by Amy Meredith
‘Another reason to think the plague is a virus or something,’ Jess said.
‘Come on. Let’s do this, then it’s shopping time.’ Eve wanted to shop, but even more, she wanted to get away from ruins of the Medway manor and the portal. She grabbed Jess’s hand and pulled her towards a gothic stone arch. The portal, the only part of the mansion that hadn’t crumbled when Eve had finished Malphas.
They stopped a few metres away. ‘Anything could be over there,’ Jess whispered.
She was right. Who knew what was on the other side, invisible to their eyes. Any one of the creatures from hell could be crouched there, waiting for a chance to come through.
Eve nervously flexed her fingers, ready to blast her power if she needed to. Jess noticed and asked, ‘Are you sensing something?’
‘Nuh-uh,’ Eve reassured her. She needed to get closer to the portal to check that her web of power was still in place. Until she touched it, it would remain hidden.
Luke had cleared most of the rubble in front of the arch when they’d first discovered it, so it was easy to walk up to the portal. When she was a breath away from it, she tried to ignore the words carved into the stone – words that she could read easily even though Luke and Jess said they looked like hieroglyphics to them.
Apparently one of the bonuses of being the Deepdene Witch was that Eve could understand Demonese. The words were basically just instructions to the Medway family about how they had to open the portal every hundred years. Helena, a girl in their year at school, had been the most recent descendant of Lord Medway. She’d opened the portal and let the hellhounds into Deepdene, thinking she could control them. Instead, they’d destroyed her, ripping her to shreds.
Looking at the words reminded Eve of how different she was now that she had grown into the witchiness she’d inherited from her great-great-multiple-great-grandmother. OK, Ms Superwitch, get to it, she thought.
Eve reached out and tried to put her hand through the arch. Things on the other side looked normal, just like she was staring through an open doorway. But as soon as her fingers touched the air within the archway, a spark flew out, sending faint, fuzzy golden lines crisscrossing all across the opening with a series of crackling sounds.
She looked over her shoulder at Jess. ‘Does it seem—’
‘Different,’ Jess said. ‘Yeah. In a weaker kind of way. The lines are fuzzy and they weren’t before.’
‘They’re more translucent too,’ Eve added. ‘But it’s still working. I can’t put my hand through, so the other side should be blocked too.’ She frowned. ‘I don’t like that it’s fading, though. I want to try to juice it up some more.’
Eve closed her eyes, trying to remember what it felt like when she’d created the web the first time. Her power had felt softer somehow, warm rather than hot. When she attacked demons it felt scalding, although the heat didn’t bring her any pain.
She focused on gathering her power together. Her hair began to gently undulate around her face, as if she was underwater. Her skin started to tingle, her tongue and the backs of her eyes too. It’s time, she thought, and released the power.
Rays of golden light began to flow from the tips of her fingers. Eve pressed her hands against the portal arch, feeling the carved markings against her palms. The stone was cold, even though the day was sweltering, but it began to warm as Eve’s power entered it.
‘It’s working,’ Jess said softly as the golden strands of the web grew brighter and crisper.
Eve didn’t let go of the arch. As she continued to fill it with her power, more rays of light were added to the web, weaving over and under the ones that had already been there, until the portal opening looked like it was completely covered by a dense golden tapestry.
With a sigh of satisfaction, she pulled her hands away. The golden light slowly faded, but Eve knew that the opening to the portal was still completely covered.
‘Can I just say that you have moments of total awesomeness?’ Jess asked.
Eve smiled as she turned towards her friend. ‘You too.’
‘Well, yeah,’ Jess agreed with a wink. ‘Now on to the stores!’
Before Eve could take a step, she heard a dull thunk. She jerked her head towards the sound, and saw a chunk of stone from the ruin of the dovecote roll into the high weeds. ‘That scared me to—’
Another sound interrupted her, a softer sound, but one that also came from the crumbled stone remains of the nearby dovecote. Jess gave a yelp of surprise when a man stumbled into sight. He wore several layers of clothes, despite the heat, all stained and dirty.
‘What are you doing here?’ Eve blurted, although she and Jess had no right to be on the Medway property either.
