by Amy Meredith
‘Deepdene’s going to need them with the way the infection is spreading. I saw a bunch of other houses cordoned off on my way over here,’ Luke answered, following Eve. He grabbed the back of the heavy bag to help her lift it up the steps.
‘We saw some too, when we were walking back from the Medway mansion,’ Jess said. ‘Do we know who else has gotten sick? Have you heard anything?’
‘I got a text that the coach is down,’ Luke said. ‘There have to be other people the way this is spreading, but I haven’t heard any more names.’
‘It could be anyone – anyone from school, just anyone.’ He could hear the fear in Jess’s voice. He wished he could come up with something to say to reassure her. But of course it could happen to anyone. It had just happened to his dad.
Upstairs, Eve opened the second door on the left. ‘Guest room,’ she told him. Luke carted his stuff inside with her help.
‘I can’t believe you carried all that over here by yourself,’ Eve said.
‘I thought about bringing the sword too,’ Luke answered. ‘But I’ve been keeping it hidden in the crypt under the church so my dad won’t stumble across it. The public health people practically kicked me off the property, so I couldn’t get it before I left.’
It was a special weapon, and with it feeling like darkness was converging on the town again, Luke wished now he had it close by. Payne had believed that only that sword – and twelve others just like it – had the strength to kill a demon, but he’d had to reconsider when he saw what Eve could do with her bare hands – her bare hands and her inherited power from the first Deepdene Witch.
‘If it turns out we need the sword, we’ll find a way to get it,’ Eve told him. ‘OK, so the chest of drawers is empty. The closet is mostly empty. You can put your stuff wherever you want to.’
Luke pulled open the closet door. ‘Well, it will be a little tight, but it’ll do,’ he joked. ‘That’s the biggest closet I’ve ever seen!’
‘All the times we’ve been in Evie’s room and you haven’t looked in her closet?’ Jess exclaimed. ‘It’s a must-see. Come on.’ She playfully dragged him down the hall to Eve’s room and threw open the door to the walk-in closet.
Luke drew in a breath. ‘You weren’t kidding,’ he exclaimed.
Every time he’d been in Eve’s room the closet door had been closed, and he’d never given any thought to what was behind it. Closets were just closets … except for this one. It was ridiculously huge.
‘Are you sure this isn’t the guest room?’ Luke joked. ‘Or maybe the stockroom for all the stores on Main?’
‘Girls need more stuff than boys,’ Eve said.
‘Clearly.’ He liked to give Eve a hard time about the amount of money she spent on all that girl stuff, but, if he was completely honest with himself, he kinda liked how much she and Jess loved their fashion.
But this wasn’t the time for fun. ‘Can we go back to talking about the Order?’ he asked. ‘I still think it’s worth getting them involved.’
‘How about if the three of us do some research first?’ Eve suggested. ‘If we find anything that points to a demon, we’ll go to them. Not that we’ll need them. If there is a demon in Deepdene again, we’ll do what we did the last two times. We’ll kick its ass back to hell.’
Luke felt a rush of gratitude. The rock in his gut seemed to get a little lighter.
‘The three of us,’ Jess agreed. She glanced at her watch. ‘But I can’t demon-research right this second. I have to get home. I’m supposed to meet Seth in an hour, and I can’t go like this.’ She gestured to the sarong she had wrapped around her hips.
‘Seth would be one lucky guy if you did,’ Luke said, ducking out of the way as Jess tried to swat him on the arm, laughing.
So he was going to be alone. All alone with Eve. Which would be fine, if he could only accept that she saw him as some kind of a gal pal.
He’d tried to accept it. He’d gone out with the new girl, Briony, a few times. And a couple of other girls. But it was always the same – the whole time he was with one of those other girls, there was a part of him that was doing a compare and contrast with Eve. And Eve came out ahead every single time.
Luke glanced over at Eve, and she was looking at him. She immediately turned away, reaching over to shut her closet door. Jess cleared her throat, but she didn’t say anything, which was unusual for her. Luke knew the silence was getting awkward, and he wondered if Jess could tell that he was a little nervous about being left alone with Eve … in Eve’s room.
