I didn’t reply. I couldn’t. My own cheeks burned hot at his intimate knowledge of me. I had convinced myself over the last few months that we hardly knew each other at all and that falling in love with each other had been immature and impetuous. But I knew him too. I could name a hundred different small things about him that could have easily been the very reason I fell for him to begin with. His smile…. The way his eyes changed color, light turquoise when he loved me the most and dark blue when he felt upset or angry…. The gray sweatpants he wore to bed…. His love for American potato chips…. The way children flocked to him and simply adored everything about him….

Enough. That was the past.

“Kiran?” I lifted my eyes and met his already on me, watching me. I swallowed and continued, “If I wanted to add magic to something, like an object, how do I do it?” The mystery behind the onyx necklace around my neck had been nagging me since the Latvian farm and I needed answers.

“What do you mean?” Kiran asked carefully. His eyes clouded just a little, and his smile all of a sudden seemed plastered on.

“Like, this necklace,’ I pulled it out from my bloodied shirt and held it up for him. “How do you put magic into it to make it a tracking device?”

“Uh, like you think you would. You find the object you want to make magic and inject your energy. It’s a tad bit complicated and takes practice, but you could do it easily. Why? Is there someone you want to track?” his face became amused again.

“No, I’m just curious. Why does the necklace only track, though? The handcuffs are supposed to restrict my magic and the bullet definitely was meant to incapacitate me. Like you said, that Titan is in a coma. I’m positive that’s how Terletov meant for me to stay,” I finished, shuddering at the memory.

Kiran flinched too, his eyes finding a new level of concern when he looked over me. “It’s all about how the object is made. So, you control your magic, yes?” When I nodded, he continued. “You can change the feel of your magic, the intent in which you send it out. Like, how you fight someone with your magic is very different than how you kiss and the two magics intertwine together…. When the handcuffs are made, it is from Titan magic that would already be capable of restraining another Immortals magic and since they make them for that purpose, that’s what the handcuffs do. Same with the bullets. Terletov is a powerful Witch, or was a powerful Witch. I’m sure he made those bullets to stay inside of you, or whoever gets shot with them. They are very powerful weapons and the foreign magic intended to harm could be very dangerous in the wrong hands, as you found out.”

“What about the tracking necklace? How is that made?” I pressed carefully. Avalon told me Kiran made the first one for me, and I wanted to know if he would tell the truth.

“Eden, what is it that you want to know?” He saw right through me and his face exhibited the practiced ease I had come to associate with internal nerves.

“Just how the necklace was made, that’s all,” I answered innocently.

“Are you asking in general? Or specifically how I made yours?” he smiled at my pretend nonchalance, but I couldn’t drop the act now that I had committed to it.

“Sure, start with that,” I offered casually.

“Well,” he walked around the counter so that he stood over me, lifting the necklace out of my hands and inspecting it thoroughly, “at the time I made it, I loved you deeply, more than life itself…. So, when I made the necklace it was with the utmost care and devotion. Whatever you think of me now, know that when I gave you this necklace I simply meant to protect you from my father.” His eyes moved from the necklace to mine, gazing deep into my soul caressing my face with his very thoughts. “I didn’t trust him not to take you away from me, and when I gave you this necklace I only wanted to be sure that I could find you if that happened.”

I cleared my throat nervously, not sure how to respond to him. “And now? How are all of my tracking trinkets made now?”

“You don’t get that answer,” he smiled and his hand moved from the necklace to the glowing tattoo on my neck, he rubbed at it with his thumb and his fingers snaked their way through my hair. I felt transfixed by the moment, unable to think clearly or move from his touch. “But I will tell you that the only person I allow to make them for you is myself. I will not let anyone else touch them. So, if you disappear, I am the only one that will be able to find you.” He finished talking but didn’t move away from me. His eyes fell to my lips and then his face moved an inch closer to mine.

My magic flared, shocking my senses back to reality. I jumped in the seat, surprised by the approaching magics that I instantly recognized as my parents. Kiran slowly dropped his hand from my head, letting it brush along my neck before it fell to his side. We stayed like that for a moment longer, an eternal moment that made me doubt everything true and real in this world.

The front door opened and Kiran finally released me from his gaze. I breathed again, I felt again. I found myself again. His magnetic eyes and gravitational pull would destroy me unless I learned how to fight him, unless I learned to hold my ground. He was the risk I refused to take, the chance Fate itself decided to end before it was fully realized. He threatened everything I built, not just my emotional walls, but the purpose I stood for, the future of this kingdom. I could admit that to myself. I could admit I was scared of him.

He was dangerous.

“Delia, Justice, welcome,” Kiran turned to my parents and greeted them.

They mumbled something to Kiran, but their eyes, both sets, were locked on me. Delia ran to me, her long, black hair flowing behind her and when she wrapped her arms around me her hair flew around us both. It curtained our faces as she pressed her forehead against mine and said a million things to me without saying a word. Tears streamed from her black eyes and her hands trembled against my face.

