'Mother,' Luca intervened, 'leave her.'

'Don't defend her!' she snarled. 'She is clearly in league with this ... this vampire!' She pointed at Soren, then turned to Raphael, who looked frozen to the spot. 'Raphael, remove these people. I implore you.'

I wanted nothing more than to be at home. With my family. Without this ridiculous make-up. But the injustice of the situation made me stand my ground. I had long since blown my chances with Luca and his family anyway.

Raphael cleared his throat, nodding over at two of the palace guards, who had entered the hall with a troubled Celeste.

'Take the boy' he gestured at Soren 'take him to the cell in the palace bas.e.m.e.nt.' He was calm, authoritative, with not a hint of emotion. I waited for him to order the same for me, but he only stood back to allow the two men to get to Soren.

'I'm sorry,' said Soren to his sister. 'But I spoke the truth, Lila. Remember that.'

'Enough!' roared Henora. 'You have caused enough harm. Please be silent.'

Luca watched as Soren was led away and then his eyes found mine. This time there could be no mistaking his look.

Disappointment.

But my heart had grown numb. I could see no way out of this. Who would believe Soren's story? I pushed away my own nagging doubts and looked down at the floor. I tried to concentrate on how exactly I was going to get out of here now.

A cold hand took hold of my arm and for a moment it seemed like I was going where Soren was going. But as I lifted my head, it was Vanya's face I saw.

'What happened?' she whispered, turning her back on the others and focussing on me. 'Soren didn't ... he didn't tell the girl, did he?'

I nodded. 'It seemed like a good idea at the time.'

'The h.e.l.l it was!' She rolled her eyes. And somehow just the sight of her indignation was comforting. She whirled round, sending even Henora skittering to stand behind Luca. 'Just for the record, Soren is not a liar,' she hissed. 'But clearly he is out of his mind he'd have to be to expect any of you to actually use your imaginations for once.' She put one hand on her hip, her skirts swaying a little in her agitation.

'Spare us your display,' Henora said, though she still hid in her son's shadow. 'I don't care what you and your ... despicable cohorts get up to in private. But you will not infect my innocent son and daughter-in-law with your poison.'

Something snapped, and I saw with a mixture of fear and admiration, the gleaming white fangs visible through Vanya's perfect red lips.

'Poison?' She reeled back, her hips swaying in a snake-like movement. 'You are delusional. It is you who harbours the poison. You' she stabbed the air 'maliciously depriving your children of happiness.'

'How dare you!' Henora finally bolted forward. 'I have endured you up until now for the sake of peace on Nissilum. But your flagrant abuse of the law it's gone too far.'

'Not far enough!' Vanya snarled and in a flash she was right up against Henora, her tongue running itself threateningly over her lips.

'Vanya!' Luca growled, but after his recent turning, he was clearly too weak to do anything more than lurch forward a little.

'Vanya, stop it!' said Raphael a little wearily. But when I looked at his face, I saw a kind of wonder there. Like he was a spectator enjoying entertainment at a brawl.

With a narrowing of her eyes, Vanya obediently stepped back from Henora, closing her mouth in a petulant pout.

'Yes, stop it, you ridiculous woman,' Henora added unnecessarily, though it was clear she was shaken.

'Oh, don't speak.' Vanya covered her ears theatrically. 'It's like the whine of a tiny little dog.'

I bit my lip. Despite the hideousness of the situation, or maybe because of it, I felt a real sense of absurdity. Catching Raphael's eye, I suspected he was feeling the same way. I immediately switched my gaze forward.

'Ladies,' he said finally, 'as entertaining as this is, there is a celebration here today. We should be mingling harmoniously with each other.'

Was it me, or was there a touch of derision in his tone?

'Raphael, forgive me, but I have known you since you were a small boy,' said Henora haughtily. 'I do not appreciate being made to look like a source of comedy or being preached to by a ... a child.' She couldn't help herself glaring at him.

Celeste, who had been hovering meekly at some distance, flapped her dainty hands about.

'Of course you don't. Raphael, please have more respect for your elders.' She smiled a wavery smile, expecting her great-son to demur.

'Respect?' He threw his head back and laughed heartily.

All of us stared in astonishment.

