I looked past him, trying to catch a glimpse of what he was looking at. I couldn’t see anything.
‘Well?’ I pressed.
Obediently, Hawthorne lowered himself to the ground so I could clamber on top of his back. I rested my knees in the crook of his wings as he straightened up. Any moment now, I would feel the rush of the wind as it blew through my hair. The anticipation was almost as exciting as the act itself.
I dug my heels into Hawthorne’s sides, and he stretched out his enormous, white wings that spanned over twelve feet each. There was barely enough room amongst all these trees.
As he beat them hard, dust lifted and formed a mist around us. Slowly, Hawthorne’s paws left the ground as the beating of his wings became harder. Soon, we were coming level with the treetops.
‘Higher!’ I called to Hawthorne, smiling widely.
He obeyed, soaring high into the sky.
My hair was whipped back as we swooped and dived, pulling up just in time before we touched the tops of the trees. I couldn’t help but grin as we rode the wind. It was natural.
Hawthorne, however, seemed distracted. He often glanced over his shoulder to see if I’d had enough, or scoured the ground as though looking for something.
I could tell that his heart wasn’t in it this morning. Giving up, I directed Hawthorne back to the ground, where I dismounted unwillingly.
‘Is everything okay?’ I asked, stroking his long snout.
His shocking blue eyes penetrated me, yet he showed no signs of distress.
‘Well,’ I said, burying my hands in the pockets of my dress. ‘I’ll be at the house. Come home soon, okay?’
Hawthorne nudged me with his nose in acceptance, and I reluctantly trudged away from the forest.
Chapter Three
Becoming Jack’s
‘Good timing, Red,’ called Jack from across the lawn.
He marched across the grass, meeting me at the front porch.
‘Are you done with work already?’ I asked.
He nodded, jingling his pockets to indicate that he had earned money for his house-visit.
‘All done. I can’t work all day on your birthday, can I?’ He grinned at me.
I had already forgotten that it was my birthday. My mood had been rather deflated since Helena and Hawthorne.
‘What’s the matter?’ asked Jack.
I chewed the inside of my cheek, looking over my shoulder towards the forest.
‘Is it just me, or has Hawthorne been acting strange lately?’
Jack followed my gaze and watched the tree line too.
After a moment of silence, he shrugged. ‘He is just becoming more independent. He’s not a pup anymore, Ava.’
Perhaps this was true. In fact, Hawthorne was nearing one year of age. I wasn’t sure how fast Vulmessian’s matured in comparison to Mages. Maybe Hawthorne was turning into an adult.
‘Stop worrying,’ said Jack.
‘You’re probably right,’ I agreed.
‘Let’s do something exciting. It is your birthday, after all.’
Jack demanded that we have some fun, so he walked me into the centre of town and bought me a cheese-bun with the money he had earned from healing the other villagers. I was very appreciative of the gesture, and my mood had improved considerably by noon.
We spent the day at a small pond, feeding the ducks pieces of bread, talking, and laughing, like normal people do. Finally, at the end of the day, Jack and I walked home, hand in hand.
‘You know, your dad thinks I am your boyfriend,’ said Jack as we dawdled home. The sun was setting behind the hills, casting a pinkish hue over the horizon. Finally, the heat of the day was fading away.
‘Mmh,’ I said, noncommittally as I kicked a large stone along the path.
‘We haven’t really talked about it,’ he continued, slowing his speed to a snail's pace. ‘You and I.’
I remained silent, watching my feet as we walked.
‘Things just … kept getting in the way, right?’ he said.
‘Right,’ I agreed.
Jack stopped walking and gripped my hand. He pulled me towards his chest and embraced me tightly.
Looking up at him, I smiled. ‘What’s this for?’ I asked.
‘I know you’re afraid,’ he said.
‘Afraid?’ I repeated.
‘You’re afraid to commit. I know you think you’re not good enough,’ said Jack. ‘You’re worried that you can’t give me the attention I want. But you’re wrong.’
He was right. That was exactly what I thought.
‘How can I commit when I am so close to a break-through with Helena?’
Jack took a deep breath, but held his tongue.
‘Jack, she tried to say my name again today.’ I wished he would believe me.
‘I understand you want to believe it’s true-’ he began.
‘It is true.’
‘You are projecting what you desire onto Helena. You’re hearing what you want to hear.’
This made me angry, and Jack could tell instantly, for my core temperature rose over thirty degrees within a matter of seconds. I tried to break free of his embrace, but he held me tightly.
‘Is this really about Helena?’ he asked.