The Forbidden Fruit

by S. K Munt

  Yeah but then again, this was eighty years ago… maybe they weren’t so extinct then...

  ‘Wasn’t Bastien Birch castrated?’ Kohl asked, raising an eyebrow and drawing my gaze once more.

  ‘He was,’ Karol said. ‘Why?’

  Kohl made a pained face. ‘Well, dark Nephilim or not, I very much doubt that he made it through the night on the other side of the fence, let alone eighty years!’

  ‘Because it would hurt that much?’ Emmerly asked, looking intrigued.

  ‘No.’ Kohl winked at Kohén. ‘Because a Nephilim who couldn’t fuck would probably kill himself, right? From what I’ve heard, you two can’t make it a week!’

  It was a shocking joke, but we all laughed- all except for Kohén, who gave his brother a Look. I’d only just finished reading the Birch biography, and wanted to weigh in on it and ask if they believed that Bastien truly had come from the north as the rumours said, and if he’d gone there after and was still haunting the north in a dark Nephilim ghostly way- but the conversation swerved at the mention of the north, and suddenly, they were discussing the possibility of flying over it that coming December and so, I tuned out, not wanting anyone to see how the segue rankled me. Not only because I was still annoyed that Kohén had excluded me from what promised to be an exciting trip, but because I planned on escaping while they were gone, and didn’t want a tell-tale flush to grace my cheeks in front of them all. God, what if Kohén tried to make things right by me, by asking me to go along after all?

  Oh no! He might do exactly that if we get back to ‘normal’ as he hopes! Ugh! I’ll have to pretend to be afraid of flying or something, won’t I?

  But before I could allow myself to panic over one more for-instance, I saw Karol’s hand move into his pocket again to pull the paper out, and I leaned over and put my hand on his knee beneath the table cloth. He was so in his own head that his knee bounced and smacked the underside of the table, almost squashing my hand, and I laughed and withdrew it as he stuttered an apology.

  ‘Stop it,’ I said to him, keeping my voice low. ‘No one wants to hear a memorised speech, okay?’

  He frowned at me. ‘What do you know about giving speeches?’

  ‘Nothing. But I know a lot about hearing them and there is nothing worse than someone droning on and on as though he’s reading from his own mind like a textbook rather than speaking it.’

  He leaned toward me, propping his chin up on his hand. ‘I know,’ he said, sounding weary. ‘I hate that too. But I have some really important things to say and I don’t know how they’ll go over, and I don’t want to look like an idiot or forget anything.’

  ‘In front of all of your potential brides?’ I teased. Even if he’d written off the idea of marrying Amelia-Rose Choir years ago, there were still going to be plenty of women arriving in Arcadia that week, hoping to woo him out of a crown!

  ‘Well, knowing there are a bunch of women in the crowd who are expecting me to live up to fantasies that I have no interest in living up to adds to the overall pressure of course, but it’s not just that.’ Karol smiled good-naturedly. ‘I mean, aside from Kohén’s birthday party, I’ve never given a public address before, you know? And it’s such an instrumental factor in proving oneself to be a good potential leader.’ He frowned suddenly, leaning closer. ‘I know you’ll speak candidly: What did you think of my birthday toast?’

  I smirked at him. ‘I didn’t hear it- I’d been sent to my room by this one-’ I inclined my head toward Kohén. ‘But I heard that it was funny and moving from a few people, if that counts.’

  Karol looked back down at his lap, then scratched his new permanent ten o’clock shadow. ‘I’m nervous, Larkin. Really nervous. I’m afraid I’ll have to be drunk to even walk up to the podium.’

  ‘There’s a podium involved?’ I feigned a yawn and covered my mouth. ‘Sounds thrilling.’

  He cocked his head. ‘What would you have me do? Frolic across the common?

  ‘No,’ I said, chuckling. ‘But you should ditch the podium. When you’re telling a story at service, you move around a bit, and because you’re usually so excited about what you’re telling us, you keep us engaged- and everyone turns their head to follow you.’

  He blinked greenly at me. ‘I do that?’

