Awakened (37 page)

“He’s okay,” Hsia reassured me.

Valafar’s gaze flickered to me, longing in his eyes before they turned hard. “I only want what’s best for her, Falcon.”

“You want to use her,” Grampa retorted.

“You said we should let her choose, your side or mine. She chose to come with me.”

“To save my life and that of the boy she loves, while professing her choice to remain a Guardian no matter where she lived.”

I listened in shock. Grampa heard everything? And how could he ever think I’d want to choose between him and Valafar?

Valafar yanked his sword from the scabbard. The matte black blade had a serrated edge. The evil eyes of the flying raven at the hilt reflected the light and glowed red. He stepped forward and pointed the sword at Grampa. “She’s my daughter and I must protect her. I will not let you stand in my way.”

Grampa widened his stance, but he didn’t draw his sword. “You’re a hypocrite. Protect her from what? Nothing and no one has ever been a threat to her except you.”

“Coronis will not rest until she owns her and the dagger.”

Grampa shook his head. “So that’s your plan? Secure your position by handing her over to Coronis?”

“You know nothing of my plans,” Valafar bellowed. “I will protect her from Coronis, something you can’t do while chasing soul-reapers. Isn’t that how I got to your daughter and wife? You weren’t there to protect them.”

Grampa went silent. “Only a fool never learns from his mistakes. You’ll not take anything from me again, Valafar. We know what’s happening here on the island, the power struggle between nature-benders and Coronis’ raven-heads. As head of the security, you’re caught in the midst of it. Handing over Lil and the dagger would make all the difference.”

“You’re wasting my time, old man. Now that I know Lil’s alive, you can’t keep me from her. Never.” Valafar’s voice was soft, yet the vow in his words chilled my bones.

I pulled the dagger from the sheath around my waist, gripped it hard. “Take it, Grampa.”

He spoke without looking at me. “I can’t. It chose you. It’s yours now. Valafar and I will come to an understanding then we’ll go home. Go join the trainees.” He looked at Seth and nodded. Seth, Moira and Janelle dematerialized.

“Where did they go?” I asked Hsia, trying not to panic.

Her grip tightened around me. “To get Bran’s sister. Gavyn’s waiting for them. Come along now.”

“No, I need to be here in case Grampa needs me or the dagger.” I shoved at her hands.

“No, Lil. Your grandfather is capable of dealing with Valafar.” Before I could say another word, she teleported with me to where I’d left Valafar earlier, at the entrance of the cave. “Stay here,” she ordered then disappeared.

“Lil,” Izzy yelled out, drawing my attention.

The trainees swarmed around me, smothering me with hugs. Someone touched my arm. Another patted my back, my hair.

“We thought you were a goner,” Kim said.

“That was a crazy thing you did,” Sykes added.

“Foolish but brave,” Remy added. “Is that it?”

I didn’t answer him. My eyes had found Bran. He stood still as a statue, the only movement his smoldering emerald eyes. He still wore the same bloody shirt and dried blood smudged his face.

“It is.” I pressed the hilt of Xenia’s dagger in Remy’s hand, pushed passed him and the other trainees.

Bran jerked as though prodded. He met me halfway, locked his arms around me and held tight. He smelled of blood and sweat, but I didn’t care. “I thought I’d never see you again.”

“But you swore you’d find me, no matter how many years it took,” he teased, his voice husky.

I leaned back and looked into his eyes. He heard me, including my confession of love. My face warmed. “I don’t understand how you heard me. When I left, you were—”

“Zonked out but healing, thanks to you. I tried to stop you several times, but you wouldn’t let me go. You just wouldn’t let go.” He sounded amazed.

Was the tug I felt his doing? I’d thought it was Valafar. I reached up and touched his face. The bruises were healed. “The weirdest thing is I had no idea I was doing anything.”

He frowned. “That makes it worse.”

“How?”

“With our matched energies and my weakened state, I could have drained all your energy. Without psi energy, your powers would disappear.”

I shrugged. “I felt a little weak—’

“You did? When? Did it hurt?”

“No, and I still have my powers.”

He scowled harder. “You sure?”

“How do you think I got the dagger? Besides, it restored me.” I understood the reason for his distress. He thought he broke the promise he made to me weeks ago about never taking my powers. “What you took, I gave willingly.”

