Frost Arch (23 page)

“Yet it didn’t.”

“No.”

A gaping hole seemed to have formed in my heart, pulsating and beating out my vital fluids for everyone to see. My legs shook and I felt weak, but I stood there quietly, waiting.

“You are very different from Madeline though,” Noah continued, breaking his gaze, “She was lively, happy, outspoken and always had this look in her eyes like she knew more than she was letting on; a private joke that she was always smiling at.

“You, however … You are quiet, nervous, shy, and the look behind your eyes suggests an internal torture. You always look worn- out and beat down. In this respect you only remind me of Madeline towards the end of her life, when she was giving up hope for herself.”

My face rippled into a look of sorrow. I felt pity for myself now, because I knew he was right. What would a man like this want from someone like me? I was boring compared to his Madeline. An echo.

“Stop it.” I whispered. I didn’t want to hear any more.

Noah stood from the bed and paced himself towards me so we were a mere foot apart. He barely staggered now. He was beginning to sober up, I assumed, though his eyes were still very red and unfocussed.

“Someone so pretty and pure shouldn’t have so much on their conscience.” Noah said softly. Something glinted in his eyes, but it was gone a moment later.

He placed a hand on my burning cheek and looked down at me, though I avoided his eyes. I took a step back from him, but he just took another step closer for every one I took to get away. I found myself bumping against his work desk, which, as usual was littered with rolls upon rolls of parchment.

“Please don’t be angry with me, Avalon. It’s been eight years since I held my Madeline.” He murmured, studying my face.

I looked away and at the floor, thinking hard. What was I supposed to say? I felt for this man, against all my better judgement. I had been trying to deny it for weeks, but it was true. I had fallen for him, for his fake visage, for a man who only pretended to like me, so he could look into my face and see the woman he wished were really there. I remembered that he had kissed me, and I had felt fear because I knew that it had not been for me. It ached.

“I-I’m sorry that you lost your Madeline.” I stammered, “I see why you have done what you did. But really, I think I should go now, sir. There’s no way that I can help you make this better.”

“But there is.” Noah murmured as he inched closer, his hot breath washing over me, ruining my senses.

I wasn’t sure what he meant, but my whole body shook as Noah brushed my fringe from my face and let his fingers trail across my cheek and lips, parting them slightly. Part of me was screaming and the other part was too scared to make a noise. This felt terribly wrong. So why couldn’t I say no?

His eyes glinted again, this time in a malicious way that suggested unpleasant things crossing his mind.

“I just look like her Noah. I’m different … like you said.” I swallowed hard and leaned backwards, away from him, but he merely pressed himself against me. The contact made my mind reel.

“I’m not Madeline.” My voice shook as I reminded him of this very obvious fact.

“I miss her so much.” Noah whispered, his eyes closing as he reminisced. He still stunk of alcohol and I tried to convince myself that he would not be doing this if he were sober. I had witnessed before how alcohol had contorted this man into someone else. Perhaps this was why he drank; to drown out his misery. But he had drowned himself so far this time that he had lost who he was … who I was.

Before I could speak another word his lips were crushing mine again, his tongue seeking urgent entrance into my mouth. His strong arms held me to him, and my eyes were wide and scared as he wound his fingers though my hair. He did not hurt me, but his strength and urgency frightened me. There was no way I would be able to fight him off. But the thing that scared me most at this moment was the fact that I was not trying to fight back at all. I knew now that this was what Jack had been trying to protect me from. Not in his wildest dreams did he consider that I might not fight it. I felt a pang of hurt as I thought of Jack. He had wanted to protect me from this all along. He would be disgusted in me. I suddenly felt very dirty. My skin felt as though it had not been washed in weeks. I was contaminated. Noah was contaminating me. I felt as though I had been pulled from a trance.

I tried to push Noah away, but he was far too strong and didn’t even seem to notice. I felt my body growing hot as his mouth moved from mine and down my jaw, finally coming to my neck where he placed several urgent kisses and bit down on my flesh softly. I winced, but it didn’t hurt. His tongue licked at my neck and I felt a spasm of fear run down my spine.

“No.” I murmured, out of breath as though I had run a mile. I could feel the fire building up inside me, threatening to explode.

Noah ignored me, and it was at this point that I realised that I may be in danger. Fear gripped me and shook my entire being. I cried out, hoping, praying that someone might hear me. A sob caught in my throat which Noah ignored as his lips came back to mine.

His hands left my hair and traced the line of buttons down my chest. He was not gentle now. He ripped at my uniform and I heard the buttons scatter across the floor in every direction.

“No.” I protested more firmly now, “Please!” The fire would overflow at any moment, and we would be consumed.

Suddenly his hands were on my face, locking my tear filled eyes with his. They seemed to burn through my very soul, paralysing me with terror.

“Don’t fight back.” His voice was a deep rumble, a distant echo in my mind.

As soon as the words were out of his mouth I knew it was no use. My body went lax against my will, my arms dropping to my sides like a ragdoll. Noah was the puppeteer. My body wouldn’t move; I was limp and useless, standing there like a zombie. My mind screamed and protested, but I could do nothing for his Power controlled me. The fire ebbed away and I was defenceless.

Silent tears streaked down my face as he picked me up into his arms and dumped me onto his bed. I lay sprawled in an absurd position upon my stomach, trying to will myself to move, to fight back, but I was a prisoner in my own mind. Tears dripped from my face and onto the expensive linen, my vision blurred and I felt myself slipping away. I was scarcely aware of Noah hastily hitching up my uniform around my waist.

Before long his torso was pressing me against the bed, his breathing was hard in my ear. It felt as though my ribs might break under his crushing weight. I waited in fear for the moment that he would claim me. I hadn’t imagined it like this.

