Betrayed (2 page)

I couldn’t stand Master Haziel. Six months ago, he arrived in the val ey from Xenith, our homeland, with one goal in mind: to make our team the best Cardinal Guardians this world had ever seen. Funny thing though, the others only trained with him twice a week. I worked with him every single day, including Saturdays, and I wasn’t al owed to complain. Whenever I did, he’d bring up al the Cardinal Guardians he’d trained, including my grandfather, the present Cardinal Psi Guardian. How they never complained, were dedicated, blah-blah-this and blah-blah-that.

I reached for my backpack from the ground where I’d dropped it. Sykes grabbed it at the same time.

“I’l take it,” he said.

“I can carry my own bag, Sykes.”

“Not over that bulky coat. Just give me the darn thing, Red. I’m freezing my ass off out here.”

“Oh, please. You’re no colder than I’d be without this coat.” I stil hated it when he cal ed me Red. My multi-shaded red hair wasn’t something I was proud of, especial y since it was curly and resistant to flatirons.

“So why wear it? There’s a big difference between what we’re supposed to do,” he indicated my bulky coat, “and what
I
can do.” He spread his arms to indicate his clothes.

I scrunched my face at him and let him have his way. Despite the sub-zero temperatures, he wore an unzipped hoody, canvas shoes, and the fingerless gloves he and Remy used to cover their lethal hands. Granted our bodies adjusted fast to extreme temperatures, but we stil had to try and blend in.

We started toward the crosswalk as Remy drove past. I hope he convinced Master Haziel I had drove past. I hope he convinced Master Haziel I had no choice. The old man would probably blame me for this. He usual y knew which one of us used his or her power but stil singled me out. The others insisted he picked on me because I was sweet and never talked back. I hated that description. Demon hunters weren’t supposed to be sweet. Besides, I often answered back…in my head. I had a theory why he picked on me—he saw me as the weak link, the youngest and the newest in the group, the one whose powers were stil emerging and was struggling to cope. In fact, the first time we were introduced, he listed every rule I’d broken since I became a Cardinal Guardian trainee several months ago—befriending a half-demon, fighting demons on my own instead of cal ing for help, convincing the trainees to teleport to Los Angeles to rescue my grandfather without the Council’s approval. He even knew I hadn’t wanted to be a Guardian when I first discovered my powers.

Impulsive, stubborn, and undisciplined were some of the few words he muttered during training whenever I did something wrong. He should walk in my shoes for just one day before passing judgment. I had lots of things to deal with outside training—high school, boyfriend issues, girlfriend drama.

We joined the other early risers hurrying across the street, hunched over to ward off the brutal chil , chins and noses burrowed under thick scarves.

No one seemed happy to be back at school after Spring Break.

The guy from the Corvette walked past us with the two girls he almost squashed. Listening to their conversation, I wanted to zap him. He just elevated himself to a Grand Prix driver. Although I was happy I prevented a disaster, it made me angry I would probably get an extra half-hour of hel tonight because of him.

Your zipper is down
, I projected into his head and suppressed a giggle when his hands flew to his zipper. Now we were even.

“You’l be fine,” Sykes said, interrupting my thoughts.

I looked up at him. “What?”

“You’re worrying and pulsing.”

“Oops. Sorry.” I real y must learn to control my emotions. When my powers first emerged, I created a dry storm. I stil shot off pulses of energy whenever I worried. Good thing only the Guardians could feel them. Otherwise everyone in school would have a major headache within the hour.

“That’s okay. If anyone can convince the old man we had no choice back there, it’s Remy,” Sykes added, grinning.

“I know. I just wish…no, it doesn’t matter. How was hunting last night?”

“Boring. We missed you.” He dropped an arm around my shoulders. “Whenever you’re with us, cool things happen.”

That was an understatement. “You mean demons come out of the woodwork?”

Sykes smirked. “But
we
get to have some fun smoking them. When wil you start hunting again?”

“I don’t know.” I couldn’t mask the sadness in my voice.

“Have you asked your grandfather?”

I sighed. “He thinks I’m not ready.”

