“In my grief, I did the unthinkable. The unforgivable.” He glanced at me, his expression shifting into the smooth marble that hid everything. “I told you before that it was my fault she died that night. The fact is—”
“You hurt her.”
“I did, but I didn’t mean to kill her. I wanted her to stop talking about your death, and I lashed out in my grief.” The mask slipped and bared his pain. “Because of me, you were denied a chance to know and love her.”
I reached for his hand. “It’s okay, Dad.”
He covered my hand. “No, it’s not okay. I should have known she’d never harm you. You were everything to her.” I opened my mouth to speak, but he shook his head. “There’s more. Things I did to find you and bring you home. Things I regret, yet I would do them again to have you here by my side.”
“Don’t, Dad,” I said, tears streaming down my face.
“You don’t understand, Lilith. I was selfish and manipulative. My methods were unconscionable and extreme. Do you know what mortal combat is? I had our people fight to the death just so you could win and be their queen.”
“Stop, please. You love me and wanted me with you. How can that be wrong? We all do things we think are right at the time. It’s only later we realize we’ve made a mistake. We can learn from it, find a way to make amends, or let the guilt eat at us. You created this island, brought our people here, gave them a place they can call home. Then you found me and brought me home. That’s what we should focus on. The future, not the past.”
He smiled and shook his head. “When did you become so wise?”
Since last night. I had some serious atonement to do too. I owed it to my people. “I am the Chosen One. These rare moments of wisdom are supposed to come naturally.”
He threw back his head and laughed. It was the first time I’d heard him laugh out loud. It sounded good.
“I’m afraid your genes or future duties have very little to do with it. Your grandfather is to be thanked for the way you’ve turned out.”
“My grandfather? I have one?” I asked.
He chuckled. “Of course you do. I might be a product of Queen Coronis’s breeding program, but your mother was born out of love. I’m talking about your mother’s father, the Guardian who raised you. Kenta said he explained about him.”
The conversations I’d had with my trainer flashed in my head. “The old man was my grandfather?”
“Is,” he corrected. “He’s still alive.”
“Master Kenta said we moved from place to place because the Guardians didn’t trust me.”
My father frowned. “I don’t know if that was Falcon’s reason for moving from place to place. Whatever his reasons, he preferred the company of his wife’s people. He didn’t just live among the Gypsies, Lilith. Your grandmother was a Gypsy.”
“A human?”
He nodded. “Yes.”
So, everything Master Kenta had told me was true. They’d rejected me because of my father and my grandmother. “How did you find me?”
“Do you remember Lord Gavyn? I pointed him out during your party.”
I nodded.
“His younger brother went missing and he followed him to the Guardians’ enclave. When Gavyn came back and told me of a teenager with red hair who could stop omni energy balls, I was interested because no one can stop those balls, not even those who create them. That was when I approached Kenta to find out more about you. I expected to find the Chosen One, not my child. You were still alive.” He smiled. “Your grandfather raised you by himself and kept your existence a secret, despite our paths crossing.” He gripped my hands and studied our linked hands intently before focusing on my face. “I’ve forgiven him for keeping you from me, and because of that, I’m willing to consider a request he sent a few days ago.”
“What?”
“He wants to see you.”
“What? Why?” I stammered, trying to process the information my father was throwing at me. He’d just confirmed part of Gavyn’s story and now my grandfather wanted to see me? The man who’d kept me away from my people? Made me hunt my own people down and commit heinous acts? I didn’t think so.
“He wants to make sure that you are okay. I had to petition the Tribunal, the highest council of elders in charge of Nephilimic affairs, to have you here with me. Your grandfather wasn’t happy with the way I went about it, but I wanted you with me and I did what I had to do to make it happen.” He frowned, his hands squeezing mine. “I know you said you don’t need an explanation, but when you’re ready, I’d like to tell you everything. It doesn’t justify so many things that I did, but…” He sighed. “I was desperate.”
