Endless Magic (25 page)

I let my magic find his immediately and wrap itself up in Jericho's reserved energy. He held me to him, cradling my head against his chest and breathing out in relief as if he didn't expect that I would want to be near him. I looked up at him, and when he looked down at me there was something between us, something that needed to be talked about privately.

“Nice of you to join us,” Kiran hollered, walking out of the kitchen with arms crossed and nostrils flared, ready to fight.

“Don't start with me,” Jericho barked. His large hands held me closer to him as if he were protecting me. But I wasn't a little girl, and I didn't need him to shield me from Kiran or anyone else. I turned around to face Kiran too, realizing his conversation with Avalon had been about Jericho.

“Do you know how risky it is coming here after we already arrived?” Kiran demanded an answer, stopping just a few feet from us. “If you were followed we're all screwed! All of us, do you get that?”

“I know what's at stake!” Jericho shouted back. “Do you need to be reminded that this was your idea! So if we get caught, I think we can all safely put the blame on you!”

I burst out laughing, I couldn't help it. I knew they hated each other, I even understood why, but they were being ridiculous and I found it hilarious. Jericho bristled behind me, angry that I found them funny and Kiran shot me a warning glance not to cross him.

“Listen, I'm going to go upstairs, would you care to join me?” I looked up into Jericho's hazel eyes and waggled my eyebrows. He ran a hand through his short brown hair that matched the deep color of his eyes and sighed his response.

I slipped my hand into his and pulled him upstairs with me. I desperately wanted to spend time with Lilly and Avalon, but both Kiran and Jericho needed to settle down first. Besides a little alone time with Jericho sounded too amazing to pass up, especially after my day with Kiran.

I led him into the bedroom I occupied during our one night stay here with Gabriel months ago. That was the same night I decided I couldn't let Kiran die from his horrible disease. The same night I decided to save him.

I shook my head, erasing those memories and sat down on the twin bed pushed against the wall in the small upstairs bedroom. The bed was still made from when I slept in it; nothing had been touched since I was here last.

Jericho didn't sit down with me. He closed the door and then leaned against it, focusing intently on something in the middle of the floor. I wanted to ask him what was wrong, but the feeling that I already knew tugged at the back of my neck and so I waited for him to bring it up.

“So, I, uh, I ran surveillance on the Summer Solstice Celebration....” Jericho explained quietly after several moments of silence.

“Ah,” I said simply, letting his words hang there until he could justify to me why that might be a problem.

“I probably won't do that ever again....” He couldn't look at me. I wanted to feel guilty and apologize for my behavior that weekend, but I didn't do anything wrong. I had a part to play to make sure people didn't die and I had to be convincing down to the very smallest detail or Lucan would hurt others just to teach me a lesson.

“That might be a good idea,” I agreed, knowing I wouldn't change my behavior just because he was watching. “Jericho, I can't even pretend to be sorry for that. I am alive for one reason only and that is because Lucan is determined that Kiran possesses my magic. And because of that Lucan has this deranged idea that the kingdom needs to believe we're in love so he doesn't look weak because he spared my life. If I don't pull this off.... If Kiran and I don't pull this off, people will die. Lucan will murder those prisoners and more. This is definitely not what I wanted, believe me. I went there fully willing to be martyred. If I would have known that this pretense of a fake engagement would be my death sentence, I might have seriously reconsidered!”

“I know all of that, Eden. And I know that your death, if it's even possible for you to die, would have been a horrifying alternative, but that doesn't make this whole watching you be in love with your ex-boyfriend thing any easier for me, while I sit on the sidelines not even able to talk to you,” Jericho argued.

“I can't do this Jericho; I can't try to do what's best for the kingdom if I'm worried about making you jealous....” I snapped, more brutally honest than I intended to be.

“Then don't go back, stay with me instead. We'll figure it out, we're working on getting the prisoner's out of there, it's only a matter of time....” Jericho sat down beside me, pleading a case I knew he didn't even believe in.

“Don't,” I stopped him. “Don't say those things, you know I can't and it's not fair to put that option in front of me. I'm glad to hear you're getting them out of there but until there is no one left and everyone else in this damned kingdom is completely out of Lucan's reach then I can't even entertain an idea like that. And it's not nice of you to try to tempt me.”

“You're right, I'm sorry,” Jericho lamented immediately, sighing with frustration.

I met his eyes and then sank into him, letting him hold me closely and wrap his arms around me. We sat there for a while, all of the unsaid things between us hanging heavily in the air. I knew he wanted me to apologize for a convincing performance with Kiran and he knew I never would.

“This is the worst, isn't it?” I grumbled, laughing a little at the absurdity of our situation. “Some couple we make....”

“We will get through this,” Jericho promised, and for the first time all night I heard the optimism in his voice. “It won't be much longer before we make a move on the Citadel and when this is all over you, and I can be together and this season of our lives will become only a memory.”

I tipped my chin up to his mouth and invited him to kiss me. He closed the space between our lips, taking my mouth in his and kissing me passionately. His magic finally released in a sigh of relief that surged against mine. I kissed him back with confidence and security. Unlike when I kissed Kiran for show, with Jericho, I knew I was supposed to kiss him, I knew his arms were supposed to be wrapped around me and it felt right. It felt acceptable.

Still, with Kiran there was a.....

I couldn't think it, I couldn't entertain the thought and so I threw myself further into Jericho, pushing him backward on the bed and running my hand over his muscular chest reminding him with my body that I belonged to him, that I promised myself to him.... that I loved him.

He took my initiative with a sigh of longing, wrapping his arms around me and pulling me closer to him so that nothing remained between our bodies or our magic. His mouth moved against mine in a fevered passion, desperate to take all of me in that kiss, to remind me there was chemistry between us.

