Betrayed (41 page)

“Yes.”

“Valafar offered to help me find the contracts if I arranged a meeting between you and him. I told him no then. I want Gavyn healed, but it can’t happen through Valafar because the end game for him is you.”

So many things had happened since that first cal , but I never forgot Bran’s rage after he hung up the phone. “Is that what you meant by he tried to bribe you?”

He laughed, though his voice lacked humor.

“Yes. He actual y thought I’d put my interest above yours.”

There was no way I could tel him now that Valafar’s offer was stil open. Not with that ridiculous attitude. How would he like it if I put his interest above mine? Somehow I must teach him that anything that affected either of us had equal importance. But how?

I put my arms around him and rested my chin on his shoulder, my mind racing with possible solutions until my head hurt. After a while, I moved back and curled up on his bed. He joined me and for a while we lay there, his arms around me, my back to his front.

“Are you hungry?” he asked after while.

“No. You?”

“I’m starving.” His stomach growled. “Do you mind if I make food?”

We went upstairs, and I sat in the kitchen and watched him prepare an omelet. He added a breakfast meat patty then made three fat sandwiches with cheese and whatever else he found in the fridge. When he insisted I eat one, I somehow managed to finish a half. I had no appetite. Bran, on the other hand, demolished the rest.

We ended up at my place afterwards, where I changed into my PJs. The thought of Bran leaving, our being apart, never seeing him again translated into passion. Our make out was intense, reaching amazing heights fil ed with new discoveries. For the first time, we kissed and touched in places we never did before. I wanted more, but nothing could make Bran break his vow to Grampa. Not my pleas or anger or the guilt trips I laid on him.

anger or the guilt trips I laid on him.

“I’m never going to leave you, Lil,” he vowed.

“My wing situation is nothing but a temporary thing.” I wanted to believe him. Desperately needed to, but our future together seemed bleak. It was close to midnight when I final y asked him the question I’d put off for hours. The two of us spooned under the blanket, his arms tight around me. Grampa wasn’t home yet. Not that I wanted to talk to him. Ever.

“What happens if Lottius doesn’t contact us, if we never find the List?” I whispered.

“Lil,” he warned on a sigh, his breath warm on my neck.

“Bran,” I mimicked his tone. “We have to think of al possibilities.”

Bran didn’t answer me right away, but his arms tightened around mine. “Then I’l find another solution. You and I are
alrunes
, Lil Falcon. You’l never lose me.”

21. The Ultimatum

The snowstorm hit us that night. Winds howled and whipped fragile flakes into the many trees and gutters. Snow plastered the side of the house until none of the original siding showed. For two days straight, we stayed indoors, schools closed and businesses…I had no idea whether they were open or not. I didn’t care.

Fear,

pain,

and

anger

became

my

companions. They shrouded me during the day, stared at me when I looked in the mirror and haunted my dreams at night. It hurt to think or breathe. I couldn’t look at Bran without my chest hurting. Al our time together felt like our last. His firm belief that things would be okay didn’t ease my growing despair.

Bran was gone a lot with the Cardinals, though he spent the evenings with me when they got back. I stayed away from Remy and the others; I couldn’t stand looking at them without feeling betrayed. They knew about Bran’s situation but chose not to correct me when I told them the watered-down version Bran shared with me. At times, I wanted to let go and cry, but that would be admitting defeat. There was stil time to save Bran.

Grampa tried to talk to me several times. Al I heard were responsibility, the wielder of the Kris Dagger, and the Chosen One. Not once did he mention Bran or his wings. They’d already given up. I saw it in his eyes and in Aunt Janel e’s whenever she talked to me.

It only made things worse.

Training became an outlet for my pain and anger. Leather Face was the only one who didn’t bring Bran up. Either he didn’t know or he was too pleased with my progress to care. Lightning bolts materialized out of thin air with little effort on my part.

I didn’t even have to close my eyes—I wil ed them, and they appeared.

On Wednesday evening, I got home from the pit and had barely changed when Remy and the others teleported into my foyer without pinging. They had pinged me earlier, but I raised my shield and blocked them.

“What do you want?” I asked rudely from the doorway of my bedroom.

“We’re sorry you found out like this,” Remy said, looking pained.

