Dark Heart Surrender (9 page)

‘I’m sorry.’ Luca felt anxious. ‘I’m sorry for the trouble I’ve caused.’

‘Oh.’ Ulfred waved a hand dismissively. ‘She’s highly strung – always has been, as you know.’

‘I’m happy – with Jane.’ Luca said, by way of justification. ‘Her family are good people.’

‘I’m glad.’ Ulfred’s shoulders seemed to droop then. ‘And you are making yourself useful?’

He meant, was Luca earning his keep. The stigma of his son doing nothing but be waited on by Anna Jonas would be too shameful to Ulfred, Luca knew that. He was quick to explain.

‘I have a job, Ulfred. I pay for myself. And one day I will support Jane, too.’

‘Good.’ His father hesitated briefly, before asking, ‘And how are you coping – when the full moon comes? Are you safe?’

Luca sighed. ‘It isn’t easy. But I have found a place. High up on the mountain, where nobody ventures. So far, Jane’s family are oblivious to my need to turn. Except for Jane herself, that is. She doesn’t find it easy either, but she knows I have no choice.’ He smiled. ‘It is worth the sacrifice, Father. Even though I wish things were straightforward. Where Jane lives, it is thankfully remote. If it were anywhere else …’ He trailed off, meeting Ulfred’s eyes.

‘So …’ The older man eyed him. ‘Why have you returned?’

Luca felt again the necklace in his pocket. He hesitated before drawing it out. Saw Ulfred’s gaze flicker over it.

‘You’ve brought a gift?’

‘Not a gift.’ Luca looked down at the chain. ‘I found it at this place where I have been working. A horrible, dank place with a bad aura to it.’ He held it up in its plastic shroud, the blood visible on it. ‘In itself it may be nothing, but I just have this bad feeling. And there was something Jane’s sister talked of at the meal the evening I found it. Something that triggered a memory.’ He paused. ‘Something I heard you talk of years ago, when I was just a child. The creatures that were never allowed on Nissilum?’

‘Oh.’ Ulfred’s expression was wry. ‘Well, there were plenty that never came here …’

‘A rare species,’ Luca went on. ‘Foxes of some kind.’

‘Ah. The Vulpecula.’ Ulfred shook his head. ‘Deadly beyond redemption.’

‘The Vulpecula. Yes, that’s right.’ Luca nodded. ‘They take on human form?’

‘Indeed.’ Ulfred stroked his beard. ‘They are not unlike the werewolves … Not unlike us in that, biologically speaking, they are essentially animal – in their case fox – but have human genes too. Unlike us, they are primarily in their animal form, but they can, and will, turn into human beings when the need suits them. They shapeshift. They do not turn by force of the moon. And they can stay human for as long as it suits them to do so. But as humans they have all the wile and cunning of foxes themselves. That, and a quite mesmerizing presence.’ He hesitated. ‘But they are rare. In fact, I thought they were extinct. The Vulpecula have not been sighted or heard of for a long time – decades. The assumption has been that they had all but died out.’

‘All but,’ Luca said, swallowing. ‘I am not so sure about that.’

‘Luca?’ Ulfred frowned. ‘Son? You have seen the Vulpecula? On Mortal Earth?’

‘I don’t know.’ Luca felt like backtracking. ‘I hope I’m wrong …’

‘H
ow’s it going with Polly?’ Mrs Connelly took off her glasses and studied me over her desk. ‘She’s settling in OK?’

I shrugged. ‘I suppose so. I haven’t seen too much of her.’

‘Oh?’ She frowned. ‘I thought you were—’

‘Well, I’ve been checking in on her,’ I said, needlessly studying a fingernail. ‘She seems to be fine on her own.’

Understatement. Every time I’d seen Polly she’d been surrounded by a throng of boys, coolly absorbing their desperate attempts to chat her up. Poised, perfectly in control. I had no idea how she was doing in her subjects. I didn’t have the time, or the inclination, to nursemaid Polly.

‘She’s quite a vulnerable young woman,’ Mrs C said thoughtfully. ‘Looks and acts tougher than she is. I think she needs a little support.’

You support her then, I thought uncharitably.

‘I guess I’ve been a little busy the last couple of weeks.’ I tried and failed to suppress a yawn.

‘Is everything all right?’

