it wasn't just jericho, though. everyone had been mad at me. i was, like usual, saying things that were getting me into trouble. amory scolded me severely for not being more careful and avalon had been yelling at me both verbally and mentally for days. roxie had not stopped mumbling things under her breath whenever she was in close proximity to me; even lilly had been caught sending disapproving glares. jericho, at least, had stuck with the noninvasive, silent treatment; but i was getting bored.... and lonely.

aunt syl had been busy at the hospital, barely home and when she was home, she was doing her best to catch up on sleep. other than a concerned look and a request to be more careful, she was the only one not blaming me entirely for the preemptive destruction of the resistance. but there were too many people in her house, and too many sick people at the hospital for her to want to stick around just to mildly defend me.

i needed an ally, and i knew jericho couldn't really stay mad at me. or at least i hoped he couldn't.

"i love how your feet smell," jericho replied dryly, and reached for a maroon throw to cover his legs and my feet with.

"i knew you couldn't stay mad at me," i smiled at him again, but he wouldn't look at me. "oh, stop being such a baby," i grew frustrated quickly, i was tired of this. "you can all stop being babies," i said louder as roxie, lilly and avalon filed into the living room. "i get it, i messed up. are you really going to keep punishing me like this?"

"was that an.... apology?" jericho asked with just the slightest sarcasm and smallest turn of the mouth.

"fine. is that what you want?" i rolled my eyes, "fine, fine, fine. i'm sorry," i mumbled, finding the words hard to get out.

"um, what was that? i couldn't hear you," avalon put his hand to his ear. i swallowed my irritation.

"i'm sorry," i said louder and the rest of the group mimicked avalon. "i said i'm sorry." and finally sincerity found my tone, "i shouldn't have gone out with kiran alone and i especially shouldn't have gone back to the hotel with him."

"thank you," avalon replied firmly, but finally the faces of everyone in the room softened. "we're not unreasonable eden, we just expect common courtesy," avalon continued, taking sarcasm to the next level, "oh, and we expect you to admit when you're wrong. that's all. it's just unfortunate for you, that you're wrong all of the time."

"oh brother," i rolled my eyes. "you know, under normal circumstances my apology would have meant something completely different...." i said, finding my point hilarious. the girls laughed with me, softening the vibe in the room.

"well, i don't like that joke," jericho grumbled seriously and the rest of us broke into laughter at his expense.

amory walked into the house through the front door pleased to see us getting along. he removed his over coat and bowler hat and then sat in an overstuffed chair across the room from the two couches the rest of us were occupying. our laughter subsided as we settled down with respect, giving amory our undivided attention.

"i'm glad to see everyone getting along again," he smiled at me, the warmth in his eyes encouraging, reminding me he was always on my side. "and i hope everyone has learned a valuable lesson about not putting yourself in unnecessary danger." amory turned serious, while we nodded our heads in unified agreement.

"some of us didn't have to learn that lesson," avalon mumbled and i pulled a throw pillow from behind my back chucking it maliciously at him.

"oh well, good," amory responded, a little distracted. "because, you will all be attending kiran's birthday celebration and i just wanted to be clear on where we stood." amory's black eyes turned steely and a wave of nausea swept over me.

"his birthday party?" avalon jumped from his place on the couch, shouting. "i thought we agreed surveillance, nothing else! how is that staying out of unnecessary danger?"

"yes, that is what we agreed," amory stayed calm, but his eyes were dark and his tone icy. "it would appear we are no longer masters of our own agenda." he cleared his throat, taking a moment to turn towards the window.

"amory, forgive me, but the entire guard will be there, not to mention lucan, bianca, cartier and the rest of them," jericho argued, moving to the edge of the couch and knocking my feet to the ground, forgetting they were on his lap.

"i am aware," amory replied quietly.

"so why on earth would you ever send us in there?" avalon asked, completely incredulous.

"why would you send eden in there?" lilly's voice was etched with deep concern and i was surprised to hear her speak up at all.

"you're exactly right, lilly," amory turned to her, clearly appreciating her wisdom. "it is not my decision, but lucan's. you are all on kiran's guest list. well, except for lilly, i'm sorry child. but, even roxie has been invited, although your name isn't listed exactly, but he has you down as, eden's other friend."

"so is it kiran or lucan that wants us there?" jericho asked, narrowing his eyes.

"i can't be sure; but if i had to make an educated guess i would say that it was kiran's idea to invite all of you at lucan's suggestion to invite eden. lucan is well aware now of kiran's feelings for her, but kiran would never have had the audacity to invite eden if it had not first been suggested by his father. with what i've learned of kiran over the past few months, i don't believe he wants eden at the party any more than we do."

i smiled warmly at amory; i was happy to hear his good opinion of kiran, it made a future with him somehow feel that much more possible.

