by Tanya Milne
Anna pulled in the corner of her mouth. ‘I want to help.’
‘And you will,’ I said. ‘But it would be safest if you go and hide in Ezra’s boat and wait for us there. Maybe you could take Pearl and Boy with you so we don’t have to come back for them here. Think you can do that…unseen?’
Anna swallowed. ‘The town is in a complete frenzy. Most people are already down in the town square, waiting for the trial.’
‘Waiting for the execution,’ I said, my stomach churning.
Anna nodded. ‘No one is going to notice me. And anyway, I’ll be careful, more careful, I promise.’
‘Boy will take care of you.’ Jet checked his watch. ‘Eva, we need to make a move.’
‘You sure about this?’ I asked.
‘I’ve never been more sure about anything in my life. Let’s go!’
I smiled at my friend who had remained loyal and true, unlike her twin brother.
I took Anna’s hand and together we walked back through the woods towards the town of Melas, where our fate waited for us.
Chapter Fourteen
The golden light around Jet and me was flaring; the brightest of light before the descent into darkness. The river we stood beside was calm, and up high an eagle soared. I remembered standing in the same spot beside the river at sunrise with Elijah, only moments before I shared my magic with him for the first time. I placed my hand over my aching heart.
Not far from where we stood was the clearing where I’d embraced my powers, where I’d become a white witch. Minutes from now, the sun would set and the pure crystal would be turned to darkness and me along with it. And then Jet and I would be on our way to meet Ezra to try and rescue my family. My insides fluttered like the wings of baby birds taking their first flight.
Jet reached out and held my hand. I turned to him as all of my hopes and fears bubbled to the surface. He pulled me into his strong arms and held me close.
‘It’s going to be okay,’ he whispered.
‘Is it?’ I responded, my fears of losing my family, living in eternal darkness – of becoming the Fire Queen – finding their way into my words.
‘I know it is, because no matter how dark things get, I know your heart is good. So as long as you listen to what’s in there, you will be okay.’
Heat from Jet’s body washed over me, calmed me. I pulled back and met his eyes. ‘I don’t know how to thank you, Jet – for putting up with me, for helping me, for being there for me as a friend…when I had nothing.’
Jet smiled and tucked a lock of hair behind my ear. ‘Right back at you.’
‘No matter what happens to me, you need to promise me that you will take care of yourself, okay?’ I said, resisting the urge to place my hand on the side of Jet’s face.
Jet blinked quickly. ‘Nothing is going to happen to you.’
‘We both know there are no guarantees – any minute I’m going to turn into a demon, capable of just about anything. And tonight, well, who knows what Orpheus has in store for us. So please promise me you will look after yourself.’
Jet rolled his eyes. ‘I promise…not to let anything happen to you.’
I gently hit his arm. ‘You’re impossible, you know.’
He laughed. ‘Says you.’
I chuckled before hugging him again.
Then he whispered, ‘It’s time.’
I stepped away from Jet, his warmth and reassurance deserting my body. The crisp evening air arrived, holding us in its icy grip. With a shaking hand I reached into my coat and pulled out the crystal wand, whose power surged through my hand, calming me.
I gazed at the sun, which was sinking slowly into the horizon. As the sun sank further, the crystal turned colder until it was icy cold. My body tremored as I held the crystal high and the sun slid under the horizon, the clear-coloured wand turning the colour of ink.
My body convulsed as a darkness unlike anything I’d ever known consumed me.
‘Eva,’ said Jet, reaching for me.
I lurched away from him and crouched down, my body, my heart, my soul descending into a place that I could only describe as hell. I heard a scream – was it my own? My name was being called, over and over, but I was unreachable.
A hand touched me, burned me.
‘DON’T TOUCH ME!’
I collapsed onto the ground, clutching the crystal like a feral animal, while a malevolent energy consumed, ravaged me. The world around me became silent and still. There was nothing. I was nothing.
‘EVA!’
Something ignited inside me. A small flame. Warmth. A fire. Heat. A smouldering slow burn. I opened my eyes. Jet stood over me, his eyes wide.
