Текст книги "Reckless Magic"
Автор книги: Rachel Higginson
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Текущая страница: 24 (всего у книги 24 страниц)
Chapter Forty-Six
Kiran walked backwards into one of the bedrooms of the massive suite, pulling me with him. If I thought I felt humiliation before, that was nothing compared to the sweeping embarrassment of being taken into Kiran’s bedroom with three sets of suspicious eyes following my every step. Luckily, Kiran closed the door quickly behind us.
The bedroom looked like some place a prince would stay. A huge four poster bed with royal blue and gold striped silk comforter sat in the middle of the room facing an enormous flat screened TV. Kiran’s suitcase and clothes were laid haphazardly on a royal blue divan. I noticed a golden crown half buried underneath a pair of designer jeans.
Kiran walked across the room, pulling me behind him, and out onto a balcony overlooking Lake Geneva. The moonlight glistened off the black water and I saw the outline of the Swiss Alps in the distance; their tall peaks turning white at the top, billowy clouds resting on them, melting into mere extensions of a vast midnight sky.
The mid-autumn night air was frigid and I sent a burst of magic through my blood to warm up.
“Did you know that you can use your magic for more than an occasional space heater?” Kiran asked softly but sarcastically, while leaning back against the outer wall of the hotel.
“I’m cold,” I responded, a little defensively.
“Here….” he replied, pulling me against his body. I laid my head against his chest and listened to the soft beating of this heart.
“Thank you for saving Lilly,” I mumbled into his warm embrace.
“My pleasure,” he replied, amused. “And thank you for nearly getting yourself killed. Thank goodness your grandfather was there to help you escape. I don’t know how I would have survived losing you,” he held me tighter, kissing the top of my head.
“I’m sorry, did you say grandfather?” I asked, wishing I could just dwell on Kiran’s sweet sentiments, but instead I found myself unable to move past the next big mystery of my life revealed. Would it never end?
“Yes, you’re grandfather…. Amory.” Kiran paused to look me in the eyes. “Are you telling me you didn’t know that he is your grandfather?” he asked incredulously.
“I had no idea….” I laughed out loud a little. “But I guess it makes sense,” I could now explain away all of the times Amory seemed so paternal, apparently he was just being grandfatherly.
“I’m sorry; I didn’t mean to spoil anything,” Kiran gave me his signature smirk and I swore I fell even more in love with him.
“It’s alright; something tells me he was waiting for me to figure it out on my own,” I returned my head to Kiran’s chest, butterflies flooding my stomach.
“He should know better than to wait for that,” Kiran joked lightly.
I couldn’t help but agree with him. I hadn’t figured anything out on my own yet, what made Amory think I would start with that?
“God only knows what I have left to figure out,” I mumbled.
“Yes He does, but He’s gotten you this far….” Kiran surprised me with his answer.
“Do you believe in God?” I asked, confused.
“Of course. Don’t you?” I pulled my head away from his chest to look him in the eye; for some reason I found it hard to believe he was serious.
“I mean I guess I did when I was human, but now I don’t know what to believe,” I left the closeness of his embrace, feeling slightly embarrassed and walked over to the balcony’s edge.
“That seems backwards to me,” Kiran responded and joined me. We stood silently for a moment enjoying the beauty of Lake Geneva before he continued, “You believed in God when you thought you were human; when you suffered pain and hunger, tyranny and war. But now that you live above that, with unlimited power and unlimited life you doubt that there is an entity greater than you? Someone created all of this, all of the beauty of the earth, all of the fragility of human life and all of the extraordinary existence of us. Choosing to believe in God only when you are surrounded by death and destruction is to truly not know God at all.”
Kiran put an arm around me and kissed the top of my head again. Despite his point, I knew his feelings for me were as strong as ever.
“Am I not still surrounded by death and destruction?” I asked, feeling characteristically defensive.
“No, you’re not. Believe me. I’ve done my homework; you could not have a stronger genealogy. But the rest of us, yeah…. maybe…. But isn’t that where we find our substance? I think there is a certain beauty to death; a macabre exquisiteness that brings meaning to life.”
