“I know,” I replied softly, my voice thick with emotion. “One day, we will be able to leave each other for short amounts of time and it won't feel like we are saying goodbye forever.”
“One day,” he agreed hoarsely and then stepped back so that he could look into my eyes. “Eden, hurry back to me.” He kissed me on the forehead and then hugged me closely one more time before turning his back on me completely and walking away.
I was alone now, without even magic to keep me company. The dense canopy of the thick, dark forest blocked out any light that the cloudy sky could have produced.
I reached into my backpack and pulled out the large flashlight that Titus picked up for me this afternoon, flicked it on and headed into the cave. I said a quick, silent prayer asking for strength.
The cave narrowed into a tubular tunnel, with rounded sides and rough, uneven ground. Each foot step echoed in the darkness, and the glow from the flashlight only shone a few feet in front of me. I tried to run, to reach my destination as quickly as possible, but the broken terrain and constricted space made it impossible.
I cursed, frustrated by fear and uncertainty. I heard all kinds of sounds and hated that I couldn't distinguish real from imaginary. I tried to talk myself into courage, I tried to convince myself that the far off echoes of rocks skidding against concrete and the splashes of water were rats or foxes or any other rodent interested in dark tunnels and isolation. I reminded myself that I would feel the flare of magic, I would sense another Immortal, but my imagination was working on overtime and my anxiety already heightened.
I picked up my pace, putting confidence in years of yoga without any knowledge of magic. I used to be athletic and had to try at it. I hiked mountains recently; I walked the city of Paris. I could do this.
Eventually, I found the other side of the tunnel, coming into the soft, eery glow of the moonlight next to a white brick house with one wall made completely out of glass. My blood flared instantly once I was out of the tunnel, the sixth sense of magic alarming me that enemies surrounded me.
I paused for a moment, hugging the cool brick and taking in my surroundings. There were five acres of land between the main house and me. I could see the house in the distance but without magic it was hard to determine the best route. Titans walked the ground tirelessly, back and forth all around me, making sure every inch of the palace was secured.
I had to move, if I stayed where I was, they would find me. The Guards would stumble upon me during a routine check of the area. I steadied my quickened breathing and took careful steps forward; passed the pool house and into the midnight shade of a water shed not far from the pool.
I would have to make progress slowly the entire way. I did my best to remain noiseless but I knew my hearing was handicapped without magic. The Titans however, did not share the same disability.
After the shed, there was a small landscaped area of trimmed bushes and after another Titan sweep of the area, I moved to them. I slowly started to notice a pattern of how the guards walked and moved across the grounds. So far, there were at least ten groups of four Titans and they moved back and forth across the property, starting at the main house and zigzagging to the end of the acreage opposite the two teams surrounding them.
My small movements and calculated steps could work, as long as I stayed quiet, motionless when they were near and banished any trace of untamed magic. I moved again from the brush to another outer building standing next to a large jacuzzi tub. The water boiled and bubbled, reflecting brilliantly in the moonlight and the building that hid my shadow made loud pumping noises.
I stood up from my small, crouched position ready to move on, when I suddenly froze by the sound of two guards that were just on the other side of the building from. One of them was relieving himself against the building while the other one stood guard.
I shrunk back down into a ball of camouflage and held my breath not wanting to make even a blade of grass shudder unnaturally.
“They say the prince won't live through the weekend,” one of the Guards commented quietly. My ears instantly perked up, I quickly pushed myself closer to the stone, wanting to blend in as effortlessly as I could with the darkened wall.
“And then what?” the other one asked.
“Well, we don't really need him anymore, do we? The king has all the power he needs to live forever, an heir isn't necessary,” he answered, almost amused.
“But the old man died, didn't he? Eventually, the king's luck will run out and then this kingdom will be leaderless again,” the other one mumbled carefully, as if afraid someone would hear him.
“Well, we could always turn to you know who! I hear rumors that she is supposed to be the one with a crown on her head anyway,” the other one whispered and my heart started beating wildly at the accusation.
“Ssh, if someone hears you, you'll find out what the inside of that Romanian prison is like,” the other one warned. “But do you think it's true? Do you think she's the reason the prince is dying now?”
“I don't know what to think,” the first one said seriously. I heard the zipper of pants and then the two men turned and their voices disappeared into the still night.
I followed stealthily after them, moving from hiding spot to hiding spot until the latticed vines stood ominously in front of me. I crouched, hidden in the bushes that lined the back of the house and directly underneath the balcony Sebastian had drawn accurately on his map, without any idea how I was going to climb the wall without being seen.
I reached into my pocket and pulled out the cellphone I borrowed from Titus. Texting as quickly as I could, I sent a message to Jericho asking for a reason to have all of the Titan's run toward the front of the property. I threw in a suggestion about an explosion and then instantly regretted sending Xander, the explosives expert, to a different continent.
