The Fall of Eden

Chapter Five- Eden

((Side note: Just a quick helpful tidbit, since the story from this point on will contain the POV's of both Micah and Olivandier. The divider's will alert you to which POV. They are marked 'O' for Oli, and 'M' for Micah, simple enough right? Okay that's enough rambling, onto the story!!))

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     Olivandier stood in his fathers chambers, silently watching as the king processed his account of today's events. He could tell his father had definitely not been a fan of Micah being here, especially after learning she was wanted by the council and she single handedly took down a dragon. He hadn't believed that part at first, it took some serious convincing. Oli couldn't blame him though because if he hadn't witnessed it himself he probably would have laughed at the idea. As it stood he'd seen the whole thing go down, he'd watched Micah standing there like Superwoman while flesh and bone flew in every direction, until finally the blast took her to the ground.

    Dare he say it, a small part of him even found it quite attractive. He found himself going back to the touch of her soft rosy cheeks against his palm, when he had thought her delicate and weak. Boy had he been so wrong about her, but it didn't outweigh the fact that she was strange. He hadn't given his father the whole story, after all he already hated her. The last thing he needed to tell him was that she also claimed to be his long lost friend. Oli hadn't remembered ever meeting her, even if her touch felt familiar. His hand in hers earlier had been effortless, and something about her being covered in golden dragon blood was alluring. It highlighted parts of her body that made him quiver. Oli shook his head, his father still whispering with his brother, undoubtedly fighting about whether or not Micah could stay. Or if she was even our responsibility. This was pure nonsense.

    Oli cleared his throat, after all he had never been the type to not throw his 2 cents in. He was just so lost... in her.

"She's completely in the dark, she's lost, and alone. Clearly she's a kindling so what are we even talking about here? If this were anyone else father, respectively, you wouldn't even question it. Just because she's an inbreed...." his eyes locked with the kings as he trailed off.

"Olivandier she is at least THREE breeds, you know how dangerous that is. Look at your arm! That wouldn't have happened if she hadn't existed." The king looked furious, he had already made up his mind Oli could tell. 

"That was not her fault! I killed him, because I was angry and enraged. I did that! He was going to kill us, he was going to kill her..." Oli trailed off, his mind trickling back to her again and again. This wasn't good at all, he was already betrothed. " I had to do it, and I would do it again. It's only my second sin, I'll just have to be very careful"

    The king stood, his eyes like daggers as he crossed the short distance to Olivandier and proceeded in slapping him across the cheek.

"NO SON OF MINE WILL BE ONE OF THOSE... MONSTERS" he growled, causing Tirran to stand in protest but Oli warned him off with a glance. He had deserved that, he knew how touchy of a subject this was. They had just lost their mother to The Fallen in recent days. The curse that effected Naturists was often difficult to bare. Though it was ancient, most books didn't even recount the time when the wood elves hadn't been cursed. 

"I'm sorry father, I just think she's... worth the hassle. I feel like she's destined for great things. She obliterated a dragon for heavens sakes." He followed his statement with a charming smile. "I just think we should give her a chance." The king let out a sigh of frustration, and nodded. 

"I will give her one chance, any more trouble and she's on the first train to the Council. Now leave me, I wish to be alone." The king slumped back against his old wooden chair, his face twisting in a disgruntled frown. Both boys nodded and exited the room. Oli noted quickly that Tirran was on his heels, keeping up with his quick pace as he tried to slip away.

"Ollz, what was that?" Tirran poked at him, fanning his face " do you have a crush on the tri-blood?" Oli pushed him jokingly shaking his head.

"You know I can't...but you should have seen it!" Oli enthused, looking down at the mess on his makeshift clothing.

"Oli you can't be seriously thinking about marrying that fake wench" he scoffed, rolling his eyes "I'm telling you she's not the one, your scar doesn't even burn when she's around I think somethings up" Olivandier sighed, thinking about the girl that he was to marry. She was beautiful, kind, for the most part anyway. She had came in his life out of nowhere .But she was his mate  He even remembered the night he imprinted on her. He had been with her in the treehouse her dad had built. Her dark curly hair blowing in the wind and he had kissed her and ran out of embarrassment. He remembered waking up the next morning and his mark was there, and so was hers. After that everything just fell into place so easily. 

