Fearless Magic (24 page)

“How do you know?” A beautiful Indian girl asked, her long, shiny black hair pulled over her shoulder in a waist-length braid. With flawless skin, her perfect lips perpetuated a smile that she could not control and probably wasn't even conscious of. She was absolutely stunning, made even more exquisite by soft, pink eyes that shimmered in the darkness, almost glowing against the black backdrop of the jungle.

“I know, I just do. I know this sounds crazy and it's not something I can really explain.... But I know that he is here in the core of my being,” I said with a stronger voice than I had started with.

“Do you know where he is?” A Korean man asked, clean-cut, with short hair, and narrow lips. His deep green eyes, like the color of grass at night, bore into mine, hungry for information. He sat forward, ready for my answers, while holding the hand of a woman of a similar ethnicity. She had short black hair too, sleek and shining and high cheek bones that turned her smile into light. Her eyes were like Gabriel's, orange and glowing, but deeper, more burnt orange, like the color of leaves changing in the fall, than fire.

“No, not exactly. With Lucan, but that's all I know.” I shrugged my shoulders, wishing I had introduced myself, before I dumped my mysterious intelligence on these people. They were having a good time before I showed up.

“Well, Lucan is in the summer palace, we have been watching them for a week now,” A college-aged blonde woman explained; she sat in between the Asian couple and the Indian woman. I decided they had to be the India Team; they held the spirit of resilient camaraderie that Avalon shared with his team.

“Why are they here?” I asked, wondering what in the world Lucan would want with my brother in India.

“Well, that's why I called Jericho,” Xander stood up next to Jericho who had yet to sit back down after hearing the news that he was in the same country as Avalon. “Lucan always comes this time of year to oversee the Eternal Walks. However, from what we've, or rather Te and his team observed, the Walks are not working.” He gestured to the Asian man sitting with whom I assumed to be his wife, judging by the bulging diamond on her ring finger.

“Yes,” Te took over, “from what we've gathered, there doesn't seem to be any magic in the Caves, or at least what magic is there has refused to cooperate with Lucan. There is a whole batch of candidates for the walk and not one of them has been able to conjure the magic.”

“Oh, my gosh!” I shrieked, and the gathered Resistance collectively sat back, surprised by my outburst. “That is incredible!” I realized at that moment that the Caves would only answer to me from now on. My magic moved inside my blood, and not the electricity I could call my life's-blood, but the blue smoke, the healing magic I wrestled with inside those very Caves just months ago.

“Yes, it is,” Te agreed with me, stoically.

“What are you thinking, E?” Titus asked from across the fire.

“The plan is this,” I stated, making it sound simple, “We check out the Caves, first thing in the morning, and then rescue my brother right after, and then.... we get the hell out of here?” They sat in stunned silence, still just looking at me, but I was confident of my plan.

India was turning out to be a fantastic decision.

Chapter Twenty-Two

I woke up the next morning before the sun, too excited to stay still for long. Near my brother and hours from being with him, I could hardly contain my nervous energy. The rest of the group lay sleeping in tents scattered around the jungle clearing.

I sat up and stretched, almost kicking my tent mate in the head. Somehow, during the night, I had twisted all the way around so that my feet were now in Grace's face and my sleeping bag all the way unzipped.

Grace Lewis, the blonde, college-aged girl, on the India team and very familiar with the jungle. Originally from Canesburry where Jericho went to school, came to India to work with the poor in Calcutta. Amory recruited her for the Resistance almost a year ago, placing her on the a team with Te Che and his wife Pan, Naima Desai, the beautiful Indian girl, and Sunny Magar, an Indian man, who appeared to be middle-aged, but was probably much older, with specks of gray salting his thick, curly black hair and navy blue eyes, standing out against his freckled, dark, brown skin.

The India team had been watching the palace since they heard about Amory's death, waiting for word from anyone who still might be in the Rebellion. They met Avalon's team during the surveillance opts for my Eternal Walk and were very thankful to see Xander and Xavier when they arrived.

