Chapter Twelve

The crowd cleared a path for Sebastian; with every step he took, the people in his way took a step back. Immortals who were wildly enjoying themselves on the dance floor, solemnly and respectfully stepped out of the way for the once-Immortal prince. They shrunk away from him as if he were poison and most of them couldn't even look up from the ground.

I felt the chill that followed him, the bad energy and the fear that if they touched him, they would become like him. I thought that would make me feel powerful, and I would find vanity in single-handedly ruining this man's life; instead I felt everything but pride. A treacherous pang of guilt crossed my heart and I too followed after Sebastian with eyes lowered to the floor, temporarily ashamed of how I humbled this royalty.

He walked proudly up the staircase, head held high, and chin jutted forward. I glanced back down at the dance floor. The music had quieted and those dancing were temporarily stilled. I spotted my team easily in the crowd and watched as they moved into position.

At the top of the stairs, Sebastian walked towards the DJ box and the door behind it. I half wondered if he was just going to walk out of the building with me trailing behind, but realized that was way too easy of an option.

Behind the DJ booth were two doors, one that led to the surface and one that led to a private office, filled with Titans waiting for me. Unfortunately, Sebastian chose door number two.

We walked into the office, and three Titans stepped in front of the door, to guard the exit. Although the room remained silent, the energy buzzing rampantly about the room was not. It screamed at me, calling me a traitor, demanding my blood to save their beloved crowned prince; it cried hungrily to avenge what I did to Sebastian.

My blood ignited with electricity, every sense at its sharpest. I looked around at the olive-toned Titans, each man different but identical at the same time. These dark haired, unquestionably strong creatures, held the keen look in their eyes of those trained and disciplined in the military style and they all, without exception wanted me dead.

Sebastian motioned to a mustard colored, velvet chair sitting in the middle of the room, across from a large, imposing, cherry wood desk. I took it, feigning unconcerned and crossed my legs to maintain the semblance of lady-like behavior. Sebastian walked around the desk, taking his seat in a high backed, brown leather chair with bronze detailing and wide, dark wooden armrests.

He didn't speak for a while. He moved papers around on his desk, stacking them neatly to the side and then rested his elbows heavily on the cleared space. He stared at me for a moment, and then his head drooped into his hands, covering his face and rubbing his eyes as if he was fighting to stay awake.

A knock at the door jolted Sebastian back to life; he sat up straighter, pushing himself forward in the chair. The door opened and in walked Bianca, Sebastian's mother and his father, Jean Cartier. Bianca's face, twisted into hatred, stared at me with enough contempt that I thought I would burst into flames. His father, too, looked at me with eyes that would kill me if they could.

“How dare you come here!” Bianca shrieked at me. She stayed near the door, clinging to her husband for support. “How dare you show your face here!”

“Mother, please,” Sebastian sighed, “we have her now. Look, it's worked to our advantage.”

“Yes, you're right,” Bianca calmed down considerably, but her tone was marred with venom. “You will give Sebastian back his magic this moment, you little tart. Right now!” She finished loudly and so forcefully that Jean Cartier adjusted his hold on her to keep her from stumbling.

“Or what?” I asked, finding my confidence, and hiding the fact that I couldn't give back Sebastian's magic, even if I wanted to. “You can't hurt me, he can't hurt me,” I motioned to her husband. “This Guard is not enough to hurt me. If I don't give Sebastian back his magic, then.... what?” I asked haughtily.

“Then I will rip your pretty little head off!” the princess shouted, her long blonde hair tumbling over her shoulders and shaking with ferocity. Even with her face contorted into hatred, she was strikingly beautiful. Although her perfectly poised English accent emoted a violent rage, she still remained a princess, even in a fit of fury.

“Mother, please calm down,” Sebastian soothed with a replica of his mother's accent. He stood, walked over to the princess and laid a gentle hand on her forearm. “We have to take her to Uncle Lucan, you know that.”

Sebastian stood taller than his mother. He towered over her and came close to his father's height. She looked up at him and her expression immediately changed. She turned from an angry woman who promised my death to a loving, caring mother broken by her son's suffering. She reached a trembling hand to his face, caressing it gently; he bent down to kiss her on the forehead.

“Kiran is dying, and I am not. Eden is meant for him,” Sebastian whispered compassionately. “I will take her to Lucan; he will know what to do, I promise. He will not let me suffer like this forever.”

Bianca's eyes flickered with uncertainty. The frown lines around her mouth returned and I could tell that she did not believe Lucan would do anything for her son. Her eyes flashed to mine for a brief moment, but instead of hatred, for the briefest of seconds, I saw hope.

“All right, take her to my brother. Go now. I want our entire Guard to travel with you though.” She looked up at her husband who nodded his agreement.

“Not all of the Guard, but very well, I will only leave a few.” He smiled down at his mother and his father patted him on the shoulder. Apparently, the Grand Duke of Canesburry was a man of very few words. “We will leave immediately.”