Six months ago, we defeated queen of the demons, Coronis, wiped out most of her fol owers, the Hermonites, and left the demon world without a strong leader. Since then, no overzealous dark lord had tried to take over or fil the vacuum left by her death. No seemingly natural disasters kil ing hundreds and thousands of people had occurred either. According to my grandfather, even low-ranked fiends weren’t going after human souls.

It was weird. Hunting down the bad Nephilim, the evil branch of our race, or demons as humans cal ed them, was the reason we Guardians existed.

We got back our own salvation and grace by saving humanity. Demons hope to get theirs by hoarding human souls and destroying humanity. To do that they needed more power, more fol owers, so they even stooped to kidnapping Guardians and either brainwashing them or draining their powers.

Coronis took it a step farther and created a new breed of demons by cross-breeding regular demons with various abilities. The results were the nature-benders, the meanest and baddest of the demons, the ones manipulating nature, making most hurricanes

and

earthquakes,

wildfires

and

snowstorms. Stil , they were no match to us. We were more like Teen Titans to their Deathstroke, Superman to their Lex Luthor, Batman to their Joker, Wolverine, my al time favorite fantasy hero, to their Sabertooth.

Sabertooth.

But I had other things to worry about. As the wielder of the Nephilim’s sacred and most powerful weapon, the Kris Dagger, a demon lord could capture and use me to solidify his or her claim as the new leader. After I was targeted while hunting, Grampa put a stop to my covert activities. I wish he’d see that keeping me a prisoner wouldn’t stop a determined demon.

Sykes squeezed my shoulder. “Listen, I shouldn’t have brought it up.”

“No, it’s okay,” I said with an indifference I didn’t feel. Hunting was in my blood and I missed it.

“But you do want to hunt with us, right?” He sounded hopeful, which made me feel nice.

“Of course. Why do you think I train so hard?

It’s not only to impress Leather Face.” He chuckled. “No one can.”

“I miss
daisensei
Kenta.” Our former master trainer was now working with the new students at the Guardian Academy. I hadn’t seen him in ages.

Sykes grinned. “Yeah, he was cool. Is that al you do while we’re gone? Train?”

“I hang out with McKenzie and Kylie.” They were my closest human friends.

He nodded like some sage master. “Nice friends. A little on the slow side, but not bad.”

“Disdain toward my friends wil get you blacklisted.” I tried to shrug off his arm.

“You know what I mean. How can they not realize you’re different from them?”

“Because they focus on what we have in common,” I retorted. I didn’t want them to know I was different. When training and Guardian duties became too much, I counted on my human friends.

Their simple existence, teen issues, even senseless bickering added…normalness to my life. Reminded me I was more than a Guardian. I grinned. Actual y, having a human grandmother made me more human than most Guardians, something I rather liked.

“What exactly do you have in common with a bunch of girls who worry more about fashion and the next episode of some contrived TV drama?”

“A lot. Just like Bran and I do,” I added and gave Sykes a beatific smile, knowing he hated hearing about my boyfriend.

“Trying to make me jealous, Red?” He narrowed his eyes.

“Is it working?” This time, I succeeded in pushing his arm away.

He made a face. “I stil don’t get what he has that I don’t. He’s anal, arrogant, a cheesy dresser….” Sykes continued to list more things he considered wrong with my boyfriend, which were al ridiculous. Bran was amazing. We were
alrunes,
soul-mates, the yin and the yang. It didn’t matter that until seven months ago he was a ful -blown demon.

We completed each other.

“And he has no sense of humor whatsoever,” Sykes finished with a smirk.

I laughed. “Because he doesn’t laugh at your lame jokes?”

“Lame jokes? I’m charming, witty. Ask any one of my girlfriends. He thinks I’m a threat. He knows you like me.” He tugged on a curly lock of my hair.

I pushed his hand away. “Quit messing with me.”

“You like me, Red,” he said in a sing-song tone.

Okay, so it was true Sykes was charming.

With amber eyes that changed from yel ow to gold depending on his mood, and a body like a wel -oiled machine, he was gorgeous in his own way. But Sykes wasn’t Bran.

Bran was super hot. He was six-foot-two with lean masculine body, long wavy hair the color of midnight and eyes that were nothing like my moss-green ones. Emerald green, I cal ed them.

