“This time, let’s see how you hold up against distraction.” He took a step into me, his hands slipping around my waist.

“I think you’d do better to try to attack me; this isn’t a distraction,” I argued as his hands rested casually and not at all intrusively on my sides although I could feel the heat of his hands, and the acceleration of my blood whispered his actions were more dangerous than they appeared.

“We’ll see,” he whispered, his breath tickling my neck.

I cracked my neck to the side, trying to scoot away from him, simultaneously setting up the gun I now felt semi-comfortable with. I worked hard at ignoring Kiran, forcing my attention to the target stand. My finger found the trigger familiarly, resting attentively, ready to be pulled. I shivered unforgivably against Kiran’s close proximity, his fingers moving infinitesimally against my side, barely noticeably but their movement rang in my ears, and blinded me for a moment. Just as my finger flickered against the thin metal bar that would rip the bullet from the barrel, Kiran rested his lips against my neck, where my glowing tattoo shined. The warmth of his soft lips and the heat of his breath distracted me far more than they should have, my finger pressed aggressively against the trigger and the gun shot off, aimed high into the treetops and embarrassingly representative of just how much of a distraction Kiran could be.

I felt his mouth form a smile against my skin, but he didn’t remove himself. To him, he had just proved something, conquered some unspoken challenge, and this time when my vision blurred, it went blind from anger, not desire. I dropped my arm holding the hand gun, and discreetly aimed it at his foot. There was a brief second of guilt, a moment when I knew a more gracious person would admit they were wrong. But then I came back to myself and the gun went off in my hand, finding the middle of his foot satisfactorily.

He yelped, hopping away from me in amused pain. Mild curse words flew from his mouth and he reached down for his wounded appendage still hopping around.

I found my graciousness then, in the gloating of getting my point across. “Congratulations,” I offered dryly, “you can distract me.”

He smiled up at me, from pained glances at his foot while he waited for his magic to heal him. I started to walk off, ending our lesson whether he was ready to or not. I let the blue smoke escape, sending it to his foot so that I couldn’t be considered cruel and then stalked up the porch to wait for him impatiently by the car. It was definitely time to get back to where we were always surrounded by other people.

Chapter Thirty-Five

“We’ll need to find my father first,” Kiran explained, pulling his car into the underground parking garage. I marveled at the marriage of modern living and old world traditions that the Immortal world lived with. A parking garage under a castle…. very convenient. Kiran continued when I didn’t respond, “To check in, he’ll be anxious to know how our getaway went.”

“Sure,” I mumbled. I stayed silent for the entire drive back, lost in my own private battle. Somewhere along the way I stopped denying the feelings I felt for Kiran, as miniscule as they were. At some point during the drive, I began acknowledging them at least…. and tried to decide what to do with them. As of now, I felt at a loss. I couldn’t even convince myself anymore that there had been a time over the past year that I didn’t have feelings for Kiran. Maybe, I convinced myself I hated him after Amory died, but now those words resounded in my head as a lie. I did believe I didn’t love him anymore. I was sure of that. Almost…. I couldn’t stop myself from being attracted to him, from feeling myself drawn into his gravitational pull. And his attention…. his determination…. the intimate knowledge of his feelings for me was very flattering. But, just two days ago I was in a loving, committed relationship to someone else.

I sighed aloud with frustration. There was something wrong with me. I suddenly questioned my future as queen or even Oracle. I was overemotional, impetuous and fickle. If they, whoever they were, expected me to run this kingdom with a rational level-head they were going to be sorely disappointed….

“Eden, are you all right?” Kiran asked, his voice marked with genuine concern. He rested his hand on mine, and waited.

“I’m fine, let’s just go find your father,” I looked up confidently and then turned my head to the side. “And maybe kill him….”

“What was that?” Kiran tried to clarify.

“Nothing,” I grumbled, finding the idea of divine retribution extremely satisfying to think about. “There’s something wrong with me,” I complained vocally, finding myself spiraling into insanity and chastising my motives for killing Lucan. He deserved to die, but not because I was simply frustrated with everything else in my life. I didn’t even want to think about the emotional scarring caused by killing someone over a little boy-trouble.

Kiran laughed at me, an openly entertaining laugh that flared my magic angrily and made me question every ounce of room I made in my heart for him. I scrambled from the car, slamming the door roughly behind me and followed Kiran to an internal stairwell that led upward into the castle.

“It’s amazing how much fits underneath this castle,” I commented dryly, thinking about the parking lodge, the prisons, and the escape route I half destroyed.

“The parking garage isn’t that far underground,” Kiran answered. “And the dungeons sprawl out beyond the castle, directly over their source of magic.”

“Their source of magic?” I questioned casually. “Do you mean there’s like a cave or something where the magic originates?”

