“You zonked out then screamed,” Sykes said, his arm tight around me.
My body had curled against his, my hands gripping his shirt. Face burning, I let him go and wiped my palms on my pants. “Sorry, bad dream.”
“Want to talk about it?” Remy asked.
“No. It was nothing.” I looked at my trailer, detected Grampa’s psi. I needed to tell him about Bran. “Let’s go inside.” The trainees looked at each other but made no move to leave the truck. “What?”
“Did your dream have anything to do with your powers?” Remy asked.
“Why do you ask?”
“I had nightmares when my powers started to show,” he said. “Whenever I touched things, they’d take different forms and shapes so fast it scared me. In my dreams, I could turn people into monsters, even my family.”
“And I’d set things on fire, awake or asleep,” Sykes added. “I nearly burned down our house several times.”
Remy lifted his gloved hands. “That’s why we wear these all the time.”
“Even at night,” Sykes added, the streetlights bathing his solemn expression. “It’s been two years, but accidents still happen, which is harder to explain here than back at home in Xenith.”
Remy shot me a sympathetic look. “So if you’re getting nightmares, we want you to know that it comes with the territory.”
I couldn’t believe they shared something so personal with me. It made my confession much easier. “When I saw Gavyn this evening, he told me I can’t be everywhere all the time, can’t keep my friends safe. Just now, I dreamed he torched all the RVs in the park. I keep thinking if I hadn’t befriended Kylie and the others they wouldn’t be in danger now.”
Sykes squeezed my arm. “You can’t blame yourself. Gavyn’s an unscrupulous fiend who has no business using humans as bargaining chips.”
“Being friends with humans helps us assimilate when we first got here from Xenith,” Remy added. “And they help us blend in as we work, so don’t even think of ditching your friends.”
They said what I needed to hear, but their words didn’t erase my fear. “Thanks, guys.”
We got out of the truck, and together, walked to the door.
Grampa was in the middle of the room in his hunting clothes, minus the coat, fiddling with a heavy-duty, elbow-length leather glove. He looked up, nodded at the trainees then locked his gaze on me. “What’s wrong?”
At the familiar sound of his gruff voice, tears rushed to my eyes. “Bran….”
Grampa was beside me before I could utter another word. “What happened?”
I opened my mouth to speak, but the tears made that impossible.
“Bran’s in trouble, sir,” Remy jumped in.
Grampa waved the trainees to a sofa, led me to the opposite one and sat on the armchair. “What kind of trouble?”
His expression calmed me down, and the waterworks subsided. I started to talk. As soon as I finished explaining what happened at the dance, he patted my knee and got up as he telepathed Moira.
The energy Guardian appeared beside us. Like before, she was dressed in black leather pants and matching short-sleeved blouse under her duster. The lights bounced off the white strip of hair on her mane, reminding me of Bran’s wings. Her dark red lips made her face look even paler.
Sykes and Remy jumped to their feet, and she flashed them a feral smile, which turned into a frown when her gaze shifted to Grampa. “What’s going on, Ares?”
“We’ve a change of plans. We’re heading to L.A. to find Bran and bring him back to the valley before we head out to the meeting. Someone used his brother as bait to lure him away from here.” Grampa flexed his wrist, and a pair of blades jutted from the glove with a swish, right above his knuckles. He pressed something in his palm and the blades drew back. He tested his other glove and achieved same results.
“I’ll let the others know, then rendezvous with you in L.A.” Moira turned her attention to me and ran her finger down my cheek. “We’ll find Bran for you, munchkin.” Then she disappeared, leaving behind a burning trail on my skin.
Why was her temperature always way above normal? Sykes was an energy Guardian, but he didn’t emit heat like she did.
Grampa picked up daggers from the side table and slid them inside his boots. He lifted his coat from the hook by his door and retrieved a belt with throwing knives and shurikens from under it. He wrapped them around his waist, his movements smooth and swift. Knowing he was going to find Bran was a big relief.
He glanced at me and smiled, but his eyes remained serious. Shrugging on in his coat, he turned to Remy. “Tell the psi team to locate Bran’s energy and send me the information.”
