Frost Arch (25 page)

“I had a thought.” Camryn began.

“Really, just the one?” Jack interrupted, his voice dripping with false amazement.

Camryn glared at him, but continued, “Well, it concerns what Jack said last week, about the whole ‘debt’ nonsense.”

“You said that was rubbish though.” I pointed out.

“Well, yes, but I thought that it would be broken now, seeing as, well, you know.” She shrugged.

I knew exactly what she meant. She thought, because Hawthorne had saved me from Noah, that his debt had been repaid. I still didn’t believe this nonsense though.

“Yeah!” Jack said eagerly, “That’s brilliant!”

“Didn’t you have your own theory for tonight?” I reminded him.

“Yes, well, this one sounds much better now.” Jack muttered.

I rolled my eyes, smiling, “All right then. Hawthorne, care to give it another go? We’re even now, you know?”

Hawthorne puffed his wide chest out impressively, obviously pleased with his heroism. I chuckled as he began to beat his powerful wings. I felt hope bubble in my stomach, and I wondered if this had been the key all along. Would he really be able to fly now?

Clenching my fists together in anticipation I waited for the moment that Hawthorne would spring into the air and take flight. Any second now. Hawthorne crouched, ready to leap. I found that my teeth were locked together very tight. You can do it, I thought aggressively, you can do it!

With an enormous bound, and pounding of wings Hawthorne threw himself into the wind, rising higher than he had on any previous attempt. For one wild, fleeting moment I thought he had done it. I was about to whoop and cheer in delight when I found myself face down in the freezing snow. Coughing and spluttering a raised myself on all fours and looked around. Hawthorne was there, lying on the ground, having fallen from the sky once again. The pull I had felt this time had been so immense it had yanked me into the snow, face first.

“Ava!” Jack said hurrying to me while Camryn ran to Hawthorne, “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fine.” I said wiping the wet snow from my face, “That was insane.”

“It looked absolutely hilarious from where we were standing.” Jack laughed, pulling me back onto my feet.

“Ha, ha.” I said humourlessly.

“You lurched forwards about a meter and just fell face-first into the snow.”

“Yes, I know, I was there.” I said irritably.

“So bizarre.” Jack shook his head.

“Well I guess that theory goes out of the window, huh?” I said walking over to Hawthorne who was back in his feet again, an annoyed expression across his face, “Hey, this isn’t my fault.” I said defensively, “Don’t look at me like that.” Hawthorne pouted and I glared at him in mock fury.

“Okay, break it up.” Jack warned, a smirk on his face, “It’s time to hear my idea.”

“Oh great, here we go.” Camryn rolled her eyes.

“Just because your idea didn’t work Cam, doesn’t mean-”

“But the whole debt thing was your idea!”

“Don’t be bitter.” Jack sneered.

“You two are worse than an old married couple.” I teased.

“Except we don’t have sex.” Jack interjected.

“Like I said, old married couple.”

“Anyway,” Jack ignored me, turning pink, “My idea is brilliant. Avalon, are you afraid of heights?”

I stared at him for a long while, “No.” I said slowly.

“Excellent!” Jack clapped his hands together and started towards me, but I had a horrible feeling that I wasn’t going to like this idea.

“Hey, wait, what are you doing?” I demanded when Jack put his hands to my waist.

“Helping you onto Hawthorne.” Jack grinned as though it was the most obvious answer in the world.

“How will putting extra weight onto his back help him fly?” I challenged through gritted teeth.

“Oh, c’mon Avalon. It’s so simple. Whenever Hawthorne tries to fly away from you, you are both snapped back together again like an elastic band is being stretched to its limits.”

I pouted, “I’m heavy.” I pointed out.

“Hawthorne’s already carried you once.” Jack noted.

“What if I fall off?”

“Hawthorne won’t let you get hurt, will you, big fella?” Jack clapped Hawthorne on his shoulder who looked at us eagerly.

“What if-” I started.

