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Alex and Avery were woken the next morning by a loud banging on the front door.
Avery groaned and rolled over to look at the clock. “Crap, it’s barely seven! Who’s that?”
“I’ll go,” Alex said, already rolling out of bed and pulling on his jeans and t-shirt.
Avery thought she’d better follow him, although it was unlikely Faversham would just knock at her door. She hurriedly pulled her jeans and t-shirt on, too, ran her hands through her hair, and raced downstairs after Alex.
She heard El’s voice before she’d got halfway down. “You have to stop him, Alex! He’ll get himself killed, and he won’t listen to me!”
El was standing in the middle of Avery’s living room, tears streaming down her face. Her face was red and her eyes swollen.
“What’s happened?” Avery asked, fear running through her.
Alex was already reaching for his phone that was lying on the kitchen workbench.
“Reuben’s gone to confront Faversham.”
“He’s done what?” Avery said, horrified.
El started crying again. “He woke up half an hour ago and has gone mad. He couldn’t remember what had happened for a second, and then when he did he just yelled, and said he was going to kill Faversham.” She gasped to get her breath, blinking back tears. “I tried to stop him, but he won’t listen. He barely looks at me! We have to stop him.”
“He’s taken his car, I presume?”
“Yeah. He grabbed the keys and just ran out.”
Avery found her own keys, “Alex, let’s go.”
Alex was on his phone. “It goes to voicemail.”
“Keep trying, I’ll drive. Try and get Newton, too.”
They raced to Avery’s car, and she pulled out onto the quiet streets. “I’ll follow the main road to Harecombe, that would be the quickest way.”
She navigated the streets, trying to keep calm, while Alex called Briar. He sat next to her in the front seat, El sitting anxiously in the back. She had fallen quiet now, looking out of the windows, desperate to see a sign of Reuben. The weather was still foul, the wind and rain battering the car.
“Hey, Briar,” Alex said into the phone. “Is Newton with you?” He raised his eyebrows at Avery. “Sorry, Briar, no need to yell. Have you got his number? I need to speak to him urgently. Reuben’s gone to attack Faversham.” He paused and listened. “We’re going after him now, on the road to Harecombe. Can you tell Newton? Great, see you later. Don’t worry.”
“Did you upset her—about Newton?”
Alex looked sheepish. “I think so. She said not to be so bloody presumptuous.”
Avery laughed. “I needed that bit of levity right now.” She looked at El in her rear view mirror. “Are you okay, El?”
Elspeth continued to look out of the window. “No. I’m worried sick.”
“I’m sorry he’s mad at you. It’s not your fault. If it’s anyone’s, it’s mine.”
“No, it’s not!” Alex said, annoyed. He turned to face Avery and El behind him. “It’s Faversham’s. He’s the dick here, not us. These are our books. It’s not our fault his ancestor, Octavia was such a bitch that she was locked up in some sort of witch’s purgatory with her bloody demon.”
Now El looked surprised, her attention finally off Reuben. “What the hell are you talking about?”
“Oh! You didn’t hear Newton’s news yesterday, did you? It’s a shocker.” He sighed and started to tell her.
Avery half listened, racing down the lanes that led to Harecombe. Once the road opened up, she put her foot down, going as fast as her ancient van allowed. The road hugged the coast, twisting every so often and giving flashes of the sea and coves along the way. There was no way they’d catch him. Then she had another thought. “Hey guys, where am I going in Harecombe? Where does Faversham live?”
“That’s a great question,” Alex said. “El?”
She looked dumbfounded. “No idea. I’m still trying to process witch purgatory.”
“So I’m racing down this road to where?” Avery asked, increasingly frustrated.
“There!” El yelled, pointing out the window towards a car park above the beach where Reuben’s car was parked.
Avery slammed the brakes on, and turned onto the road to the cove. “What’s he doing there?”
“His surfboard’s missing.” El said, relief creeping into her voice. “Maybe he’s changed his mind.”
“Maybe he’s realised that like us, he has no idea where he’s going,” Alex said.
“Maybe he’s got a death wish,” Avery put in. “Surely the weather’s too bad to surf. How’s he got his wet suit?”
