It wasn't just Jericho, though. Everyone had been mad at me. I was, like usual, saying things that were getting me into trouble. Amory scolded me severely for not being more careful and Avalon had been yelling at me both verbally and mentally for days. Roxie had not stopped mumbling things under her breath whenever she was in close proximity to me; even Lilly had been caught sending disapproving glares. Jericho, at least, had stuck with the noninvasive, silent treatment; but I was getting bored…. and lonely.
Aunt Syl had been busy at the hospital, barely home and when she was home, she was doing her best to catch up on sleep. Other than a concerned look and a request to be more careful, she was the only one not blaming me entirely for the preemptive destruction of the Resistance. But there were too many people in her house, and too many sick people at the hospital for her to want to stick around just to mildly defend me.
I needed an ally, and I knew Jericho couldn't really stay mad at me. Or at least I hoped he couldn't.
"I love how your feet smell," Jericho replied dryly, and reached for a maroon throw to cover his legs and my feet with.
"I knew you couldn't stay mad at me," I smiled at him again, but he wouldn't look at me. "Oh, stop being such a baby," I grew frustrated quickly, I was tired of this. "You can all stop being babies," I said louder as Roxie, Lilly and Avalon filed into the living room. "I get it, I messed up. Are you really going to keep punishing me like this?"
"Was that an.... apology?" Jericho asked with just the slightest sarcasm and smallest turn of the mouth.
"Fine. Is that what you want?" I rolled my eyes, "Fine, fine, fine. I'm sorry," I mumbled, finding the words hard to get out.
"Um, what was that? I couldn't hear you," Avalon put his hand to his ear. I swallowed my irritation.
"I'm sorry," I said louder and the rest of the group mimicked Avalon. "I said I'm sorry." And finally sincerity found my tone, "I shouldn't have gone out with Kiran alone and I especially shouldn't have gone back to the hotel with him."
"Thank you," Avalon replied firmly, but finally the faces of everyone in the room softened. "We're not unreasonable Eden, we just expect common courtesy," Avalon continued, taking sarcasm to the next level, "Oh, and we expect you to admit when you're wrong. That's all. It's just unfortunate for you, that you're wrong all of the time."
"Oh brother," I rolled my eyes. "You know, under normal circumstances my apology would have meant something completely different...." I said, finding my point hilarious. The girls laughed with me, softening the vibe in the room.
"Well, I don't like that joke," Jericho grumbled seriously and the rest of us broke into laughter at his expense.
Amory walked into the house through the front door pleased to see us getting along. He removed his over coat and bowler hat and then sat in an overstuffed chair across the room from the two couches the rest of us were occupying. Our laughter subsided as we settled down with respect, giving Amory our undivided attention.
"I'm glad to see everyone getting along again," he smiled at me, the warmth in his eyes encouraging, reminding me he was always on my side. "And I hope everyone has learned a valuable lesson about not putting yourself in unnecessary danger." Amory turned serious, while we nodded our heads in unified agreement.
"Some of us didn't have to learn that lesson," Avalon mumbled and I pulled a throw pillow from behind my back chucking it maliciously at him.
"Oh well, good," Amory responded, a little distracted. "Because, you will all be attending Kiran's birthday celebration and I just wanted to be clear on where we stood." Amory's black eyes turned steely and a wave of nausea swept over me.
"His birthday party?" Avalon jumped from his place on the couch, shouting. "I thought we agreed surveillance, nothing else! How is that staying out of unnecessary danger?"
"Yes, that is what we agreed," Amory stayed calm, but his eyes were dark and his tone icy. "It would appear we are no longer masters of our own agenda." He cleared his throat, taking a moment to turn towards the window.
"Amory, forgive me, but the entire Guard will be there, not to mention Lucan, Bianca, Cartier and the rest of them," Jericho argued, moving to the edge of the couch and knocking my feet to the ground, forgetting they were on his lap.
"I am aware," Amory replied quietly.
"So why on earth would you ever send us in there?" Avalon asked, completely incredulous.
"Why would you send Eden in there?" Lilly's voice was etched with deep concern and I was surprised to hear her speak up at all.
"You're exactly right, Lilly," Amory turned to her, clearly appreciating her wisdom. "It is not my decision, but Lucan's. You are all on Kiran's guest list. Well, except for Lilly, I'm sorry child. But, even Roxie has been invited, although your name isn't listed exactly, but he has you down as, Eden's other friend."
"So is it Kiran or Lucan that wants us there?" Jericho asked, narrowing his eyes.
"I can't be sure; but if I had to make an educated guess I would say that it was Kiran's idea to invite all of you at Lucan's suggestion to invite Eden. Lucan is well aware now of Kiran's feelings for her, but Kiran would never have had the audacity to invite Eden if it had not first been suggested by his father. With what I've learned of Kiran over the past few months, I don't believe he wants Eden at the party any more than we do."
I smiled warmly at Amory; I was happy to hear his good opinion of Kiran, it made a future with him somehow feel that much more possible.
"What do you think Lucan's end goal is here Amory? Do you think he's still playing a careful game, or do you think he really is putting Kiran first?" Jericho asked shrewdly, sitting back in the couch and putting an absent hand on the top of my knee.
"I don't believe for a moment that Lucan does anything but play careful games; whatever he is working towards is for his interest. But that doesn't mean he wouldn't also be looking out for Kiran. I had been afraid that Lucan would be blinded by rage at meeting Eden, that he would have a one track mind in terms of how to act," Amory paused for a moment.