"She's not fake, I imprinted on her Tirran. I want to marry her. Micah is just, fascinating...." Oli trailed off, as she overtook his thoughts again. His actions earning an eye roll from his brother.

"Did you though, I'm just saying you seem awfully thrown by the hot new girl." Tirran teased. He was right and Oli knew it. Something about her set his skin to boil, he so badly wanted to touch her. Oli shook the thoughts from his head, making his way to his room as quickly as possible. He needed to cool off.

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      Micah stood naked, hot steaming water rushing over her entire body. It felt so amazing to have a hot shower again, she had forgotten the simple pleasures of not living in the woods. She washed her whirling locks three times and lathered her whole body over and over again hoping to erase the last two years. They had left her clean clothes to put on and she had noticed they were rather revealing. Micah closed her eyes, her face laying gently against the cold stone of the shower wall. her mind replaying Olivandier's warm naked body under her when he had first appeared to her again. Before she had known that he didn't even have the decency to acknowledge her existence. Even her anger couldn't pull her away from the thoughts of his bare chest, ringlets of dark hair cascading down his torso, the sharp lines of his hips.

   She shook her head violently as she shut off the water, she needed to tear her mind away from him. He obviously wasn't the boy she fell in love with. He was a man now, a lying man with the power to uproot trees. She slowly climbed out of the shower, wet long blonde locks clinging tightly to her frame as she reached for the towel Georgina had left her. She wrapped it tightly around herself, feeling a shiver rise up her spine as her wet body met with the chilling air. There was a rather large mirror that took up nearly a whole wall opposite of the showers, and although steam filled the room they remained crystal clear, unusual. She eyed her reflection, her silver eyes full of pain and anguish. Micah let out a sigh, she was afraid that she looked as bad as she felt and she had been correct. She eyed the flowing silver gown she had been given and patted the rest of her pale skin dry before slipping it on over her head. 

    She was suspicious of how well it fit her; clinging to all the right places, accentuating the smooth roundness of her breasts, the sharp angles of her hips and showing off the beautiful curvature of her bum before it ended just below her knee. She was even surprised at how much the dress improved her appearance. Her silvery eyes seemed more bright, she could easily pass for teaming with joy if she had wanted. After failing to tame her wild, slowly drying curls she found herself back in the hallway. The white marble floor was cold on her bare feet and for a moment she wondered if it was customary to allow guests to run around commando, and without shoes. She almost smiled at her thoughts but then she remembered Finithe. She needed to find him, she really needed an explanation, and now that she was finally safe, they owed her one. She scowled, especially Olivandier.

"Oh! Miss Culdan you look exquisite!" Micah jumped slightly as the high pitched voice entered her mind. She turned her head in the direction of the voice and surely, there stood Hadley with her warm smile radiating the the whole hallway. 

"Err, thank you, I guess?" Micah mumbled, after all she wasn't used to people giving her compliments, and Hadley's voice made her yearn for the quiet lullaby of the forest. 

"You're very welcome Miss, I was just about to peak in to see if you needed anything. The king has instructed me to escort you to your room." Hadley persisted her green eyes sparkling with excitement. 

"No thanks" Micah began "I need to take a quick stroll to the garden first, could you tell me where that is?" Hadley pursed her lips together tightly in thought before hesitantly responding.

"Miss, the King requires you to stay in your room until supper, they are still debating your fate I'm afraid." Her words made Micah swallow hard. Suddenly she no longer felt safe. What did she mean? her "fate"? Were they still going to force her to go to the Golden council? She thought about running, but quickly decided against it. If she was ever going to learn anything about what she was, she needed to be here.

"So I'm a prisoner?" She asked bluntly, a bit of acid in her tone. She definitely did not like the idea. Her chest was on fire.

"NO NO, not at all, he would just rather you stay safely in your room until they work things out, then hopefully you will be free to roam as you please." Micah could see that Hadley was desperate for her to follow orders. She didn't seem much for confrontation. 

"If I must remain in my room can you at least tell Finithe to meet me there? We have a lot to discuss." Hadley nodded, waving her arm in a motion to encourage Micah to follow her down the long hallway and up the stairs on the other side. 

