Текст книги "Reckless Magic"
Автор книги: Rachel Higginson
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Текущая страница: 23 (всего у книги 24 страниц)
Chapter Forty-Four
Eden…. Where are you?
Something stirred me from my unconsciousness. I fought wakening, and attempted to once again fall into the deep abyss of sleep.
Damn it. Eden, where are you?
A sharper, irritated memory lifted me once again from sleep’s grasp. The memory felt strange, like it wasn’t mine, and even stranger like it was stumbling through a wilderness. I rolled over, and concentrated fully on finding sleep again.
Sticks and rocks jabbed into my side, poking through my oversized sweatshirt. My cheek was wet and grimy from damp leaves that had become my pillow. Gross.
I sat up; realizing the memory that awoke me was not actually a memory but Avalon stumbling through the wilderness trying to find us. I rubbed my bleary eyes surprised by the light of morning. The forest was brightened by daylight, but it must have still been early morning because the sun was just barely shining from the peaks of the eastern mountain tops.
“Eden!” Avalon shouted through the trees. Apparently he got tired of waiting for me to figure out where his voice was coming from.
“Over here,” I struggled to shout back through a hoarse and scratchy morning voice. I cleared my throat and tried again, “Over here.”
I heard Avalon not far away, making his way noisily through the thick trees and underbrush. Someone was with him, although it was hard for me to determine the identity of their magic when I felt like I had just been run over by a bus. I was not sure how long I was asleep, but it wasn’t nearly long enough.
I stood up to brush the leaves and dirt off of me. My legs and back were incredibly sore and I heard several of my joints make a cracking noise as I fought to get to my feet. I didn’t have the patience to deal with tired muscles and aching bones this morning; I sent my magic surging through my body, heating my blood and relieving the tension in my exhausted appendages.
I felt instantly better, the magic did its job and my bones and muscles felt better than normal; I wasn’t sure if there was any hope for my external appearance however. I did my best to pick off the damp leaves and wipe away the dirt, but I began to think they had become a part of me. I reached my hand up to the top of my head in an attempt to deal with my hair, but after feeling around for a few seconds, brought it back down. There was no hope. I wouldn’t be surprised if I had to shave it off when I returned to civility.
“Holy crap….” Avalon blurted out as he made his way over the top of the last hill that separated us. “What happened to you?” he confirmed my obvious suspicions.
“Ugh,” I grunted back, not knowing where to even begin.
“Good morning, Eden,” Jericho called in a very chipper voice, following close behind Avalon. I waved at him irritably, remembering I had been the one to tell Avalon to bring him and bent over to tug on my ruined clog.
“Where’s Amory?” Avalon asked and I looked around confused. I didn’t remember when he left, or if he left; I didn’t remember anything. I must have been sleeping hard.
“I don’t know,” I said, feeling out of it.
“What do you mean you don’t know?” Avalon demanded, his defenses suddenly on high alert.
“They wouldn’t take him without her,” Jericho, the voice of reason, chimed in.
“You don’t know that. They could be hoping she leads them to the rest of us,” Avalon retorted, irritated and anxious.
“If anything it would be the other way around and you know that,” Jericho rolled his eyes and walked over to shake my hand. “Your brother is such a drama queen,” he joked.
“Tell me about it,” I agreed sarcastically. “And no more talking about me like I’m not here.” I addressed both boys. “I’m as much a part of this thing as you two. From now on, I am always included and always informed,” I folded my arms as if to strengthen my point.
Avalon rolled his eyes and began a search of the premises. I let him without any intention of joining him. I took Jericho’s side in that I thought wherever Amory was, he was just fine.
“You look like you just came through hell,” Jericho, still at my side, remarked.
“I pretty much feel like it.” I remembered my stiff body before I used the healing power of magic and cringed.
“So, what are you doing here anyways? I thought you had been ordered to stay at home?” Jericho pried for an explanation; but I was not totally sure if I was emotionally ready to relive the last seventy two hours.
“I don’t even know where to begin,” I looked past Jericho at the breathtaking view of the Carpathian Mountains. The sunrise had painted the sky beautiful shades of pink and orange, and the soft light made the autumn hues of the trees brilliant.
“You better figure it out,” Avalon grunted grumpily, while continuing his sweep of the perimeter. “I want a full debriefing, and I want a good reason why I had to leave my mission in the goddamn middle of the night,” I let out a burst of laughter when I looked over at Jericho and watched him roll his eyes.
“Your brother thinks he’s Napoleon Bonaparte,” he shook his head and watched Avalon disdainfully.
