Frost Arch (42 page)

We were mere seconds away from the castle of ice and stone now. Jack and I followed Ræven’s direct path as she led us around the castle to a third floor balcony. It seemed she knew where she was going. Within a matter of time we were landing softly on the small balcony. Cloven’s elderly legs shook as he came to a halt and I climbed from his back.

“I’m sorry.” I whispered to him, petting his nose.

Merrick however bounded around joyfully, whinnying quite loudly.

“Shut up! Shut up!” Jack hissed, trying to grab hold of the reigns.

“Leave him.” Ræven chimed in.

My knees buckled. I hadn’t even noticed Ræven transform and her voice had taken me by surprise. Ræven held out her pale, petite hand and helped me to my feet.

“Don’t take me by surprise like that.” I hissed at her.

She shook her head seriously and handed Jack and I what looked like ear plugs.

“When I give the signal.” She informed us. I understood, obviously. If we were in need of a getaway these would be quite useful when Ræven started singing.

I looked lazily at Jack, whose mouth was hanging open, his grip loose upon the ear plugs.

Sighing, Ræven took our hands and led us towards the balcony doors. She knew the area well, for she delivered mail here almost every day of the week. I guessed she had chosen this particular balcony because the room on the other side of the wall was currently unoccupied.

As we slipped through the unlocked doors I gazed around at the pretty room. Clearly it was a guest room for it was quite generic in its decorations, though charming none the less.

Ræven pointed to the wardrobe and at this point I was quite confused.

“What-?” I began, but she was already handing me some of the finest garments I had ever seen.

“Why-?” Jack also began as Ræven pushed a bundle of beautiful clothes into his hands. Next we were shoved behind respective screens for privacy while Ræven waited.

“Oh well.” I rolled my eyes stepping out from behind the screen once I was dressed to see Jack standing before the mirror, looking very smart in a suit and tails of deep blue.

Jack turned to see Ræven and myself standing side by side; Ræven looking very natural and beautiful in her clothes, where as I looked thin and angular in a strangers clothes.

“We will fit in this way.” Ræven whispered.

Jack smiled at me and I turned away.

“Let’s go.” I muttered, “We’ve wasted enough time.”

They both nodded and once again Ræven took the lead. I really had no way to repay her for all the help she had been over the last few weeks.

She opened the door to the hall just enough to poke her head out and see if anyone was coming. With a wave of her hand Ræven led us into the hall. I felt horribly exposed simply walking through the castle, Jack at my side and Ræven leading the way. I had no idea where we were going, and I had no way to defend myself without my power. If anything happened to Ræven we would not be able to accomplish what we had set out for.

“Where do you think they would keep him?” I said in an undertone to Jack.

Jack shrugged and made a face, “No idea. Perhaps Ræven remembers where she heard the yowling from that day she was delivering mail.”

My steps slowed down as I saw two figures approaching us. They were dressed in identical uniforms and talking in hushed voices. They barely gave us a second glance. Both women gave Ræven a small nod of acknowledgement, and ignored Jack and myself. Heaving a sigh of relief I was glad that I had not been recognized. They had only been cleaners by the looks of it.

My heart drummed wildly in my chest. We were close to Hawthorne, I could feel it. Closer than we had been for weeks, anyway. This place was huge and it would probably take a long while to find him. Though Ræven seemed to have a good idea of where we were going. She led us up many flights of stairs and I vaguely wondered why we couldn’t have flown to another balcony higher up, though I didn’t bother to ask, for if Ræven replied I would go momentarily brain dead. We kept on our guard the entire time, my legs were quite wobbly from nerves and fear of being discovered however all went well for the first half an hour. Higher and higher we went climbing each flight of stairs hoping they would be the last. Ræven often seemed a little lost but after a moment’s thought she would shake her head, point upwards and we would continue to the top. I figured she hadn’t memorized the entire building. I wondered if anyone ever had. Surely it was far too big to remember where everything was.

