"I appreciate you taking care of Jane," I heard him say, "but there is no need any longer."
I saw Soren"s eyes, black as coal, flashing in something like confusion, though I couldn"t read his response properly.
"I don"t think she wants to leave, Luca," he said. "She hasn"t got what she came for."
I winced, cursing Soren"s directness. I wanted to explain, but I had run out of words. It seemed I had nothing left in me to convince Luca. I didn"t want to convince him. I wanted him to come to me of his own accord.
But Luca didn"t respond to Soren"s words.
"Brother, this boy is dangerous," Lowe cut in. "A demon."
"Lowe, be quiet." Luca spoke with authority.
"I"m going." I said. "I"m going home."
"Jane," Soren said, "don"t be foolish. Let me help you."
"I told you," Luca said, silencing him with his tone, "she no longer needs your help." Taking his eyes off Soren, he settled them on me. "She"s got me."
"Luca?" I didn"t dare read any meaning into what he had said. "Go and find Lila. She needs you more than I do."
He shook his head. "I know now that Soren was telling the truth. Lila was there the day he murdered her family ... And she has spent the last twelve years in a state of denial."
"But I thought you didn"t believe him?" I said. "What changed your mind?"
"Because Henora and Ulfred have just had a monumental argument. In fact the reason I did not get here sooner was because Henora stormed out into the night in tears. Ulfred told her she had to tell me the truth." He hesitated. "That she and Hanni both knew about Lila"s family ... But Henora couldn"t bring herself to spoil everything by telling her about Soren ... Saul."
Lowe looked like a petulant child about to stamp his foot.
"I think you should go to Lila," Luca said quietly to Soren. "She is waiting for you at my home."
As Lowe started to protest, Luca cut him short with a wave of his hand. "Keep out of it, brother. I"m warning you."
Scowling, Lowe shoved his crossbow into his companion"s hands and they stomped after Soren. Soon all three boys had disappeared out of the woods.
Luca moved through the undergrowth towards me until he stood inches away. Lifting his hand, he touched my cheek gently, tracing up and down it as he used to and I leaned my head against his hand like a cat.
"I"m so sorry," he whispered. "You"ve been through too much."
"It"s been ... an adventure," I said, managing a smile. "My mother would call it "character building"."
"She"s a wise woman, your mother," he said, a hint of sadness in his voice. "How I wish I could run from all this and-"
"But you can"t." I said, enjoying being able to examine his face at such close proximity. Taking in his soft green eyes.
He hesitated before speaking. "Everything I thought I believed in has proved a little flimsy." He moved closer and took hold of my hands. "The only thing that has stood firm like a rock in troubled waters is you."
CHAPTER FORTY-SIX.
Raphael"s horse was waiting for him, patiently. Stroking the animal"s soft coat, he lay his head against it.
"I"m tired," he said out loud, "but it"s not over yet ... Not for me." He lifted his head, looking around the sweet-smelling stable. He would saddle up the horse and go for one last ride. Dawn was breaking, the Celestial grounds were beautiful at this time. The last time.
"Running away?" A voice in the stable doorway cut into his thoughts.
He turned. "He"s free," he told her. "Soren. He is free to do as he likes."
Vanya stepped inside, her nose quivering a little disdainfully at the smell of horse and hay.
"He has no wish to take your place," she said. "He has spent a long time in the wilderness. Searching for his family."
"Well he killed them," he said. "He has no family. My father-"
"Your father is long gone." Vanya"s tone softened. "It"s time you learned to live with that, don"t you think?"
"I am going to find him. I am going to the mortal world. He is there somewhere."
She took a breath. "Raphael, your father chose another way. You need to be your own man stop living in his shadow. It is not right that he abandoned you. But you can be a better man."
"I have nothing left here," he said flatly. "And what do you know of my father? You don"t understand."
"More than you imagine." Still wearing her white cape, she drew it around her. "He didn"t even acknowledge Soren as his son ... not properly."
Raphael studied her. "What is Soren to you?" he asked. "Or do you thrive on picking up waifs and strays?"
She was silent, though her face gave away some feeling.
He stepped closer. "Or are you part of this terrible secret too."
And then in her eyes he saw tears though she was struggling not to give into emotion, there were tears.