“Seriously though, have you heard anything?” I asked a little more humbly. I was the reason Avalon had to leave his mission. What if they weren’t successful and it was all my fault?
“No. We haven’t heard anything,” Jericho responded in a meek voice. “They’ve been incommunicado since before we left them.”
“When will you find out?” I was more nervous now than I had ever been.
“Not sure. If all went as planned, hopefully soon,” Avalon stopped his busy work to join us. He bit his thumbnail anxiously.
“Jericho and I are going to find out exactly what happened right now,” Amory was suddenly involved in our conversation, making his way over the same rise that Avalon and Jericho had come by. He was carrying a cloth bag with him that smelled like a bakery. My stomach growled loudly and I realized that I hadn’t eaten in days.
“Is that breakfast?” I asked, barely able to restrain myself from pouncing on Amory and ripping the bag open to find out myself.
“I thought you might be hungry,” he gave me a timid smile and opened the cloth satchel to reveal several loaves of bread, apples and bottles of water.
I grabbed a loaf of bread and discovered that it was still warm; it must have just finished baking. Immediately I tore off a piece and shoved it into my mouth. I could not have been more unladylike, but I was having trouble caring. Jericho watched me devour a loaf of bread in seconds with his mouth slightly open.
“What?” I mumbled through a full mouth.
“Like I was saying,” Amory also watched me with an expression that was both disgusted and amused. “Jericho and I will return to the Citadel to check the progress of the mission. If they failed last night without you, then most likely Jericho and I will have to do what we can alone this morning. The executions won’t start until the afternoon, so we have a couple of hours yet to do the impossible. Did everyone go last night, are we alone?”
“We left Roxie and Fiona to run communications once the channels were open again,” Avalon responded still chewing on his thumbnail. His stance was wide; he was totally in his element.
“Good, that will be good. Ok, so we will clean up in Sibiu. What about Lilly Mason? Is she with the others or in a different part of the castle?” Amory asked the question that had been gnawing at my heart since the boys arrived.
“Lilly Mason was released yesterday,” Avalon said incredulously.
“She was!” I practically shouted; I almost didn’t believe it was possible.
“Ok, good,” Amory responded, more calmly than I had managed. “Avalon you will take Eden back home immediately. And under no circumstances is she allowed to make any decisions. Do you understand?” Amory looked directly into my eyes. “Your friend is safe; there are no more reasons not to listen. You will do exactly as Avalon says. Got it?” I nodded quickly, I had no intentions of ever stepping out of line again, although I couldn’t help but feel like my efforts were worth it now that Lilly was free.
“How do you want us to go? Timisoara?” Avalon asked as if he were a travel expert.
“No, it’s too exposed. You’re going to have to go the long way. I believe our most efficient but incognito option is to cross into Hungary, ditch the rental and take a bus or train into Austria, once in Austria utilize the trains. I think the Zurich airport will be your best bet to leave Europe undetected,” Avalon nodded along to Amory’s directions, but I felt completely lost. I tried to conjure up a picture of a European map in my head, but couldn’t trace the route mentally. I guessed I really would just have to trust Avalon. Oh boy.
“Do you want us to take our time?” Avalon asked all the right questions.
“No, get out of here as quickly as you can. The last thing we need is for you two to join the exiting traffic. Get home before the Festival is over,” More instructions I felt like I just barely understood. “Where are the cars?”
“Sighisoara,” Jericho answered.
“Good, good,” Amory paused for several moments and appeared to be going over things in his head. “Ok, I think that’s everything. We’ll see you at home,” Amory shook hands with Avalon and then Jericho and Avalon shook hands. The boys all began to walk back over the hill and I followed quickly behind them.
Once over the hill I saw that we were at the edge of the town they had just been talking about. The town of Sighisoara was spread out in a quaint and quiet cityscape that fanned over the smaller foothills of the Carpathian Mountains. The buildings were hundreds of years old and the still sleeping city had a very ancient world feel to it.
I kept pace with Avalon until we found the cars tucked away in the rustic village. Both vehicles were the classic Dacias that seemed to be the only style of car allowed in Romania. Avalon pulled out a set of keys and politely opened the passenger’s side door for me.
“Oh Eden, take this,” Amory walked over and handed me the cloth bag of food. I pulled out an apple and immediately took a bite. My grimy teeth were grateful for the natural cleansing the apple blessed them with. “There is a set of clothes at the bottom of the bag,” Amory kissed the top of my head before returning to the other rusted Dacia where Jericho was waiting.