Sykes moved closer, his hazel eyes remorseful. “We were only trying to protect you, Red.”

If anyone else said the P-word one more time, I’d zap them. The closer they got to where I stood, the angrier I got.

“Friends don’t hide things from each other.

You guys knew the truth and
chose
not to correct me,” I snapped.

“We knew you’d be upset and hurt, and we needed your help to find the List. Maybe if you talked about it you might feel better,” Izzy added, her voice apologetic.

Kim’s eyes flashed as she pointed at the window beside my front door. “For crying out loud, stop causing that mayhem.”

“What?” I snapped.

“The freakin’ storm, that’s what,” Kim added in a firm voice. “Or did you think it just started by itself?”

I blinked at her, anger coursing through me. “I didn’t do that,” I yel ed. “I may have caused an electric storm when I first got my powers, but electric storm when I first got my powers, but snowstorms are
not
part of my abilities. I can’t believe you’re trying to make me feel bad, Kim Larson. You’re the ones at fault here, not me.”

“Actual y, she’s right about the storm,” Remy said.

The fight fizzled out of me. I stared at the white flakes swirling outside my window, horrified beyond words. “Are you sure?”

They nodded.

Why hadn’t anyone told me? I hugged myself, tears threatening to fal . “I want you guys to leave now.”

“We told you not to tel her right away,” Sykes scolded Kim.

“She needed to snap out of it,” she retorted.

“You guys coddle her too much.”

“Leave!” I screamed.

One by one, they teleported. I walked to the window, the lump in my throat swel ing. A white sheet covered everything. It was so bad that I doubted the snowplows could brave it to clear the streets. And for once, our people didn’t remove theirs either. Why was I such a freak? Just when I got used to a power, another appeared—and not in a good way. I turned and stomped to my bedroom.

The tune of Izzy’s cel phone played. I fished it out of my coat pocket in the closet. Restricted number. Valafar.

“Good evening, daughter,” he said.

I was his daughter in every way, and it made me feel like a total freak. The urge to cry increased. I hadn’t shed a tear since Bran and I had the talk, and I refused to do so now.

“What are your powers?” I demanded.

Valafar chuckled. “I have varied abilities. Why do you ask?”

“I need to know, so I won’t be blindsided again.” My voice caught in a sob, which only pissed me off.

“What happened?”

Tears threatened to fal . “I’m a freak.”

“You’re not,” he snapped. “Who cal ed you that?”

“I caused a snowstorm and didn’t even know it. How can I not know it? Did you know I could do that?” I asked, voice shaking.

“Of course,” he said, pride lacing his words.

“Your powers wil continue to grow and evolve, Lilith.

Storms are just the beginning.”

“I don’t want destructive powers,” I griped, calming down a little.

“What you do with your powers is up to you, my dear. But you can’t change who you are. I hear the pain in your voice. What’s wrong?” The need to vent exploded through me. “You were right al along.”

I told him everything, the present and Aunt Janel e without giving him her name, Bran and his wings. I talked until my voice grew hoarse.

“Is there anything I can do to ease your pain, my child?” Valafar asked in a voice fil ed with concern. At least he didn’t say I told you so.

“Find Bran’s contracts for me,” I begged, crossing the invisible line between Guardians and demons, and not caring. It was one thing to talk to Valafar because he cal ed me, but quite another to wil ingly seek his help. “I don’t care what you do, just find them.”

“I’l do that. If you need anything else, cal me.

Here’s my number.”

After I hung up, I stopped moping around, and crept into the kitchen to find food. I’d avoided eating with Grampa and Aunt Janel e the last two nights by staying at Bran’s and eating with him. Tonight, he and the Cardinals were gone. I knew I should feel guilty for asking for Valafar’s help, but I didn’t. Maybe Bran didn’t contaminate my psi energy and caused me to hurt Master Haziel with the Kris Dagger.

Maybe the nature-bender blood running through my veins was the cause. After al , I did hurt Haziel after my energy powers reappeared.

Bran woke me up later at midnight.

“The storm stopped,” he whispered, kneeling by my bed.

“You should have told me I was messing with nature,” I scolded him, half asleep, peering into his face. The stupid night light was behind him.