"He is my son too," she said hoa.r.s.ely. "There. Now you have it. The full gruesomeness of your half-brother"s heritage. A vampire and an angel all in one."
"Gabriel," he breathed, falling against the stable wall, making his horse whinny in concern. "Oh, Gabriel!"
"Soren doesn"t want any of what you have. Why would he?" she said again. "He is a free spirit, and he could not be bound by the suffocating rules that come with that position. All he wanted was to see the girl." She sighed. "I admit, he drew Jane into his plans. Before he knew it, he was involved in some other game ..."
He is a better man than I, thought Raphael. He would make a better king.
"He did a good thing," he said seriously. "A n.o.ble thing. Jane and Luca deserve to have happiness together. True happiness."
"I must go ... I left Soren on his way to see Lila. But then he will be gone from Nissilum too, and he wants to take her with him. He knows he is not welcome here. And I would like to say goodbye. I may never see him again." Vanya turned to leave.
"No," Raphael said firmly. "He should stay. With Lila. It is their home."
Vanya stopped, her shoulders relaxing, before turning back.
"Thank you," she said, with a grateful smile. "That"s ... gracious of you."
He shrugged, then dug his hand into his pocket and drew out the white feather.
"Here," he held it out to her. "This is for you."
CHAPTER FORTY-SEVEN.
The sun was shining brilliantly as the three of us threaded our way through the tall trees. It seemed like a million years since I had been here last. When we reached the Water Path, I turned to Dalya and drew her close, hugging her tight.
"Goodbye, sweet Dalya," I said, my voice m.u.f.fled, buried in her hair. "I hope I see you soon." Dalya pulled away. "But I am so happy." She beamed. "And I will visit you."
Before I could make sense of this, Luca cut in.
"Remember what I said," he told her a little gruffly as he stood and watched the two of us. "Look after Henora and Ulfred and try not to provoke Lowe."
She grimaced. "I can"t bear to even look at him," she said. "He has behaved like a fool."
"Maybe he will grow up a little now that I ..." He didn"t finish his sentence.
She shrugged. "Henora will be fussing over him now. She won"t admit it, but she is remorseful for everything she put you through. She and Ulfred had words."
She was talking as though Luca no longer existed. I glanced at him bemused.
"She meant well." Luca moved forward and embraced his sister. Watching the girl"s arms clinging to him, I felt a lump form in my throat. It was as if they were saying a proper goodbye. I turned away, pretending to focus on a clump of ferns growing by the water.
When I turned back, Dalya had disappeared as if by magic.
"Dalya doesn"t care for goodbyes," said Luca.
"But you"ll be back again in no time, unfortunately." I sighed, knowing this was the way it had to be.
Luca was staring at me intently. "I am the happiest I have ever been," he said. "I feel as though every bit of pain has been worth it for this this second chance." He reached out and took hold of my arms, almost forcefully pulling me close to him.
I caught my breath, pushing my fingers through his, lifting my chin as he dropped his so that our mouths were centimetres apart.
"I never stopped loving you, surely you must know that," he said. "I love you, more than anything in this world or yours."
"That"s a lot of love," I said, seeing the creases at the corners of his eyes as he smiled.
"Yet it still seems inadequate," he said softly, taking my face in his hands and kissing me; a long, soft and tender kiss.
Eventually I pulled away. "What will happen now here?"
He shrugged. "I don"t know. Raphael has a lot to take in. If Soren stays, then everyone will know that there is a half-vampire half-angel boy who has been denied by the Celestial family."
"Imagine, a vampire ruling Nissilum!" I said, shaking my head. "It"s going to change everything."
Luca took me in his arms and held me, and I exulted in his familiar smell, burying my head in his chest, and feeling the tension finally seep out of my body.
"It doesn"t matter to me," he said, stroking my hair back, "because I won"t be here."
I lifted my head, pulling gently away. "You won"t?"
"No." He lifted my chin with his fingertip. "I will be with you."
I let out a small incredulous gasp. "Really! You want to come and live on mortal Earth?"
"I want to live wherever you are." He kissed me fiercely then, and I finally gave in to all the feelings I had suppressed for months, kissing him back hungrily and pa.s.sionately.
"For the rest of our lives ... However long that is ... For the rest of our lives."
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