ He turned to the door. I glanced back at the thing on the floor. Another photograph, loose, which must have been tucked behind one of the frames.

‘Don’t worry about that,’ Luca said vaguely over his shoulder. ‘We shouldn’t really be in here.’

Even so, I snatched up the picture, meaning to put it back on the table, but as Luca opened the door I changed my mind, tucking it as fast as I could into the top of my sleeve, where it rasped against my skin.

I darted after Luca and we stepped out on to the landing, a little breathless.

The footsteps were closer and a figure turned at the bottom of the final flight of stairs. A familiar silver tulle gown and a benign smile stood below us.

‘Luca,’ said a soft voice. It was Celeste, who held keys in one hand and a glass of water in the other. Again she looked fondly at Luca.

‘I was showing Jane the gallery,’ he said nervously. ‘We came a little too far.’ He took my hand again, reassuringly. And we went down to meet her where she stood.

Celeste didn’t appear in the least bit suspicious. Instead she gave me what I realised was her trademark smile, full of warmth.

‘Your mother must be very happy,’ she said, looking from me to Luca. ‘I hope you are enjoying yourselves? What a handsome pair you make.’

‘Yes.’ Luca blushed. I took his arm, unsure whether it was protocol to curtsey to Celeste every time we met.

Celeste began her descent, Luca and I behind her, but when she reached the empty portraits of her son and grandson, she paused. She reached out to Raphael’s and with a hesitant movement traced his name engraved on its plaque.

‘I have failed, Luca,’ she said quietly. She turned to us both. ‘You remember Raffy? The two of you were close once … As children.’

I shot a look at Luca, who was silent.

Celeste’s face darkened. ‘Little Raffy,’ she murmured, ‘too spirited and sensitive.’

I subtly touched my sleeve, feeling the photograph still in place.

She shook her head, adjusting her décolletage with one hand, then lifting her skirts.

We all moved down to the hall.

When we reached the bottom of the steps and the rowdier sounds from the ballroom, she gave an audible sigh in front of us and retrieved her fan.

‘Time for dancing … and then the speech,’ she said, wryly. ‘I do hope the guests are behaving themselves.’

With that she swept elegantly through to the ballroom, leaving us lingering behind her.

‘Can you dance?’ Luca said, his voice close behind me. I waited for him to put his hand on my waist, but instead he moved to take my arm again.

‘I don’t know. But I will if you will.’

‘Agreed,’ he said, and as he pulled me closer to him, I felt a fluttering of happiness.

We walked through to the sound of lively violins playing some classical concerto. The orchestra was in full swing and people were dancing. I saw Vanya, her head thrown back, with Milton’s arm circling her waist and a cluster of female witches nearby, holding hands and turning in a circle, their tiny feline faces unsmiling but their movements expert.

‘Everyone pretty much does their own thing,’ Luca told me with a grin. He took my arm and put one hand gently around my waist, pulling me closer to him. In his black tuxedo and white shirt he looked like an old-time movie star. Classically handsome. His green eyes locked on to mine and he swung me round with surprising skill.

‘Everyone is looking at you,’ he said. ‘The belle of the ball.’

‘Really?’ I felt myself blushing. It was as if this was some incredible magic dream. Every girl’s dream. Holding Luca’s gaze as we danced, my insides skipped with excitement. Pure, innocent pleasure. It was all right to feel like that, I told myself. Just for one night. It didn’t mean anything. I still had a boyfriend.

Finally I dragged my eyes away, concentrating on my footwork. Thankfully Luca seemed to know exactly what he was doing. He moved in an assured, unselfconscious way.

‘You really can dance,’ I said, knowing I really couldn’t, but enjoying myself all the same.

‘Had to learn,’ Luca replied, a little out of breath as he took my arm and I twirled, laughing and swung back to him. ‘You don’t?’

‘It’s all part of the ritual humiliation of mortal life for a young person – not having a clue how to dance or talk to boys,’ I told him.

‘I wouldn’t say that,’ he said quickly, his eyes darting away as he spoke. I hid a smile, sidestepping an overeager man in a long dark-blue dinner jacket with a matching blue streak in his hair. The man, in his twenties, flashed me a toothy smile.

‘Valdar,’ whispered Luca. ‘Vanya’s son.’

‘But she doesn’t look a day over thirty,’ I said, slowing down. I stole another look at Valdar, whose dance partner studied me with narrowed eyes. ‘They look like brother and sister.’

‘Vanya stopped ageing in her late-twenties, as most of them do. Vampires are so vain.’ He pulled a face. ‘No pun intended.’

The music stopped and people drifted away from the dance floor to gather at the sides of the room, by the refreshment tables. A group of young, black-haired boys, guzzled a tomato-red concoction. Blood? I shuddered then, remembering that the people in this room could literally drain the life out of me, if they chose to.

‘Do you think anyone suspects I’m mortal?’ I said quietly to Luca as we began wandering over to a vacant ottoman-style sofa by the door.

‘Mortal?’ came a shrill voice next to me, and I froze. Tilly appeared, her wild curly hair in even more disarray. Her slinky velvet dress clung to her sylphlike body. She swooned slightly, and my heart beat slowed down. If she was drunk…

‘What are you talking about, Tilly?’ Luca’s voice was light, but one of his hands found mine and held on to it.

‘She said something about a mortal.’ Tilly’s eyes gleamed. ‘Is there one here? In the palace?’

‘Don’t be ridiculous.’ Luca’s expression was puzzled. ‘You’ve had too much grape juice, Tilly. You’re imagining things.’

Tilly lifted her head and trained her almond-shaped eyes on me. ‘She said it.’ She came closer to me and her nose twitched, as though she was sniffing me. ‘You have appeared from nowhere, Miss … Who are you?’

‘I …’ I began, glancing over to Luca. ‘I’m Jane, a southern werewolf.’ I kept my voice as steady as I could.

‘Hmmm.’ She lingered closely for a second longer and my breath seemed to freeze in my throat. I remembered what Luca had said: witches can do you harm just by looking at you. My eyes slid away from her.

‘I have excellent hearing,’ she told Luca haughtily. ‘As you well know.’

‘Of course,’ he said, smiling very convincingly at her. ‘But the grapes can tamper with the senses, can’t they?’

Tilly looked down at her glass, which was empty, and sniffed. ‘Possibly,’ she said, her voice crackling. She shook her head in an eccentric motion. ‘When are they serving cake?’ she said truculently. ‘Or do we have to endure one of those dreary speeches before they bring it out?’

Luca’s lips twitched in a genuine smile then and my body relaxed.

The sound of metal clinking against glass drew everyone’s attention to the front of the room, where Celeste stood patiently waiting for quiet.

‘Having a nice time?’ Vanya licked her lips uncomfortably close to me and I fought the instinct to jerk away from her. That would certainly give me away.