‘Yes.’ It was my turn to frown. ‘Why wouldn’t it be?’

‘I hear you have your boyfriend living with you.’ She raised an eyebrow. ‘That must provide a little distraction. I imagine it’s hard to concentrate on everything that’s going on here. Your responsibilities …’

I hid annoyance. ‘I’m not shirking my responsibilities,’ I told her. ‘I’m just getting my priorities in order.’

‘Your priorities?’ She inhaled disapprovingly. ‘You don’t get these kinds of opportunities very often, you know.’

‘I know.’ I clasped my hands together, trying to keep a lid on my feelings. ‘But there’s nothing to worry about. Luca doesn’t interfere with my life at college. Or my studies.’

‘Hmm.’ She picked up a file lying in front of her on the desk, opened it and flicked through it. ‘Your grades are high.’ She looked up at me. ‘Just be careful they stay that way.’

‘OK.’ I was confused now. If I didn’t know better, I would think Mrs Connelly was threatening me. ‘But like I said—’

‘I’ve got things to do,’ she said, getting to her feet. ‘As I am sure you have.’ She checked her watch. ‘I strongly advise you reconnect with Polly. She needs a good role model to aspire to.’ She smiled at last. ‘Don’t you think?’

I stared at her. ‘I suppose.’

‘Good.’ She picked up my file and tucked it under her arm. ‘I’ll check in with you next week. See how you’re getting on.’

The cafeteria was crowded. Over by the window I spotted the twins, heads bent together, talking seriously. I bit my lip, my gaze travelling further round the hall. In the opposite corner, a crowd of noisy boys were gathered round a lone female who sat coolly drinking a smoothie through a straw, her red hair held away from her face in a loose ponytail.

I sighed, moving to the queue for hot food and picking up a tray. Polly hardly looked like the kind of girl who wanted a ‘role model to aspire to’. If I went over there, I’d get the familiar disdainful look I always got from her. Honestly, I had better things to do than babysit her.

I had my eye on the last baked potato, willing no one else to take it. Lately I felt starving all the time; I guessed it was everything that was going on, all that I had to think about. I picked up a bag of crisps from the rack and a strawberry smoothie, and pushed forward in the queue.

‘I’ll take the spud,’ said the nerdy-looking student in front of me. His backpack butted into my chest and I rolled my eyes, inwardly cursing him. Normally I didn’t care about stuff like this – but lately everything was getting on my nerves.

Once I had got all my lunch – reluctantly trading the potato for a portion of shepherd’s pie – I did a quick recce of the hall again. To my right, Ashley and Emma were still deep in conversation and I wasn’t sure I could face their chatter today anyway. Which left Polly and her admirers on the other side. I cast a glance over and saw that a few of the boys had left her table, leaving a seat free next to her. And she was looking straight at me.

‘Hey.’ I put down my food. ‘Mind if I sit down?’

‘Free country.’ Polly gave me a twisted, obviously fake smile. ‘I have a class to get to anyway.’ She fiddled with her bag.

‘OK.’ I shrugged. ‘I thought you might want to talk. I haven’t had a chance to catch up with you since—’

‘Since that distrastrous date you fixed up my brother with?’ Polly dropped her bag and stared hard at me.

A forkful of shepherd’s pie halted on its way to my mouth. ‘I’m sorry?’

‘Yeah … your boyfriend is obviously some kind of psycho. Ade was totally freaked out when he got back. Not to mention Barbie over there.’ She flicked a look over at Ashley, who was getting up from the table with Emma. ‘I mean, what were you thinking? Did you really expect my brother to hook up with … with
that
?’

I put down my fork. ‘So what exactly did Ade tell you?’

‘Just that you guys made him feel like an idiot. You and Luca, that is. The airhead just giggled like a moron.’ Polly raised an eyebrow, brushing a strand of hair out of her face. ‘I’m surprised at you, Jane, most of all. I mean, I thought you were a bit of a weirdo; I didn’t think you were mean.’

‘OK.’ I took a breath to remain calm. ‘That is totally unfair. For your information, Ade hardly spoke to Ashley all night. He practically ignored her, in fact. And he was rude and arrogant. And …’ I stopped, for some reason I didn’t want her to know the most heinous part of the evening – Ade coming on to me when the others were outside.