Jess gave a little nod, as if she’d decided something. ‘Why don’t you guys come out with Seth and me?’
‘No way. It’s a date,’ Eve protested. ‘You two should be alone.’
‘Yeah, Seth would not appreciate us crashing. And we have research,’ Luke added. Plus, being out with Jess and Seth would feel like a double date. That would not help with his acceptance of being Eve’s nothing-more-than-a-friend.
‘You still have to eat, research or not.’ Jess pointed at Eve, then at Luke. ‘You’re coming.’
Luke had never heard her sound so bossy. He was almost afraid to argue.
‘I guess we’re going,’ Eve said, glancing at Luke. ‘Which means I have to get ready too.’ She turned to Jess. ‘Striped jersey high-low hem?’
‘Of course,’ Jess answered. ‘Maybe with the Miu Miu patent leather two-tone platforms?’
Eve nibbled her bottom lip, considering. Luke turned his eyes away. Did she have to do that? The move completely killed him. It always made him think about her lips and how much he’d like to kiss her. ‘Maybe too matchy-matchy?’
Jess nodded. ‘Probably. How about the rattan Pradas?’
‘Not the espadrilles,’ Eve said.
‘Please. Do I look to you like I’ve lost my mind?’ Jess cried. ‘The red matte with the knot.’
‘OK, I officially have no idea what you two are talking about,’ Luke burst in. ‘Did you slip into some kind of Eve–Jess code?’
The girls laughed. ‘You could say that,’ Jess replied. ‘Come on, cutie-pie. Eve needs her privacy.’ She took his arm and led him out of Eve’s room, shutting the door behind them. ‘See you at Nikolai’s in an hour. At least it’s still open! A couple of the Main Street places have decided to close for the duration.’ She gave him a little wave as she started towards the stairs.
‘Jess! Wait.’ Luke shoved his hair off his forehead as she turned back to him. ‘Do I need to … I’ve never been to that restaurant. It’s kind of fancy, isn’t it? Should I change? That’s what you two were talking about, right? Clothes?’
‘Mostly it was about shoes,’ Jess answered. She opened the door to the guest room. ‘Come on, I’ll make you pretty.’
‘You better not,’ Luke warned, with a grin.
Jess dumped the contents of Luke’s backpack and gym bag onto the bed, and then stared down at the heap of clothes as if they were pieces to a giant puzzle.
‘This,’ she said about five seconds later, tossing a grey T-shirt at him. ‘The jeans you have on, which do amazing things for your butt. And that jacket Eve bought you after she set your old one on fire with her woo-woo. Also …’ Jess rummaged around in her purse and pulled out something that looked like a super-big tube of lipstick. She pulled off the top and, before Luke could protest, ran the tube over his hair.
‘Hey!’ Luke jerked his head back.
‘You asked for my help,’ Jess reminded him. She patted his cheek. ‘Don’t worry. It’s just a little hair wax. I want your hair to be a little piecier.’
‘I have no idea what that means,’ Luke told her.
‘Just trust me.’ Jess held out her hands and raised her eyebrows.
Reluctantly, Luke lowered his head to give her better access to the hair. She wiggled her fingers around on his head while he tried not to squirm. ‘Done,’ she said after a minute. ‘And perfect. Once you change into your Jess Meredith-styled outfit, you’ll look exactly like the kind of guy who should be t
aking Eve for at date at Nikolai’s. And now I’ve got to go work my magic on myself. See you there!’
A date. Luke’s stomach flipped at Jess’s words. As soon as she was gone, he pulled off his shirt, careful not to screw up the work she had done on his hair. His stomach felt a little tight, and his mouth was the tiniest bit dry. Which was how his stomach and his mouth always reacted to a first date.
But this wasn’t a date of any kind. This was eating dinner with Eve and some friends, and that was something he’d done a bunch of times before. And it hadn’t required hair wax.
Luke’s stomach and his mouth weren’t convinced by that logic. They remained in first-date mode.
How long before Eve’s ready to go? he wondered. What was the conversion rate between the time it took a guy to get ready and the time it took for a girl? Especially a girl who had a closet so big it might as well be an excavation site.