“He always has one in the car,” El said.
They pulled up next to his car, right at the edge of the otherwise deserted car park, and looked over to the cove below. The path down to the beach travelled through sand dunes until it hit the beach. The tide was in, smashing against the beach and the rocks either side of the cove. Avery could see Reuben on his board, trying to make his way out.
“Shit. He’s really trying to surf now?” Alex was incredulous. “He’ll be crushed.”
“How the hell do we stop him?” Avery asked, knowing no one could answer.
El jumped out of the car and raced down the path, drenched in seconds. They heard her voice, the words lost on the wind.
“Oh, crap. What now?”
Alex sighed and looked at her. “I suppose we need to go after them.”
“And do what? There must be a spell we can use.” Neither was dressed for the weather, and Alex looked as rumpled as she felt. “I don’t think I’m even really awake yet.”
“This was not how I imagined this morning would start.”
“Alex, get your mind off sex. Our friends are in crisis.”
“A crisis that will not be solved by us getting soaked on the beach. We’re going back to bed after this.”
“Seriously. Stop it. What is wrong with you?” Avery looked at him in amazement. “Our friend is possibly trying to kill himself!”
“Nothing’s wrong with me. For a start, I don’t think he’s trying to kill himself. I think he’s trying to blow off steam, and surfing is Reuben’s way of doing that. He surfs. A lot. For hours. He’s very good at it. And I woke up in bed with a beautiful woman. Why wouldn’t I be thinking of sex?” He grinned suggestively.
Avery was momentarily flummoxed. Did he just call her beautiful? “I’m not beautiful.”
“Yes, you are.” Alex looked away, frowning. “What’s he doing?”
Avery followed his gaze, and saw Reuben had paddled out a long way and was standing up on his surfboard, facing out to sea. He seemed to be gesturing towards the waves. Slowly but surely, the waves were starting to rise. El stood on the shore, looking as if she was shouting at him.
“Is he doing that wave thing?” Avery asked, shocked.
The waves rose higher and higher, swelling beneath Reuben, who had dropped to a crouch, looking far too small and vulnerable.
“Oh, shit.” Alex said abruptly, getting out of the car and running towards the beach. Avery followed, the wind and the rain shattering her peaceful mood.
Within seconds she was soaked, and she raced down the path, pushing her hair out of her eyes. She could hear Alex shouting. “El, get back, get back!”
But El was already turning and running back towards them.
The giant wave beneath Reuben started to fold and Reuben plunged with it, riding it towards the shore. Avery stopped dead on the wooden path, watching nervously. It looked terrifying.
For a few seconds he disappeared beneath the swell of the collapsing wave, and then he shot out through the end, the spray ferocious.
Alex was up ahead and he had grabbed El’s hand, running back with her. The wave hit the shore where El had stood only seconds earlier and raced up the sands. Reuben maintained his balance, crouched, arms outstretched as the wave brought him to the shallows, and as the wave disappeared, he paddled to shore. The waves had crashed just below the sand dunes, and Avery ran to join El and Alex, who stood on the boardwalk just above the water line. Driftwood and seaweed lay strewn across the beach, abandoned by the receding wave.
Alex looked furious and El looked shocked. The wave was lethal, it could have killed Reuben and El. Didn’t he see her?
Reuben stood on the shore, looking back at them.
“Wait here,” Alex said, and ran to Reuben.
Avery pulled El towards her. “Are you all right?”
El was crying. “What’s he doing?”
“He’s grieving, El.”
“He could have killed me.”
“He probably didn’t see you.” Avery reasoned, trying to reassure herself as well as El.
“I never thought I’d say this, Avery, but I can’t look at Reuben right now.” El rubbed her eyes and then wrapped her arms around herself. “I want to go.”
Avery looked beyond El to where Alex stood in front of Reuben. They were almost nose-to-nose, and Alex looked tense, his fists clenched at his side. He looked over his shoulder, gesturing towards them. Reuben looked across to them and then turned and walked away, back into the sea.
“Come on,” Avery said. “Alex will catch up.” She turned away and led El up to the car.
