Awakened (12 page)

“But wouldn’t she find out you’re not scouting for, uh, souls?”

“She’s not all knowing, even though she’d like to think she is.” His voice was bitter and his mouth twisted as if he tasted something awful. “And her minions are not that organized. Valafar is the only methodical one, but he never leaves the island. As long as we’re off his radar, we can disappear.”

Valafar. The name echoed in my mind like a memory, but I pushed it aside. “But your brother doesn’t seem to—”

“Know what’s good for him,” he interjected. “He’ll come around. Once he’s away from his den, Gavyn will see there’s more to life than collecting souls.”

He wore blinders where his brother was concerned. The Gavyn I saw tonight was evil, pure and simple. But from the fierce look on Bran’s face, pointing that out now wouldn’t be wise. I let the subject drop, went back to my drink as Bran drained his.

“I’m sorry for snapping at you again,” he said after a while, studying me from under his long lashes. “My brother and I don’t see eye to eye, but I made a promise that I’d get him out.”

“A promise to whom?”

“Our father. He died trying to get us out of the island three years ago, just before I got my powers.” His voice was low, laced with pain. “My sister wanted to leave, and so did I. Gavyn wasn’t sure.”

“And your mother?”

“Mom….” His voice trailed off. He forked his fingers through his hair. I waited for him to continue but instead, he shook his head. “I’ve got to go.”

“You can’t. Grampa said to wait for him.” I moved to stand in front of him as though to stop him then realized how ridiculous my action was. If he wanted to leave, he’d just teleport, not walk away. I looked at my watch. It was after seven. How long before Grampa returned? They couldn’t still be by the pool. I squinted at Motel 6 as if I could see through its walls, sighed and shifted my focus to Bran. “Let’s go inside.”

“I don’t think—”

“I’m going to warm some roast and potatoes, Grampa’s specialty. Come inside and have some.” I didn’t give him a chance to finish objecting, just turned and hurried back into the trailer. By the time he followed me inside, I’d prepared our plates, the spicy aroma of warmed food in the air. I placed the two plates on the kitchenette table.

“Orange juice or milk?” I asked in a chipper voice, very much aware of his narrowed gaze on me.

He hesitated.

“Okay, milk it is,” I said.

He chuckled. “Orange juice, Commander Falcon.”

I ignored the dig and placed a glass of juice next to his plate, added a folded piece of paper towel then sat across from him, our knees almost touching.

“Thanks,” he mumbled and dug into his food like a starving man, his fork scraping the plate with every bite. Silence filled the trailer as I watched him put away half the meal in seconds.

He glanced up, met my gaze, then stared at my plate. A blush tinged his cheeks as he set his fork down, patted his lips with his napkin and sipped his drink. He finished the meal, matching his pace with mine, though I could tell it was killing him.

“Do you want some more?” I asked him when he’d scraped his plate clean.

“No. That was just enough, thank you.” He continued to sip his drink and studied me. “You can be a real tigress when you want to be,” he teased, dimples flashing.

My cheeks warmed. “I don’t know what you mean.”

“Yeah, right. Would you have force-fed me if I’d refused?”

“N-no. I just hate eating alone.”

One eyebrow shot up. “Really? I had this weird feeling that you were feeling sorry for me.”

I chuckled, shook my head though he was right. “Sorry to disappoint, but if I want to feel sorry for anyone, it would be for me. So much is happening so fast, and I’m not ready.”

He shrugged. “Then train. Train as often and as hard as you can. It’s always better to be prepared than sorry. When do you start?”

“I meant to start next week, but after tonight, I think I’ll start tomorrow.” A heavy silence filled the room and I searched my brain for something to say. “Did you train much after you got your powers?”

He nodded, frowning. “Even before. On the island, we train as though preparing for war. Everything is very intense.”

I guess even demons had to learn how to survive. It was surreal having this discussion with Bran. After all, he was part demon, and I’d be training to kill beings like him. Some might be people he grew up with, his friends. Feeling uneasy with the direction of my thoughts, I said, “I saw what you did with the water. That was so cool.”

Pink tinged his cheeks again. “Not that it did much. You were awesome.”

My cheeks warmed at the compliment. “You think so?”

He grinned, his eyes meeting mine. “I know so.”

“I was terrified the entire time.”

