Betrayed (13 page)

“I’m stil not finished with the demonology books Mrs. D gave me. I’m looking for a book on mediums.”

Her brow arched. “I believe we have two. One copy is written in the ancient language, which only the old geezers can understand.”

I did too. I found out the night I met my father.

He used it to speak to the Cardinals, not realizing I understood the language. Reading it was another story. “And the second one?”

“Latin.”

“I’l take the second one.”

Rachel swung around in her seat and wiggled her fingers like a dancer. A brown leather-bound book slid from the top shelf and floated down to her desk.

“Here you go,” she said with a smile.

“Thanks.” I selected the furthest couch in the room, curled my feet under me and started to read.

***

“So this is why you missed training?”

I nearly jumped out of my skin at Haziel’s voice. Leather Face always made me nervous. I wasn’t sure whether it was his curt tone, which never softened since he arrived in the val ey, or the fact that he never used contractions in his speech like normal people and disapproved of my use of slangs. Putting the book on the table while thinking up a response to his question, I gave him a tiny smile.

“
Mediums: A Treatise from Akashic
Records,”
he read. “Why are you reading about mediums?”

I opened my mouth to tel him that Valafar was using a medium to spy on me, but I remembered he didn’t know about Valafar. Only a few people did and I wanted it kept that way. “It’s just something Gram…

my grandfather wanted me to look up.” Haziel took the couch across from me and picked up the book. He checked the index then flipped through the book to a page and read aloud.

“‘Many mediums have specific guides who work with them. They cal them spirit guides or just guides. A guide acts as the go-between to the medium and the supernatural world. They bring the supernatural entity to the attention of the medium; otherwise, the medium would hear many telepathic messages from many beings at once. Guides are highly evolved beings and are very protective of their mediums.

When they believe their charge is in danger, they can take over the medium’s body and protect them.’” He glanced at me. “Did you read that part yet?” I shook my head, wondering if he knew about the medium at my school. He had that gleam in his eyes that said he knew a lot more than he was saying. But he gave me something to ease my mind, or worry about, depending on how I looked at it.

“Are spirit guides general y good or bad?” I asked.

“That depends on who or what the medium is channeling. If it is an evil being, the guide would be bad, evil, a demon. If it is good, the guide would be good or a Guardian.” He closed the book and put it back on the table. “I saw the report on what happened in Seattle today. You did not hold the happened in Seattle today. You did not hold the sword when you commanded that demon to get out of Gavyn Llyr. Why?”

“The light from the dagger would have hurt Gavyn had I removed it from its sheath.”

“I see. And whose idea was it to let the demon go? Yours or Cardinal Llyr’s?”

Did it matter? “Uh-mm, it was a joint decision.”

“Why?” he shot back.

“Because, uh, because we wanted her to tel her master that….”
Think, Lil. Think fast.
“That I can command any Lazarus demon from a body and that they better not use human hosts anymore.” Haziel’s craggy brow rose. He studied me intently as though he could see through the poorly worded lie. Not that it was a lie. Bran did say Solange would report what happened to Valafar and I agreed.

When Haziel didn’t speak, I started to sweat.

It seemed forever before he nodded. “That’s a good reason. It gives them something to think about. On the other hand, there is nothing wrong with the element of surprise. Next time, show no mercy.

Let their defeat be the message. Demons do not deserve to live.” He got up. “I believe you wil be hunting with the others tonight. I wil see you tomorrow evening at four sharp.”

As he walked away, my happiness at the news that I’d be hunting was brief. My mind went in circles trying to go over what he said about mediums and demons. That was one thing I observed among older Civilian Guardians—they had zero tolerance for demons. Maybe I shouldn’t have listened to Bran and let Solange go. Or the little demon-girl who told me about Solange.

Then there was the mystery of the spirit working with the medium. A demon in the val ey was unthinkable. The Psi-dar would have locked on his or her energy eons ago. A thought occurred to me and I swal owed. The guide could be someone pretending to be good but was actual y evil. A chil crawled up my spine and I shivered.

7. Something Fishy

I teleported home, and went for my favorite landing strip—my bed, and was greeted by laughter.

