“I’m sorry I’m late – my dad was in the middle of something.” True to his word, Wiki has his laptop bag on his shoulder.
Rakwena arrives a few minutes later. I lock up the house and pocket my key, send Dad a quick text to let him know when to expect me back, and then we’re off.
“I wish you were coming,” I tell Rakwena, as the car moves through the streets.
“I don’t. Besides, you have two experienced bodyguards,” he points out, looking at Lebz and Wiki in the rear-view mirror.
Somehow this doesn’t exactly reassure me. Wiki, despite his best intentions, is going to be absorbed in his laptop, and once Lebz is swallowed by the crowd I won’t see her for the rest of the night. Hopefully this Spencer guy and his buddies will keep me entertained, otherwise I’m going to be stuck watching anime with Wiki.
Kelly lives in a sprawling estate in Broadhurst. Her stepfather does something to do with medicine – medical supplies, or pharmaceuticals or something – and he’s the only father she’s ever known. Her real father left when she was a baby. She got an upgrade if you ask me – her stepdad treats her like a princess.
Rakwena pulls up outside the house, and Lebz’s door is open before the car has even come to a complete stop.
“Thanks, Lizard!” she chirps, hopping out of the car.
“Yes, thank you.” Wiki heaves a sigh of resignation and glances miserably at the house. “Not to be a bother, but is there any chance of a ride home?”
“Sure,” says Rakwena with a sympathetic grin. “I’ll be coming to get Connie around eleven. I can drop you off, no problem.”
“You’re a lifesaver.” Wiki gets out of the car and trails behind Lebz, who has already started dancing her way up the driveway to the beat of some ghastly ragga tune.
“Better get going before I lose my bodyguards.” I turn towards the door.
“Hey.” Rakwena takes my hand. “Be careful.”
“I will.” It occurs to me that he no longer seems as worried as he was the last time we spoke. From trying to convince me not to go to the party at all, he’s switched to being almost nonchalant. My sixth sense is tingling, but the car is idling and Wiki’s waiting for me near the door.
I give Rakwena a quick kiss and climb out of the car. Lebz, of course, is nowhere to be seen. Wiki and I step into Wonderland. It’s loud, and very different from Thuli’s party. There’s no wine, no carefully laid table, and no red carpet. It’s just a huge house crammed to bursting with rowdy kids.
Amantle is standing in the foyer, welcoming the guests. She’s dressed in a slinky minidress and looks about eighteen instead of fourteen. I’ve noticed that after getting rid of the bewitched necklace that the Puppetmaster used to control her, she no longer wears any kind of jewellery. I suppose you can’t be too careful.
Seeing her dressed up like this triggers a flashback of the sort of outfits she and her friends wore when they were under the Puppetmaster’s power, and that reminds me of Emily. I bite my lip. I never told Amantle that Emily was still working for him; once Emily left there seemed no point in freaking the others out. As far as they’re concerned, all five of them are safe and well. I think it’s best they keep thinking that.
Amantle waves us over. “I’m glad you came,” she yells over the music. “You didn’t bring Rakwena?”
“He didn’t get an invite,” I remind her.
“Ja, but I assumed…never mind.” She glances over her shoulder and leans closer to whisper in my ear. “Could you do me a favour? I know it’s a party and you’re here to have fun, but…”
My eyes narrow. Trouble already? I haven’t even been here five minutes! “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing, yet. Just keep your eyes open.” She flashes me a bright, slightly plastic smile. “There are a lot of people here, and I don’t know all of them, and I…I don’t want anyone getting in any trouble, if you know what I mean.”
I know exactly what she means. After what happened to Amantle and her friends last year, she’s become a lot more wary of the people she mixes with. I nod and give her manicured hand a quick squeeze. “I’ll be on the lookout.”
“Thanks.” Her tone is casual, but I can sense her relief. “Have a good time! Just let me know if you need anything.” And she’s off to make nice with some other guests.
Wiki raises his eyebrows at me. “You think there’s something to worry about?”
“I’ll soon find out.” We make our way towards the main room, where all the action is. I’m scanning the faces in the crowd and I’m on high alert, just in case. I don’t expect trouble – at least not the supernatural kind – but you never know.
Wiki and I find ourselves a corner next to a power outlet and he whips out his laptop while I go to find us some drinks. I don’t see any booze on the table, but there are plenty of suspicious-looking liquids in people’s cups. I pour us some lemonade and load a paper plate with chips and biscuits, then head back to our corner.
Wiki already has an episode of the anime Naruto loaded and ready to go. He looks up and takes one paper cup. “Thanks. Picking up any unusual vibrations yet?”
“Besides the bass pumping in my chest? Nope.” I slouch in my chair, sipping my drink and watching the well-dressed (in some cases half-dressed) crowd.
“This is a great episode,” says Wiki, offering me one of his earphones.
I shake my head. “I have to stay focused – I’m here to check out the Cresta Crew, remember?”
He shrugs, puts in the earphones and is officially in his own world. I nibble my chips. I haven’t spotted Kelly yet. Maybe she and her new beau are already holed up in her room. I catch a brief glimpse of Lebz getting down on the dance floor with a few of Kelly’s cronies, then my gaze keeps moving. Some kids from my class, a couple of Form Three boys, Refilwe, one of Amantle’s friends…and then I see him.
Thuli. The fear is so overwhelming that for a second I’m convinced I’m going to suffocate and die, right there in that chair in a dark corner of the living room, and no one will notice. But the feeling is gone as quickly as it came, and I wonder what came over me. I see him occasionally at school, but this feels different. Maybe because it’s a party, like the one at his house. Maybe my body remembers a lot more clearly than I thought.
His long dreadlocks are loose and he’s leaning against the wall, deep in conversation with a guy I don’t recognise. The guy gives a distracted nod and looks up, scanning the crowd. My heart jumps and I sit up straight. He’s one of the Cresta Crew. He must be – he looks like he climbed out of a magazine. He’s tall and broad-shouldered, with muscular arms. He has dreadlocks, too, but his make Thuli’s look like tatty bits of rope. They’re thick and beautiful, and even tied up they fall all the way down his back. He looks about twenty, with a neat goatee. Now I know what Lebz was talking about – this guy is seriously good-looking.
Thuli forgotten, I get to my feet to take a closer look. The guy is no longer paying attention to Thuli. He’s caught sight of something far more interesting, and he’s watching it with a slight smile. I follow his gaze. It’s a girl, scantily clad and gyrating against the back of a chair. I find her repulsive, but Mr Rapunzel seems to think she’s the catch of the day.
Then something distracts him and he turns his head. He murmurs something to Thuli, who looks very unimpressed, and then walks away. I push my way through the crowd, keeping Rapunzel in sight. He stops beside another genetically gifted specimen. This one has a neat brush-cut and is the size of the Incredible Hulk, but apart from that they could be brothers. There’s an air of authority about the big one, and something else – an undercurrent of danger. He’s like a tiger in captivity – beautiful, calm, but still lethal behind the thin sheet of glass. They talk