“Where is everyone?” Kiran turned on his heel in the kitchen. “Talbott said we were watching a movie?”

“Uh, they’ll be back….” I lied, afraid to approach the real reason I invited him here.

Kiran shrugged, he had no reason to doubt me, and turned back to the fridge. He rummaged around inside while my anxiety continued to grow. My breathing shortened and I started sweating…. Things were not looking good for me.

I sent my magic through my blood in order to calm my nerves, but my emotions confused my command and the electricity flew wildly in my veins. I yelped in surprise and then turned my head quickly away from Kiran. I reprimanded myself for getting carried away and internally decided to pull myself together.

At least I stopped sweating.

“Eden, are you all right?” Kiran laid a hand on my shoulder from behind me and I nearly screamed in surprise. At least he sounded amused….

“I’m fine,” I assured him, convincing neither of us. “Let’s just…. Maybe we should start the movie. I don’t know where they are.” I kicked myself for thinking this was a good idea. Why had I sent everyone away?

Kiran followed me to one of the couches with a Dr. Pepper in hand. I fidgeted needlessly with the TV while he sat down and then once the movie, I randomly picked to play, started, I joined him on the couch.

We sat a couple feet apart and I couldn’t help but chastise myself for the distance. This plan turned bad quickly; I still had no idea how to approach this whole, “I love you” thing….

The movie played, but I didn’t see any of it. Instead, my gaze moved from Kiran to the TV not seeing anything else in the apartment that wasn’t either of those. My hands started sweating again, and this time there was no amount of magic that could calm my erratic nerves.

“Eden, please, tell me what has you so upset,” Kiran interrupted my inner-freak-out and I turned bravely to face him.

It was then, when our eyes met and I gave him my full attention that I could finally feel my heart beat slow and my hands steady. It was in his eyes, his turquoise eyes that had captivated me from the moment I first saw him, that I found peace and courage. It was in his eyes that I felt calmed, grounded, and at home. His eyes held me in their hypnotizing stare and moved some part of my soul I knew instinctively would always belong to him. It called to him, longed to be united with his and I couldn’t deny myself any longer.

I loved Kiran. I knew he loved me back. It was time to tell him.

“I’m not upset,” I reassured him, scooting closer on the couch. “It’s just that…. There’s something I wanted to talk to you about and I am maybe a little nervous….” I smiled shyly, hoping Kiran would encourage me with his natural confidence, but his eyes turned fearful and I watched as he tried to maintain a mask of unconcern.

“And what would that be?” I heard his voice shake just once with nervousness. I enjoyed the turning of the table, and hoped that his anxiety was caused by hope and not fear.

“Well, we had a conversation before in which you offered me…. time; time to get over Jericho and move on and realize my l-, my feelings for you,” I started, and then paused for dramatic effect.

“Yes….?” Kiran prompted, leaning closer to me on the couch.

“Well, I think that the time you gave me has come to an end…. I think, no I know clearly now how I feel about Jericho and how I feel about…. you,” I paused again, sadistically enjoying Kiran squirm.

“Eden, please,” Kiran pleaded desperately, “Do not make torture me any longer.”

A warm rush of new love swept over me at his overwhelming desire to hear how I felt about him. I couldn’t stall any longer; I couldn’t deny his sweet request. “I love you, Kiran. I think I’ve always loved you. You gave me time, but it wasn’t for Jericho, it was for me. I’ve had a rough year…. a really rough year, and you and I have gone through the worst experiences. But on the other side of finding ourselves, I found my love for you never ended. I can’t help myself…. I don’t want to help myself. I-“

He leapt across the couch, tackling me backwards, his mouth finding mine with sweet surrender. I sighed happily at the gentleness of his touch, at the intensity behind his kisses and the love radiating from him in waves of consuming magic.

His lips stayed on mine, and pulled me from this world and into a universe where only we existed. Despite my past, this love was right, this love made me whole. The love we shared between us was a blinding light that blocked out the darkness that surrounded us and enveloped me in unbearable passion.

All of my feelings of uncertainty and panic disappeared and the certainty that was my love for this boy overrode everything else. The future of our kingdom, the destiny of our race all fell into second place after our love for each other.

Slowly, methodically, he pulled away, fearing never being this close to me again. I looked up at him, breathing heavily and disoriented. I smiled, shyly, afraid of what was clouding his eyes.

“Eden, I need to know…. I mean before we take this any further, I need to know if you forgive me or not. Because as much as I would like to continue this with or without your forgiveness, I can’t in good-“

“Yes, I forgive you,” I interrupted him, not willing to hear his reasons for not staying with me. “I know that it took me a long time, maybe even too long, especially after I knew you were sincere…. But I have. Kiran, everything I held against you is gone…. I can’t…. I love you, I know you love me, I just, I’ve moved on, I’ve forgiven you for the farm that night, for all the bitterness I selfishly held against you. I’ve watched you mature into this amazing man, and I want to be a part of your life, a part of everything you do for the rest of eternity. I can’t keep myself from you anymore,” I blushed at the end, realizing I had started pouring my heart out again.