“I understand, and I already said all is forgiven.”
He smiled. “For now. Your grandfather misses you very much and wants to see you.”
I shook my head. “No.”
“Lilith—”
“I don’t want to see him. Not yet.” Not until I made amends for the pain I had caused when I was a Guardian. Maybe the person who’d deleted my memories had done me a favor. The memories would have crippled me.
-16-
“Bran didn’t come to our meeting,” I told Callum and Ruby that evening when they started their shift.
The two guards exchanged glances. I hated it when people did that. It usually meant secrets. “What is it?”
“We saw him last night and he was on his way to the library,” Ruby said.
“He wanted to be there before you got there, Princess,” Callum said.
My stomach dropped. Bran could not be missing. Not now. “He wasn’t there. I was waiting for him when I fell asleep.”
“We haven’t seen him today,” Ruby said.
“Do you know where he lives?”
They both shook their heads.
I closed my eyes and tried to feel him. I always knew when he was around. He wasn’t today. Maybe he was in the dungeons. I felt a little sick thinking about that. Could my father have arranged the brunch while the guards tortured Bran? No, my father would never do that.
“We’ll ask Ziminair. She knows him.”
“Ziminair?” Ruby asked.
“Seraph’s mother,” I explained. I had an open invite to visit them, which fit perfectly with my plans to visit the dungeons. They’d better not have thrown Bran down there.
“Okay, let’s track down Seraph’s family,” I said.
The two exchanged another look. “Now what?”
“We have direct orders never to let you visit the Subsixers,” Ruby said.
“Orders from?” I asked.
“Sir Malax,” she said.
I rolled my eyes. “I am visiting Subsixers. You can tell Malax I teleported and you had no choice but to follow.”
“He expects us to inform him if you go anywhere past sublevel four,” Callum said.
“Are you?” I asked.
“No,” they said in unison. “But you might want to use your power of persuasion so we don’t get in trouble,” Callum added.
I chuckled. “Thanks for the permission.” I got inside their heads. By the time I was done, they would have done the chicken dance if I’d ordered them.
“We are going to visit Subsixers,” I said.
“Yes, Princess,” they said in unison. “You may want to wear a cloak,” Ruby added. “It’s cold down there.”
Our first stop was sublevel five, which was really part of the castle. Subfive had the quarters of the castle workers. We walked along a broad, well-lit hallway, passing one door after another. Laughter and music came from behind some doors.
Callum stopped outside a door. “My family lives here, Princess. Dad works on the castle grounds and Mom works in the kitchen,” he said with such pride that I smiled. “My sister knows everyone on this level and below.”
A girl opened the door and squealed, “Callie. What are you doing here?”
“Visiting, imp. And quit calling me Callie.” He ruffled her hair. “Is Ma home?”
�
��Quit messing with my hair, you big oaf.” She pushed away his hand. “Of course, she’s ho…” Her eyes widened when she saw me. “Ooh, Ma is going to kill you, Callum.” She stepped back and disappeared into the room. “Ma! Callum brought Princess Lilith home without a warning.”
Callum shook his head. “Could you excuse me, Princess?”
He disappeared inside and closed the door. A minute later, the door open and Callum appeared with an older woman and the girl who’d squealed. I could see the family resemblance in the curly brown hair and the arched eyebrows.
“Princess Lilith, this is my mother.”
“Sally,” I said. I recognized her from the kitchen.
She bowed. “Princess, it is an honor to have you in my home.”
“We are just passing by,” I said. “Next time, I promise, I’ll stay.”
She gripped my hand. “You are always welcome here. Now, Callum tells me you are looking for a family down here.”
“Yes.”
“Mena can show you,” she said. “She knows everyone down here.”
We left Callum’s mom behind and followed his sister, who kept glancing at me and grinning. I smiled back whenever our eyes met, though I had no reason to smile. Bran was missing. Someone on the island was responsible for my memory loss and possibly my coma.
