The waters had been free of the coastguard for days, and we’d stopped being as vigilant and no longer thought we were in immediate danger. We slid, side by side, into the rock crevice and peered out over the cove. The morning sun was streaking over the surface of the jewelled ocean, lighting up a dinghy that had landed on the shore.
Jet swore as we both took in the familiar form of Ezra, who was hauling his boat onto the beach, towards the large rock we used for hiding our boats.
‘What does he want?’ Jet mumbled before crawling out from the rock crevice.
I stayed where I was, attempting to bring my pounding heart under control.
Down below, Ezra positioned his boat behind the rock and then gazed up at the cliffs. Heat surged through my body. Even from a distance, I knew from the heavy way he held himself that he too was suffering.
Jet swore under his breath but took off towards the cliffs. I followed him but couldn’t keep up. By the time I’d made it onto the beach, Jet and Ezra were already arguing.
‘What the hell do you want?’ asked Jet, his fists clenched.
Ezra blinked quickly as his gaze found me.
‘I…needed to talk to Eva,’ he said. ‘And make sure she was okay.’
‘By putting our lives in danger,’ said Jet, glaring at him.
Ezra’s gaze flickered between Jet and me as he attempted to read the unspoken story.
‘No one followed me. They’re not even searching for you out here anymore,’ said Ezra.
‘They weren’t looking for us out here,’ Jet corrected. ‘But anywhere you go, your dad is sure to follow.’
‘I promise you, no one followed me,’ said Ezra.
‘Then they won’t follow you when you get back into your boat and go home,’ said Jet, narrowing his eyes.
Ezra turned to me. ‘I need to talk to you.’
‘I have nothing to say,’ I said.
‘I have news…about your family. Please.’
My stomach churned and my words wouldn’t form.
‘Well, out with it then,’ said Jet. ‘Say what you need to say, then go.’
Ezra turned his full attention to me. ‘This only concerns Eva. Can you give us a minute?’
‘Whatever concerns Eva concerns me,’ said Jet, standing up to full height.
Ezra’s face became a patchwork of red and white.
‘I can assure you, this doesn’t concern you,’ said Ezra, deep lines creasing his forehead. ‘Standing here, out in the open, is probably not the best idea, is it?’
Jet glanced out to sea.
‘Fine then,’ said Jet, turning and making his way back towards the cliffs. ‘You can come back to our camp, but you can’t stay long.’
In minutes, we were back at camp. Jet busied himself in the makeshift kitchen, and Ezra and I sat down in the camp chairs while Boy sidled up to Ezra for a pat. Ezra patted Boy, but his gaze was roaming over every inch of our camp.
‘Where do…you sleep?’ he asked quietly.
Jet let out a short laugh, making Ezra’s face turn the colour of a plum.
‘You’re together?’ asked Ezra.
All morning, heat and anger had been simmering under the surface of my skin, but Ezra’s words took a match to them.
‘If I recall, Ezra, you broke up with me. You could be living with us now, as my boyfriend – but you chose not to. Please don’t turn up here, thinking you have any right to ask me about my life.’
‘So you are, then?’ he said, all the colour draining from his face.
‘What do you want to tell me?’ I asked.
‘You’ve been here for less than two weeks – how could you?’
I started to laugh, and even to me, I sounded unrecognisable.
‘What’s so funny and…what’s wrong with you? Are you still sick?’ he asked.
‘Where do I start? Oh, how about – my life is none of your goddamned business.’
‘Don’t say that. I didn’t want to break up with you,’ he whispered. ‘I thought it would be for the best. You know I love you.’
Blood rushed to my face and heat to my hands. ‘You don’t get to say those things to me anymore. We are O-V-E-R! And while I understand you want to be there for your mum, you didn’t have to break up with me – but you did. So why don’t you tell me what you know about my family and Violet and then leave.’
‘What’s wrong with you?’ said Ezra, peering closer, his eyes widening when he saw the flames in my hand. ‘Tell me what’s happened…’
I looked away, my desire to burn something, to shut him up, growing inside me. ‘Tell me about my family.’
Ezra stopped moving. He spoke just one word, a plea from his heart, which tugged at something inside me. ‘Eva…’
My fire died out and the pain he’d caused me returned with full force.
‘I’m so sorry,’ he said, watching me closely. ‘I didn’t mean to hurt you. I care for you… I do love you.’
Jet stopped what he was doing and returned to stand beside me. ‘The fact is you did hurt her and you’re still hurting her. Say what you want to say, and then you need to leave.’
Ezra pressed his lips together, as though holding his words inside.
‘Once you tell me what you’ve done to her,’ said Ezra, turning to Jet.
Jet’s lips parted and he glanced at me, his assured manner magically disappearing at Ezra’s question.
‘I knew it!’ said Ezra. ‘You’re changing her, aren’t you – with your dark magic.’
‘Jet has nothing to do with this,’ I said. ‘I’m doing exactly what I want to be doing.’
Ezra took a deep breath. ‘And what exactly is that?’
‘I’m doing what I should have always done – I’m becoming a powerful witch – so people like your father can’t take my family and Violet…and kill them.’
Ezra stared right into me, as though reading my deepest, darkest secrets. ‘You’re learning black magic.’
Not a question.
I turned from him and wiped the sweat from my forehead.
‘And it’s changing you. You’re becoming…the Fire
