The flashing colors began to take a more distinctive hue and the royal blue I had come to associate with my shade of magic became more prominent. I let out more magic, wondering when I would run out completely and the glossy blue stayed longer.
The more blue appeared in the color cycle the more the heat lessened and the sound diminished. The winds continued to speed up, however, and I knew I wouldn't be able to hang on much longer before I lost all control completely.
With the release of more magic and a longer stay of blue, the winds did what I considered playing dirty, they took my weakened, helpless body and threw me into a crumbling pillar, finishing the job time had started. Rocks and rubble fell all around and on top of me as I was thrown through the center of the pillar and forced out the other side. I laid there with a broken body wishing the wind would finish me; this was too much.
There was silence for a moment before the cyclone reached through the wreckage, pulling me and the broken stone into its spiraling circle of hell again. This time the rocks trapped in the tornado continued to batter my broken body and I did not have the magic to fight the hateful wind and heal my body at the same time.
I released more magic believing I could win, believing I would be the victor. I had nothing else to hold on to. I centered myself, pulling the electricity with all of the force I had left and letting go, unleashing every last ounce of energy. The air was stained in my royal blue, the wind no longer a rainbow but a solid force of my signature color. All at once, in one final effort to slay me, the cyclone threw me violently into the stone wall and I slid down to the cool cave floor, the blue light glistening off of every single thing in the cave, washing over me, reaching to my soul and infecting me with the color.
I lifted my head, afraid of what I had done and the color itself robbed me of breath. I had hit my head hard against the rock wall of the cave and as I laid there unable to breath, blood pooling around me, I slipped into unconsciousness believing I had breathed my last breath.
----
Eden. Eden!
I woke slowly, my head throbbing and a mouth that felt like sandpaper. A gentle, soft breeze lifted my hair around me in a careful way as if it was the one trying to wake me.
Oh god. Eden! Please, I can't get in. Please tell me you're still alive. I recognized Avalon's voice in that it sounded like him but I had never heard him so afraid.
I opened my eyes, and reality started to make its way back. I was laying on the cave floor, broken, in pain, and filthy, but I was alive. I was somehow alive.
The once-dangerous, spiteful wind was gentle and soft now, moving around me in a careful way as if apologizing. I sat up slowly, very slowly, working on finding my equilibrium and touching my fingers to my bloodied head. They came away sticky and stained crimson and I sent my magic quickly to heal the painful gash that went from my temple to back of the head.
Eden! Avalon screamed inside my head and I sent the magic quickly there too, to save my pounding head from splitting open again.
I'm here. I'm fine. Avalon, I'm ok. I breathed a sigh of relief, exhaling slowly and letting tears fall down my dirt stained cheeks.
Oh, thank God. Oh, thank God. Avalon repeated and I had never been more thankful to have him back inside my head.
The cool breeze played with the bottom of my torn and bloodied sari, lifting it off the ground and back down again. The colored air was now permanently blue and held a connection with me that I felt deep inside my soul.
I tested my intuition, willing the wind to go where I wanted it to; it obeyed, floating around the destroyed pillar before picking up some rubble and tossing it to the side like I had commanded. I stood in awe for a few seconds before trying it again with bigger rocks. I controlled this wind. Whatever had happened before I lost consciousness or after, I now was connected to this act of nature on a magical level.
Are you getting this? I asked, disbelieving to Avalon, who grunted in response. Is this normal? I questioned, wondering if this was what the Eternal Walk was like for everybody.
Avalon was on his cell phone in seconds before answering my question, going back and forth with Amory in a series of questions and answers, retelling the details of what had happened as soon as I had entered the cave and eventually what color my magic had turned the breeze.
Amory wants to see if you can change the color of the wind. Avalon relayed to me and I tested the boundaries of my control.
At first I just thought about a different color but when nothing happened I released my magic into the wind and that worked. The blue turned from royal to navy to black and then to a vibrant yellow just to test what I was capable of.
Avalon, having full access to what I was doing now, was back on the phone with Amory giving him every detail and answering what little questions the now speechless Amory had.
He wants you to change the color to violet, like Angelica's and turn up the velocity of the wind a little bit and finish your walk. Amory says now that you can control the color you can prove to Lucan that you're nobody special. Do not let him see the blue, keep it purple and only a little violent. He says it shouldn't be able to pick you up off of the floor, but it should be difficult to walk and you should be sweating. It should be a little bit hot, too. Avalon instructed word for word what I had already heard Amory say to Avalon the first time. But I listened anyway, making sure I didn't miss anything.
I did as I was told, increasing the speed and strength of the wind, turning the blue to lavender and making myself sweat with the help of magic. I had really had enough of the licking flames; I didn't need to recreate that sensation when magic would still produce the desired effect.
The rest of the walk through the cave felt relatively short after the mayhem from the first part and when natural light finally filled another cave mouth I practically ran to it, forgetting that Lucan was watching somewhere.
Once back in the humid jungle and the breeze floating in a waning pool at my feet I fell to the ground and began to cry. I wasn't really emotional about almost dying. That had felt like sweet release at the time, but I was traumatized. I had never been physically assaulted on purpose from nature and I hoped to never be again.
