Shadows (23 page)

‘Brad and Angelina, and one, two, three kids. That’s thirteen for me,’ Eve announced. Luke raised his eyebrows. ‘The scoring system is very complex,’ she told him. ‘We’ll try and teach you.’

Fast footsteps came down the steps behind them. Eve tensed, then reminded herself that she was safe. Deepdene was safe.

‘I am going to dance until dawn. Make that noon,’ Megan exclaimed as she caught up to them.

Eve smiled so wide she felt like she’d strained a jaw muscle.

‘Megs, you’re here!’ Jess wrapped her friend in a hug.

‘Of course. It’s a party,’ Megan answered as Eve hugged her too.

She looked so good. She sounded so normal. She’d had a miraculous cure at Ridgewood. All the demon victims had. Within moments of each other, within moments of Mal’s death, they’d all come to themselves, the madness leaving them. Eve had a theory. She
thought those brilliant splotches of light Mal had vomited up were the souls he had taken. As soon as they were freed they’d flown back to their owners.

‘Where do we start?’ Luke asked when they reached the bottom of the steps.

‘Let me give you the rundown,’ Jess said. ‘Tent at that end – Jimmy Buffett playing for the old people. Death Cab for Cutie in the tent at the other end. Bet told me she was getting here early to stake out a spot right in front of the stage. She’ll have to slug it out with Rose, though, she’s an insane Cutie fan too. Anyway, good to see them both back to normal. Now, where was I? Items for the silent auction there.’ She pointed. ‘Food there.’ She pointed again. ‘Although someone’s always passing titbits and drinks around.’

‘Me-gan, Me-gan, Me-gan!’ several guys down by the surf chanted.

‘I think I’ll start over there,’ Megan said. ‘See you in the Cutie tent later.’

‘Let’s check out the auction stuff before the band starts playing,’ Jess suggested. ‘I heard there’s a Kim Vo appointment up for grabs.’

Luke raised his eyebrows again. ‘Hair stylist to the stars,’ Eve explained. ‘I’m not going to tell you how much his going rate is. Tonight is not the night for
lectures,’ she joked. She waved at Belinda, who was dancing between two of the tents, a glow stick in each hand. It’s not that she was really even friends with Belinda. But it was so good to see her. It was so good to see
everybody
.

‘How did you do it?’ Kyle called out, heading over to them. ‘Seriously, Luke,’ he went on, shaking his head, ‘I am womanless. And you’re here with two of the hottest girls in school.
Two
.’

‘Just one of us would be an achievement,’ Jess said.

‘True,’ Eve agreed. Like there was anything she wouldn’t do for Luke. She didn’t know if she’d ever be able to make it up to him – for believing he was a demon. He’d forgiven her and Jess, though.

A waiter paused by their group. Eve chose a tiny risotto fritter from the serving platter. When the waiter moved away, she noticed something that made her smile again. She leaned close to Jess. ‘I think Mr Seth Schneider is thinking Luke is a lucky guy too. The way Seth’s looking at you – I think he’s finally figured out you’re not ten,’ she murmured.

Jess gave a gleeful squeal. Eve smiled again. She thought she’d probably smile more tonight than she had in her whole life. The people of her town were all around her. She’d saved them.

But did you really kill Mal? Or just send him back to hell?
The question whispered through Eve’s mind. It often did, because if she hadn’t killed him, he might be able to find a way out.

As if her thoughts had conjured it, Eve caught a whiff of wood-smoke. She shivered.

Luke noticed. ‘You cold, Evie?’

Nobody called her Evie except Jess. She liked the way it sounded when Luke said it.

‘I’m fine,’ Eve told him.

It’s not like wood-smoke was this hugely unusual smell. It really wasn’t. In fact, she was pretty sure Calvin Klein had a perfume that smelled a bit like wood-smoke. That smell didn’t mean Mal was nearby. It didn’t even mean that a
different
demon had arrived in Deepdene.

It really didn’t mean that.

Did it?