I opened my mouth to defend myself, but I couldn’t find words to answer her accusation. She grabbed hold of my wrist with a surprisingly strong grip and forced my palm in front of her face. “So much Magic,” she whispered. “You are the first of your kind, yet you are like the old ones. Not so very many like you, my dear.”
“Ileana?” Jericho asked from near the door. He sounded concerned and his hazel eyes flashed chocolate brown with distress.
“General, it is time for me to be alone with your Olivia,” Ileana snapped at him.
“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” he argued.
She looked up at me and winked. With her back to Jericho, he didn’t see the gesture, but after only knowing this woman for thirty seconds I could already tell she was up to something. “I have foreseen our time alone together!” she boomed authoritatively.
Jericho’s eyebrows slammed together and his body stiffened immediately. “Will you be alright?” he asked me gently. His protective Magic swirled around the room. I felt it at my feet first and then as it wrapped itself around my body.
“I’m fine,” I answered with false bravado.
I wasn’t fine. I was confused. But I didn’t think this homeless person meant to harm me. Plus, I knew he would be waiting right outside the door.
Jericho nodded and left the room, but his Magic stayed with me. I marveled for a moment at how attuned to other people’s Magic I was becoming. At first the energy that swirled around this castle felt like static electricity in the air. The longer I stayed though, the more defined and individual it became and now identifying a person’s Magic was almost second nature to me.
I also realized I’d started to recognize the electrical force as “Magic.” This either meant that I was adapting to my surroundings or losing my mind completely.
Maybe a little of both.
But neither felt alright to me. I needed to stay rooted in reality, stay tied to my real life, the real world. This was a foray into the impossible, just a quick, temporary trip down the rabbit hole. Someday soon I would wake up and remember this time fondly as that crazy dream I once had.
That kind of thinking was the only way I could keep my mind from shattering into little lunatic-sized pieces.
Once Jericho was gone, Ileana looked up at me and said, “I didn’t really foresee us together, but he was bothering me. Was he bothering you?”
I smiled a little at her question. “He’s always bothering me,” I admitted.
“Such is the way with young love, I think,” she said quietly in her thick obviously-Romanian accent.
“Oh, no,” I stammered quickly. “We’re not in love.” I cleared my throat. Could this get any more awkward? “We don’t even like each other.”
Ileana’s lips twitched and finally broke into a broken-toothed smile. “But I am the Gypsy Queen, child. I see everything!”
She danced away from me and over to my sister. Ophelia laid still, like usual, even while the Gypsy Queen got right down in her face. I cringed for O’s sake as the dirty woman pressed her face into my sisters. O’s hair fluttered from the old woman’s breath on her face and I had to close my eyes to shut out the scene in front of me before I reacted violently.
I steadied out my breathing and tried to think about less offensive things than snatching her by the collar and forcefully removing her from the room. When I opened them again, her filthy fingers were tracing a line down the curve of Ophelia’s jaw.
“You the Immortal human,” she crooned softly. “Your sister the human Immortal. And your brother the hunter.”
How could she possibly know about Orion?
I stilled, utterly froze.
“Your parents are very romantic, I think, to give you all such powerful names. And yet in Olivia’s story her brother has died and she falls in love with Sebastian.” Ileana was thoughtful as she recounted The Twelfth Night.
This was not a new story to me, since my father had been regaling us with Greek mythology and Shakespeare since we were in the womb. He was a high school English teacher and my mother indulged him when it was time to name us. She indulged him always. He was forever getting his eccentric way. And now each of us had a story that belonged with our names.
“There is a Sebastian just down the hall,” she whispered conspiratorially. “Wouldn’t that be a fun way to start your story?”
“Er,” I cleared my throat. “Not if my brother dies.”
“Good choice.” She turned around and plopped down almost right on top of Ophelia. I stuttered a step forward, unable to repress my protective instincts.