I was lost in thought when a hand shot out in front of me causing me to halt. Ræven had thrown out her arm and had placed her finger to her lips to indicate silence. We listened hard and sure enough voices could be heard close by.

“Aye, Frost ‘as gone to tha’ Forsythe weddin’” a loud man’s voice could be heard, “Me brother wen’ with ‘er an’ all o’ course.” He continued proudly, “I ‘ad to stay ‘ere see? Fer teleportation purposes, I did.”

Jack’s eyes widened with fear and he mouthed a rather foul word, right before hissing at Ræven and I “It’s one of the Creeley twins.”

My heart jolted. I had heard bad things about these brothers. Yet at the same moment I felt horrible bubbling anger welling up inside me. It had been the Creeley twins who had managed to capture Hawthorne with their teleportation Power. Scowling, I was unwillingly dragged into a broom cupboard by Ræven and Jack. Together we hid in the darkness and peered through the crack between the door and the wall. Sure enough only moments later a large and well built lad swaggered past in the company of a rather pretty little maid who looked no older than sixteen. Clearly this Creeley twin was flirting without so much as a blush. I already hated the git.

“If only I had my power.” I muttered darkly.

“We want to go undetected.” Jack reminded me, giving me a small pat on the shoulder.

We waited until no more sounds could be heard before we emerged from the cramped broom cupboard and continued down the hall. There were so many halls, doors, staircases and winding passageways that I found myself utterly lost and wondering if I had seen that painting before. Hopefully we weren’t going in circles. At last Ræven directed us towards an enormous spiral staircase that seemed to go on forever. She pointed upwards and smiled meekly, and I knew we must be close.

We began ascending the stairs. By the 100
^th
step I was beginning to feel quite sick of counting, and tired. Round and round we went, climbing the stairs and wondering when they would end. Halfway up all three of us stopped dead in our tracks.

A horrible high pitched yowling echoed through the walls and seemed to pierce my heart.

“Hawthorne!” I cried, now running up the stairs as fast as I could, slipping several times. Jack and Ræven were now struggling to keep up with me for I had found new energy and would stop at nothing until I found my flying fox. Part of me was angry beyond belief that he had been stolen yet another part was terrified of what I would find.

I was nearing the top of the endless spiral staircase now. My legs burned and my throat felt dry but it didn’t even register in my thoughts. As I reached the top Ræven flew past me in her bird form. It seemed her legs had been tired and she had taken to flying instead. Upon the landing there was nothing more than a cold stone wall and large, heavy double doors. This looked like the topmost tower, the highest peak. Beyond this door lay no more stairs. Beyond this door … Hawthorne.

“Are you sure?” I whispered to Ræven.

The black bird gave a feeble whistle to indicate that this was indeed the correct room.

My heart beat wildly and my hand shook as I reached for the heavy door knob. The metal was freezing against my skin and I fretted about what else besides Hawthorne lay on the other side of this door. But I knew I would be able to brave it, I would do anything to get Hawthorne back.

“Avalon?” Jack whispered, his breath cascading down my neck, “We are right behind you.”

I nodded and gulped before pushing down on the handle only to discover that it was indeed locked.

Swearing, I turned to Jack who seemed to be thinking fast.

“Your hairpin.” Jack pointed to the stolen hairpiece I had commandeered from the guest bedroom earlier.

I hastily pulled the pin from my hair and handed it to Jack who twisted and bent it into shape. Kneeling down next to the lock he worked for what felt like an eternity. Clearly he wasn’t very good at breaking and entering though I couldn’t blame him for I wasn’t much help at the moment either. Ræven had perched herself upon my shoulder while we waited for Jack to unlock the door. Just as I was beginning to give up hope that Jack would ever open it a little click reached our ears and Jack stood up with a cheeky grin.

“See? Easy.” He boasted.