“What’s wrong with what I’m wearing?” I asked sarcastically. Amory grinned happily back. “Hey Amory,” I yelled quickly as he began to enter his car, he paused, looking up at me. “Thank you,” I said, full of emotion.
“One day, I hope you return the favor,” his smile turned sad and then he was in the car and Jericho was driving away, leaving us in their trail of heavy exhaust.
“Let’s go,” Avalon yelled impatiently at me.
I sat down on the worn upholstery and thought longingly of my yellow Land Rover. I would never take it for granted again. I continued to munch on my apple, feeling very much at peace. Avalon gunned the gas and took off through the winding, hilly streets of another beautiful Romanian city.
I decided that I would very much like to come back to Romania under different circumstances. I couldn’t help but be excited for the remaining leg of my journey. Compared to the last few days it sounded very relaxing. For my first trip to Europe, I felt like this was quite the crash course. At least for the second portion I would have company, and it sounded like Avalon knew where he is going. That would be a nice change.
“So Lilly was really released?” I asked, breaking the silence.
“I guess so. Apparently your boyfriend spoke on her behalf and she was given a second chance. They’re going to let her return to Kingsley and everything,” Avalon’s voice was skeptical and I had a hard time believing the news as well.
I sat back, admiring the scenery, once again silent. Kiran did save Lilly. I made him promise he would, but after the fact I wasn’t sure what to expect. Butterflies attacked my stomach as I remembered the emotion in his eyes during our farewell.
The depth of longing I felt for him didn’t seem possible for someone my age. My heart was gripped with clarity; completely full of adoration for the boy I could officially consider the love of my life. My magic was stirred with the memories of our energies mingled and wild together. My cheeks blushed at the thought of my mouth once again pressed against his.
Against all reason and circumstance we had found each other in a world torn apart by our very existence. In order to be together we would have to defy all odds, defy all logic, and defy all influence. I saw two battlefields in front of me; the one that pinned Kiran against me, and the one that we would have to forge in order to be together. I understood the purpose of the Resistance, but the battle I chose to fight would be the one that brought me closer to the man I loved with every fiber of my being.
Chapter Forty-Five
I stretched my arms and lifted my head off of the cold glass window. I yawned wide and shook my head, making the crick in my neck disappear. Looking out at the Austrian country side flying by, I smiled. Europe had captured my heart; if only I hadn’t been on the run to save my life.
Avalon seemed in deep thought as he too stared out of the train window in silence. Field, farm, field, farm, lake, field, farm, mountain…. Austria was breathtaking. Of course I said the same thing about Romania, and then again about the rustic beauty of Hungary. Austria was a different kind of beauty however. The clean and contemporary buildings and more modern farms made it clear that this was a different side of Europe.
I pulled my ivory cardigan closer around my waist; the train air was frigid and although I was grateful for the new set of clothes Amory picked out for me, they were obviously picked for convenience and practicality, and not necessarily style. A pair of baggy, brown work pants clearly meant for a man, a plaid red colored shirt and an ivory cardigan felt like the nicest clothes anyone had ever given me after what my cruise wear had been through. I also had had to retire my Nebraska sweatshirt; but I promised myself I would buy another one paying tribute to the Huskers when I returned home.
I wiped my fingers beneath my eyes, self-consciously. I remembered what I looked like when I was finally able to assess the damage in a Hungarian train station bathroom. I did the best I could to rinse out and wash my hair in the small sink; I at least had gotten it out of the hair tie and into a neat bun on the nape of my neck. It wasn’t pretty, but at least I didn’t look crazy anymore.
My face, arms and legs were covered in dirt and grime and I would definitely need a long, hot shower to feel completely clean, but I was much improved, although my legs needed a good shave.
My face took the longest to scrub clean; besides the dirt, I had to deal with a mess of makeup plastered to my face. Never again would I travel wearing non-waterproof mascara and black eyeliner. By the time I exited the small bathroom, my face was bright red and swollen from all of the scrubbing.
I sent a burst of magic through my body, heating my blood and awakening my senses. Avalon naturally felt the surge himself and sat up a little straighter. I smiled at him, hoping to draw him into conversation, but he stared past me in a dreamlike state. He was so worried about the outcome of the mission he could barely function. And even though he carried an international phone and glanced at it every other second, we hadn’t heard from anyone since we left Romania.
Avalon was skilled at international travel and clearly used to being followed. He had taken every precaution necessary to ensure we were alone. After ditching the Dacia on the Romania/Hungary border, he set it on fire, making sure any physical evidence we left behind would be destroyed. We then took a bus through most of Hungary, changing only once we were close to the Austrian border. Since Austria we had changed trains as often as we could while still moving in the general direction of Switzerland.