“What is the difference between an Immortal human and a human Immortal?” I asked on an edgy whisper. I began to understand Jericho’s respect for this woman. She didn’t seem like much, but there was clearly a powerful air of Magic about her. Her words were frightening though. And my head was spinning as I tried to keep up. Instinct flared to life in my blood, but I couldn’t differentiate between fear of her and shocked awe.
Her violet eyes brightened at my question and her body stilled attentively. “You are the first Immortal in years to ask me the right question. Usually, it’s all noise in my ears and buzzing around my head. But I am right about you. Smart. Intuitive. Perceptive. Immortal.”
A tingle covered me from head to toe. I did not like how final that word sounded on her dry lips. “Temporarily Immortal,” I whispered.
Here violet eyes softened and her expression became maternal. “Did you know that I also resented this life…. this calling? I was not changed, but born this way. Still, I hold both parts of both worlds. My father Immortal, my mother Gypsy royalty. In a different time, when a different evil ruled this world, their marriage was forbidden. They paid the price for my life with their own. And then I was left to live an eternal existence without them. I have seen centuries go by, yet I remain. The price of Magic is steep, and not one that we are allowed to pay easily. Yet, I ask you child, is it worth it?”
Her words confirmed all of my fears. Not only was I trapped in an endless existence, but this Kingdom was volatile. Evil tyrants, mad scientists, people capable of things that shouldn’t exist outside of fiction? I didn’t want any part of this.
“No,” I answered her.
She tsked a disappointed sound, “Not yet, Livie. You should have said, not yet.”
My mouth dropped at the sound of my nickname- a nickname that only my family used. She stood up and walked over to me. I was short compared to everyone but her. I stood above her small frame. And even while she was rounder than me, my bones seemed much larger, my frame a looming giant compared to the petite-ness of hers.
Unwanted tears pricked at the corners of my eyes. “Is it reversible?”
She reached out a gentle hand to my forearm, “You are more powerful than he could have ever hoped for. But it will be to his own downfall, not yours. You will survive in the wake of his changes, while he may not.”
“Jericho?” I whispered in confusion.
Her expression changed in an instant. Gone was the sweet grandmother figure that spoke in riddles and in her place was a haunting witch that ate small children for lunch. The shadows under her odd-colored eyes darkened, her fingernails dug into my skin and her teeth seemed to elongate in front of me. “The man who started this all. The man that would drink your blood and burn your sister to ash. The man that will hunt the hunter.”
“Terletov.” I guessed and she nodded. “Is he after my brother?”
“Not yet.” Ileana loosened her painful grip. “He doesn’t know what he’s done yet.” She let go of
me and walked to the door.
“And my brother?” I squeaked out desperately.
“Do not take the way of tragedies and the hunter will be fine,” she answered cryptically. I winced in confusion and she smiled. “Olivia and Sebastian’s love story was already written.”
“The Twelfth Night was a comedy,” I pointed out.
“Not for Olivia’s dead brother.” And then she
was gone.
I couldn’t really argue with that anyway.
I spun around and looked down at O. She was the same- always the same. And possibly I could be losing my mind staying here with her. I had never been more frustrated, more helpless. I couldn’t do anything for her. I couldn’t force her to get better and I couldn’t make her wake up.
On top of everything, Ileana talked about Rion like he could be in trouble.
I didn’t belong in this world! Yet, they seemed determined to keep me here.
Not yet, she’d said. Is it worth it? Not yet. What did that even mean?
“You alright?” Jericho’s voice was soft and gentle behind me. I hadn’t even heard him come in.
“No.” I didn’t turn around. I couldn’t face him now.
“What did she say?”
I ran my hands through my still-messy hair, hoping to smooth it down. Jericho’s presence was more calming than I wanted to admit. But with his Magic’s reassuring grip on my own electrical aura and his calm, steady, even-keeled energy filling the room, I started to relax. Maybe this wasn’t as impossible as I’d made it in my head.