“Thank you,” Kiran whispered humbly, full of emotion. “And you’re right, I do love you Eden. I will follow you into eternity, or until after this weekend when we all die gruesome, painful deaths,” he smiled teasingly at me and I slapped his bicep, “But with every breath I have left, I will use it to love you. Because, Eden, I want this…. You; I want you more than life, more than anything. There was a time when I didn’t think I was strong enough to face you again, or what is between us. I was too afraid of the heartache, of being shattered again. But now, it doesn’t matter, nothing matters except you. I will take an eternity of hardship, of war or fighting my father, or anything, just to hold your love again. You are everything to me, my sun, my moon, the air I breathe. Nothing exists except you. I love you.”

“Good.” I reached up and kissed him quickly.

“Good,” he repeated, dipping his face back to mine and taking me away into another long, intimate kiss that made me dizzy and desperate to be closer to him.

We stayed in each other’s arms for hours, unwilling to leave the security of a love finally come back to each other. Tomorrow was the All Saint’s Festival, the Citadel was already filled with Immortals from all over the world. Tomorrow a cloud would descend on this feeling of finality, knowing after the weekend was over, uncertainty lay before us.

I snuggled closer to Kiran, not wanting anything to ruin this moment. I finally found him again. I finally felt whole. All this time my heart searched for something, my magic constantly trying to connect to his again, and I had been too stubborn, too bitter to allow myself to be happy. But now, in Kiran’s arms, with the wholeness of his love enveloping me, I could finally let both exist in my life and be happy. The pain of my past, the hardness of my life defined part of who I was, but the happiness and wholeness of this love molded me into something better because of it.

Kiran had been selfish in the past, but so had I. And because of our struggle, we truly understood what it meant to love someone unconditionally and selflessly; we felt what it meant to give up oneself in sweet surrender to someone else in our bones. Yes, this love might be dangerous, star-crossed and anything but safe, but that’s how I knew my feelings were real. I wouldn’t be capable of walking away from Kiran again. He owned my heart now, I gave it to him. And I trusted him with our fated future.

After a while, he fell asleep next to me, holding me closely to him. His breath, even and deep, drifted over my neck, and his arms wrapped possessively around my body. My heart swelled in the moment, utterly happy and eternally his.

For a minute I had to reflect on how strange it felt to not only love Kiran, but be able to be his openly and forever. Our past was confusing and difficult, hidden in secrecy or obscured by heartache. Now we could love each other openly, even if our future only lasted the next few days, or forever into eternity. I was his and he was mine.

Kiran stirred next to me, his face nuzzling against my neck. “I love you, Eden,” he whispered with all the emotion he was capable of.

“I love you too, Kiran,” I whispered back, the words falling from my mouth and resounding with truth.

I loved him. My prince. My soul mate.

Chapter Forty

“Eden, you’re stunning,” Kiran breathed, pulling me into his arms. He lowered his lips to mine and swept me away in one of his dizzying kisses that sent butterflies attacking my stomach. I fell limp in his arms, helpless against his perfect lips and loving embrace.

“You’re going to make us late,” I murmured, when he finally allowed me to breathe again. I smiled at him, knowing neither of us cared.

“In that case….” He laughed, sweeping me off the ground and into the master bedroom where he laid me carefully down on the king-sized bed. His mouth found mine and I felt my hair come undone, and my makeup smudge, but I did not have the willpower to stop him.

His kisses were intense and filled with longing and I reciprocated from my own desire for him. He moved over the top of me, his hands pulling me closer to him by the waist. My own hands tugged at his white dress shirt, pulling it loose from his pants, and sliding underneath. His skin was hot and I couldn’t stop myself from exploring the contours of his muscular back and abs.

He sighed, rolling over so that now I was on top of him. I unbuttoned his shirt so that the clinging silk of my dress pressed against the heat of his body. His kiss captivated me, held me in a desire I didn’t know could exist. His fingers found the edge of my hem, toying with it playfully and then ever so carefully lifting it over my knees, to my thighs….

“Ahem,” Talbott coughed from the doorway. “Excuse me, sir. Your father is waiting for you.”

And just like that our passion fizzled, and we remembered the rest of the world and our responsibility. I rolled off Kiran, struggling to catch my breath and slow my heaving chest. Kiran leaned up on one elbow and stared down an embarrassed Talbott from the bed.

“Talbott, I understand that you protect me, but who is going to protect you?” Kiran growled in good nature, clearly as upset as I was to have the moment end.

“You’ll thank me later,” Talbott mumbled, leaving the door way. And then he added quietly in a mumble, “You two should be ashamed of yourselves.”