Chapter One

The door slammed loudly behind him and I slumped back into my leather sitting chair exhausted from the constant argument that seemed to be our only interaction. Kiran left again, infuriated with my stubbornness and claiming he had some palace business that would keep him away probably through the night.

I knew there was no real business. But I was thankful for the quiet, thankful for the momentary reprieve.

My eyelids fluttered, trying desperately to fall back asleep. I forced myself to stand, and move around. My joints cracked with the effort and my muscles protested from the movement. I rubbed at my weary eyes, knowing how desperately they needed eyeliner.

I paced the empty bedroom; I felt more alone than seemed humanly possible. The ancient stone of the castle had been overlaid with polished, dark wood, and the floor stung ice cold against my bare feet.

I sighed into the silence, frustrated with my captivity and angry at my captors. This was not how I expected my surrender to play out. For a brief, fleeting moment, I glanced at the picture window behind me and contemplated jumping through it. But even suicide felt too exhausting.

For the last month I had been held prisoner not only to this castle, but to Kiran's bedroom. He was furious when I lost my magic, so enraged that he lost the ability to speak to me about anything but the energy I gave to Avalon. Well, I didn't think he actually lost the capability to speak, but every time he looked at me he seethed with silent anger and frustration.

After I offered myself in place for my magicless brother and then in secret surrendered our precious magic back to Avalon, I expected Kiran to march me straight to his father and demand that I face the guillotine in the morning, or something as equally dramatic and deserved. Instead, Kiran demanded I stay put in his bedroom. Not allowed beyond his door, I even ate my meals in the solitude of his empty room. This prison, the price I paid for offering my life for my brother's life.

I paused, weary from walking, and bored with nowhere to go. I stared out the picture window that spanned the length of the back wall that wrapped around the Citadel. The Carpathian Mountains, the only sight visible from my vantage point, remained breathtaking, despite the bleakness of my situation. Kiran's room sat higher than the stone wall that surrounded the Citadel and faced the wilderness tumbling across the earth for miles and miles. The trees were thick and wild, tangling together in savage union.

They were my only companions, my constant friends and solitary escape, although they lived a different life than me. They enjoyed utter freedom, their ceiling the sky and their floor the raw earth that welcomed their growth.

I slowly suffocated in the emptiness of isolation, imprisoned by cold stone walls and neglected by a man who no longer loved me. I sighed again, thinking about Jericho and the warmth and safety he symbolized. What had I done? Even martyrdom became wishful thinking opposed to the lonely boredom eternity now held.

My thoughts moved from Jericho to my brother, Avalon, and then to the Resistance I knew he was building with my loved ones and more. Avalon protected my magic now, and took the rightful place as leader of the Rebellion. As much as I hated it, I belonged here, I belonged in this castle. Death or no death, I gave up my freedom so that my people could one day possess a universal liberty instead.

“Well, well, well, how the tables have turned.” The door opened and Sebastian's familiar voice filled the silent room. My heart jumped and I whirled around to face the one person I was previously convinced I would never be happy to see.

“What are you doing here?” I gasped, smiling for the first time since my imprisonment.

“I thought you might need someone to walk you through how terribly dreadful it is to be mortal,” he teased. He crossed the room in a few long strides and pulled me into a hug.

“It is dreadful,” I agreed, my voice muffled in his broad shoulder. He engulfed me; his large frame forced me to feel tiny pressed against his muscular chest. “This is the worst thing ever! How on earth did you survive it for all that time?”

“I probably have a stronger disposition than you,” he joked. He released his tight hug, but stayed close, smiling at me with boyish mischief. His chocolate brown hair, messy and out of place, showed evidence of travel.

“I don't think it would be so bad though, if I could leave.... if I could get out of this godforsaken room!” I whined, hoping Sebastian would at least supervise a walk through some empty hallways.

“No, you can't do that....” Sebastian mumbled. His tone turned severe, and even his golden brown eyes clouded with gravity. He reached out his fingers rubbing at the mark of the Resistance that glowed bright blue on my pallid skin. Even though the magic disappeared, the tattoo still shimmered with color. More a scar now, than a symbol of rebellion, it contrasted with my once tan skin as a reminder of the immortality lost.

“Why not?” I crossed my arms, but with lackluster defiance. There was no more electricity in my blood, no more spark of magic to ignite my attitude, I felt tired.... just plain tired all of the time.

“You'll get lost,” he continued to mumble, ushering me to one of the brown leather chairs near the window. I plopped down, too fatigued to argue and he sat down in an identical chair across from me.

“So, really, what are you doing here?” I asked, excited to have some company for a change.

“I've been summoned.” Sebastian sat up, speaking with fancy dictation and mock importance. “My uncle is very concerned about our education, you see. He has decided that Kiran and I will be tutored here instead of sending us off to school again. I don't know if you heard, but the last time Kiran was sent away, things did not turn out so well for the future of the monarchy.” Sebastian smiled, flashing his perfect white teeth at me, his golden brown eyes sparkling with life. Our roles had reversed.