An arched door led to the tunnels under the city. Stairs wound upward, which meant the castle workers had access to the playgrounds of the city. I wondered if they ever used them.
The tunnel was wide and made of concrete and steel. Ventilation outlets were evenly spaced on the ceiling and light crystals were embedded along the floor and on the walls. There were no doors.
“Where are the homes?”
“Around the curve,” Mena said.
“That’s where sublevel six begins,” Callum explained.
Sure enough, we turned the corner, went down a long ramp, and saw the windows, then short hallways leading to doors. The tunnels went in different directions like a maze. If I’d come down here alone, I would have gotten lost.
“Where are the people?” I asked. I’d expected to see children running about, but it was quiet and no sounds came from closed doors.
“Most children stay on the beach for as long as they can. There are no play areas around here,” Callum added.
“And they don’t use the city playgrounds,” Ruby added.
Giggles and sounds of running feet came from ahead. We turned a corner and almost bumped into a bunch of boys chasing each other. They recognized me and stopped, their eyes wide as they pressed against the wall to let us pass.
I waved to them, but they must have telepathed their friends because suddenly doors opened and people peered at us. Whispers of “the princess” filled the air. I stopped to return greetings, touch a shoulder here and there, and talk to a mother or a father.
Invitations to visit their homes and sit with them for dinner followed. I made promises I knew I couldn’t possibly keep unless I threw a big dinner party. After what seemed like forever, Callum and Ruby took charge to help us move along. They were amazing at crowd control.
When we finally reached our destination, I sighed with relief. I was beginning to feel claustrophobic. Ziminair opened the door, saw us, and smiled. “Princess, welcome.” She turned and called out, “Seraph, honey. Look who came to visit.”
We had no choice but to enter her home. It was neat and normal-looking, with plaid sofas, coffee table, area rug, and CCs of family pictures. Seraph entered the room and squealed when she saw me. She practically flew into my arms.
“I promised I’d visit and here I am,” I said.
She smiled and touched my hair. “Do you want to see my room?”
Callum and Ruby were talking to her mother, so I nodded. “We’ll be back.”
The little girl led me into a bedroom done in pink and purple. I pushed aside my need for answers, met her dolls and stuffed animals, and admired her artwork.
“We need to go, Princess,” Ruby said from the doorway.
“Don’t go yet,” Seraph begged.
I kissed her cheek. “I’ll come and visit again. Or your mommy can bring you to visit me, okay?”
She nodded, her thumb slipping into her mouth. In the other room, Ziminair was wringing her hands. “What is it?”
“I was just telling Callum that the young lord does not live down here. We thought he lived in the city.”
“I know everyone who lives down here and he doesn’t,” Mena said, then she glared at Callum. “I would have told you if you’d asked.”
We thanked Seraph’s mother and left. I wasn’t sure whether to be relieved or more worried. I looked left, then right. The Subsixers had disappeared behind their doors.
“Are we going back to the castle?” Ruby asked.
“No.” It was time for plan B. My grandfather always told me to have a backup plan. I smiled. What a moment to remember something my grandfather taught me. “We’re going to the dungeons.”
Ruby and Callum didn’t argue. I’d ordered them to go along with whatever I said.
“Go home,” Callum told his sister. He waited until she went around the bend, then pointed at the opposite path. “This way.”
I followed him with Ruby in the rear. We passed the last door, then a stretch of tunnel with large exposed pipes. Water, air, and sewer pipes, Callum explained. The tunnel narrowed and fewer crystal lights dotted the walls. Either it was my imagination or the temperature dropped. I shivered and pulled my cloak tighter.
A weird echo came from behind us and my heart leaped. I turned to look, but there was no one there. My breathing quickened and my heart pounded as we continued along. I focused on putting one foot in front of the other.
The tunnel was endless and curving every which way. Shadows and distorted images appeared at the corners of my eyes, superimposed on the wall. The wall itself changed as though alive. At times it was smooth, at times rough or wet like a cave wall.
