Dark Angel (27 page)

Breathe, Jude, breathe. Do not take his hand.

Breathe, Tania. Ask Maia for help before it’s too late.

‘I need you!’ I cry.

Then there are figures in the doorway – three people who shouldn’t be here, guests who have not been invited.

The bear sees them, its roar dies in its throat and it drops and crawls on all fours back into its cave.

‘A rehearsal,’ Zoran explained coolly to Orlando, Holly and Aaron. ‘We’re making a promotional video for my greatest hits album.’

‘Sorry. We sure didn’t mean to interrupt.’ Aaron was embarrassed more than shocked. He fell for Zoran’s excuses, and why shouldn’t he?

I stood with them out by the helipad, still too stunned to speak.

Zoran was tense but civil. ‘No problem. It was only a run-through.’

‘Tania, I called at your house like I said,’ Holly informed me. ‘You weren’t in.’

‘Sorry, I forgot.’ The words of the Stardust song still played inside my head; the forest images of curved claws, blood and gore wouldn’t go away. But here we were in broad daylight – Holly, Aaron, Orlando, me and Zoran.

‘You sounded like you were really sick on the phone this morning.’ She hammered her point home. ‘Then when I got there the place was empty, so I stressed for a while then I called Orlando.’

‘Thanks,’ I muttered. ‘But there was no need, honest.’

‘Everyone’s acting so weird lately,’ she complained, giving Zoran a significant look. ‘Orlando and I talked it through and decided we should come up here to look for you.’

Zoran stood patiently within the yellow circle of the helipad. He seemed normal, although maybe more reserved than usual and perhaps giving Holly and Aaron more attention now that they were evidently back together. As I noted this and realized why, I felt my flesh begin to creep.

‘I understand your concern,’ he told them. ‘We know that Tania has a few health issues that need attention. In fact it was Callum who first suggested a visit to a neurologist. But meanwhile, she knows she’s welcome here any time she wants. The same goes for you too, Orlando.’

I didn’t even dare risk looking at Orlando. It was still daytime but only just. The sun had already gone down behind Carlsbad and the shadows had disappeared, leaving a flat, dull grey light. And I knew word for word and without even looking at Orlando’s expression what he would be thinking: You came here without telling me again, Tania. You came behind my back to visit Daniel. You betrayed me.

‘So are you coming back with us or what?’ Aaron asked me. He seemed totally fazed by the situation, didn’t get any of it – only knew that for some reason it was gut-grindingly uncomfortable.

‘No, wait.’ Holly stepped in. She was her nosy, bossy self, God bless her, looking around and spotting the mustangs milling about in the arena waiting for their evening feed. Then she turned her attention back to what they’d glimpsed inside the chapel. ‘That was some elaborate setting for your video,’ she told Zoran. ‘Really wild.’

‘One of our guys studied film under a big-name professor in California. He showed a movie at the Sundance Festival last year, so he’s talented.’ The lies came so fast, full and easy that they sounded true. And unfortunately for me, the glib account slotted in neatly with Orlando’s latest theory about the great rock star’s addiction to theatre and performance. ‘Problem is, we pulled in every guy we have working here to perform as extras. That’s how come we had no one on the gate.’

‘No security,’ Aaron said. ‘Yeah, we parked the car and walked right in.’

‘And, Tania, you just happened to be passing?’ Holly prompted sarcastically. She was focused on how this looked to Orlando. She obviously blamed me and was set on giving me a hard time.

‘Well, actually she ran into Jude and Cristal in Bitterroot,’ Zoran interrupted. ‘They all drove up here together.’

‘Jude’s here?’ For the first time Orlando spoke. ‘Somebody tell me – how does that work?’

‘He and Cristal are an item.’ It was my turn to jump in, though I knew that if I gave away what I really felt about this – my fears, my terror – my whole cover was blown. ‘She’s the one who drove him to the hospital when he fell sick the last time we were here.’

Orlando shook his head in pure, speechless exasperation.

‘Cristal and Jude – since when?’ Aaron’s muddled expression said it all.

‘Since Grace got together with Ezra.’ I kept my voice steady, didn’t allow myself to raise even an eyebrow but I stared directly at Holly, hoping like hell she would read between the lines. ‘Cristal came to Jude’s rescue; patched him up in more ways than one.’

