Flamethroat (24 page)

Tomorrow we would head for Flamethroat Valley, a town only a few miles from Concord City. It would only take us one day of walking to reach it.

The name that Alastor had given us reverberated in my head.
Martinez
. A man named Martinez had bought Helena. They said he liked to buy the young, fertile girls. A shudder ran through my spine and I forced the thought from my head. I could not let myself think like that. Once we reached Flamethroat I would find this sick bastard and set him alight. I didn
’
t care if Jack was against it.

That night, I told Jack that we would be leaving first thing in the morning. He agreed and packed his belongings within the hour. We told Georgia that we would not be a burden on her hospitality any longer. She seemed quite sad that Jack was leaving, but I was not sorry. I hoped Jack would never see her again. Georgia asked a lot of questions. Where are you going? Why are you going there? How long will you be? Are you going to come back? We could not or did not want to, answer any of these questions.

That night, while I lay in bed, I listened for any sounds around the house. I did not want Georgia going for another
night-time
wander into the sitting room where Jack slept. I had to keep reminding myself that it was none of my business. Even if Georgia did go to Jack in the dead of the night, what could I do about it? Interrupt? Send her back to bed? The thought was laughable. However, I heard no one creeping about the house that night and was able to sleep, despite the nightmares.

~

I woke before the sun had risen and packed my few belongings into my rucksack. I stole a loaf of bread from Georgia
’
s kitchen. I didn
’
t care if she minded. I thought Jack was still asleep, but it occurred to me that I could not hear the usual cacophony of snoring coming from the sitting room. When I walked in, I was surprised to find him awake and dressed. He leaned on the mantelpiece, looking rather stern.

‘
You
’
re up early,
’
I said.
‘
Couldn
’
t sleep?
’

Jack shook his head and stared out of the sitting room window.

‘
We should leave before the sun rises. It will be daylight by the time we reach the forest
’
I said.

Jack nodded. He seemed deep in thought.

‘What’s wrong?’ I asked, walking
closer to him. ‘Are you still mad at me about yesterday?’

‘There has been a change of plan
,’ Jack said after a moment of silence.

‘A change of plan?’ I repeated.

‘Yes,’ Jack stood up straight. ‘I can’t go with you to Flamethroat.’

I raised my eyebrows. ‘Why? What’s the matter?’

‘I want to stay here.’

‘You … you want to stay here?’ I said, ‘Why? In case Alastor or The Realm turns up?’

Jack looked confused. ‘What? No.’

‘You are really mad at me, aren’t you?’ I asked.

Jack shrugged.

I was growing increasingly suspicious and was not quite sure what Jack was trying to say. A strange feeling was brewing in the pit of my stomach. ‘But you said you would help me.’

Jack glared. ‘You are so selfish, Avalon.’

I blanched. ‘What?’

‘You are the most selfish person I have ever met,’ said Jack.

‘What’s gotten into you?’ I asked.

‘What’s gotten into
me
?’ he exclaimed. He looked simply furious.

‘This is about Korra Waterson, isn’t it?’ I asked.

‘This has nothing to do with her,’ Jack snapped, crossing his arms over his chest.

Was it my imagination or was Jack towering over me? He had never talked to me like this before. It was as though he hated me.

‘Then what is it?’ I asked.

‘It’s about Georgia,’ said Jack.

I hadn’t expected that. I pulled a face. ‘What about her?’

‘I’d rather stay here and be with Georgia,’ said Jack. His eyes burned through mine and I suddenly felt very cold.

‘But you barely know her.’

‘I know her well enough,’ He said with a scowl upon his face. ‘I know she isn’t like
you
.’

‘Right, let me get this straight,’ I said holding up a hand. ‘You’ve only known Georgia a few days and already you would rather stay with
her
?’

Jack nodded.

‘You choose her?’ I clarified.

‘Of course I choose her,’ Jack burst. The look in his eyes was heart wrenching. ‘She is funny, smart and beautiful. Why would
I
choose you? You’re nothing but a fire demon.’

I was speechless. What was I meant to say? Hurtful things had been said to me before, but nothing like this. The words stung as though they had pierced my heart.

‘I don’t know what I was thinking, being with you,’ Jack added.

‘So, what? Are you in
love
with her?’ I asked, bewildered.

Jack did not respond. His silence said more than words.

‘You … you
are
in love with her?’ I said in disbelief. ‘Jack, you don’t know her!’

I was becoming angry now. My confusion was replaced with hatred for Georgia. Part of me was furious with her for taking Jack away from me and the other part wanted to knock some sense into him. Jack was not acting like himself at all.

‘She’s tricked you,’ I said suddenly. ‘She’s put some charm on you to make you fall in love with her! I saw you two kissing the other night. What is her Power then?’ My stomach flared angrily at the thought of Jack choosing Georgia over me.

But my thoughts of rage were cut short, because at that moment Jack slapped me hard across the face, sending me to the floor. The sound echoed in the mostly empty room.