The Morocco Team was the same way, diligent about their tasks, even though essentially, the Rebellion seemed dead. They held out hope, waiting for someone to arrive and tell them what to do next. Although, the Morroco Team was very spirited, from what I observed last night, and I was sure that if Xander and Xavier had not shown up, they would have taken matters quickly into their own hands.

They were a small team made up of mostly Americans, who were in Morocco teaching English as a second language. Nobody on the team was married yet, but by the way they interacted with each other, I got the impression they were already paired off.

Caden Halstead, the team leader, was a tall, skinny guy, with shaggy, dirty blonde hair and freckles from head to toe. He was very close with the second in command Kya Hasting. Kya, skinny and tall too, had long, wavy, auburn hair and pale skin. The team was rounded out with another American, Lucy Barello, a curvy, dark haired knockout with a prominent beauty mark on her neck that made her seem more voluptuous, pin up girl than rebellion spy; and Bex Costello, the only non-American on the team. He was from Spain and Lucy's parents were from Spain, so as a couple they made a lot of sense. Bex was dark haired as well, and had a gritty, down-to-earth vibe about him that balanced Lucy.

The jungle grew quiet through the night, and into the early morning hours; even the wildlife found sleep. We stayed up late into the night, discussing our options and figuring out a plan of attack. Over the lengthy planning, I got the chance to meet everyone and through the course of discussion, I was able to get a feel for the personalities.

The Resistance differed from the students at Kingsley, with no concern for the monarchy and without prejudice or reserve. I was more comfortable here, in the wilderness, surrounded by people that wanted what I did, but still something kept me from them. Something I couldn't define, separated me from them. It felt like I should know what it was, but I didn't. I couldn't define the feeling and so I stayed close to Jericho and let his easy-going ability cover my awkwardness.

Grace lay sleeping next to me and so I decided to slip out of the tent and spend some time alone in the fresh air. I walked as quietly as I could to the campfire, but didn't stand there for more than a minute before I heard a zipper open and another person exit their tent.

The sun was still rising and underneath the thick canopy of trees, the jungle was still very dark. I strengthened the fire with my magic, taking a step closer to its warmth before inclining my head to greet Sebastian.

Sebastian watched us for a while last night. Sitting silently apart from us, but never really separate. He watched me mainly, his dull, lifeless eyes focused on my every move and I grew increasingly uncomfortable until finally he fell asleep. I didn't know what I was going to do with him. I promised to take his life, and end his misery, but I wondered if I really had it in me.

“Trying to sneak out?” I asked, half joking.

“And go where?” He grunted, joining me at the fire.

“The palace, to warn your uncle,” I accused seriously, wondering if it were even possible for him to find his way out of the jungle and to a real road in his state.

“If I were going to escape, it would not be to my uncle....” He mumbled in response, and I half turned to him, my heart breaking for him the millionth time without my permission.

“Hey, are you up to trying something?” I asked, and then realized I should never have given him the chance to say no.

“What?” He asked, turning to me.

“I want to try to give you your magic back, are you up for that?” I smiled sweetly at him, trying to charm him into agreeing with me. I doubted he had any idea how unsafe this was for him, and I decided that since he had a death wish anyway, I would leave the potentially dangerous details out.

“Why would you give me my magic back?” He questioned, honestly, but there was the tiniest spark of life behind his golden brown eyes. It thrilled me to see his interest.

“Ok, moment of truth?” I asked, and he nodded, “I don't know how to give magic back. I mean, I can take it no problem.... trust me. But I have yet to give it back to anyone. And I have got to be able to give it back to Avalon, I mean, like it's the first thing I need to be able to do. So, I'm thinking, if I can figure it out with you, than it's like a win-win!” I did my best to sell the idea, but his expression went from hopeful to skeptical in a second.

“So, you don't know what you're doing?”

