Unravelled (15 page)

I sigh.

“I mean, he’s unbelievable!” Dad starts to pace the floor. His hand wreaking havoc on his hair. I feel the urge to pin it to his side before he does any further damage.

“I’m sorry you’re having such a difficult morning, Dad,” I offer tentatively. I don’t want to take sides here, even though I know Ntatemogolo is deliberately trying to drive Dad crazy. “But you don’t have to worry. He’ll come to the meeting.”

“After all the drama he’s causing?” He’s dubious.

“He knows how important the meeting is. He’s just trying to wind you up.”

Dad stops pacing. He realises that I’m right – Ntatemogolo might be difficult, but he’s not a fool. “Of course he is,” he says, relieved. “I shouldn’t let him get to me.”

“No, you shouldn’t. Besides, you have a class this morning and you don’t want to be late.” I point at the keys on the table, to save him the trouble of going through his daily ritual of searching for them.

“Oh! My class – I almost forgot.” He snatches up the keys and flashes me a grateful grin. “It’s going to be fine. We’ll sit at opposite ends of the room, and we won’t even have to speak to each other.”

“Perfect,” I reply, trying not to smile. “One more thing, Dad.”

He looks up as he reaches for his briefcase. “What’s that, darling?”

I watch him run his hand through his hair again, trying to keep it out of his eyes. “I think it’s time for a haircut.”

***

Rakwena comes over in the evening. I’m eager to tell him about my conversation with Ntatemogolo, but he barely responds. When I finish my report, I wait for him to react. It takes a while. He comes to the boil slowly, jaw twitching.

“How does he know?”

“What?”

Rakwena turns to look at me. “Your grandfather. He’s making all these wild claims – how does he know that those guys are what he says they are?”

“He doesn’t know for sure, but it’s the best – ”

“He’s guessing,” Rakwena barks. There’s a tiny blue dot in the centre of his pupils. “He’s never even met these guys, and he said himself that all his knowledge is speculative.”

I expel a breath and lean back into the sofa. “Fine. But his guesswork is usually correct.”

“Not this time.” His expression grows sly. “Didn’t you say he hasn’t been himself? Acting strangely? How can you be sure he’s thinking clearly? Maybe something’s wrong with him.”

“No, he seemed fine,” I counter. I can hear the irritation in my voice. I hope he can hear it, too. “Much better, much more like himself. You’re only bringing this up because you want him to be wrong!”

He grunts. “Now you’re being paranoid.”

Apart from Ntatemogolo, there is probably no one in the world who can block me as consistently as Rakwena. But tonight his wall thins, just for a moment. Long enough for me to pick up on the fear hiding behind his anger. I don’t understand. Inkolosi are dangerous, but not any more dangerous than the Puppetmaster, and Rakwena faced him without batting an eye. Why is he so scared?

The answer comes to me slowly, forcing its way to the surface of my thoughts.

“You know,” I gasp. “You know what they want, why they’re so interested in you!”

“How could I? Have you ever seen me talk to them?” He sounds so reasonable.

“No, but I’m not with you twenty-four hours a day. You already knew they were inkolosi, didn’t you?”

His jaw tenses. “If you say so.”

“Damn it, Rakwena! You know that’s what they are!”

“There is no evidence that such a creature even exists!” he shouts. “A cross between an incubus and a thokolosi? The product of a centuries-old experiment, like the plot of a bad horror film? Can’t you hear how ridiculous it sounds?”

“Ntatemogolo wouldn’t lie!” I yell back.

“Everyone lies, Connie!” The blue spots in his eyes have expanded and are swirling dangerously. “It’s human nature.”

I shouldn’t persist, not when he’s this angry, but there’s no one else home and I want to have this out once and for all. “My grandfather would never lie to me.”

Rakwena laughs bitterly. “You don’t really believe that.”

“What on earth does that mean?”

He doesn’t answer. A shrill ring sounds, much too loud in the quiet room. I glance at the landline. It might be Dad, calling from the office. I get up to answer it, and realise in surprise that I’m shaking with anger.

“Connie!” It’s Lebz. “Something’s happened.”

My heart squeezes in my chest. “What’s wrong? Are you OK? Is it Kelly?”

“She’s fine. I mean, she’s not fine – she’s locked herself in her room and won’t talk to anyone, but she’s safe.” Lebz pauses to take a breath. “Spencer dumped her. It’s over. She’s not going to die!”

