unfortunately for kiran, i distracted him just long enough for the wolf to get a hold of his arm and bite down hard. he let out a shout of rage and threw the animal-man off of him and into the wall with such force that he crushed the red brick, sending shrapnel flying around him. he sunk to the ground before shaking his head and rejoining the fight.

blood dripped down kiran's arm as he tried to keep the grizzly bear at bay. the three remaining men stood to their feet undeterred by my weak attempt at disabling them. i tried the pulse again, but this time they were ready for it. the man, who had challenged me to stay, sent me his own version of a pulse; it was not as strong as mine though and i was able to block it with a defensive surge of magic. he continued on the path to fight me, while the other two men did their best to out maneuver kiran.

i once again focused my magic, feeling the electricity surge through my veins. this time when i centered it in my hands i could see the white heat from the force of it. just as i was about to send my powerful blow, the man on his way over, threw another one my way, knocking me off of my feet.

my hands flew apart and the magic was sent up uselessly into the sky, illuminating the dark clouds above. i struggled quickly to my feet, ripping the seam of my dress at the thigh. i sent quick pulses of magic his direction as rapidly as i could. they were small since i was unable to take the time to focus my magic firmly, but they did the trick in keeping him from advancing farther.

kiran, with four men surrounding him, was struggling to stay ahead of them. although he was super-humanly fast, there were just too many of them to stay untouched. the bear caught him by the back of the neck, shaking him roughly, before kiran was able to break free. blood dripped down his back, covering his torn tuxedo in thick crimson stains.

he fought on, defying all odds. he continued to block pulse after pulse from the remaining humans, while keeping the animals at a safe distance. my fight with my one attacker intensified as he got a blow past me, punching me in the stomach and knocking the wind out of me. i fell to one knee, ripping my dress further and tearing the skin away from that leg. i stood up quickly sending a stronger pulse in his direction throwing him against the metal door, and denting it.

i turned to kiran's defense and centered my magic quickly but effectively. i threw my arms their way sending all men flying in different directions. the men recovered quickly; but the quickest of all was their leader. he stood to his feet, walking directly over to kiran and surprisingly punched him in the mouth and then again in the eye.

no one was expecting such a human gesture, especially me. when the leader thrusted his fist into kiran's face, the sleeve of his cloak slid up the length of his arm and i painfully realized why he was so familiar. around his wrist was a thick tattoo of a snake eating his tail and around his bicep, the lower half of a phoenix rising from flames. they were the unmistakable tattoos belonging to avalon.

my mouth dropped open and i stood dumbfounded amid the bloody battle. if i would have known how to react or continue i would not have been given the chance. the mouthy and vengeful attacker from before recovered from the last blow i sent him and sent me one of his own. the electric pulse hit me with such force that i was blindsided and unfortunately unprepared.

the wave of magic threw me flailing over the side of the building and towards the ground below. time slowed down and i felt as if i was watching the entire experience in slow motion. all five of the attackers' heads poked over the ledge of the building as if to watch me fall to my death. but most surprisingly was kiran, who himself came flying over the edge, diving in my direction.

before i could realize how long the deathly fall was taking, kiran was diving towards me and gathering me into his arms. once in his arms, we seemingly were going to float to the ground. i relaxed, grateful to be wrapped in his protective hold.

my reaction was premature; i heard a guttural scream from the top of the building and witnessed the electric wave of magic fall from the sky and on top of us. our descent was quickened to a sickening speed and we hit the ground with such momentum that we indented the cement sidewalk that served as a landing pad.

i closed my eyes expecting to open them to severed or paralyzed limbs. the landing was painful, the ground crumbling around us. somehow kiran managed to land on bottom, giving me a softer landing via his body. i heard several bones snap and wasn't sure if they were mine or his.

i heard him groan underneath me and forced myself to assess the damage to my body. upon opening my eyes and wiggling my toes and fingers, i realized that i was generally unharmed, except for some bruising and the gash on my leg from earlier. i awkwardly peeled myself off kiran and struggled out of the hole we created with the impact of our body.

by this time the students and teachers from the dance began to exit the building, investigating what must have sounded like a car crash to them inside. i looked down at kiran's limp and unconscious body and let out a scream i didn't realize i was capable of. i turned my head to be sick and heard other students around me gasp and let out cries of their own.

someone came to my aid and began asking questions, but the only sound i could make was a throaty sobbing noise. i watched the men teachers bend over and pick kiran up out of the hole formed around his body. they carefully carried him inside and i was left on the sidewalk watching after him, feeling more than helpless.

i knew he wasn't dead, i could still feel the small pulse of his magic; but i didn't know what kind of damage was done. he looked peaceful but mangled in his unconscious state. for the first time i realized that i had no idea what the word immortal actually meant. what kind of destruction could we actually withstand?

the students filed past me, following kiran's limp body into the gymnasium. principal saint knelt down beside me, offering his tuxedo jacket. i took it, grateful for something to wrap around myself. the jacket was enormous and thankfully hung down past my miniskirt which had been ripped to an indecent state.