“We al tried. The more we did, the worse it got, so we decided to let your pain run its course.”

“We?” I asked.

“Me, your grandfather, Cardinal Janel e…” He gripped my hand and brought his head closer to mine. “Listen, we’ve decided to do something about the List instead of waiting for Lottius to contact us.” I peered at him through the glow of the I peered at him through the glow of the nightlight. “What?”

“Scoot over first.”

I scooted toward the wal and created space for him on my bed. He crawled beside me, so we faced each other, me under the blanket and he on top of it.

“I talked it over with Remy and the others,” he explained, his breath warm on my face. “We’re going to stir things up a bit and see what happens. You know, hassle companies Damien owns and cause enough mayhem until he agrees to meet with us.” He chuckled, obviously relishing the thought.

I smiled. “That’s a bril iant idea. When do we start?”

“Tomorrow,” he whispered. “I’l start the bal rol ing first thing in the morning.”

“You mean tel the CP team to beef up surveil ance?”

He shook his head. “No. Valafar’s spy has access to our security team. We decided that when we go out, we go blindly. We don’t tel the CP or the Cardinals. I need to get the list of businesses owned by Damien and other dark lords who do business with him. I should have everything ready by lunch time.”

Part of me wanted to tel him I spoke with Valafar, but I knew how he’d react. We needed al the help we could find even if it meant depending on a father I didn’t ful y trust. I turned so we spooned, but inside I debated whether to tel him my conclusion.

“Bran?” I mumbled a little while later.

“Hmm?”

“What if the reason I hurt Haziel has nothing to do with you contaminating my psi energy? What if it’s me?”

He stiffened. “What do you mean?”

“The night I hurt him, my energy powers had just returned. Nature-bender powers. Since Valafar is evil and his blood—”

“Don’t,” Bran said curtly. “Please, don’t start thinking like that. I might not be a strong psi, but I can see your psi energy, Lil. It’s bril iant. Pure.” Demonic psi energies were reddish with dark spots. Bran’s for a long time was bright but with dark spots. I hadn’t checked it recently. I hadn’t needed to since I learned to link and ping without first finding energies. Now I searched for his, but he had his shield up.

“Can I look at yours?” I asked.

“No, Lil. Go to sleep,” he said gently and stroked my hair.

I scrunched my face. “Why can’t I?”

“Because,” he said softly, a smile in his voice.

Closing my eyes, I let his touch soothe me.

For a long time he didn’t speak. I must have asked him again before sleep sucked me under because I swear I heard, “I’m afraid it wil repulse you.”

***

When I woke up in the morning, Bran was gone, but I had a new attitude. The sun shone brighter. Snow started to melt, and snowplows cleared the streets. At the back of my mind, I wondered how Valafar planned to get Bran’s contracts. I knew I should feel guilty about asking for his help, but I couldn’t afford to second-guess myself.

This was for Bran. I refused to watch him turn evil.

Celeste assumed Bran and I had made up and talked nonstop about how she hoped we never fought again. It was obvious she had no idea Bran was losing his feathers. With one brother going demonic and another in a coma, she’d lose it if she learned the truth.

Bran agreed to meet me outside the school at lunchtime. We kissed and hugged before I fol owed Celeste into the building. Inside, I turned a corner and bumped into Kylie. Not wanting to deal with her, I stared straight ahead and kept going.

“Lil, wait up,” she cal ed.

For a moment, I thought of ignoring her, but we both needed closure. I stopped, pressed against the wal , and let other students pass while I waited for her to catch up.

“Yes?” I said.

She gripped her books tighter. “Can we, uh, talk?” she begged in a soft voice.

Glancing at my watch, I shook my head. “Now is not a good time.”

“How about later, during lunch,” she added.

I shook my head. “I can’t. I have to go somewhere with Bran.”

Her face fel . “Oh. I guess I understand if you don’t ever want to talk to me. I mean, I haven’t been much of a friend. I’m real y sorry. Please, let me explain.”

I hadn’t expected an apology from her. “I’m I hadn’t expected an apology from her. “I’m real y going somewhere with Bran during lunch, but you can come to my house after school.” Her eyes widened, and she hesitated. I was not in the mood to pacify her. “Forget it. We can talk tomorrow during lunch.”