“No, I have absolutely no idea. But come on, it will be fun!” I turned completely to him and reached out my hands, shaking them impatiently when he didn't immediately grab on to them.

He looked at me, tilting his head sideways and I briefly recalled that I needed to find him new clothes. He reached out his hands to mine and grasped them with weak resolve. His magical current was there, suffocating, but there. It perked up at our connection, calling out to itself, hidden deep in the mixture of magics melded together in my blood.

I had absorbed a lot more magics since the last time I tried to give Oscar his back and so when Sebastian's magic didn't come immediately forward, I wasn't worried. I closed my eyes, concentrating on the little imprint he had left in his blood and the knowledge I remembered about him from times we made contact prior to him losing his magic.

Slowly I pulled it forward, through the myriad of others, and to the surface, where it now popped and sizzled with anxious anticipation. I didn't want to send him flying through the jungle as I had with Oscar and so I stayed relaxed, refusing to get frustrated. The more relaxed I was able to stay, the less my magic jumped all over his in order to hold it prisoner.

Taking an Immortal's magic felt like physically pulling it from them, using my magic against theirs in a tug of war like scenario, only a scenario where I always won. My natural reaction then, was to push the magic back into the other person, physically make them take it back. However, from my experience with Oscar I knew it wasn't going to work and so I stayed still, waiting patiently for an idea to come, to form inside my mind, or intuition to manifest suddenly and whisper what to do.

Sebastian, feeling awkward by my statue-like approach, squirmed a little, but I felt him stand up straighter and I hoped that was a sign that he could feel his magic. I rolled my head around, keeping my eyes tightly shut and wiggling my fingers. This would work, I would wait until it worked. I would figure this out.

His magic grew more frantic, the longer I waited, sizzling just under my skin and begging to be returned home. I willed the magic out of me, using the psychic part of my brain I was learning how to use, but nothing happened. I used the witch part of my blood to will it into Sebastian's body, but still nothing happened. I reminded myself to remain relaxed, but the tension between us increased and I knew I wouldn't be able to stand there much longer, while I held his magic captive just out of reach.

The sun began to poke through holes in the dense canopy above and tents started to open all around us. Zippers pulled and canvas ruffled, but once outside the tents nobody said anything. Other than the soft sounds of waking for the day, the jungle remained quiet and I held my concentration.

I gripped Sebastian's hands tighter, demanding my blood to obey, but nothing happened. His magic was wild inside of me, rushing through my body, pounding on my veins to be released, to be returned home, while my own magic raced alongside, demanding to bury it once again.

The pressure built inside of my head as well, while I heaped on the scathing disappointment and discouragement that nobody offered but my mind's eye. But nothing was as bad as the fear, the fear that I would hold onto Avalon's magic forever, that our true, complete connection was cut off entirely, and that he would not know his Immortal life again, and I would know nothing but.

I decided to push the magic out, that had to be my only option. I hoped it just went too fast with Oscar. Maybe I could try slowly this time. How else could magic move between two souls; there was no other way. I tentatively pushed magic from my palms to his, waiting carefully for a reaction, or sign that he received at least some of it.

He shook my hands, as if asking for more and I believed that maybe it had worked. I pushed some more magic out, his escaping with my own and it found Sebastian's palms fiercely.

The magic came out so forcefully, despite my fragile intentions, that I threw Sebastian straight up into the air twenty feet. I gasped in horror and stared after him in terrified paralysis. He waved his arms wildly on his way down. My heart sunk and my stomach lurched; I feared that I killed him. I sent him to his death and not only was responsible for my first kill, but also gave Sebastian exactly what he wanted.

Strong hands on my back, pushed me away, and Jericho and Gabriel stepped in my place literally catching Sebastian right before he landed head first on the ground. The members of the Resistance broke out in clapping, relieved that Sebastian had not died and I felt, for not the first time, that I was a side-show at a circus, only around to provide tonight's entertainment.