“I have a team of people with me, they will never let you take me,” I spoke up, pretending to protest. I needed to include the other guys and get them to the surface. Once there, we could easily escape. Or at least, I was confident we could escape.

“They are already in our custody, you stupid girl,” Jean Cartier announced, his French accent thick with hatred.

I shut my mouth, biting my lip to keep from spitting something sarcastic back, and then crossed my arms defiantly. I would play this game until I was safe, until I was back on the streets of Paris.

“Leave us,” the princess suddenly demanded. “I would like a word with her before you go.” She leveled her clear blue eyes at me, and I squirmed uncomfortably in my chair. I wasn't afraid of her magic, I knew that I was stronger. I was however, a little uncomfortable with her callous determination.

“Darling, you can't be serious.” Jean Cartier tensed his grip on her arm. “She is a monster; I will not tolerate you being alone with her, unprotected.”

“She cannot hurt me anymore than she already has,” Bianca whispered huskily to her husband and I looked away before my face betrayed the guilt rising inside of me.

Jean Cartier tipped her chin up towards his mouth and kissed her sweetly before leaving the room without another word. She waved her hand at the Titans lining the walls of the office and they too filed out, although reluctantly. The last was Sebastian who stopped at the door and turned to me. He opened his mouth as if to say something, but instead took his mother's hand and kissed it, bowing respectfully before closing the door behind us and leaving the king's sister and I alone.

She stood staring at me, her blue eyes turning to ice, and sending a chill down my spine. She wore an elegant silver ball gown with diamond detailing. A small, matching silver crown sat centered on top of her head where a giant ruby glinted and shined, reflecting the golden glow of the above light fixture. Her apparel reminded me that she was royalty, and I was not.

“Is there a way to save him?” she asked coolly, her words and demeanor carefully controlled.

“No,” I answered quickly, but then thought of the leverage I had in Avalon and immediately retracted the word with my concrete sincerity, “Maybe. I haven't had reason to try.... yet,” I finished, hoping to sound not only convincing but confident as well.

“My son is a reason to try,” Bianca appealed. Her eyes melted into sapphire orbs of sorrow.

“So you say,” I remarked slowly.

“You were friends with him once; surely there is a shadow of goodness still left inside of you.” She fell to her knees at my chair, gripping my hand between the two of hers before I could react and pull away.

“I am not the one that has lost my moral compass,” I accused harshly, hardly able to comprehend her pleading. “Your family destroyed mine; they have murdered or taken everyone I have ever loved! How dare you ask me to spare your son, when here he stands with you. I cannot have the indulgence of being surrounded by my family!” I half shouted at her, pushing her away and moving to the far corner of the room.

I wanted to hate her in the same way that she hated me. I wanted to laugh and mock her attempt to convince me to save Sebastian, but I couldn't. The sickening, guilty waves of an undeserved compassion washed over me and I fought with wavering resolve to say no to this woman.

“You will not help him?” she asked quietly, her eyes daring to meet mine one more time.

I jutted my chin forward and crossed my arms defiantly, “He has already requested my help. I will give him what he asked for.”

“He is my son,” she begged desperately, her voice breaking and tears falling from her blue eyes turning them into clear pools of mourning.

“And he is my enemy,” I vowed menacingly.

She turned her back on me and her shoulders shook with the weight only a mother could bear. I swallowed the lump in my throat and walked out of the room. I was at war. I reminded myself and continued to remind myself that I was at war with forces of dark evil. Bianca could look as heartbroken as her callous heart would allow her to perform, but she was my enemy. Her son was my enemy. Every single member of that godforsaken royal family was my enemy and if I wanted to give this kingdom any hope of freedom, I was going to have to break every last one of them, starting with Sebastian.

Outside the office door, the Titan escort waited for me. Sebastian leaned against the wall of the DJ booth, looking tired and bored. When the door closed behind me, we moved as one unit in silence through the other door. Surrounded on every side, Sebastian walked next to me.

After a few yards through another concrete tunnel we reached an iron staircase that wound in small circles up several floors to the surface, to downtown Paris. The staircase shook and swayed with the weight of our mobilized battalion and I clung to the railing, not trusting anyone's magic but my own.

We stopped several times for Sebastian to catch his breath and rest. The climb was significant but not for an Immortal. For Sebastian, I wondered if it would go faster if one of his bodyguards would just carry him. But I kept my mouth shut.

Finally, we reached the door at the top of the staircase, leading into the lobby of an expensive apartment complex. White marble surfaced the floors and a luxurious sitting area decorated a small alcove next to four elevators leading to the upstairs rooms.

Titus, Xavier, Xander and Jericho sat crushed together on one couch, looking terribly uncomfortable and sinfully mischievous at the same time. They appeared to be unharmed and I could tell from their anxious energy they were just waiting for me to get there before the fun could begin.

“Well, gentlemen,” Xavier stood up and stretched his arms widely, as soon as I walked into the lobby; even completely surrounded by guards and unfairly outnumbered, he was confident of our plan. “It's been fun, like super fun,” he laughed, very sarcastically, “but it's probably time we get going.”