“But that didn’t stop you from taking charge.” His eyes darted across my features as though searching for something. He leaned forward until he filled my vision and his scent doused all my senses. “You were amazing. And there was this glow on your face.”

Time stood still as his whispered words sent excitement through me. I didn’t realize I had leaned toward him, too, until his soft breath brushed my face. I wanted to close my eyes and kiss him, but the brilliance of his eyes wouldn’t let me go. I started to tremble.

“Hold still.” He reached out and cupped my face.

His hands were hot on my cheeks. My breathing stalled, and my lips tingled with anticipation as seconds stretched.

“You’ve a piece of hair on your eyelashes. You don’t want it getting into your eyes.” He pulled the strand away, his fingers trailing across my temple as he tucked it behind my ear.

My cheeks burned with embarrassment. He hadn’t even planned on kissing me, yet I had worked myself into such a state imagining it.

“Lil,” he whispered.

“Hmm.”

“Don’t look at me like that.” he warned.

“Like what?” My voice was breathless, but I didn’t care.

Grampa materialized beside us. “What’s going on here?” he snapped.

Bran jumped to his feet. My eyes darted to Grampa in horror. His seething gaze locked on Bran. As though time slowed down, a hand moved from his side, lifted and rotated toward Bran.

“Don’t.” I reached out to push Grampa’s arm away, fear that he’d hurt Bran surging through me. I didn’t make contact with any part of his body but somehow sent Grampa flying backward across the room. His back slammed against his bedroom door.

“Grampa!”

I reached his side the moment he hit the ground, a different kind of dread crashing through me. My gaze roamed his face, moved to his chest then back to his face again. His chest rose and fell but his eyes stayed closed. “I’m sorry…so sorry….I didn’t mean to do this.”

A hand landed on my shoulder. “He’ll be fine, honey,” Janelle said. “He’s just winded.”

“Then why are his eyes closed? Why isn’t he getting up? I didn’t mean to hurt him, I swear. I didn’t even touch him,” I yelled, tears racing down my face.

He stirred, eyelids lifting. “I’m fine, baby.”

Relief and regret rushed inside of me. “I didn’t mean it. I just thought—”

“I know.” He propped up his upper body with his elbow, patted my arm. “You did the right thing. I overreacted.” He looked over my shoulder, frowning.

I followed his gaze.

Bran still stood near the kitchen table, his emerald eyes dark, lips pressed together. “I apologize if I overstepped my boundaries, sir.”

Grampa nodded. “Go on home, son.”

I didn’t want him to leave. Not yet. I tried to convey my feelings through telepathy, but Auntie Janelle spoke.

“Wait a second, Bran.” She turned to Grampa. “Ares, the others expect us soon, so I’ll head out after I talk to this young man.”

What? She didn’t expect Grampa to go demon hunting after that fall? And why did she want to talk to Bran? Grampa gripped my arm, drawing my attention. I helped him up though he didn’t seem to need my support. He dropped his arm around my shoulders, keeping me by his side.

“I’ll be right behind you,” Grampa called out to Janelle.

“Good. Come on,” she said, taking Bran’s arm.

Just before they teleported, I felt Bran’s psi energy brush against mine in gentle reassurance. Calm descended over me as if he’d reached out and enveloped me in a warm hug. I smiled, looked up and caught Grampa’s frown. He must have felt the brief connection between Bran and me.

Grampa dropped his arm from my shoulders, walked to the couch and gestured for me to sit. I walked forward, curled one leg under me and sat. He chose the armrest of the couch across from mine. Silence filled the room as he studied me.

I swallowed. Did I break a Cardinal law by letting Bran touch me? “I don’t think you should go anywhere until you see a doctor, Grampa,” I said to break the stifling hush.

“I’ve been fighting demons for nearly three centuries and never had a reason to see a doctor.”

My jaw dropped. “Three?”

“Have you ever seen me ill? Or you, for that matter?”

I couldn’t recall. I always took my good health for granted. Come to think of it, even my abrasions healed fast. “So you’re saying—”

“We don’t suffer from normal ailments humans have. And when we do get hurt in battle, we have healers to deal with those types of bruises.”

That was a blessing, I suppose. “But my head hurt last night after the storm.”

“And you felt weak,” he added. “That happens when you overuse your powers, which is why we also use weapons when we hunt.”

I learned something new everyday. “So how old are you, Grampa?”

