Once again, I pictured how Orpheus would react when he found his wife and only son had gone away with witches. He would never stop until he got them back.
Jet came to a halt and put up his hand.
I stopped, my heartbeat pounding in my ears.
Jet hid us with mist and we waited to see who drew close. We heard someone lightly scampering through the woods. Anna. And somewhere further away was another who strode after them, following them. Noah.
Jet swore under his breath, and together we moved behind a grove of trees. The moment Anna came into view, I stepped into her path, placed my fingers on my lips. She froze, her eyes opening wide as she appeared to realise she was being followed.
I motioned for her to follow me, which she did. In seconds, we were hidden again in the bushes and by Jet’s mist.
I took her hand and whispered, ‘Is your phone off?’
‘It’s at home.’
I took a good look at her; she looked both the same and completely different. Her face was gaunt and the rims of her eyes were red raw. Her clothes hung from her frame, and she was carrying a large backpack.
I peered out to see Noah walk into the clearing beside us, then stop as though sensing we were close. Noah was dressed from head to toe in the special police uniform. For informing on us, ruining and endangering our lives, he’d been rewarded; he’d become one of them.
Anna froze beside me. Heat grew in my hands. I knew then that if the crystal had been black, I would have burned Noah to a crisp.
‘Who’s there?’ Noah called out.
We stayed silent and I gripped Anna’s hand as Noah walked closer to us. Jet’s mist floated through the woods, hiding us.
Noah was nearly upon us when his radio blared. ‘Noah – are you there?’
Max!
I dropped Anna’s hand, flames growing inside me.
‘We need you back here, pronto.’
‘Shit,’ mumbled Noah before speaking into his radio. ‘What’s wrong?’
‘We have a situation. Stop asking questions and get your arse back here, NOW!’
Noah grumbled before replying, ‘I’m on my way.’
For another minute, Noah stood where he was, listening. A short and swift reminder from Max was the only thing that got him moving again – away from us.
We waited until we heard his car start up on the road.
‘I’m so sorry,’ said Anna, wiping her tears away. ‘I had no idea he’d followed me.’
Jet glared at me when Anna wasn’t looking, but then he spoke kindly to her. ‘It’s all okay, Anna. He didn’t find us.’
Anna burst into noisy tears. She hugged Jet and then me, not letting me go.
‘Hey,’ I said, patting Anna’s long blonde hair. ‘You okay?’
Anna pulled back, her watery brown eyes telling me everything I needed to know. ‘These last few weeks – they’ve been hell. Orpheus is out of control and half the town have gone nuts. I’ve been worried sick about you, Elijah and your…your parents. And it’s all my brother’s fault. I…can’t believe what he did.’
I remembered back to the night when Noah betrayed me, betrayed us all, because he couldn’t have me and to protect his sister.
‘It’s going to be okay,’ I said, tucking her hair behind her ears. ‘We have a plan to get my family and Violet out. And I will look after Elijah, I promise you that.’
Anna wiped away her tears and glanced between me and Jet. ‘I’m coming with you.’
Jet cleared his throat. ‘That’s not a good idea, Anna. You’re safer here, much safer than you would be with us.’
Anna folded her arms. ‘I can’t stay – not without Elijah.’
I rubbed Anna’s arm. ‘When things settle down, you can be together again.’
Anna laughed, her voice strange.
‘When things settle down… Really? And when will that be?’
I opened my mouth to reply, but Anna cut in again. ‘When hell freezes over, that’s when. Nope, I’ve made up my mind – I’m coming with you.’
I glanced at Jet, a single crease marking his forehead.
‘I know the risks and I don’t care. I can’t live without Elijah.’ Anna reached out and placed her hands around her stomach. ‘And neither can our baby.’
For a few moments, time felt suspended, as though it hung in the air.
‘I’m pregnant, Eva. In seven months, you’re going to be an auntie, and Elijah and I will become parents. So there’s not one percent of a chance I’m staying here so they will take my witch baby from me and kill it.’
‘You’re pregnant,’ I said, her news finally reaching me.
Anna nodded, a small smile. ‘It was an “accident,” but you know, we would have been married by now.’
‘A baby,’ I said, and unexpected happiness made me laugh.
‘A baby,’ said Anna, a smile lighting her pretty face.
‘Oh, Anna.’ I pulled her to me. ‘That’s pretty much the best news I’ve ever heard.’
It took Jet clearing his throat before we pulled apart.
‘Congratulations, Anna,’ said Jet, hugging her, then turning to me. ‘We need to make a move.’
The reality of the night ahead returned, stealing away my joy.
‘So, what’s the plan?’ said Anna.
Jet ran his hand through his hair. ‘Ezra is helping us get into the cell where everyone is being held. Once we have them, I’ll go get my Gran and then Ezra, and his mum will meet us at Ezra’s boat – and we’re getting the hell out of here.’
Anna’s lips parted and she glanced between me and Jet. ‘Ezra?’
‘He came to see us – him and his mum need to get away as well,’ I said. ‘That’s all.’
‘That’s all,’ asked Anna, her eyes asking me the same question I’d been asking myself.
‘Ezra and I are not together anymore. We broke up, that night. But we can’t stop him and his mum coming with us, and we won’t