The other boys on the couch smiled at his brazenness and stood up as well. The attitude was catching and I found myself grinning, walking over to them with an air of premature victory.

“You don't really think we're just going to let you go, do you?” a confused, brutish Titan asked gravely.

“You can do whatever you want, but we're going to go. Uh, yeah, we're going to go,” Xavier continued with a hard edge to his voice.

The temperature of the room jolted into latent hostility and every Immortal stood to battle-ready attention. The magic buzzing about was wild and frenetic, angry and vengeful, from every side of the argument. We were trained and vetted fighters, disciplined for battle and well-prepared for moments like this. I was as prepared as any Titan in the room to lose my life fighting for the side I served.

“You are not going anywhere,” growled an imposing Titan standing a few feet from me.

“I told you, E; we should have brought the explosives,” Xander grumbled underneath his breath in good humor.

“Listen to me carefully, before you decide to blow each other up,” Sebastian stepped forward, commanding the attention of the room; he was immediately given it, even from my team. “Not one of you will harm these prisoners. I am going to leave with them now, that is my choice and you can do nothing about it. If any one of you tries to harm them, especially Eden, I promise that you will die. Everyone else that has crossed her has, and I swear to you, that you will be next. Do not make that mistake tonight.”

“What will we tell the Duke and Duchess?” a weary, skeptical Titan asked bravely.

“You will tell them that their son is dead and that the prisoners escaped,” Sebastian sighed wearily. “And if you do not let us go peacefully then it will be the truth anyway, only I will not be the only one that dies tonight. Is that clear?”

Sebastian's guard backed away from us slowly. It was obvious that none of them truly believed his every word. Instead, his instructions confused them; not many royal family members chose willingly to walk away with the Resistance, commanding their guard to stay put. Jericho, Titus, Xander, Xavier and I moved as one solidified wall towards the door that led to the outside and into the busy, crowded Paris streets.

“Eden, they have been warned. If they move against us, do what you must,” Sebastian said gruffly, walking without concern, past the five us that moved so carefully and out the door.

I stood up from a slightly crouched, protective stance a little befuddled. “Follow him,” I commanded to my team and they were through the door in moments.

I was the last to leave, wanting to give my team ample time to melt into the crowds and nightlife of the City of Lights.

Now that I was alone in the room with the team of fifteen Titans, they eyed me with less caution. They stepped towards me, hungry with violent greed and opportunistic eyes. I made a good catch, if they could take me down; no doubt the King would reward them gratuitously.

“Be careful now,” I warned, readying my magic with a flare of electricity.

“You're not so scary, all on your own.” One Titan stepped forward from the rest, his forehead marked with a long, jagged scar and his large, beastly hands poised for a fight.

I stood up, a little annoyed and waited for his attack. Immediately, he sent a wave as strong, but not debilitating of magic at me that I stopped with a simple hand movement. My blood pumped with the electricity of the last Oracle. Did he really think that would be enough to trouble me?

He sent another burst of magic and then his fellow Guard joined in. I stopped as many as I could with my own magic, but eventually I got bored with their arrogance. I stomped my foot on the floor, sending a ripple of magic shattering the expensive marbled floor and knocking all fifteen of them off balance.

I picked up the first Titan with magic, holding him precariously in the air before tossing him through the plate glass window in the front of the lobby. I could feel his magic surge to heal his body and I knew that it would only be seconds before he was back though the broken window causing more trouble.

Another Titan converged on me, hoping to have better results, and I held my hand out to him, blasting a lightning bolt of blue electricity into his gut. He tumbled across the broken marble, unconscious and groaning.

The first Titan returned back into room, and this time he hit me in the back with a harsh blast of magic that forced me forward and into the arms of his waiting team. I struggled against them, but their brutish arms pinned me down.

It was time to move on, I needed to end the fight and send a clear message. The Titan with the scar stood in front of me, his face happy with triumph and his eyes alight with greedy satisfaction. I decided to teach him a valuable lesson.

I picked him up again, shaking him violently in the air. I drained his magic without even moving a finger; the other Titans in the room felt it drain slowly from his blood. When nothing was left, I tossed his unconscious body to the corner of the room with a little bit of an over-dramatic flair and wiggled free from the now loose grasp, barely containing me.

“Wise decision boys,” I congratulated the Titans, walking away from the now open-mouthed Titans and feeling like I needed to have the last word. Then I was gone through the door and disappeared into the night.

The outcome of this mission proved easier than I anticipated. The outcome resulted far more favorably than I had hoped, and as I hurried to catch up with my team and our newly acquired prisoner I was filled with expectancy. I moved fearlessly through the streets. We had acquired a significant piece of this puzzle, and I was one more step closer to reaching Avalon. I would get what I could out of the suicidal Sebastian and grant him his wish. Then I would move on to the next step, to the next portion of this wearing journey. I would forget all about the original intruder and how he betrayed me alongside his cousin and caused the downfall of my family and the necessity to kill him in the first place.

It would be that simple.