“You took your time.” I noted as he stepped aside but I fell silent as soon as another defining yowl reached my ears. Hawthorne sounded in pain. My very heart seemed to stop and time went in slow motion as I pushed the handle down and heaved the heavy doors open with Jacks help. Looking up my eyes scanned the room and what I saw made my stomach turn.

The room before me was made entirely of Ice. My breath became mist in front of my face and the cold stung my flesh. There were no windows, no candles. The ice itself seemed to be glowing and emitting an eerie light. There was no carpet, or stone. There was no furniture. The ice room was vast yet very bare. In the centre of the room there was a throne of solid ice carved with intricate designs. But it was what was next to this throne that made my whole body freeze.

Tethered by a thick chain of never melting ice was an enormous jet black beast with glowing red eyes. Its lips were pulled back and its teeth were exposed in a long, menacing growl. Spittle hung from the beast’s mouth and the hair on its back stood on end. The ears upon its head were flat and its body was crouched and ready to attack. The only thing holding the monster back was the chain around its neck.

“Hawthorne.” The word escaped me as though I had been punched in the stomach. Before I realised what I was doing my legs were moving and I was running towards Hawthorne whose growls became even louder. He crouched lower to the ground.

Before I could take more than a few excited steps, hands clasped around my middle and held me back.

“Avalon no!” Jack said panicked, “He doesn’t recognise you.”

We struggled for a while as I tried to break free of Jack’s grip.

“No.” I said, “He knows me.” We continued grappling silently until Ræven broke it up with a few well placed pecks.

“Ow.” I hissed, swatting her away.

“Ava, just look at him.” Jack pointed at the jet black beast that barely resembled my beloved Hawthorne.

I looked at Hawthorne hard and saw no glimmer of his old self there.

“No.” I shook my head. I refused to believe it. “He knows me. He wouldn’t forget.”

Jack slowly released his grip upon me and this time I made my steps towards Hawthorne very slowly. He did not stop growling or glaring at us menacingly.

“I have a bad feeling about this.” Jack whispered, “They must have brainwashed him.”

“He will remember.” I said, fighting back the urge to run, “Hawthorne is good.”

“He has changed.” Jack said softly. Both Jack and Ræven had kept their distance. I was halfway across the room now and there was an equal distance between Hawthorne and the door. I was shivering violently from cold and fear.

“Hawthorne.” I said to him, “Hawthorne, it’s me.” I took another step closer and my fox let out a warning yowl so loud that I was forced to clap my hands to my ears.

“Avalon, stay away.” Jack said seriously, “It’s not safe.”

“We didn’t come all this way for nothing.” I said rounding on Jack who fell silent.

Scowling, I turned back to Hawthorne.

“Now you listen to me.” I said in a shaky voice, trying my hardest to stay calm, “We came all this way to rescue you, and this is no way to treat your friends, Hawthorne.”

The words did not register with the fox. All his intelligence and empathy seemed to have been wiped clear and replaced with evil. Hawthorne spread his great, black wings and beat them furiously at us, sending a powerful wave of air which whipped my hair in all directions.

“No!” I yelled at Hawthorne, “Just listen! You are Hawthorne. I am Avalon Redding, I saved you all those months ago from Jefferson, I took care of you, raised you!”

But Hawthorne had no idea who I was. It seemed he had no idea who he was either. I felt tears burning behind my eyes but I simply would not allow myself to cry anymore. This was absurd. This was my Hawthorne, and they had changed him, and I did not know if I would ever be able to change him back.

A thought occurred to me.

“Ræven.” I said quickly turning to face her. She was currently perched upon Jack’s shoulder. “Change back. Sing to Hawthorne!”

“And then what?” Jack said, seeming rather deflated, “Once Ræven has knocked him out cold, what do we do then? Carry all five hundred kilograms of him back to her home? Wait for him to wake up and see if he remembers who we are?”

While Jack had spoken Ræven had transformed into her usual self. She walked up to me in her usual swagger and placed a hand on my face.