I nodded, but kept my face hidden by my long hair.
As a Healer, Mrs. Greenwood was very kind and nurturing. I wondered if Jack’s mother had also been a very maternal woman. Jack was a kindhearted man, though sometimes he didn’t fully understand pain.
After agreeing to stay with me, Mrs. Greenwood kept checking the clock on the mantelpiece, and looking out of the window, as if waiting for someone or something.
‘Is everything okay, Mrs. Greenwood?’ I asked an hour later. We were playing cards in the sitting room, but she kept getting distracted.
‘Hm, what?’ She averted her gaze from the window. ‘Yes, everything is fine. The boys should be home soon enough.’
I nodded, and found myself rather eager to see Mr. Greenwood. He was, after all, Jack’s father.
However, several hours passed, and neither Mr. Greenwood nor Jaime came home. The sun was beginning to set when I questioned Mrs. Greenwood about it.
‘Where do you think they’ve gotten to?’ I asked.
‘Oh, I expect Jaime is off playing with his friends. He is so popular, that boy. He’s always losing track of the time.’
‘Aren’t you worried about him? Shouldn’t you check to make sure he is safe?’
Mrs. Greenwood waved a hand. ‘Oh, he’ll let me know. I’m sure he’ll be home any minute.’
‘What about your husband? I thought you said he went grocery shopping? That was four hours ago.’
‘Don’t worry yourself, Dear. You just worry about your own man.’
I pursed my lips. If I didn’t have a bounty over my head, I’d go out looking for Jack at this very moment. However, if I weren’t a wanted criminal, I wouldn’t be in this position in the first place.
Jack and I would have finished our conversation yesterday. It felt like forever ago.
As I thought about my life, I felt it appropriate to sit back and reflect upon my future options.
How long would the Realm search for me before they gave up? It was unlikely that they would just forget about the whole thing. The way I saw it, the outcome could only be one of three things.
One, they would capture me and imprison me for crimes against Mage-Kind
Two, I could spend my whole life on the run, constantly looking over my shoulder, wondering if I was being followed.
Or Three, they could capture me, and kill me.
Was there a fourth direction my life could go? I could always fake my own death, but how would I manage that? I thought about Georgia Deveraux, the shape-shifter, and how I wished she would impersonate me again. That would wipe the smug smile from her face.
No, that was a horrible thought. No one deserved to be imprisoned when they were innocent. Still … I did not like Georgia at all.
I could adopt a new identity. I could change my face, my hair, and my name. Everything. There must be a Mage somewhere that could change the physical appearance of others.
‘So, Avalon. What do you want to do with your life? Do you have a career path in mind?’
Mrs. Greenwood’s question snapped me back into reality.
‘Oh, um. I don’t know.’ Honestly, the fact that I was a Fire-Mage put my career opportunities into a rather small category. ‘It’s difficult … when people are afraid of my Power.’
Mrs. Greenwood waved a hand. ‘Nonsense! You just need to be confident, and you can achieve anything.’
‘There’s no way to say ‘Hi, I’m a Fire-Mage’ in a positive way.’
‘Sure there is.’ Mrs. Greenwood pursed her lips and thought about it for a few moment. ‘You’re a … daring fire artist.’
‘Fire artist?’ I repeated, with a raised eyebrow.
‘Yes! You can entertain people by … swallowing fire, or something scary like that! People would pay to see it.’
I couldn’t help but laugh at the image that popped into my head. I imagined myself swallowing flames, while Hawthorne jumped through giant, burning hoops.
‘Entertainment is definitely out of the question,’ I said. ‘My Power is far better at destroying things.’
Mrs. Greenwood smiled. ‘Perhaps. Oh! You could become an officer for the Realm. They do like having frightening Powers, don’t they?’
The very idea made me feel sick. ‘No, I don’t think so.’
‘There’s the army, too. No? Hm. You could help others by controlling flames. You could join the fire-fighters!’
I smiled. ‘Thanks, Mrs. Greenwood, but I doubt the fire brigade would want a Fire-Mage on their team. They usually recruit the Water-Mages.’
She pouted. ‘Well, we’ll think of something! What does Jack want to do with himself?’
I thought about what Jack had said the day before. ‘I want to work, save my money, and buy a house. Eventually, I want to get married, and have children, and all of those other things that normal Mages do. And I am not afraid to admit it.’
‘Jack wants to work, and start a family,’ I said, avoiding eye contact.
‘But that’s not what you want?’
Honestly, I hadn’t even considered the possibility of motherhood. I’d never found it very suiting.