Jack, I thought, Jack, I’m sorry. You did tell me so. I wish I had listened to him.

Noah’s hand was in my hair, pushing my face against the mattress so I could barely breathe. Any second now … I held my breath and waited in horror. I heard Noah fumble with his belt and a moment later I heard it clatter to the floor.

Oh, please. Let me die, I thought desperately, I don’t want to live through this shame.

Noah grunted as he scrambled to lower his trousers.

It was at that moment that I head the most beautiful sound in the world.

A murderous, thunderous growling filled the entire room, shaking the candles in their banisters. It was the sound of my saviour. My love.

“What the-?” Noah spun around for the source of the noise, though it appeared that we were quite alone.

My breathing quickened and I found that I was able to move my fingers now. Slowly, inch by inch, feeling was coming back into my limbs.

Noah scrambled away from the bed and backed into a wall, “Who’s there?” He demanded to the empty room.

The growling grew louder and I felt it vibrate against my chest before a feral snarl filled the room. It made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up in fear.

Noah was edging towards the door, which was ajar, ready to flee down the hall and make his escape from the unknown creature in the room.

I turned myself over stiffly, my muscles aching from the control Noah had placed upon them. It was then that I saw him.

Hawthorne.

But Noah could not see him. His drunken gaze slipped over the camouflaged beast which had taken on the colour of the carpet. Hawthorne’s hair was raised threateningly, and his body was sunk low to the ground to avoid immediate detection. It wouldn’t be long before he was spotted. His camouflage was not fool proof.

Noah fumbled with the door and went to wrench himself from the room, but there was someone there already, waiting for him.

In one swift movement a fist snapped forwards landing in direct contact with Noah’s face. Someone had been hiding behind the door leading to the hallway.

Noah fell to the floor like a sack of potatoes and didn’t budge. He had been knocked out cold.

Jack stepped over Noah’s limp body and looked at me, sprawled across the bed, my uniform hitched around my waist. The look he gave me quite clearly said ‘I told you so’.

I couldn’t seem to form words. They had saved me.

Hawthorne hurried to my side and whined anxiously, propping himself up on the bed and licking at my face.

My body was still stiff and weak from Noah’s Power, but I felt myself gradually gaining control. I then realised that I was shaking uncontrollably.

Jack hurried forwards and helped me sit up, “Here.” He muttered, lifting me slightly and fixing my uniform, giving me some of my dignity back.

“J-Jack.” I cried, tears flowing freely and slipping down my face.

“It’s all right, it’s all right.” He patted my hair, “Don’t talk.”

Hawthorne whined and nudged Jack with his nose, trying to communicate something, but I was beyond understanding.

“Okay, Hawthorne. Are you sure?” Jack asked him. What was he talking about?

I felt so cold. My body shook as though I had been dunked into a freezing pool of water. My skin screamed at me as I shook uncontrollably.

“She’s cold.” Jack said to Hawthorne. Had I been saying that out loud?

Jack lifted me into his arms but showed no signs that I was too heavy for him to carry. The next moment he had put me astride something very warm and fluffy. Hawthorne. I entwined my fingers into his fur and rested myself against him, burying my face in his neck. He was so strong; it felt as though I were atop an extremely hairy horse. I could not hold my weight up, so I simply sagged against Hawthorne.

“Can you manage?”

Hawthorne’s arrogant snort reached my ears, and I knew he would be rolling his eyes at Jack.

“Okay, okay, sorry. You wait here and I’ll put this piece of trash into his bed. He’ll wake up and think he just passed out. He’s so drunk I doubt he will remember anything from tonight.”

I wanted to tell Jack and Hawthorne how thankful I was, but I couldn’t find my voice. I felt as though I had left my brain somewhere else, and I was just an empty doll.

I heard Jack’s grunting as though from a distance. He was probably moving Noah. After what seemed like an eternity, I felt Jack’s hand in mine, as he walked beside me astride Hawthorne, who carried me away from Noah’s room. After that, everything went black as I slipped into oblivion

I opened my eyes and everything was a blur. A shape moved around the room, pacing it seemed. It took me a while to realise that I was lying in a bed under several blankets. My vision cleared slightly and I found that I was in my own room. Jack was there, pacing back and forth. I could make out a large, grey mass of fur curled into a ball beside my bed. Why was my Hawthorne sad? I didn’t like to see his coat anything but its happy white.

It occurred to me that he was sad because I had been in danger. Questions exploded into my mind. I didn’t know which one to ask first.

I tried to speak, but found that my throat was extremely dry. Jack noticed however and hurried to my side. Hawthorne’s head popped up, instantly alert.

“Ava?” Jack’s face loomed into focus, his brilliant blue eyes filled with worry.

“Jack.” I croaked, “Hawthorne.”

Hawthorne rested his head across my legs sadly.

“How are you feeling?” Jack asked.

“Thirsty.” I admitted.

Jack smiled reluctantly and handed me a glass of water which had been sitting upon my bedside table.

“Thanks.” I muttered as he helped me sit up to drink it. When I was done I flopped back onto the bed weakly.

“Why do I feel so drained?” I asked Jack.

Jack scowled, “It’s just what Noah’s Power does. He controls your body, takes away your free will. It makes you weak and vulnerable. It drains your energy. But don’t worry; you’ve got me looking after you. You really should rest up.”

“Thank you, Jack.” I whispered, “Thank you, Hawthorne. You really saved me.”

Hawthorne whined, and Jack smiled, “You’re welcome. Now go back to sleep.”

“But I have so many questions.” I argued.

Jack sighed, “You are always so stubborn.” He shook his head.

“Just a few questions?” I challenged.

“Just a few.” Jack agreed suspiciously.