He lowered his head, cupped my cheeks and kissed me. I allowed myself to forget the misery of the last several hours and clung to him. He leaned back and pressed his forehead against mine.

“You’re the craziest girl I’ve ever met, Lil Falcon.”

I waited until the world stopped spinning and my breathing became normal before I responded. “Because I healed you and Grampa?”

He smiled. “Because you were willing to sacrifice yourself for us. Your grandfather is powerful. He would’ve healed on his own in a year or so.”

I blinked. “That long? And you?”

“Three years, give or take.”

Three years without him would have been torture. “Then I’m happy I did it.”

He touched my face with the tips of his fingers. “No. Don’t ever take a chance like that again. The very thought that I could have drained you dry scares the hell out of me.”

I rolled my eyes. He was agonizing over nothing. And I would do it again in a heartbeat. “How’s your rib?”

He rubbed his chest, grinned. “Healed. Gavyn took care of it. He’s a healer like Izzy. I self-heal but at a slower pace.”

I looked around for his brother then remembered what Hsia said. “He’s finally agreed to take Celeste off the island?”

Bran nodded. “He changed his mind once he heard that war’s looming between the nature-benders and Coronis’ loyalists.”

“And your mother?”

He frowned. “I don’t think she’ll want to leave. She’s loyal to Coronis. But with all this mess going on, she might—”

A rumbling shook the cave as though someone had thrown a live grenade down a lava tunnel. Pieces of lavacicles broke from the roof. Dust flew from the interior where the Guardians and Valafar were. My heart jumped to my throat, images of my grandfather’s mangled body flashing in my head. Before I could move a muscle, piercing clangs of metal hitting metal reverberated around the cave.
Thump.
More debris flew toward us.

“What was that?” I asked.

“That’s your grandfather and Valafar duking it out,” Remy answered.

“Battle of the mages,” Sykes added with a grin.

Horror rocketed through me. Grampa didn’t say anything about fighting Valafar. I pulled away from Bran.

His arms tightened around me. “Where are you going?”

“Grampa needs me. He can’t be strong enough to fight Valafar.” My eyes went to the blade, now in Kim’s hand. I opened my palm.
Come.
It flew from her hand to mine and started to glow.

Bran grabbed my arm. “No, Lil. Stay out of it.”

“Why?” I pushed at him, but his grip didn’t yield.

“Valafar killed your mother and grandmother. It’s your grandfather’s right to seek justice.”

More thuds rocked the cave, followed by flying debris. How long before the cave collapsed in on us? “They’ll kill each other.”

Bran shook his head. “Hsia won’t let it come to that.”

I jerked my arm from his grip. “What’s the point of their fighting? It won’t bring Mom and Grandma back.”

“Your grandfather’s honor is at stake here. Wouldn’t you want retribution if someone you loved was murdered in cold blood? I would.”

I shook my head. “Have you any idea how crazy and hypocritical that sounds? A few seconds ago, you told me I shouldn’t have risked my life save yours and Grampa.”

“That’s different.”

“How? And you’d better not throw double standards at me.”

More thuds and tremors shook the ground, drowning my words. Shouts followed. “I loved her, you demented old fool.”

“And for that she had to die?” Grampa yelled back. “Did my wife deserve to die, too?”

“I made a mistake.”
Clang. Clang. Thump-thump.
“Haven’t you ever done something terrible in rage?”

“Never!”

The two men appeared across the gaping hole, both of them filthy, eyes glowing. From pillar to pillar, they slashed, parried and dodged. Their blades moved so fast they were blurry.
Clang. Clang. Clang.
I cringed at every sound, my nerves stretching to screaming point.

“Do you think I like wearing the scar she gave me for show?” Valafar snarled. “I can make it disappear, but it’s a reminder of what I lost.”

“We all have scars. You deserve to have yours on your face for the world to see.” Grampa waved a hand.
Thump.
The rock Valafar gripped exploded.

In one smooth motion, the nature-bender jumped, an
omni
appearing above his left hand while he was in mid-air. He lobbed it at Grampa. Grampa ducked and teleported over the gaping hole. He rolled on the ground and landed on his feet. Behind him, the crimson ball blasted a hole in the wall, sending another shockwave and more debris through the cave.

This was insane. No, they were insane. So hell-bent on killing each other that nothing else mattered. “Stop it!” I yelled.

Clang…clang…clang.