‘Eva?’ he said, holding out his hand.
‘Don’t,’ I said, my voice no longer my own.
I jumped up to stand; I was no longer weak or cold, but I burned with power that wanted to destroy.
‘Let’s go get my family,’ I said, slipping the crystal wand inside my jacket.
‘Are you…okay?’ he asked, stepping closer.
I stepped back, an invisible, impenetrable force field around me.
‘Come on,’ I said, striding away from the riverbed and heading towards the place we would meet Ezra. Sizzling energy consumed me, and Jet struggled to keep pace.
‘Slow down,’ he said finally. ‘We need to be careful.’
I stopped and turned to him. ‘We don’t need to take care – Orpheus and those beasts guarding my parents, they need to take care. Keep up!’
I turned from Jet’s wide eyes and continued my march through the woods. There was no moon in the sky, and the world around us was soon drenched in the colour of midnight. Even so, my eyes made out every shape, every bush, every turn in the path. I heard every animal, every leaf that fluttered, Jet’s steady heartbeat.
The lights from Melas grew brighter. As we approached the meeting place, I heard a second heartbeat; this one skipped and danced. Ezra. Heat flushed through me as we stopped in front of Ezra, his lips parting as he took me in.
‘What’s happened to you?’ said Ezra, his voice rising with each word.
‘That’s none of your business,’ I said. ‘Let’s go!’
Ezra turned to Jet. ‘Tell me, what have you done to her?’
I glared at Ezra. ‘Jet has done nothing, but you are wasting time. Let’s go.’
‘Not so fast,’ said Ezra, stepping closer. ‘You look completely different – your hair, your eyes…they’re black. And your skin…’
I gazed down at my hand, where my skin looked like marble. ‘So…what?’
Ezra faced Jet. ‘So what? What’s happened? Tell me.’
‘She’s tapped into the darkest kind of magic,’ said Jet quietly.
‘What! You did this, didn’t you?’ said Ezra, stepping forward and shoving Jet hard.
Jet fell backwards. As Ezra went to launch himself onto Jet again, I stepped between them, placed my hand on Ezra’s shoulder, stopped him.
Ezra gazed down at my hand and then at my face, his expression blank. ‘Eva…’
‘The Eva you knew isn’t here anymore,’ I said, my voice deeper, stronger. ‘Your father made sure of that.’
Ezra stepped away from me as if I were a flame he’d gotten too close to.
‘Will you…will she…come back?’ he asked.
‘That will depend,’ said Jet.
‘On?’
‘On whether I kill anyone tonight…like your father or maybe Max,’ I said.
Ezra gasped.
‘Or maybe I’ll kill them both.’
‘Eva…you can’t,’ said Ezra. ‘Please, don’t. You need to come back…come back to me.’
I started to laugh then, a crazy, unhinged laugh.
‘What can we do?’ said Ezra, his gaze flickering to Jet. ‘You can’t want…this any more than I do?’
‘This isn’t about what I want, or what you want. This is what Eva wants.’
‘Exactly,’ I said, running my finger down his gorgeous face be
fore turning to Ezra. ‘Now, take me to my family.’
Ezra swore and Jet stepped back, checked his watch. ‘Come on – it’s time.’
Ezra’s gaze flickered between me and Jet, his face screaming rage.
‘Follow me!’ said Ezra eventually.
And with that Ezra turned and headed off the path, into the depths of the woods. Before long, he stopped in front of what appeared to be a manhole.
Ezra bent down and pulled open the manhole.
‘There’s a ladder inside that goes down to the ground,’ said Ezra. ‘And the path will take us to the cell where your parents are being held. I don’t think the path will be guarded, but I can’t be sure.’
‘Best I go first then,’ I said, pushing past Ezra, then climbing inside the hole and starting down the ladder that travelled deep inside the earth.
As I jumped onto the hard earth, I spun around, arms outstretched as my senses strained for the presence of guards.
Jet jumped beside me and then Ezra on my other side.
‘It’s all clear,’ I said.
Ezra took out a torch.