I stood there gazing at Kiran with so much emotion I felt like I would explode. Avalon was right, I had no idea who Kiran was, but the more I learned, the more I fell madly in love with him.
I threw my arms around his neck and pulled him into another passionate kiss. He gladly reciprocated.
“Excuse me, sir,” Talbott interrupted, like usual. “It’s time for Eden to go.”
Kiran paused for only a second to wave Talbott away before returning to me. He pressed his lips against mine fervently; lifting me off of the ground and making me forget the world around me. Our magic became an intense force; rising around us with an almost visible presence.
Eventually he returned my feet to the ground and my mind slowly returned to reality. He smiled at me as if holding onto a secret and my heart fluttered with the sweet memories of his mouth against mine.
“You just got here and now you have to go,” Kiran gazed at me with all of the intensity of a boy madly in love. “I just had to know that you were all right. I had to see you,” he kissed the top of my head sweetly and continued, “Before we join the others, I have something for you,” Kiran led me back into his bedroom and pulled out a black, square, velvet box from his suitcase.
He opened the box to reveal a necklace and pulled out the long silver chain to expose a pendant intricately woven with several black stones placed throughout. He clasped the beautiful, complex accessory around my neck and the stones turned from black to a brilliant shade of blue. I fingered the pendant in my hands, amazed by the color and loveliness of the stones.
“I thought so,” Kiran said cryptically and kissed me on the cheek. “Eden, when we return to Kingsley things are going to be difficult. We won’t be able to see each other or be together, at least not easily. I am going to continue my engagement with Seraphina and go on like nothing has changed. You will have to stay far away from me,” he cupped my face in his hands and I saw the pain in his eyes.
“But why?” I asked, scared and upset.
“I’m so sorry, Love. But you have to go on playing the part Amory created for you. As of now, my father is convinced that you are not your mother. After several interrogations, the most convincing of which was Seraphina’s, he agreed to let it go. She was pretty adamant that you are no one special, especially not Delia Saint. But that doesn’t mean he will stay pacified. We cannot draw any unnecessary attention to you. I am determined to keep you to myself. His suspicions are small, but you’ve raised his curiosity and so we have to keep you as far under the radar as possible without making you disappear completely,” he held me closer to him as if to prove his point.
“So I can’t see you at all?” I asked, afraid of the answer.
“No, I will find a way for us to be together, I will. But we will have to be extremely careful. You can’t show that necklace to anyone; but I wanted you to have it as a token of my love.”
“Your love?” I said the words religiously.
“Yes, my love. Because Eden, I have loved you avidly from the first moment I saw you and I will love you completely with all that I am until the day I die,” his eyes had hypnotized mine and I was transfixed by their passion. He grinned sheepishly at me and I realized he didn’t grasp the seriousness of my feelings for him.
“Kiran Kendrick, I love you too,” I whispered, my throat closed and my eyes full of emotion.
He swept me into another passionate kiss and I melted into his embrace. When he finally released me I felt weak from my expended magic. Kiran led me back into the living room, but not before I tucked his gift beneath my plaid work shirt.
Avalon and Amory stood near the door waiting anxiously. Kiran kissed my hand sweetly and mouthed “I love you,” I blushed and joined my grandfather and twin brother at the door.
“Thank you again, Kiran…. for everything,” Amory said humbly before we made our exit.
–
“Scoot over!” I demanded irritably while shoving my elbow into Avalon’s ribs. Sitting between Avalon and Titus on the eight hour flight home was not ideal for anyone. But it was Amory’s great idea of added protection; although in my personal opinion totally unnecessary.
“That’s it!” I declared loudly, and stood up as dramatically as the small coach cabin would allow. “Move!”
Avalon obeyed and slid his knees into the aisle so that I could pass. I walked unsteadily between the rows of seats and passed several members of the rescued Resistance team, until I found Amory staring out his window pensively.
I fell heavily into the seat next to him, not really caring if I bothered him or not. He looked up at me and smiled. I grinned back, pleased that I had the upper hand, if only for a moment.
“What happens now, grandpa?” I asked, barely able to contain my laughter.
His expression turned anxious and then relaxed when he saw my smile. He laughed a little himself and I was glad that at least it didn’t seem he wanted that information to remain a secret.
