Read Online Dark Heart Forever by Lee Monroe - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Lee Monroe
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perceptive.’
‘You are.’ I held his gaze a moment before looking away. We sat in comfortable silence.
‘It’s a peaceful place,’ he said at last. ‘Nissilum.’
I glanced about me at the sharp greens and browns of the trees, hearing the birdsong and the soft bubble of the river, and a stillness that made me feel safe.
‘Yes,’ I agreed. ‘It is.’ I had so many questions I didn’t know where to start. But Luca, intuitively, started talking.
‘We live pretty much like you do,’ he began. ‘We work, we provide for our families. We socialise …’ He hesitated. ‘And we have learned to live with our natural enemies.’
‘Vampires,’ I said, remembering from somewhere that werewolves and vampires were rivals.
‘Yes … and the witch community.’ He laughed. ‘They are not violent but they are sly and insidious. They can do harm by just talking to you. The laws here state that any malevolent behaviour is severely punished, and most species abide by it. But there is the occasional renegade.’
‘But who’s in charge? Who rules this world?’
‘The angels.’ He smiled. ‘The Seraphim. They are a little self-righteous, as you might imagine. But they do a good job. Because they are made with no evil inherent in them, they are the natural governors.’
‘Do they have wings and, you know, harps?’
He laughed. ‘Wings I have never seen. And harps are something you mortals have made up I think. But they do have spectacular powers if they choose to use them. Shapeshifting, telekinesis. Super-strength. All-seeing, all-knowing. But they are strict with themselves about that. Trust is a huge part of their philosophy. Trusting each other and all of us who live here on Nissilum, to behave. Not to abuse our gifts. They live in the Celestial Palace and its grounds.’
‘And what about your family?’ I asked him.
‘My immediate family is my parents and my younger sister and brother.’ He rubbed at his knees. ‘They are good people, and they abide by the laws of Nissilum. I wish I could do the same.’
‘You are a good person,’ I said softly. ‘I know that.’
Luca took my hand then and held it in his. His fingers were long, elegant and strong.
‘This is my favourite place,’ he said, letting go and looking around us. ‘It’s known as the Water Path. It’s where I found the notebook.’
‘I read some of it. It made me sad.’ I puffed out my cheeks. ‘Who’d fall in love? It sounds so painful.’
‘When the love is taken away it is,’ he said, stretching his long arms. ‘Or if you fall in love with the wrong person.’
‘I suppose.’ I looked around us. ‘So how did I get here, to the Water Path?’
‘I brought you.’ He smiled. ‘I didn’t know whether it would work, but when I found you lying in the wood, I just picked you up and here you are.’ He hesitated before adding, ‘I think it was a joint effort, actually. You must have wished it too.’
Beside us the water rippled and spat, and I saw a frog, its chest puffing and receding, watching us from a small rock. A breeze caused the tops of the trees lining the riverbed to sway gently. It was so calming.
‘Hmm. Maybe.’ I shook my head slowly. ‘But I’m beginning to think Eric was right. You really are a superhero.’
‘Eric?’ Luca looked lost.
‘Just a kid who works in the town shop.’ I smiled. ‘I made him feel like an idiot for even saying it. But he was right.’
‘I’m not a hero. Far from it. I caused the accident that put your dad in hospital.’
‘The truck was a death-trap. It was an accident waiting to happen.’
‘That’s very gracious of you,’ Luca said, sombre. ‘But I am to blame.’
I turned to him and took hold of his hand. ‘Without your help my dad would have … Well, I couldn’t have done that on my own.’ I squeezed his fingers.
‘You’re embarrassing me.’ Luca’s lips twitched. He took off his coat, and for the first time I saw properly his lean, lithe body
‘You are.’ I held his gaze a moment before looking away. We sat in comfortable silence.
‘It’s a peaceful place,’ he said at last. ‘Nissilum.’
I glanced about me at the sharp greens and browns of the trees, hearing the birdsong and the soft bubble of the river, and a stillness that made me feel safe.
‘Yes,’ I agreed. ‘It is.’ I had so many questions I didn’t know where to start. But Luca, intuitively, started talking.
‘We live pretty much like you do,’ he began. ‘We work, we provide for our families. We socialise …’ He hesitated. ‘And we have learned to live with our natural enemies.’
‘Vampires,’ I said, remembering from somewhere that werewolves and vampires were rivals.
‘Yes … and the witch community.’ He laughed. ‘They are not violent but they are sly and insidious. They can do harm by just talking to you. The laws here state that any malevolent behaviour is severely punished, and most species abide by it. But there is the occasional renegade.’
‘But who’s in charge? Who rules this world?’
‘The angels.’ He smiled. ‘The Seraphim. They are a little self-righteous, as you might imagine. But they do a good job. Because they are made with no evil inherent in them, they are the natural governors.’
‘Do they have wings and, you know, harps?’
He laughed. ‘Wings I have never seen. And harps are something you mortals have made up I think. But they do have spectacular powers if they choose to use them. Shapeshifting, telekinesis. Super-strength. All-seeing, all-knowing. But they are strict with themselves about that. Trust is a huge part of their philosophy. Trusting each other and all of us who live here on Nissilum, to behave. Not to abuse our gifts. They live in the Celestial Palace and its grounds.’
‘And what about your family?’ I asked him.
‘My immediate family is my parents and my younger sister and brother.’ He rubbed at his knees. ‘They are good people, and they abide by the laws of Nissilum. I wish I could do the same.’
‘You are a good person,’ I said softly. ‘I know that.’
Luca took my hand then and held it in his. His fingers were long, elegant and strong.
‘This is my favourite place,’ he said, letting go and looking around us. ‘It’s known as the Water Path. It’s where I found the notebook.’
‘I read some of it. It made me sad.’ I puffed out my cheeks. ‘Who’d fall in love? It sounds so painful.’
‘When the love is taken away it is,’ he said, stretching his long arms. ‘Or if you fall in love with the wrong person.’
‘I suppose.’ I looked around us. ‘So how did I get here, to the Water Path?’
‘I brought you.’ He smiled. ‘I didn’t know whether it would work, but when I found you lying in the wood, I just picked you up and here you are.’ He hesitated before adding, ‘I think it was a joint effort, actually. You must have wished it too.’
Beside us the water rippled and spat, and I saw a frog, its chest puffing and receding, watching us from a small rock. A breeze caused the tops of the trees lining the riverbed to sway gently. It was so calming.
‘Hmm. Maybe.’ I shook my head slowly. ‘But I’m beginning to think Eric was right. You really are a superhero.’
‘Eric?’ Luca looked lost.
‘Just a kid who works in the town shop.’ I smiled. ‘I made him feel like an idiot for even saying it. But he was right.’
‘I’m not a hero. Far from it. I caused the accident that put your dad in hospital.’
‘The truck was a death-trap. It was an accident waiting to happen.’
‘That’s very gracious of you,’ Luca said, sombre. ‘But I am to blame.’
I turned to him and took hold of his hand. ‘Without your help my dad would have … Well, I couldn’t have done that on my own.’ I squeezed his fingers.
‘You’re embarrassing me.’ Luca’s lips twitched. He took off his coat, and for the first time I saw properly his lean, lithe body