I couldn’t help but enjoy the trip however. Riding a European train was like truly riding in style. The glory of the Austrian Alps was like nothing I had ever experienced before; and I would gladly ride a train through them until I had every mountain memorized.
The game plan was to fly home from Zurich; who knew how many trains that meant before we were in the heart of Switzerland. Only Avalon was concerned about our timing though. I was too swept away with Europe to be in any hurry to leave.
Avalon’s phone buzzed gently and suddenly he sat up completely alert. I noticed the tension in his body and felt his anxiety as he opened the cell phone and answered quietly.
“Hello?” he asked softly, discretely.
“Oh, thank God,” I saw his body visibly relax and felt the apprehension turn to silent joy. “Is the package in the mail?” he asked, using code. I couldn’t help but laugh; he was like the obvious cliché for a 1950’s spy. Next thing you knew, we would be on our way to Russia to stop the Kremlin.
“What?” he asked, suddenly exasperated. “You can’t be serious! I’m not doing that. No way. I might as well send her to the London palace with instructions on how to find the rest of us. No way….” whatever he was so upset about, he had dropped all pretense of code. “No way….” he repeated over and over to whatever the other line was saying.
“Where?” he asked eventually, with a softer but more frustrated tone. The hostility in his voice was unmistakable. “How do we know it’s not a trap?” he listened a little longer, his magic growing stronger and stronger every second. I wouldn’t have been surprised if the humans could feel it for themselves. “What happens if you’re wrong?” Avalon listened longer, but did not seem appeased.
“If I do this, I want some type of insurance; some type of trade off…. We would have gotten her out of there even if he didn’t do anything. That doesn’t make him a hero; it just makes him look like an idiot!” Avalon stopped talking to get an earful from whoever was on the other line. I found myself sitting on the edge of my seat, totally engrossed in Avalon’s side of the conversation.
“Fine…. I said fine. I guess we’ll see you in Geneva,” Avalon snapped the phone shut and glared at me. I was almost too afraid to ask what that had been about.
“Geneva?” I asked tentatively.
“I guess so,” he mumbled.
“Switzerland?” I tried again.
Avalon nodded affirmatively.
“What happened to Zurich?” I finally asked bravely.
“We’ve been ordered,” Avalon paused and cleared his throat irritably, “asked…. if we would oblige the Crown Prince by joining him in Geneva,” he couldn’t even look at me, but turned to glare out the window.
“It’s not a trap Avalon,” I said quickly but quietly; my stomach filled with butterflies.
“I do not want to talk about it,” Avalon responded grumpily and I knew better than to push it.
–
A black sedan pulled up in front of the train station and Avalon took the initiative to approach. I followed behind, shouldering my backpack once again. A man exited the driver’s side to open the back door for us. Avalon stuck his head menacingly into the back seat before entering the car fully. I smiled apologetically to the driver and climbed in behind Avalon.
Avalon sat with arms folded and his back turned to me. I knew he was mad, but I also didn’t think I really deserved the silent treatment for the last eight hours. I elbowed him roughly in the kidneys before the driver had returned to his seat, but he didn’t respond.
I was irritated with Avalon, but soon my bad feelings turned to adoration as we drove silently through Geneva at night. The streets were lit in the soft glow of streetlamps and from the bright windows of buildings built before America was even a recognized country.
Our ride took us past Lake Geneva, glistening in the moonlight. A large fountain sprayed a cascade of water from the middle of the lake, and the Alps sat as a backdrop to the perfect postcard picture. The streets were narrow, with historical buildings rising to either side. I marveled at their intricate architecture, and embellished building fronts.
When the car finally came to a stop in front of a charming palace, I was somehow not surprised. After witnessing the grand architecture and style of the Citadel, I was finally able to wrap my head around the words “Monarchy” and “Crown Prince.” I hadn’t really been expecting quite this grandeur however.
“Is this one of their palaces?” I whispered, hoping Avalon would answer.
“This is a hotel,” Avalon responded irritably. I blushed, feeling very ignorant. “Ok, it used to be one of their palaces; now it’s just a hotel,” After feeling my embarrassment, Avalon conceded the truth.
The palace turned hotel was exquisite. I was dumbstruck by the beauty and elegance of what was formerly Kiran’s family’s home. I followed Avalon out of the car and stayed timidly behind him. I glanced down at my ill-fitting, makeshift outfit and felt embarrassingly under-dressed.