Grampa and Aunt Janel e were stil home. I slid off the bed, threw the book about mediums on my reading desk, and fol owed their voices.

They sat at the dining room table, eating and sipping wine. Childhood memories of the three us having dinner flashed in my head. I grinned. It had been awhile since we had eaten together. Grampa had showered and changed. He looked handsome in a navy blue shirt, his salt-and-pepper hair washed and brushed, his beard trimmed. Janel e glowed.

Watching them, I reached a decision. It was time Grampa moved on, and he couldn’t with Grandma’s face staring at him every time he walked past the living room.

Instead of joining the two Cardinals, I took down the black and white pictures of my grandparents and the circus ones, except the Picasso. I didn’t want the living room looking naked.

Instead of storing them downstairs, I placed the pile inside one of the empty drawers and went to the kitchen.

“Join

us, hon,” Aunt Janel e said, eyes sparkling. “Sorry, we couldn’t wait.” They were eating the Italian takeout food they brought home earlier. “My fault. I decided to read over there. They’re not back yet?” I asked, eyeing the five place settings, which I assumed included Bran and Celeste’s.

“They’l be here when they get here. Sit down.” Grampa raised his glass to his lips and sipped. It had been a while since I’d seen him so happy and relaxed.

I sat, served myself and dug in, not missing a single word of their exchange. It amazed me how blind they were. They would make a
perfect
couple.

“You should do this more often,” I said when there was a lul in their conversation.

“What, dear?” Aunt Janel e asked.

“Have dinners like this. Except ditch me and the lights,” I pointed at the chandelier above the table, “and use candles.”

“We’re too old for candlelight dinners,” Grampa said, chuckling.

Aunt Janel e gave him a look from under her long eyelashes. “Speak for yourself, Ares. I stil have a couple of centuries left in me.” Her brown eyes twinkled and a teasing lilt entered her sultry voice.

“And I won’t be around forever to keep you company, Grampa,” I added, liking Janel e’s boldness. She winked at me, laughing. Grampa had that look in his eyes, like he got hit on the head by a boulder he hadn’t seen coming. He didn’t stand a chance against Janel e.

He cleared his voice and turned his attention to me, bushy eyebrows cocked. “What did you learn about mediums?”

“Ares, let her eat. The child’s been through enough today,” Janel e scolded.

“It’s okay, Aunt Janel e. Grampa wouldn’t be Grampa if he didn’t chal enge me.” I gave him a toothy smile when he glowered. His habit of testing me on what I knew started way before I got my powers. Only then, I thought he taught me how to fight with my hands, swords, and daggers because he was stuck in the past. “Mediums have spirit guides.

Whoever Valafar is using is not working alone. ” Laughter disappeared from their faces. They glanced at each other. Obviously they hadn’t glanced at each other. Obviously they hadn’t expected my answer. I studied them, realization dawning. “That’s what you meant by
the people
helping him are powerful.
You didn’t mean two mediums. You meant one medium
and
a guide. Why didn’t you just say so?” I asked sharply, getting annoyed.

Aunt Janel e touched Grampa’s arm. “Tel her, Ares.”

Grampa drained his glass and put it aside.

Then he made the one gesture that often warned me of bad news to come—he leaned forward and interlaced his fingers. “We hoped it would take you days, maybe weeks, to get to the part about guides.”

“Why?”

They exchanged worried glances.

I pushed my plate aside. Grampa had obviously forgotten how I hated being kept in the dark about things. My gaze bouncing between him and Aunt Janel e, I tried not to let my annoyance show. “You know who it is?” I asked hesitantly.

He exchanged another worried look with Janel e.

“Grampa! Just tel me what’s going on,” I snarled through clenched teeth, leaning toward him.

He sighed. “The book may say
spirit
because that’s how humans perceive guides or our voices in their heads, but in our world, that usual y means one of us.”

Master Haziel said the same thing.

I made a face. “Do you real y think someone in the val ey is working with Valafar?”

“I don’t think. I
know
. We mean to find out who it is.”

“A demon?” When the thought crossed my mind, it seemed ridiculous. Having Grampa confirm it made me feel a little sick.

