“One of the resistance who was spying on the Vampyrus,” I tried to assure him.

“What about Kayla? We could be putting her in danger,” he said, staring at me with his dead, black eyes.

“That’s why we mustn’t tell anyone what Coanda has planned,” I warned him. “Please don’t say anything.”

Potter looked at the jets of lava that continued to shoot up into the night sky. Then, turning slowly to look at me he said, “Okay, I’ll go along with it for now, but I’m warning you, Kiera, the first sign that we are heading into a trap and I’m walking - with or without you - and I’ll be taking Kayla with me.”

Chapter Seventeen

We arrived back at the camp just before the dawn – or before the Light House completed its cycle and started to spread its light over the Weeping Peaks.

Landing on the side of the mountain, Potter kissed me gently on the mouth, then we split, so if any of the others were awake, they wouldn’t know we had left the camp together. I went back to my spot on the ledge that jutted from the side of the mountain, and closing my eyes, I drifted into a dreamless sleep.

Just before dawn, I was gently shaken awake. Opening my eyes, I could see it was Luke who had woken me.

“It’s time we made a move, sleepyhead,” he smiled down at me and I knew that he had chilled a little from the crossed words we had shared back at the resistance camp.

Looking up into his face, I knew that I couldn’t put it off for much longer; I had to tell him about Potter and me. But how was I going to tell him that I had fallen in love with his best friend? I knew that it would hurt him. After all, he had saved my life on so many occasions, dived into a burning church, taken a beating in the caves below the mountain for me, and while he’d been imprisoned, I’d fallen in love with his best friend. How ever I told him, it was going to hurt.

Handing me another of those clay-type mugs, he asked, “Are you okay, Kiera?”

“I’m fine,” I lied, taking a sip from the mug. The contents were warm and bitter, and I screwed up my face.

Laughing, Luke said, “You’ll get used to the taste in time.”

“What is it?” I asked, staring down into the yellow liquid that sloshed around the inside of the mug.

“Sloff,” he said, as if that should mean something to me. Then, seeing the look of confusion on my face, Luke added, “It’s like tea or coffee, I guess. Anyway, drink up. Coanda is keen to get moving.”

Luke went to walk away, but before he’d gone too far, I called out to him. “Luke!”

Turning, he looked at me and said, “What’s up?”

Making sure that I couldn’t be overheard, I asked, “What do you make of Coanda?”

“A bit of a flyboy, but he’s okay, I guess.” Then he said, “Why do you ask?”

“No reason,” I smiled back at him. “Give me five and I’ll catch up.”

Holding me in his gaze for just a moment longer, he finally turned and sauntered away. I took another sip of the Sloff, and turning up my nose, I ditched the rest of it over the side of the mountain.

I joined the others as Isidor was kicking ash over what was left of the burning embers. Potter stood on the other side of the camp and seemed protectively close to Kayla. He looked at me, but his face looked emotionless. He held my gaze as he stuck a cigarette in the corner of his mouth and lit it. I half-smiled back at him, then looked away.

Once Isidor had kicked out the fire, Coanda clapped his giant hands together and said, “Okay, let’s get moving.” He then turned and started back up the mountain.

“I don’t want to be a pain in the arse, but where are we actually heading?” Potter called out after him.

I shot Potter a look, but he was staring at Coanda.

“We’re heading for the Dust Palace,” Coanda smiled back at him. “I thought I’d explained that, Potter.”

“I might be wrong, as I’ve always been pretty shit at geography, but I thought the Dust Palace was more to the East. We seem to be heading more inland,” Potter said.

“I know a different route,” Coanda smiled again. “A safer route.”

“Safer?” Potter mused as he chewed the end of his cigarette. “Are you expecting trouble then?”

“No trouble,” Coanda said, and although he smiled, I could tell it was forced. Potter had rattled him, but then again didn’t Potter rattle everyone?

“Just checking,” Potter smiled back at Coanda. “Lead on.”

Turning his back on us, Coanda marched off up the mountain.

I looked at Potter again and he winked at me, then headed off after Coanda, Kayla by his side. Isidor slung his crossbow over his back and set off too. He looked sullen as if he had the weight of the world on his shoulders. His head was hung low and he looked tired as if he hadn’t slept too well. I didn’t want to walk with Luke, not just yet, not until I knew how I was going to tell him about Potter and me, so I caught up with Isidor.