“What about Gavyn, sir?” Sykes asked.
“He’s still mimicking Bran’s teleporting energy to camouflage his. If he comes back again, trap him here by any means necessary. He’s becoming a nuisance. He and I need to talk. ” He walked to me, dropped a kiss on my forehead. “Go to bed. I should be back in an hour or so.” With a flash of light, he was gone.
Remy and Sykes didn’t stay long after that. After they left, I took a quick shower and slipped under the blanket. Sleep eluded me. Every sound I heard I thought it was Grampa. I tried to locate Bran but my powers were too weak and my headache got worse. Tired of checking my watch every few minutes, I grabbed a novel off my desk and started to read.
***
I must have fallen asleep because when I woke up, it was nine in the morning. My headache wasn’t completely gone and lack of sleep made my eyelids heavy. Then I remembered last night, jumped up and hurried to Grampa’s room. His bed had not been slept in. Trying not to panic, I did a quick psi scan. He wasn’t in the valley and neither were Bran, Moira and the other Cardinals. I contacted Remy. Grampa didn’t come home last night.
We’ll be there in a few.
No, you don’t have to come. I have to leave for the dojo.
He didn’t respond. I shrugged and hurried to my bedroom to change. I was pacing up and down the trailer when Sykes and Remy appeared. Dressed for the day in tan pants, burgundy shirt and loafers, Remy looked like he’d been awake for hours. On the other hand, Sykes must have just rolled out of bed. His hair was a mess, his T-shirt wrinkled and his flip flops mismatched. But they both wore worried expressions.
“We stopped by the HQ. The security team confirmed that Moira and your grandfather didn’t return during the night,” Remy said. “But that doesn’t mean that something is wrong.”
I wrapped my arms around me and rocked, my worries increasing. “I don’t know. I have a bad feeling about this.”
Sykes gripped my shoulders and guided me to a couch. “Sit. Nothing’s happened to them. We’re talking about your grandfather here, okay? The man is a legend. And Moira…Moira is the most ferocious of all the Cardinals. Together, they’re an unbeatable. There’s a perfectly good explanation as to why they’re not back.”
“Have you eaten breakfast?” Remy asked.
I shook my head. “I’m not hungry.”
“You’ll be. Do you mind if I make something here?”
I shrugged. “Go ahead.” As he took inventory of the food in our fridge, I stared into space and imagined the worst. Grampa had better be okay. If something were to happen to him, I wouldn’t know what to do.
“Hey…hey, no tears,” Sykes said and came to sit beside me. He gripped my shoulder and looked into my eyes. “They’re okay, so stop this.”
I hadn’t realized I was crying until he mentioned it. Annoyed with myself, I swiped at my cheeks and jumped to my feet. “Excuse me.”
Before either of them could protest, I disappeared into my bedroom, closed the door and plopped on top of my bed. The tears kept flowing. After while, sounds filtered through my door and penetrated my psyche—Sykes and Remy’s voices, spoon scraping the bottom of a pan. The scents of eggs and bacon hung in the air. I looked at my watch and sighed. I had fifteen minutes to make it to the dojo. I needed to stop feeling sorry for myself and b
e strong. Grampa would expect it.
I sat up, took one look at my reflection in the closet mirror and grimaced. My eyes were red and my hair was a mess. I left my bedroom and headed straight to the bathroom to fix myself up. When I rejoined the guys, my eyes widened at the three plates heaped with scrambled eggs, crisp bacon and golden-brown toasts. Sliced bananas and pears were on a plate in the middle of the table along with three sets of utensils and folded paper towel. Salt, pepper and strawberry jelly were to the side.
“Wow, Remy. This is amazing. You can cook.”
He grinned and gave a bow. “I try.”
Sykes chuckled. “Try? Please. You should come to our place for dinner sometimes.” He picked up a plate and a fork then went back to the couch. “If he weren’t so good at manipulating solids, he’d be a chef.”
“I am a chef, bro.” He pointed at the seat of the kitchenette table and sat across from me. “Dig in.”