Grampa didn’t hesitate this time. “No. With tightened security, a demon can’t enter the val ey without us knowing. It must be one of us.” Just like that, the thought of food made me nauseous. We had a traitor among us. He or she could be anyone. Our neighbor. The Civilian I smiled at every time I went to HQ. That meant Valafar knew about the new Guardian Academy, the number of trainees we had. This went beyond me and the medium. The entire Guardian enclave was compromised because of me. No wonder Grampa and Aunt Janel e were hesitant to tel me the truth.

I promised to talk to the others. Now I had even more stuff to tel them. Would they blame me? “I think I’l go see Remy and Sykes.” My voice sounded funny, like I was feeling sorry for myself. I hated feeling sorry for myself. It was pointless.

“What about your food,” Grampa asked.

“I’m not hungry.” They didn’t try to stop me as I carried my plate to the garbage, threw out the food, and put the plate in the sink.

As I walked away, Janel e’s lowered voice carried to me. “Why didn’t you let her eat first, Ares?”

“The child needed to know the truth,” Grampa replied.

“It could have waited.” She sounded angry.

“It’s done now, so….”

I rol ed my eyes. “Stop fighting over it,” I yel ed, then stepped outside and banged the front door. The little outburst didn’t ease my worry. Valafar had a spy in the val ey.

My breath came out cloudy in the crisp evening air. Piles of snow covered lawns, but I didn’t feel the cold despite wearing only a T-shirt and sweat pants. I headed down the sidewalk. Our gated community was al Guardians. Most stayed indoors though a few of the new students played in the snow.

Like me, they wore the bare minimum. Some waved.

I smiled and waved back then pinged Kim and Izzy and asked them to join us.

Since I’d never visited Xenith, I had no idea whether they had snow there or not, but I knew about the portals in the Bermuda Triangle and the North Pole. Nephlings, half-breed, like me weren’t al owed in Xenith. You’d think the powers that be, the Circle of Twelve, would make an exception for me. I
was
the wielder of their precious Kris Dagger. But no. The old goats.

When I opened the unlocked door, sounds from the TV told me Sykes and Remy were downstairs. The black and white living room décor was stil as jarring as the first day I visited their home. Either it had grown on them or they secretly liked it but just refused to admit it. It was so sterile, unlike downstairs, my favorite part of their house.

The pool table, gaming chairs between big-screen TV and L-sectional couch were al downstairs along with their arrays of gaming consoles and software.

Having a house to themselves, with no parents in Having a house to themselves, with no parents in residence, they could decorate however they wanted.

I paused at the foot of the stairs and watched Remy and Sykes cheer and carry on like lunatics as they watched TV. On the screen, two heavily tattooed men pounded each other’s brains out. It amazed me how Remy and Sykes enjoyed watching this stuff after al the violence they faced demon-hunting. As for their new toy, the screen was only a few inches bigger than their previous one.

The one advantage of being a Guardian was the generous monthly al owance each trainee received when they enrol ed in the program. Since the High Council provided housing, furnished them and paid al bil s, most of Remy and Sykes’ money went toward clothes and electronics, video games and girlfriends. Clubs and restaurants didn’t real y count because the ones they frequented were owned by Civilians and they didn’t need to pay. I, on the other hand, had a lower limit on my credit card.

Grampa believed too much money corrupted young people.

One man on the screen climbed on the rope, jumped off and delivered a blow to his opponent’s chest, then continued to beat the crap out of the guy.

The poor bastard dropped to his knee then fel flat on the mat. The victor twisted his arm at a weird angle and sat on his back. I winced as the crowd on TV

roared.

Sykes pumped the air and yel ed, “Yes!

Knew he wouldn’t fail me. My money, bro. Hand it over.” He wiggled his fingers to Remy.

Remy grabbed a wad of hundred-dol ar bil s from the table, counted several notes, and slapped them in Sykes’ palm. “Sore winner. I’l win al that back tomorrow.”

“But now it’s mine.” Sykes swept the notes under his nose and inhaled.

My mood lifted. I laughed at his antics and drew their attention.

“Want to celebrate with me, Red?” Sykes jumped on the couch then over it, one hand on the back of it to support his body. He sauntered toward me.

“Doing what?” I asked.