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caught up in Ade?’ I studied his face. ‘So he was a jerk. We’ll never have to see him again.’
    Luca opened his mouth, about to speak, but then closed it again and closed his eyes.
    ‘Luca?’ I took hold of his hand. ‘What is it? What’s the matter?’
    ‘It’s just … there’s something about Ade that I recognize.’
    ‘Don’t tell me, he’s an evil force from Nissilum in the body of a mortal?’ I was joking, but a shiver ran through me as a memory of Evan resurfaced.
    Luca intuited my thoughts, because he squeezed my hand back tightly and suddenly there was reassurance in his expression.
    ‘Don’t be silly,’ he said softly. ‘Nothing like that.’
    ‘Well, what do you mean, then?’
    ‘I just have a funny feeling about him. A familiar feeling.’
    ‘Well, that’s probably because he’s a total messed-up creep. You’ve met a few of those over the years.’ I stopped short of citing Luca’s brother Lowe as an example. ‘You’re kind of on the lookout for trouble, don’t you think?’
    ‘Maybe.’ He nodded. ‘You’re probably right.’
    ‘Jane.’ My mother was rapping on the car window. ‘Are you two going to stay in here all night?’ She peered in at us. ‘What’s going on?’
    I pulled at the door handle. ‘We’re coming. Now.’
    Mum stepped back as I opened the door and got out of the car.
    ‘So how was the date?’ She looked warily at me. ‘You two had fun?’
    ‘Great,’ I said brightly. ‘Just great.’
    ‘Right. Well, I’m making some hot chocolate, if you want some.’
    ‘Just what I feel like.’ Luca tossed the keys over the bonnet of the car and I caught them, handing them over to Mum.
    As she and I walked back into the house, I looked back over my shoulder at Luca, who hadn’t moved. He wasn’t looking at us; his gaze was directed back down the track, over the tall trees at the three-quarter moon that hung there, so peacefully in the sky. I frowned, remembering that the time of the full moon was nearly here. It was difficult for Luca, I knew that. Always having to think ahead to that time. Wary of the effect it had on him. Here on Mortal Earth it was more difficult to find a place to turn. A place where nobody would see. I felt a surge of love for him, for the sacrifices he had made to be with me. Not seeing his family, living with strangers, in a world that would never accept him as he truly was.
    As for me, I didn’t know what I would do without him now. It frightened me sometimes how easily I had adapted to having him here, day in day out. And it frightened me even more to think that he might be taken away from me.
    Could there be something out there that would take him away from me?

CHAPTER ELEVEN
     
    ‘W hat do you mean, you need to go back?’ Jane dropped her bag on the floor and sat down at the table.
    Luca swallowed. ‘It’s Dalya’s birthday.’ He sighed. ‘Her twelfth. That’s a special anniversary on Nissilum. It is officially the transition from cub to—’
    Jane’s eyes widened. ‘Oh. Well, of course. I didn’t realize. Of course you must go.’
    Luca felt terrible. It was true enough that the twelfth year had significance back home. But not quite as much as he was suggesting. His own twelfth year had been spent helping Ulfred clear the hay bales for harvest on the nearest farm. They had both been so exhausted by the end of the day that Luca’s birthday slipped both of their minds. When they had arrived back home, Henora had left the remains of a nut cake for him, with a solitary candle burning in the centre. Luca had gone to bed without celebrating and without much caring about it either. It was an old tradition and not many families held to it any longer. Dalya would have a couple of her friends to lunch, and Henora would present her with a piece of jewellery, and that would be that. He missed Dalya, that was for sure. But it wasn’t Dalya he was going back for.
    ‘Maybe I could come too?’ Jane said hopefully. Her eyes,