by Tanya Milne
‘Don’t be a stranger,’ Orpheus said to me. He nodded in my direction before turning and striding away, leaving an awkward silence.
Elijah raised an eyebrow at me. ‘Eva?’
‘Meet me later?’ asked Ezra.
I glanced at Elijah. He was staring after Anna, who was leaving with her family.
‘I’ll try,’ I said, then pecked Ezra on the cheek and passed him his jacket before looping my arm through my brother’s and walking away.
‘I’ll try…’ said Elijah, mimicking my voice once we were out of earshot. ‘Poor bloke.’
I turned back towards Ezra, who hadn’t moved, but one of the pretty red-headed girls from school was making her way towards him. It was as if an arrow punctured my heart. Elijah laughed, and it took a good dig in the ribs to shut him up.
‘You’re in deep, sis,’ he said before starting to whistle.
Don’t I know it, I added silently.
At five o’clock, there was a sharp knock at the door and my heart did a full somersault. I stood quickly.
Elijah, who was sitting across from me in the living room, let out a low whistle before saying, ‘Don’t think I’ve ever seen you move so quickly.’
‘Shut up,’ I said, throwing my cushion at him before attempting to not run to the front door.
I glanced at my parents, who were busy in the kitchen cooking dinner. They stopped what they were doing for a few moments and watched me open the door to Ezra. He was standing there, flowers in one arm and a box of chocolates in the other.
‘Hi there,’ I said, opening the door wide.
‘Hi yourself,’ he said, kissing me on the cheek before stepping inside to be greeted by my family. They rushed forward to welcome him.
In less than a minute my family managed to disarm Ezra’s nerves and begin their interrogation about the witchcraft tests. Ezra took it all in stride, answering thoughtfully. When my parents paused for breath, I took Ezra’s hand.
‘Come on, let’s go sit by the fire.’
‘We’ll get some drinks,’ said Mum before my parents disappeared into the kitchen with Elijah, who winked at me on his way past.
Inside the lounge, it was warm and cosy, and we sat together by the fire.
‘Thanks for inviting me over. Your family are great.’
‘They like you,’ I said, realising it was true.
A flush of colour spread up Ezra’s throat and across his cheeks.
‘I like you,’ I whispered, wondering when I’d be able to bring my feelings into check.
His eyes softened. ‘Right back at you.’
‘So,’ said Mum from the entrance to the room, watching us. ‘Care for a drink?’
‘Thank you, Mrs Martinez,’ said Ezra, standing to receive his juice.
‘Please call me Angie,’ she said.
I waited for her to leave us alone again, but instead she sat down opposite us and was soon joined by Dad and Elijah.
‘Call me Christian,’ said Dad before taking a sip of his drink.
‘I’m sorry to say I couldn’t find out any more about the…tests…tomorrow,’ said Ezra.
‘That’s fine, son,’ said Dad.
‘Yeah, right. That’s all you’ve been talking about all afternoon,’ said Elijah. He mimicked Dad’s voice. ‘Do you think Ezra will know?’
‘Elijah,’ snapped Mum before turning to Ezra. ‘But I’m sorry to say Elijah is not exaggerating. We’re worried, but that’s not why we invited you over. We want to get to know you, make sure you know you’re always welcome here.’
‘It’s great to be here, with your family,’ said Ezra, his face scarlet. ‘I truly wish I knew more, but Dad’s keeping everything hush-hush. Mum doesn’t even know. But if I find out anything, I’ll let you know straight away.’
‘Okay, can we stop the inquisition now?’ I said.
As the logs in the fire burnt down and were stocked again, we passed time easily, eating and chatting. By the time Ezra excused himself and thanked my family for dinner, I knew he’d passed the invisible test.
‘Come on, I’ll walk you out,’ I said, ignoring the raised eyebrow from Elijah, who was removing our dessert plates from the table.
Outside on the porch it was dark and cold, and I was glad to have put on my thick jacket. The moment the door was closed, Ezra wrapped his arms around me, dropped his head next to mine and whispered in my ear. ‘I really like your family.’