Once a demon, he was now the youngest Cardinal Guardian in the history of the Guardians. At nineteen, he already hunted with men and women ten times his age. His grandfather, a Cardinal Water Guardian, and grandmother were unfortunate enough to be captured by Coronis, who used their only son in her evil breeding program. Bran and his brother and sister were the result of that union. I loved that despite being born and raised among demons, he chose a different path and became a Guardian.

I felt his psi energy brush against mine and looked up. My heart skipped a beat then thundered.

Bran
. He stood to the far left of the school entrance, his hands in the front pockets of his pants, hooded eyes on us. Like Sykes, he didn’t bother with winter clothing, just a black turtle-neck under a matching clothing, just a black turtle-neck under a matching leather trench coat. The dark clothes and his luxurious raven hair only drew attention to his striking, angular face.

Now I knew the reason behind Sykes’

behavior. He never missed an opportunity to try and make Bran jealous. Too bad his attempts never worked. Bran and I shared a bond that went beyond that of a normal boyfriend and girlfriend, beyond our Nephilim abilities or individual powers. Our psi energies were so perfectly matched we felt each other’s emotions no matter how far apart we were.

I hurried toward him.

Bran extended his hand to me, his eyes not leaving my face. Our fingers interlocked and he tugged me into his arms. I wrapped mine around his waist. Words weren’t necessary when there were so many ways we communicated with each other. His pine scent enveloped me, making me excited, happy and nervous al at the same time. My reaction to him was weird, but it was something I accepted as a fact of life.

He lifted my chin, brushed hair from my face, and briefly pressed his lips against mine. My lips tingled and butterflies danced in my stomach. He stopped kissing me before I could respond and searched my face, his emerald eyes swirling pools of concern.
You okay?

I grinned.
I am now. I missed you over the
weekend. Where were you?

He stroked my face with the tips of his fingers and tucked another stray curly lock behind my ear, a smile I couldn’t read playing on his lips.

Taking care of something. I missed you too,
that’s why I’m here.
He glanced over my shoulder, his eyes narrowing. “You can put her backpack down, Sykes.”

“What? No thank you for my gentlemanly act?” His tone was sarcastic, making it hard to tel whether he was genuinely annoyed or faking it.

Bran ignored Sykes, lowered his head and kissed me again, the way he usual y did when we were alone. Angling his head, he deepened the contact. I forgot about Sykes as the world tilted and I floated to a zone fil ed with sensations and warmth. I stopped caring about who might be watching as our psi energies mingled until it was impossible to tel where he ended and I began.

A jarring ring resounded in my ears. That was unusual. But then again, each moment in Bran’s arms was different and more exciting than the last.

My arms tightened around him.

He broke the contact to whisper, “Your cel phone.”

I didn’t care. Besides, it stopped ringing and Sykes was gone. Not that I had a problem kissing Bran in front of Sykes.
Kiss me again.

Bran chuckled.
Later.

I opened my eyes and searched his face, my heart pounding hard. “Does that mean I’l see you tonight?” I whispered in a breathless voice, which made him smile and me blush. I didn’t care.

“That depends,” he teased.

I tugged at his shirt. “Stop teasing.”

“Yes, you wil .” He wrapped an arm around my shoulders and picked up my backpack with his other hand. We started for the school entrance. “And at lunch if you’d like,” he added.

“Of course I would. At the cafeteria?” He grimaced. “I don’t think so. I’l pick you up outside the school. We’l go somewhere special.” I grinned. “Our place on the eastern bench?”

“Don’t you think it’s too cold?” he asked, a smile in his voice.

“I don’t care. Somewhere warm?”

He planted a kiss on my temple, and I felt his lips curl into a smile. “Your grandfather would dispatch me straight to Tartarus if I teleport with you outside the val ey.”

Could Grampa real y do that? Tartarus was the dark pit where our forefathers, the fal en angels, were banished. Once a demon switched sides, could they be vanquished and sent there? That was something to think about.

I pressed my head against Bran’s shoulder and sighed. “I miss our lunches on the beach…

dinners at trendy restaurants.”

He chuckled. “Using your powers on a clueless maitre d’ or hostess and getting us a reservation?”

Breaking rules without being detected was my specialty, until today. I sighed, remembering al the cool places we used to visit.
I never go
anywhere anymore. I feel like a prisoner here in the
valley, Bran.