Her long black hair, always down, and a tangled mess from all the running and hiding they had to do. Then there was her clothes; always burned around the hems. But her smile was the most dazzling thing about Avalon; the way it made her cheeks like two rosy apples, and the way it reached her eyes. But it had been several weeks since he’d seen her, and he fretted that the image captured in his mind was beginning to fade.
He tried to remember the way she held herself, the body language, but it was difficult to picture. He saw her in his mind's eye, crouching over a fireplace and igniting the wood. She turned to him and smiled, the flames casting an orange glow over her skin. This forgotten memory stung him. It was one of the first times he’d thought how beautiful she was, back on her first day at the Forsythe manor.
What did she smell like? He could barely recall. She smelled like marshmallow being toasted over a bonfire. Smoky and sweet. The memory of the scent made him smile, but he soon came to his senses when R?ven tapped him on the shoulder.
‘Hmm?’ he mumbled. He’d been lost in thought for several minutes.
R?ven pointed towards Cecilia, who was about to introduce the new recruits.
‘Today we have Penny and Tom Truscott, who can change their physical size, and mimic Power, respectively,’ Cecilia told the room. ‘Next there is Elise, who is super fast, and her husband Bran Stalk, who is exceedingly strong. Robert Scotland here, can manipulate naturally occurring materials, such as stone and metal.’
There was a general murmuring of appreciation for the new recruits. Cecilia then turned to Kenneth Redding.
‘And this is Ken Red,’ said Cecilia. ‘So that concludes our new recruits for this evening.’
And that was it. She didn’t say his full name, or his Power. She didn’t even mention that he was the father of the infamous Avalon Redding.
‘She didn’t introduce Mr. Redding properly,’ said R?ven, tugging on Jack’s shirt.
‘Maybe she did it on purpose,’ said Jack, dazedly.
‘Also, I’m happy to announce that we have reached one-hundred-and-eight members!’ Cecilia continued There was a smattering of applause. Jack wondered how so many people managed to fit into Cecilia’s house. Perhaps they had enchanted it.
‘Now to talk about the recent developments within the Realm-’ Cecilia continued with the formalities, but Jack tuned out.
Instead, he made his way over to Mr. Redding, who stood amongst the other members. He seemed strangely out of place, and tense, as though he didn’t want to be here.
‘Mr. Redding,’ said Jack, slipping through the crowd.
Kenneth looked around to see who had said his name. When he spotted Jack, his face broke into an expression of relief.
‘Jack!’ he breathed, grabbing him by the shoulder. ‘I hoped I would find you here.’
‘You made it,’ said Jack. ‘Where is Mrs. Redding? And Helena?’
Mr. Redding looked around nervously, as though worried they might be overheard.
‘Please don’t use my real name, Jack,’ he whispered. ‘I don’t want word getting out that I am Avalon’s father.’
‘What? Why not?’ Jack asked.
‘Only Cecilia knows my true identity. Even she got a little over excited when she found out. I don’t know if you realise this, but Avalon has become some kind of symbol of resistance amongst the human rebellion. If they found out that I was a Fire-Mage, they’d assume I knew where she was, which I don’t. Look, just call me Red, okay?’
Jack’s chest stung. ‘Red’ had been his nickname for Avalon, ever since the day he’d met her.
‘All right,’ he agreed.
‘You don’t happen to know where Avalon is, do you?’ asked Mr. Redding.
Jack shook his head.
Mr. Redding sighed. ‘Cecilia seems to be under the impression that Avalon is going to show up in Concord City within the next few days. Do you know anything about that?’
Jack shook his head a second time. ‘I don’t know why Avalon would come here. It seems like suicide.’
‘My thoughts exactly.’
‘Oh, by the way, R?ven is here too,’ said Jack.
‘The bird girl?’ asked Mr. Redding.
Jack proceeded to tell Mr. Redding everything he had learned since coming to Concord City; how R?ven had been spreading the rumours of a human rebellion, and the fact that a cure existed within the Realm headquarters.
‘Now, everyone,’ said Cecilia loudly, grabbing Jack’s attention. ‘I have some exciting news for all of you! We’ve been sitting on this piece of information for a few days now, but we feel confident in saying that Avalon, the Fire-Mage, will be joining us within the next two days.’
Several people cheered, many gasped, and others clapped. The very fact that one-hundred-and-eight people awaited Avalon’s arrival warmed Jack to the heart. Their numbers almost matched that of the Realm’s guard.
Jack was slightly annoyed that Cecilia had held this piece of information from him. He was Avalon’s boyfriend. Surely he had a right to know whether she was on her way.
‘How do you know this?’ he demanded. All eyes turned to Jack.