"what do you think lucan's end goal is here amory? do you think he's still playing a careful game, or do you think he really is putting kiran first?" jericho asked shrewdly, sitting back in the couch and putting an absent hand on the top of my knee.

"i don't believe for a moment that lucan does anything but play careful games; whatever he is working towards is for his interest. but that doesn't mean he wouldn't also be looking out for kiran. i had been afraid that lucan would be blinded by rage at meeting eden, that he would have a one track mind in terms of how to act," amory paused for a moment.

"like, you mean, he would just want to kill me?" i asked meekly.

"well.... yes," amory relented. "but maybe he is not beyond reason after all."

"what do you mean?" avalon asked quietly.

"if eden and kiran were to marry, he wouldn't be able to save himself, but he could preserve his line. eden is the key to guaranteeing the monarchy eternal life," amory replied pensively.

"do you really believe he's that selfless?" avalon scoffed.

"no, i don't. but i've been wrong before," amory responded.

"when?" avalon asked, unbelieving.

"avalon...." amory scolded, his humility shining through. "well, for starters, i was wrong about kiran."

"so far," avalon clarified. "you've been wrong so far. that story has yet to play out."

"avalon!" i gasped, irritated with his stubborn hate for kiran. "i have a question," i stated, moving on. "what do you mean; a marriage with me would preserve the line? how?"

"sex," avalon grumbled, crossing his arms and staring at the floor.

"excuse me?" i stared at avalon, wondering what in the world he was talking about.

"sex, eden," he sighed, exasperated with me. "you give it up to kiran, and he gets all the benefits of that precious eternal life of yours."

"is that true?" my cheeks were bright red and my forehead started sweating; i looked at jericho, hoping he would give me answers quickly before amory said something. i really did not want to talk about the birds and the bees with my grandfather right now. or.... ever....

"afraid so, doll," jericho replied, without actually looking at me.

"wait, so i don't understand," i held my hands up, trying to figure this out. "so, every person i have sex with gets eternal life too, like i share my magic with them?"

"first of all," avalon spoke up quickly, "how many people are you planning on having sex with?"

"ok, that is not what i meant...." i blushed deeper, trying to figure out how to not come off like a hooker.

"it's all right, eden," amory cleared his throat and took over the conversation. "let me explain and then if you have more questions you can ask them at the end." i nodded and avalon sat back into the couch, relaxing a little. "sex," he cleared his throat again, a little nervously, "sex, is a very sacred act with our people. it is a reserved right, saved for the privilege of marriage. when a man and a woman," another throat clear, "celebrate that right, they not only become one, but their magics also become one. they are then, every moment forward, one entity, wholly bound for eternity. even if one of them were to die, the others magic would stay with them forever. in immortal society there are no divorces, there are no separations, because once a couple has come together, in terms of marriage, they cannot leave each other, they cannot separate the magic."

"so, like, how it is when i take someone else's magic?" i asked, trying to understand.

"well, not exactly, no," amory continued, "that is not permanent; i believe there is a way to separate your magic from stolen magic. on the other hand, the connection between two lovers is unbreakable."

"ok, like when you guys kiss," avalon spoke up, although he was having a hard time looking at me. "you and kiran, don't you feel how your magics like find each other?"

"yes," i said, understanding dawning on me. "so it's more external than internal."

"only you would know," roxie mumbled.

"exactly," amory replied. "but it is also completely life-changing, a couple truly becomes one flesh and the magic is shared between the two."

"but not like avalon and me?" i asked, trying to understand everything exactly.

"no, not at all like you two. the magic doesn't move back and forth from one person to the other, it has been changed. and avalon still has his magic and you have yours, you can share between the two of you and you can choose to withhold. in marriage, that is not possible, the magic is indivisible," amory finished, and i finally understood.

"and that all happens when you have.... sex?" i cringed, using the word in front of my grandfather.

"yes. the same connection happens with your soul, even in humans, when two people have.... sex," amory struggled saying the same word. "the difference is a soul is not a binding contract, humanity has the option to split their souls; however detrimental, once the connection has been made. magic on the other hand, does not allow for separation."

"marriage is super serious for us, eden. we don't just have tons of boyfriends and make out with tons of different people." roxie explained further, in the rough manner i was struggling to get used to. "you have to be very careful to whom you give your magic."

"well," i began, feeling like i was being judged for being a floozy. "i was always planning on.... you know.... saving myself." i finished humbly, and hating the awkwardness of the conversation. "listen, aunt syl did her job as a parent."