'Raphael,' Celeste said in a fearful whisper, 'please ... behave.'

But his laughter seemed to chime like a deafening bell around the Great Room.

'Dear, oh dear,' Celeste murmured in distress. I once again felt the seriousness of the situation.

Was no one in control here?

'That's enough.' A low but authoritative voice spoke out.

As though reading my thoughts, Luca released himself from Lila's grip and stepped forward, until he was squarely in the middle of his mother and the still-smarting Vanya.

'There is no need for this.' Luca eyed the two women, then cast his glance around the rest of us. It skimmed over me, unreadable, and I lowered my gaze.

'The boy has been taken away,' he told his mother. 'And that is the end of it. Please, can we not all just get on with the evening?'

'Don't be naive,' Henora snapped. 'Don't you realise that your ... friend' she spoke the word as though spitting out acid, and though I still had my eyes to the ground, I knew she was looking at me 'that your friend means to come between you and your happiness? She has exhorted the boy to aid her. Spreading lies about Lila.'

Somehow I found my voice, aware that all eyes were on me now. 'Believe me, Henora, I have never wanted anything but happiness for Luca. That has never changed.' I swallowed, locking eyes with him. 'And Soren is not trying to do anything but rebuild a relationship with his sister.'

'As I said,' Henora snapped, 'lies.'

'Mother,' Luca began calmly, 'there is no harm done. There is a lot to take in...I need to make up my own mind about Soren.' He looked apologetically at me when he added, 'I need more than a story to convince me.'

'I will decide who is lying and who is not,' said Raphael. 'And as for spoiling Luca's happiness ...' He paused, and at once there was silence as he stared hard at Henora. 'Perhaps you should look a little closer to home on that score.'

'How dare you!' She paled, her body trembling. 'I demand you fetch my husband!' She pointed rudely at a serving boy loitering nervously at the door to the Great Room. 'You! Go and fetch Ulfred.'

With a subservient nod, the boy fled through the doorway.

'Lost your celebrated manners now, haven't you?' Vanya told her dryly. 'I always thought you were an ill-disguised fishwife, and here is the proof.' She lifted her chin, looking as though there was an unpleasant smell beneath her nose.

Luca made no move to come to his mother's defence, instead he looked as though he were frozen to the spot. I saw him looking at her, though, and it was not a look of love. It was a look of embarra.s.sment shame even. As my eyes wandered over to Dalya, she too appeared aghast, though she was rubbing half-heartedly at Lila's arm in a gesture of comfort.

Was Henora showing her true colours at last?

'Mother, please ...' Luca tried to take her arm but she shoved it away impatiently.

'I have never been more humiliated,' she growled. 'We're all going home. As soon as Ulfred gets here. We will be leaving.'

'Excellent,' purred Vanya. 'You are rather spoiling the atmosphere around here.'

'Vanya!' I couldn't help myself. 'Just leave it ...'

Luca flashed me a look which could have been grat.i.tude.

She sighed melodramatically. 'If that's what you want, darling. You've been through quite enough tonight, I imagine. I have no wish to make things worse.'

I shrugged. 'It's not me we should worry about it's poor Lila. She doesn't deserve any of this.'

'No.' Luca looked at me softly, a half-smile on his lips. 'Well said.'

And just for a bit, everyone else melted away as something familiar pa.s.sed between us.

'Pah!' Clearly irritated that I had spoken out, Henora pushed rudely past me. Luca frowned, opening his mouth to speak, but shut it again quickly. With his eyes, he tried to signal an apology to me. I smiled quickly, before looking away.

Luca then followed his mother, and Dalya and Lila trailed behind them.

'I'm sorry,' Dalya whispered as she pa.s.sed by me, but I shook my head.

I hoped it wasn't the last I'd see of her, but I had a sinking feeling.

I badly wanted to go home. To see my wonderfully normal parents and my wonderfully normal, if slightly annoying, little sister. But I couldn't leave Soren to face this on his own. I stood, rubbing at my make-up, my disguise in tatters, and soon it was just Vanya and I and Raphael at some distance standing in the Great Room. Celeste had disappeared along with the others.

Vanya heaved another sigh. Glancing at me, she turned her attention to Raphael.