“Look, just try it, and if it doesn’t work we’ll figure something else out.” Jack said impatiently.

I huffed and folded my arms which made Jack smile. Without my consent I was lifted into his arms and shoved onto Hawthorne’s back.

“Are you okay?” I asked timidly, stroking his furry neck.

Hawthorne snorted. I remembered he didn’t like being babied anymore. The only other time I had been on Hawthorne’s back I had slouched over his spine and passed out. Now I was astride him I fully appreciated his height and strength. My feet did not touch the ground while I sat upon him, and my legs fitted perfectly in the grooves behind his wings. It was like he was built to hold me. I smiled and entwined my fingers into his fur once more, trying not to think about what would follow. What if we both crashed to the ground? I might hurt him.

“Shouldn’t I have a helmet or something?” My voice shook.

Jack and Camryn looked at each other before turning back to me and saying in unison, “Nah.”

I took a steadying breath and looked down at Hawthorne, “This is such a bad idea. So bad. Oh no. Please be careful.”

Jack chuckled at my fear. Glad I’m so amusing, I thought bitterly.

“Whenever you’re ready, Hawthorne.” Jack nodded to him.

“What about when I’m ready?” I demanded over the sound of Hawthorne beginning to beat his wings.

“You don’t count.” Jack laughed.

I glared at them furiously, “You will pay for this!”

Jack simply laughed harder and waved to me. Camryn looked as nervous as I felt.

I felt Hawthorne’s powerful body crouch low, ready to spring, and I gripped his fur in my fists, ready to hang on for dear life.

My mind seemed to go completely blank in those last seconds. Hawthorne’s wings moved up and down forcefully, the effort rippling through his entire body. I saw the world in slow motion at that moment. One second I was glaring at Jack furiously, the next I was staring ahead, my eyes focused and determined, willing Hawthorne to succeed. Who cares if I was thrown off? It didn’t matter.

Hawthorne crouched lower, preparing himself, and a split second later he had leaped into the air with all his might. I gasped as the wind whipped past my face and I wanted to close my eyes but it felt as though they were glued open. His wings beat impressively again and again as we rose higher and higher effortlessly. I clung on for dear life, my mouth propped open in a silent scream for I seemed to have left my voice back on the ground with my brain. From somewhere below I heard Jack give a whoop of joy, but he fell silent quickly in case anyone heard, and I suspected that Camryn may have hit him. Higher and higher we rose, shooting straight up into the night. I felt myself slip slightly down Hawthorne’s spine, and I gripped his fur tighter in my fists and clung to his body with my knees. The air was ice cold but I wasn’t paying attention to that at the moment. Finally with a great sweeping movement Hawthorne spread his wings and let us glide over the treetops. Everything was quiet now, and I could loosen my grip and stare at our surroundings.

We were at least fifty meters in the air, soaring over the forest peacefully, his wings barely moving now as we glided through the night.

I couldn’t help but have a grin plastered to my face. I was freezing but that didn’t even matter right now. I was flying with Hawthorne. I felt as though we were one. One pounding heart, one reeling mind overcome with excitement. I let out a yelp of laughter and let go of my grip on Hawthorne all together, raising my arms as though I were using them to glide also.

I saw Hawthorne glance back at me nervously as he felt my hands release their vice like grasp I had held on him in my fear. Fear. It was a foolish thing to feel at this moment. There was nothing else in the world apart from us, and this wonderful feeling.

My laughter was ecstatic and Hawthorne let out a yelp of excitement as he realised that I was no longer scared. We swooped around the forest in record time and headed back to the dots in the distance which was Jack and Camryn.

After I was hanging on tightly again Hawthorne descended towards them, and with a great lurch, and beating of wings we landed rather smoothly. I couldn’t seem to move for all my joints had become stuck.

Jack and Camryn hurried over, their faces excited.

“That was brilliant!” Jack said animatedly, helping me down from Hawthorne. I staggered slightly when my feet touched the ground.

