“Yes of course. We all knew her.Well, except for the young ones. But how brave they are? They have never knowna time without tyranny and yet they are willing to fight for a freedom that isforeign to them,” she sighed as if remembering something sad.

“I’ve never seen them before. DoResistance fighters go to school somewhere else?” I asked, wishing I couldfigure out a way to bring up my mother again.

“Oh no, not here they don’t. Isuppose those boys have all finished school, except for your brother,” shepatted my knee familiarly. “You know, our numbers have never been this big. Isuppose that means a war is coming soon.” She turned her head, and for a momentI imagined I saw a tear run down her cheek.

“Was my mother in the Resistance?”I asked, hoping to glean something from this sentimental old woman.

“In her own way she resisted; Isuppose she fought against both sides. You could say that she made her ownpath, much like you dear,” she turned to face me again, searching my eyes for….something. “Your brother is a good leader; much like your father andgrandfather. One day I am afraid we will ask too much of you both,” she shiftedher eyes away from mine and to the circle of boys listening intently toAvalon’s instructions.

“What happened to them, I mean myparents?” I asked feeling brave.

“Your brother is waiting for you,dear,” she continued to look in the direction of Avalon who seemed to be stillin the middle of conversation. I was about to ask her my question again,anxious for more information other than we just look and behave like ourparents, but then Avalon was looking in my direction waving for me to followhim.

“It was nice to meet you Angelica,”I stood up, and reached out my hand to shake hers.

“Oh, it wasn’t the first time wehave met,” she put her hand in mine and although I couldn’t recall ever meetingher before, once our flesh met, the magic that flowed between us was familiarand sweet. Our currents mingled for a second before she let go of my hand andwalked away.

“Eden, let’s go,” Avalon yelled atme, a little impatiently.

I walked passed him and towards thetruck. I couldn’t remember ever feeling more irritated with him than at thatmoment. As far as brothers go, I thought he stood up to the expectations justfine.

“I don’t think it’s fair you can’tgo,” Jericho matched steps with mine.

“Oh yeah, why’s that?” I asked,truly interested, “Everyone else seems dead set against it.”

“Funny choice of words,” Jericholooked at me curiously out of the corner of his eye. “I think you should beallowed to fight. Clearly you are capable. They can’t hide you forever,especially with the way the Prince apparently feels about you.”

My cheeks instantly flamed with themention of Kiran and his feelings for me. I pressed my cool hands to my facehoping to calm my nerves. We reached the truck and Jericho lingered by thepassenger side door.

“Well thank you, I guess,” I forcedmyself to look him in the eye and carefully formed my next question. “Where isthe feast anyway? What did Amory call it, the Judiciary something…?” I battedmy eyelashes and gave the cutest confused look I imagined I was capable of.

“The Judiciary Courts Citadel,”Jericho smiled shyly, aware that I was flirting with him. “Romania.”

“How can we have our own Citadelwithout humans wanting to know more about us?” I asked innocently.

“The Citadel is not as large as youare probably imagining it, but it’s also hidden in the mountains.”

“It’s like its own town? Does ithave a name?” I pried.

“Yes, and yes. But that’s all thatyou’ll get out of me,” he smiled shyly. He reached past my waist, bumping myside gently with his arm and pulled the door open behind me.

I waited for him to walk awaybefore I struggled awkwardly into the truck cab. No matter how many times Ipracticed the tall steps into the passenger’s seat, I could never seem toaccomplish the feat looking like a lady.

“You better change your mind,”Avalon grumbled after buckling his seat belt and starting the engine. Iunderstood that he was referring to joining the “cause” but I chose to ignoreit.

“Avalon, do you know anything aboutour parents?” I asked softly.

“No,” he replied quickly, but thentook a long pause. “I mean, I know enough to know what kind of people they wereand that they would have wanted us to join the Resistance,” I caught his not sosubtle hint, but chose to ignore that one too.

“What kind of people were they?”

“Strong…. Smart…. Powerful…. Kind.Just like me,” he quipped.

“But they didn’t join the Resistance?”

“Amory tells me, they didn’t get achance to.” Avalon’s voice was soft and far off. Let me go with you. I pled using our mutual telepathy.

“No,” he said firmly and out loud.

I shut my mind off to himcompletely, angry at his stubbornness and at my own helplessness. I decided Imust ask Kiran for help, I had no other option. Surely he would want to helpLilly, especially after she fought to save his life. He would have to help me.

Chapter Thirty-Five

“Ms. Matthews is there somethingyou would like to share with the class?” Mr. Lambert called me out sharply inthe middle of English class. I sat up straight and shook my head in ahumiliated and ashamed “No.”

Mr. Lambert returned to his lectureand I returned to my plotting, although anything else I attempted would not bedone during first period. I looked over at Kiran who was now sitting two desksaway from me, with Talbott in between. I had been trying to get his attentionfor days without any luck.

Any note I had passed, Talbottdestroyed. Any attempt at suggestive looks, Talbott interceded. Any outrightdemands for attention, Talbott deflected. I didn’t know many bodyguards ingeneral, but I imagined Talbott was really good at his job.

My perfect posture turned to pooras I pouted in my desk, arms folded stubbornly across my chest. My last attemptat the “Pssst. PSSST!” obviously didn’t pan out, and so I schemed silently,determined to have an audience with the Crown Prince almighty.

I refused to let Lilly face trialalone. She did a great thing by revealing her true identity in a fight forKiran’s life and she should have been rewarded, not punished. Besides all ofthe talk about execution and judiciary courts had me nervous. She was innocentas far as I was concerned and I was bound and determined to enlist Kiran in mycause.

And if he chose not to help,thereby destroying any hope I had that he actually had a soul, I would justhave to do it on my own. I had to; I could not in moral conscious or as afriend to her, let her be found guilty. Kiran’s privileged life wasn’t the onlylife I was going to get into the habit of saving. I at least knew that I likedLilly, and she liked me.

Kiran gave me so many mixed signalsI couldn’t even identify my true feelings for him. As soon as I thought I couldnot be more head over heels for him, he didn’t talk to me for weeks on end andthen I was confused once again.

He hadn’t even spoken to me sincethe Fall Equinox Dance. In fact, he hadn’t even looked me in the eyes sincethen. He went to all of the trouble of getting me to the dance, and then let alittle thing like a midnight battle and falling from a rooftop get in the wayof all the progress we had just made.

I supposed I should figure out myfacts about this whole trial thing just in case he was another dead end. I knewthe trial would take place on Halloween. I knew that the trial would take placein Romania. I knew that the trial would take place in the mountains in Romania;which thanks to Google, I knew were called the Carpathian Mountains. I knewLilly would be the first defendant tried, and would probably not be facingexecution, although I was not very encouraged by that. I knew that there wassome type of festival after the trial took place called the All SaintsFestival; but only Immortals were invited.