I knew he wasn’t dead, I could still feel the small pulse of his magic; but I didn’t know what kind of damage was done. He looked peaceful but mangled in his unconscious state. For the first time I realized that I had no idea what the word Immortal actually meant. What kind of destruction could we actually withstand?
The students filed past me, following Kiran’s limp body into the gymnasium. Principal Saint knelt down beside me, offering his tuxedo jacket. I took it, grateful for something to wrap around myself. The jacket was enormous and thankfully hung down past my miniskirt which had been ripped to an indecent state.
“Were you attacked again?” Principal Saint asked grimly.
I nodded my reply and heard him curse under his breath. He said something about calling my aunt. I didn’t object, but realized that I was missing the sound of sirens in the distance.
“Has someone called 911?” I asked in a hoarse whisper, barely able to hear my own voice.
“No Eden, we have our own ways of healing,” no sooner had he spoken this then a long black limo pulled in front of the school and the teachers once again carried Kiran’s limp body over the hole imprinted in the shape of our fall and into the back seat of the car.
“I must go with him. Your aunt will be here soon,” Principal Saint put a hand on my shoulder and squeezed it gently. “I’m glad you’re alright Eden.” I watched him quickly get into the passenger’s seat of the limo and then the vehicle drove away.
The rest of the students waited until Kiran’s “ambulance” was out of sight before walking to their own respective limousines. An eerie silence settled over us, except for a few of the other girls who cried like me. One of them in particular, who could not control her tears, was Seraphina. Adelaide and Evangeline helped her to a limo alone and I realized that Talbott must have gone in the other car with Kiran.
A pang of guilt hit me and my heart dropped to my stomach as I realized that I was the reason Kiran was on the rooftop to begin with. If he had been with Seraphina like he was supposed to, the attackers probably wouldn’t have found occasion to assault him. It was because we were alone on the roof without his body guard that they found their opportunity. And then it was because of me again that Kiran sacrificed himself over the ledge of the building.
“Are you alright?” Avalon, dressed in his tuxedo again, was at my side.
“Don’t,” I said simply, but my one word was filled with all of the rage I felt.
“Eden, there are things you don’t understand,” he knew I had figured out it was him on the roof.
“I don’t want to understand. I don’t want to be anywhere near you,” I spat out the words like venom. I saw Aunt Syl approaching in her red convertible and looked around, realizing Avalon and I were the only ones left standing in front of the gymnasium.
“It’s time that you do understand. I can’t lie to you anymore,” his voice was soft and sad, but it wasn’t enough for me to listen to. I waited impatiently for Aunt Syl to drive up. “Kiran has to die, Eden. We have to destroy his bloodline in order to survive.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I refused to turn and look at him; all of the energy from the battle had turned to hate and focused completely at Avalon.
“His bloodline is the reason we are so weak. The reason we die. They’ve closed off the magic. By not letting us marry whomever we choose the magic is confined to one type of Immortal or the other. The magic can’t be free, and because it can’t be free we are all going to die. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but eventually every Immortal will fade out of existence. And if that is going to happen, I’m going to start with the source of the problem,” I shook my head as if refusing to believe what Avalon claimed was truth. “They take and kill whomever they choose and then imprison the rest of us to ensure their bloodline and their Immortality. But it affects them too and so I call for their blood to be shed. Every King before Kiran has made it worse for our people. I want to cut it off at the source before we all die, can’t you see that Eden?” his voice was pained and full of emotion.
“Why him? Why not his father? Kiran’s not even King yet,” I finally addressed his accusations.
“But he will be one day. And he will be no better than his father. Probably worse. Have you asked him about Lilly? Have you asked him what his father is going to do to her? Have you asked him why he won’t testify on her behalf even though she fought to save his life? No you haven’t. You’ve bought into his lie just like the rest of them,” he raised his voice with passion.
“Oh, but I should buy into your lie. I should just believe exactly what you say, although you’re the one trying to kill me!” I shouted, enraged myself.
“I have never tried to kill you; I’ve only tried to protect you! And yes you should listen to me, because after all I’m your brother damn it! Your twin brother!” That was it. I couldn’t listen to him anymore. I was overwhelmed with information I couldn’t discern from fact or fiction. The events of tonight had been too traumatic to even process his words, let alone believe them.
Thankfully Aunt Syl pulled up the drive. I put my hands over my ears like a little girl and ran away from everything I didn’t want to face anymore. I threw myself into Aunt Syl’s car and yelled at her to drive. After she obeyed, I let out all of the emotion once again in fitful sobs, trying to wrap my head around the words Avalon just shouted at me. Could he really be my twin brother?
Chapter Thirty
“Eden, there is someone here to see you,” Aunt Syl’s voice whispered softly but firmly in my ear.
My room was completely dark, and I was comfortably wrapped in my comforter, surrounded by feather pillows. I groaned a response and rolled over. She patted my back maternally, before standing up to open my bedroom door and allow whoever was here to see me, inside.
I heard Avalon’s familiar voice and a wave of nausea swept over me. He was speaking to my aunt about accommodations or a spare room or something I couldn’t quite make out. I heard my aunt turn the lamp on, creating a soft glow of light not strong enough to hurt my still sleepy eyes. I peeked one eye out from the pillow I had my face buried in and saw Avalon fidget tentatively in the doorway.
“Well you might as well come in; you have a lot of explaining to do,” I struggled to lecture through a hoarse whisper. In the last twenty four hours I had begun to accept the fact that he was my brother. This was the first time he had tried to speak to me himself since he told me, but I decided it was something I always knew deep within. At least I understood there was something internal that tied us together, although I was unable to put a word to it. Much like when Principal Saint came to explain my Immortality to me, Avalon was now here to explain our connection.
“You’re not mad at me?” he asked quietly and walked to the end of my bed, standing awkwardly and playing idly with the bed frame.
“I wouldn’t say that. But at least I’m not planning on turning you over to the authorities,” my voice grew stronger than a whisper, but maintained its’ hoarseness.
“Would you like some tea, my dear?” Aunt Syl offered from the doorframe.
“Yes, please,” she gave me an encouraging smile and disappeared down the hallway. “We’ll be down in a second.” I called after her, feeling suddenly awkward with my brand new brother alone in my room. Who knew what I had lying around on the floor?
I crawled out of bed stiff and sore. My knee and shin throbbed dully from the bloody gash covering them. My hair was tangled and wild, I had yet to shower; and my skin was filthy. Aunt Syl was kind enough to let me sleep through the day; I supposed sleep was how I emotionally healed.