  ‘You do,’ I smiled, remembering all of the times that Karol had put his two cents worth into the services and had ended up stealing Shep’s thunder. ‘I think you learned it from watching Shep because he does the same thing only he sort of sits and uses his arms a lot.’ I cleared my throat. ‘Anyway, the point is that if you stand still, you’re going to feel stiff and wrong off the bat, and if you move around, you’ll know how well you’re doing by seeing if the heads are turning to track your movements.’ I wagged an idle finger as an idea occurred to me. ‘In fact, you should ask for a cordless microphone to be arranged for you tonight, so you don’t get stuck at a stand anyway and maybe then you’ll just move naturally.’ I reached over and snatched the paper from his lap. ‘And get rid of this.’

  ‘Hey!’ he tried to snatch it back, and genuine panic crossed his face. ‘That’s private until it’s public!’

  I rolled my eyes. ‘Fine,’ I folded the paper in two then tore it, then tore it again and then, I stuffed it into his untouched champagne flute, watching the inky black scrawl dilate. His mouth fell open, but I bumped my foot against his under the table and smiled at him. ‘Cheers, and get over it. And know that if I see you pull another out tomorrow, you can forget about being embarrassed by giving a poor speech, because people won’t be talking about anything but the Companion who crash tackled you in public to spare herself a fifteen-minute long snore-fest.’

  Karol grabbed his glass and stared forlornly into it. ‘I can’t believe you did that! I’ve been working on that for two weeks!’

  ‘Then you should thank me then for stopping it from taking two weeks and one day.’ But he still looked mad so I sighed and rested my hand on his wrist. ‘Karol? Stop it. I’m not trying to sabotage you here, okay? You are a wonderful natural speaker. It comes to you like surfing to Kohl, and singing to Kohén.’ I squeezed his hand. ‘Go out there and be your funny, eloquent self, and speak half from your head and half from your heart because no one wants to hear too much from either, leave out the disgusting innuendo- and your people will adore you.’

  ‘You don’t adore me,’ he groused, looking down at my hand sullenly. ‘Every word that comes out of my mouth seems to piss you off.’

  ‘That’s because your flirtations disgust me.’ I patted his hand when I saw this thumb twitch to rub against my skin, reclined back in my seat and smiled brightly. ‘So like I said: don’t flirt and you’ll ace this.’ Across from me, Adeline tittered and though Karol rolled his eyes, there was a pleased curve to his lips. ‘Oh and please leave your clothes on. After all, it’s going to be chilly and you’d hate to underwhelm everyone the way you did me that time.’

  He gave me a scathing look, but I narrowed my eyes back in imitation and eventually, he chuckled. ‘Thanks for the advice. But for the record…’ he leaned forward and rested his hand on my knee which was a very different experience from when I’d touched his, because my knee was bare and his fingers squeezed slowly but gently before he finished with: ‘That’s six.’

  ‘What’s six?’ Kohén asked from beside me in a casual tone, and I felt the hand on my knee freeze just as Karol’s green, and suddenly glowing eyes locked on mine.

  I almost swallowed my tongue in fear. Not because Kohén was very likely about to cause a scene if he realised that Karol was flirting with me, but because when Karol had rested his hand on my leg, I’d felt it somewhere else- and by the look of pleased surprise that had just fluttered behind Karol Barachiel’s eyes, I knew that he knew it too.

  Smiling, he slipped his hand up my leg and caressed my sensitive flesh with a suddenly overheated hand, and I felt a sweat break out along my spine as my lips parted around a startled, aroused gasp. The lust rolled over me like a tsu
nami of tingling sensations, and though I wanted to push his manipulative, magical hand away, I didn’t. I couldn’t have anyway, without drawing more attention to the fact hat he was privately copping a feel while delivering an unsolicited thrill.

  Did he just use his fucking voodoo on me in public? I’ll KILL him!

  I could barely think to do anything, but I did manage one smart move- I put down my champagne and swore off it for life, just as Karol’s hand retreated from beneath the white cloth and took up his ruined champagne glass.

  ‘Oh nothing… he said demurely to his brother. ‘Larkin’s just given me some advice for my speech, and it’s not the first time that she’s helped me out so, which makes it the sixth good turn I’m going to have to do her in gratitude for her candour.’

  ‘The best good turn you can do her, is to remind Maryah that you two aren’t supposed to be seated beside one another while dining,’ Kohén said, sounding annoyed and moving his chair closer to mine.