"were you attacked again?" principal saint asked grimly.

i nodded my reply and heard him curse under his breath. he said something about calling my aunt. i didn't object, but realized that i was missing the sound of sirens in the distance.

"has someone called 911?" i asked in a hoarse whisper, barely able to hear my own voice.

"no eden, we have our own ways of healing," no sooner had he spoken this then a long black limo pulled in front of the school and the teachers once again carried kiran's limp body over the hole imprinted in the shape of our fall and into the back seat of the car.

"i must go with him. your aunt will be here soon," principal saint put a hand on my shoulder and squeezed it gently. "i'm glad you're alright eden." i watched him quickly get into the passenger's seat of the limo and then the vehicle drove away.

the rest of the students waited until kiran's "ambulance" was out of sight before walking to their own respective limousines. an eerie silence settled over us, except for a few of the other girls who cried like me. one of them in particular, who could not control her tears, was seraphina. adelaide and evangeline helped her to a limo alone and i realized that talbott must have gone in the other car with kiran.

a pang of guilt hit me and my heart dropped to my stomach as i realized that i was the reason kiran was on the rooftop to begin with. if he had been with seraphina like he was supposed to, the attackers probably wouldn't have found occasion to assault him. it was because we were alone on the roof without his body guard that they found their opportunity. and then it was because of me again that kiran sacrificed himself over the ledge of the building.

"are you alright?" avalon, dressed in his tuxedo again, was at my side.

"don't," i said simply, but my one word was filled with all of the rage i felt.

"eden, there are things you don't understand," he knew i had figured out it was him on the roof.

"i don't want to understand. i don't want to be anywhere near you," i spat out the words like venom. i saw aunt syl approaching in her red convertible and looked around, realizing avalon and i were the only ones left standing in front of the gymnasium.

"it's time that you do understand. i can't lie to you anymore," his voice was soft and sad, but it wasn't enough for me to listen to. i waited impatiently for aunt syl to drive up. "kiran has to die, eden. we have to destroy his bloodline in order to survive."

"i don't know what you're talking about," i refused to turn and look at him; all of the energy from the battle had turned to hate and focused completely at avalon.

"his bloodline is the reason we are so weak. the reason we die. they've closed off the magic. by not letting us marry whomever we choose the magic is confined to one type of immortal or the other. the magic can't be free, and because it can't be free we are all going to die. maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but eventually every immortal will fade out of existence. and if that is going to happen, i'm going to start with the source of the problem," i shook my head as if refusing to believe what avalon claimed was truth. "they take and kill whomever they choose and then imprison the rest of us to ensure their bloodline and their immortality. but it affects them too and so i call for their blood to be shed. every king before kiran has made it worse for our people. i want to cut it off at the source before we all die, can't you see that eden?" his voice was pained and full of emotion.

"why him? why not his father? kiran's not even king yet," i finally addressed his accusations.

"but he will be one day. and he will be no better than his father. probably worse. have you asked him about lilly? have you asked him what his father is going to do to her? have you asked him why he won't testify on her behalf even though she fought to save his life? no you haven't. you've bought into his lie just like the rest of them," he raised his voice with passion.

"oh, but i should buy into your lie. i should just believe exactly what you say, although you're the one trying to kill me!" i shouted, enraged myself.

"i have never tried to kill you; i've only tried to protect you! and yes you should listen to me, because after all i'm your brother damn it! your twin brother!" that was it. i couldn't listen to him anymore. i was overwhelmed with information i couldn't discern from fact or fiction. the events of tonight had been too traumatic to even process his words, let alone believe them.

thankfully aunt syl pulled up the drive. i put my hands over my ears like a little girl and ran away from everything i didn't want to face anymore. i threw myself into aunt syl's car and yelled at her to drive. after she obeyed, i let out all of the emotion once again in fitful sobs, trying to wrap my head around the words avalon just shouted at me. could he really be my twin brother?

chapter thirty

"eden, there is someone here to see you," aunt syl's voice whispered softly but firmly in my ear.

my room was completely dark, and i was comfortably wrapped in my comforter, surrounded by feather pillows. i groaned a response and rolled over. she patted my back maternally, before standing up to open my bedroom door and allow whoever was here to see me, inside.