Frost Arch (24 page)

I thought for a moment before deciding what to ask first, “Jack, why didn’t you tell me about his Madeline?”

Jack sighed and sat on the edge of my bed, “I’m really very sorry that I didn’t tell you, Ava.” He said sincerely, “But it’s a very hard subject for me to talk about-”

“You’re father.” I remembered.

Jack stared, “How did you-?”

“Noah.” I explained, “He told me about Madeline, and your father.”

Jack scowled and curled his fists into balls, “My father was a great healer, and Noah Forsythe blamed him for the death of Madeline. He vanished the day after she died.”

“I’m so sorry Jack.”

“I was twelve.” Jack continued, “My mother died giving birth to me, and I had no siblings. The only family I had left was driven away by Noah Forsythe.”

I reached out a hand and stroked Jack’s arm. I didn’t know what to say to comfort him. His past had horrors that I didn’t know about. I wondered how he coped with it. He had always seemed so happy and carefree.

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you, really I am. I realise now that I should have, despite the hurt it causes me to talk about it.”

“It’s okay.” I whispered.

Jack sighed and smiled at me, taking my hand. His fingers entwined with mine felt warm against my skin. Odd, I thought.

“So … H-how did you know?” I wondered, “How did you know where I was? How did you know I was in danger?”

Jack smirked, “I didn’t.”

I was confused, “Then why did you come bursting into the room?”

Jack was grinning now, “I didn’t know you were in danger. Hawthorne did.”

“Hawthorne?” I breathed, looking past Jack at my beautiful, overgrown fox who was pouting with his head still resting against my legs.

“I was hanging out in the stables, as usual,” Jack explained, “When all of a sudden Hawthorne started going, well, absolutely nuts. He began thrashing around, broke down his stall door and grabbed me by my coat and tried dragging me from the stables. Scared the crap out of Camryn. She thought Hawthorne was attacking me, but I could tell something was wrong … that something was bothering him.”

I stared, wide eyed at Jack. This made absolutely no sense.

“So I followed Hawthorne from the stables, the next thing I knew he was nothing but a blur. He moved so fast I barely saw him. He ran into the manor. Of course, I was absolutely going mental with worry. I thought for sure he would get caught. But of course, when you can run at that speed, and take on the colour of your surroundings, no one sees you.” Jack smirked and petted Hawthorne.

“Hawthorne ran through the manor?” I gaped, “and no one saw him?”

“He was like a ghost.” Jack said in awe, “It was amazing.”

“So you followed him?” I asked

“Well I tried to.” Jack chuckled, “But I think I had a good idea of where he was going. I ran straight to the third floor just in time to see Hawthorne slip through Noah’s bedroom door. That was when I heard the growling. It was a little bit frightening actually. I ran to the door and hid in the shadows of the hall, waiting for the right moment. I heard Noah inside, scared by the sounds of it. I mean, who wouldn’t be? I could see you through the doorway … could see you sprawled, half naked across his bed. I was filled with rage. Noah wrenched open the door to escape Hawthorne, and I just … knocked him out cold. He didn’t even have time to see me.” Jack finished.

I stared at both of them in wonder, “You really did save me.”

“I guess we did.” Jack smiled.

“But how did Hawthorne know?” I demanded.

Jack shrugged, “Beats me.” He said honestly, “But I have a theory.”

“Tell me.” I wanted to know everything.

“It’s like Camryn said … you two are connected by-”

“Yeah, yeah, love.” I rolled my eyes, “You’re saying Hawthorne sensed I was in danger because he loves me?”

“What other explanation is there?”

I thought about it for several moments. There really was no other answer. There was no denying it now. Hawthorne and I were connected. We were quiet for a long while before I managed to ask my next question.

“Where’s Noah now?” I said quietly.

Jack scowled, “He left early this morning. Gone travelling again. I’m not sure if he remembers what happened last night. It was probably all a bad dream for him. All I know is he won’t be back for several weeks if this trip is anything like his previous ones.”