Luke grabbed his cell. It had only been about an hour since he’d seen his dad, but he wanted to check in. He and his dad, they were a team. All they had was each other.
He hesitated. Maybe calling is a bad idea, Luke thought. He didn’t want to wake his father up. He decided to text instead. OFF TO DINNER WITH E AND J, he typed. CALL ME IF YOU’RE BORED.
Boredom was the least of his father’s worries, and Luke knew it. But it was their style to keep things light.
We’ll find the cause of the plague, Luke promised himself. And we’ll end this thing before anyone gets sicker.
Chapter Three
‘There they are,’ Eve said, pointing across Nikolai’s back patio. Jess and Seth had already been shown to a table for four, right under the huge weeping willow that grew in the centre of the dining area, its trunk rising through a hole in the wooden deck. Eve gave some of its feathery leaves a friendly brush as she and Luke walked towards their friends. The tree was probably even older than the building, and that had been built a hundred years ago. Eve imagined the willow’s roots stretching out below all the tables, across the lawn, and underneath the brick paving stones of the walkway that led down to the creek.
Nikolai’s was the most beautiful restaurant in Deepdene. Eve had never seen it with more than one or two empty tables until now. Tonight there was only one other occupied table on the large deck. At least it wasn’t so crowded she felt obliged to wear her mask.
‘Wow, it looks like Jess has been swallowing lit candles or something,’ she said softly to Luke, slowing down to take in her best friend’s face. ‘She’s so happy, she’s glowing from the inside.’ Actually Seth’s eyes looked extra-bright too. So sweet.
Luke pulled out Eve’s chair for her. The move surprised her a little. But why should it have? Luke was a player. With the number of dates he’d been on, of course he’d picked up a few good moves.
‘I’ve never eaten here before,’ Luke commented as he sat down next to her. ‘It’s, um, nice.’ Eve noticed that his voice was higher than usual, as if he was a little nervous. Was he thinking about his dad? Worrying?
‘It is. It’s the best place in town,’ Jess answered with a giant smile. Eve had to laugh. She suspected that Jess would think anyplace she and Seth were together was the best place.
‘Hey, did you guys hear that Sydney Granger is sick now?’ Seth asked. He looked over at Luke. ‘Sorry about your dad, man.’ He pulled at the neck of his T-shirt, as if it was feeling too tight.
‘Thanks,’ Luke answered.
‘I just found out about Sydney. I got a text from Rose right before we left. She said Syd has a fever, so …’ Eve let her words trail off. They all knew what a fever meant. That was one more kid from school down with Flu X.
‘I want to propose a motion,’ Jess said.
‘A motion?’ Seth asked.
‘Yes. A formal motion,’ Jess replied. ‘I move that we don’t talk about the – the you-know-what – just until we finish dinner. Can I get a second?’
Eve raised her hand. She figured Luke could use an hour or so without talking about the disease. He was probably thinking about it constantly.
Luke chuckled. ‘Moved and seconded. Motion passes!’
‘So what should we talk about instead? Or maybe we shouldn’t even bother to talk.’ Seth leaned in and gave Jess a kiss.
‘I guess we should talk about food. I think our waiter is coming over,’ Luke said. He picked up a menu. Eve checked out the table and realized she didn’t have a menu. No problem; she leaned closer to Luke and read over his shoulder. Then she realized that to anybody glancing over at them, she and Luke probably looked as couple-y as Jess and Seth. She pulled away quickly.
‘I don’t know what to go for,’ Seth said. ‘I guess I’m not that hungry. When it’s really hot I never feel like eating.’
‘I don’t know why I’m bothering with the menu. I almost always get a salad and stuffed vine leaves,’ Eve said.
‘Creature of habit,’ Luke teased.
‘You probably order something different every time you eat out. I know you like variety,’ she teased back.
‘Luke has a reputation as a player,’ Jess explained to Seth. Since he was a senior, he probably wasn’t up on all the freshman gossip. ‘Me, I just think he’s just searching for the right girl.’ She gave Eve a significant look that Eve hoped neither of the guys picked up on. They probably didn’t. Guys were pretty unobservant a lot of the time.