The man didn’t answer. Jess and Eve moved closer together. He lurched towards them, then veered away, heading for the front gate, muttering as he went. His words were so slurred and raspy Eve couldn’t understand them.
‘Do you think that guy is living here?’ Jess asked when he’d disappeared from sight. ‘I mean, do you think he’s homeless?’
‘Maybe,’ Eve said. ‘He was really skinny under all those clothes, and it didn’t seem like he’s had access to a shower in a good while. What I want to know is – did he see anything?’ She wiggled her fingers in front of Jess’s face to indicate her power.
‘He didn’t act like he had,’ Jess said. ‘He wasn’t really staring over here or anything.’
‘But if he was back there behind all those stones from the dovecote, he might have,’ Eve answered.
‘Did you get a sniff of him when he headed by?’ Jess said. ‘Eau de Beer mixed with garbage. I hope he hasn’t had to go dumpster-diving to eat. That would be so sad.’
‘He did smell like he’d been drinking,’ Eve agreed. ‘Not good, but a lot better than Eau de Wood-smoke.’
‘So much better. And if he did happen to see something – well, he probably walks around seeing groovy glowing lights all the time,’ Jess said. Eve pulled out her cell. ‘Giving Luke an update?’ Jess asked.
‘I’ll text him in a sec,’ Eve said. ‘Right now I’m setting a reminder alarm. I’m going to be checking the portal once a week to make sure the block is still strong.’
Jess laughed.
‘What?’ Eve asked.
‘It just seems weird to do witch stuff on your phone,’ her friend said. ‘Although probably if Lord Medway was trying to make a deal with Malphas today, he’d use a cell too.’
‘I’m thinking demons don’t have access to phones on the other side.’ Eve turned back and ran her fingers over the web again, just to see it spark, just to prove it was still there. Lord Medway must have been truly and deeply crazy to have made a deal with Malphas – or with any demon. Demons were bad news. But then to create a portal to hell and swear that your children and grandchildren would open it every hundred years to let Malphas return? It was like putting a curse on your own family! Lord Medway should have known better. Anyone should have known better. And Lord Medway was a pilgrim. They were supposed to be all religious, right? Not that you had to be religious to know that opening a door to hell was bad.
‘OK, now on to important business,’ Jess said, pulling Eve away from the portal – and her dark thoughts. ‘Shopping!’
They started down Medway Lane, which led in a big loop from the downtown area of Main Street to the beachfront properties and back again. It wasn’t a terribly long walk, but in this heat, Eve felt like they couldn’t get to the stores – and the air conditioning – fast enough.
‘Ice cream first or shopping first?’ Jess asked.
‘Shopping,’ Eve said. ‘The ice cream would just melt, anyway.’
‘OK, so … PJs. Were you thinking actual pyjama pyjamas or are you open to nightgowns?’ Jess asked.
‘Pyjama pyjamas,’ Eve answered as they walked, trying to stay in the shade of the maple trees that lined the road. ‘Nightgowns seem …’ She shrugged.
‘Like you’re trying too hard,’ Jess agreed. ‘You wa
nt to look your cutest without seeming like you’re trying to look cute at all. Easy-peasy. Luke would think you looked cute if you came to breakfast in those Care Bear PJs you like to wear when you’re sick.’
‘Luke is never seeing those,’ Eve said. She narrowed her eyes at Jess. ‘Luke is never hearing about them, either. Or there will be consequences. Consequences involving Seth finding out about that stalkerette notebook you kept on him for an entire year back in seventh grade.’
Jess held her hands up in surrender, laughing. ‘The Care Bears are in the vault with all the other best friend secrets,’ she promised.
They reached the corner of Medway and Main, which was the beginning of Deepdene’s tiny shopping area. Pretty much every store and restaurant in town was located on these few Main Street blocks.
Eve stopped and took one of the masks her mother had given her out of her purse. ‘If my mom catches me around a bunch of people without this, I’m doomed.’
Jess hesitated. ‘Come on. Do it, Jess,’ Eve urged. ‘I think this is one of those very rare times where we’re both going to have to put safety above fashion. I don’t want you getting sick on me.’
‘It’s just that there aren’t a bunch of people,’ Jess answered.
