Careless Magic book 1

Chapter 35

"Ms. Matthews is there something you would like to share with the class?" Mr. Lambert called me out sharply in the middle of English class. I sat up straight and shook my head in a humiliated and ashamed "No."

Mr. Lambert returned to his lecture and I returned to my plotting, although anything else I attempted would not be done during first period. I looked over at Kiran who was now sitting two desks away from me, with Talbott in between. I had been trying to get his attention for days without any luck.

Any note I had passed, Talbott destroyed. Any attempt at suggestive looks, Talbott interceded. Any outright demands for attention, Talbott deflected. I didn't know many bodyguards in general, but I imagined Talbott was really good at his job.

My perfect posture turned to poor as I pouted in my desk, arms folded stubbornly across my chest. My last attempt at the "Pssst. PSSST!" obviously didn't pan out, and so I schemed silently, determined to have an audience with the Crown Prince almighty.

I refused to let Lilly face trial alone. She did a great thing by revealing her true identity in a fight for Kiran's life and she should have been rewarded, not punished. Besides all of the talk about execution and judiciary courts had me nervous. She was innocent as far as I was concerned and I was bound and determined to enlist Kiran in my cause.

And if he chose not to help, thereby destroying any hope I had that he actually had a soul, I would just have to do it on my own. I had to; I could not in moral conscious or as a friend to her, let her be found guilty. Kiran's privileged life wasn't the only life I was going to get into the habit of saving. I at least knew that I liked Lilly, and she liked me.

Kiran gave me so many mixed signals I couldn't even identify my true feelings for him. As soon as I thought I could not be more head over heels for him, he didn't talk to me for weeks on end and then I was confused once again.

He hadn't even spoken to me since the Fall Equinox Dance. In fact, he hadn't even looked me in the eyes since then. He went to all of the trouble of getting me to the dance, and then let a little thing like a midnight battle and falling from a rooftop get in the way of all the progress we had just made.

I supposed I should figure out my facts about this whole trial thing just in case he was another dead end. I knew the trial would take place on Halloween. I knew that the trial would take place in Romania. I knew that the trial would take place in the mountains in Romania; which thanks to Google, I knew were called the Carpathian Mountains. I knew Lilly would be the first defendant tried, and would probably not be facing execution, although I was not very encouraged by that. I knew that there was some type of festival after the trial took place called the All Saints Festival; but only Immortals were invited.

Basically I knew nothing in great detail, and nothing that got me on location. I needed the exact location of the Citadel; but more than that, I needed to know where the trial was going to take place once I got inside the Citadel. I also needed to know who was representing Lilly so that I could convince them to let me be a witness. I needed a passport, and I needed a plane ticket. My heart sunk with despair and I was convinced more than ever that I needed Kiran's help.

The bell finally rung, but I chose to gather my things slowly. I watched Kiran out of the corner of my eye and noticed him glance in my direction several times before exiting the classroom in front of Talbott. I decided to pick up my pace and cut him off in the hallway. Talbott couldn't block him from every direction.

"Ms. Matthews, I would appreciate a more valiant effort for your attention in my class, if you please," Mr. Lambert interrupted my desperate plan with just a few snide remarks.