“I didn't throw you!” he defended himself. “You fell off!”
“No way! You totally pushed me!” I laughed, settling back down into the nook of his arm.
“Well, in my defense, I didn't think you would really get hurt, you are immortal after all,” he mumbled, still laughing at me.
“Do you really think that? Do you really think I'm immortal?” I asked, and the tone of the conversation was suddenly sober.
“I do think that,” Jericho answered, his tone matching my own. “I mean, I thought the same thing about Amory and eventually the world outlived him, but when you look at a life as long as his, it's hard not to say that he was anything but.”
“You're right,” I agreed, remembering my grandfather before he died. Death offered peace for him, like going home. I had watched him slip away into the other side of eternity with a smile on his face and eyes that looked towards heaven and I envied him.
“Why do you ask?” he whispered, his voice hoarse and thoughtful.
“I don't know, it's just that I haven't known about magic for even an entire year yet, but these last few months have already felt like a life time. I can't imagine fighting battles like this forever. I can't imagine Lucan as my enemy for the rest of time. And if I'm immortal, surely, after Amory's death Lucan is too. And the king's goal is to make his son just as allergic to death as we are. If it's going to be the three of us fighting for all of eternity, I think I will just give Kiran my magic and call it quits! Doesn't that sound awful?” I whined, truly afraid of the words I was speaking.
“It won't just be the three of you, though, we are going to get Avalon back. You might as well consider his company guaranteed, and then your parents. They will at least live for a very, very long time. And then your husband, whoever you choose for that role; I mean, he'll share your magic so.... I mean, he will also be immortal,” Jericho finished his point slowly, as if he hadn't meant to bring the last part of it up.
“Oh, right! My husband. I forgot about him! I wonder what he will be like?” I tried to remain serious, and get under Jericho's skin, but I couldn't keep a straight face.
“He's going to have to be a patient man,” Jericho teased, “a very patient man.”
“Hey now! That's not very nice!” I acted offended, but, secretly, I agreed with him.
“Eden,” his tone changed back to serious, and I could sense the direction he was going before he said anything else. Butterflies attacked my stomach and I could feel my cheeks blush with anticipation. “I'm a patient man,” he whispered and I breathed in deeply with confirmation that he still loved me.
Logically, I knew that he did, but emotionally, I needed to hear him verbalize his feelings. He said the words before, but I wasn't ready to hear them. And now that my heart was ready, now that I was subconsciously planning our future and not having a single thought that didn't include him, now that Kiran was an embarrassing memory and my magic had moved on, now I would hear those words and say them back. I would believe them and hope that he believed me.
“I know that you are,” I admitted, turning my face to his. “You were patient all this time. I had to find myself first; I had to remember who I was and become the person I was meant to be. You have been there for me patiently while I searched for you, even when I didn't know I was looking for you, you were there.”
“And, did you find me?” he asked, nuzzling his nose against mine.
“Mmmm... hmm.... I did, I found you,” I closed my eyes, relishing every moment of our togetherness.
“I love you, Eden, I always have,” he whispered sweetly and I almost cried at his sincerity.
“I love you, too,” I answered honestly, and with all that was left of me.
He kissed me then, sealing our commitment to each other with a kiss. Our magics pressed against each other, refusing to leave one another and my lips mimicked the sentiment. I loved Jericho in the way two people are supposed to love each other, with trust, commitment and honesty.
We settled down, nestling into each other and falling asleep on the couch. We had eternity before us, there was no need to hurry, no need to rush things. Part of me felt like we had been together for a long time, and that he was always my intended destiny once life had turned upside down. And the other part of me felt like for the first time, tonight, with our words and purpose for each other we were finally together and I had been waiting forever to be with him.
I curled up, even closer to him, offering him my future and trusting him with what was left of my heart. I struggled to get closer, finding it hard to get comfortable and relax. I argued with myself that I was just panicking, that I had been hurt before and so I wasn't willing to trust happiness that felt too good to be true. But these moments on the couch, with my soul bared and promises whispered felt more like goodbye than the start of something.
I eventually shook the feeling, and fell asleep to his peaceful, measured breathing. I promised myself that all I needed to do was get through Romania, I just needed to get Avalon back and then every night thereafter, could be spent like this with Jericho. I just needed to rescue Avalon first.
Chapter Thirty-Seven
“Please, Lilly, I'll never forgive myself if something happens to her!” I pleaded, begged and almost cried out to my friend.
“Eden, of course I will stay with her! Of course I will,” she said quickly, soothing my desperation. “As long as you're sure you would rather have me stay with Syl, then go?” I could tell that Lilly was disappointed she wouldn't get to go on the mission, but I awoke this morning with the urgent need to protect Aunt Syl and Lilly. I started thinking about the mission and how Lilly was already in prison twice and I decided I couldn't let Lilly risk her life again or leave Aunt Syl alone again, for even a moment. So, because they loved each other so much, and because I couldn't bear it if something happened to either of them, I turned them to each other and forced them to promise me they would take care of the other one.
