The Witch Born to Burn

by Tanya Milne

  ‘To answer your question, I have no idea. My parents have never made the potion before – it may not even work.’

  Ezra stepped forward and took me in his arms.

  ‘If that happens, it won’t be your fault. You’ve done everything in your power to help these sick people, including my dad. You couldn’t have done any more.’

  I wanted to believe him. I did. But the fate of so many souls rested heavily upon me. I let myself be held by Ezra, who ran his hand gently down my hair that must have fallen from its ponytail sometime during the long night.

  ‘Come on, let’s get you home,’ he said, opening up the car door.

  I dozed as he drove, and then he helped me up the stairs and into my house. It was quiet inside, the only sound coming from a ticking clock. Ezra held my face in his hands as he gently kissed me goodbye. Quietly, he whispered in my ear. ‘I’ll call you later.’

  As he walked away, I felt as though part of me went with him. Later seemed like a long time to wait. I wrote a note to my family letting them know it was done and then climbed the stairs.

  I knew I’d be out of it the moment my head hit the pillow, but my dreams would not be for the innocent and kind-hearted. They’d be nightmares containing panthers, dark spirits and all of those deathly sallow faces I’d stared into all night – those poor souls on death’s doorstep.

  Chapter Sixteen

  When I woke, I kept my eyes closed and stayed deep in my consciousness. The branch outside my room tapped against the window, and the wind rattled the glass. Pearl’s warm body pressed against my leg. For a few moments, I forgot about the world.

  And then Mum’s phone rang downstairs and I was yanked from the place of bliss and thrust back into the modern-day Salem. Everything came back to me all at once, and I sat up, gasping in air.

  I threw my feet over the bed and stood quickly, then staggered to the chair where I slipped my dressing gown over my long white nightie. A quick glance outside showed the shadows were growing long. Surely there would be news by now about whether the potion had worked.

  I held onto the rail as I made my way downstairs, then stopped when I reached the ground level. Mum was on the phone, her expression unreadable. Elijah sat on the couch in front of the fire, with Dad sitting on the single seat next to him, the paper he’d been reading cast aside.

  ‘Right, yes, okay,’ said Mum. ‘We’ll be praying. Thanks for the call. Goodbye.’

  Mum put down her phone and for the longest moment of my life, she gazed at me blankly.

  It mustn’t have worked.

  Nooooo!

  Then Mum smiled, put her fist in the air and yelled, ‘It worked! Everyone has recovered.’

  My knees buckled and I clutched the rail to stop myself falling. Within seconds Elijah was beside me. He wrapped his arm around me and we walked into the living room, where we hugged and kissed our parents.

  ‘You did it,’ said Mum, looking between us and beaming.

  ‘The power of twin witches, huh,’ said Elijah, giving my arm a gentle knock.

  I laughed and was filled with a rare feeling of joy.

  ‘Who called?’ I asked.

  ‘That was the hospital calling to say that everyone has now made a full recovery.’

  ‘Even Mrs Archer?’ I asked, remembering the old lady on life support.

  ‘Even Mrs Archer. Apparently, she’s sitting up drinking tea and talking non-stop.’

  ‘Really?’ I asked.

  ‘Really,’ said Mum. ‘You should feel very proud of yourselves.’

  ‘What about Orpheus?’ said Elijah, his gaze flicking to me.

  Does he suspect me of not giving Orpheus the drops? Who does he think I am?

  ‘So, you think I’m a killer?’ I said.

  ‘Not for a second,’ said Dad.

  Mum glanced at Dad, a single crease marking her forehead.

  ‘You’re the only one, Dad,’ I said.

  ‘Well, did you give him the drops?’ said Elijah.

  ‘The witch with the dark heart,’ I said, feeling as though someone had stolen my breath.

  ‘Orpheus has recovered,’ said Mum. ‘Everyone is calling it a miracle. The nurse’s exact words were, “Jesus has risen from the dead.”’

  ‘Do you believe me now?’ I said, turning to my brother.

  ‘Sorry,’ he said. ‘But you must have thought about it.’

  ‘Stop it, son,’ said Dad. ‘Eva made the right choice, and between both of you and Ezra, you’ve saved so many lives.’