Justice let her have the first few moments; but just like in Omaha, he grew impatient waiting on the sidelines. He put a comforting hand on my mother’s shoulder and she released me into his arms. He held me against his chest protectively. I felt the righteous anger in his blood, the way his magic flared at the unfairness of life, at the injustice of my situation.

I looked up at him, into the dark green eyes that Avalon inherited from him and held his gaze steadily. “I am fine, I can handle myself,” I promised. He nodded the emotion behind his eyes threatening to sweep him away, and I found myself choked up noticing it. I could cry with my mother and be perfectly fine, but if my father started I wouldn’t be able to stop.

“I know you can,” he choked out, patting my back.

“Let’s sit down,” Delia offered, noticing her husband’s struggle.

She reached for my hand and pulled me to the couch. Kiran mumbled something about starting dinner but he was generally ignored as we sat close together on the soft, worn leather couch. Justice sat on the other side of Delia, wrapping his arm around her and laying a gentle, but firm hand on my shoulder.

“What happened to Terletov?” Justice asked and I could see the hope in his expression.

“What had to,” I admitted, hating the regret that came after every battle as if I shouldn’t be used to struggling to survive, as if fighting for my life was an anomaly and not a routine I had grown accustomed to. I tried to convince myself regret and guilt over every magic taken were left over emotions from my human life, but I knew better. The parts of Immortality I had known so far were ugly and unfeeling, so I held the remnants of humanity close to my heart and secretly worshiped the blame, the remorse, knowing I hadn’t been brainwashed into this callous society like all the rest.

“Good,” Justice whispered proudly. “I knew Dmitri as a child, his father was a politician. But I never thought he could be capable of something like this.” Justice’s eyes deepened with sorrow and his knuckles brushed my cheek affectionately. “I’m so thankful you’re all right. Tell me what happened.”

He commanded me more than he asked, left over habits of his Titan upbringing. I didn’t argue, but painfully dove into the story of the kidnapping and how I got out. I started with the shot to the chest in the stairwell which made my mother burst into heavy tears and finished with Dmitri pleading for death while I drained him of his magic and sent him to the prisons I disgusted so passionately. My father nodded along, and my mother wept at the struggle, but once the story was out I could close off my pained nerve endings and begin the healing process for my raw emotions. Relief washed over me after I explained myself, after I justified aloud my actions.

“So, then you have figured out your magic?” Justice asked for more details.

“I think so,” I admitted. “I seem to react to the old magic, even strongly at first, but eventually my magic, I don’t know if you can say…. out smarts it? Or overcomes it? I don’t know, but the old magic can’t hold me for very long. Even the handcuffs seemed to do the trick for a little while, but as soon as my magic connected with Avalon, I couldn’t even notice the restraint anymore. And the bullet obviously knocked me out, but the blue smoke just jumped right in and pulled it out. I think our new magic is stronger, has evolved even. Plus, I think everything is stronger because of my connection with Avalon.”

“You sound just like him,” Delia smiled at me. “That’s exactly what he says.”

“I’m so glad you are here,” I sighed happily, all but forgetting about Kiran clanking around in the kitchen. “I didn’t know if I would ever see you again.”

“Darling, you didn’t have to do what you did,” Delia whispered hoarsely, tears flooding her eyes again. “Our plan would have worked; we would have gone with you.”

“No, it wouldn’t have,” I argued, not wanting to sound like a rebellious teenager, but knowing I was right. “If Lucan finds you, he will never let you go. You don’t know what he’s like, he’s a monster! He’s…. He’s evil.”

“You’re right about Lucan,” Justice concurred, “he is the devil himself. But, this isn’t your battle. This is a war we should have joined a long time ago and you are left to clean up our mess.”

“No, that’s not true!” I gasped and then rushed forward, “I mean, Lucan is your fight, I get that, but this is something so much deeper than revenge. This goes beyond you and him. This is about the future of our people! This is about the magic.”

“Now you sound like your grandfather,” Delia grinned at me, silent tears slipping from the corners of her eyes. She reached up to cup my face with her hand; I never felt more loved in my entire life.

“If anything happens to you, I’ll never forgive myself,” Justice lamented, his green eyes darkening with gravity.

“No, don’t say that. We are all willing to offer our lives for this cause; I am no exception. But you have to know that it is different for me than it is for anyone else. Avalon went through hell during his imprisonment. You guys would be…. I can’t even think about what would happen to you. But seriously I’m fine. I’m treated like a princess…. A princess that has to watch other people die the minute I mess up, but still…. I mean, I go to parties, I go to balls, I get dressed up and pretend I’m in love with a prince. It’s really not that bad. So, just keep doing what you’re doing and know that I am perfectly safe and out of harm’s way. Well, until Kiran gets tired of me….” I turned around to smile at Kiran who stood at the counter watching us. Our eyes met and he jumped, trying to pretend like he was busy and not eavesdropping on our conversation.