Her face softens. “You love him.”
“More than I love myself.”
Movement from the back door pulls both our attention as Jacobi walks outside, completely focused on me.
“I’ll leave you two alone. We can go to Caspian as soon as you want.”
I nod. “Thank you.”
She slips away, squeezing Jacobi’s shoulder as he passes her. He stops in front of me and cups my face with his hands.
“Cobi,” I whisper, but it’s the only word I’m allowed before his mouth slams down on mine.
His lips are soft, and explorative, but after a moment, his need becomes clear as his lips move faster, his tongue tracing my mouth, and I open up, inviting him inside. Our tongues touch and investigate until we find a pace where we’re sharing our movements. Jacobi allows it for a few seconds more, and then he takes over, owning our kiss and my mouth, but I willingly submit. I’m his and our kiss extends that feeling between us.
His mouth tears from mine, and I whimper, the loss substantial.
“I fucking love you, more than anyone, more than myself… more than this world, Juni… more than this whole fucking world.”
Tears slide down my cheeks, and I know they’re a mixture of overwhelming emotions, happiness and sadness. My fists find his shirt, and gripping hold of it, I pull him closer to me, our faces only an inch apart.
“Promise me we’ll get through this,” I plead.
His hand finds the back of my head, and once again, he brings our lips together, softer and slower this time. Love passes between our mouths before he pulls away again. His eyes search mine, and his resolve settles.
“We’ll get through this. I was born to protect you, to save you, and it will always be the first thought on my mind.”
“Shall we go to Caspian now?”
He nods. “We’ll have to put a spell over this house, protecting the others and keeping them asleep so they don’t try to find us, though.”
“You think they will?” I question him.
He looks down at me. “I’d rather not take the chance. I don’t know about them all, but Lucas would try.”
I nod. “Then let’s get Mrs…Rose,” Cobi raises his eyebrow. “She said to call her Rose.” I shrug. “Anyway, let’s get her and go.”
Caspian holds an ominous feeling. It’s dark and threatening.
“You feel it?” I whisper to Cobi.
He nods. “I do.”
Rose remains quiet, rushing through the hallways and guiding us to our destination. When we reach a doorway I’ve never seen before, I stop and turn around, realising I’ve no idea where we are.
“I created an illusion,” Rose states, waving her hand above us. The moment she does the corridor returns, and we’re standing outside the school library. She mumbles something, and we’re once again outside the unrecognisable door.
“Only I can enter and the two of you.”
“We can go in, without you?”
She hurries us through the old wooden door, and we hustle into a dark room.
“Lux,” she breathes, and the room is bathed in light. “Yes, you only have to ask to enter and you’ll be allowed in. You are, after all, the Chosen Ones.”
I snort. “The Chosen Ones.”
She turns to me. “Yes, it’s both a boon and a bother. We can’t escape our destinies, Juniper.”
I huff. I’m fully aware destiny isn’t always a choice, like many people believe.
Rose whispers while turning around the room in a circle, her eyes closed. Cobi grabs my hand in his, and I feel the heavy weight of magic filling the space. This is old magic. It takes nearly five minutes of Rose repeating her chant before four tapestries appear, one on each wall. They’re all a foot long and half as wide. There isn’t a mass of writing on them like I expected, but it’s clear they hold deep secrets.
“I thought there was a lot of information?” I question.
Rose stares at me, simply shrugging. “In my mind, there was.” Slowly she makes her way to a chair in the corner of the room, it’s clear the magic she’s just expended has depleted her, and she needs to rest.
“Custos,” Jacobi murmurs, and I look around. He’s right, the scrolls are in the language of the Guardians, but for some reason, unlike the book he had before, I understand the scrolls.
“I can read them,” I tell him as surprise filters through me.
“The two of you are now joined, like you were always destined to be. It means, Juniper, you can also read and comprehend the Guardian’s language. It also means Michael can never marry you.”
My heart leaps, but I don’t get my hopes up, not yet.
“Explain,” Jacobi growls.
Rose smiles. “You are both aware that in our world when you marry, the Gods and Superiors bless the marriage if they agree with it. The magic between the two of you has been awakened. You are meant to be together, and no one, not even the Gods, will pull apart that which destiny has proclaimed. King Ambrose could make you marry Michael, but it would never mean anything in this world, and when Ambrose dies,” she shrugs, “you could take the throne without Michael. It would be your choice.”
“I don’t understand something. Why doesn’t King Ambrose just kill me and hand the throne to Michael?” I ask, and Jacobi’s hand tightens in mine.
“If you died, the Superiors would appoint a new King or Queen upon King Ambrose’s death. It would not be his choice,” Rose explains.
I walk away from Jacobi and Rose and move towards the first scroll, letting my eyes skirt over the words.
“Why Michael? Why does Ambrose want Juni with him so much?” Jacobi questions.
“Michael was the reason the King killed your parents.”
I turn to look at Rose again, “What?”
“At that time, Nikolai, or King Ambrose as he is now, was the advisor to your father, the true King. He suggested you be bound to Michael upon your birth. Michael was three years old at the time, and his father was on the council. But, your parents refused the match. They were the first King and Queen in the royal line to decree that you, alone, could make the choice of who would have your hand in marriage. It was revolutionary.” She smiles wistfully. “When your parents died, Nikolai produced a will which stated he was to be your guardian. He would become Regent and raise you until you were old enough to claim your throne.” A tear falls from her eye, and she quickly dashes it away. “However, once he managed to get the council to agree, he claimed the power of the King and then wiped everyone’s mind of you.”
“So then why adopt me?”
“And why does he want Juniper to marry Michael?” Jacobi asks, and walking across the room, he starts scanning a different scroll from the one I’m reading..
“He wants Michael to be his successor, which means he doesn’t want the Superiors choosing the next person suitable to take the throne. The best way to prevent that is to get Juniper to marry Michael.” Rose stands from the chair, and walking over to me, she stops in front of me and holds my upper arms. “Nikolai had an affair with a married woman. No one knew. However, the King and Queen found out. The husband of the woman he took was on the council, and your parents were going to tell him, Juniper.”