  ‘Answer me,’ said Elijah, his gaze boring into mine.

  ‘Son,’ said Dad.

  Heat built up inside me, and before I could hold onto the words, I yelled, ‘Yes, I thought about it, after what he’s done to you and Ezra and even his wife! But I didn’t. I gave him the drops like everyone else.’ I gazed at my family in turn as I continued. ‘I would do anything for all of you – anything. Does that make me a bad person? Does that give me a dark heart? Does it?’

  Dad put his arm around me. ‘Of course you don’t have a dark heart. I don’t believe that for a second. It’s normal to have those thoughts about Orpheus, after what he’s done. The thing is, you gave him the drops. You made the right choice.’

  Mum and Elijah looked far from convinced. All of a sudden, I wanted to be far, far away from them all. But for now, I had questions that couldn’t wait.

  ‘Tell me more about the Fire Queen,’ I said.

  My parents exchanged looks. ‘We’ve told you everything we know. It’s a prophecy, one of many, that’s been passed down through the generations.’

  ‘Who are the dark forces?’ I asked.

  ‘Why are you asking? Has something happened?’ asked Mum.

  ‘Yes, something has happened,’ I said, then ignored Elijah’s protests and told them what happened the night before when the ground tried to swallow Elijah. By the time I’d finished, Mum looked as though she was going to be sick.

  ‘Good one, Eva,’ said Elijah.

  ‘I can’t do anything right, can I? All I’ve done is tell the truth. They deserve to know what’s going on. Does that make me a horrible person?’

  ‘Stop it, both of you,’ said Dad, steering Mum towards the couch. ‘We can talk about this later.’

  ‘Whatever,’ I said. ‘I’m outta here.’

  ‘Where are you going?’ asked Elijah.

  ‘I’m meeting up with Ezra. Is that okay with you?’

  ‘Fine then,’ he said. ‘I’ll be at Anna’s for dinner. Don’t wait up.’

  He grabbed his keys, phone and jacket and with one last snarl in my direction, he was out the door. I walked to the window and watched him disappear down the path and through the front gate.

  My fire turned to ice.

  What if the dark forces tried to take him again and this time, I wasn’t there to help him?

  I couldn’t help but glance sideways at Ezra, who was driving. With his navy jumper, dark jeans and sandy-blond hair flicked to the side, he was gorgeous, and I had to keep reminding myself that somehow, unbelievably, he was also mine.

  ‘I’m sorry we’re not going out on a proper date,’ said Ezra, his green eyes turning to me for a moment before looking back to the road.

  My heart did a little jump, and I took a settling breath before answering. ‘No problem – we can go out another time.’

  ‘Another time soon. I did promise you.’

  ‘You did, didn’t you.’

  Ezra smiled as he spoke. ‘Mum pretty much begged me to bring you out here tonight.’

  Sweat prickled under my arms at the prospect of spending the night with Ezra’s mum, the woman I knew more about than she would be comfortable with, and who knew more about me than I was comfortable with.

  ‘She doesn’t know anything about last night, does she?’ I asked.

  Ezra shook his head. ‘A promise is a promise. Anyway, it’s probably best she doesn’t know too much. I trust her, but Dad has a way of getting information out of people.�
�

  I tried to swallow, but my mouth was dry. Would Orpheus ever try and use Ezra to get to me?

  ‘Besides, with Dad still in hospital until tomorrow, for once it’s not a circus at our house.’

  I remembered back to my first two horrific visits to Ezra’s house, and shuddered.

  ‘No police?’ I whispered.

  ‘No police. Tonight, there’s just you, me and Mum. Once we’ve eaten, she’ll no doubt head to bed to read.’

  ‘And what will we do then?’

  ‘I can think of a few things,’ he said, a smile playing in the corner of his lips.

  I cleared my throat, and he laughed as he pulled into the circular driveway outside the front of his house. Before I knew it, he’d opened my car door. We held hands as we walked up the grand staircase and into his beautiful yet imposing home.