I didn’t even know that lady. She was a nut job as far as I was concerned. Jericho had never said anything about his kind being able to tell the future. And even if she could, how reliable was fortune-telling anyway? There were probably a thousand different ways the rest of my day could go, all dependent on each one of my millions of decisions.
It was silly to believe in something that wasn’t real, or at least hadn’t been real up until ten minutes ago.
I turned around and allowed myself to meet Jericho’s probing gaze. “She said not to fall in love with Sebastian.”
Jericho barked out an amused laugh and shook his head. “Like that will happen,” he smirked at me. I lifted a casual shoulder but didn’t respond. He was right about Sebastian so there wasn’t anything left to say. Except he didn’t take it that way. “Wait, will it happen? You’re not… Sebastian’s not… You guys have barely spent any time together. How could you possibly have feelings for him? He’s not even your type! Trust me, he’s way too full of himself. And his last girlfriend is a complete basket-case over their breakup. He’s not looking for anything serious. He just wants to… Listen, he’s a good enough guy. I mean, he’s one of my good friends, but he’s not… He’s not ready to settle down or anything. He has commitment issues.”
There were just so many things to unpack in that monologue. I wasn’t even sure where to begin. So, just to cause problems, I said, “Who said anything about settling down?”
Jericho gaped at me. “Did you hear anything I just said?”
“Have you paid any attention to me? At all?” I walked over to him, intending to go back to my own room and pull myself together and at least brush my teeth. “Since when have I ever seemed into Sebastian?”
“I don’t know.” He shrugged and rocked back on his heels. “It’s hard to tell with you.”
“Says the guy who keeps trying to kiss me and then chickening out,” I huffed.
Jericho’s eyes darkened and he stopped acting like a little boy caught with his hand in the cookie jar. He took a step toward me. My stomach dropped and I felt my Magic spike in my blood. His eyes were that perfect mixture of green and brown again; a rich chocolate background to the brightest greenish-gold flecks. His skin practically glowed with healthy color. His energy was intense, aggressive, confusing.
He cleared his throat, attempting to pull himself back together. “We need to talk,” he said.
I glanced over at Ophelia and then back at him. “In here?”
Apparently.
“I’m leaving, Liv.” His penetrating expression turned to that of concern and a little desperate. “Avalon, the other King, is back. I’ve been waiting on him. Sebastian and I are leaving later tonight.”
A riot of emotions erupted under my skin. I wasn’t sure how I felt about this. I didn’t want him to go, but I needed him to at the same time. I felt a little like he was abandoning O and me. I felt relief that I could go back to normal, or as normal as my new Magic would let me be. I knew I would miss him. A bond had been built between us that would be difficult to break. And there were a hundred different things I felt brewing, simmering, and bubbling up inside me.
But one forced itself out stronger than all the other thoughts and emotions.
“I want to go with you.” The words fell out before I could dissect them.
“You want to what?” He looked at me like I had two heads.
“I want to go with you, Jericho. I need to go with you.”
“Liv….”
“Wait,” I held up my hand. “Listen. Please.” His eyes narrowed but he respected me enough to listen to my opening argument. “O is not waking up and I can’t do anything for her here. If there’s a cure or any way for me to help her, I have to do it, I have to help her.”
“It’s too dangerous…”
I cut him off again, “But I’m not helpless anymore. I can fight back. Besides, what else can they do to me? They’ve already ruined me.”
“They could kill you, Liv.”
I shook my head vehemently, “There’s this chance… they might be… Terletov…” I couldn’t bring myself to even say the old lady’s prediction out loud. It seemed too insane even for this world. How could she know about Orion? And how could she know that he would be in danger soon?
“What is it?” He put comforting hands on my biceps and held me at arm’s length so he could watch my face. “Did Ileana say something to you?”
“It’s impossible.”
“What did she say, Olivia?” He spoke sternly, brokering no room for argument. Apparently he took Ileana seriously; maybe I should too.