At some subconscious level, I knew that the images weren’t real. Yet I started feeling queasy, my heart threatening to leap from my chest. I stopped and lowered my head, my entire body trembling as though I had run for miles.
Hands gripped my arms. “We should go back, Princess,” Ruby begged.
“No, I’m fine. How far to go?” I asked, my breathing shallow.
“We’ve never been down here,” Callum said. “I can carry you.”
I laughed, and the sound echoed around us. I shivered again. “Thanks, Callum. I’m claustrophobic, not sick. I can make it.”
I staggered forward, ignoring the concern pouring from them.
I developed tunnel vision, the peripheries blurry. The pressure inside my head increased. Every breath burned my lungs as though there wasn’t enough oxygen, but I knew that wasn’t true. Callum and Ruby weren’t hyperventilating. This was in my head.
Breathe, little one, a man said in my head. Think of those you love and those who love you.
The voice was familiar, yet I couldn’t place it or put a face to it. Still, I listened and I let my father’s face fill my head. When his face ebbed, Bran’s green eyes smiled down at me. The faces that came after his were ones I didn’t recognize—an older woman with short hair, a blonde, a black guy wearing an apron, a black girl with curly black hair, a blond guy with a twinkle in his eyes.
Instead of calming down, the images had the opposite effect. They were confusing. Worse, the voice kept telling me things that didn’t make sense, his voice fading and echoing.
Don’t come… Go back…
My knees grew wobbly, the roar inside my head deafening. This wasn’t just claustrophobia. I took deep breaths and focused on my father and Bran’s face. The pressure in my head eased a little and my eyes started to clear. I turned the corner and saw the gate.
I wanted to teleport to it, but I couldn’t summon the psi energy to do it. Whatever was messing with me was also screwing with my powers. We reached the gate, and I grabbed the metal bars of th
e gate for support and clung to it.
“Are you okay, Princess?” someone asked. Ruby or Callum. I must have reassured them, because their fears eased.
The square area behind the gate was like a courtyard, except it was indoors. It had a high ceiling, benches, and a section with freestanding punching bags. This was probably the exercise yard for the prisoners. Crystals embedded on the floor shot beams to the ceiling, forming a light cage. As my breathing slowed down and my vision cleared, I could see four tunnels leading from the foyer.
“Princess,” a voice rang out. The next second, a man in a black robe, stood on the other side of the gate, his hand pressed to his chest and head bowed. The gate slid open. “I was not informed you were coming.”
A quick read and I got his name. “This is a surprise visit, Emory. I hope you don’t mind.”
“Of course not, Princess.” He stepped back and waved his hand. The crystals dimmed and the beams turned off. “I’m here at your service.”
Whatever was down here grew stronger, making my skin crawl. But now that I was no longer in the tunnels, the effect on me wasn’t as strong. I took a deep breath and stepped into the room. I could see what looked like an office between the second and third hallway entrances.
“Would the princess like a tour?” Emory asked.
Yes, the princess would. I had to know if Bran was down here. “Thank you. That would be nice.”
“These hallways lead to the cell blocks.” He pointed at one to our right. Above the doorway was an A. “Block A is for thieves and petty criminals.”
We followed him down the hallway, which was wide and well-lit, so I didn’t feel as much like the walls were caving in on me. The prisoners were housed in twos in private cells, their beds and bedside desks visible through the glass walls.
They looked up, then either went back to their card games or stared passively at us as we walked past. They weren’t aggressive or scared. They also didn’t bow or act like they knew who I was, which was nice for a change. The best part was that none of them was Bran.
“How long do you keep them here?” I asked.
“That depends on the severity of the crime, Princess. We keep first-time offenders for a few months to a year. Repeat offenders stay for twice as long. Habitual offenders are moved to Hallway C.”
Forgotten (Guardian Legacy Book 3) Page 23
