Flamethroat (28 page)

Jack
’
s long fingers lingered upon my face, touching my cheeks so gently, as if I was a delicate, breakable object. His smile fell slowly and his expression became serious. My focus slid from his eyes to his lips, which were slightly parted. They looked soft and moist. No. This couldn
’
t be happening. Jack was my best friend. He didn
’
t
want
me. Did he?

Jack leaned closer, hesitating before tilting my chin so the tips of our noses grazed. He didn
’
t take his eyes off mine and I couldn
’
t look away. Overhead, the trees stopped rustling in the wind as if all life in the forest was holding it
’
s breath, waiting for what came next.

Jack closed the few inches between us and brushed his lips lightly against mine. It felt like a ghost had kissed me. It was so gentle, I wasn
’
t even sure it had really happened.

He kissed me again, just my top lip this time. Jack slid a hand into my hair before kissing my bottom lip. My head spun as he embraced me, bringing me closer to his chest.

I cared about Jack more than even my own mind could comprehend. I knew how I felt, but I had been suppressing it for weeks.

Pressing my hands to his chest, I gently pushed Jack away. The forest breeze felt cool on my moist lips, as if it was telling me that Jack was meant to be there.

I couldn
’
t make eye contact with him. Instead I stared at a button on his shirt. He cupped my chin in his hand, tilting my head up again.

‘What’s wrong?’ he asked.

I didn
’
t want to say it. The words were stuck in my throat. This was a bad idea. Yes, I cared about Jack, but I could not afford to get distracted. My parents and my sister were my first priority.

Jack took advantage of my silence.
‘
I have wanted to do that for a while, you know?
’

I could not look at him.
‘
I didn
’
t know.
’

Jack analysed my expression.
‘
You look upset.
’

I took a deep breath.
‘
I
’
m confused.
’

‘What is there to be confused about?’ he asked. ‘We’re best friends, right?’

‘Yes,’ I confirmed,
still averting my gaze.

‘And we care about each other?’

I nodded. Did he know how much I really cared?

‘So, I reckon we could make a go of it, you know?’

My eyes darted upward and I stared at Jack. His eyebrows were raised and his expression was keen as though he expected me to say something.

I thought about what it might be like to be Jack
’
s girlfriend. What would change? We already spent every waking moment together. I supposed that Jack would want to kiss me more.
Yes, the kiss was nice
. What else did a girlfriend do? Would he want to touch me? Had he wanted that for a while? Perhaps he had fantasised about it before.

The thought of Jack being with another woman was unbearable, but I could not stop him from moving on if I was to reject his advances. But I did not want to reject him because I cared about Jack as more than a friend, more than a brother.

But I needed to find my family first. No distractions. And if Helena had been damaged beyond repair …
No
… Jack would not have my full attention. He deserved better than that.

I went on my toes embraced Jack tightly.
‘
I
’
m sorry,
’
I said, my voice muffled by his jacket.
‘
I can
’
t. Not now. Not yet.
’

I pulled away and saw the disappointment in his face, but he did not look surprised,
‘
I thought that maybe-
’
he broke off.

‘What?’ I pressed.

‘I thought maybe you felt it too,’ he said, his ears pink.

‘It has nothing to do with how I feel about you,’ I said, my cheeks burning scarlet. ‘It is not the right time, that’s all.’

‘Are you sure that’s all?’ he asked.

‘I’m sorry,’ I said again.

He seemed frustrated.
‘
I
’
ll wait.
’

‘For how long?’ I asked.

‘As long as it takes.’

It was late afternoon when Flame
throat came into view, with it
’
s many turrets and towers sparkling in the late afternoon sun. There was no wall around this city, as I been accustomed to seeing around big cities.

The thing that shocked me most, as Jack and I walked down the sloping hill was the grass. It was red, orange and yellow, it was not dying or dried out but healthy and luscious.

‘
It
’
s so vibrant
’
said Jack, looking around. Even the leaves on the trees were orange, as though autumn had come early.

‘
Like fire,
’
I said with a small smile.

Jack smiled and found my hand as we took the winding road that led into the valley. He entwined his fingers in mine and squeezed gently.

‘
Let
’
s find this
Martinez character,
’
he said.

Jack and I wandered down the streets of the glimmering city. It was absolutely breathtaking. Autumn leaves scattered the pavement, buildings were clean and rose high into the sky, their windows sparkling in the sunlight. Everything seemed to have an orange hue, as though the town was bathed in a warm ray of sunlight.