“When did you figure it out?” he asked, still smiling, but not quite able to look me in the eyes.
“Kiran told me, kind of on accident. He assumed I already knew…. silly him,” I said sarcastically. Amory’s face flushed with embarrassment. “So you’re the last remaining Oracle. You seem pretty alive to me,” I joked.
“For now,” Amory flushed deeper with embarrassment. “That’s a much longer conversation, for a more private setting,” he cut me off when my I opened my mouth to ask a million questions.
“Ok, but I’m going to hold you to that,” I paused for a moment before continuing, “So really what happens when we get home?” I decided on a different topic that I had just as many questions for.
“Well first we explain everything to Sylvia. That will be our first battle. She has been worried sick. You’re lucky I was able to talk to her yesterday, I hopefully softened the blow,” he gave me a stern, parental glare and it was my turn to blush from discomfort.
“Then what?” I asked timidly.
“I’m not sure; I’m afraid most of this is now out of our hands. For the first time, in a long time, our futures lay in the hands of someone I don’t know what to expect from,” he turned his head to return his thoughtful gazing out the window and I realized he was referring to Kiran.
“But we’re not going to try to kill him anymore, right?” I sounded more casual than I felt. My throat closed with emotion and my hands trembled a little at the thought. Even though I was on the side of the Resistance, I had no idea if it was a place I could stay, especially if they tried to continue with their original plans.
“No, my dear. I could never hurt someone you cared about so deeply. You don’t need to be worried anymore,” he put an arm around me, and continued to look quietly out of the small window.
I sunk into my own personal pensiveness, wondering if Lucan would really leave me alone or if he would hurt me in pursuit of my parents. If they were still out there, where were they? I doubted I could help Lucan find them anyways; I certainly had no way to look for them.
A hundred questions swirled through my mind, but the questions that kept demanding to be answered first were when would I get to see Kiran again? When would we get to be alone again and when would I feel safe once more in his arms?
As unlikely as our love affair might have been, loving Kiran was the only concrete path I could imagine. I was wholly consumed with a love that would probably get me killed, but I would never have chosen any other way. I could not have chosen any other way. We were truly destined for each other, fated to be together…. we were star-crossed.
About the Author
Rachel Higginson was born and raised in Nebraska, but spent her college years traveling the world. She married her high school sweetheart and spends her days raising their growing family. She is obsessed with bad reality TV and any and all Young Adult Fiction.
Reckless is her first book, and the first part in a four part saga, The Star-Crossed Series. Hopeless Magic, the second installment of the series is currently available.
Follow Rachel on her blog at:
www.onedaysomedayeveryday.blogspot.com
Or on Twitter:
@mywritesdntbite
Or on her Facebook Pages:
Rachel Higginson
And
Reckless Magic
Keep reading for an excerpt from Hopeless Magic, the second installment of The Star-Crossed Series.
Acknowledgements
I am so grateful to get to write an acknowledgement section that I just might start back as far as I can remember and start thanking everyone I’ve ever met! Ok, maybe I won’t. But there are so many people that have helped bring me to where I am today that I should probably start naming them!
First of all, this gift of writing that sometimes feels more like a miracle at the end of the day came from God alone and to Him I give the glory. He has had a plan since the beginning and I am so blessed to be invited along on this wild ride.
Thanks to my loving family, who have put up with my sleepless nights, and all of my “Not right nows…” and “In a little bits….” You’ve put up with a dirty house, dirty laundry and let’s face it a dirty mommy, but you have supported me through it all and I thank you for that.
Thanks to my parents, who promised me from childhood I could do and be anything that I wanted. To my dad, who although might be disappointed I’m not a missionary in the jungles of Africa, would be proud to know I followed my dream. And to my mom who has spent endless hours babysitting, encouraging me, spreading the word about my books and even done my dishes and laundry a few times! Thank you for your support.
Thanks to Kylee who sat by me for hours and hours while I bounced ideas and thoughts off her. To Pat who let us exchange yard work for cover art. And to Carolynn for going through the first, very, very rough versions and donating her editing eye.
