Careless Magic book 1

Chapter 31

"So you know about the Resistance?" I asked Principal Saint tentatively, not sure where he stood on the issue. He entered the kitchen uninvited, and made himself at home to no one's objections, his arms laden with paper bags of hot Chinese food.

"I believe I was the founder," Principal Saint smiled at me widely when my mouth dropped open from disbelief. As the principal of my high school, I found it hard to imagine him plotting the death of one of its most prominent students. "That was a long, long time ago however. I've been able to take somewhat of a backseat position for quite some time," Avalon rolled his eyes and I could tell that Principal Saint was not being entirely truthful with me.

"Sure, sure," Avalon mumbled, shoving more rice mixed with Mongolian Beef into his mouth.

"Well, at least for the last sixteen years. You kids have been quite time consuming," he grinned again. I was a little taken aback by his casual appearance. His black hair seemed a little looser; and instead of the double breasted suits I was used to seeing him in, he donned a pair of jeans and navy blue polo.

"What?" I asked, my disbelief growing.

"That has been my task since you were born: to make sure you both survived. So far, so good, but I think Eden here is bent on destruction," I gave him an acerbic squint of the eyes, but half wondered if he was right. "In truth however, it has been the greatest task I've ever been given," his expression turned serious, and something in his eyes gave me a foreboding anxiety that I couldn't explain.

"Why is that?" I choked out.

"Well, let's just say that you two are very important to the survival of our species," I opened my mouth to ask him to explain further, but he continued quickly. "Back to your question concerning the King, or Lucan. He's the same as his father and his father's father, and the King before that. They are all tyrants. They care only for the survival of their bloodline and have been chasing Immortality since the day they lost it."

"So we really can't live forever anymore? Kiran could have died last night?" I asked quietly, afraid of the answer.

"Anything is possible. Some of us have definitely lived longer than others," he smiled almost humbly as if he were embarrassed of something.

"And we all live longer than them," Avalon said "them" with such disgust that I had no doubt he was referring to the Kendricks.

"You haven't lived longer than anyone yet, Avalon," Principal Saint addressed him with authority and I saw Avalon look down at his food with a half-smile on his face; as if he didn't quite take Principal Saint seriously. "But it would have taken a lot more than a long fall to kill Kiran Kendrick. He's just fine Eden, you'll see him at school tomorrow, I'm sure."

"So what can kill us?" I asked, once again afraid of the answer.

"Only another Immortal can kill us and in very dire circumstances," Principal Saint shook his head as if refusing to say more. "And then there is something we call the King's Curse; but so far it seems to only affect a person after a long life. It is much like dying of old age, only a little more gruesome than that I suppose."

"Why is it called the King's Curse?" I asked reaching for an egg roll.

"Because that is exactly what it is," Principal Saint's voice hardened. "It is a curse brought on our people by the first King, Derrick Kendrick, and grows stronger after every consecutive Kendrick that rules," when I gave him a curious expression, he continued. "You see before we had a King our people had never experienced death. For a couple thousands of years we had walked the earth without death. Nothing could be done to us that we could not heal from, and no sickness or plague affected us. We simply lived, our powers growing stronger every year longer we survived. Finally, however, there were too many of us, we outnumbered the humans, and we were spread across the globe. Instead of thanking God for our blessings, the people grew complacent and cried out for a King. The Immortals wanted to live like the humans; even though we lived with abilities the humans couldn't even comprehend; even though the humans lived in war and hunger and under oppression, still our people called for a King. So they elected one. One of the strongest Immortals to ever walk the earth; and how did he thank them? By destroying them. First order of business, he hunted the Oracles down and executed them."