I wished I could say the same thing back to him, but I had to make do with the words, ‘I like you.’
He raised his head and watched me for the longest time. ‘I’ve fallen hard for you, Eva.’
My breath left me as I placed my hands on his face and pulled his lips down to mine. My cold lips met his hot ones, which were as hungry as mine. Eventually, we pulled away.
‘I’ll take care of your family tomorrow,’ he said finally. ‘I’ll pick you up around 8.30.’
‘Thanks,’ I said, never wanting to let him go.
The light above our heads turned on and we pulled apart.
‘See you tomorrow,’ I said, putting my hands inside my jacket pockets.
He leaned forward and whispered in my ear. ‘Mon cour.’
My heart.
Before I could reply, he was walking away from me, down the stairs.
Across the road, Violet’s curtains flapped, making me giggle. The sharp old gal was at it again.
Ezra raised his hand and I blew him a kiss, which made him laugh before he climbed into his silver Porsche and sped away, scattering the rusty autumn leaves far and wide.
The porch light flicked off again and I was left in the darkness. Without Ezra to distract me, the reality of what the rest of the week would bring hit hard. Over the next three days, every resident of Melas would be tested for witchcraft. I knew of the tests performed back in the Dark Ages. They wouldn’t perform those cruel, archaic tests, would they? Surely this was just a smokescreen to make Orpheus feel in control?
As I glanced around at the houses of my neighbours, every blind was drawn, every door was shut – locked. I’d seen into the souls of the people on the sickbeds, and the mushrooms had done more than poison their bodies – the death caps had poisoned their minds as well. People wanted justice.
Chapter Eighteen
No one spoke much at breakfast the following morning. After a good while of staring at my porridge, I tipped it into the bin.
‘Please be careful today,’ said Mum, who looked as tired as I felt.
Last night had been one of the longest I could remember, as I imagined every possible test Orpheus might use.
‘I can’t believe I’m saying this, but do whatever it takes to get through these tests. And I mean anything,’ said Mum.
Elijah, a good foot taller than Mum, put an arm around her. ‘We’ll be okay, Mum.’
She put her hand over her son’s. ‘I love you both…so very much.’
‘We love you too,’ said Elijah. ‘And we will get through this.’
All of a sudden, tears threatened and Mum took me in her arms like she used to when I was younger.
‘Love you, Mum,’ I managed to stammer out.
Mum pulled back from me and spoke sternly. ‘Whatever it takes, Eva.’
‘Whatever it takes,’ I repeated.
‘And if Dad or I are implicated, you must not come to our rescue, either of you. Promise me?’ said Mum.
My heart fluttered. ‘I can’t promise that.’
‘You must,’ she said. ‘Please.’
‘No,’ I said firmly.
‘Nothing can happen to you,’ said Mum.
‘And it won’t,’ I said.
Mum wiped her eyes, and her gaze flickered between Elijah and me as though she were looking at us for the last time. ‘Take care of each other.’
‘Don’t say that,’ said Elijah and I at the same time.
‘It’s all going to be okay,’ I said.
But my words held no conviction and we all knew it.
Ezra and I barely spoke on the drive into town. He still hadn’t been able to find out a thing about the tests, and the frustration was written in his every movement.
‘It’s going to be okay,’ said Ezra as he parked the car.
We were early, but most of the town was already there, lined up in a long line that led into the town hall. Within seconds, he was out of the car and held my door open. I took a few deep breaths and forced myself into the character of Ezra’s sweet and innocent girlfriend.
I climbed from the car, and hand in hand, we walked down the gentle grassy slope towards the crowd.
‘Want to skip the queue – get it over and done with?’ he asked.
‘Probably not a good idea,’ I said quietly, noticing the looks we were already attracting. ‘Let’s line up.’
We joined the back of the line and greeted those near us. Before long, my parents joined us, with Jet standing behind them.
