Awake - Book One of the Spinner's Curse

Chapter Seventeen: Stolen Moments

     

Chapter Seventeen:

Stolen Moments

         "Did I choose the wrong moment to intrude?" a voice asked from the thick shadows dancing around us. Ben whipped his head around, leaving my lips brushing the air. I scanned the areas illuminated by the filtered sunlight until I spotted Jack, his hand clutched around a bulging saddlebag. His features were adumbrated by a large sliver of light, casting his features in shadow.

          Spark jumped to his feet. "Aw, Jack, it was just getting good! Why do you have to ruin all the fun?" He stomped his foot like a small child, a pout pulling his bottom lip down. Jack rolled his eyes and held the pouch aloft.

          "I brought food." He swung the bag slightly, letting it capture a shaft of sunlight. Inwardly I groaned as Ben released my face, his fingers sliding down as his eyes followed the bag, hypnotized by the thought of food. I glared at Jack who merely grinned in return. Spark and Ben flew to his side, snatching at the bag, their mouths wide with smiles. I watched as a few apples scattered across the ground, bruising among the multiple rocks.

          Ben and Spark tore through the satchel, sending everything within toppling to the ground. Jack grabbed two of the apples from where they'd fallen in the dirt and walked over to me, polishing them on his shirt. He offered one to me, a sly smile lighting his features. "So, fight's over is it?" he asked, taking a large bite of fruit. I glared at him, taking the apple and twirling it in my hands.

          "No thanks to you." I mumbled, wiping some mud from the stem. Jack laughed, but there was little mirth in it.

           "You're too forgiving, Rory. For a princess, you like to give a little too much." He watched me, his eyes so intense I had to look away. A lock of my hair fell between us, but I didn't have the courage to move it away.

            "Rory, are you hungry?" Ben yelled; his arms full of bread and meat. Spark lunged for him, knocking both Ben and the food to the ground. They wrestled until Spark was sitting smugly atop Ben's back.

            "Yeah, Rory, are you? Because I'm a terrible cook and if you'd make me something I'd let you eat some," Spark teased, shoving Ben's face into the ground and snatching a loaf of bread from him. I smiled indulgently and stood to examine the food laying in a halo around them, most of it smashed by their raucous behavior.

           "I'll make us dinner tonight. We'll eat on the road, the sooner we get going the sooner we can get to my grandmother's," Jack announced, coming up behind me and lightly touching my shoulder. "Clean this up. We might be able to get there before noon tomorrow if we hurry."

           Ben and Spark shared a look before getting to their feet, wiping splotches of mud from their clothes. Mumbling between themselves, they began picking up the strewn articles one by one. I moved to help them but Jack's fingers clenched on my shoulder. "Rory," he forced me to face him, his eyes searching mine. "I don't trust Ben, not yet. We still don't know anything about him..."

           I pulled away. "Maybe you don't, Jack, but I do. I know Ben better than you, and just a few days ago it was you I didn't trust." I looked him up and down, a frown pulling at my lips. "Maybe you should remember that before you tell me I forgive too easily." He looked at me as if I'd just slapped him, but I didn't care. I was happy Ben was back, and I didn't need him to try to take that away. I could trust Ben. I knew him... Didn't I?