  Karol raised an eyebrow. ‘Why? Larkin and I get along just fine now, don’t we little swan?’ he leaned on the table, closer to me, and I felt my cheeks heat. ‘In fact, we’ve had quite a few chats lately- since you’ve been, erm, distracted- and now that we’ve gotten to the core of her issues with me, I have high hopes that someday soon, I’ll be able to win both her trust and her companionship.’

  Huh? We got to the core of what now?! All I remember is rubbing God in your face and slithering away with my tail between my legs!

  ‘Companionship?’ Kohén asked through gritted teeth before I could articulate my own question, and Karol chuckled.

  ‘By the dictionary’s definition of the word, little brother- not Arcadia’s, and it troubles me that you’d suspect otherwise.’ He winked at me. ‘Paranoid, isn’t he?’

  I stared at him, open-mouthed. With performances like THIS, what did he expect? I wanted to throttle him for putting a spotlight on me at all!

  ‘So long as paranoia is all it is, and not accuracy…’ Kohén grumbled, and I realised that Kohl was now looking our way and listening intently with a frown on his perfect face to match Kohén’s.

  Oh god… I’d duck under the table to hide, but that would only make things worse!

  ‘Well, it is. I have no intention of collaring your little swan.’ Karol sought out Adeline’s hand and pressed a kiss to it. ‘I like my women willing and excitable.’

  ‘And pliable and dishonest,’ Adeline agreed, reaching for the champagne bottle and pouring him another glass. ‘Prone to flattery, not tough love.’

  ‘Precisely,’ Karol said, winking at me. ‘If you’d been gifted to me, I’d be huddled in your empty room and rocking myself in the foetal position by now.’

  I arched an eyebrow, not certain if he was lying through his teeth, or making it clear that he only wanted me the one, willing time.

  Kohén rested his arm across the back of my chair and snickered, and I stiffened. ‘I guess that’s what separates the boys from the seventeen-year-olds, huh?’ he drawled, tickling my shoulder and I stiffened. Across from me, Kohl’s eyes flashed a brilliant, unmistakable blue and locked on Kohén’s, and I was overcome with seasickness again, just like that!

  ‘And what would that be?’ Kohl asked dryly.

  ‘The ability to handle a strong woman.’

  I didn’t know why he’d imply that he had any sort of control over me, but it was such a ridiculous and blatantly untrue declaration, that I snorted without meaning to and next to me, Karol practically swallowed his lips to keep in a guffaw or a sarcastic counterpoint. Kohl’s eyes brightened again, but with glee.

  ‘What’s the matter with you?’ Kohén demanded of me, sounding indignant and embarrassed, and the very squeak in his voice pushed me over the edge because it was too boyish to follow such a masculine statement and I’d had far too much to drink.

  I slapped for my napkin and pressed it to my face mumbling: ‘Allergies, sorry,’ but then Adeline let a half-giggle gasp into her champagne glass and I actually felt Kohén’s body temperature heat exponentially as he looked around, doing the math on how many people were looking away and trying not to laugh.

  ‘You don’t have any allergies!’ he snapped.

  ‘Yes she does, remember Big Kahuna?’ Kohl asked, and then nodded to my shoulder. ‘Your golden watch is against her neck, and she’s clearly having a reaction, so you should probably move your arm… before someone removes it for you.’ He glanced over at Emmerly and Kelia and mused: ‘or maybe it’s just how close she’s sitting next to the girls who you do have control of… and often, by the looks of it.’ He frowned quizzically at Kohén. ‘Actually that’s a good point- you’ve clearly been having a lot of sex- so why are you still so tense? Are you sure that you’re doing it right?’

  There should have been stunned silence in response to Kohl’s blatant disrespect and Karol should have been the one to pull him up on it- but Emmerly was one of the ones who ought to have taken the most offence, so when she clapped her hand to her mouth to conceal a giggle, and Karol dropped his head onto the tabletop hard and almost howled with laughter- everybody cracked up while I gaped at my grinning secret paramour in shock.

  ‘It’s not fucking funny,’ Kohén groused, standing up, but that just made everyone laugh harder. He looked down at me and demanded: ‘Are you happy to see them laughing at my expense?’

  ‘At his expense!’ Elfin hooted, covering her mouth too late and pointing at the girls across from her. ‘That’s you two! We’ll name you ‘Cha,’ and ‘Ching!’