Aaron stumbled on. ‘Cristal? The one that I—’

This time Holly dug her elbow in his ribs. ‘Yeah, Aaron – that one! Grace and Ezra, Jude and Cristal. Wow, that’s hunky-dory!’ Even here, in this crazy situation, Holly’s choice of words could force a grim smile out of me. ‘So what next? Don’t tell me – now Jude’s saying he wants to hang out here for a while?’

‘Actually, yes. And he even has a lead role in the video.’ My eyebrows rose a fraction of a centimetre. Tune into what I’m saying, realize we have a huge problem, someone – please!

Suddenly the two lurchers were released from the chapel. They raced towards us, lean and muscular. For a fraction of a second Zoran’s face twisted into a sneer and he gave a warning snarl, became the true beast unchained. Only I seemed to notice, however.

‘Tread carefully,’ Maia says on the breeze blowing down from Black Rock. ‘Don’t give yourself away.’

‘Thank you for still being here,’ I tell her silently. She’s my only protection, my guardian angel.

Had Holly picked up the problem yet? Did she suspect that what she saw as the old weird, druggy thing had started over – that Jude, like Grace, was not free to leave? Please! I prayed. Think, suspect, do something!

‘I want to speak with Jude,’ Orlando told Zoran, up front and in-your-face. ‘I’m not happy. I need to check this out.’

Thank you, thank you! I took a deep breath and held it. At last I looked into his eyes. I love you!

But he blocked me with an angry stare. ‘After I’ve done that and made sure he’s cool, we’re out of here,’ he told Aaron and Holly.

‘Actually, Jude is busy with the director right now,’ Zoran told him. He was setting up some fresh bullshit barrier when Daniel came out of the chapel yelling for the dogs. Seeing us on the tarmac, he made his way to join us.

And for the first time I saw them standing side by side – Daniel and Orlando – in the middle of the helipad. Please, God, why did it have to happen at this minute, when I needed every shred of willpower to stay calm and focused on my mission to save my friends?

With my heart running riot, I stared at them both. Orlando gave me his delinquent, rebel-without-a-cause stare that was so spectacular and had the effect of making me want to fall into his arms. Next to him, Daniel smiled. He was tanned and easy, his blue shirt open to show a triangle of white T. They were chalk and cheese.

Catching me gazing at them and making the comparisons, Holly rushed to rein me in. ‘Tania, you’re coming with us,’ she decided, hooking her hand through my crooked elbow. ‘Whether or not we get to see Jude, you’re coming home.’

I thought Orlando’s eyes were actually going to burn right through me when Holly gave me the ultimatum. Say yes, you’ll come. Leave this Daniel guy, whoever he is, and walk away with me. Otherwise we’re through! I could read it in his shadowed, angry face, though he didn’t utter a word.

I knew how much it meant, knew that our relationship was on a knife edge; that what I said now, this instant, could change the rest of our lives for ever. Believe me, Orlando, I long so much to say yes.

‘Tania’s also involved with the video.’ Zoran’s voice cut through the silence. ‘She has an important role so it’s not possible for her to leave right now.’

I want to but I can’t! I told Orlando with my eyes, clenching my fists until my nails dug into my palms.

‘It’s your choice,’ Orlando said through gritted teeth.

‘Come on, Tania, let’s go!’ Holly insisted. She tugged at my arm, felt me resist.

Orlando saw me stand my ground. He gave up trying to read my intention and turned away, shoulders slumped. For him, that was it – we were through. End of story.

I murmured his name, flashed a desperate look at Holly. ‘Talk to him!’ I begged. Meaning, Don’t leave me here alone with this situation. I have to save Jude and Grace and I can’t do it alone!

But Holly glanced from me to Daniel’s calm face. His head was up, his stance confident, the way a businessman is when he knows he’s about to close a deal. ‘Like Orlando says,’ she muttered as she too turned from me, ‘you made your choice.’

Aaron only shrugged. He was actually the one who led the way across the tarmac towards the main gate and the cattle guard.

Come back! I pleaded silently. Don’t abandon me here!

I saw all too easily how it must look from the outside, Daniel standing next to me, owning me.

I know how jealousy acts, how it blows your head apart.

They talked as they left, but they were too far away for me to hear their words. Aaron spoke to Holly, who shook her head and said something to Orlando. He put up his hand to stop her mid-sentence, picked up speed, didn’t even look back to see if I was still there.

His car was parked under a tree fifty metres from the gate. They piled in. I heard the doors slam – one, two, three.

‘Good decision,’ Zoran told me as he gave me an approving smile. ‘At last, Tania, you’re beginning to see the light.’