Polly stared at me for what seemed like hours before she spoke again. ‘Don’t tell me,’ she whispered. ‘Ade liked you.’

I felt my face getting hot, whether from anger or embarrassment I couldn’t be sure. ‘I don’t think “like” is the word,’ I began.

‘Fancied you then.’ Polly shook her head. ‘What’s the matter, Jane? Are you some kind of virgin or something? You’ve gone all coy.’

‘No.’ The heat was getting worse. ‘And we’re getting off topic here. It doesn’t matter whether Ade fancies me or not. He behaved like an asshole.’

‘Good diversion.’ She picked at a fingernail. ‘You seemed awfully riled up back then.’

‘That’s because your brother told you a pack of lies,’ I said firmly. ‘It wasn’t the way he described it at all. And him hitting on me when my boyfriend’s back was turned – that was obnoxious.’

‘Sure. I suppose he thought it was worth a try,’ she went on. ‘Given the signals you were giving him.’

‘I …’ My mouth fell open while my brain worked hard to think of a comeback.

Polly didn’t wait for my answer, though. She got to her feet, swinging her bag over her shoulder. ‘You can deny it all you want,’ she said, ‘but you’ve just confirmed exactly what Ade told me.’ She smiled tightly, stepping over the bench. ‘It’s so obvious.’

I shut my mouth at last, too infuriated to respond to this bullshit.

‘I’ll say hello to my brother for you,’ she said breezily over her shoulder, heading for the doorway. ‘He’s been asking about you a lot.’

I waited until she had disappeared before I let out the breath I had been holding in. Looking down at my cold food, I certainly didn’t feel hungry any more. In fact I felt sick. Really sick at the thought of what Ade had reported back to Polly about that night. What a creep.

I picked up my fork again and stabbed at a dried-up piece of potato. A flash of Ade’s cruel blue eyes taunting me. The eerie paleness of his skin came into my mind, much as I wanted to push it out again.

I had never given him any signal that I liked him, had I? The thought that I had given him that impression left me go cold. And angry too.

I loved Luca. He had been the only boy I wanted in the diner that night.

Hadn’t he?

‘S
on.’ Ulfred sat with his hands clasped together, looking down at the ground. ‘Why all these questions about the Vulpecula?’ He looked up and sideways at Luca. ‘You came all the way back here to—’

Luca shook his head. ‘I don’t know. I …’ He realized it was futile to try and pretend he had just been wondering. Ulfred would never believe that. Luca had not been back to Nissilum since he had left. His father was staring expectantly at him. ‘Have you seen something, Luca?’

‘Not exactly. More like got a sense. I met this kid. About my age. He had the strongest, most aggressive aura about him. It was intoxicating.’ He stopped then, realizing that what he had just said hardly amounted to evidence of the Vulpecula on Mortal Earth.

Ulfred sighed. All at once he looked weighed down, troubled. He picked up a twig lying on the ground and poked at the earth with it. Luca watched him, anxiously.

‘Ulfred,’ he said in a half-whisper. ‘What is it?’

His father thought for a moment before answering. ‘It’s … well, I hope – I’m sure – that what you sensed amounts to nothing much. But the Vulpecula are not like us here on Nissilum.’ He turned to Luca. ‘They make the Borgias look like innocent lambs frolicking in the grass. Not even the Celestial Family felt magnanimous enough to give them a chance. Their legend is of such darkness, such pure evil. There is no scrap of goodness in those creatures.’

Luca stared, unblinking. ‘I must have made a mistake,’ he said quietly. ‘I’m sure I did. I am so wary of darkness, of danger on Mortal Earth. Perhaps sometimes I imagine things that aren’t there.’

‘Perhaps.’ His father nodded. ‘I hope that’s it.’ He frowned again, deep creases in his forehead ageing him all of a sudden. ‘My great father – your great great father – he fell victim to a member of the Vulpecula. The last – we thought the last – of them roaming Nissilum, looking for trouble.’

‘Really?’ Luca sat up. ‘He
saw
one of them.’

‘You could say that. He was hypnotized, more like. The Vulpecula’s powers – well, they’re subtle at first.’ He sighed. ‘So sharp. Sharper than the rest of us. Their reputation for cunning is not just a myth. Their mental stealth matches their physical agility. They put Haris under some kind of spell and, for a while, he almost became one of them.’