Forbidden

-Chapter Twelve: The Note He Sent-

The ball finished faster then what Jack had originally wished for, but for an odd reason he didn't want it to end. He found humour in how the white-haired boy tried to get away from the group of hopeless bachelorettes as they chased him around the ballroom. Or how at the end of the end of the ball Ace passed out against an older woman, who was supposedly in charge of the higher ups in Findara. As much as Jack would like to go to his dad saying how much he really did not want to go to that ball, he found himself wanting to talk about everything he saw. It was like a whole different world within Findara. Jack wanted to talk about everything Ace did. How Ace has a group of rebellions. How Ace is amazing. Jack wanted to see him again, to spend some more time with him, and to learn more about him. He knew he should not say anything about Ace, at least not on the carriage ride back to the forest before going home.

"So, what were you doing there Lady Veronica?" Zehra teased as Vulpecula wiped down a bloody dagger.

"I was making a five-course meal." Vulpecula said nonchalantly, not bothering to look up.

"You better not leave any evidence." Leo Percy shouted up from outside where he steered the horses.

"I was a professional cleaner in my past life, don't you worry about it!" Vulpecula shouted back.

"And where were you?" Zehra asked nudging, smirking at Jack who sat across from her.

"I had a chance to meet Ace." Jack smiled and Vulpecula took interest and smiled along with Zehra.

"Oh! What happened?!" Eris and Leo Percy exclaimed at the same time as they approached the forest, slowly making the horse come to a halt.

"I had so much rage seeing him at first, then the moment I looked into his eyes, I felt all the prejudice and hate towards Findara disappear for a moment. His eyes were so soft and wide, he looked like he's been hurting for a while now. He looks so tired. When I watched the group sneak off to the forest, I noticed how he felt relieved." Jack explained as they all stepped out of the carriage.

"Wait Ace watched them leave?" Zehra asked as Jack nodded his head.

"He wants to break free from the norms of killing people that don't fit 'their' views. There was someone he waved to, he looked happy that they were leaving." Jack explained, smiling.

"He has that look in his eyes." Eris said as the group gathered in front of Jack and stared at his eyes, making him very uncomfortable.

"Oh my! He does!" Zehra exclaimed as Jack's cheeks went red.

"I have no clue what you are talking about." Jack huffed as he walked over to the horses to pet them. He knew they were right; he did have that look in his eyes. Jack could not help it. His mind has not forgotten the sight of Ace in the moonlight. Every time he thinks about the Findarian, his heart skips a beat or two. It felt like he was about to have a heart attack, but in the most delightful way ever.

"You can tease him about it later. You all really need to start meeting everyone in the forest and talk about what Leo Percy found in the war room. Leave the horses be, I will attend to them so they're safe." Sellandia stated making the group jump at her sudden appearance, but quickly obeyed.

"Just a full-on warning before we get any deeper into the woods: ignore the screams." Jack warned making Zehra and Leo Percy huddle close to each other, afraid of what would come. Jack looked over his shoulder as he led the group through the forest every once in a while, to see their expression. It was much like his when he first entered through the layers of the forest. By the time they got to the screams, Jack let out a chuckle to see everyone wince at the horrid noise. Even Jack got shivers down his spine when he decided to listen to the screaming winds.