"Eden, are you alright?" Kiran was there, kneeling next to me and pulling me to him. I let him hold me, the tears continuing to fall with no end in sight. "What happened in there?" he asked, brushing my matted and bloodied hair out of my face. "Where did all of this blood come from?"
He pulled his hand up to his face before turning his attention fully on me. I didn't know what to say or what to tell him. I couldn't be honest with him here with his father close by, but I had no strength to lie, to make something up. I just wanted to go home.
"It's ok," he held me closely to him after realizing I was not going to explain the chain of events inside the cave. "It's going to be ok. Let's get you back to the palace and clean you up. Alright?"
I nodded my head and let him help me stand up. The gentle breeze was still at my feet, wrapping the orange air around my legs and breathing on me in a sweet, refreshing way.
Kiran looked down, noticing the strange phenomenon and gave me an alarmed expression. I sent the command with magic that the wind should return to the cave, but before obeying, the breeze left my feet in a gentle whirlwind encompassing me entirely, The feeling was far from unpleasant and I stood their wrapped in colorful air, breathing in the wind that I was apparently on good terms with now.
After a few moments the wind was back inside the cave with a gush of power and a whooshing sound. I stared after it, not entirely sure I understood anything that had just happened or if I really wanted to. All I could think about now was that ivory bathtub and menthol water. The rest would come later, the ability to understand. Until then I just needed a bath.
23.
I stepped out of the tub feeling infinitely better. I had soaked long enough that my fingers and toes were wrinkled but I didn't care. The thick water had been the perfect remedy to my frazzled nerves and beaten body.
Magic had healed the burns and bruises covering my body and the gash in my head. My hair had definitely been singed but not beyond repair. I fixed the frayed ends with magic and hoped I could cover the rest of the damage with what was left of the healthy hair. Standing in front of the vanity mirror in my white cotton towel I looked back to normal, like I hadn't just walked out of the seventh circle of hell.
My inside was a different matter. I had communicated with Avalon on the way back to the palace assuring him I was alright. He, of course, knew better, but it was enough that I was healthy and that Kiran was there.
As much as he hated Kiran, having him around was a hopeful sign Lucan wouldn't be trying to abduct me yet. And Avalon was thankful for that.
I was thankful for Kiran too. I hadn't expected to see him in India or until I got home. He had held me the whole way back to the palace, the elephant ride feeling much safer wrapped in his arms and he was very unwilling to leave me alone, even to get bathed and dressed. However, I was very unwilling to let him witness all of that.
I walked over to the carry-on suitcase I had yet to open on this trip and pulled out a floor length, white skirt and black tank top, that I thought could pass off as appropriate in the palace; although it wasn't nearly as elegant as the embellished saris I noticed all of the palace servants wore.
I dressed quickly and put product in my hair without bothering to blow dry it. The cool, wetness of my long hair felt good against my hot skin, and I knew that the humidity of the jungle would destroy any chance of relaxed curls anyways. A little bit of eyeliner and mascara and then I decided to leave the room in search of Kiran. I didn't want to be alone anymore.
I didn't have to search far, he was waiting in the hallway when I exited the bedroom. He smiled at me, an expression of relief flooding his face and leaned back against the cold marble wall as if finally allowing himself to breath.
"I'm fine. Really," I assured him, answering his unspoken questions.
"I can see that," he smiled, a twinkle in his eyes and his signature smirk rising to the surface. "We can't be.... I mean, here.... Eden, what I'm trying to say is that here I am very much betrothed...." he looked down at the floor, not able to keep eye contact with me.
"I understand," I replied plainly and understood the warning not to touch him familiarly or speak to him possessively.
"Alright. Ok," he ran his fingers through his tussled blonde waves, smiling at me again. "I have business in the village, would you like to come?"
"Is it ok if I come?" I asked, leaning back against the opposite side of the hallway, hands firmly behind my back as if they would betray me and reach out for Kiran without permission.
"Yes, yes of course," he said quickly. "This is the best kind of business," he turned on his heel and started walking quickly with purpose.
I moved after him, struggling to keep up. We walked through more hallways I hadn't seen yet and into a corridor leading outside. I guessed that this was the main entrance to the palace because a covered drive wrapped in a circle down to a broken road and a running funny-looking opened-sided car with a middle-aged driver, sat waiting for us.
The car was more of a three-wheeled motorcycle with one seat for the driver and a back seat wide enough to hold at least two people, maybe three. The vehicle was covered, except for the sides, which made it easy to get in and out of. But I was a little nervous the scooter would be able to do its job efficiently.
I followed Kiran, climbing into the back seat and searching for a seat belt but finding nothing. Kiran smiled down at me, mischief in his eyes, and tapped the driver on the shoulder letting him know we were ready to go.
The small vehicle took off with a jolt and I grabbed onto the seat, trying to decide which mode of transportation I found safer, this or the elephant. We drove faster than I thought possible with the little engine that could, down the winding mountain highway. The driver expertly swerved across the road, avoiding deep pot holes and tears in the pavement.
