Reckless Magic (35 page)

I turned back around and forced myself
to pay attention to Avalon. Amory stopped next to me, pulling me
into a side hug and kissed the top of my head. I was surprised at
his familiarity and couldn’t help but feel a little uncomfortable.
Avalon acknowledged Amory with a tip of the chin and a wide grin. I
forced myself to relax and trust him.

“
The trial is set for the
31st of October at the Judiciary Court’s Citadel. Oscar, Ebanks,
Jett and Ronan will all be charged. Another trial precedes theirs,
a girl named Lilly Mason. She is a shape-shifter charged with
hiding her identity, attending Kingsley illegally and threatening
the life of the Crowned Prince. She is not part of the Resistance,
but in my opinion she is innocent,” Avalon’s latest update drew my
attention back to the meeting.

“
Will we try to extract her
as well?” Jericho asked, and my heart fluttered with
hope.

“
We can try, but our first
mission is to remove our members. Her fate is uncertain, but theirs
will surely be execution,” I lost hope immediately, realizing I was
the only one willing to help Lilly. I also realized I was the
reason the other members of the Resistance were going to be
tried.

“
And when did you say the
trial was? Holy Eve?” Angelica asked with a look of disgust across
her face.

“
Yes, I’m afraid only Lucan
would find that ironic. After the trial there is an evening feast
to begin the celebrations for the festival of All Saints. Some of
you will be invited and expected to attend,” Amory interjected and
all eyes turned towards him. I put two and two together and
realized the 31st of this month was Halloween. “Conrad, Angelica,
Terrance and I will attend the feast and leave the week before to
make preparations for Avalon and his team. Jericho and the others
will leave three days before the trial and connect with Ryder’s
team once they arrive.”

“
I will arrive last minute,
because I have to take mid-terms,” Avalon rolled his eyes and gave
Amory a disdainful glance.

“
Avalon, we have to keep up
appearances. Nothing must look out of the ordinary. You will travel
alone directly after your last test. The tests will all be given by
substitutes since the professors of Kingsley will all be required
to attend the trial and festival.”

“
How last is last minute?”
one of the other members of Avalon’s team asked.

“
I should arrive the morning
of the trial, if all goes as planned. But we will not pull them
until the night of the feast. We expect they will be found guilty
for seditious war crimes and conspiracy against the king; in that
case punishment is death. Our intel suggests that Lucan will wait
to execute until All Saints Day to set an example, so we will
infiltrate the prison on Holy Eve while everyone else attends the
feast.”

“
Surely the security will be
enormous,” Angelica interjected, clearly worried about the
plan.

“
Yes, the entire Guard is
expected to travel,” Amory took over again. “But the Crowned Prince
is also expected to be in attendance and so the Guard will be split
between Kiran, Lucan, the royal family and then the prisoners. I’m
sure during the feast they will require extra security as well,” he
cleared his throat as if forcing the words out; as if he wasn’t
sure he believed them.

“
So that will be our only
opportunity?” the man Amory addressed as Conrad said
solemnly.

“
Yes, I’m afraid so,” Amory
looked at Avalon with a type of longing I couldn’t
define.

“
So we better make it
count,” Avalon said with more enthusiasm than his older
counterparts. “I have full faith in my team, and Ryder and his team
as well,” a plan spontaneously formed in my mind.

“
I want to help too,” I
blurted out, focusing on my own plan to rescue Lilly.

“
No!” The entire room yelled
at me. Twenty pairs of eyes stared at me as if I had just said the
most absurd thing.

“
I mean, I won’t mess
anything up…. I promise,” suddenly, I felt like the outsider I was.
Obviously everyone blamed me for this mission to begin with. I was
the reason their friends sat in prison awaiting death. “I know it’s
my fault that this mission is even necessary. But I think I can
help…. I know I can help,” I tried to explain myself, hoping for a
better response.

“
I’m sure you could help
dear,” Angelica looked at me with a deeply concerned expression and
I didn’t understand her emotion. “But we couldn’t risk losing you,
it’s bad enough your brother insists on going,” she turned to look
at Avalon with the same pained concern.

“
It’s not necessary Eden,”
Amory put his arm across my shoulder again and I felt him try to
use his magic to calm me down. I shrugged it off, persistent that I
would go. “Really, our teams are trained in this type of mission;
you would only slow them down.”

“
But Avalon gets to go.
Wouldn’t I make him stronger?” I asked, feeling naive.

“
You cannot go,” Amory
replied firmly. “It’s too dangerous. I won’t allow it.”

“
Can’t I just tag along
then? I could learn from this trip. I won’t get in the way,” I pled
my case, desperate to save Lilly.

“
Enough. You cannot go. That
is the end of it,” Amory said quieter, but with scary
finality.

This time I kept my mouth shut,
silently brooding, watching the other members of the resistance nod
in agreement with Amory. I knew I was wearing a scowl, frustrated
at my lack of independence. It would have been nice to be treated
as an equal, just once.

34.

Avalon wrapped up the meeting, but I
heard nothing else he said. I had to figure out a way to get to
that trial. I had to figure out a way to save Lilly or at least
testify on her behalf. I was determined to do it, even if I had to
do it completely on my own. Avalon had said something about Kiran
going, maybe he would help me.

“
Are you ready for the
mark?” Amory brought me out of my silent plotting and back to the
center of the Resistance.

“
What mark?” I asked,
completely unaware of what he was talking about.

“
She doesn’t want to join,”
Avalon joined our conversation as the others milled about in groups
of two or three. I got the impression they were all trying to
listen to our discussion.

“
Why is that?” Amory asked
Avalon sharply; apparently not interested in any explanation I
would give him.

“
Why do you think?” Avalon
replied sardonically.