Jet never set foot inside church, but word must have well and truly gotten around. His usual black leather jacket had been replaced by a navy woollen jacket and his dark hair, always slicked back, was styled normally. He looked completely different… He looked…
He caught me staring and spoke loudly. ‘Good morning, Eva.’
I glanced away, my face hot, no doubt blushing and giving me away. Ezra’s lips pressed together and he put his hand on my back, gently positioning me so that I faced away from Jet. Before I could redeem myself, Orpheus strode to the podium.
Sunshine sparkled on the bay behind him as he spoke. ‘Good morning,’ he said, his booming voice sending seagulls to the skies. ‘In a moment, you’ll take turns being tested for witchcraft.’
A chill travelled down my spine.
‘One at a time, you’ll be taken into a room where you will undergo the first test. If you fail one of the three tests, you’ll be excused. Two fails and you’ll be considered suspicious. Three, and you’ll be named a witch.’
I tried to swallow, but felt as though a golf ball were lodged in my throat.
‘We’re here to root out the evil that has taken hold of our community, before it spreads like fire. The evil must be dragged into the light to be cleansed and made pure again by whatever means necessary.’
What the hell!
‘For we shall not stop until the word of the scriptures has been fulfilled – thou shalt not suffer a witch to live.’ Orpheus scanned the crowd before he stormed off the stage and disappeared into the town hall.
Every part of my being wanted to run for my life, but I dared not move an inch or exchange a look. Ezra pulled me closer, but it brought me no comfort. I doubted whether I’d ever feel comforted again.
Slowly, we shuffled forward. It was the first time I had the tiniest inkling of how it must have felt for those poor suffering souls in the Holocaust waiting to be herded onto trucks that would take them from everything they had ever known.
People who had completed their tests began leaving the other side of the town hall. Not one of them turned back as they fled to their cars. No one in the line spoke a word, and by the time we reached the front of the line, I could barely breathe.
‘Next,’ said a female police officer, her hard eyes assessing me from head to toe.
I stepped forward and let go of Ezra’s hand.
‘Wait for me outside,’ he said calmly.
I nodded, unable to trust my voice.
The door to the town hall opened from the inside. I stared straight ahead as I walked through. Outside was cold and sunny, but I stopped in a small foyer that was hot and dark.
‘Eva,’ said Orpheus, coming forward and greeting me like a long-lost friend.
I put on my smile. ‘Mr Blackthorn, how good to see you.’
‘Sorry about all this,’ he said, gesturing around him. ‘Necessary evil, hey.’
I nearly choked, but made myself nod. ‘I understand,’ I said, then took a deep settling breath.
‘Max,’ shouted Orpheus, making the people milling around freeze – including me. Within seconds, Max appeared, his face lighting up when he saw me.
No! No! No!
‘Max, meet Eva Martinez, Ezra’s delightful girlfriend. Now, I promised Ezra I would take special care of her, so why don’t you help her do the test – make sure it’s painless.’
‘Absolutely,’ said Max, like the Big Bad Wolf. He started walking away. ‘Follow me, Eva.’
My legs felt glued to the ground.
‘See you soon, Eva,’ said Orpheus.
I was staring at Max, who’d turned around, waiting for me, when Mum’s words came back to me: ‘Do whatever it takes.’
I took a deep breath, pasted on my smile.
‘See you soon, Mr Blackthorn,’ I said before following Max into the main building.
Behind me, Orpheus greeted his son. I heard Ezra exclaim something to his dad, but his words were lost as we entered the main section of the town hall. Above us was a large domed glass roof that covered a massive open space. Tucked all around the sides of the building were offices, most of them empty, but several with lights on.
Max stopped outside the last office in the corner and held the door open.
‘After you,’ he said, his beady eyes alive.
I glanced around, but there was no one else in sight.
‘I haven’t got all day,’ said Max, the spark of a warning in his voice.
Every inch of me craved to bolt for the exit of this nightmare. Instead, I straightened my back and walked into the office. The moment we were inside, Max closed the door behind me. In front of me, there was a desk with a chair on either side. It was stifling hot and I slid off my puffer jacket, regretting it the moment I did. Max’s gaze roved over my blue jeans and, more slowly, over my fitted white woollen cardigan.