  Emmerly howled with laughter and almost bowed into her mousse, and it occurred to me that I was not the only one who had had far too much to drink, and a giggle escaped from my lips. Kohén glared at me, hearing that tiny sound over the din, and that made me snort-giggle again and look away. Honestly! He was entitled to feel nothing but confident, and yet he was the most insecure boy I’d ever met!

  ‘I don’t get it…’ Kelia said, looking around dubiously, and that made everyone laugh harder, me especially. I was trying to wipe at my tears but then Adeline leaned over and hissed:

  ‘We’ll call that one ba-boom-boom ching!’ and I actually threw my head back so hard that I hit my neck on the back of my chair.

  ‘Ow!’ I hooted, and Karol rubbed my neck, healing me with a hit of warmth. ‘Thanks.’

  ‘It’s how I handle strong women,’ he teased, ‘healing them after they hurt themselves while mocking me!’ and we all cracked up again.

  ‘Enough!’ Kohén protested, looking around in terror. ‘Everyone is staring!’

  ‘Then sit down, and don’t be such a wet blanket,’ I gasped out, taking his hand and yanking him back down- remembering suddenly that as his Companion and the only one with my wits about me, it was my job to handle my flummoxed prince. ‘Finish your delicious chocolate mousse and learn to laugh at yourself so no one else has to do it for you.’

  Kohén sighed, but lifted his spoon and wagged it at me. ‘Fine, but we’re having words later concerning your allergies, young lady.’

  ‘When she gives you the command to speak, you mean?’ Kohl asked, and when Karol actually fell off his chair after swinging around to deflect his guffaw to the wall behind him, Kohén made an annoyed sound, pushed back his seat again and marched off, and we all fell about laughing so hard that the tablecloth shifted, spilling Karol’s fresh wine onto it, which was just the next most hilarious thing ever.

  Everyone at the opposite end of the table was staring at us as though we were a pack of wild hyenas ruining their dignified meal, but where most of them looked baffled or half-amused, the duchess was giving me a: ‘Now you’ve done it!’ look that made me want to roll my eyes. Karol and Kohén had clearly started this, and if Kohén’s inability to take a joke made me wicked, then I was in good and matching company because even Shep and Elijah’s brother, Ewan Barachiel, was laughing by then!

  ‘Well done, your royal smart-arse!’ Adeline teased the boy behind her. ‘He’ll not ‘speak’ to any of
us for a week now!’

  ‘Nah...’ Emmerly drawled, glancing over her shoulder and then to me, giving me a wink. ‘Odds are that he’s coming back with a pair of Larkin’s slippers or a rolled-up newspaper, if not both.’

  We were goners after that, and Adeline and I collapsed onto the tabletop and laughed, clinging to each other’s arms like the drowning women we were who had been offered one precious gasp of oxygen. I lifted my face to hers, and her eyes were so like Martya’s that my heart seized up. I whispered:

  ‘I miss her.’

  ‘So do I.’ Adeline’s dancing eyes sobered. ‘But she’s free of this life, which would be a victory in itself for a girl like her…like you.’ She took my fingers in hers and kissed them briefly. Her nails were painted with spirals of colours, her skin was milky and soft, her red hair was perfectly coiffed and decorated with a white feather clasp, and she was a vision. But the most beautiful thing about her was the fact that she was perfectly okay with who she was: a Companion, and a damned good one. She glowed from within.

  I sighed, not knowing what to say. Adeline was my polar opposite, living the life I feared like a nightmare, and yet- she was five times happier than I was. My heart twisted- could that have been me, if I’d accepted the fact that I needed Kohén more than I needed anything else, instead of fighting what may have been my true fate? Was it really Martya that I was more like, not her aunt?

  ‘I’ve never asked what happened to her, because I’ve always known somehow that you would work it out and tell me if there was anything portentous to know.’ Adeline glanced at Karol fondly before looking back at me with that same, sad smile. ‘But I do not believe that Karol was involved Larkin- in my heart, I know that he is a good man.’

  I darted my gaze to Karol, who was still getting off the floor, and it was hard not to giggle in response to his adorable indignity, even while his mother’s caution about how the Barachiel’s could charm us brainless rolled about inside my head. ‘And if he was involved in her death?’ I couldn’t help but ask as my inner Martya rose to the surface once again. It didn’t matter which companion I was more like- it mattered that out of the three of us, one had very possibly been assassinated, and I couldn’t allow myself to forget that. Especially not if Adeline was counting on me to get to the bottom of it all!