I received Jericho's response in no time and whispered another silent prayer that the plan would actually work. I waited in the dark for what seemed like an hour, but after glancing at my wrist watch realized it had only been fifteen minutes.
My magic was getting harder to suppress the more anxious I became and since the grounds were already buzzing with magical energy, I knew I didn't have much more time. I had to keep the magic shut off until the exact moment I would kill Kiran, otherwise the Guards in the hall would get inside the room before I was ready.
I worked on breathing calmly when the midnight sky suddenly glowed with a distant light disturbing the peaceful night and an explosion so loud, my ears started ringing.
Angry shouting could be heard all across the acreage and I sunk lower to the ground as the Guard policing the back of the property all rushed to the front in a mobilized effort to secure the Crowned Prince.
I couldn't hesitate another moment. As soon as the last trailing guard was around the corner, I shimmied my way up the lattice, carefully slipping my feet into the tiny squares housing the wild vines.
At the top of the lattice, I stretched as high as I could to reach the floor of the balcony and pull myself up with muscles I didn't realize I possessed. On the outer balcony ledge, I scrambled to my feet, throwing my chest over the top of the tall, thick stone railing and tumbled to the ground on the other side.
I immediately crawled to the corner of the balcony, hiding myself in the shadows and pulling my knees to my chest. I buried my face in my knees, willing myself invisible in the darkness.
I heard the balcony doors open and someone step outside looking for anything out of the ordinary.
“Mimi, I'm going to go see what is going on, will you be all right alone?” Talbott's thick, accented voice asked from the balcony only a few feet away from me.
“Yes, I'll be fine. You need to go see,” Sebastian's sister replied from inside the room.
“There are Guards right outside the door if you need any help,” I heard Talbott assure her.
He left the balcony door open and from inside the room I could hear him exit through the other side.
This was too easy.
I stood up, brushing the dirt and dust off my black, monotone, cat-burglar outfit. I walked carefully to the balcony door, passed some lavish outdoor furniture and into Kiran's room.
The night breeze rustled behind me, sending the wind into the room and moving the covers gently that lay across a sleeping Kiran.
“Eden,” he gasped suddenly, lost in the depths of his painful coma. I froze in place, not sure what to do. He reached out in unconsciousness, his eyes tightly shut and sweat tricking down from his brow. I paused for a few seconds longer, making sure he was still asleep and the utterance of my name was only a coincidence.
My magic was suddenly very hard to control, and I swallowed the lump in my throat that had unexplainably begun to rise. In the back of my mind, I remembered that Amelia was still in the room, that she was probably watching me, moments away from screaming out for help. But all I could do was stare at the dying, unconscious figure of Kiran, peacefully unaware of what I had come to do and remind myself to breathe.
I was slammed with emotions that I had not accounted for. I was prepared for rage, and hatred and vengeance, but not for love and desire, and most certainly not for longing.
I took quiet, careful steps to his bedside, breathing in the familiar scent of him and wanting more than anything in the world to brush back his blonde tussles that had fallen across his forehead.
A floor board creaked from across the room and I heard a gasp. I turned quickly to Amelia, remembering my purpose, remembering my cause. I brought a single finger to my lips, warning her silently not to say anything else or make another sound.
I thought she would be afraid, I thought I would startle her, I assumed I would frighten her. But when my eyes met hers I was greeted with a smile. She rushed to my side, throwing her arms around my waist and hugging me tightly.
“I knew you would come, I knew you would,” she whispered excitedly. “He was so close to death, so ready to give up, but you have come to save him.”
“Amelia?” I questioned, confused by her presence. “What are you doing here?”
“I am Kiran's nurse, I have been by his bedside for weeks now,” she answered plainly, still happy to see me.
“Do you know, that I made your brother a promise about you?” I whispered, still confused. Surely, Sebastian wouldn't suggest that I come if he knew his sister would be here. I swore to him that I would kill her if anything happened to Avalon. And something did happen to Avalon. But as she stood in front of me I could find no strength to hurt her. There was nothing inside of me that wanted to take anything from the sweet, innocent child and I worried about what kind of bad guy I really was.
“Sebastian told me what you said, but I don't believe you. You are too good.” She slipped her small hand into mine and her big, brown eyes searched mine for confirmation that she was right. “So you've come to heal him?” She asked, her doe eyes large and insisting.
“No, no, no. Amelia, I'm sorry, you have it wrong,” I insisted, wishing with everything I had that I didn't like this girl so much.
“No, I don't have it wrong,” she implored, “I told Talbott you wouldn't let him die like this, but he didn't believe me. And see? Here you are, right before it is too late.”