The curious eyes of the students swarming the hallways bore into me. A few elbowed their friends and nodded in my direction. Two girls in ultra-skinny jeans and layered tops eyed my gypsy outfit as they passed and giggled. “Retro?” one asked.
“Fashion challenged.”
I ignored the gawking, gripped the strap of my backpack and followed a noisy bunch down one hallway then another, searching for my locker.
Lil, wait up.
I winced as the words echoed in my head. Would I ever get used to this? I glanced over my shoulder. Students hurried toward me, but two of them stood out from the crowd—a brown guy with short-cropped black hair and a blond with a sucker in his mouth. They waved at me at the same time. Both were taller than most students and built like runners. They also wore black tee shirts, matching sweatpants and weight-lifting gloves. Could they be the trainees Grampa mentioned last night?
I pressed against the wall to let the other students pass and waited for the two guys to get closer. They couldn’t be Isadora and Pilar. “Remy and Sykes?” I asked.
The blond grinned, his amber eyes flashing. He had a boyish face and long pale hair tied back into a ponytail. “Sykes. He’s Remy.” He slanted his head to indicate his friend who had honey-brown skin, serious grey eyes and high cheekbones. “How did you recognize us?”
“You told her to wait up, bro,” Remy said in a deep, serious voice.
“I meant our names, Einstein.” Sykes continued to smirk.
“My grandfather mentioned you guys yesterday,” I added.
Remy offered me his hand. The leather covering his hand was soft and very thin, unlike any I’d felt before. “Welcome to the valley, Lil.”
“And to the team, since you’re now one of us. So?” Sykes draped an arm across my shoulders, his gaze on my face. “What happened last night, Red?”
The familiar gesture took me by surprise, and my heart skipped a beat. He was taller than I and masculine. He smelled nice, too. I shrugged off his arm, took a step away. “Don’t call me Red.”
“You’ve got the hair.” He tugged at my single braid.
I swept my braid away from him and onto my other shoulder.
“So?” I added, my eyes narrowing.
Sykes smirked. “So it suits you.”
Before I could think up a response, a bunch of students came from behind us. In seconds, I was surrounded by masculine energy and scents, talks of football and up-coming games. I tried to slink away, but Sykes grabbed my arm. “Guys, this is Lil. Lil, the guys. You don’t need to know their names because they’re all losers.”
“Hey, speak for yourself, dude,” someone said.
Half a dozen pumped up jocks threw names at me as they checked me out. The names didn’t stick, but the attention became a little too much. I smiled to no one in particular and said, “Nice meeting you guys. I’ve got to run.”
“See you at lunch, Lil,” someone said. I didn’t catch who.
I had no intention of eating lunch with them. I waved without turning and hurried toward the lockers. I could feel half a dozen pairs of eyes drilling holes into my back and prayed I wouldn’t trip.
“Who’s she?” I heard one of the guys ask.
“A friend,” Remy answered. “You know what that means.”
“She’s off limits to all of you flakes,” Sykes added.
Within minutes, I’d moved from being the new kid to being under the protection of Guardian trainees masquerading as jocks. Not bad for a girl who’d gone an entire year at her last school friendless. Too bad they were after me to join their trainee program, something I wasn’t too sure about. I hurried along the crowded hallways, and was still scowling when I located my locker.
Students were everywhere, some getting their books, others talking in groups. Couples lost in their own world hugged walls or hid behind opened lockers. Stares were thrown my way, but I didn’t let them bug me. I even made eye contact with a few students and attempted a smile, but their gazes often ran over my outfit then drifted to my charm bracelets. I ignored the judgmental looks and opened my locker to put away my books.
“Hey,” Bran said from behind me.
3. NEW FRIENDS
I whipped around to yell at him, to tell him to leave me alone, but my breath caught in my throat. “Whoa, what happened to you?”