“Thank you!” I threw my arms around her neck, holding her tightly to me, “You have no idea how much that means to me! I owe you big!”
“Yes, you do,” she agreed seriously, pulling away to look at me sternly in the face. “And if you really want to repay me, you'd better come home with Avalon and completely unharmed!” She pointed her finger sternly as if she was already disappointed with me; I hugged her closely again, silently promising that I would.
I eventually let go of my chokehold on her and moved over to Aunt Syl. She reached for me before I could even say a word, holding me as if I was the most loved thing in the entire world. “I love you so much, Eden,” she whispered fiercely in my ear, “and I am so very proud of you.”
I couldn't say anything back to her, I couldn't even breathe normally; I was too emotional to even express my feelings aloud.
I loved her more than anything, and it killed me to leave her here, while I flew half way around the world. I was so thankful that Lilly agreed to stay. I hoped Lilly would keep them both out of trouble, and instantly I was overjoyed to know that, no matter what happened, they had each other. I promised myself they would be fine here, out of danger. I was the one putting my life at risk and that was infinitely more reassuring for some reason.
After a long time just hugging Aunt Syl, she reluctantly set me free and deposited me into Gabriel's care. I already said goodbye to Jericho earlier in the morning because he needed to spend the rest of the day organizing all of the teams and their departure times.
Saying goodbye to Jericho proved harder this morning than when I picked up Lilly, even though I knew he would be with me in Romania, and even though I knew that as soon as Avalon was in my possession I would find him and be with him again.
Letting him go this morning was awful. I decided that after this mission, I would find a way to wake up next to him every day for the rest of my life. We loved each other now; we voiced it aloud and we committed ourselves to each other. Leaving for our separate missions meant gambling with higher stakes.
Stakes I wasn't ready to risk yet.
Gabriel was waiting patiently in the cockpit for me to say my goodbyes and climb aboard. I kissed Aunt Syl and Lilly one more time, promising them that I would bring Avalon back safely and with equal magic, I then turned to the Cessna.
Gabriel was more than willing to take my luxury jet over his pitiful, little plane after I suggested it as a possibility. Now, sitting down next to him, I wondered if I was too trusting.
I looked back at the hangar that housed his small deathtrap of a plane and decided that I would risk it anyway. I needed to prepare for a mission, not die of a heart attack before it even started. Besides, he pushed all the right buttons and got the engine started so I determined he couldn't be all bad.... even if his plane did look like a heavy-combat left over from World War II.
“Ok, are you ready?” I asked, as he moved the plane to the runway.
“Of course, why wouldn't I be?” he mumbled, solemnly. He recently re-shaved his head and as usual, he was wearing his dark, aviator sunglasses. I was convinced they were more to shield the world from his burning, orange eyes than protect his vision from the glaring sun that they seemed to made out of. His burgundy, beaded rosary hung around his neck, the perfect accessory to his priestly robe.
We remained silent for a long time. I watched the Nebraska farmland shrink under the rising plane. The landscape turned into small, perfectly shaped squares of green, like a quilted blanket laying comfortably across the earth. The Cessna shot through the full billowy clouds scattering wisps across the wide, blue sky.
“Did Silas get to Omaha Ok?” I asked, breaking the silence and reaching for conversation.
“Yes, late last night,” Gabriel responded, his thick Latin accent making even the simplest of phrases sound musical. He was silent again for several minutes before he continued, “He brought his people.”
“His people?” I gasped, wondering what prompted him to do that after he made it clear to me they would be no part of my rebellion.
“Yes, he said that if he was going to follow you, then he would have to take your example and give them a choice. So, when he asked them what they wanted to do, they wanted to come.” He shrugged his shoulder casually, as if it were not a big deal.
I sat back against the chair trying to understand the extra numbers and the willingness of Silas's people to help. Even harder to comprehend was that I was an example, that Silas, who was centuries old, looked to me for leadership, and instead of feeling encouraged, I was suddenly heavy with the weight of what that meant. I was not a good leader, but even worse, I was a terrible example. I was emotional, and vindictive and indecisive. Again I was reminded how desperately our cause needed Avalon.
“We need to get Avalon back,” I whispered, echoing my anxiety aloud.
“You think he will be a better leader than you?” Gabriel asked, his intuitions hitting the nail on the head.
“I know he will,” I promised. “Well, really at this point, anyone would be a better leader than me.” I tried to joke, but Gabriel stared ahead, his lips not even hinting at a smile.