Thanks to Jenn Nunez who took me under her wing and walked me through this whole crazy process step by step, holding my hand and answering all of my millions and millions of questions!!
Finally, thanks to my amazing husband, Zach. Without him, I would never have taken the plunge and published, or continued to publish, or maybe even continued to write. He has been a constant source of encouragement, always helping me be better and pushing me to do more. Love you Zachary.
I followed Lilly through the other side of the barn and around the large white farmhouse. A small group of other Immortals walked silently with us. All of them were the older generation except Avalon, whom I noticed was allowed more of a leadership role than anyone else our age, including me.
Angelica led our small group behind the farmhouse and down into a storm cellar. Lilly and I followed Conrad, Terrance, Amory and Avalon down a set of worn stone steps. The men all carried fiery torches and as we walked through a surprisingly long tunnel, they stopped and lit suspended torches along the wall.
What I expected to be a typical Nebraska tornado shelter, meant to protect from seasonal storms, had turned into a long, but wide tunnel, leading further and further into the earth. The already cold November night continued to stiffen the frigid air the farther into the passageway we walked.
Lilly’s hand in mine, I could feel her tremble with anxiety. The look on her face was sheer determination, etched with near panicked hysteria. Her already pale skin had turned translucent by fear and her vibrant red curls framed her face in a haze of frizz. I squeezed her hand, hoping to comfort, except I couldn’t help but empathize her same fears.
Eventually we came to a thick stone door. The small group ahead of us mounted their torches into frames already nailed to the walls. Through the dim firelight I could see small markings bordering the outline of the door and then another large symbol set exactly in the middle at eye level: a snake, wrapped in a circle, swallowing its’ own tail.
Angelica was the first one through the door. She put her finger, just below her ear, where her jawbone met her neck and I watched the faint flare of light. I realized she was illuminating the same symbol of the snake eating its own tail, the same symbol Lilly was on her way to receive. Angelica carried the magic in her finger, from her neck to the symbol in the door. She placed her index finger ever so softly on the serpent and I watch with quiet awe as the door glowed in the same color as Angelica’s magic before opening into a circular room.
The door closed behind Angelica and Conrad was next in line. He repeated the same procedure as Angelica, only this time the door illuminated in army green, to resemble the brand of magic he carried. I realized at that moment that I may not be able to keep my promise to Lilly, since it seemed to enter the secret room of the Resistance, one must already be a member or on their way to become one.
I squeezed Lilly’s hand tighter as I watched Terrance and then Avalon both enter the room in turn. Amory turned towards us, his expression pure excitement. He held out his hand to Lilly and she accepted the offer silently.
“I’m afraid you won’t be able to join us, Eden dear. Unless you are also willing to join our humble cause tonight,” I saw the hope in his black eyes and felt ashamed when I shook my head no.
“Then you had better wait out here,” his smile softened into a sadder version of happiness and I was struck with guilt. Some small part of me understood that I could not waver in the middle much longer. Sooner or later I would have to make a choice; I would have to join a cause that would eventually lead to the death of the person I loved with all of my soul, or I would have to turn my back on this cause and alienate myself entirely from the only family I would ever have.
I squeezed Lilly’s hand one more time before letting go and gave her an encouraging smile. She returned my smile with renewed confidence and I suddenly felt envious. Her brilliant emerald eyes shone with sheer determination and something more, something much like victory. Then, Amory was lighting the door and I watched them disappear behind the thick wall of stone.
Can I watch? I spoke to my twin brother telepathically, hoping he would understand my need to be involved. Although I could have easily opened our twin sense and made the decision for myself, I felt obligated to ask Avalon for his permission. I had a hard time invading his privacy unannounced. He, on the other hand, had absolutely no problem spying on me.
As long as you don’t interrupt. Avalon replied, slightly exasperated. I loved my brother dearly, but when he was in super commando leader mode, I couldn’t help but find him more than a little irritating.
I leaned against the cool stone wall in the wide passageway. On this side of the door the torches flickered, casting long shadows on the rough floor. I closed my eyes and melted my mind with Avalon’s, opening my senses with our similar magic. I saw through his eyes, heard through his ears and felt through his senses.