He had a nasty cut on his lips and cheek, and his eyes were red-rimmed. He still wore the same clothes he’d had on last night plus a black leather jacket. The pocket of his shirt was torn, and his hair hung lank and greasy to his shoulders. I sniffed the air between us and leaned back, blanching. He smelled like he’d slept in the sewer.
“You are a mess, Bran.”
He leaned against the locker next to mine and shrugged. “I had to see you.”
“Why? To apologize for threatening me?”
The look that settled on his face indicated that the thought never crossed his mind. “No. I was in a crappy mood and you were being difficult.”
I shook my head. “You’re unbelievable.”
“Thank you.”
“It wasn’t a compliment. Go away.” I turned toward my locker.
“Wait.” He grabbed my arm and we both froze. An electrical sensations shot up my arm, followed by a chaotic mix of emotion. Fury, shame, frustration and fear surged through me, stealing my breath. He dropped my arm like he’d been scalded. My gaze flew to his.
He stood stiff as a board, his eyes wide. I swallowed. The sparks when we touched were intriguing, but the intensity of the emotions that had flown from him was staggering. He was terrified of something.
“What’s wrong?” I asked him.
His expression changed from bewilderment to wariness. He folded his arms across his chest, one arrogant eyebrow lifting. “So you’re an empath. Do you have all the old man’s powers?”
Even when he looked like a hobo and stared down at me like I was an axe-murderer, he managed to look interesting. It was so unfair. “I don’t know. What are you afraid of?”
“Nothing.”
“Bran—”
“My feelings are none of your business, Sunshine. So you’re the next Cardinal Psi.”
“No.” I know Grampa had told me about demons stealing powers and the chances of Bran doing just that. But looking as he did, I couldn’t find anything threatening about him. “I don’t think so.”
“Even after last night’s storm?”
My eyes widened. “You know about that?”
“I recognized your energy pattern, and I wasn’t even in the valley. Very impressive. What else can you do? What made you lose it like that?”
“Like your feelings, my powers are none of your business,” I said, drawing myself up to my full five-nine height. “Where were you last night?”
“Here and there.” His eyelids drooped, and he rocked on the balls of his feet as though he was ready to keel over.
I frowned. “Did you sleep at all?”
“Nope. I had things to do. So did you tell Cardinal Falcon what I said? What did he say?” His voice had a tinge of hope.
I sighed. Why should I care that he got beat up or hadn’t slept? His habits were none of my business. “I did, and he left to find you. This morning he said they were still searching for you.”
“He must not be looking hard enough.”
“And he wasn’t exactly sure what your message meant. The code hasn’t been used in years and there’re no Guardians missing.”
He shook his head. “No Guardians missing? Trust me to get the senile Cardinal.”
I bristled. “My grandfather is not senile.”
“I’d bet he teleported straight to the Bermuda Triangle and ran to the Circle for help. Do you have a cell phone?”
“No. Why the Bermuda Triangle?”
He shot me an annoyed look. “Testing me again?”
I wasn’t, but he didn’t need to know that I knew next to nothing about the Guardians. “Maybe. What’s at the Bermuda Triangle?”
�
�It’s the gateway to Xenith and only Guardians know that. You’re the most suspicious person I’ve ever met.” He started to unbutton his shirt.
My eyes popped. I glanced at the other students milling around. “What are you doing?” I whispered.
“I wanted you to take a picture of something, but since you don’t have a cell phone, you’ll have to keep it there.” He pointed at my head. “Once your grandfather retrieves it, he’ll take me seriously.”
I looked around again and blushed. We were collecting an audience fast, and they weren’t going away. “Bran, you can’t undress in front of all these students.” I spoke through clenched teeth.
He glanced around, shrugged. “It doesn’t bother me.”
“Well, it does bother me.”
“Then do something about it. You’re the one with psi powers. Mess with their heads. Convince them to look elsewhere, lose interest in us or something.”
“I can do that?”
“Yep. Just will it, mind over matter and all that good stuff Psis are famous for.”
I glanced at the students from the corner of my eye. Wouldn’t it be nice to make them stop staring and judging me?