“Um, as I remember, it turned out great for your side! Not so great for me....” I rolled my eyes, and sighed again. There had to be more to my existence than this room.

“Hmmm.... Good point,” Sebastian winked at me. “Look at the bright side, you have me now, so it can't be all bad, Rapunzel.”

“Oh, because I'm locked in a tower?” I laughed at his joke.

“I think you're actually smarter without magic!” He teased and I leaned forward to kick him in the shin, but I moved too slowly without magic and he swung his legs out of the way before my foot even got close.

We both started laughing. It felt so good to have a friend, or the closest thing to a friend I had, here. Suddenly exile didn't seem so eternally impossible.

The door opened and we both turned to face Kiran. He paused in the doorway looking at us. Our laughter died down immediately, but the smile stayed in Sebastian's expression. Kiran's deep blue eyes, that were rarely turquoise at all anymore, flashed with something I should recognize, but couldn't. He stood, fumbling in front of the door for a minute, trying to figure us out.

“Cousin,” Sebastian greeted him happily. He stood up and walked to Kiran to offer a friendly handshake. Kiran barely returned the gesture and the relaxed moment Sebastian and I previously enjoyed turned very awkward.

“Sebastian, I thought you were coming to see me when you arrived,” Kiran accused gently, his eyes flickering to me for a brief second. He ran his hand through his dirty blonde hair, a gesture of irritation I had come to recognize all too well.

“And I did,” Sebastian defended, “I came to your room to find you. Obviously you were not here.” Sebastian turned around to face me, shaking his head ever so slightly to indicate that he was lying and I couldn't help but laugh at him again.

“I see,” Kiran mumbled, missing Sebastian's gesture, but not my laughter. His expression grew harder. He stood looking over me in a way that made me feel unexplainably guilty for interacting with his cousin. “I'm glad you're here, Bastion.” Kiran shook his head and approached his cousin with better manners.

“And why is that?” Sebastian sat back down again, next to me and Kiran moved to sit on the corner of his king-size bed facing us.

“Since, Eden and you seem to be such good friends, maybe you can be the one to convince her to get her magic back,” Kiran sighed, glancing at me from the corner of his eye.

“Yes, that is important,” Sebastian agreed, his expression turning serious. He stared at me, holding my eyes with his, and I couldn't help but notice how worried he looked.

“She has been completely impossible about it, but it is absolutely necessary. You have to convince her,” Kiran implored with urgency and I wondered if I would try harder if he would address me with the same concern instead of just demanding that I get it back and then storming off like a petulant child whenever he didn't get his way.

“Stop talking about me like I'm not here!” I huffed, crossing my arms again. “I can't get it back. I've tried. Besides, I told Avalon to keep it! He probably doesn't even know I want it back and he definitely won't let me have it, even if he did know!” I rushed through my argument for the hundredth time. This was a daily conversation between Kiran and me, and always ended with him walking out and leaving me alone for the night.

“You need to try harder!” Kiran demanded. He didn't look at me, but I watched him clench his hands together in frustration.

“I am trying as hard as I can!” I lied. I hadn't tried at all. Every once in a while I would pretend to try. I would sit still and concentrate silently working to summon the magic I banished forever. And sometimes the effort to argue outweighed the effort to look like I was attempting to get my magic back and so I would close my eyes and drift off knowing Kiran would be gone when I woke again.

“Eden, I know that this is some game to you, or worse, that you are hoping for the easy way out, but I promise you, my father will never allow that. Stop being selfish and get the damn magic back!” Kiran stood up, enraged beyond what I had experienced.

Instead of frightening me into obedience, his words only solidified my decision. “I'm the one being selfish?” I shouted, standing up to accept his challenge. “You want me to get my magic back so that you can have it! Please, tell me how protecting the kingdom from your eternal rule is selfish? I'm doing everyone a huge favor!”

“I don't want your cursed magic!” Kiran shouted back, but I couldn't believe him. Even without magic, his lies were barely concealed.

“Eden, really, it's best if you just get it back.” Sebastian put a hand soothingly on my arm. I flinched from his touch, offended that he would take Kiran's side after everything we went through together.

“What's best is if you would just put me out of my misery now,” I growled, narrowing my gaze at Sebastian but then turning to Kiran and forcing his eyes to mine. I was determined to get my way and then Kiran looked back at me, his deep blue eyes flashed turquoise for just a moment wincing from my words. My heart jumped unexpectedly from his look and I found myself silenced. I cleared my throat and turned toward the window, unwilling to analyze either his or my reaction.

I cleared my throat and rolled my head around my neck. The boys moved together behind me and furtively whispered in harsh tones that I didn't bother to pay attention to. I walked to the large windows and stared out across the afternoon sky. The sun seemed hot at the beginning of June, warming the forests and the rock of the mountains, but not this room, not ever penetrating the clear glass with its brilliant rays.