“How are you doing?” I asked him as we made our way up a path that spiralled around the outside of the Weeping Peaks.

“Fine,” he said.

“Are you sure?” I pushed gently.

“Sure,” he said back without looking at me.

“How are your cravings?” I asked.

“For human flesh, you mean?”

“Yes.”

“Gone, but then again I always knew they would be once I came back home,” he said.

“Are you glad to be home?” I asked him.

“I guess.”

“So what’s wrong?”

Turning on me, his little chin beard bristling in the breeze, he said, “How many ways have I got to tell ya, Kiera, there’s nothing wrong.” Then he was gone, striding ahead on his own.

“I’m sorry, Isidor,” I called out after him, but he was gone, lost to his own personal thoughts, and I couldn’t help but feel anxious about what was worrying him.

“Leave the boy be,” someone said, and I looked back to see that Luke had caught up with me.

“I guess,” I said, looking at Isidor, desperately not wanting to make eye contact with Luke.

“He’s obviously got something on his mind,” Luke said.

“You’ve noticed it too?”

“Whatever it is, he’ll tell you when he’s ready.”

“I’m sure you’re right,” I sighed, stealing a quick glance at

him.

Luke was looking at me and said, “Fancy walking together?

“Sure,” I smiled at him. I didn’t feel I could say no, even

though I wanted to.

“I’m sorry about yesterday,” he said.

“Sorry for what?” I asked, although I knew exactly what he

meant.

“Coming on heavy like that,” he said. “It’s just I can’t help

my feelings for you, Kiera.”

Glancing sideways at him, I said, “You’ve got nothing to be

sorry for, Luke.”

“Have you thought any more about what I said?” he asked.

“Can’t we talk about this another time?” I asked, desperate to avoid the issue.

“Sure,” he said, looking a little embarrassed. “What do you want to talk about?”

“How did you get out of the zoo?” I asked him.

He paused for a moment as if a little surprised by my question. “I escaped.”

“Yeah, I figured that out for myself, but how?” I pushed, interested to hear all about it.

“They had me held for months in this little cell beneath the zoo,” he started. “At first I didn’t even know that it was a zoo, not until I came above ground. They fed me the red stuff and I’m ashamed that I ate it – but I knew that if I were to ever rescue you and the others, I needed to be strong.”

“I thought they had killed you,” I told him. “After the beating you took in the caves, I feared that perhaps you were dead.”

“I was already in pretty bad shape when those vampires dragged me from that lake,” he said. “They were going to kill me, but Phillips said he wanted me alive to be used as a bargaining tool in case you refused to eat the red stuff. I guess that’s why they never killed me in the zoo. Phillips and Sparky had figured out that we meant something to each other, that we were friends, and they knew they could use me.”

“So how did you get out?” I asked him again, keen to see if his escape had been as grueling as mine.

“In the end it was easier than I thought it would be,” he said. “They just opened up the doors.”

“How come?” I was surprised to hear this.

“They just suddenly deserted the zoo and left,” Luke told me. “But I knew why they had fled that zoo, something had scared them. I’d overheard two of the Lycanthrope talking about how some virus was loose in the zoo and some of the half-breeds had died. At first I panicked as I thought they were talking about you, Kayla, and Isidor. But within a matter of days, they had all left. I stayed in my cell for a few days more, and when on the fourth day those werewolves hadn’t brought anymore of that meat to me, I realised I hadn’t heard a sound from anyone in days. I knew that they had vacated the zoo. So, suspecting that no one was going to stop me or raise the alarm should they hear me, I tore down the cell door. It was only when I made it from the basement that I realised where I had been kept.

“My suspicions had been right, the zoo had been deserted. I searched every empty cage and cell for you and the others, but couldn’t find you anywhere. Not knowing if Phillips and the others would return at any moment, I fled the zoo. But within moments of me escaping, a storm had started. Not too sure exactly where I was or what direction I should head in, and not wanting to fly for fear of being recaptured, I walked half-naked in the freezing snow. For hours I staggered blind through the blizzard until I became totally disorientated. When I thought I couldn’t go on any further, I saw a shape in the distance coming towards me. Not knowing if I should draw attention to myself in the hope that I might be rescued, I hid behind an outcrop of nearby rocks. And like an apparition appearing out of the snow, I saw that it was Potter. Barely able to stand, I stumbled out from my hiding place and into his path.