Flamethroat

Jack was not able to heal from afar any more. We figured that it was something he could only do under great pressure. I knew he had the Power within him to do it; we just needed the right circumstances.

R?ven felt guilty too. Although everyone was pleased she had erased Martinez’s memories, she did not seem very thrilled by it. I supposed it reminded her of her parents, a memory which must be very painful for her.

Overall, as a trio we were all rather miserable. We tried to comfort each other, but nothing seemed to work.

That night, R?ven revealed that she would be leaving at once. I suppose it had all been too much for her. I was sad to see her go, but knew she must return to her life in Frost Arch.

‘I wish you could stay with us,’ I said as I embraced her.

R?ven hugged me tightly, resting her chin on my shoulder. ‘I will see you sooner than you think,’ she promised.

‘I hope so,’ I said. ‘I’ll miss you.’

R?ven kissed my cheek and turned to Jack. ‘Take care,’ she said softly.

Jack nodded, his jaw clenched tight. ‘Fly safe,’ he said.

They embraced before R?ven spun on the spot and flew out of the open window into the cool night air.

Jack and I did not talk for a long while. There was nothing to be said. Hawthorne snoozed in front of the fire, his large body rising and falling with each breath. I stared into the flames, feeling lost.

Jack seemed to read my mind. ‘What do we do now?’ he asked.

I pulled my gaze out of the fire. ‘I don’t know.’

After we had fled the Martinez manor with all of the Humans, Robert had offered his home as a safe house. He said it was what Maria would have wanted. There were currently eight Humans living there, including Helena. We knew if The Realm discovered them, we would all be arrested and hanged.

I hadn’t been able to look Helena in the eye since we had returned. She was not the little sister I had once known. Part of me refused to believe that she was gone forever.

Jack had tried to talk to me about it numerous times over the last few days, but I refused to listen. My father was in the same boat. He left the lodge regularly and came back hours later. When we asked where he had been, he simply said ‘for a walk’.

Jack had not talked of ‘us’ in days, for which I was grateful. I could not think about romance right now, not with Helena being the way she was.

We were sitting in our lodge room when he decided to bring it up. I sat on a stool by the fire, staring aimlessly into it’s depths. Jack was trimming his hair in a small, hand-held mirror.

‘It would be much easier if you did this for me,’ he said, angling the mirror to see the side of his head better.

‘You would trust me to cut your hair?’ I asked, turning around to face him.

Jack reconsidered. ‘I see your point.’

I sighed and stood up, stretching. I saw Jack’s eyes linger on my body. Feeling self-conscious, I folded my arms over my chest and looked at my feet. Jack looked away, his ears pink.

‘Are we going to talk about it?’ he said after a long silence.

‘Talk about what?’ I asked, sitting on the edge of his bed.

Jack sat next to me. ‘Helena.’

I held my breath and closed my eyes. ‘No.’

‘We need to discuss it,’ he said. ‘You need to go and see her.’

‘I don’t want to.’

‘Why not?’

‘She isn’t … she’s not-’ I couldn’t find the words to describe it.

‘I know she isn’t the same,’ said Jack, softly.

‘I wish you had known her … before,’ I said.

‘What was she like?’ he asked.

I considered this for a moment. ‘She was the complete opposite of me. She was not afraid to show affection, or say ‘I love you’. I haven’t told my parents that I love them since I was a little girl.’

‘Why not?’

‘I don’t like to be vulnerable,’ I shrugged. ‘Helena was the opposite. She was always putting herself out there.’

‘Tell me more about her.’

I sighed. It was painful to recall these things. ‘She was creative. I remember she was always drawing. And she was funny, I don’t know who she got that from.’

‘Definitely not you,’ Jack gave me a nudge.

I smiled weakly before sighing. ‘I’d rather remember her the way she was, before she was processed.’

Jack frowned. ‘I think you will regret that.’

I ignored him.

‘Please,’ he said, taking my hand. ‘Go to Robert’s house. See your sister.’

I screwed my eyes shut tight, forcing away the sting in the back of my throat. I knew Jack was right, but how could I face Helena?

Finally, I nodded. ‘I will,’ I promised. ‘Tomorrow, after the funeral.’

Jack squeezed my hand reassuringly. ‘Do you want me to come with you?’

My hand tightened around his. ‘Don’t leave my side, okay?’

Jack shook his head. ‘You couldn’t make me leave, even if you tried.’

I stared at Jack for several seconds. ‘Will you kiss me?’ I asked him.

Jack smiled sadly. ‘I’ve waited so long to hear you say that, but it won’t distract your mind from Helena, you know?’

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