  This time as we walked through the wide halls towards the living room, there was soft music that filled the silence. The smell of terror had been replaced by the delicious aromas coming from the kitchen. As we walked into the living room, made cosy by candles, open fire and closed curtains, it felt as though the house was a real home.

  ‘Eva,’ said Gretel, coming towards me with a big smile, dressed in a long floating dress. ‘It’s so good of you to come.’

  Gretel was still as skinny and birdlike as ever, but she was also quite transformed. It was like glimpsing someone for who they could be, rather than who they were.

  ‘Thanks for having me,’ I said, handing over a box of chocolates.

  ‘How lovely,’ she said, taking the chocolates and setting about making us drinks. Before long, we were seated around the fire, chatting away. Dinner was delicious and when a warm chocolate pudding was placed in front of me, I realised I was enjoying myself.

  ‘Now, Eva, before I go and leave you two in peace, I wanted to say thank you.’

  My spoon, which had been dipping into the chocolate, stayed where it was.

  ‘I haven’t done anything,’ I blurted out.

  ‘Oh, but you have,’ she said, a large smile on her thin face.

  I glanced at Ezra, whose eyes were rigid.

  ‘I hear you and your family have been at the hospital all the time, helping the sick people. That’s very, very kind.’

  I made my spoon move through the pudding.

  ‘Oh, that’s nothing at all – everyone has been helping.’

  ‘You’re very modest, dear. Not as many people as you would think have been there, so your help has been most appreciated. Even Orpheus told me he remembers you bringing him much comfort.’

  I raised my spoon to my mouth.

  ‘Why even last night, he said you were there. Said that he knew death was waiting for him and then he opened his eyes and you were there, like an angel. Next thing he knew, he was feeling much better.’

  CRAP! He knows. He remembers. Did he see the dropper?

  I put the pudding in my mouth and tried to chew what felt like concrete.

  ‘It was nothing, really,’ I said.

  ‘Well, we don’t feel that way. Both Orpheus and I are very grateful that you’re part of our son’s life – and our lives too.’

  I choked on the pudding and took a long sip of water.

  ‘I know we’re a lot to take on, particularly Orpheus, but I wanted to say thank you. You’re a caring soul,’ said Gretel.

  I gazed at Gretel, whose gentle eyes did not hide secrets. This woman who had suffered at the hands of her husband still held only kindness in her heart – kindness she’d passed on to her only son.

  ‘Anyhow, I have a good book waiting for me in bed, so I’m going to say goodnight, darlings.’

  Ezra stood and hugged his mum. He was almost double her size. I knew then why he could never leave home, never leave his beast of a father. His mum needed her son like the rest of us needed air.

  ‘I’ll see you in the morning, Ezra. We can collect Dad around 10 a.m. Sound okay?’ said Gretel, a shadow passing over her face.

  ‘How could I forget?’ said Ezra, and they both laughed.

  ‘I’m going to miss this,’ she said. Sadness flooded her eyes.

  I stood and she held my hands and kissed me on each cheek before she walked away. As she reached the door, she turned to us.

  ‘Such a beautiful couple. I shall always remember this moment,’ said Gretel.

  And then she was gone, and the atmosphere in the room almost felt wistful without her.

  For a few moments, neither of us spoke.

  ‘Shall we go check out my room?’ he finally said, taking me by the hand.

  Alone. With him. In his room?

  ‘I don’t know if that’s a good idea,’ I said.

  ‘For a start, I have my own wing, well away from my mum, and secondly, I don’t bite.’

  My breath was a traitor and deserted me completely. Ezra laughed and before I knew it, I was laughing too.

  ‘Okay then,’ I said, stepping up to him, wrapping my hands around his head and pulling his lips down to mine. Something I’d wanted to do since he’d picked me up.

  We pulled apart, his eyes hungry.

  ‘Maybe you should be worried,’ he said.

  ‘Come on,’ I said, my heart splattering. ‘Lead the way.’

  I turned around inside his room, taking in what could best be described as a retreat. At one end of the room were Ezra’s king-sized bed and en suite, and at the other end was his own living room that had its own TV and entertainment system, leather couches, bookcases jammed with books and even his own fireplace.

