I hugged Violet, the thought of her not being around opening a gaping hole inside me.
‘Take very good care,’ she said as we pulled apart and started walking back to the front door.
We reached the little peephole window where Violet had pieced my life together. I raised the curtain to see my world through her eyes. My body froze. Outside was a scene from my worst nightmare. In that moment my life changed irrevocably.
The street was full of countless police cars that quietly lined the sidewalks. But worse, far worse, than anything I’d ever seen in my life was my family getting roughly shoved into the back of a police car. A tortured scream drew my attention back to my house. There was Anna being held firmly by Noah.
And then I heard him, Ezra yelling and cursing. The light from my veranda lit the whole scene. Ezra was standing on the footpath beside his father. Orpheus stood imposingly, his back erect, his hands placed on his wide hips. Even from a distance, I saw that his expression was full of rage; it told me everything I needed to know.
Noah had been true to his word and dobbed on me. And Orpheus had believed him. My family were being arrested for witchcraft. And right now, the police would be searching for me because I would be the one Orpheus would hate the most of all.
‘Noah lied to you, Dad – can’t you see that? Stop what you’re doing! Stop it now!’ yelled Ezra.
Orpheus bellowed into the night, ‘I know exactly what I’m doing, son! It’s you who has been the fool. And now I’m fixing up your mess. Tell me now, where is she? Where is the witch?’
‘Eva,’ said Violet, rubbing my arm.
I stared at her, and for a moment I didn’t recognise her or remember where I was.
‘You need to come away from the window,’ she said, pushing the curtain back.
I could no longer feel my body or understand how my legs kept me upright. But I could not stay here and watch my parents being taken away.
‘No!’ I said, and a rush of heat and energy filled every part of me, propelling me to stride towards the door.
But Violet was already there, her back pressed against the door. ‘You can’t go out there – they will arrest you.’
‘I don’t care! I need to help my family.’
‘They have guns. They won’t hesitate to kill you.’
‘They won’t be able to,’ I said, my voice sharp. ‘Now, move away!’
‘Once they’ve killed you, they will kill your family.’
I stopped, the truth making my powers evaporate.
‘You need to stay safe, so you can help your family.’
My legs buckled. I staggered to the couch, where I collapsed, somehow holding back the tide of emotion that threatened to destroy me.
Violet walked to the window and pulled back a fraction of the curtain to watch what was happening outside. I didn’t need to see to know what was happening. Ezra was screaming at his father that Noah was a jealous liar and that Orpheus was making the biggest mistake of his life. His father’s responses became quieter, and I could no longer make out his exact words, but his voice was deep and guttural; there was no mistaking his meaning – nothing and no one, not even his beloved son, could change his mind.
Violet whispered urgently, ‘In the hall cupboard are my warmest jacket, comfortable shoes and a backpack. You need to go and put them on. Now.’
Her tone made me stand and move, do as she said.
‘What’s happening, Violet?’
‘You need to leave – go into hiding now. Can you reach Jet tonight?’
How can this be happening?
‘Concentrate, Eva. Your life depends on it.’
‘I can’t leave my family.’
‘Eva, you can and you must. The police, they’re starting their search. They’re spreading out, looking for you. Take my wallet, my phone and my house key next to the back door and leave. NOW!’
‘What–’
And then I heard him, Ezra – screaming my name – telling me to run.
‘Did you hear that?’ asked Violet, moving to stand in front of me. ‘Do as I say. Go now! You can come back when the coast is clear, okay? Together, we will find a way to help your family.’
I felt suctioned to the ground in a way that made it difficult to breathe, impossible to move.
And then I heard Violet’s front gate being pushed open; the metal scraping along the pavement. She leaned into me, hugged me tight. ‘Remember what I told you.’
‘I can’t leave you,’ I said, panic exploding inside me.
‘I will be okay, but you need to go, NOW. And do not come back until it’s safe.’
With that, she wiped my tears streaming down my face, turned me and pushed me towards her back door. Somehow my legs kept me upright. She opened her back door, passed me the backpack I’d filled under her directions and pressed her spare key into my hand. I kissed her cheek and took one last glance at her. She didn’t appear terrified or fragile – she looked strong and brave. If she could be, then so could I.
The police thumped on the front door.
‘OPEN THE GODDAMNED DOOR!’
I hugged Violet and stepped out of the house and into the night where my life had been stolen from me. Moments later, I heard the crash of her door being broken down, before voices and footsteps headed in my direction.
Chapter Five
I made it to the end of Violet’s garden before I heard the police open her back door – the same door I’d just left.
I slipped behind her garden shed as every light was turned on inside her house. I listened as Violet told the police off, ordering them from her home. But her authoritative words were swiftly followed by the gruff reply from a police officer who told her that I’d been seen coming inside – and that she