People walked about at a leisurely pace, smiling and chatting. Many wore elegant robes of burnt umber, with a red tree emblazoned upon the chest and back.

The people here were stranger than those in Concord City or Frost Arch or indeed anywhere I had ever been. What was stranger still, everyone seemed to be accompanied by an animal. Not regular animals, like dogs, birds, or rats. No, I had never seen these kinds of animals before in my life.

A woman passed and I saw that she had a cinnamon ferret perched on her shoulder that was jabbering away in rapid French. I stared after them and the ferret seemed to have noticed me gawking at him, because he said
‘
pas d'âme
,
’
in an undertone as they walked away.

Jack
’
s head turned this way and that as he took in our surroundings.

‘
This place is strange,
’
he said with wide eyes.

‘
Why does everyone have an animal with them?
’
I wondered aloud,
‘
And why could that one talk?
’

Jack shrugged and stared at a man who had a leash in his hand but nothing on the end of it. Instead, the collar floated above the ground of its own accord. As they passed, the invisible animal on the end of the leash started barking at us.

‘
Sorry,
’
said the man as he passed.
‘
He
’
s just a puppy.
’

Jack and I slowed to a stroll and observed everything more carefully.

A little girl rode on the back of an astronomical bird the size of an ostrich, which ran down the street very fast. A teenage boy sat on a bench while a golden fish swam around his head in thin air.

‘
They
’
re amazing,
’
I breathed, completely in awe.

‘
You know what, Ava?
’
Jack said with a small crease in his brow,
‘
I think I would be quite safe in saying, that you could bring Hawthorne here.
’

I raised my eyebrows.
‘
You
’
re right,
’
I said.
‘
He would not be out of place at all.
’
We stared as
a stag with legs as long as street-lamps walked by us, the owner riding high upon it.

We passed shops and taverns with signs on the doors that said things like
‘
Spirit
’
s welcome
’
or
‘
Keep your Spirit under control
’
.

‘
Spirits?
’
I said.

‘
I don
’
t think they mean alcohol,
’
Jack replied thoughtfully as we passed another of these signs on a shop front door.

‘
Look at that.
’
I pointed to a shop across the street.

Jack read the lettering on the shop window.
‘
Style your Spirit.
’
He frowned,
‘
It
’
s very pink.
’

The shop was a violent shade of magenta and had an assortment of frilly things on display. A rack of sparkling collars gave me an idea.

‘
Do you think these animals are called Spirits?
’
I wondered aloud, nodding towards a dog that had steam billowing from its nose and little black wings on it
’
s back.

‘
Maybe,
’
said Jack.
‘
We should get Hawthorne something. I
’
m sure he would love a pink collar.
’

I nudged Jack playfully, before adding,
‘
It looks like the Inn allows pets too.
’

‘
Let
’
s get him,
’
Jack made to turn in the opposite direction, but I stopped him.

‘
Where are you going?
’
I asked.

He pointed a thumb over his shoulder,
‘
He is hiding in the forest. We don
’
t have to hide him here.
’

‘
We don
’
t need to go and fetch him,
’
I said.

‘
Why not?
’
Jack seemed surprised. He knew how attached I was to Hawthorne.

‘
Hawthorne knows when I need him,
’
I said.
‘
He will be here soon.
’

Jack scoffed,
‘
Avalon, he
’
s not psychic.
’

‘
Just wait,
’
I smiled.
‘
Hawthorne isn
’
t ordinary. I can
’
t explain the bond we have. Trust me, he will be here soon.
’

Jack was rendered speechless when Hawthorne was at our side within a few minutes. He was camouflaged as the pattern of the pavement.

‘
How the bloody hell-?
’
Jack began, rather gobsmacked.

‘
It
’
s all right,
’
I told Hawthorne, reaching up and patting his furry neck.
‘
You don
’
t have to hide here. Look.
’

I pointed around to all of the other strange animals.

Hawthorne gave a little shake, as though ridding himself of his disguise and was his usual, white self again. People looked at him as they walked down the street, but no one expressed alarm.

A little girl who was holding her mothers hand cried,
‘
Oh! Mummy! Look at that one! Can I pat him?
’

The mother tugged at her child.
‘
You know you aren
’
t supposed to touch other people
’
s spirits. It
’
s very rude.
’

I watched the little girl walk away and then I turned to Jack,
‘
Why do they call them spirits?
’