He shook his head. “My age is not important now. Let’s talk about—”

“My powers. They’re totally out of control. I didn’t mean to hurt you. I’d never.” I scrunched my face.

“Of course you didn’t. New powers are hard to manage.”

“That’s why I decided to start training tomorrow.”

He nodded. “Good. About Bran Llyr.”

I sighed. I should have known my attempt to steer conversation away from Bran wouldn’t work.

Grampa shot me an impatient look. “This is something we
must
discuss, Lil. He’s a Hermonite.”

“Half. He told me about his grandparents. They were Guardians.”

“The man he claims was his Grampa wasn’t just any Guardian. Remember the Cardinal Water Guardian I mentioned earlier?”

I nodded. “Tariel.”

“We were battling water demons at the height of the tropical cyclone season, just like now, when Tariel’s wife went into labor. We didn’t know Coronis had her under surveillance. Her people grabbed them in the delivery room, leaving behind chaos. It was mere seconds before we were informed, but by then it was too late. Until we can confirm that Bran is Tariel’s grandson, his reason for seeking our help remains suspect.”

My jaw dropped. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. “But what happened to the Cardinals’ noble destiny of helping people?”

“Humans,” Grampa corrected, “which Bran is not.”

This was beyond ridiculous. “What about the scar on his chest? It proves he once wore a Guardian amulet, probably his Grampa’s.”

“Too many fake amulets are available online or in stores run by demons or their agents. Demons will use anything or anyone to lure young Guardians.”

Too agitated to sit still, I jumped up. I picked up the plates from the kitchenette table and dumped them in the sink with more force than necessary. Turning the water on, I stared at it with unseeing eyes. Then it hit me.

I whipped around to face Grampa. “Let Bran show you what he can do with water. I bet that’s something he inherited from his grandfather.”

“I already know what the boy can do.”

I blinked. “How?”

“Hsia joined us after you left the pool house and went back in time to when Gavyn and his men attacked. She saw and heard everything.”

“Then you know what Gavyn said. Bran has no interest in demonic activities.”

Grampa nodded. “And his brother wanted you dead.”

“Is Gavyn the reason you’re having second thoughts about helping Bran?”

Grampa shot me an irritated glance. “Of course not.”

“Then it’s me, right? Because I like him? That’s totally unfair, Grampa.”

He got up, crossed to where I stood by the sink and peered into my eyes. “I’m not doing this because of you, sweetheart. Any demon can walk off the street and claim to be Tariel’s child or grandchild. When you gave me Bran’s coded message, I thought this was it. Finally, we could rescue our friend.” His voice changed, becoming cold, hard. “But Tariel is gone, his wife and son gone, too. We haven’t had a water Guardian in fifty years, which is why hurricanes, cyclones and tsunamis have devastated the world for several decades now. We’ve tried to use other Guardians with minimal water powers only to have them killed in battle against demons.”

Here I was thinking only of myself when there was much more at stake. No wonder Grampa sounded angry. “I had no idea.”

“Then hopefully you understand that Bran’s sudden appearance is not something we’re taking lightly. And the two of you becoming too friendly will only complicate things. Tonight you saw what that led to.” He looked at his watch. “I’ve got to go, baby.” He brushed a kiss on my forehead and turned toward his bedroom, lifting the lapels of his jacket to check his weapons.

I watched him, frustration twisting my insides. Nothing was settled, which bothered me. I liked Bran, loved the way he made me feel special, warm and fuzzy on the inside. When we touched, I didn’t feel evilness from him, just goodness and concern for his family.

“So you’ll help him whether he’s Tariel’s grandson or not?” I asked.

Grampa turned to face me, his black eyes glistening. “The final decision rests in the hands of our leaders, not mine. I just don’t want the boy hanging around you in case the Circle’s decision is not what he expects. My concerns might seem unreasonable right now, but it’s for your own good. Take a step back, and let me deal with him. Will you do that for me?”

I nodded, but I wasn’t too thrilled.

“Good. Lock up. I should be back later tonight.”

“Where are you going?” I asked, taking in the arsenal of weapons strapped around his chest, waist and back.

“Martinique. Cyclone seasons never end. We followed a group of water demons down there earlier this evening. And just so you know, I’ll be two-hundred-and-eighty years old on my next birthday.” He shimmered then disappeared.