'I am not leaving without seeing Soren,' she told him haughtily. 'I a.s.sure you I will not allow him to be punished because of some misplaced allegiance you palace folk have with the werewolves. I will personally act as his defence attorney.'

He raised an eyebrow. 'That is your choice. I am all in favour of a fair trial. Believe it or not, honesty is important to me. I mean to sort the lies from the truth, just as you do.'

He turned on his heel and began to walk away, but as he reached the foot of the great staircase, he hesitated before turning back to us.

'And for the record, I have no allegiance to anyone in particular. And no truck with outmoded law and order. You'll realise that soon enough.'

Without stopping for a response, he turned back quickly and began his ascent up the staircase.

Watching until he was out of sight, Vanya pressed her lips together, a determined look on her face.

'Well, well, well,' she said softly. 'Perhaps, Jane, all is not lost after all.'

CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE.

'Your mother is in her bed,' Ulfred told him. 'She is not herself.' Concern etched his face, as he scratched at his beard in agitation.

'Father, I regret what happened today,' Luca told him, looking down at the torn clothes he was still wearing. 'It was such a strange ... unexpected event.'

Ulfred nodded. 'And what of this boy's story,' he said carefully. 'He told you he had killed his entire family but for Lila?'

'That's what he said.' Luca sighed, remembering the terrible tale Soren had told him. Outlandish, impossible. 'But it cannot be true. It simply can't ... n.o.body behaves that way on Nissilum. There has never been a murder, certainly not so terrible. We would know of it, wouldn't we?'

Ulfred drew in his breath sharply, and Luca watched him, curious.

'Father ... what is it?' He frowned.

'I am just tired, boy.' Ulfred leaned against the wall in the kitchen, where they were standing. 'It has been a long evening.'

'It's not her fault, you know,' Luca said abruptly.

'I know ... She just wants the best for you.' Ulfred smiled rea.s.suringly at him, misunderstanding.

'Not Henora,' Luca uncharacteristically snapped. 'Jane. It is not Jane's fault.'

Ulfred's smile faded. 'It is better that you don't speak of her, son,' he said gravely. 'She is the root of all this trouble.'

Luca bristled at this injustice. There had been a moment, back in the palace gardens, when he had to admit he had suspected Soren's story had been concocted with Jane's help, to somehow stop his marriage going ahead. But quickly Jane had shown her true colours. And they had been the same shimmering, pure colours he had been drawn to what seemed a lifetime ago. Jane was modest, selfless ... and grown up. The great irony was that his mother hadn't thought her a fit partner for him for the simple reason that she was a mortal. The truth was that there could never be a more perfect girl for him.

But what of Soren's story? It seemed so far-fetched. And for all the world the boy looked nothing like any wolf he knew. But what then was Soren's motive in making the story up? Luca sighed, overwhelmed by conflicting feelings and a little angry with himself; did he not want to see the real truth, because of all the upset and unhappiness it would cause his family? In particular, his mother. Was he too scared to confront it?

He couldn't see a way out of this mess. And now, more than ever, he realised he needed to protect Lila. Jane was right. She didn't deserve this. Any of it.

After Ulfred had made his own way to bed, Luca looked in on Dalya, who lay on her bedroom floor, her nose in a book. She looked up at the sound of his footsteps and he made his way over to sit on her messy bed.

She put her book face down on the carpet in front of her.

'I don't want to talk to you,' she said sulkily. 'I hate this family.'

'No you don't.' He spoke gently. 'It was an awful evening, and emotions ran a bit high, but-'

'You're an idiot,' she interrupted him crisply. 'But if you want to ruin your life, it's up to you.'

Luca sighed, angling his head to see the cover of her book.

'Persuasion?' he said, his tone just slightly teasing. 'Isn't Jane Austen a little old for you?'

'Actually, it's really quite appropriate,' she said dryly. 'Perhaps you ought to read it, Luca? It might open your eyes to the truth of things.'

He was silent, recalling the central theme of the mortal novel: selfless, pure and n.o.ble love.

Dalya huffed audibly. 'I thought better of you all those books you used to read, the stories you told me ... I thought you believed in love, Luca.' She shook her head. 'You have changed, brother.'