Although my vision was limited to what Avalon was looking at, I could still take in the room. The space behind the thick stone door was smaller than I had imagined it to be. A large, dark wooden chair sat in a circular area, illuminated only by candle light. Hundreds of tiered candles sat on long, low tables circling the rooms. They took up most of the wall space, except where a door was located.
There were four other doors besides the stone one blocking my path. They were wooden, and not made from stone; however, the same symbolic snake crested them as well. A deep pot of sorts sat not far from the lone chair that Lilly had now taken. The large cauldron was full of some type of iridescent liquid and although I couldn’t see any fire beneath the pot, it seemed to be bubbling as if boiling.
Avalon stared at Lilly intently. I could see the tension in her eyes and she gripped the armrests of the chair tightly with both hands. Amory was asking her a series of questions and she nodded confidently despite the terror I could tell she was feeling.
Avalon was also tense; I could feel that he was afraid she would back out. I could feel him admire her beauty, which felt a little bizarre coming from Avalon, and that he would desperately like her to join the cause. In part, but not entirely, he felt that way because he thought Lilly would have influence over me. I smiled on the outside of the door, wondering if he was right.
“Lilly Elizabetta Mason, you are about to join a cause that stands directly opposed to the Monarchy and King and if you are found out the price is your life. Are you sure you want to give up your rights as an Immortal, your eternal life as an Immortal and your fate as an Immortal, surrendering them all under the cause of the Resistance?” Amory asked Lilly gravely.
She responded with a strong “Yes.”
“Then Lilly, through any trial, tribulation, torture and trap the Resistance will always give you aid, always give you support and always give you sacrifice. You are, little sister, one of us, wholly, and forever.”
Amory paused to smile benevolently and reassuringly at Lilly before gesturing toward Conrad and Terrance. They moved towards Lilly in slow but swift movements and then began to strap her down with restraints I had not noticed before, attached to the chair.
I stood up straight, overcome with anxiety for my dear friend. Why on earth would they need to strap her down? She looked like she was about to be electrocuted by some old school torture tool, something straight out of a fifties era death row chamber. And although I could see that Lilly was willfully allowing them to tie her to the chair, and through it all she seemed to have significantly calmed down, I could not believe she really understood what she was about to go through.
I began to pace the hallway nervously, doing my best to find a way into that room. If things went badly for Lilly, I refused to do nothing. I did not risk my life to save her in Romania from Lucan, only to bring her back to Omaha and watch her die at the hands of my brother and grandfather.
Calm down. You’re so dramatic. Avalon sent me a thought and I inwardly cringed, realizing I had promised not to interrupt him.
You better not hurt her. I seethed through my thoughts, finding it slightly ironic he was the one calling me dramatic. He rolled his eyes, not only inwardly but physically as well.
Eden, the whole process is hurt. She’s going to be in a lot of pain in just a few seconds and there is absolutely nothing you can do about it. Just remind yourself that she chose this path, and this path comes with a price. Avalon’s words hit a nerve and I was suddenly agitated. I knew that he didn’t mean to hurt me, but he was right. She chose this path willingly and there was absolutely nothing I could do about it.
When I tuned back in to the events unfolding beyond the stone door, Lilly was completely buckled down, from the top of her head to the soles of her feet. She looked painfully uncomfortable even if this was her choice. Besides the chair restraints, Conrad, Terrance and Amory had also taken hold of her as if adding to the support of the buckles.
Angelica stood in the corner near the bubbling cauldron of shimmering light. She had put on a pair of long, thick work gloves and held a lengthy, cylindrical glass tube with a bulb on one end and a narrowed point on the other. When Amory nodded his head, Angelica dipped the cylinder into the vessel point side down. She stirred the flickering illumination around until the tube itself seemed to be full of the same mystery; something not quite liquid, not quite light.
When the glass bulb itself began to glisten, she pulled the cylinder out of the cauldron. Angelica walked carefully, methodically over to Lilly, holding the glass cylinder by the point. Once she reached her, she took a long moment to breathe and maybe meditate before pressing the bulb against Lilly’s neck and jawbone just beneath her right earlobe.