  ‘This is…’ I said, glancing at the floor-to-ceiling glass windows that ran the length of his ridiculously long room, which jutted out the side of the house, the opposite end to his parents’ bedroom and the main living room.

  ‘Too much,’ said Ezra, who was lighting the fire.

  ‘Maybe just a little,’ I said, raising an eyebrow. ‘Okay, maybe a lot.’ I laughed and sat down next to him on the sumptuous white rug next to the fire. ‘My attic seems like a shoebox in comparison.’

  ‘I don’t know, a snuggly little room in the attic with a cat called Pearl seems pretty good to me. I like to think of you there.’

  ‘Well, I do love it.’

  Ezra sat next to me and took my hand, put it to his lips. ‘I can’t believe you’re here with me.’

  ‘That makes two of us. Never in my wildest dreams…’

  He threaded his fingers through mine, and time stood still as we stared at each other, light flickering in his eyes. Everything about the moment felt perfect, as though it had been waiting for us all along.

  We moved towards each other and with a burning deep inside, I sat on his lap and took off my jumper, leaving me in a long white silk top. His eyes opened wide and he ran his hand down my face, my throat and followed the line of my breast, his lips parting. My insides twisted and turned, and I felt as though I might catch on fire.

  Slowly I started to undo the buttons on my shirt, and Ezra’s gaze flitted down to my hands. In the time we’d been together, I’d been over and over in my mind what I was ready for, whether I was ready for anything beyond kissing, but I hadn’t gotten anywhere.

  For the first time in my life, I felt a surge of a new power. I stopped thinking, rationalising, second-guessing and gave in to my desire that was bigger than me, bigger than Ezra, bigger than both of us together.

  Ezra let out a low groan as I opened up my shirt.

  ‘I want you,’ I said.

  His gaze burned me and he sat up and kissed me in a way that left me in no doubt the feeling was mutual. I opened my eyes for a second and saw my reflection in the glass windows. I barely recognised myself – who was this woman? I pulled back and glanced around at all the glass windows, where anyone could looking at us.

  Ezra blinked and followed my gaze. ‘It’s okay, no one can see in. Not unless they’re parked out there in a boat, or sitting under my window.’

  There was only one person in this world sick enough to be loo
king in. Max! I strained to see through the glass, but I could only make out the white-capped waves in the ocean.

  Ezra pulled my shirt together and started doing up my buttons.

  ‘What are you doing?’ I asked.

  Ezra chuckled. ‘And here I was thinking you would be scared of me.’

  My face burned as he finished my last button and gently kissed me on the lips before pulling away.

  I knew the sting of rejection, but not for anything as personal as this. For a moment, I was too stunned to move.

  ‘What’s wrong?’ said Ezra.

  ‘Don’t you want me?’ I whispered.

  Ezra put his hands on my arms. ‘Oh, Eva, you have no idea.’

  ‘What does that mean? Tell me. I don’t know how this works.’

  Ezra took a long, deep breath before he spoke. ‘You have no idea how much I want you. Call me old-fashioned, but I don’t want to rush this.’

  My face was burning. ‘You must think…’

  ‘Think what? That you’re the most beautiful girl I’ve ever laid eyes on.’

  ‘I’ve never done anything like this before. All I know is…’

  ‘What do you want, Eva?’

  ‘I want you, all of you.’

  I felt as though I were perched on the very edge of a thin branch, the breeze blowing strong.

  Ezra’s eyes widened. He put his hands on my face and gently brought it to his. Before long, his hands were everywhere and I felt consumed with desire I didn’t understand, but that burned through my veins.

  It took me a moment to realise that Ezra had stopped and was sitting back, panting. ‘I’m sorry. I want to wait,’ he said.

  A splash of anger spread inside me. ‘Just be honest, Ezra. You don’t want me. I get it, okay.’ I slid off his lap and pulled my knees up to my chest, staring into the night that huddled against the windows.

  ‘That’s not it at all,’ said Ezra, running his hand through his hair.

  ‘I understand why,’ I said, the memories of my fight with Elijah flooding back to me.

  ‘What?’ he said.

  ‘You can sense the darkness in me.’

  ‘Darkness…’