‘I can highly recommend it,’ I said, propping myself up on an elbow.
‘If you say so,’ said Jet, sitting down on the end of the mattress and patting Pearl, who purred away like the lush she was.
‘All clear out there?’ I asked.
Jet nodded. ‘Yep, only ocean as far as the eye can see. They’ve stopped searching for you…out here. They must think you’re hiding somewhere on the mainland.’
And just like that, the real world I’d managed to push away for a few seconds came crashing back in. I sighed, sat up and turned to Jet.
‘We should make a plan…for afterwards…after we get my family out.’
Jet glanced at me, his dark eyes searching far beyond what I wanted him to see.
‘Well, if there’s one thing I’ve had a bit of lately, it’s time to think. Basically, we have two options – we could come back here to hide, or–’
‘We get the hell out of this place,’ I said. ‘And never look back.’
‘My thoughts exactly. You don’t know how long I’ve been dreaming about getting out of here,’ said Jet. He smiled so widely that my dormant heart jumped to life. ‘The only question is…how?’
‘Orpheus is guarding the roads and the sea – but now that we can disguise ourselves, we should be able to get past the coastguard and with luck on our side, none of the supply ships will see us. Once we’re away from Melas, our options will open up.’
Jet’s eyes were blank as his mind ticked away, thinking things through.
‘We can take your grandmother and Violet too, of course,’ I said. ‘And we have money hidden in our house.’
Jet’s gaze lasered in on mine. ‘Do you really think it’s possible?’
‘Well, we both know it’s not going to be easy. But being witches has its advantages. If we’re smart and more than a bit lucky, we have a chance…and I say we take it.’
Emotion after emotion flashed over Jet’s face. ‘After all this time…I’d started to think this was it – this was my life.’
I felt as if I were sinking. ‘It can’t have been easy, being here on your own.’
For weeks, I’d been living my life in Melas, planning my future, falling in love – all while Jet was sitting here on his own, trapped.
‘I’m so sorry, Jet – for not coming out these last few weeks – for not being there for you. It was complicated and I thought…I was going to be forced to marry Ezra. My every move was being watched.’
Jet turned from me, but not before I saw pain flash through his eyes. ‘It’s okay. And unless my memory is mistaken, I told you not to come and see me.’
‘Because I decided that my future was with Ezra. All I can say is, I’m sorry. I’ve only been here for a short time and I couldn’t imagine being here alone, without you.’
Jet’s lips pressed together. For the first time, I had a much clearer understanding of how bad it had been for him – what kind of future he had faced alone.
‘It’s okay. I understand,’ he said.
‘Can you forgive me? Really forgive me?’ I asked, then swallowed as I waited to see whether Jet would ever really trust me again.
‘I won’t lie. When you told me, when you left me…it hurt, bad.’ He turned from me to try and shield me from his pain. ‘But I don’t blame you. You followed your heart and there’s nothing wrong with that. In my mind, there’s nothing to forgive. You’re my friend and you will always be my friend.’
Had I followed my heart?
All of a sudden, my mouth went dry. I’d chosen Ezra, but had I made that decision from my heart? At that time, Ezra had broken my heart once before. I had given him a second chance. Was that because my future was intertwined with his? Or had I chosen Ezra because I truly loved him? The question sat uncomfortably on my skin, like the next apology I needed to say.
My body flooded with heat. ‘I’m sorry for coming on to you like I did when I wanted you to teach me black magic. I truly wasn’t myself, but still… That was inexcusable.’
A blush spread across my face as I remembered what had happened on the rocks, the way we had kissed.
Jet laughed. ‘To be honest, if I weren’t so worried about you, it would have been pretty funny.’
‘Funny? If I recall, you weren’t laughing when I kissed you.’
A red stain spread up Jet’s neck. ‘No, that part wasn’t funny.’
‘I’m sorry, you’ve put up with a lot from me. I’ll try and be a better–’
‘Friend,’ said Jet firmly.
‘Friend,’ I agreed quietly, knowing that in no way was I ready to open my heart to love again, but if I ever was, the chance of Jet wanting to be with me was well and truly non- existent.
I lay back on my stomach, turning my face away from him, my heart aching in a way that I’d never expected.
‘What were your memories last night…to call and send away the dead?’ he asked.
The memories filled my mind. For a few moments I couldn’t find my words.
‘The bad memory was my parents…being arrested…and my first happy memory was with…’
‘Ezra,’ said Jet.
‘Yes, but as soon as I remembered that time, I recalled how it felt when…we broke up.’
The cicadas, which had been quiet for months, started up their shrill cries.
‘I’m sorry, that must have been hard,’ said Jet. ‘Do you want to talk about…what happened that night you came here?’
I’d told Jet the basics of what had happened that night, but I hadn’t been ready to relive what had been the worst night of my life. My tongue felt twisted and my breath short.
‘You don’t have to – but when you’re ready, know that I’m here for you, ready to listen…as a friend.’
‘Thanks,’ I managed to mutter, curling back up inside myself like a coiled