The eggs were fluffy and the bacon cooked to perfection. I scooped a blob of jelly and spread it on my toast. No one spoke until we were done eating. “That was good. Do you cook a lot?”
“Yeah. I like to try new recipes.”
“And what does he do?” I slanted my head toward Sykes, who was sprawled on the couch with his empty plate on his chest.
“I clean, which is not fun. He uses way too many pots and pans.” Sykes checked at his watch and added, “Are you still planning on going to the dojo at ten?”
My eyes widened at the time, and I jumped up. Within seconds, I was armed with my truck key and bag. “Thanks. I’d still be freaking out if it weren’t for you guys.”
Sykes faked a sniffle. “She’s going to make me cry.”
I rolled my eyes at his goofy act. “Shut up. I’ve got to run. Feel free to hang out here if you want. I’ll see you later.”
I ran out the door to the truck and drove like a maniac. Mrs. Deveraux was already waiting when I arrived at the dojo. She’d pushed the foam blocks along the walls and placed two lawn chairs on the opposite sides of the room.
“Sit.” She patted the yoga mat on the gym mat.
As usual, we started with the breathing exercise. She stopped twice to ask me what was wrong. I just shook my head.
“To teleport anywhere, you need a mental image of where you’re going to land. It can be a picture or a memory of a place you’ve been before. If you don’t do that, you end up hitting things or people. I want you to sit on that,” she pointed at the chair to our left, “focus on the other one and will yourself there.”
Nothing happened. I banged my forehead against the opposite wall, landed on the arm of the other chair and lost my balance. Second time, same thing happened. After the third time, I started to get pissed. I missed the chair and landed on the mat.
“Argh! I don’t get it. How can I stop omnis and yet can’t master this?”
Mrs. D sighed. “You might want to try it with your eyes open, dear. And you are too tense. Relax. Let the need fill you.” I tried again and again, Mrs. D’s soothing voice in the background urging me to relax. Getting frustrated, I gave it one last attempt.
I almost got it. Teleporting was the weirdest experience ever. The door, tables and the area by the door dissolved away, an instant later I was by the bare wall at the back of the room. After many attempts I needed to take my pitiful performance elsewhere.
“Can I teleport to another room?” I asked her.
“I don’t know if you’re ready.”
She and I were the only ones in the dojo, and the front entrance was locked. Chances of me bumping into anyone and humiliating myself were small. “I want to try it anyway.”
“Okay. Go ahead.”
I let the image of the foyer fill my psyche then willed myself there. Sure enough, the blue gym mat, walls, foam blocks melted away only to be replaced by the front desk, walls with martial arts figures wielding all sorts of weapons. I stumbled and banged my side on the front desk. It was going to be a long time before I mastered this power. Humbled couldn’t begin to describe how it felt. “Can I teleport home?”
Mrs. D laughed. “I love your enthusiasm, but not today. You need to practice a little longer. That’s enough for today.”
I sighed with relief.
***
Sykes and Remy were playing cards at my place when I returned, though Sykes must have gone home to shower and change. His hair was wet and he’d replaced his wrinkled T-shirt with a clean one. Instead of flip-flops, he now wore canvas shoes. They kept my mind off Grampa and Bran for a while.
Later, when Izzy and Kim joined us, I didn’t mind. They brought pizza for lunch, indicating they must have talked to the guys. Izzy gave me a hug and Kim sounded genuine when she said, “Hang in there.”
Since we didn’t have electronics, someone suggested we go to Sykes and Remy’s place, which turned to be the place where the four spent most of their weekends and evenings. I gave a ride to the guys while Izzy and Kim followed in a red jeep.
The exterior brick and mortar didn’t prepare me for the inside. Entering the house behind Sykes, I blinked at the black and ivory décor. Ceramic tiles with black borders on the entryway were in sync with the ivory walls and carpet, and the black leather chairs. Throw in ebony tables and lampshades, and the effect was stunning and dramatic.
Sykes grinned at my expression. “The previous owners are guilty of this, not us.”
“We spend most of our time downstairs,” Remy added.
