I nearly fell into the plush sitting room, adjacent to the women’s restroom, reaching the doors in what felt like just in time. I took long breaths trying to calm my nerves and walked around the center divan waving my arms and willing myself not to start sweating.
In India, things had felt different. I had Kiran to myself and even a dinner with his parents. There were no other, beautiful, more qualified girls to contend with. Seraphina was not there flashing her engagement ring and laying her filthy hands all over him. Kiran had been mine. I had been a part of his home. I had seen a part of him that I had not known existed and had fallen impossibly deeper in love.
India had made me hope, like I hadn't before. The secret part of our relationship had been momentarily forgotten and I had glimpsed a future for us. Now, back in the same halls that had tormented me for months I was painfully reminded that I was no closer to normalcy than before. I was still inhibited from loving Kiran, and still prohibited from having an open relationship. I was a prisoner, a prisoner to my feelings and a prisoner to secrecy.
I stopped when I felt the beginning of blisters on the soles of my feet and leaned heavily against the counter. I talked to myself, making my brain understand that this was no different than school. I had a part to play and so did Kiran. This was no different than school.
Are you ok? What are you doing in there? Avalon sent with a sense of urgency and irritation. Use your f-ing magic and get out here.
With the reminder of magic, I knew Avalon was right. I was being over-dramatic and needed to find my center. I released the magic I had been holding, realizing this was becoming a bad habit every time I started to panic.
With the magic loosed on my frayed nerves, I could breathe again. I fidgeted with my hair in the mirror, applied some more lip gloss and decided to brave the rest of the night. Things were not going to change any time soon and I needed to find a way to cope, and at least enjoy what was left of the beautiful evening. I left the bathroom, ready to find Jericho and maybe even dance.
"What is this about a boyfriend?" Kiran surprised me from the darkened hallway housing the bathrooms.
"I'm sorry?" I asked still trying to shake the startled feeling. Kiran's eyes were a cloudy mixture of all the different blues of his eyes. He was scowling at me in a way he never had before, and I felt his jealousy radiating off him in waves.
"Sebastian came home Tuesday night, informing me that you and Jericho were dating," Kiran accused.
"That's because Sebastian showed up at my house all wanting me to come to the dance with him," I whispered defensively.
"Well, Sebastian would have been better than that bloody bloke!" he scoffed, eyeing me over in disgust.
"Really? You really would have preferred I danced the night away with your nosey
cousin?" I asked, sarcastically.
"At least I know he is a man with honorable intentions," he replied smugly.
"Oh, I'm sure. He's not trying to sleep with me. Just kill me," I rolled my eyes and started to turn around.
"So, he is trying to sleep with you!"
"No. No one is trying to sleep with me!" I whispered harshly at him, doing my best to keep my temper in check. "Not even you," I leveled my eyes with him, willing him to fight me. "And why would you, when you have someone else so easily accessible?"
"Eden, are you coming? The first course has been served," Jericho turned the corner to the bathrooms, not even a little bit surprised at the scene he found. I wondered if he was that good of an actor or if Avalon had given him the heads up.
"No," Kiran spoke up before I could even make a sound. "She is not going anywhere with you," his tone held such hatred that I had to look back just to make sure it was really Kiran talking.
"Excuse me," I turned on him.
"It's all right, Eden, the Prince hasn't realized yet, that he doesn't hold any authority over
you," Jericho didn't even look at Kiran, holding out his arm to me and I took it gratefully.
"That is where you are wrong," Kiran growled. "Eden, go out to my car, we're leaving."
"She is capable of making her own decisions," Jericho said evenly. "And I believe she would like to stay."
"I would like to stay," I smiled at Jericho, ignoring the brooding Kiran. I tugged on Jericho's arm and he escorted me to our table.
Avalon and Lilly were glancing at me nervously from across the table, and I didn't know what to say. I couldn't explain what just happened to me while they were surrounded by a room full of loyal, royal subjects.
"I have never understood the first course," Jericho announced loudly, drawing the attention of our table to him. "What is the point of plating something this small?" he gestured down at the bite-sized hors d'oeuvre and laughed.
"Don't be such a fatty," Avalon mocked him. "This is plenty for me," he took a small bite and then set it down, rubbing his tummy like it had been too much.
The table broke out into laughter and cut the tension and awkwardness I dragged back from the bathroom. Jericho stretched his arm around me, rubbing my back in a protective way that also let me know things would be Ok. I trusted Jericho, even if that meant pissing Kiran off. I couldn't help it.
Kiran had treated me unfairly. I lived my life in jealousy, watching him enjoy his public life. Even Jericho lived with the jealousy that came with the girl he liked choosing someone else. When I fell in love with Kiran I knew that he was used to getting what he wanted and more than a little spoiled, but I would be damned before I let his jealous feelings ruin my night. If I could put up with Seraphina on a daily basis, he sure as hell could put with Jericho for a few hours.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
"Stop it!" I laughed, watching Jericho and Avalon dance together in the middle of a crowded dance floor. Lilly and I had followed the two of them out there after they threatened to slow dance the night away together.
