The Witch Born to Burn by Tanya Milne

Author:Tanya Milne [Milne, Tanya]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2019-09-08T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Seventeen

The new church bell installed at the apex of the church stopped tolling as we made our way up the stairs and into the vestibule, where the priest was waiting for us. Orpheus strode forward and received the priest, who kissed him on both cheeks. Orpheus held out his hand for Gretel and presented her to the priest. He bowed at her, clearly not allowed to lay his lips on her. Orpheus then stepped aside, and the priest’s eyes widened as he saw me.

My cheeks burned and if Ezra’s hand weren’t clutching mine, I’d probably have turned and run back down the stairs.

‘Eva, Ezra, how good to see you both. Welcome,’ said the priest, spreading his arms.

‘Thank you, Father,’ said Ezra.

‘Thank you,’ I said quietly.

I glanced at Ezra, who made comfortable small talk with the priest about the miracle recoveries of so many. I still couldn’t quite believe I’d been invited to sit with the Blackthorn family, let alone agreed. It had taken some convincing by Ezra for me to accept that I’d be better off being seen publicly with Orpheus. It had been Violet, strangely, who had convinced me it was a very smart idea.

Orpheus turned to me and smiled broadly, and I knew that I couldn’t possibly be any closer to my enemy than I was in that moment.

‘After you, dear,’ said Orpheus, opening the door for me.

My breath deserted me, and Ezra gently nudged me forward. It was a full house and every person in the congregation turned towards us as we walked, hand in hand, into the church.

I wanted to die as I took in everyone’s reactions to what they were seeing. The old ladies all smiled at me as if I were their favourite darling. Our fellow students’ mouths hit the ground. Violet winked at me. My family – sitting close to the front – appeared to be frozen. Max, who stood on guard at the side entrance, watched me hungrily. Anna wasn’t looking at me; she was staring at Noah, whose face was bright red as he clamped his mouth shut, keeping his thousand silent insults inside.

So much had happened since Ezra and I got together, but in reality, we’d been together for only a week and clearly, word had not got around.

My gaze flicked to Elijah, who simply shrugged. I’d assumed he’d told Anna about Ezra and that she would have told Noah, but Elijah had barely seen her since the day we picked mushrooms, and things still didn’t look right between them.

‘Eva,’ said Ezra quietly, gesturing to our seats at the very front of the church. I almost leapt onto the wooden bench where Ezra sat on one side and his mother on my other. I took a few settling breaths, grateful I no longer had to look at anyone apart from the priest. No such luck. Within seconds, Orpheus was standing at the front of the church, his mouth set while his pale-blue gaze roamed the church, probing the souls of his community.

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