Mallory's Melody

Chapter 56

JASON THOUGHT SUSAN WAS JOKING when he said Starlight Academy was on fire. 

She'd called him when he was in the cellar William said he would find Mallory in. Susan's voice was tinged with fear, and in the background were the faint wailings of ambulances and firetrucks.

"Starlight is on fire, Jason! I'm not even joking. Get out of there now! The firefighters are here. They said if you don't—"

Jason cut the call before she finished that statement. He didn't want her to have the opportunity to say something that would make him turn back now. His mind was already made up on what he was going to do. He would find Mallory and all others who were caged underneath and get them out of this little hellhole, but as he climbed down the candle-lit stairwell that leaked into a hallway, he was becoming increasingly reluctant to do just that. Fear slapped him here and there. Alarm coursed through his veins, and sirens of logic were shouting in his brain. If Starlight really was on fire, like Susan said, he had to get out now; he had to—

You know there's no leaving her. You know that like you know your alphabets, you little scumbag.

He'd always laughed whenever he read Romeo and Juliet, always thought there was something profoundly illogical about two lovers who killed themselves to be with each other. But this was not any different from that. He was willing to walk through flames for Mallory Trent. He was willing to burn to ashes to sight a glimpse, just a glimpse of her face again. If his destiny was to die, then destiny be it, to die on Mallory's account and no one else's.

Every cell in his body was driven by the desire to find her. He ran through the hallways, opening and closing doors, yelling her name, cursing, shouting, praying. And when he came face to face with the last door, a large metal door that was heavily bolted, he clung on to every ounce of hope in his body, every once of strength. He needed all the mental fortitude he could gather, because if he opened that door and found out she wasn't in there, he would lose it. He would, by his own volition, walk into the flames Susan said had dominated the Academy. He couldn't imagine a life without her.

"Here it is," Jason said, closing his eyes as he unbolted the locks and pushed the door away from him. He opened it slowly, to lessen to blow if it were that she wasn't in there. But as he opened his eyes, he was taken off guard, not by the blow of her absence, but by the overwhelm of her presence. She was sitting against a wall, her ankles and wrists bounded by chains, and her face streaked with tears. She seemed not to have noticed his entrance for a while, but just like him, she eventually felt his presence as strongly as expensive cologne. She roused her head slowly to meet his face. Her face was expressionless, and a numbness filled Jason's heart. And one might think they were unhappy to see each other, but it was only a delayed response. The passion in Jason broke free. He ran towards her and hugged her tightly, her giggles filling a void he had for a long time.

"Jason," she said, feeling his face, "Is it really you?"

Jason couldn't help but grin. He hugged again, and again until he never thought he would be able to live without feeling her body next to his. She felt his hair, his neck, every part of his body. It would have gone on forever, the hugging, cuddling, feeling, if Diana's pestering voice hadn't interrupted them.

"I'd rather die than to sit here and watch this," she said, making retching noises. Jason looked up at her and couldn't help but smile. He'd missed her.

Her face softened. "Glad you came back buddy."

Jason gave her a nod. He turned to the woman who was leaning against the wall, the half of her face enveloped in the darkness. He looked at her and marvelled at the familiarity in her face. Was this the woman William had spoken of? The one who was her mother. He had a million questions to ask, but so little time. All he could say to her was, "William says you're my mother."

Astonishment emanated from her features. She studied him for a long while. "No freaking way...Is it you? Is it Jeffery?"

"Jason," he corrected. "Nice to meet you too, um..."

"Ava," she said. "Jenny Harrison."

Jason wanted to hug her, but he didn't think it would be appropriate, to hug a woman he hardly knew. She might be his mother, but he felt no connection whatsoever over with her. She was a stranger and should be treated accordingly, at least until they crossed the boundaries of unfamiliarity. He was happy still, happy to know his biological mother.

Jason was about to release them from their chains when he sighted Cole Trent sleeping on the floor, or at least he thought he was, but sleeping people hardly had the kind of peace he had on his face, a peace so palpable, it was almost supernatural. The foaming at his mouth made Jason think up a million other possibilities, possibilities that didn't include death. It couldn't be possible. It couldn't.

Jason turned to Diana. She gave him a 'don't ask' look. And he knew why. Mallory was in deep denial. Any reminder that her father had died would crush her. It had been the same way for him when Lillian had died, everyone but him accepted it. He went to her grave for months, sat by it and waited for the moment when Lillian would rise from it and announce that she was alive. She, of course, never did.

"I'm taking Cole with me," Mallory said after Jason disbanded her chains. "He's deeply asleep. I don't want to wake him—"

"He's dead, Mallory," Diana cut in, putting it as harshly as one could. "Your father is dead. Accept it and move the hell on."

Jason gave her a 'are you crazy?' look.

Mallory made a move to hit Diana, but Jason restrained her. Diana rolled her eyes and walked out of the room with Jenny. "The faster she accepts it the better, for her, for all of us."

"Diana's talking rubbish," Mallory said to him. She touched his arm. "Tell me she's talking rubbish. Say it, please. My father is not death. My father can't be dead!"

Jason looked at her with pity. He knew what he had to do, but it was so had to, knowing how crushed she'd be by the news. It was hard to hurt her with the way she looked at him, with so much hope, expectation.

He looked away from her. "We have to leave Cole behind Mallory."

Wrinkles of anger formed on her forehead. "How can you say that, Jace? How can you?"

"Please tell her the truth, Jace. We don't have the time!" Diana yelled from outside.

Jason swallowed hard. "You have to understand how hard this is for me Mal...but your father is dead."

For a moment, Jason feared, with the ireful look on her face, that she would hit him, but a calm settled on her face again, the calm of denial.

"Can we at least bring him along? I can carry him—"

Jason sighed. How hard could she make this be?

"There's a fire outbreak now, Mal. He'd slow us down if we string him along. Surely, you have to understand. You have to leave him—"

Diana popped her head in. "Sorry, but did you just say fire?"

Jason's silence was answer enough.

Cursing, Diana stepped into the room and yanked Mallory out, ignoring her aggressive demands to be reunited with her dead father. Jason followed behind, but stopped briefly to look back at Cole Trent's corpse. He shrugged off his jacket and lay it over his peaceful face. It was his way of honouring him, of honouring the man who was brave enough to save his daughter from herself, a man who persevered up to the point of death, the kind of man he hoped he would be for Mallory.

"Goodbye, sir."

Jason looked at Cole one last time before shutting the door on him.