That night – my first at Black Eagle Lodge – I was exhausted but I didn’t sleep. Instead, I ran through the conversation I’d had with Grace after Orlando, Holly and Aaron had left.

It was not so much a conversation as a full-on attack.

‘Idiots!’ Grace began in a little-kid, petulant voice. We were alone in a small room in the main house, deep underground. ‘If they hadn’t barged in, Jude would be one of us by now.’

‘So once Orlando and the others had left, why didn’t Zoran just go ahead with the ceremony?’ I couldn’t figure out the cancellation of the event – it had happened without a reason so far as I could see, with Callum quietly leading everyone out of the chapel and Jude and Cristal nowhere to be seen.

‘Oh, Tania, you don’t understand!’ Flinging herself down on a couch, Grace drew her knees towards her chest and sulked like crazy. ‘It has to be a certain time of day – at sunset exactly. Those morons wrecked our timing. Now we’ll have to wait a whole twenty-four hours.’

I paced the room feeling trapped and claustrophobic. ‘Why sunset?’

‘Because! It has to be sunset – that’s the way we do it.’

We. That word was aimed at me like a gun to my head, warning me off, so I tried for a more casual tone. ‘So where did Jude get to after the ceremony was cancelled?’

‘Jude, Jude, Jude!’ Grace’s scowl deepened and despite my attempt to sidestep, she turned her anger on me. ‘God, Tania, you’re so stupid! All you ever do is ask irrelevant questions. You never just accept and go with the flow, do you?’

I was at the opposite side of the room when I stopped pacing and took a deep breath. ‘Is this what you’re doing – going with the flow?’ I challenged. ‘That’s not how it looks to me.’

‘Because you’re …’ She paused while she found the right word. ‘You’re so unevolved, Tania! Bang – you keep the door to your mind slammed shut to everything Zoran offers you. That’s how you always react – narrow minded, bigoted, blind!’

‘I’m here now, aren’t I?’ I pointed out, trying hard not to react to the insults. I realized this was probably one of the last opportunities I’d ever have to get through to her, that having gone through her own welcoming ceremony she was moving steadily on to the next phase that had left Oliver curled up and dead in a sink hole. Think about it, and you’ll realize how desperately important this conversation was.

‘Let’s focus on you, shall we?’ I said. ‘Does going with the flow mean doing absolutely everything Ezra tells you to do, even when it’s not safe?’

‘It’s never not safe,’ she muttered, hugging her knees close to her chest.

‘Isn’t it?’ I moved close enough to touch the bruise on her thin, bare arm. ‘What happened here?’ I asked. Then I touched her cheek. ‘And here?’

She looked back at me with what I thought was that old flicker of panic. ‘I fell.’

‘Really?’

‘Yes, really.’

‘How did you fall?’

‘I don’t remember.’

‘Were you and Ezra partying too hard? Did you pass out?’

The look of fear passed, the bottom lip came out in stubborn resistance. ‘That’s you, Tania. Losing consciousness is what
you
do, remember.’

It was no good, the fear faded and she was moving away from anything real – I’d lost her again. ‘Yeah, that’s me,’ I sighed. ‘You’re not going to share how you got hurt, are you?’

‘I don’t remember,’ she repeated, slowly stressing each syllable as she stared back at me. Then she uncurled from the couch and came close, glancing at the cross I still wore around my neck, remembering it and frowning again. ‘I shouldn’t have done that,’ she sighed.

My hand went to the necklace to protect it.

‘It was a mistake to return it to you. It was before …’

‘Before what, Grace?’

‘It was when I thought I knew you, when I still saw you as my friend.’ Her words were slow and faltering, the dark faraway look came into her eyes.

‘I
am
your friend,’ I whispered back, my fingers still touching the garnet-studded cross.

Grace shook her head. ‘Are you?’

‘I’m here!’

She leaned forward to whisper in my ear like a conspirator. ‘But, Tania, the question is – why? Why are you here?’

I had to think fast, come up with something that would convince her, something that she could identify with and believe. ‘For Daniel,’ I confided. ‘God’s honest truth, Grace – I’m totally in love with the guy!’

Now, as I lay in bed staring at the ceiling, the memory of even speaking the sentence threw my fast beating heart into turmoil. I’m totally in love with the guy! Words spoken out loud have a power that they don’t have if they stay locked inside your head. I’m totally in love with the guy! With Daniel.