Falling Ashes (39 page)

She nodded, a smirk playing across her lips.

‘Why would you do that?’ he demanded.

Ethel shrugged. ‘I wanted to know where you were going.’

‘And?’ he pressed. He feared that she had discovered his secret.

‘You didn’t go to any pub or Inn I know about. You vanished.’

Jack licked his lips nervously. ‘What does that matter?’

‘Look Jack … I like you, a lot. But you have to be careful what you do around here.’ Ethel looked over her shoulder to make sure no one else was listening. ‘So if you’ve got something to confess, say it now.’

‘Or what?’ said Jack, his face stony.

‘Or I go to my father,’ she said seriously.

Jack tried to keep his face impassive. ‘There’s nothing to tell,’ he said.

‘Are you sure?’ said Ethel. ‘Because I think there is.’

Jack needed to come up with a scapegoat, and fast.

‘All right,’ he said, feigning a distressed expression. ‘I’ll tell you. But you can’t tell anyone.’

‘That depends on what it is,’ she said, eyeing him warily.

Jack chewed the inside of his cheek as he thought up an alibi.

‘I’m seeing a woman,’ he lied, ‘on the side.’

‘A mistress?’ asked Ethel.

Jack nodded. The very thought of having a mistress behind Avalon’s back was enough to make him feel physically ill. But if Ethel believed it, the story would have to do.

‘I have to say, I’m disappointed,’ said Ethel, her defensive stance slackening. ‘And a little jealous.’

Jack raised his eyebrows. ‘J-jealous?’

Ethel smirked, eyeing him. ‘If you were looking for fun, you didn’t need to look so far.’

Jack shifted uncomfortably, unsure of what he should say.

‘Uh … well that’s … a nice offer,’ he said, avoiding eye contact.

‘Well, it’s an offer that stands,’ she said. ‘If I’d known you were up for it, I would have asked before.’

‘Right,’ said Jack, wishing this conversation would end. ‘Uh … well, goodnight.’

That night, Jack had no choice but to stay in bed, for fear that Ethel would corner him as he left. He didn’t like the idea of having to scorn her advances. While she was a beautiful woman, Jack was not interested in the slightest. At least she was no longer suspicious, for now. He would just have to be more careful when he went to the H.W.L meetings.

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Camryn’s Scorn

AVALON REDDING

I stood, staring at the Forsythe manor, willing myself to take the first steps towards the stables. Hawthorne had deposited me in the woods adjacent to the stables, but that did not make me feel any better about being here. Fae stood next to me, giving me a small shove towards it.

‘What’s the matter?’ she asked. ‘Are you afraid?’

‘I don’t like being back at the manor,’ I admitted. ‘But I’m not afraid.’

To be honest, I was scared of what Camryn would say when she saw me. We hadn’t seen each other in months – not since Jack and I had stolen two Pegasi from her stable and flown to Frost Mountain.

‘She’s going to hate me,’ I said in an undertone.

‘What?’

‘Nothing,’ I shook my head.

‘If she lets us borrow those flying horses, then it’s worth it, right? We need transport to get everyone to Concord city. Terry said he was going to recruit as many people as he could along the way. Not to mention, they’ll come in handy when we attack.’

‘You’re right,’ I said, taking a deep breath. ‘I need to do this.’

‘Want me to come with you?’ asked Fae.

I shook my head. ‘I need to talk to her alone, first. I expect she is rather mad at me. I’ll call you if I need you.’

I made my way forwards, stepping out of the trees. Hawthorne started to follow me, but I shook my head.

‘No, Hawthorne. You stay here, too.’

I heard footsteps near the stable, and instantly hid behind a tree. I watched as a familiar redhead carried two saddles towards the stable doors. Resting them against the wall, she kicked the door open and disappeared inside.

‘Is that her?’ Fae whispered behind me.

I nodded.

‘She is very pretty,’ said Fae, peering over my shoulder. ‘Red hair is very sexy.’