“Good.” I mumbled.

Jack stroked my hand, and I was aware, once again, of how warm his skin felt in comparison to mine.

“So how did you get me back here?”

Jack nodded in Hawthorne’s direction, “He carried you.”

“You carried me?” I shot at Hawthorne who looked at me reproachfully, as though daring me to question his strength, “How did he carry me all the way to my room without being seen?”

Jack grinned, “Oh please. I know my way around this manor better than anyone.” He waved it aside, “There’s always another route to take apart from the obvious ones.”

“Humph.” I relaxed against my pillows and felt very drowsy again, though apparently I’d slept through the entire night.

“What about my jobs this morning?” I asked Jack. The light streaming in through my window suggested that it was at least midday.

“Someone else is taking care of it for today.” Jack explained, “I told Charles that you had fallen ill last night, and needed taking care of. Everything is fine.”

“Thanks.” I sighed.

“Tired?” Jack prompted.

“Yeah, weird.”

“Not at all, I drugged your water.”

“What? Jack!”

He laughed, “It's okay. Just some sleeping draught. Get some rest.” He brushed my fringe from my eyes, his warm hands making contact with my cool face. This worried me, but I assumed it was a result of the shock I had suffered. I let my eyes close and I was taken by sleep instantly. The only thing I felt after that was Hawthorn repositioning himself next to my bed once again, standing guard over me. I guessed the whole animal ‘sixth sense’ might actually be true.

When I woke it was dark in my room. I squinted but I couldn’t see anything. I shivered and held my blankets closer to me.

“Ava?” A voice whispered through the pressing black.

“Jack?” I asked, “Where are you?”

I heard footsteps coming towards me from the opposite side of my room. Jack had been sitting in the corner, waiting for me to wake up to see how I was.

“What are you doing?” I whispered. I wasn’t even sure why I was being so quiet, “Where’s Hawthorne?”

“I took him back to the stables.” Jack told me, “I didn’t want to leave you alone. It’s not nice waking up alone and scared.”

“Thank you.” I half smiled, sitting up now.

“How are you feeling?” Jack said coming and sitting on the edge of my bed. I could see his outline now from the faint glow of the moonlight streaming through my little window.

“Much better.” I admitted, “Though I still feel a bit cold.”

Jack leaned forwards and pressed the back of his hand to my forehead, “Well, I don’t know what to tell you except your temperature is exactly right for a normal Mage.”

“But-”

“I know, you’re no normal Mage.” He chuckled, “You’re used to a searing body temperature that keeps you warm. Don’t worry, I’m sure you will be back to normal soon enough.”

“I hope so … I don’t like feeling like this.” I shivered.

“Welcome to my world.”

“No thanks.” I smirked.

Jack sighed and fell into thought. I also had a lot on my mind. There was something I had been meaning to ask Jack, but I didn’t know whether it was an appropriate topic.

“Jack,” I began cautiously, “If you hate Noah Forsythe so much … why do you work here?”

Jack bowed his head; it seemed he had been expecting this.

“When my father disappeared, I was left all alone. I had no one. I was going to be sent to the orphanage in the city. I probably would have grown up there too. Most people in Frost Arch are too poor to adopt children.”

“It sounds awful.”

“However, Charles proposed to Master Sebastian that the manor … purchase me, give me somewhere to live and have me do household work until I was a qualified healer. They paid me a pittance whilst I was underage. When I turned sixteen I became a qualified healer. I was going to leave then, perhaps start my own Healing trade – but the manor wished me to stay, gave me a pay rise. Very convenient having a live-in Healer … So I stayed, against all better judgement. I’ve hated Noah for eight years for blaming my father over Madeline’s death. Like there was anything he could do … it wasn’t his fault.”

I entwined my hand with Jack’s comfortingly, “Of course. It wasn’t his fault.”