‘On Main Street?’ Eve exclaimed. But Jess was right. There were only two people in sight – a woman carrying a truly amazing number of bags out of the wine and cheese shop, a long scarf wrapped over her mouth, and Mr Enslow, who stood in front of his hardware store, arms crossed over his chest.
It was just … wrong. On a Wednesday afternoon, half the people from school should be over here at Ola’s or Java Nation, and there were always people shopping the boutiques, even in the off-season.
‘Creepy,’ Eve said.
‘Do you think she left anything in the cheese place?’ Jess asked, watching the woman as she struggled to her car with her many, many bags.
‘I went to the grocery store with my mom yesterday, and there were lots of gaps on the shelves. My mom said people go into a hoarding mentality when there’s a crisis,’ Eve replied.
‘I guess it’s good our pantry is full,’ Jess said. ‘Although with Peter in the house … You know how he eats.’
Peter was Jess’s younger-by-one-year brother. And Eve had seen him eat many times – almost always with his mouth open to gross her out. He could definitely put the groceries away.
‘So, back to the vital business of pyjamas,’ Jess said. ‘How about we start at the Ralph Lauren boutique?’
‘Sounds like a plan.’ Eve dangled the elastic of her mask over one finger as they walked over to the boutique. If she got into a crowded spot, she’d put it on. But it really didn’t look like that was going to happen.
She took a deep, appreciative breath as they stepped into the shop. Some people raved about new-car smell, but for Eve, nothing beat the new-clothes smell. It should be made into a perfume. She’d buy it for sure.
Jess flipped through a rack of pyjama sets. ‘I love the pyjamas here. They’re so retro, like guys wear in old, old movies, except they’re tailored for a girl body.’ Jess’s voice sounded really loud in the almost deserted store. It was just her and Eve and one sales clerk. She held up a pair with simple blue stripes for Eve to look at. ‘Definitely cute. Definitely not trying too hard. Definitely sexy.’
‘Sexy isn’t on the list of requirements,’ Eve told her. ‘Luke isn’t my boyfriend, remember?’
‘I remember that he’s your lime popsicle,’ Jess replied. ‘And I also remember lime popsicles are your favourite.’
Footsteps.
Luke turned round, automatically on guard. He couldn’t shake the feeling a demon was behind the plague, and right now every sound he heard seemed like a potential threat. But it was just Eve and Jess, walking up the sidewalk of Sycamore Street towards the Evergold house, loaded down with colourful shopping bags. ‘Is there anything left for sale on Main Street?’ Luke called, smiling at them.
Eve raised one eyebrow as she grinned back. ‘You’re not exactly travelling light, either,’ she commented as she and Jess reached him.
Luke hitched his backpack higher on his shoulder. It kept sliding off, and the straps of his gym bag had just about worn a groove in the palm of his left hand. ‘I brought half the stuff in my wardrobe,’ he admitted. ‘I don’t know how long I’ll have to stay. And I’m not allowed back at the rectory, the sheriff said. They have the whole place, and the church, blocked off with police tape. No one gets through until there’s some kind of inoculation against Flu X. Or a cure.’
‘Which they will find. Soon. I know it,’ Eve told him. Jess nodded her agreement.
They were sweet. Big, fat liars, but sweet.
‘It just feels wrong to be over here,’ Luke said. ‘I should be with my dad. I mean, I’m really grateful to you, Eve. But it’s strange, being kicked out of my own house.’
‘At least you know your father is being taken care of,’ Jess said. ‘He probably feels better knowing he can’t infect you.’
‘Plus, my mom completely agrees that you shouldn’t be near your dad. She’s happy that you’re staying with us,’ Eve reassured him. ‘I know my dad will be too. Don’t worry about it at all. This is your home as long as you need to stay.’
‘Thanks,’ Luke answered. He was glad Eve had said he could stay, but now that he was standing in front of her he suddenly wondered if it would be weird. Half the time – at least – that he was around her he had this impulse to kiss her. If he were around her all the time … Not your biggest problem right now, he told himself. ‘And you’re right, Jess,’ he added. ‘My father wanted me out of there even more than the CDC people.’ The Center for Disease Control had recently sent in a team to help control the outbreak.
