Celeste was taken aback. ‘I simply meant—’
‘I know. I must go … I need to inspect the cellar stores,’ Raphael told her.
‘Of course.’ She nodded, waiting for his back to turn before giving vent to more anxiety in her expression.
Raphael made his way down to the palace basement. It was cold, dark, and his footsteps echoed on the stone steps. Reaching the bottom, he stopped outside a large wooden cupboard and opened it. Inside, dozens of keys hung on dozens of hooks. Reaching in, the boy ran his fingers almost tenderly across them before he plucked a bunch down and shut the door to the cupboard.
Advancing down the marble corridor, he made for a door at the end, next to the palace cells. The Armory. Inside he would find all the weapons the palace had at its disposal in the rare event of an attack. Raphael found the right key and opened the heavy door. Inside was an array of somewhat crude weaponry. Crossbows, swords. On the walls, assorted sizes of guns.
There wasn’t much. But perhaps enough.
Raphael breathed in and out slowly, excitement was mounting inside him. He leaned back against the heavy door, his eyes running back and forth over what he could see inside this room. Then he slumped down to his knees, putting his hands to his temples. Pictures flashed through his mind. Today he felt as though he had seen a ghost. He had no idea where he came from, but the black-eyed boy residing at Vanya Borgia’s house was significant. Almost as though he had arrived on Nissilum, just as Raphael was feeling such restlessness, by design. Raphael had somehow felt him to be a kindred spirit. But how he had come to know Jane … ? Raphael lifted his head, feeling fuzzy-headed. He must think clearly. He had much to do … and he needed all his wits about him.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
‘H ere.’ Soren tossed a stiff white card at me.
I had been lying in the bedroom, gazing out of the window, wondering what time it was back home. What day. It seemed like I had been gone for ever. I had to keep remembering that time here moved slowly. That in reality I had probably only been gone for a few hours.
The card landed beside me on the bed. As I focussed on what was written on it, I sat up blearily.
‘The Celestial Parade,’ I read out, then looked up at Soren. ‘What is this?’
‘Vanya got her special invitation today,’ he said. ‘It is a big occasion for all the heads of Nissilum’s families. A time for spreading love and harmony amongst vampires, werewolves and witches …’ He spoke in a facetious monotone.
‘That’s nice.’ I handed him back the card. ‘But it has nothing to do with me, does it?’
He perched on the end of the bed. ‘Why not?’
‘Because I won’t be going.’ I laughed darkly. ‘I mean, I can’t see Henora greeting me with open arms, can you?’
‘Well, no. But she needn’t know you’re there.’
I gave him a look. ‘Listen. You want to see Luca, right?’ Soren fixed me with a look of his own.
‘Well, yes. But I don’t think—’
Soren waved a hand dismissively. ‘Think of it as fancy dress.’
I narrowed me eyes. ‘Soren. What are you up to?’
‘Vanya has a marvellous selection of disguises … Wigs, for example.’ He cocked his head. ‘Platinum blonde, perhaps?’ He wrinkled his nose. ‘No. Something dark to bring out your eyes and give you a vampirish edge.’
I flared my nostrils. ‘No way.’
‘For myself, I favour curls.’ He turned to the mirror over the dressing table, and ruffled his hair theatrically. ‘Chestnut curls.’
I fought a smile. ‘Soren, you’re actually enjoying this, aren’t you?’
‘Well, why not? If all else fails, think of the tale you will be able to tell your grandchildren.’
‘I can’t think that far ahead,’ I sighed. ‘And Luca won’t even recognise me.’
‘If he truly loves you …’ Soren said, looking directly into my eyes. ‘He will recognise you.’
Vanya threw open a white-painted door off the
‘I know. I must go … I need to inspect the cellar stores,’ Raphael told her.
‘Of course.’ She nodded, waiting for his back to turn before giving vent to more anxiety in her expression.
Raphael made his way down to the palace basement. It was cold, dark, and his footsteps echoed on the stone steps. Reaching the bottom, he stopped outside a large wooden cupboard and opened it. Inside, dozens of keys hung on dozens of hooks. Reaching in, the boy ran his fingers almost tenderly across them before he plucked a bunch down and shut the door to the cupboard.
Advancing down the marble corridor, he made for a door at the end, next to the palace cells. The Armory. Inside he would find all the weapons the palace had at its disposal in the rare event of an attack. Raphael found the right key and opened the heavy door. Inside was an array of somewhat crude weaponry. Crossbows, swords. On the walls, assorted sizes of guns.
There wasn’t much. But perhaps enough.
Raphael breathed in and out slowly, excitement was mounting inside him. He leaned back against the heavy door, his eyes running back and forth over what he could see inside this room. Then he slumped down to his knees, putting his hands to his temples. Pictures flashed through his mind. Today he felt as though he had seen a ghost. He had no idea where he came from, but the black-eyed boy residing at Vanya Borgia’s house was significant. Almost as though he had arrived on Nissilum, just as Raphael was feeling such restlessness, by design. Raphael had somehow felt him to be a kindred spirit. But how he had come to know Jane … ? Raphael lifted his head, feeling fuzzy-headed. He must think clearly. He had much to do … and he needed all his wits about him.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
‘H ere.’ Soren tossed a stiff white card at me.
I had been lying in the bedroom, gazing out of the window, wondering what time it was back home. What day. It seemed like I had been gone for ever. I had to keep remembering that time here moved slowly. That in reality I had probably only been gone for a few hours.
The card landed beside me on the bed. As I focussed on what was written on it, I sat up blearily.
‘The Celestial Parade,’ I read out, then looked up at Soren. ‘What is this?’
‘Vanya got her special invitation today,’ he said. ‘It is a big occasion for all the heads of Nissilum’s families. A time for spreading love and harmony amongst vampires, werewolves and witches …’ He spoke in a facetious monotone.
‘That’s nice.’ I handed him back the card. ‘But it has nothing to do with me, does it?’
He perched on the end of the bed. ‘Why not?’
‘Because I won’t be going.’ I laughed darkly. ‘I mean, I can’t see Henora greeting me with open arms, can you?’
‘Well, no. But she needn’t know you’re there.’
I gave him a look. ‘Listen. You want to see Luca, right?’ Soren fixed me with a look of his own.
‘Well, yes. But I don’t think—’
Soren waved a hand dismissively. ‘Think of it as fancy dress.’
I narrowed me eyes. ‘Soren. What are you up to?’
‘Vanya has a marvellous selection of disguises … Wigs, for example.’ He cocked his head. ‘Platinum blonde, perhaps?’ He wrinkled his nose. ‘No. Something dark to bring out your eyes and give you a vampirish edge.’
I flared my nostrils. ‘No way.’
‘For myself, I favour curls.’ He turned to the mirror over the dressing table, and ruffled his hair theatrically. ‘Chestnut curls.’
I fought a smile. ‘Soren, you’re actually enjoying this, aren’t you?’
‘Well, why not? If all else fails, think of the tale you will be able to tell your grandchildren.’
‘I can’t think that far ahead,’ I sighed. ‘And Luca won’t even recognise me.’
‘If he truly loves you …’ Soren said, looking directly into my eyes. ‘He will recognise you.’
Vanya threw open a white-painted door off the
Similar Books