    The second floor was lined with windows on one side, and large silver doors much like the ones below on the opposite side. Hadley led her to one of the doors and produced a key from the pocket of her green cloak, she twisted violently in the lock until it finally clicked and the door creaked open Micah's eyes went wide, the room reminded her of her old room. Pale green walls decorated with large swirling black streaks on canvas. Many of them symbols that she recognized from the paintings Oli had given her.

"What are these?" She asked timidly, gesturing to the walls that surround the beautiful wooden bedframe. Hadley seemed confused by her question.

"Why, they are the sins of course. Don't you know the story?" Micah shook her head, as she recognized the fire symbol that had been burned into Oli's forearm after he had murdered Errivian. 

"This one is like Oli's" She pointed to the painting she was eyeing and Hadley simply nodded. 

"Yes Miss, it stands for Wrath. Usually when one of our kind does something out of pure anger or rage it will appear. Olivandier, from what I hear, murdered that warlock in the forbidden forest correct?" Hadley paused and Micah nodded in response remembering the golden blood gushing from Errivian's throat. "When we commit a sin like that it produces a mark, the mark will glow red and painful in the presence of our sin. That is of course, with the exception of Lust... It has er... quite a different affect." Micah eyed her rather intrigued at her response. After what she had seen in the past few hours this was all more believable than dragons. 

" What's the difference between Lust and all the others?" Micah watched as Hadley blushed and rolled up her long silver sleeves above her elbow. There in the crease was a small heart much smaller than the mark that had been on Oli. 

"Lust is the one sin that is socially accepted in the kingdom. It is unavoidable, as we are destined to find our mates and reproduce to restore natures balance. It glows green in the presence of your mate but it isn't activated until you've shared a rather passionate kiss." The pink of her cheeks darkened as she rolled down her sleeve. "and instead of pain... it's rather pleasurable. Just kind of fills you with intensity and yearning." Micah noted that Hadley was very fond of the effect as she also noticed she hadn't committed any other sins, the rest of her arm had been bare. Micah couldn't help but let her mind wander again as it had many times. Did she already know this feeling? The undeniably painful yearning to be with Oli, the passionate kiss they'd shared the night she had last seen him. The uncomfortable pounding in her chest that sent her into a frenzy of not so perfect thoughts. Micah looked down at her bare arm and frowned.  Apparently she was wrong, she clearly was not his mate. Maybe they really were just friends. His words were more painful now when they echoed in her mind. I love you  She cringed and fought to keep her tears at bay. Liar!  She thought, as the pain crept into her chest threatening to break her heart in half. 

"Are you okay miss?" Micah looked up at Hadley who was now placing a few items of clothing into her closet. She nodded, her eyes wandering back to the scrolling canvases. 

"What are the other five?" Hadley half smiled, clearly slightly annoyed by all of her questions, but Micah noticed that she seemed to be very patient with her anyway and she wildly appreciated it. 

"Well let's see there's Pride, greed, envy, gluttony, and sloth. The seven deadly sins, and boy are they deadly." Hadley looked down at her fingers that were fidgeting tirelessly with her sleeves.. " Most of us never commit them all, but there are more than enough who have" Her tone seemed more grim now, she was getting slightly uncomfortable. Micah felt instantly guilty but her interest in her heritage pushed her to keep nagging.

"What happens when you.... commit them all?" Micah prodded. Hadley stiffened noticeably beside her as she began to shake her head. 

"Its not good... They are taken over, possessed you could say by what I can only convey as demons. They become one of The Fallen, they become shell of who they once were. Feeding on the innocent to stay alive" She watched as a tear streaked down Hadley's face. "I'm sorry miss, this is a tough matter to discuss. May I be excused?" Micah nodded as Hadley stormed out of the room, she thought about chasing her but upon hearing the lock click again she concluded that wasn't going to be at all possible. She was stuck here alone again, imprisoned until someone thought to let her out. Micah pulled herself onto the tall bed resting her head against one of the large feathered pillow. The events of today swirling in her mind, but it wasn't long before it found peace in the darkness behind her eyelids.