‘It’s not my style,’ said Jack, ‘and you can’t do this without me. So, promise you won’t harm anyone.’
‘I won’t,’ snarled Anton.
‘Then I won’t help you,’ said Jack.
‘You’d let innocent men and women rot as slaves? Children, even? If what you say is true, my six-year-old daughter has had her innards scooped out, her memory wiped, and been sold on the slave market! And you’re fine with that?’
‘Of course I’m not fine with it!’ snapped Jack. ‘You’re putting words in my mouth.’
‘Anton!’ snapped Cecilia. ‘Just do as he says!’
‘What?! I can’t believe you’re taking his side!’ said Anton, bewildered. ‘Especially after what the Realm has done to us! We don’t even know him!’
‘I trust him, and I believe everything he says,’ said Cecilia, her tone one of warning. ‘He has given us valuable information.’
‘And what if you’re wrong, huh?’ said Anton. ‘What if he’s lying? You’ve been wrong before now, Cecilia-’
‘Be quiet, Anton!’ Cecilia was on her feet and glaring at Anton.
‘What does he mean you’ve been wrong before?’ asked Jack, standing also.
‘Nothing. He means nothing,’ said Cecilia. ‘Anton, just promise him you won’t harm anyone.’
‘And why should I?’
‘Because we need his help,’ spat Cecilia. ‘How else will we find the cure and get our families back?’
Anton was breathing heavily, spittle escaping from his open mouth. ‘I can’t believe this!’
‘It’s the only way,’ said Cecilia quietly.
All eyes were on Anton as he came to, what appeared to be, a very painful decision. ‘Fine!’ he shouted after a minute of silence. ‘Fine!’
‘And everyone else, too?’ Jack said to the room at large.
There was a general murmuring of agreement.
Jack turned to Cecilia. ‘Are they telling the truth?’ he muttered in her ear.
Cecilia glanced around the room and then nodded to Jack. ‘Yes,’ she said. ‘They are telling the truth.’
‘Good,’ said Jack. ‘I couldn’t handle the guilt if anyone was killed because of my actions.'
Of course, Jack wasn’t to know that every single person in the room did not intend to keep their promise.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Recruiting Dagon
AVALON REDDING
‘C’mon, Avalon! Keep up!’ Fae bellowed. Her voice was barely audible over the rush of the wind as we soared through the air. Mountains could be seen in the distance, veiled by a thick layer of mist, their base hidden by a blanket of clouds.
She was much farther ahead than I. Shadow’s enormous wings beat powerfully, propelling him forward at great speeds.
Willow and Rue were bundled inside my rucksack, their heads poking out of the top. They thrilled in the feel of the wind through their fur. Their tongues lolled, and they panted happily.
I watched as Shadow dipped and twirled through the clouds. Fae rode him effortlessly, as if they were made for one another – which I reminded myself, they probably were. I gasped when I saw Shadow spin upside down, fearful that Fae would fall from his back. But she didn’t - they were thoroughly enjoying themselves.
Hawthorne and I dipped beneath the cloud bank to adjust our direction. We were above the ocean now – heading towards Port. There were some things I needed to do, people I needed to see. Like Dagon for instance, who was the one to fill my head with these ideas. Ideas of revenge.
Fae also helped to fuel my hatred for wrong-doers.
Dagon, too, wanted to overthrow the Realm and find his best friend. After Port, I would head to Scyre, where I would find Mr. and Mrs. Greenwood. Surely they would not be opposed to finding their son. And then there was H.E.L.E.N.A. I didn’t know where all of the members lived, but I knew where I could find Robert Scotland. He too would help me. It was just a matter of a trip to Flamethroat.
I’d fly across the whole damn country if I had to, gathering support for my cause.
I felt as though Fae and I were kindred spirits. She too had done questionable things in her lifetime, just as I had. I was sure she would support me. We’d become close friends over the days we’d spent at the windmill together, and after all, she had saved my life.
However, I knew Fae’s main priority was to find the long-lost love of her life, R?ven. I was eager to reunite the estranged pair, but I really wanted Fae to stick around afterward. She could be useful.
I’d been practicing my Power whilst around Fae, and I was stronger than ever. With her around, any attackers would be useless as their Powers would not work when near her. But mine would.
Not only that, but Fae was an excellent flyer, and very handy with a bow and arrow. I had no doubt that she would not hesitate to help me fight. She seemed to enjoy the violence.
I did not want to kill anyone, of course. I merely wanted to free the humans that the Realm had captured, and if anyone got in my way, well, they’d get what was coming to them.