‘Put it away,’ I said. ‘And follow me.’
‘You can see?’ he asked.
‘Like it’s daytime,’ I started forward. ‘Stay close.’
It was cold and damp in the bowels of Melas, and the secrets of the steps taken before whispered to me. I moved easily, quickly, never having wanted to see my family as much as I did in that moment. Jet and Ezra scampered after me, scraping the tunnel walls, struggling to keep up. Slowly, the colour of the light changed around us. I slowed, cocking my head, sensing life not far away.
Then I heard it – another heartbeat. Coming in our direction.
I stopped and so did Ezra and Jet, who came to stand one on each side of me.
My every sense strained to make out what I perceived as a large man, alone, carrying something – probably a gun. He walked slowly, without purpose. He was not waiting for us. He was not expecting us.
‘I’ll take care of this,’ I whispered before running down the tunnel.
I heard Jet swear and Ezra groan. I smiled as I turned the corner and watched the guard’s face when he saw me, the look of surprise replaced quickly by a flicker of sadism. He reached for his radio, but I conjured up a fireball that hit the radio, setting it on fire. He threw the radio to the ground and then he looked at me, the whites of his eyes shining in the darkness as I stopped in front of him.
‘Ever seen a witch before?’ I said.
His mouth dropped open.
‘I didn’t think so. Shame you won’t remember.’
The policeman picked up his gun and pointed it at me.
‘Put your hands up,’ said the policeman, slowly advancing towards me.
‘Sure,’ I said, and my body flooded with heat as I raced towards him and kicked the gun from his hands, then caught it and rounded on him.
‘Why don’t you put your hands up,’ I said to the trembling man. ‘Not so tough now, are you?’
I raised the gun to the man’s chest and imagined the feeling of pulling the trigger.
‘Eva!’ said Jet, bringing me back into control of myself. ‘Ypnos!’ Jet placed a hand on the guard’s shoulder, immediately sending him to the ground as he fell into a long and deep sleep.
‘You ruin all my fun,’ I said, dropping the gun and continuing back down the path, neither Jet nor Ezra following.
I stopped and turned to them. Both were staring at me as though I was a monster. Maybe I was.
‘We don’t have all night,’ I said. ‘Hurry up!’
They followed me into a larger room, lit by the flames that leapt inside the heads of old-fashioned torches.
Ezra checked his watch and then took a look at the map. ‘Their cell is close. The meeting has just started. We have about fifteen minutes to get them out.’
‘Easy!’ I said, power surging through me in a way I’d never dreamed was possible.
‘There will be guards,’ said Jet, stepping beside me. ‘Let’s just put them to sleep.’
‘We’ll see,’ I said before entering another corridor on the other side of the room. This time the corridor twisted around and down, like a spiral staircase into hell. As we neared the bottom, I heard guards talking.
‘You see the crowd out there?’ said one of them.
The other guard laughed. ‘Bloodthirsty lot, aren’t they?’
‘Not long now. I hear the first witch has already been trialled – guilty, of course. Hanging any minute.’
WHAT! Fire burst into my hands and I started walking again, death in my fingertips. As I rounded the corner, I raised my hands, which were full of fire. The guards glanced up and stumbled backwards. I released flames that would set them alight. Moments before the flames could connect, rain poured down, dousing my flames. I went to try again, but Jet sprinted past me and put the guards to sleep with his magic.
I jumped over the guards and sprinted down the corridor to the cell where my family were supposed to be held captive. I stopped when I reached the cell, made myself look up.
There they were, huddled together on the bed, slumped forward and crying.
Ice-cold relief seeped into my pores.
‘Mum…Dad…Elijah,’ I said.
They raised their heads towards me.
‘Eva,’ said Elijah, standing slowly, painfully. He advanced towards me. ‘Is that you?’
‘Elijah,’ I said, reaching through the bars as he put his arms out for me. Our hands met and he gasped, did a double take.
‘What happened to you?’ he asked.