It takes me a moment to react. I’m so shocked that I barely know what to say. I was so certain that Spencer would continue to rebel that I had prepared myself for a long, hard battle of wits. To have it end now, so quietly, is disconcerting.

“Are you sure?”

“Of course! Shame she’s so upset, but she’ll get over it, right?”

“Right.”

I can feel her relief over the line. “I just wanted to tell you. I have to go – Rita’s coming back tonight and I’ve left a mess on her bed. Talk tomorrow!”

I hang up, feeling bizarre. I can’t help wondering what brought on this change of heart. Did Spencer finally realise how much he was hurting Kelly, or did Temper pull rank?

Rakwena is looking at me. “Lebz?”

I nod. “Looks like Kencer are over.”

Rakwena’s expression is a little too smug for my liking. “I suppose he got tired of draining the life out of her.”

“Don’t be snide,” I snap. “This doesn’t prove that he’s not an inkolosi. In fact, it sort of proves that he
is
. And what did you mean about Ntatemogolo lying to me?”

He rolls his eyes. “You’re the mind-reader. Figure it out.”

I don’t know where this attitude is coming from. I’m used to Rakwena being the person who always has my back, and now every other conversation turns into a fight.

“Now that Kelly’s out of danger, maybe you’ll stop with this obsession,” he says.

The words fire up another wave of rage inside me. “I’ve asked for a private meeting with the Cresta Crew. They’re going to tell me everything.”

Rakwena’s face shuts up, inscrutable mask in place. “One thing,” he mutters. “I ask you for one little thing, and it’s too much. After everything I’ve done for you!”

I stare at him in shock. “What?”

“Just drop this. Kelly is safe, no one else is getting hurt. Let it go!”

I swallow and look into his guarded eyes. “Tell me what you know, and I’ll have no reason to see those boys again.”

He sinks back into the sofa, deflated. I guess that’s my answer.

“Rakwena, what are you hiding?”

“Why do you have to know everything?” he cries. He gets up and storms out, slamming the door behind him.

I’m too angry and confused to follow. I listen to his car start, pull into the road and drive away.

***

Ntatemogolo wants to cram several sessions into my final week of freedom, so I can use the entire term to focus on my final exams. While I agree with the idea in theory, by Wednesday, my third session of the week, I’m starting to miss sleeping in.

I’m working on planting today, but I can’t seem to widen the crack in Ntatemogolo’s mental defences, even though he’s being more accommodating than usual.

“You’re not concentrating,” he chides me for the third time.

“Sorry,” I whisper. I withdraw from his thoughts. “I’m a little tired.”

“You are not tired – you are thinking about something else.” He gives me a stern look of disapproval.

Nothing gets past this old man, but I suppose I haven’t worked all that hard to disguise my preoccupation. Ntatemogolo gets to his feet. I follow him out of the consultation room and into the kitchen.

“What is it, my girl? Are you still worried about Kelly? I told you, now that the inkolosi’s influence has left her, she will recover.”

I shake my head. “It’s not Kelly.”

“Then what? You think the boy will find a new victim?” Ntatemogolo shakes his head. “Unlikely. If his cell is so against it, I doubt he’ll disobey them again.”

“His cell?” I frown at the word. “Is that what a group of inkolosi is called?”

He nods, picks up the single dish and cup from the counter and puts them into the sink, then opens the tap. My gaze travels over his shirt. The geometric print reminds me of something I’ve seen before… Ah, yes – the anklet. The one he instructed me to wear, then changed his mind and never told me why.

“You are still worried, my girl.”

His voice brings me back to the moment. I’m hesitant to divulge my concerns regarding Rakwena. I know what he’s going to say. Even after all this time he still doesn’t like or trust Rakwena, and would rather we weren’t a couple. I decide to take a chance. “Rakwena’s keeping something from me.”

He goes on washing his dishes as if I haven’t spoken. He doesn’t even flinch.

“Ntatemogolo, what should I do?”

He heaves a world-weary sigh, puts the dishes on the side of the sink to dry, and turns to face me. “What do you want me to say?”

I want him to tell me that the secret is something small, that Rakwena is overreacting. I want him to tell me not to worry. Instead he says the one thing I was hoping not to hear.

“You were warned.”

Yes, I was. When I first mentioned Rakwena to him a year ago, his advice was clear – stay away from him. Did I listen? Do I ever listen?