“
Eden, you have a lot to
learn, young lady,” he said it much like a parent, and I felt
instantly resentful.

“
What is the mark?” I tried
to change the subject away from what I feared was a long lecture on
responsibility.

“
It’s this,” Avalon pointed
to his arm; his school uniform was rolled up to the elbow and
revealed the tattoo of a snake wrapped around his forearm eating
its own tail.

“
You want me to get that?” I
exclaimed. There was no way I would cover my body in a hideous
image of a masochistic serpent.

“
No, not that,” Amory shook
his head. “Avalon is a little…. devoted. The usual symbol the
Resistance wears is more subtle,” he turned his head to the side
and pulled his ear lobe away from his neck. I saw only clear flesh
until he touched the part of his neck just behind his earlobe and
injected a little magic to reveal the same serpent. The image was
much smaller, almost miniscule, but was clear and obvious until he
removed the magic. Once the magic was gone, the small tattoo
vanished.

“
And you all have those?” I
asked, enamored with the trick. A dozen Resistance members turned
to show me theirs, including Jericho and Avalon. Angelica’s was a
brilliant shade of orange, while Conrad and Terrence’s were an army
green color. Amory’s was a deep crimson shade of red. And all of
the members of Avalon’s team wore ones in white, which stood eerily
off their skin, except for Avalon whose tattoo was royal
blue.

“
What color would mine be?”
I asked, with no intentions of actually getting one.

“
I am guessing it would
match Avalon’s, but we won’t know until you decide to get one,”
Amory answered my question, sounding slightly
frustrated.

“
What do you mean?” I asked,
confused.

“
The magic we use to apply
the mark chooses your color. The magic in a way determines the
color you deserve. Not that one color is greater than the other;
rather it defines the magic you are made of,” Amory put his hand on
my shoulder one more time before leaving what had turned into a
circle of people, containing mostly Avalon’s team.

“
You don’t get to join the
team until you have the tattoo. There will be no more fighting for
you,” Jericho said as if taunting me.

“
She doesn’t get to join the
team. Tattoo or not,” Avalon interjected threateningly. He gave
Jericho a hard look that Jericho seemed to understand even though I
didn’t.

“
Avalon doesn’t want me to
join the team, because I would easily replace you Jericho,” I
deflected my frustration, by turning it against Jericho.

“
Oh you think so? Maybe we
should have a rematch,” his voice was sarcastic, but his eyes
smoldered and I once again noticed how attractive he was. He was
taller than Kiran, but his darker hair and darker eyes made him
appear mysterious somehow. Any thoughts of attraction I had for him
though were quickly forgotten once I remembered Kiran, and then my
heart hurt with emotion and a type of longing I didn’t
expect.

“
I’m sorry; I didn’t catch
your names?” I turned off the charm, and turned to face the other
members of Avalon’s team, but not before catching a confused look
cross Jericho’s face.

“
Sorry. Eden, this is
Xander, Xavier and Titus,” Avalon made the introductions. I shook
each of their hands consecutively, memorizing the magical imprint
they left in my fingertips.

Xander and Xavier must be related
somehow because they looked nearly identical and their magical
current was only slightly different. Xander was slightly taller,
but they both had to be close to 6’5 or 6’6. Their hair was long
like Jericho’s and Avalon’s and dark like mine. They both had
facial hair, but Xander seemed to be a little bit older than
Xavier.

Titus was also an imposing figure,
only a little shorter than the other two. He also wore scruff on
his face; only his brilliant red hair and stockier stature made him
look more like a lumberjack than a well-bred Immortal.

“
Are you twins?” I asked
with honest curiosity.

“
We wish,” Xander replied
enthusiastically. “Unfortunately, only you two get to carry that
cross,” his eyes darted between mine and Avalon’s. When I gave him
a puzzled look he changed the subject. “This is my kid brother.” He
grabbed Xavier around the neck and pulled him into a headlock.
Xavier zapped Xander’s foot with a shot of magic forcing Xander to
let go and let him stand up. They pushed each other playfully until
Titus stepped in, grabbed both of their heads and slammed them
together. I cringed when I heard the crushing sound the impact
made. They seemed unharmed however and shook it off, rejoining the
circle with smug smiles on their faces.

“
So why haven’t I met you
before?” I tried to refocus the group away from physical
violence.

“
Technically you have met us
before,” Jericho spoke up. “Remember the rooftop?”

“
I mean properly,” I
clarified my meaning, but I was sure they understood that from the
beginning.

“
Because we didn’t know if
we could trust you,” Avalon said simply and the other boys averted
their eyes at the awkward pause Avalon’s comment caused.

“
And yet they trust you,” I
said disdainfully, only half kidding.

“
Cute,” Avalon mumbled under
his breath. “Eden, do you mind? We need to go over some logistics
before we head back. I’ll be ready soon though.”

“
Sure,” I said a little
disheartened. I offered a small wave and walked away aimlessly.
Avalon’s obviously important and Amory seemed to be mad at me; I
wondered at the reason I even came to this meeting. I hoped they
didn’t expect me to really join their cause. How could
they?

“
You look just like your
mother, dear,” Angelica’s soft voice summoned me out of my pity
party.

“
Do I?” I was instantly
drawn into her conversation by the very mention of my mother. She
patted the hay bale she was still perched upon and I joined her,
pulling my skirt down behind my legs so the straw would not scratch
me. “Did you know her?”

“
Yes of course. We all knew
her. Well, except for the young ones. But how brave they are. They
have never known a time without tyranny and yet they are willing to
fight for a freedom that is foreign to them,” she sighed as if
remembering something sad.

“
I’ve never seen them
before. Do Resistance fighters go to school somewhere else?” I
asked, wishing I could figure out a way to bring up my mother
again.