‘So, what do I do?’ I asked, pulling my jacket in front of me.
‘Sit,’ he said, pointing to the chair furthest away, before sitting in the other chair.
I sat and faced the sicko who’d tried to find me in my bedroom and had done unspeakable things to my brother – but, thanks to the memory-altering potion, he could not remember.
‘So,’ I said, sweat prickling under my arms.
‘How are you, Eva?’
Whatever it takes.
‘I’m good. Shall we…get started?’
‘In a bit of a rush?’
‘I don’t want to keep Ezra waiting, that’s all,’ I said.
Max blinked rapidly, and I knew I’d found my mark.
‘We wouldn’t want to keep your boyfriend waiting,’ he muttered.
‘Right,’ I said, crossing my arms.
Max leaned forward and thrust a medium-sized black book across the table. I collected it before it spun off the table, then held it up. There, in embossed silver writing, were the words, Holy Bible.
Oh crap! Was he going to test my knowledge of the Bible? If so, I was definitely going to fail.
Max let out a gruff laugh. ‘Don’t worry, Eva, I’m not going to quiz you on the Bible.’
Pull it together, Eva.
He was reading my every thought, my every move.
‘I’m…learning,’ I said, as sincerely as I could.
He cocked his head to the side.
‘Open the Bible and read me…say a page. Think you can do that?’ he said.
What!
‘Is that the test? Whether I can read from the Bible?’ I asked.
He smiled wickedly, and I knew he was laying a trap for me. The only problem was that I had no idea what it was.
‘You’ll see. Now read.’
I cleared my throat and opened up the Bible to a random page. The writing was ridiculously tiny, and a quick scan revealed old-fashioned words and a style of writing I wasn’t familiar with.
Max tapped a finger on the table. ‘I thought you were in a hurry.’
‘Sorry,’ I blurted out. I held the Bible close to my face and began
to read, my words fluent as my eyes dashed through the lines.
Several times I slowed to make sure I pronounced the words correctly, but I didn’t falter. I was about three quarters of the way down the page when the heat made me feel drowsy. Beads of sweat sprang up on my forehead, and I paused to wipe them.
Max, who looked both tired and grumpy, sparked to life. ‘You stopped.’
What?
I glanced back down at the words and continued reading, but Max got his notebook out and made a note.
Had I failed – because I stopped?
I continued reading, but my breath was no longer smooth and clear; it was rushed and my words came out in fits and starts, and my tongue tripped over several words, so that some sentences made no sense at all.
As Max’s grin grew wider and wider, my words became increasingly tangled. By the time I reached the end of the page, I was covered in sweat and Max’s notebook was full.
I used my sleeve to wipe my sweat away.
‘Pretty hot in here,’ he said, grinning.
‘Sorry, what? Are we finished?’ I said, my words crisp.
‘Do you mean, have you passed? Oh no, sorry, sweetheart, you most definitely didn’t pass. You see, one of the signs of a witch is that they can’t read from a Bible.’
‘Excuse me?’
‘While you may not have a problem with your words now, you certainly had some trouble reading from the Bible. Stopping, starting, incorrect pronunciation of words, skipping and rushing words. Tut, tut, Eva.’
My scalp prickled.
I kept my voice as even as I could. ‘I stopped reading because it’s sweltering in here, and I stumbled over a few words because you make me nervous. Big deal.’
‘I make you nervous? Why would that be?’
I held in my groan. ‘I always get nervous in tests. Can I do it again?’
‘Poor Eva,’ he said, ripping out the page of his notebook. ‘Well, I suppose I could let you do it again.’
‘Oh, thanks. That would be great. I’ll be much more careful.’
‘At a price,’ he said, his lips parting.
‘What!’ I said.
Max’s gaze darted to the door.
‘Keep your voice down, sweetheart. We don’t want others thinking they could get the same second chance.’