‘Calm down,’ I smirked. ‘Your opinion is biased as you are a redhead too.’

‘Shush.’

I walked to the stables alone. The scene was very different to what I remembered. I was used to seeing a blanket of snow covering every inch of the grounds and the rooftops, but now there was luscious grass and dandelions galore spread before me. I crossed the grass, which was springy under my feet. The feeling was rather unsettling, considering the location.

Reaching the stable doors, I eased them open, wincing as they creaked, knowing the noise would announce my arrival. I poked my head in and looked around to see Camryn throwing the saddle over the back of a black Pegasus. I slipped inside. She still hadn’t noticed my arrival.

I stepped towards her, the hay on the floor crunching noisily under my shoes. The Pegasi’s ears perked up, and they looked in my direction. This caught Camryn’s attention. She turned around, her eyes locking with mine. She dropped the saddle she’d been holding and walked towards the fence of the pen she was currently in. I could only see her from the chest up.

‘
Avalon
!’ she breathed. She didn’t look very happy to see me.

‘Hello, Camryn,’ I said, nervously. ‘How … how are you?’

Camryn put her hands on her hips. ‘You’re asking me how I am? Are you serious?’

I licked my lips nervously. ‘Uh … yeah.’

‘I should call the guards right now to take you away,’ she snapped. ‘After what you did.’

I took a step closer to Camryn, my expression beseeching. ‘Camryn, I’m sorry.’

‘You’re sorry?’ she repeated, a sneer on her face. ‘You ruined
everything
.’

‘I didn’t mean to,’ I said. ‘But I had to do it.’

‘You had to? You are such a bitch, Avalon.’

That hurt, but I probably deserved it.

‘Camryn, we stole your Pegasi to get to Frost Mountain to save Hawthorne. I never meant to upset you.’

Camryn gave me a look that quite clearly said she had no idea what I was talking about. ‘What? I don’t care about that.’

I frowned. ‘Then why are you mad at me?’

Camryn raised her eyebrows as if she couldn’t believe her ears. ‘Are you kidding me? Avalon … you stole Jack from me. You took him!’

‘No … I didn’t steal him,’ I said, defensively.

‘Oh, really?’ said Camryn, a sour expression on his face.

‘I … I didn’t.’

‘Jack was my best friend, Avalon,’ said Camryn, pointing at her own chest. ‘We’ve been friends for
over ten years
. Then you come along, and, all of a sudden, he forgets about me and begins following you around like a lost puppy.’

I stared. ‘I didn’t mean to-’

‘That’s the worst part,’ said Camryn, glaring. ‘I saw him slowly slipping away from me, and you didn’t even care.’

I stared, unable to believe what she was saying. ‘I’m sorry,’ I said.

‘No, you aren’t,’ she snapped. ‘The only reason Jack noticed you in the first place was because you looked like Madeline.’

‘What? That’s not true,’ I said, slightly hurt. Noah had been the one to use me for my resemblance to his late fiancée.

She laughed, a cold, snide laugh. ‘Don’t be daft. He looked at you, and saw
her
.’

‘Why would he? Jack was only a kid when she died.’

‘He admired Madeline as much as Noah did. He was smitten from the first moment she smiled at him. Why else do you think he liked you? Your charming personality?’ Camryn scoffed.

Her words hurt, but I didn’t believe them.

‘You’re talking rubbish,’ I said. ‘Jack doesn’t like me because I look like Madeline. He barely knew her.’

‘Really? You think so? You forget - I know Jack. I grew up with him. I had to listen to him complain every day about Madeline, his father, and other ridiculous things. I was
always
there for him, but he never noticed me.’

‘That’s not my fault,’ I said, becoming angry.

‘Jack only ever liked girls that looked like Madeline. Black hair, blue eyes. It was his …
fetish
or something!’

I rolled my eyes. Camryn was being ridiculous, talking about Jack as though he were manipulative, like Noah.