‘It’s okay… I’ll be okay,’ I said, tears running down my face, stealing my vision. ‘I thought… I thought one of you…’ I started to sob and my parents came to stand beside Elijah. One by one, I took them in. They were a shadow of the people they’d been, and their faces were etched with the kind of fear that would never truly go away, but they were here, they were alive.
‘They took Violet,’ said Mum, whose face crumpled. ‘They brought her trial forward at the last minute.’
My powers turned to ice and darkness.
Dear, sweet Violet who’d opened her heart to me – who’d helped me escape – who’d risked her life to save mine.
‘Eva!’ said Jet, returning me back into my living hell. ‘We need to get your family out now, before the guards come back.’
‘You get them out. I’ll go get Violet. I’ll meet you on the boat as soon as I can.’
‘What? No!’ said Ezra. ‘You won’t stand a chance! There’re guards everywhere. They’re waiting to trap you, and they will hang you.’
I took one last look at my family, whose arms were reaching for me, but then I was moving, turning away from them.
‘They’ll have to catch me first,’ I said, filling the space behind me with a fireball so no one could follow me.
Chapter Fifteen
As I sprinted through the maze of tunnels, my dark powers ran through my veins like drugs, fuelling me with a power I’d never felt and a burning desire to reach Violet. I knew in that moment that I would do whatever it took to help her and that nothing and no one could stop me.
My fireball continued to grow behind me, and not even Jet’s continual attempts at dousing my flames with water worked. After a few minutes, commotion broke out through the tunnels. People started shouting – from behind me and in front of me. Had there been enough time for my family to escape? Would they be on their way to Ezra’s boat right now? Or had they been recaptured and were now on their way to their trial?
Pain burned in my heart. I stopped, the fireball behind me burning out, my powers ebbing away. Ahead of me, guards were running in my direction. Then they rounded the corner and my gaze landed on Noah – whose face lit up when he saw me. In a flash, I remembered that day, long ago, when I’d kissed him and for the briefest of moments, I had imagined a future with him.
‘TRAITOR!’ I said, reaching in and clasping my hand around the crystal, whic
h flooded me with its insidious power.
The guards all froze. Except for Noah. He pulled a gun on me and approached.
‘It’s good to see you, Eva,’ he said, as though we’d run into each other in the shopping mall.
‘How could you?’ I said, the force of my voice making him stop, watch me more closely.
One of the other guards reached for his radio. I sent a fireball onto it, making it explode into flames. Then I sent another onto Noah’s gun, which he dropped, swearing. His eyes hardened like a shell.
‘You left me little choice; I had to protect Anna,’ he said.
‘You had a choice – and you chose to turn on me and my family.’
I remembered my parents’ faces – the pain and suffering his decision had cost them.
‘Do you know what you’ve done? Who you have become?’ I asked.
Noah laughed. ‘That’s good, Eva – I’ll give you that. Have you looked in a mirror lately? Where has the soft, sweet Eva gone? But, you know, I kind of like this new version. You might be harder to break, but all the more fun in trying. Ah, we’re in for some good times.’
Hatred filled every fibre of my being. It took everything within me not to call in the dark forces and finish off his life.
‘You will never break me,’ I growled.
Noah laughed as more guards came to stand behind me. ‘It’s only a matter of time before I do.’
I stepped forward, making all the guards aim their weapons at me. I tilted my head to the side and looked Noah directly in the eye.
‘Bet you make your sister proud.’
Noah’s lips clamped together before he spoke, his words bitter. ‘Anna has been poisoned by you and your brother. But in time, she will be well again.’
‘She despises the person you’ve become, doesn’t she?’
Noah let out a low growl.
I stepped closer. ‘I might look like a monster, but we both know you’re the real one.’
Noah narrowed his eyes.
‘One day, I might recover – but there’s no cure for you,’ I said.
‘Death would be too easy for you,’ said Noah, a deep red stain spreading over his face. ‘Arrest her!’
The police sprang into action, but so did I. Within me, I mustered the power of wind, which I sent out in all directions, throwing the police hard against the walls. Slowly, I walked to Noah, who was splayed out against the wall, his eyes wide.