Suddenly I understood the restraints. As soon as the glass tube touched Lilly’s skin she let out a blood-curdling scream that engulfed the small room. I covered my ears instinctively, although technically no sound reached beyond the stone door.
Lilly began to thrash aggressively, despite the fact that she had three grown men and numerous buckles holding her down. Her eyes rolled into the back of her head and I could see her seize violently. She continued to scream, loud and menacingly, a sound that would haunt me for a very long time.
Despite Lilly’s struggle, Angelica continued to hold the glass cylinder to her neck, never faltering, never moving. I noticed the light inside the tube begin to drain, and Lilly’s skin begin to shine a shade of shimmering violet. Her entire being was engulfed in the beautiful lilac, shining and glistening.
If my friend wasn’t in so much terrifying pain I would have found the effect absolutely captivating. Unfortunately, despite her beauty, Lilly seemed to be in an insurmountable amount of hurt. She continued to scream and shake long past the last drops of light had drained into her skin.
Suddenly the shimmering lavender intensified into a deep and bright purple, painting everything in the small room with its concentrated color. As quickly as the color grew bright, it diminished into a small snake eating its tale just below the earlobe of Lilly’s right ear. And finally there was silence; Lilly slumped, unmoving in her chair.
I relaxed, exhaling a breath I had not realized I was holding. Apparently my relief was premature however, as only seconds after Lilly had calmed down, she began again with another round of screaming and thrashing. I left Avalon’s head unable to withstand the sight of my dear friend enduring so much pain. I cowered against the wall and let out a choking sob.
The door opened slightly and Avalon slipped through to my side of the stone. His face was etched with the same pain that I imagined mine was, minus the tears. He stood facing me with a mixture of sorrow and exhaustion that aged him for a moment. For only a moment, I didn’t see my sometimes irritating and always overdramatic twin brother, in his place I saw a great leader, and a great man. I shook my head quickly, reminding myself of the here and now.
“Where is she?” I peered around Avalon, expecting the door to open again at any second.
“She has to stay here for a while. She has to recover,” Avalon spoke softly and with compassion.
“What do you mean? We have school,” I said plainly, as if the choice Lilly just made shouldn’t interfere with high school.
“Lilly won’t be able to come to school for a while Eden. You don’t need to worry about her though; she’s in very capable hands,” Avalon began walking towards the exit and I followed, realizing he was right.
“She will be alright?” I asked timidly. I wanted to trust him, I knew I needed to trust him, but the image of Lilly facing so much physical pain would give me nightmares. I could not imagine going through the same torture myself willingly.
“Of course. I’m just fine, aren’t I?” Avalon replied and I held back a sarcastic thought. “Just fine,” was pretty relative. “Besides don’t you have a rendezvous with what’s his name? You better forget about Lilly for now, until that kid isn’t around anymore. Eden, he can’t know anything about her induction, got it?” his compassion had turned into hard lecturing, although I did understand his point.
“I got it,” I replied, confident that it wouldn’t be a problem, but uncertain Lilly’s induction wouldn’t cloud my thoughts the rest of the evening all the same. “And you can use Kiran’s name. Amory’s not going to kick you out or anything.”
Avalon only grunted his reply. We both knew Amory was not the problem. Avalon hated Kiran with a passion and never missed an opportunity to remind me.
Despite Avalon, I blushed at the thought of seeing Kiran tonight. I hadn’t seen him alone since before we came home, at his hotel suite in Geneva, Switzerland. Our time there was so intimate and special I had been nervous about seeing him again since.
Kiran sent Talbott over late last night to inform me of our date tonight. Well, I didn’t really know if you could call it a date, but we would finally get to be together…. away from school, away from Seraphina and away from Talbott. The horror of Lilly’s induction faded quickly when replaced with the sweet thoughts of our upcoming moments together.
“You mean booty call? I’m coming by the way,” Avalon interrupted my daydreams and I stopped dead in my tracks.
“What?” I squealed.
“Eden, seriously?” Avalon turned around to give me his best chastising glare. “Prime surveillance opportunity. Wouldn’t miss it for the world,” he turned quickly on his heel, leaving me gaping after him. A date with Kiran, might be more than a little awkward if Avalon was planning on chaperoning.