‘I’m happy to see you here. Welcome,’ the waiter said as he stepped up to them. He wore a safety mask over his mouth, which was why it took Eve a moment to realize that their waiter was Nikolai, fourth generation from the Nikolai who had started the restaurant. ‘I wasn’t sure if anyone would come tonight,’ he continued. ‘But I find food comforting.’ He patted his round belly. ‘I thought others might too. I have masks for anyone who wants them. The cook is wearing one too.’ He ran his finger across his mask. Someone – maybe Nikolai himself – had used a marker to draw some big purple grapes on it.
They gave Nikolai their order. ‘I’m glad you stayed open,’ Jess called after him as he headed back inside.
He waved without turning round. ‘Enjoy the beautiful night,’ he called back.
It really was beautiful – warm, but not brutally hot the way it had been earlier because in March the sun went down early. The sky was so clear that Eve felt like she could reach up and touch the stars. A faint breeze was coming up from the creek that led down to the beach, bringing that tangy ocean smell with it.
The breeze flipped a lock of Jess’s blonde hair onto her cheek. Seth immediately reached over and tucked it behind her ear. Eve felt a wave of … not jealousy, but something more like longing. She didn’t begrudge Jess what she had with Seth, not at all. Eve was happy for her bestie. She just wished she had a guy who would look at her the way Seth looked at her friend, eyes all starry.
No, that wasn’t it. Or it wasn’t completely it. Eve knew there were guys at school who liked her and who would give her the Seth-look if she gave them the opportunity. But she didn’t want the look from any of those guys. She wanted the look from a guy she could give the look back to. She wanted to find a guy she could all-out love who would all-out love her back.
A few minutes later, Nikolai came back with their drinks. ‘I’m doing a little of everything tonight. My staff are—’ He shook his head. ‘That’s not talk for a meal, especially not for my love birds.’ He walked back inside again.
Eve smiled, trying to hide her embarrassment. Obviously Nikolai thought she and Luke were a couple. And Jess was actively campaigning for Eve to get together with Luke. She insisted that they were in love – or at least luuuurve – with each other already. Which they totally weren’t. Although Eve had to admit, she’d been showing some symptoms of love sickness. Like the urgent desire for new pyjamas as soon as she knew Luke would be a house guest. And the way she was hyper-aware of every girl he so much as spoke to at school. If she reached over and put her hand on his arm right now, how would he react? Would he be glad she’d given him a signal? Wou
ld they become the couple they appeared to be, just like that?
‘You like the way I did Luke’s hair, don’t you, Evie?’ Jess asked. ‘You’ve been checking him out since we sat down.’ Very subtle, Jess, Eve thought. She knew her friend was doing what she could to make the couple thing happen because she thought Eve and Luke would be great together.
She felt her face go warm. She’d been thinking about Luke, but she hadn’t realized she’d been staring. ‘Did you use wax or gel?’ she asked, trying to play it off as if she’d been deep in thought about Luke’s hair and not Luke himself.
‘Now I want to make a motion,’ Seth cut in. ‘Can we not talk about hair products?’ He took a long, long drink of the ginger beer he’d ordered.
Luke immediately raised his hand. ‘Seconded!’
Jess pouted playfully. ‘Fine. No-fun motion passes. We’ll have to discuss something besides contagious diseases or beauty routines. What else is there?’
Eve was finding it hard to think of anything to say. Why was it that the more you liked a guy, the more difficult it became to decide what to say? Back when she first met Luke, back when he annoyed the hell out of her, she’d had no problem finding words. Lots and lots of words.
So that was another symptom. Trouble talking to Luke.
Could I be in actual love with Luke? Eve wondered. Or has the romantic atmosphere, with the stars and the willow tree and the Jess-and-Seth love-fest, gone to my head?
‘Seth!’ Jess cried sharply, jerking Eve away from her thoughts. She looked over at him, and her heart pounded. Dots of sweat had appeared on Seth’s forehead, and tremors were running through his body. Earlier, she’d thought his eyes looked starry, but now she realized they looked feverish.
‘We need to get you to the clinic. My parents are both over there now, Mom doing doctor stuff, and my dad organizing,’ Eve said quickly, taking control of the situation.