Twenty minutes later, the driver slowed down as we approached the touristy town of Ooty. Elegant hotels, tea shops, and clean native retailers lined the main roads. The driver continued on, past the more modern buildings I expected would house Kiran's business.
We drove past the Westernized portion of town and out of the city into a village beyond where the tourists would go. The roads were dirt and the houses four walls of rotting wood with a rough piece of tin or plastic, providing a roof. Barely dressed children played with flat soccer balls in the middle of roads, lined with open sewage systems. The smell from the disgusting, green waste filled the air, and I used magic to keep from gagging.
Kiran stepped out of the vehicle, pulling a few large bags from a trunk I would have assumed was too small for them. I followed him, wondering what kind of business waited for him in a place like this.
The children stopped playing their game as soon as Kiran was out of the car and turned on him, yelling loudly and running wildly in his direction. I didn't know what to make of the children and was worried Kiran would not appreciate the excited attention, but to my surprise he set his bags down and reached out his arms, embracing as many children as he could fit. The ones who didn't fit jumped around with a wild energy, yelling his name in their sweet native tongue.
"Just a minute, just a minute," Kiran stood up, laughing while they clambered around him. "How are you all? Yes, good?" He continued to laugh with them, bobbing his head like an expert, picking them up and pretending to inspect them or tussling their hair good naturedly.
"Can you play with us?" one little boy asked, holding up the flat soccer ball with a twinkle in his eyes.
"Yes, yes of course, but let me speak with your parents first," Kiran smiled in a way I had never seen before, his whole face was lit up and his smirk gone, replaced with genuine happiness.
I hung back, unsure what to do or how to even begin to interact with the children that loved Kiran so much. Tears stung my eyes when I noticed how dirty the children were and how their tattered clothes hung from their tiny bodies. They were barefoot and scrawny, not with bloated stomachs like the starving children I had seen on TV, but with bare ribs and exposed spines.
A little girl with long, tangled black hair, tugged at Kiran's black linen pants; he kneeled down to look her in the eye. She whispered something shyly in his ear, glancing my way with overly large deep brown eyes.
"Well, this is Eden. Children, this is Eden," he reached out to me and took my hand, pulling me into the throng of little ones pressing themselves against Kiran.
"Is she your wife?" a tough little boy asked, putting his hands on his hips and sizing me up.
"No, no she's not," Kiran laughed, putting his arm around my waist and pulling me close to him. "But she would like to be," he laughed harder and I just stared at him, not believing his audacity.
"Why?" the same child asked, narrowing his eyes suspiciously.
"Well, because she loves me," he smiled at the children and then at me. I had never seen Kiran so happy before; I was too swept away in his emotion to reply.
"How awful," The little boy holding the soccer ball groaned.
"I know, isn't it," Kiran rolled his eyes dramatically.
"Would you like to play with us?" the little girl with big eyes was tugging on my skirt. I knew this was one of those defining moments when I just needed to jump in and, with her sweet expression looking so hopeful, I could hardly say no.
"I would love to," I kneeled down like Kiran had, to her level. "But you'll have to teach me, I don't know how to play," I glanced back at Kiran, asking with my eyes if it was ok and got a happy nod in return.
"Oh Mr. Kiran, she is American," another boy with a long scar running the length of his arm, dramatically covered his face with his hands and shook his head as if to say he was disappointed.
"Ritesh, I know my boy," he empathized the child's disappointment. "Do you think I still have time to get away?" he grinned down at me, while I tried to hold back my laugh
ter.
"Of course not," the boy answered, pulling his hands away and looking at Kiran seriously, "It's too late for you."
"I'm afraid you are right," Kiran agreed seriously. "Now, I have a job for you. Would you like a job?" The boy nodded excitedly and pushed his way to the front of the children. "I need you to make sure all of your friends get a pair of these."
Kiran opened one of the black duffle bags revealing enough pairs of shoes for all of the children in every size of flip flops. Ritesh began pulling pairs of shoes out and tossing them into the excited crowd of children. They all reached for them, no matter what color they were and then passed them around until they found a child they would fit. Kiran laughed at them, trying to restore order. When every child was finally outfitted with a pair of shoes, Kiran reached into another bag producing a brand new soccer ball which elevated their elation to even higher levels. The children screamed their appreciation and then took off after Kiran tossed the ball further, down the road beginning a new game.
The little girl with the big brown eyes stood tugging on my skirt, silently asking me to join her. I looked at Kiran, not sure if he had other plans for me, but desperately wanting to be apart of the unconditional love these children showered on him without hesitation. He smiled at me admiringly, his eyes shining.
"Yes, of course, go," he commanded, laughing. I walked over, quickly kissing him on the cheek before running after the little girl, hoping the children would be as forgiving as they were accepting, when they learned I had no soccer skills whatsoever.
I ran around with the children, letting each one teach me a little something about the game. The little boy who had been suspicious of me taught me how to stop the ball with the inside of my foot. Ritesh, the boy who didn't like Americans, taught me how to kick the ball, despite his prejudice; my favorite, though, was the shy little girl who had invited me to play in the first place. She taught me how to run around on the outside of the circle without really getting involved at all.
Hopeless Magic (The Star-Crossed Series) Page 18