I gasped for breath, refusing to leave his arms, or remove my lips from his. Like so many other events in my life, being separated from Jericho after just starting something serious with him was another unfairness I had to live with. Only, I reminded myself, I willingly walked away from Jericho believing I had a bigger responsibility to a greater cause.

I loved Jericho, but circumstances had to line up perfectly in order for us to be together permanently. I would continue my role at the castle and if for some terrible reason Avalon and the Resistance weren't able to get to me before May first, I would walk down the aisle to Kiran and wait it out on the other side of marriage.

Having just realized I was willing to go as far as marriage with Kiran to protect others, I slowed my mouth against Jericho and relaxed my body. With one final, gentle kiss I laid my head against his chest and listened to his heart beat slowly. The realization that Jericho and I probably had no future together set into my blood like a slow-working poison and I didn't know what to do. I kept my head firmly nestled into the nook of where his arm met his chest and tried to banish the ominous feeling that our relationship came with our own expiration date. He ran his fingers through my hair, working carefully through the tangles and I wondered if he was having the same thoughts, the same vision of a love that would not last.

Another love that wouldn't last.

And then I sat up and looked at him. I wasn't fickle. I wasn't some immature girl anymore that had time to spare and love to throw away. I refused to be the girl that flip-flopped between boys because circumstances dictated who I spent time with.

I held his confused gaze in mine and ran my hand across his angular jaw. “Jericho, I love you,” I whispered with conviction.

His eyes relaxed and he responded sweetly, “I love you too.”

“This is dismal.... this situation we're in, I get that, but it doesn't have to be. I mean, you have to know and always remember that I love you and that's all that matters. I mean, even if we get to May first and.... and there's nothing we can do to stop the wedding, you need to know that I love you and I always will.” Tears came to the back of my eyes and I fought against them, not wanting to seem over-dramatic.

“Eden,” Jericho propped himself up on his elbows so that I would take him seriously, “I know that you love me. I don't ever doubt that..... How do I say this,” he asked himself and then continued, “But you loved me before you uh.... loved me. Does that make sense? You loved me as a friend before you loved me as a boyfriend, Ok? And the thing is our relationship started over the most emotional time in your life.... Look, what I'm trying to say is that if you stop.... if you go back to just loving me like a friend, I need you to be honest with me. I know what you had with Kiran was real, even if you don't want to admit it, but I deserve to be treated fairly.... Ok?” Jericho sat up all the way and held my face in his hands asking me to agree.

“Do you think that's what's going to happen?” I mumbled, depressed that he thought so little of my ability to love him.

“Eden, I don't know what's going to happen, no one does. Lucan could kill us all first thing in the morning, or we could win this thing and start a new way of life for our people together.... Either way, I know what I want to happen and I know how I feel about you. I just wanted you to hear my side of this whole mess.... But know, Eden, that I love you with all that I am.” He smiled encouragingly at me and I felt it then, the gentle way he was trying to give me a way out if I wanted one. He was the best kind of man and I was lucky he loved me, and that he was willing to put up with me.

“What does that mean?” I shrieked at the insinuation that he was constantly behind closed doors making out with other girls, but instead of encouragement he just winked at me.

“Hey, are you going to keep her up here all night, or do I get to see her too?” Avalon stuck his head in the door and eyed Jericho over with uncharacteristic suspicion.

“We were just about to come downstairs,” Jericho lied, and Avalon saw right through him.

“Then let’s go!” Avalon commanded, opening the door all the way and waiting for us to move, “Eden and I have a lot of strategic planning to go over, lots of important Resistance things to discuss. We're very important people, Jericho, and you're taking up our very valuable time,” Avalon scolded Jericho with strong sarcastic tones and I couldn't stop laughing.

“Is that true Avalon? Do we have a lot to discuss?” I asked in between gasps for breath.

“No, not at all, but I want to talk to you, too, and all Jericho wants to do is steal your virtue. I couldn't, in good conscience, and while you're engaged to another man, let that happen,” Avalon pushed me down the hallway playfully and Jericho turned on Avalon with a look of pure ire.

“Avalon!” I gasped, embarrassed at his insinuation. “My virtue is perfectly protected!”

“Good!” Avalon bellowed.

We walked downstairs and into the living room where the rest of the group waited for us. I sat down close to Lilly on the couch and let her talk my ear off. Her mother was fine and Avalon had been able to get her father out somehow, too. Avalon got me up to speed on the rest of the Resistance that was working around the world to recruit others and gather the Shape-shifters that lived in isolated, hidden societies all over. The Shape-shifters were the most difficult to find, but usually the most ready to join the fight. Gabriel and Silas interjected when they felt like it, but mostly kept an inconspicuous lookout position, always walking through the house to make sure everything was in order.

We talked and laughed well into the early morning hours. Kiran disappeared before I even came downstairs and I assumed he left and that's why everyone felt so free to talk about what was going on. Eventually the boys started to drift to the guest bedrooms upstairs and when only Jericho and I were left, he pulled me into his arms and I laid my head down on his beating heart and fell asleep in the comfort of a happiness I didn't think would ever exist in my life again.

Surrounded by almost everyone I held dear, I couldn’t find the willpower to say goodbye. Still early morning, a fog blanketed the sunflower fields with golden buds just lifting their faces toward the rising sun. A cab waited to take Kiran and I back to the city and Kiran stood in the midst of us all as if he belonged here, with the Resistance.

“Eden, don’t make this all emotional, just get over here and give me a hug!” Avalon demanded, lightening my mood with his sarcastic attitude.