“Yeah.” I breathed, “That was something else.”

Camryn chuckled and flattened my knotted, fly-away hair but I only had eyes for Hawthorne.

“That was amazing.” I said stepping up to his face and stroking him affectionately.

Hawthorne licked me from chin to hair line and I laughed, wiping my face with my sleeve.

“I’m sorry that you can’t seem to fly without me though,” I said softly, “I wish you could.”

Hawthorne gave me a disapproving look that quite clearly stated that he wouldn’t have it any other way.

By the time dawn came I was still wide awake and felt well enough to go about the manor and continue my daily jobs. Jack had got minimal sleep during the night because he had stayed in my room looking after me, and then continued on to the flying lesson. I felt bad that I had disrupted his sleeping pattern, but he waved it aside and assure me he was fine. We trundled back to the manor through the freezing snow just as the sun was beginning to peek over the mountains in the distance. We had sat up in the stables all night, talking and recollecting the night’s events, lavishing Hawthorne with much praise, which he seemed to love. Camryn had talked a lot, as usual, while Jack and I simply listened; often throwing amused glances towards each other whenever she stopped for breath.

Jack and I parted ways once we were inside the manor. I went to my room to change into my newly mended uniform and then headed to the first rooms with fireplaces.

I knelt beside the hearth, as usual, and brought my palms before me so they were pointing at the blackened logs. I closed my eyes and concentrated hard upon the familiar warm tingling sensation that usually started in my heart. It took me several moments to realise that I was not feeling warm or tingly at all. Quite the opposite in fact; I felt cold and clammy.

Gritting my teeth together and scrunching up my eyes I forced myself to try and expel the fire from my hands. After several minutes I was sweating with effort, though no flames had appeared. Perhaps a different approach might help, I thought to myself.

Trying to calm myself, I focussed on relaxing every muscle in my body one by one. If this technique had to continue, I would be trying to light these fires all day. Once I was quite sure that I was relaxing, and my heart rate was slowing I tried again.

Nothing.

My heart rate picked up as I began to panic. I couldn’t expel the fire from my body. Worse than that, I felt cold and hollow. Where my heart usually pumped the feeling of molten hot liquid throughout my body I now felt nothing. No warmth. No tingling sensation. No heat rising through my pores. No lovely calming feeling.

Stay calm, I ordered myself. It was much easier to think than to do, Perhaps you’re still in shock. Yes, that must be it.

Standing, my legs feeling very wobbly, I decided that I should go and find Jack. He would know what was wrong with me for sure.

I didn’t know where Jack had gone, so first I knocked upon his bedroom door. There was no answer so I tried the kitchens and asked if anyone had seen him. No luck there. I knew Jack wouldn’t be in the stables, as we had just departed from there. Maybe Charles knew where he was, I concluded. I had only ever been to Charles’ office on one other occasion, which was my first visit to the manor. I remembered where to find it though, as I had walked past it many times and gotten used to the vast nature of the manor.

Hoping this was allowed, I knocked timidly upon Charles’ office.

“Yes, come in.” I heard from the other side.

Heaving a sigh of relief I entered the office which looked exactly the same as the last time I had been here.

“Charles, I’m sorry to disturb you.” I said in a small voice.

“Ah, Miss Redding.” Charles peered at me over his spectacles, “I heard you were ill yesterday.”

“Yes, sir. That’s what I wanted to talk to you about actually. I returned to work this morning only to discover, well, my Power seems to have been affected by my uh … bout of illness, sir.” I admitted.

“Your Power has been affected?” Charles said rather shocked.

“It seems so.” My face tinged pink in embarrassment, “I feel a little cold and clammy still, and I’m having trouble expelling any fire. I was looking for Jack to see if he could help me.”

“Ah, yes. Jack has just departed for the Marketplace.” Charles remembered, “He shouldn’t be long. If you are fit enough you should help around the manor with other things until he gets back.”