‘Why do they want to protect this thing so much anyway?’ Selena asked. ‘This way through thing you keep talking about? What is it anyway? A door? Where does it lead?’
‘Shhh!’ Cyrus yelled, trying to drown her out.
It was too late though. Evie had already heard. ‘What?’ she asked, hearing the tremor in her voice.
No one looked at her. Instead everyone seemed to be sharing an oh shit moment. Even Flic had taken her eyes off Victor and was biting her bottom lip.
‘What is she talking about?’ Evie stammered. ‘The way through? What about it?’
‘It’s open.’
Evie glanced at Victor. ‘What do you mean, it’s open?’ she asked. ‘How can it be open? We checked. We went to the Bradbury. It’s shut.’
‘No,’ said Cyrus, eyeing her warily as he took a careful step towards her. ‘It reopened. That’s what they’re guarding.’
The world tipped and spun beneath Evie’s feet. Thunder filled her ears and her heart bounded into her mouth making her want to gag.
She looked around the group for some kind of sign that Cyrus was joking. Ash and Vero glanced at her guiltily before quickly looking away. Flic was staring at the ground. Selena was looking to Victor, who was shrugging at her. Cyrus was the only one who met her gaze unflinching.
‘Why didn’t you tell me? You all knew? And you didn’t say anything? Even you, Flic?’
Flic bowed her head. ‘I was asked not to tell you.’
‘Evie, we didn’t want to worry you until we were certain.’
Her mouth fell open but no words would come out. It was open. How was it still open?
Cyrus grabbed her suddenly by the arm and hauled her away from the others.
‘I’m sorry,’ he said once they were out of earshot. ‘I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have kept it from you, but I wasn’t sure what you would do if you knew. I know last time you got it into your head to try to close it.’
The world slung itself to a grinding halt. Evie swayed on her feet. It felt like she was teetering on the edge of a bottomless abyss. Oh god. What did it mean? Why was it still open? She shook her head, a laugh bubbling on her lips. She remembered the Mixen outside the Bradbury who’d called her the White Light and then run off.
She looked up at Cyrus, everything falling into place with dizzying clarity. ‘It’s me, isn’t it? It’s me. That’s why it’s still open. You tried to shut it and it didn’t work. Which must mean I’m still the White Light. Goddamn it.’
She didn’t know whether to laugh or cry or scream.
‘Evie,’ Cyrus said calmly, resting his hands on her shoulders and forcing her to look at him, ‘you are not the White Light. Do you hear me?’
He shook her, and with a start Evie realised that he was afraid. His voice gave him away, as did the force of his fingers, squeezing her arms.
‘I mean it, Evie. It’s not you. I swear to you. And if you get any idea into your head to try and close the way through I’m going to kick your ass. You gotta swear to me on Lucas’s memory, or your mum’s life, on whatever is sacred to you, you gotta swear you won’t get it into your head to be a hero. Because it won’t close. You’ll only end up walking around naked in Malibu or somewhere without a clue how you got there.’ He paused, smiled. ‘Not that I’d complain. About the naked part at least.’
Evie stared at him, trying to take it all in. He’d tried telling her before that she wasn’t the White Light. But what did he know that she didn’t? How could he be so sure?
She closed her eyes so that she wouldn’t have to see the expression on his face, the fear, the hope, the doubt all waging war there. What if he was lying to her because he simply didn’t want it to be true?
‘How do you know for sure that it isn’t me?’ she finally asked.
He drew in a long, unsteady breath. ‘Do you trust me?’ he asked.
She opened her eyes and nodded. ‘Yes.’ Because the truth was, she did. Somewhere along the way Cyrus had gone from being a really annoying Hunter who was far too full of himself to being someone she would trust with her life.
‘Really?’ he asked, looking surprised.
She nodded again. ‘Yes, I trust you.’
‘So, trust me,’ he said, his voice softer, tender as a kiss, ‘when I