As we entered the foyer of the grand hotel my mouth dropped open in awe. We were surrounded by marble pillars that reached from expansive marbled floor to vaulted marble ceiling. Intricately, upholstered furniture with golden thread filled the entrance hall. The only evidence that this was not a palace but indeed a hotel was the circulation desk with uniformed employees standing behind it.
My nerves were on edge thanks to Avalon; although he appeared relaxed and calm, his magic was surging at high alert. Because of our connection my senses were heightened with his and our magic circulated in unison. He bypassed the hotel clerks and headed straight up a wide, winding, ivory staircase.
After walking up several flights of stairs, Avalon led me into a long hallway. The hairs on the back of my neck rose suddenly when I felt the strong presence of other Immortals. Avalon slowed his pace and I noticed him clench and unclench his fists regularly.
We walked the hallway slowly and I didn’t complain. I was not sure what to expect but Avalon was so uncomfortable and tense that I regretted him coming. I felt like it was my fault and therefore also felt guilty and blameworthy; but then remembered we were ordered to come here and I was even ordered specifically not to make any more decisions. I sent this thought poignantly to Avalon; he returned it with a dirty look.
At the end of the hallway Avalon paused and took a big breath. He raised his fist to knock on the cream colored door but paused again as if he couldn’t make himself do it.
“I don’t know what’s behind this door Eden,” Avalon whispered fiercely to me and I was surprised by the apprehension in his voice. “We could be walking into a trap…. Eden,” He paused again and I waited nervously, expecting some type of brotherly declaration, instead Avalon continued, “Eden, let me have Kiran; I’ll enjoy killing him much more than you will.”
Before I could think of any response Avalon knocked forcefully on the door. He gave me another nervous sideways glance and shoved his hands deep into his pockets to appear casual. I wished he felt as calm as he was working so hard to look; his nervous energy was making me edgy.
Talbott opened the door and for some reason that surprised me. He was dressed casually and his hair was a little messier than at school. When he opened the door he was laughing and involved in a conversation. Avalon stared at him suspiciously, until he gestured with his hand for us to enter.
I was more than a little surprised to find Amory in the extravagant room. He was sitting on a plush, periwinkle sofa, holding a snifter full of a golden brown liquid. He was the one involved in conversation with Talbott, and it appeared they were having a very animated but pleasant conversation.
Avalon grunted grumpily before taking a seat close to Amory. Although he relaxed his magic a little, he was still in a sour mood. Avalon reclined in his seat and slammed his feet cross-legged onto the gold, inlaid, glass coffee table. His movement made a terrible crashing sound although he managed not to shatter the fragile antique.
The attention of everyone in the room was now on Avalon who smiled smugly in reply. Amory relaxed on the sofa and put an arm around Avalon in a very paternal way. I stood in the middle of the room not entirely sure what to do.
“I’m glad you’re safe, Eden,” Talbott said out of the blue. I was not the only one surprised by his statement.
“Thank you,” I replied humbly.
“Eden?” Kiran appeared out of the bedroom and said my name almost reverently.
I turned to face him and was struck ferociously with emotion. He stood in the doorway, hair tussled and eyes piercing. His hands fidgeted nervously, but his gaze never left mine and never softened in intensity.
Moments ago, I hadn’t known whether to sit or stand, but once I saw the look of pure desire cross Kiran’s face I knew there was only one place I wanted to be. I closed the distance between us in seconds, sprinting across the expansive suite and leaping into his arms.
He caught me instinctively and found my mouth immediately. My legs wrapped around his waist and my hands held his face firmly to mine; our magic mingled together in a perfect symphony of all consuming power.
At this most passionate moment there was no one else besides Kiran and nothing else existed besides our love. I was thrilled to find his feelings as intense as mine. My thoughts, my consciousness, my very blood filled with a desire bigger than me, bigger than I could even hope to understand.
I could have lived in that moment forever, but like all good things it had to come to an end. After several throat clears from our audience and then a pillow to the back of my head thanks to Avalon, I relinquished my hold on Kiran. He set me down gently and then kissed me one more time sweetly on the lips.
“Ok, that’s enough…. seriously,” Avalon interrupted in an irritated voice. “The rest of us are trying to exist here; we don’t need your crazy magic suffocating us.”
I turned around embarrassed, heat flooded my cheeks. Avalon could not look more disgusted and Amory and Talbott couldn’t even look in our general direction. Kiran intertwined his fingers through mine and pulled me closer to him protectively.
“Excuse us, gentlemen,” Kiran addressed the room politely; his crisp, English accent perfectly enunciating every consonant.
