To Jack’s surprise, Georgia rolled her eyes. ‘Ugh. It’s so hard convincing the ones that are already in love.’
‘What?’ Jack said confused as Georgia flopped back onto the sofa.
She smiled. ‘Well, it’s really a long story, sweetheart.’
Her voice changed. It was no longer girly and simpering, but hard and cold. ‘You are only a pawn, my dear, so I wouldn’t flatter myself too much if I were you. This venture has already proven to be far too complicated with the fire demon involved. I think I’ll leave it here and call it a day.’
‘What are you going on about?’ Jack demanded.
‘I tell you what though, not many people reject me,’ Georgia continued. ‘You must be the first. It is very difficult to manipulate someone who is already in love.’
Jack stared at her, confused.
Georgia sighed. ‘Most men don’t notice until it is pointed out to them. Women, however, they can sense it.’
‘Sense what?’
‘Manipulation of the emotions. Persuasion. Do you remember, I told you how persuasive I could be?’
Jack nodded and suddenly he understood. When Georgia had asked him to saddle her horse, she had touched his arm. When asking him to come for dinner and inviting him to stay for a week she had she had grabbed his hand both times. The night when he had kissed Georgia, he had been comforting her. The urge to kiss her had been overwhelming. And today, had she not convinced Jack of Avalon’s abandonment whilst hugging him?
‘You … you persuade people to think what you want?’ said Jack, unsure.
Georgia nodded, ‘It works better on men, you know. Girls don’t find me quite as charming, you see.’
‘Avalon said you were up to something. Why me? Why try to separate us?’
Georgia rolled her eyes. ‘Oh please, it’s not as though I actually fancy you, Jack, for goodness sake. You are not my type at all. I like strong, muscular men. You, my friend, are like a string-bean, all lanky and skinny.’
Jack felt his ears burning, ‘Then what?’
‘I use people, Jack, to get what I want. I thought a Healer would be a nice addition to my collection.’
‘Your collection?’
Georgia nodded. ‘I have thirty-six boyfriends and eleven husbands. They buy me things, pay my rent and do my chores. I don’t have to work at all. Though, keeping up forty-seven different relationships is quite hard. It’s a full time job you know.’
Jack’s jaw was wide open. ‘Forty-seven?’ he repeated aghast. ‘But … how? Don’t your partners see you in the City with other men?’
‘Oh, no, did I forget to mention that I am a shape-shifter? I can change my appearance at will.’
Understanding blossomed inside of Jack’s head. The realisation must have shown on his face, for Georgia began laughing.
‘I wanted to get Avalon out of the way so I could have you all to myself. But it seems I cannot tempt you away from her. Oh well. I tried.’
‘You sent her away.’ Jack was almost ripping his hair out. ‘What did you say? What did you do?’
‘I posed as you of course,’ Georgia said, inspecting her fingernails lazily. ‘I told her that I did not want her, that she should go. She got upset and became offensive, so I slapped her. That is when she burned my hand.’
Jack curled his fingers into a fist and glared at Georgia, ‘Avalon thinks I hit her?’
Georgia rolled her eyes. ‘If you ask me, she needed a good slap to put her in place.’
‘You are ridiculous,’ said Jack through gritted teeth. ‘You are nothing more than a common whore.’
‘Harsh words,’ Georgia said. ‘Would you prefer it if I looked like this?’
Georgia’s form melted in front of Jack’s eyes and before him stood Avalon. She was the spitting image of his best friend but there was something not quite right about her. It was her eyes. Her eyes were cold and dark.
‘Stop it,’ said Jack. ‘You have no right to steal her face.’
Georgia giggled girlishly, something Avalon would not do. ‘I could murder someone, looking like this and they would never find me.’
Jack was filled with rage, but arguing with Georgia was not important right now. Jack knew he needed to catch up with Avalon and explain everything that had happened. He knew his arrival would not be welcome.
‘Change back,’ Jack ordered.
‘Why? Don’t you like this?’ Georgia advanced on him and slid her arms around his neck.
Jack looked away, determinedly. ‘You aren’t Avalon. She is ten times better than you.’
‘Look at me, Jack,’ Georgia cooed in Avalon’s husky voice.
Against his better judgment, Jack looked into the face of Avalon Redding, who had her arms around his neck, their mouths only inches from one another. He swallowed hard as he tried to block out the tantalising thoughts that floated through his minds eye. He wondered what it would feel like to kiss Avalon. He had wondered it many times before now, but Ava wasn’t to know that.
No. This wasn’t Ava.