He reaches into his pocket for a pack of cigarettes. “You are a headstrong girl, Connie. You never choose the safe path. You like to test the waters.”

I lick my lips. “But…”

He looks at me as he lights the cigarette.

“I just wanted to ask…I just…” I stop, take a breath and start again. “Do you know what his secret is?”

He pockets the lighter, takes a long pull on the cigarette and exhales a curling ribbon of smoke. “Yes.”

The knot in my stomach tightens. I was right. The knowledge doesn’t give me any satisfaction – in fact it makes me feel worse. “Can you tell me?”

His expression softens. “If I could, I would have done so.”

I nod, understanding. “He came to you in confidence.”

“Connie.” I look up at him. “If you want to know the boy’s secret, he is the one you have to ask.”

I nod again, but I already know that’s not going to work. Rakwena doesn’t feel that he can share this particular secret with me. Even though I understand Ntatemogolo’s ethical responsibility to the people he helps, I can’t help feeling betrayed. He knows the secret and he won’t tell me. He knew Rakwena before I did, knew about his gift, and kept it to himself. If I don’t uncover the secret on my own, Ntatemogolo will carry it to his grave.

“I should go now.” My voice sounds weak and strained.

“You still have a lot of training to do.”

I shake my head. “I can’t concentrate.”

“Try harder.” There is an edge to his voice now, one I’ve never heard before. “Secrets never stay buried, my dear, not in our world. There is nothing you can’t find out. But you must focus. One thing at a time. Right now, you must focus on our work.”

I don’t know what he’s saying. The words make sense, but I feel as though they have more than one meaning. He’s giving me that strange, intense look again, as though I’m a key he is itching to turn. Something has changed between us; a curtain has fallen that obscures him from view. It frightens me. I mumble my goodbyes and hurry out of the house, suddenly feeling claustrophobic. Even when I’m outside in the cool air, the feeling lingers.

When I get home, I go straight to my desk and pick up the wooden chest Ntatemogolo gave me. I know he said I could forget about wearing the anklet, but I feel like putting it on anyway. I open the chest and push aside the contents. Fear shrieks in my skull, cold and shrill. The anklet is gone.

Chapter Seven

I search everywhere, but there’s no sign of the anklet. Dad and Ntatemogolo both tell me it must be in my room, but I know it’s not. It’s gone, and that means someone took it. Someone came into my room without any sign of breaking in, took the anklet and then left, all without being seen or causing any disturbance. There’s only person I know who can do that, and the thought of him sneaking into my room is more than I can take.

When I tell Ntatemogolo my suspicions, he promises to look into it. For now there’s nothing more I can do. My thoughts are chaotic of late, and I’m feeling raw and irritable. I’m still waiting for Duma to get back to me, as well. I’m relieved when school starts again; it gives me something else to focus on.

The teachers waste no time getting back into the swing of things. By Break on the first day we already have three tests scheduled. I drag myself over to our bench, feeling as if I’ve been back at school for ages.

When I reach the bench, I stop short. Someone is sitting in my spot with her legs crossed at the knee so her skirt rides up, flashing a glimpse of thigh. Someone with long glossy hair that looks like a weave, but isn’t. Someone who usually looks out at the world with a haughty expression but today, for some reason, is somewhat sheepish.

“Uh…hi.” I stand still, staring at Kelly’s face, which seems completely out of place on this bench. This is our bench. My bench. She has the whole school – can’t she allow me one untainted corner?

“You don’t mind if she sits with us, do you?” asks Lebz, handing me a hot dog and barely bothering to look at me. “Botho and the others are making her uncomfortable.”

I blink. Uncomfortable? Well, yes, most sane people would be uncomfortable with the sort of fawning obsequiousness that passes for friendship in Kelly’s circle, but it never seemed to bother her before.

“Connie?” Lebz turns to me now, brow wrinkled in concern.

“Uh, sure. She can sit wherever she likes.” I flash Kelly a plastic smile and sit at the other end of the bench, putting Lebz between us. “Where’s Wiki?”

“He went to the library.” It’s Kelly who responds. “It feels weird sitting here,” she admits with a little giggle.

I bite into my hotdog. My initial annoyance fades a little. I feel sorry for the girl. I wonder how she’d react if she knew she had been involved with a non-human. “So, Kelly…” I swallow, then peek at her. “How are you doing?”