But my thoughts of rage were cut short, because at that moment Jack slapped me hard across the face, sending me to the floor. The sound echoed in the mostly empty room.
I sat there in silence, holding my face, utterly flabbergasted. Words failed me. Had that really just happened? Had my best friend, Jack Greenwood just hit me? My face stung and I held it, staring at Jack with wide eyes. He did not look sorry. He continued to glare at me.
‘Don’t talk about Georgia like that,’ he said, pointing a finger at me, barely an inch from my face.
I felt heartsick. I could not stop the inferno that erupted from my body.
The finger that Jack had been pointing at me was engulfed in flames. He screamed at the top of his lungs and fell to the floor, curled in a ball and howling with pain. He gripped his red raw flesh with tears in his eyes. Perhaps the sudden outburst had caught him off guard. I wasn’t sure, but I didn’t stick around to find out.
Scrambling up and running from the room, I grabbed my rucksack that was still in the kitchen and flung it over my shoulder. I could hear Jack wailing in the sitting room. Why didn’t he just heal? I left through the front door without saying goodbye, my eyes full of tears.
Chapter Nine
Learning about Georgia
JACK GREENWOOD
Jack Greenwood was at the market before the sun had risen. He watched as the city folk set up shop, getting ready for another day of business in the capital. At this time of morning the pickings were ripe. The seafood was fresh and the bakers were pulling hot loaves out of their ovens. The smell wafted past Jack’s nose tantalisingly. He wondered whether Ava would like a cheese bun. He knew they were her favourite.
He wanted to surprise Avalon will armfuls of groceries when she awoke - anything to lighten her mood. He had left a note in the sitting room for her to find.
True, he had been disappointed with her after the previous day’s fiasco, but in fairness he had no idea what she was feeling at the time. He could only imagine the pain she had endured. He knew that if anyone harmed someone he cared about, there would be hell to pay. The best Jack could do was make Avalon’s load a little lighter by helping in any way he could. He would do the shopping, cook the food and carry her on his back if it would help her get her family back.
A young woman selling cow milk in a stall paused and looked at Jack. He smiled and she blushed prettily. He thought about going over and introducing himself, but no, he must make it back to Georgia’s before Avalon woke up.
Once Jack had purchased enough bread, cheese and fresh meat to last their journey to Flamethroat Valley, he headed back to the apartment. As he reached the doorstep the sun came over the hillside and shone through the windows of Georgia’s home.
Once he had stepped over the threshold, Jack knew instantly that something was wrong. He could sense pain. Someone had been hurt.
‘Avalon?’ Jack rushed into the kitchen, thinking perhaps she had cut herself whilst making breakfast. No. She was not there.
‘Jack!’ A voice wailed from the sitting room. Jack spun on his heel and rushed to the call.
‘Ava!’ Jack skidded to a halt in the sitting room and looked around. It wasn’t Avalon, it was Georgia. She lay curled in a ball on the floor, cradling a red and shiny hand. Spots of blood stained her clothes.
‘Georgia?’ Jack hurried to her side. ‘What happened? Are you all right?’
Georgia held out the ruined hand and shook with pain. Her face was wet with tears.
‘You’re hurt,’ said Jack. ‘How? What did you do?’
He took her hand in his and proceeded to heal her. Once finished, her hand was still very red, but there was no scarring.
Georgia burst into tears and launched herself into Jack’s lap. He slid his arms around her waist and petted her hair.
‘It’s all right,’ Jack soothed her. ‘It’s okay.’
‘It hurt so much,’ Georgia sobbed into his shirt. ‘I’ve never felt anything like it. It was like my bones were on fire. My flesh … she melted my flesh.’
Jack pulled Georgia away. ‘Who? Avalon?’
Georgia nodded and a fresh wave of tears cascaded down her cheeks.
‘What? Where is she?’
‘She’s gone!’ Georgia said dramatically, wiping her eyes.
‘Gone?’ Jack repeated, confused. ‘Tell me what happened.’
Through hiccups and sobs, Georgia began to explain how she had received her injury.
‘I w-woke up because I could hear someone moving around the house, s-so I went to make sure everything was okay. I saw the note you l-left on the sofa, saying you went to the market, so I started to make breakfast. Th-that’s when I saw her – Avalon. She had her rucksack with her and was sneaking out of the house.’
‘Sneaking out?’ Jack frowned. ‘Are you sure?’
Georgia nodded frantically, hiccupping. ‘I asked her where she was going and she said she was l-leaving you!’
‘Leaving?’ said Jack. ‘You mean she went to Flamethroat without me? Georgia, how long ago did she leave?’