quick wash of your top, too, OK?’ Then she pulled his pyjama top over his head. Suddenly she gasped. She put her hand to her mouth but then let it drop back down quickly. Elijah had seen that look before, every time someone saw the pattern on his body. His back and chest were covered withcriss-crosses, faint lines in different shades of darkness, raised bumps and circular patches: dots of discoloration.
Elijah kept his eyes straight ahead. He didn’t want to look at his patterns. He didn’t want to look at Nikki’s face, full of questions. Elijah pulled the robe back around him but the tie had fallen to the floor.
‘Oh, Elijah,’ she said. She held her hand towards him. ‘Who did this to you?’
20:27 Leviticus: A man or a woman who is a medium or a necromancer shall surely be put to death. They shall be stoned with stones; their blood shall be upon them.
Elijah could remember the exact words he’d heard over and over because they had made him learn them off by heart and say them out loud until his throat was sore. He could feel the wizard crawling round his stomach, creeping towards his throat, starting up the lasers in his eyes. If Nikki didn’t turn away, the wizard would burn Nikki and eat her up. It would zap her blind so she couldn’t stare any more.
‘Stop looking at me,’ he said.
But Nikki kept looking. Her hand hovered over his chest, over his robe, and then dropped to the bottom of his legs where you couldn’t notice much but, if you looked hard, you could see the skin was patchy and different, and her eyes filled with tears because she couldn’t love a boy like Elijah. She couldn’t love a boy with a pattern. No one could. Elijah tried to press the wizard down but the wizard gripped Elijah’s arm and used it to shove Nikki’s hand away. Nikki squeaked and jumped back, holding her wrist, rubbing it, but she was still staring and the wizard was ready to pounce. Elijah wanted to warn her. He opened his mouth and words came out.
‘The devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.’
Nikki’s eyes widened and her face twisted as the wizard used its powers to reach inside Nikki’s body and squeeze her intestines while Elijah just stood there, watching. She knelt down, all her breath leaving her with the pain of the wizard in her guts, and then at last she closed her eyes. She reached out and touched his arm.
‘I’m sorry, Elijah.’ Her voice came out all wobbly with lots of gasps. The wizard wasn’t letting her breathe. ‘I didn’t mean to stare. It was just … Oh, poor Elijah.’ She shook her head and pressed a hand to her eyes.
Elijah wrestled with the wizard. Nikki wasn’t bad. She was good and kind and only wanted to help him and it wasn’t her fault the wizard had made Elijah so no one could love him. He breathed deeply and slowly like Chioma had taught him and the wizard left Nikki. She looked straight into his eyes. ‘There’s nothing wrong with you, Elijah. I was shocked, but scars can’t stop you from being perfect.’ She tried to smile. ‘You’re a good boy and you don’t deserve anything that’s happened to you. And that’s why you’re here, why Obi and I are here. We’re here to take care of you and love you.’
And Elijah closed his eyes and concentrated everything on pushing the wizard back down, squashing it so small it couldn’t harm anyone. The wizard was still. He opened his eyes and Nikki made a face like she was trying to smile. ‘Let’s just have breakfast, OK?’
Nikki helped him put on his dressing gown and did the belt up so softly that it fell open as they walked downstairs.
Obi looked up from the newspaper he was reading, which was spread out on the kitchen table, but then he looked down again. Nikki helped Elijah get dressed with the clothes she’d put over the top of his chair, and then served Elijah some porridge and, when he’d finished, Obi put the paper down. ‘Areyou ready?’ he asked. ‘Shall we have a
Elijah kept his eyes straight ahead. He didn’t want to look at his patterns. He didn’t want to look at Nikki’s face, full of questions. Elijah pulled the robe back around him but the tie had fallen to the floor.
‘Oh, Elijah,’ she said. She held her hand towards him. ‘Who did this to you?’
20:27 Leviticus: A man or a woman who is a medium or a necromancer shall surely be put to death. They shall be stoned with stones; their blood shall be upon them.
Elijah could remember the exact words he’d heard over and over because they had made him learn them off by heart and say them out loud until his throat was sore. He could feel the wizard crawling round his stomach, creeping towards his throat, starting up the lasers in his eyes. If Nikki didn’t turn away, the wizard would burn Nikki and eat her up. It would zap her blind so she couldn’t stare any more.
‘Stop looking at me,’ he said.
But Nikki kept looking. Her hand hovered over his chest, over his robe, and then dropped to the bottom of his legs where you couldn’t notice much but, if you looked hard, you could see the skin was patchy and different, and her eyes filled with tears because she couldn’t love a boy like Elijah. She couldn’t love a boy with a pattern. No one could. Elijah tried to press the wizard down but the wizard gripped Elijah’s arm and used it to shove Nikki’s hand away. Nikki squeaked and jumped back, holding her wrist, rubbing it, but she was still staring and the wizard was ready to pounce. Elijah wanted to warn her. He opened his mouth and words came out.
‘The devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.’
Nikki’s eyes widened and her face twisted as the wizard used its powers to reach inside Nikki’s body and squeeze her intestines while Elijah just stood there, watching. She knelt down, all her breath leaving her with the pain of the wizard in her guts, and then at last she closed her eyes. She reached out and touched his arm.
‘I’m sorry, Elijah.’ Her voice came out all wobbly with lots of gasps. The wizard wasn’t letting her breathe. ‘I didn’t mean to stare. It was just … Oh, poor Elijah.’ She shook her head and pressed a hand to her eyes.
Elijah wrestled with the wizard. Nikki wasn’t bad. She was good and kind and only wanted to help him and it wasn’t her fault the wizard had made Elijah so no one could love him. He breathed deeply and slowly like Chioma had taught him and the wizard left Nikki. She looked straight into his eyes. ‘There’s nothing wrong with you, Elijah. I was shocked, but scars can’t stop you from being perfect.’ She tried to smile. ‘You’re a good boy and you don’t deserve anything that’s happened to you. And that’s why you’re here, why Obi and I are here. We’re here to take care of you and love you.’
And Elijah closed his eyes and concentrated everything on pushing the wizard back down, squashing it so small it couldn’t harm anyone. The wizard was still. He opened his eyes and Nikki made a face like she was trying to smile. ‘Let’s just have breakfast, OK?’
Nikki helped him put on his dressing gown and did the belt up so softly that it fell open as they walked downstairs.
Obi looked up from the newspaper he was reading, which was spread out on the kitchen table, but then he looked down again. Nikki helped Elijah get dressed with the clothes she’d put over the top of his chair, and then served Elijah some porridge and, when he’d finished, Obi put the paper down. ‘Areyou ready?’ he asked. ‘Shall we have a
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