I sat there in silence, holding my face, utterly flabbergasted. Words failed me. Had that really just happened? Had my best friend, Jack Greenwood just
hit
me? My face stung and I held it, staring at Jack with wide eyes. He did not look sorry. He continued to glare at me.

‘Don’t talk about Georgia like that,’ he said, pointing a finger at me, barely an inch from my face.

I felt heartsick. I could not stop the inferno that erupted from my body.

The finger that Jack had been pointing at me was engulfed in flames. He screamed at the top of his lungs and fell to the floor, curled in a ball and howling with pain. He gripped his red raw flesh with tears in his eyes. Perhaps the sudden outburst had caught him off guard. I wasn’t sure, but I didn’t stick around to find out.

Scrambling up and running from the room, I grabbed my rucksack that was still in the kitchen and flung it over my shoulder. I could hear Jack wailing in the sitting room. Why didn’t he just heal? I left through the front door without saying goodbye, my eyes full of tears.

JACK GREENWOOD

Jack Greenwood was at the market before the sun had risen. He watched as the city folk set up shop, getting ready for another day of business in the capital. At this time of morning the pickings were ripe. The seafood was fresh and the bakers were pulling hot loaves out of their ovens. The smell wafted past Jack
’
s nose tantalisingly. He wondered whether Ava would like a cheese bun. He knew they were her
favourite
.

He wanted to surprise Avalon will armfuls of groceries when she awoke - anything to lighten her mood. He had left a note in the sitting room for her to find.

True, he had been disappointed with her after the previous day
’
s fiasco, but in fairness he had no idea what she was feeling at the time. He could only imagine the pain she had endured. He knew that if anyone harmed someone he cared about, there would be hell to pay. The best Jack could do was make Avalon
’
s load a little lighter by helping in any way he could. He would do the shopping, cook the food and carry her on his back if it would help her get her family back.

A young woman selling cow milk in a stall paused and looked at Jack. He smiled and she blushed prettily. He thought about going over and introducing himself, but no, he must make it back to Georgia
’
s before Avalon woke up.

Once Jack had purchased enough bread, cheese and fresh meat to last their journey to Flamethroat Valley, he headed back to the apartment. As he reached the doorstep the sun came over the hillside and shone through the windows of Georgia
’
s home.

Once he had stepped over the threshold, Jack knew instantly that something was wrong. He could sense pain. Someone had been hurt.

‘
Avalon?
’
Jack rushed into the kitchen, thinking perhaps she had cut herself whilst making breakfast. No. She was not there.

‘
Jack!
’
A voice wailed from the sitting room. Jack spun on his heel and rushed to the call.

‘
Ava!
’
Jack skidded to a halt in the sitting room and looked around. It wasn
’
t Avalon, it was Georgia. She lay curled in a ball on the floor, cradling a red and shiny hand. Spots of blood stained her clothes.

‘
Georgia?
’
Jack hurried to her side.
‘
What happened? Are you all right?
’

Georgia held out the ruined hand and shook with pain. Her face was wet with tears.

‘
You
’
re hurt,
’
said Jack.
‘
How? What did you do?
’

He took her hand in his and proceeded to heal her. Once finished, her hand was still very red, but there was no scarring.

Georgia burst into tears and launched herself into Jack
’
s lap. He slid his arms around her waist and petted her hair.

‘
It
’
s all right,
’
Jack soothed her.
‘
It
’
s okay.
’

‘
It hurt so much,
’
Georgia sobbed into his shirt.
‘
I
’
ve never felt anything like it. It was like my bones were on fire. My flesh … she melted my flesh.
’

Jack pulled Georgia away.
‘
Who? Avalon?
’

Georgia nodded and a fresh wave of tears cascaded down her cheeks.

‘
What? Where is she?
’

‘
She
’
s gone!
’
Georgia said dramatically, wiping her eyes.

‘
Gone?
’
Jack repeated, confused.
‘
Tell me what happened.
’

Through hiccups and sobs, Georgia began to explain how she had received her injury.

‘
I w-woke up because I could hear someone moving around the house, s-so I went to make sure everything was okay. I saw the note you l-left on the sofa, saying you went to the market, so I started to make breakfast. Th-that
’
s when I saw her
–
Avalon. She had her rucksack with her and was sneaking out of the house.
’

‘
Sneaking out?
’
Jack frowned.
‘
Are you sure?
’

Georgia nodded frantically, hiccupping.
‘
I asked her where she was going and she said she was l-leaving you!
’

‘
Leaving?
’
said Jack.
‘
You mean she went to Flamethroat without me? Georgia, how long ago did she leave?
’

‘
Over half an hour,
’
George said, wiping away more tears.
‘
She said she would rather go alone than be with you.
’

‘
She said that?
’
Jack felt a sting in his chest. He didn
’
t like it one bit,
‘
Maybe I can still catch up if I hurry-
’

‘
You still want to go after her?
’
Georgia said, enraged,
‘
Jack, she attacked me when I tried to stop her! I said,
No Avalon, don
’
t leave Jack
! And she laughed and set me alight!
’