“What are you waiting for?” Bran asked.
I threw him a mean look. “Shush, I’m trying to focus here.”
He sighed. “You don’t know how, do you? I keep forgetting you just turned sixteen. You need to master your powers and master them fast, Lil. Ask the other trainees to help. Here, take a look.” He gripped the lapels of his shirt and opened it to expose his chest.
I didn’t realize he’d continued to unbutton his shirt while he yapped in that annoying superior tone. But whatever argument I had died on my lips. My hand reached up to close around my silver pendant. The scar on Bran’s chest was shaped just like it—two intertwined triangles forming a six-pointed star and a hexagon center.
“Seen enough?”
His words came to me as though from afar and I focused on his face. He grinned for the first time since he waylaid me, his dimples flashing. He found my shock amusing. I gave him a weak smile. I couldn’t even bring myself to ask how and where he’d gotten that scar. The pink color made it look garish against his smooth, golden chest.
“I think that’s enough ogling.” He buttoned his shirt, his eyes drooping again. “I’ve got to find somewhere to crash. Tell your Grampa this is it, or I’m acting alone.”
“Are you in trouble?”
“No.”
I studied his face, knew his cocky attitude hid a lot of things. “That’s a lie.”
“Run along to class before you get a tardy slip.”
He was ordering me about again. I tapped my temple. “What am I supposed to do with these images again?”
His eyes narrowed. “Okay. Fine. My family is in trouble, and I need the Cardinal Guardians to help us. Happy?”
I ignored his dark scowl. “What kind of trouble?”
His right eyebrow shot up. “And why should you care?”
I lifted my chin. “I don’t. But if you need my help—”
“The Cardinals’ help,” he corrected. “I’ll even make it easy for your grandfather to find me this time. I’ll be around the valley. Now run along like a good little girl.” He indicated with his fingers for me to go.
I hated that he treated me like a child, but the first bell rang and I had no choice but to leave. When I looked back, he was gone. I hurried away, fingered the amulet hanging around my neck and studied the green core. I’d worn it as far back as I could remember and treasured it because Grandma gave it to me. But I always assumed it was gypsy in origin. Now I knew it belonged to the Guardians. Just how many more secrets was Grampa keeping from me? And where was my math class?
I pulled out the map again and studied it. The shrill sound of the second bell pierced the air. Great. Just great. First day of school and I was lost. The hallways emptied fast, so there was no one to ask for directions. Frustrated and close to screaming, I turned a corner and almost bumped into a tall, burly man with glasses. His name tag said Officer Derrick and under it was the word Security.
“You should be in class,” he barked.
“I’m new and can’t find it.”
His brow furrowed. “Which class?”
“Algebra…Mr. Cook’s.”
He jerked his head toward the stairs. “Follow me.”
Halfway up, someone yelled from behind us, “Wait up, Lil!”
I turned to see Goth Kylie flying toward us in black pants, black shirt, and long black coat swelling behind her as she raced along the wide corridor. I’d never been happier to see a familiar face. “Hey,” I said.
“Whew.” She grabbed the railing as she caught her breath. Then she noticed the security guy and made a face. “Morning, Officer Derrick.”
“Miss Jensen. Late again?”
“The bus was early.” Her tone was indifferent but her glance curious. “What’s going on?”
“Your friend took a wrong turn. I’m escorting her to her class.”
My face burned, though I was grateful for his choice of words.
“Oh, I can show her the way,” Kylie offered.
The officer stopped on the next step and waved us ahead.
“Thank you, sir,” I said and followed Kylie.
“Do you have your schedule?” she asked when we cleared the stairs and removed hers from her folder.
“Yeah.” I retrieved mine, and we compared them. We didn’t share a single class. At least we both ate during second lunch, the one after the fourth period. “So I guess I’ll see you in the cafeteria?” I asked, trying hard not to sound desperate.