And I could see why. Warmth enveloped me as soon as I reached the basement with its thick moss-green carpet and burnt-yellow walls. L-shaped upholstery sectional couch took up half of the room. Six rocker gaming chairs sat between the couch and a big screen television. Under it were Wii and Xbox consoles, and boxes of games. At the other end of the room was a pool table.
Since I didn’t know how to play video games and lacked the interest to learn, I curled my legs on the couch and watched them duke it out on the screen. They played rough, elbowing each other as their avatars annihilated enemy troops in some alien planet. It was amazing how different they all were away from school and the dojo.
Either the fatigue from lack of sleep or on me or the relentless burst of computer-generated laser blasts lulled me to sleep because when I woke up, the afternoon had rolled into evening. The gaming madness had ceased, too. Kim sat at the end of the couch, her fingers racing across the keyboard of a pink laptop. I sat up. Izzy and Sykes were playing pool behind me.
“How are you feeling?” Kim asked. There was genuine concern in her voice.
“I don’t know. Any word yet?”
“No. Listen, we have a spare bedroom at my place. Why don’t you spend the night with us instead going back to the trailer?”
“Wonderful idea,” Izzy chipped in.
I appreciated their offer, but I just couldn’t accept it. “I want to be home when Grampa comes back.”
“I think you should listen to the girls, Red,” Sykes. “At least here, you’ll be among your people. You’re too isolated down there.”
I knew they meant well, but they didn’t understand. The trailer was home, and I needed to be surrounded by everything familiar. “Is Remy upstairs?”
“In the kitchen,” Sykes said.
“I’ll let him know I’m leaving.” I could feel their eyes on me as I headed upstairs. I followed my nose to the kitchen, where Remy, wearing a black apron with the Guardian symbol for earth, stood in front of a stainless steel range. Four pots simmered on top of the stove, filling the air with tangy aromas. There were piles of dirty cooking gadgets on the black granite counter.
He looked up. “Ah, you’re awake.”
“Just wanted to tell you that I’m going home.”
Teleporting light flashed behind me and I whipped around, expecting to see Grampa. It was Janelle. Disappointment washed over me.
She came to stand before me, her brow furrowed. “How are you holding up, Luminitsa?”
I fought tears. I hadn’t seen her sinc
e my first swordfight with Kim. “Okay, I guess. Where’re they, Auntie Janelle? Why aren’t they back? Are you looking for them?”
She cupped my face and sigh. “I don’t know what’s going on, sweetheart. We’ve scoured L.A., but so far found nothing.”
Not what I wanted to hear. “Have you checked the contacts Bran left with Hsia?”
She nodded. “We did. They’ve disappeared. We’ve talked to his other friends, gone to places he used to hang out.” I closed my eyes, despair eating my insides. “Don’t act like it’s over. We haven’t covered everywhere. Seth and Hsia are tracking down Gavyn right now, and I plan to join them as soon as possible.” Janelle gripped my arms and peered into my eyes. “I want you to stay here until your grandfather comes home.”
I shook my head. “No. He’ll worry if he comes home and I’m not there.”
“And so he should, but I don’t mean that you leave the trailer behind. We’ll unhitch it and park it by your house.”
I hesitated.
“Or we can stay at her place if she doesn’t want to move,” Remy offered.
Janelle smiled at him. “Bless you, sweetheart. I think that’s even a better idea.” She patted my shoulder. “It’s settled then.”
“No, it’s not. Let’s get the trailer.” The way Janelle grinned and nodded at Remy, they got what they wanted, and I was too stressed out to argue with them. I caught her arm before she could teleport. “Find them, Aunt Janelle. Grampa, Bran, Moira…find them and bring them home.”
“I promise.”
20. PRISONERS
Janelle didn’t keep her promise. Sunday came and went with no word from the Cardinals. I knew they were working hard, not coming home until after midnight. I used my school work to cover my pain and worry, finished both pre-calc and chemistry assignments I’d gotten from my teachers. On Monday, I forced myself to dress up and drive to school.
Awakened (Paranormal romance, YA fantasy) (The Guardian Legacy) Page 23