"Oh, does that mean you want me to dance with you?" Jericho asked suavely, slipping his hand around my exposed back and pulling me towards him.
"I guess it does," I blushed, letting him lead me around the floral floor, the petals floating up and tickling the tops of my feet.
"Good," Jericho sighed exasperatedly. "Avalon never lets me lead," He gave me a roughish smile and then twirled me around, before pulling me even closer to him.
"I don't usually know how to dance," I admitted, feeling somehow like an expert in his arms.
"Usually?" He asked, questioning my phrasing.
"Well, you make it very easy," I blushed a deeper red.
"I do what I can." he smiled again, pretending arrogance.
The music, played by a live band, slowed down even more and Jericho followed suit. He stopped moving me about the floor and simply swayed as I clung to him, letting him lead our every move.
Lilly and Avalon were across the floor, dancing in the same slow flowing way, only Avalon was not nearly as smooth as Jericho. Lilly was crying with laughter at some joke Avalon had made in order to cover his lack of debonair.
"So is this what dances were like when you were at Kingsley? Or are these new since royalty is involved now?" I asked, trying to break the silence and not get too comfortable in Jericho's arms.
"I didn't graduate from Kingsley," he replied before spinning me around again and then bringing me back to him.
"You didn't? Then how did you get here?" My hand was cupped in his and I felt delicate and ladylike, exactly the way a girl should feel dancing in a man's arms.
“I grew up in Brazil and went to Canesbury Prep, which is basically just like Kingsley only in South America. That's where I met Avalon."
"Really?" I gasped with a little shock. "I'd like to hear that story."
"Angelica had him go there after the rest of his class completed their Walks, since she obviously skipped his. He was a terror there, always causing trouble. And he was a couple years younger than me, so I really didn't have much to do with him until he got to high school and started excelling in everything magic. I was a residential advisor down there for the boys dorms, since my parents work for the King; it was my job to, how do I say this.... tame the beast." We both laughed and he continued. "So, Avalon and I started to spend a lot of time together; I figured, I don't know, maybe he just needed a male role model," he smiled again and I smiled back, totally absorbed in his story. "But really, in the end, he was the one who sort of mentored me."
"How so?" I didn't want him to stop talking; there was so much about the people I was always around that I did not know and Jericho's history was meaningful to me.
"Well, I don't know. Before Avalon, I never questioned anything," he lowered his voice and brought me closer so he could whisper the rest of his story. I leaned in, tilting my head so that my ear was nearer his mouth and my cheek rested gently against his chest. "I mean, my parents have worked for the palace since before your parents disappeared. My dad at one point was in line to be Regent of North America, but when Amory escaped from Romania and a truce was made between Lucan and him, the job went to Amory. So, my dad instead was given the Regency of South America."
"So your dad's a big deal?" I teased, but Jericho just shook his head and cleared his throat.
"My dad is loyal to Lucan," he whispered hoarsely. "I had been raised to be the same until suddenly I was spending all my time with this punk kid who defied everything I was taught to believe. And then, I don't know, something clicked for me. I started questioning the Monarchy and the exile of the Shape-shifters and the racism that runs deep in every Immortals blood and Avalon started to make sense. Then one day, Avalon was gone. He and Angelica just disappeared. The school was told that Angelica was hoping to get a palace position in London; that was accepted for the most part, because Angelica had been a personal attendant of Queen Karina, Lucan's mother. Anyway, Avalon had planted the seed and my mistrust and rebellion started to grow. After high school graduation, I planned to stay in Brazil and go to a human college before deciding how to spend my future. My dad was determined I would follow him into the service of the Monarchy and had set up a position for me in Morocco as underwriter to the Regent there. I had all of these thoughts and frustrations and didn't want to work for the Monarchy until I figured them out, but at the time I had no other appealing options. Until one day, Avalon showed up, alone. He was three feet taller and had long hair and was covered in tattoos and he sought me out in the middle of Rio de Janeiro, and told me there was a Rebellion that needed me and we were coming to Omaha. And I said, Ok, let's go," he laughed, remembering the moment.
"That's how it happened?" I asked, unbelieving.
"Oh yes, I showed up at the airport where Titus, Ebanks, Ronan and Jett were waiting, we met up with Oscar, Xander, Xavier and Roxie in Mexico City. When we got to the farm all of the other teams had been assembled, including a ton of older generation Immortals and we were given the history of you and Avalon and told that once we got you involved, we would be unstoppable," he winked at me, and because of his over-dramatic tone I hoped he was joking. "Three weeks later, I was given a team and sent to Sierra Leone, while Avalon and his team ran surveillance on the now-heightened situation of the Prince arriving. A month after that, I was brought back here when an assassination mission failed and Avalon's entire team had been captured and sent to prison." "So, there wasn't a Resistance before Avalon?" I asked, almost not believing it.