“Sure. I’ll wait for you by the south entrance.” She pointed at a door a few feet away. “And that’s your math room. I got to run, see ya.”
I gave her a brief wave, grinning. Maybe she and I would be friends after all. I was still smiling when I entered the classroom. My smile died a quick death when twenty pairs of eyes locked on me. Whispers followed. I swallowed and kept my gaze on the teacher as I walked to his desk. I handed him the paper from the office introducing me as a new student.
Mr. Cook, a short man with thick glasses and an overbite, pointed out a chair in the back of the class. Before I could escape to the desk, he said, “Tell the class your name and where you’re from, please.”
Did he have to do that? I didn’t need the extra attention. Even though math was one of my favorite subjects, I decided I didn’t like Mr. Cook.
“Lil Falcon, Kansas.” It came out like one word.
On my way to my seat, I nearly tripped over my skirt and heard a few giggles. A girl with braces smiled at me then went back to her scribbling. I took the chair beside her.
The next few classes passed in a blur. Any moment I expected my powers to re-emerge and something bad to happen, like bolts of lightening to zip through the class. And every student who looked my way, every teacher I met, I wondered if he or she was a Guardian trainee or Civilian. Add to those was my worry about Bran. I couldn’t even explain why his problems were becoming mine. By fourth hour, I was a nervous wreck and my head was ready to explode. There was so much pressure between my ears. For my next period, I realized I had no idea where to go, and I stood in the middle of the hallway, staring at my map.
“Hey,” a voice said from behind me.
I jumped, my heart thumping in my chest.
“Lil Fallon, right?” the girl with braces from my algebra class asked when I faced her.
“Lil Falcon.” Are you a Guardian? I attempted to telepath her, but the girl gave no indication that she heard me.
“McKenzie Warren,” she said, her braces winking at me. I had never met anyone who looked pretty in braces, but she managed to pull it off. “So what’s your next class?” She peeked at my map, a smile on her face.
“English. I was told it’s in a separate building. I can’t seem to find it.” I shrugged a little in embarrassment, but I was relieved. She wasn’t one of us, which meant she was hum
an.
McKenzie nodded. “That’s where I’m headed. I’ll show you.”
The school, with its many stairs and levels, was very confusing. When I tried to follow her, streams of students from every which way blocked my path. “Excuse me…pardon me….” All I got were smirks and gawks. It took me a few seconds to wedge my way through the crowd.
“Jeez, how many kids are in this school?” I mumbled in frustration when I reached McKenzie’s side.
She laughed. “Over seventeen hundred. The entire valley has, like, only three major high schools, and each year, the student body keeps growing. You’d think they’d add a new school or something.” She rolled her eyes. “Was your previous school big?”
“No, small.”
“Oh. Where was it?”
“Kansas.” And before that New Mexico, Texas, South Carolina, and Wisconsin.
“Where in Kansas?
“Clyde.” At her puzzled expression, I added, “An insignificant speck in the middle of nowhere.”
“Hmm, no wonder I never heard of it.” I could tell she was holding back a grin. “So how do you like it here?”
“It’s, uh, big.”
She laughed. “Is that a problem?”
Sheesh, she was taking this interrogation a little too far. “Not really. I like it.”
“Me too. The mountains, the canyons and the caves. You ought to see the valley in the winter. Do you ski?”
“A little.” An easy silence settled between us. I skirted around the other students going in the opposite direction and prayed that my tendency to be blunt one second and tongue-tied the next would not send McKenzie scampering away. I didn’t want her to think I was antisocial. I just sucked in social settings. A group of students followed us into class, and McKenzie and I got separated.
Mrs. Deveraux was my kind of teacher, laid back and non-conformist. She was thin, her brown hair pulled back with a colorful scarf and trendy glasses perched on her dainty nose. Copper leaves and gem stone earrings dangled from her ears, matching her necklace. Charm bracelets weighed down her wrists, and her tie-dyed wrap-around skirt matched her colorful top.
Awakened Page 4