Jack squeezed my hand tightly, “I don’t even know if my father is still alive.” He admitted.

My heart panged painfully. How awful it would be not knowing.

“I’m sorry. Have you ever thought about … going to look for him?” I asked.

“A lot.” Jack replied, “But … I guess I’m scared to leave and to go alone.”

I nodded. It was quite frightening to leave everything you knew behind. It was different though. I was running away from my family. Running anywhere. But Jack was alone and wanted to search for his family. It must hurt not knowing whether his father was alive or dead. I was a coward in comparison.

“Promise me you will try, one day.” I whispered, “You’ll regret it for the rest of your life if you don’t.”

Jack nodded, “I know.”

“Do you have any idea where he could have gone?”

Jack laughed humourlessly, “I’ve wondered that for the past eight years, Avalon. If I knew where he was for certain, I’d go there in a heartbeat.”

“Of course.” I felt foolish.

“Anyway,” Jack sighed, “Enough about me. How are you feeling?”

“Fine, well rested.” I admitted. I was not tired anymore, just cold.

“Camryn and I were talking about having another go at a flying lesson tonight if you were awake and up to it.”

“Sounds good.” I said with as much enthusiasm as possible, “Didn’t you say you had an idea that might help Hawthorne?”

“Indeed I did say that.” He chuckled, “C’mon.” Jack got up from the bed and strode towards the door.

“All right, give me a second.” I pulled the sheets back from myself and swung my legs from the bed. My back was rather sore from where I had fallen onto the hard stone stairs in Noah’s secret room. I didn’t want to think about that night. I winced in pain and Jack strode back over to me.

“Where does it hurt?” He asked instantly.

I smiled, “It’s nothing really, I’m sure.” I rubbed my back.

Jack sighed, “Show me.”

Grumbling I fumbled with my clothes, when I realised, “Wait … I wasn’t wearing this earlier. Jack did you-” My face burned scarlet in my embarrassment.

Jack seemed embarrassed too, “Well your uniform was ruined so I had to give it to Camryn to sew some buttons back on.” He mumbled, “I had to change you into something.”

I winced and looked down at my night garments, “Thanks … I think.”

Jack laughed, “Nothing I haven’t seen before.”

“That’s quite enough, thank you.”

Laughing, Jack examined my lower spine, “That’s quite a bruise you’ve got there.” He poked it and I winced as a searing, burning pain shot through me.

“Ow. Just heal it, would you?” I snapped.

“I did.” Jack raised an eyebrow at me, “Did that burn?”

“Yes.” I sulked, “It hurt.”

“Humph.” Jack thought for a moment before shaking his head dismissively, “Anyway, you’re all better now. Get changed into something warm while I wait outside.”

I straightened up and found my spine didn’t hurt any more. Rugging up in several of my clothes quickly I then headed out to the stables with Jack. I shivered violently as the cold breeze whipped around me. I didn’t like this one bit.

As I walked into the stables, I gasped. It was a mess. Hawthorne’s stall door had been wrenched completely from its hinges and shattered into many pieces that were strewn across the floor.

“Did you do that?” I shot at Hawthorne, who was waiting by the door for us.

He bowed his head like a little puppy caught doing something naughty. I smiled despite myself and petted him anyway. Could I blame him? He’d done it in his haste to get to me.

“We’ll clean this up together.” I told him.

“You bet you will.” Came Camryn’s voice. A moment later she had stepped into the open from the store-room at the back of the stables where the reigns and other gear was kept safe under lock and bolt. She didn’t look the least bit amused that the stall gate had been destroyed.

The next ten minutes were spent lumping various pieces of wood into a pile in the middle of the floor that were retrieved from all corners of the room. Once we were sure that the area was indeed clean we headed outside into the freezing night to have another try at flying.

“Let’s get started, I guess.” I said rubbing my hands together, my teeth chattering. How did anyone ever get used to this cold?