‘He’s not having Hawthorne,’ I said through gritted teeth.
My father turned to me and I knew what he was going to say before the words left his mouth. He was on their side. Not mine.
‘Avalon, what about your sister?’ he said.
I looked at Hawthorne and then at Helena, an empty shell.
‘No,’ I said. ‘There must be another way-’
Bran Stalk stepped towards Hawthorne, ready to hand him over.
‘No!’ I threw myself over Hawthorne protectively.
‘What about my daughter?’ Bran yelled. ‘She’s six!’
‘We should ‘ave a vote,’ said Maria.
‘That’s easy for you to say,’ Elise snapped. ‘You have your son already.’
‘Stop arguing,’ said my father.
‘Hawthorne is mine.’ I said to my father beseechingly. ‘Why do I have to make the sacrifice? He is not something to toss aside!’ I felt control of the situation slipping away from me.
‘Avalon, think about what you are saying,’ said my father. ‘You are choosing an animal over your own family.’
‘He’s not just an animal,’ I said, throwing Jack a pleading look in the hopes that he would come to my defence.
‘Avalon can’t give up Hawthorne,’ said Jack. ‘They’re connected. It would be like giving up half of Avalon.’
My father ignored Jack and glared at me, ‘Choose, Avalon. Your sister or your pet.’
Tears welled and my vision blurred.
Martinez smiled to himself as he watched us arguing. ‘I could make your decision easier for you, if you like,’ he said.
‘How could you possibly make this easier?’ I asked weakly, my voice breaking.
‘Well, I know for a fact that there are only two Vulmessian’s in existence. My spirit, Emilija and the one destined for Elvira Frost, ruler of Frost Arch.’
My heart froze with fear.
‘Not to mention,’ Martinez continued, ‘the ruler of Frost Arch went missing recently. You wouldn’t know anything about that, would you?’
I glanced at Jack, whose face was pale.
‘So I must conclude,’ said Martinez, ‘that you are a thief and possibly … a murderer.’
‘No,’ I said, a little louder than intended.
‘No, to which one?’ Martinez smirked.
‘I’m neither of those things.’ I was lying and he knew it.
‘Avalon,’ my father’s gaze burned through my retinas. ‘What is he talking about?’
‘It’s a misunderstanding. I found Hawthorne,’ I parroted. ‘I found him. He is mine.’
‘So, I shall rephrase my offer,’ said Martinez, now pacing the dungeon. ‘If you give me the Vulmessian, I will release the Humans and I will not turn you in to the authorities. I know there are men looking for you in Frost Arch. Does the name Forsythe ring any bells?’
My mouth was dry. What was I supposed to say? Every eye in the dungeon was on me, waiting for me to make a decision.
‘You have upset some very important people over the last few months,’ said Martinez. ‘Did you think you would go unnoticed? It’s not hard to miss a girl like you, with a pet like that.’
I ignored Martinez and looked around the room. Penny and Tom clutched their fifteen-year-old son, their eyes swimming with tears. Bran Stalk held his little girl in his arms, while Elise stroked her hair. My mother sat on the cold dungeon floor, cradling Helena, crying silently. And then there were the other nameless Humans, all empty shells.
‘Wh-what will you do with Hawthorne?’ I whispered.
‘Avalon, no!’ Jack tugged at my wrist.
‘Quiet!’ snapped my father.
Jack ignored him. ‘You can’t give up Hawthorne,’ He whispered urgently in my ear. ‘He is part of you. Animal spirits bond with their masters on an entirely different medium. If you give up Hawthorne you will be losing part of yourself.’
‘How do you know that?’ I asked.
‘Robert told me this morning, while you were getting ready. But never mind that,’ Jack waved it aside. ‘If you lose Hawthorne, you will never forgive yourself.’
I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. ‘What choice do I have, Jack? Look at these people. They need help.’
Jack looked at me helplessly. He was lost for words. I turned back to Martinez and repeated my question.
‘Well?’ I asked. ‘What will you do with him?’
Martinez smiled. ‘I will breed him with Emilija,’ he said silkily. ‘Their offspring will be worth a fortune. I will be able to export the pups all over the world and Mages will finally have a way to fly. They will bring forth a whole new era of transportation. I was going to offer you a deal at the party, before you pulled your little stunt. I planned to ask your permission to let our animal spirits breed. You could have been very rich indeed, getting half of the profits. Who knows, you could have bought the Humans back from me, in time. But now, obviously, I’d rather take him from you.’