‘Then you came along, and you looked
just
like Madeline. So he ran away with you, and I don’t hear from him for months on end. He forgot about me as though I were nothing.’

‘No, he didn’t,’ I said. ‘He talks about you all the time.’ It wasn’t true. Jack had probably mentioned Camryn in passing a handful of times. If anything, I’d mentioned her more than he.

‘Don’t lie to me,’ snapped Camryn. ‘He left, and I had no one. Not only that, but he is now a criminal because he’s affiliated with you.’

‘You shouldn’t believe everything you read,’ I said, my face stony.

‘And you shouldn’t believe everything Jack tells you,’ replied Camryn coldly.

‘What’s that supposed to mean?’

Camryn pointed at me. ‘That necklace,’ she said. ‘Why do you think he gave it to you?’

I touched the locket, frowning. ‘Who said he gave it to me?’

Camryn smirked. ‘What did he tell you? That he bought it?’

I shook my head. ‘It was his mother’s.’

Camryn laughed. ‘A lie.’

‘What?’

She smirked. ‘That didn’t belong to his mother. It belonged to Madeline.’

‘
What
?’

Camryn nodded, and I felt my head spin. ‘He stole it from her dresser after she died … as a keepsake. I was there when he took it. I kept watch to make sure he didn’t get caught.’

I looked down at the locket and turned it between my fingers, while Camryn continued talking.

‘He gave it to you so you would look just like her.’

‘You’re lying.’

‘Why would I lie about it?’ she smirked. ‘And how did I know he gave it to you in the first place?’

‘You’re just … jealous,’ I snapped.

‘Jealous?’ sneered Camryn. ‘Of
You
? Please … don’t make me laugh. I’m glad he chose you. I’ve known Jack for a long time. He always plays the good guy – the innocent one. The Healer. Truth be told, Jack is selfish, and ever since he left I’ve been able to move on with my life.’

Camryn opened the stall gate and stepped into view. When I saw her body, I gasped. Her stomach was protruding, and round. Usually slim from all the physical activity she did with the Pegasi, Camryn now had a small belly. It was unmistakably a baby-bump.

‘You’re
pregnant
?’ I gasped.

She nodded. ‘Four months.’

I gaped at her, unsure of what I should say. I wanted to ask so many questions, but Camryn was currently mad with me, and it was none of my business.

‘I spent years waiting for Jack to notice me,’ said Camryn. ‘Hoping he would eventually come around. Do you know how long I loved him? Since I was twelve, Avalon.’

I stared at her belly. I couldn’t take my eyes off it.

‘After he left, it became clear that I had to move on. So I did.’

‘Who … who is the father?’ I asked.

‘That,’ said Camryn, ‘is none of your business.’

It was odd, seeing Camryn moving on. After all, she was the same age as me, and here she was; pregnant. I felt like a child. I had done nothing but run for my life.

‘Look, Avalon, I’m sorry I’ve been such a bitch, but I’ve spent the last few months furious with you.’

‘I understand,’ I said. It felt as though a thousand needles had pierced my heart. These past few weeks I’d been missing Jack terribly, and now Camryn tells me that this necklace had belonged to Madeline? But she was angry with me. Did that mean she had made it up?

‘So is it true?’ I asked. ‘What you said about Jack and the necklace?’ 

Camryn bit her lip and nodded. ‘Sorry.’

It was too much information to handle. My whole world shattered around my feet. I didn’t speak. I couldn’t. The only man I’d loved had lied to me, and I couldn’t even confront him about it.

‘So are you two together now, or what?’

I bit back the tears that stung my eyes. I was heartbroken, and furious with Jack. How could he give me something that had belonged to a dead girl?

‘Yes,’ I said, sniffing back the emotions that threatened to overwhelm me. ‘Well … we were.’

Without another word, I turned on my heel and walked out of the stables. My skin prickled as the hurt and embarrassment coursed through my veins, and I knew it was only a matter of time before I began to discharge fire.