‘It’s not going to help him if you get sick as well,’ Eve gently reminded him.
‘I know. But still.’ Luke let out a sigh that felt like it had started in the soles of his feet. Get a grip, he ordered himself. ‘Anyway, at least I can do something here. I finished entering all the demon info we’ve gathered over the past few months onto my laptop, and I brought the books and journals we found hidden in the church. I’m not done translating everything, but I’m getting there. We’ll figure out how to stop this.’
Eve’s forehead wrinkled in confusion. ‘Didn’t you get my text? We checked the portal, and the force field thingy, or the fence, or whatever we’re calling it, was still live. I gave it some extra juice to make sure it stays that way. Plus I haven’t smelled any wood-smoke.’
‘Yeah, but even if the portal is closed, demons could’ve gotten in another way,’ Luke pointed out. ‘Helena wrote in her diary that she’d been able to summon demons, remember? That proves the portal isn’t the only way it can happen.’
‘True. It seems like every few weeks we’re running into new things we thought could never happen,’ Eve answered. ‘I’m still feeling like the most logical scenario is Mr Dokey bringing Flu X back from Egypt, but we should stay on guard. Maybe investigate a little.’
‘Helena’s dead,’ Jess reminded them. ‘And she was the last of the Medway descendants. Do you think there’s another wacko family in town who thinks it’s a good idea to try and make friends with demons?’
‘No …’ Luke wasn’t entirely sure what he thought, other than that the intense heat and the contagious disease outbreak were not natural. Somehow, a demon was behind what was happening in town. Luke could feel it in his gut, like a jagged stone.
‘Let’s get this stuff inside,’ Eve suggested, starting for her front door. Luke knew she didn’t fully agree with him, but at least she was open to the possibility that there was another demon they might have to fight.
‘Helena’s story is just one example,’ Luke said. ‘I bet the Order knows hundreds of ways that demons can get from hell to our world.’ He jerked his backpack into place again. ‘Maybe we should email them an update on what’s going on.’
The Order was an ancient association of those dedicated to
hunting and killing demons. Luke, Jess, and Eve had learned of its existence when the wargs had invaded. The Order had sent Willem Payne, one of its members, to investigate the death of Kyle Rakoff, who was on the Deepdene High football team with Luke. It turned out that Kyle had been killed by a pack of the hell hounds, and Willem too had been slain by the creatures. Moments before he died, he’d given Luke his sword, a weapon that could kill demons.
‘I’m not sure we’re at the point where we should get the Order involved,’ Eve answered. She let her hand drop before it reached the doorknob and turned to face Luke. ‘I think we should wait until we have some evidence that there’s definitely something supernatural going on.’
‘But they gave us their contact info for a reason,’ Luke protested. ‘For all we know, the Order has info about a demon that causes people to get sick. Maybe something like this has happened before in another town. Even if it hasn’t, I bet they’ll have some ideas on what we have to do to stop it.’
‘We can talk about it more inside,’ Eve said, opening the front door. ‘Mom, Luke’s here!’ she called, her voice echoing through the big house. There was no answer.
Luke rested his heavy gym bag on the polished hardwood floor. Eve’s place was about five times bigger than the little rectory where he lived with his dad. Maybe her mother couldn’t hear her from the other side of the house.
‘Mom?’ she called again.
‘Wait, didn’t my mom rope your parents into the planning meeting tonight?’ Jess asked. She glanced over at Luke. ‘My mother runs practically every charity in Deepdene. She’s good at guilting people into being helpful. And now that your dad is—’
She clapped her hand over her mouth, her blue eyes wide with embarrassment.
‘Now that my dad is sick, she has to take over the patient outreach,’ he finished for her. ‘Visiting infected people and all that. It’s OK. I know my father would appreciate it.’
‘Well, this meeting is about more than just outreach,’ Eve said. She picked up Luke’s gym bag and headed for the curved staircase. ‘I totally forgot, Jess, but you’re right. My mom said she’s going to organize all the doctors in town to take shifts at the clinic, whether they practise there or not. And my dad’s going to the meeting straight from work. He’s good with organizing. He’s all about the flow charts and back-up plans.’