“Yes, it’s beneath the prisons,” Kiran replied, his inflection turning suspicion. “It’s completely sealed though, no one is allowed down there.”

“Why not?” I tried to keep my cool, but half a plan had already formed in my mind.

“Because anyone who has ever gone down there has died,” Kiran snapped. “The magic this castle is built over isn’t like India, Love. This magic is dark, evil even. The Titans are helpless against the source. They do fine in the prisons, but from everything I’ve heard, the caves were sealed because not even Titans could stand against the power some say originates from hell itself.”

“Oh, don’t be so dramatic,” I sighed, flashing him a charming smile, hoping to rest his growing anxiety.

“Eden, I’m serious; it is an evil, more powerful than even my father.” Kiran stopped on the staircase to face me. “If you think you can possess it, you are wrong. Besides, there is no guarantee that even if you obtained it somehow, that it would not change you…. destroy you.” Kiran walked down to my step, leveling his eyes at me.

“You’re worrying for nothing,” I argued, trying to believe myself, trying to believe that Kiran’s argument convinced me. “Trust me; I have absolutely no future plans to go through what I went through in India ever again. That was awful.” I laid a hand on his bicep, feeling his magic react to my touch.

“You can’t do that,” Kiran’s eyes smoldered while he abruptly changed the subject.

“Do what?” I pretended innocence, letting my hand slide down his arm gently.

“You can’t just touch me so I forget what we’re talking about,” he admitted shyly, leaning into me subconsciously.

“I wouldn’t dream of being so cruel,” I blushed fiercely. The fun was over. I had moved us into dangerous territory.

“I don’t believe you.” He licked his lips and for one split second my imagination betrayed me, picturing him pressing me against the cold stone wall until I melted and kissing me passionately until my head spun and the world stopped spinning, just like he did at the hunting lodge.

I shook my head, dropped my hand and moved quickly up the stairs. “Probably a good idea,” I called back flirtatiously.

I burst through the door that led into the castle, breathing in separate air quickly before Kiran joined me. He smiled at me in passing, heading for the throne room. I followed behind him, gathering my courage while subduing my will, and preparing to face Lucan.

At the double brass doors Kiran greeted the two Titan Guards standing watch and they stood aside. Lucan looked up from his golden throne, his cold deep blue eyes flickering over me with a putrid hate I could feel in my bones.

The feeling was mutual.

“You’ve returned,” Lucan smiled at his son. “How was the lodge?” Lucan’s eyebrows lifted in obvious innuendo. My gaze fell to the floor immediately embarrassed by what happened at the hunting lodge.

“Very relaxing,” Kiran admitted. “We had a wonderful time.”

“Good,” Lucan’s smile widened. “Will you be joining us for dinner tonight?”

“Actually, I have an evening for us already planned,” Kiran declined nonchalantly.

“Fine,” Lucan grunted, not sure what to make of Kiran suddenly. “Tomorrow I’ve invited some guests to the castle, and your aunt and uncle will be joining us until the All Saints Festival. I expect you both to be present and on your best behavior,” Lucan’s final words were directed solely at me. I managed to nod my head, but that was all I could give Lucan. The bile started to rise in my throat and my skin began to crawl from being so near to evil incarnate.

Kiran bowed, and I curtsied and then turned to follow him out of the room.

“Eden,” Lucan called just as we reached the exit, “I hope you are able to appreciate the skillful hunter my son truly is.”

If I opened my mouth now, somebody would die. Somebody would answer for my words, and knowing Lucan he would make them suffer. So, I nodded instead, acknowledging the truth to his words and then turned away, sucking in the lighter air on the other side of the throne room.

Kiran and I walked silently upstairs to the top tower apartment. I hesitated outside the door, desperately wanting some privacy.

“What are you afraid of?” Kiran asked intuitively, while I looked out a hallway window over the maze of gardens on the backside of the castle.

“Nothing,” I answered too quickly, avoiding his gaze. “It’s just that…. after the last few days, I mean after everything with Jericho, I could use some time to myself.”

“Of course,” Kiran agreed, backing away from the door and toward the staircase. “I’ll be back to get you for dinner.”

“Actually,” I rushed forward, afraid he would leave before I could wiggle out of dinner, “Is there any way we could reschedule whatever you have planned for tonight? Truthfully, I’m exhausted. I don’t’ think I would make very good company.” I looked hopefully into his eyes, praying he could find compassion for me.

He paused indecisively across the hall, as if he were making a very serious decision. “Eden,” he finally answered and his tone carried a suffocating gravity that pressed against my heart in a way I couldn’t explain, “You have nothing to be afraid of.”

He held my gaze, rendering me frustratingly speechless. I didn’t believe him; I didn’t believe there was nothing to be afraid of. I had everything to be afraid of, and I wouldn’t admit differently.