“She mentioned my brother. She said he will be in trouble soon.” I stepped into him, breaking his distance-keeping hold and wrapped my arms around his waist. Things had been weird between us lately, but this was what I needed. I needed to borrow his strength and security. I needed to feel safe and untouchable for just a few moments.
He was kind of like a drug with all his warmth and refuge. And I was quickly becoming addicted to his sanctuary.
Probably another reason to stay behind.
His arms wrapped around me reflexively and he held me to him. “Avalon won’t let you go. Even if it was alright with me, I’m not the ultimate authority.”
“So you take her seriously?”
“She has this whole thing… where she can see the future.” Jericho smiled sheepishly at me and I groaned.
“I was afraid you were going to say that. How accurate is she?” I pulled away from him just a little bit so I could look up into his eyes and gauge his truth-telling.
“Well, she can’t see everything,” he answered immediately.
“Oh, good.”
“But what she does see, she’s usually right about.”
“Usually?” I asked hopefully.
“I meant always. She’s always right.”
I dropped my forehead to his chest and winced. “Then I’m going with you.”
“You would leave Ophelia to go on this mission?” Jericho’s words were like punctuations of accusation. I knew he didn’t mean them that way, but my own, personal guilt kept me from feeling like any decision was a good decision.
“If I stay here, I’m not doing anything to help her. At least out there, I’ll feel like I’m part of a solution.” I paused and then said, “If she wakes up, I’ll be able to come back, right?”
“I don’t know if Avalon is going to let you go,” he said somberly. “I don’t know if you should go.”
I could feel him wavering, weighing the pros and cons of taking me versus leaving me. It was probably a very stupid decision for him to take me with him. Still, that didn’t mean I was going to take no for an answer.
I stepped away from Jericho and yanked open the door. “I have some say left in my own life, Jericho. You can’t keep me locked up here forever.”
&n
bsp; “Shouldn’t you be skeptical of an old gypsy with Magical powers?” He called after me. “You’re supposed to think it’s spooky!”
“Her parents were killed because they loved each other. She’s a half-Immortal, half-human. She’s a gypsy queen! Everything about that story sounds impossible. And that’s exactly how I know it’s true.” I shot him an amused smile and then left him watching me go.
I felt a little better knowing Jericho wasn’t the final authority. I would make a good argument and I would get my way. I fought for what I believed in, and I believed in this. I belonged out on the field, out tracking down Terletov, if for no other reason than to make sure Orion stayed safe. I would deal with Ophelia waking up when and if that actually happened. But for now, it was time to start fighting back.
Chapter Eleven
Jericho
By the time I caught up with Olivia, she was half way through her plea. I should have followed right after her, but I had needed a moment. I thought I wanted to get away from her, clear my head and get my priorities in order.
But then Ileana kicked me out of that room declaring that she needed to be alone with Olivia.
I wouldn’t argue with the Gypsy Queen and I knew she would never hurt or harm Liv. However, the wave of protectiveness that surged through my blood nearly knocked me over. Olivia was mine to protect, mine to care for.
I belonged in that room with her.
I belonged with her.
But those thoughts were crazy! I barely knew this girl.
Okay, that was a lie. We’d been together non-stop for the last few months. I did know her. And she knew me a hell of a lot better than anyone else.
I was attracted to her. I could admit that.
She thought it stemmed from finding out she had Magic, but truthfully, my attraction to her looks was instantaneous. Even on the mountain, while she was dirty and beaten, I’d been aware of her staggering beauty. In that moment, seeing her broken and so savagely vulnerable, I had been murderous. I breathed fire with the need to avenge her, to hand her retribution. And since then? That desperation had deepened tenfold, because my attraction to her was deeper than the surface, than her pretty looks and biting personality. Whatever this was, it had been growing steadily every moment we were together. Maybe the Magic was what pushed me over the edge into this never-ending abyss of “Olivia”, but I had no doubt it would have happened whether she had manifested powers or not.