I waved the dagger, and the beam shot above them. Valafar jumped back and hissed as though scalded. I swung the light away from him. “Stop, both of you. Mom and Grandma are gone, Grampa. Killing him will not bring them back.” My voice broke in a sob.

Grampa was breathing hard, his chest heaving, but he lowered his sword and scrubbed his face as though waking from a trance. His eyes changed from eerie green to normal.

I looked at Valafar, shook my head and sighed. “I hardly know you so—”

“I am your father,” he roared.

I winced, feeling the pain in his words yet helpless to alleviate it. “I know. I’ve accepted it. But I’ll never be the person you want me to be.”

“Don’t say that,” he begged.

My heart pinched. “I’m sorry. I can’t fight for your side. I just can’t. You said you wanted me to choose sides. I’ll do it now. This,” I gave a sweeping wave that included Bran, the trainees and the Cardinals, tears streaming down my face, “is my family. I’m a Guardian.”

“How can you decide without knowing what I can offer you?” The scar on Valafar’s face twitched, pulling one corner of his mouth up and his eye down. “Live with me for awhile. See what your life will be like before you choose.”

Silence followed.

The idea was preposterous, yet I could see how he’d think it was fair. “You already described what I should expect if I were to stay with you. Revenge on those who hurt me… commanding respect…the world at my feet…mortals and immortals bowing down to me.” My voice steadied. Tears slowed down to a trickle. “That’s just not me.”

His voice whipped out. “They’ve brainwashed you, turned you into a disrespectful child.”

“I’m sorry you feel that way.”

“Yeah, sorry.” His voice was low, but his thoughts were lethal.
The bastard turned my child against me. With him out of the way, the others can’t stop me.

The Cardinals’ attentions were on me, including Grampa. No one saw Valafar lift his hand, the one without the sword, the one capable of creating
omnis
. His intent was clear. He was going to kill Grampa.

Don’t do it.
I aimed my blade at him. The beam of light singed his wrist.

He dropped his sword and jumped back, rage burning in his eyes.
You’d vanquish me? Your own father?

If you give me no choice.

The others yelled out something, but I didn’t catch their words. My eyes stayed locked with my father’s. His gaze narrowed, lips curled up into a smile.
You’re a lot more like me than you think, my child. You’d kill to save those you love. Kill to avenge their death, the same thing I did to your mother when I thought she killed you. Remember that.

My hand shook, my breathing choppy. I bit my lip to stop myself from calling him a liar. But he was right. Our way of life was violent, and yes, I’d kill to save those I love. Nausea bubbled to my throat.

A hand landed on my wrist, another on my shoulder. Bran. He pushed my hand down until the dagger pointed to the ground. “Don’t. He’s not worth it,” he whispered.

I surged against him, my heart galloping hard. Across the cave, the Guardians surrounded Valafar. “Leave,” Grampa ordered him.

Surprise flashed across Valafar’s face. “You’re letting me go?”

“It’s my granddaughter’s wish. But come anywhere near her again, and I won’t be so generous.”

“She’s my—”

An enormous crash shook the ground, cutting Valafar off in mid-sentence. Everyone braced themselves as the rumbling continued.

Valafar’s gaze locked with mine one last time.
Don’t let Coronis lock on your psi energy. No matter what happens.
His sword leaped into his hand. He glanced at Grampa. “We must have a rematch sometime, old man.” Then he disappeared.

23. THE FINAL BATTLE

I stared at where Valafar had stood, not understanding his warning. Did he think Coronis would come after me and the dagger?
Wham-bam!
Another crash rocked the ground. A fissure raced across the roof of the cave.

“Trainees, head home,” Grampa ordered, hurrying to my side. “Remember the point of entry—the Twin Peaks Pass, south of the island. Go in pairs. Watch each other’s back. Any Hermonite tries to stop you, take him down. We’ll find Seth and the others, and finish this.”

“Sir, we want to help,” Remy yelled to be heard above the thundering noise.

“Your turn will come, son. There are older trainees and mid-level Guardians out there to do this. Get out of here. That’s an order. Go!”

The words barely left Grampa’s mouth when the roof of the cave flew back with an earth-shattering bang. Snow, icy blocks and rocks rained down on us. Caws and howls assaulted our ears. I gawked at the gaping hole, my heart hurtling to my throat. Fiery energy balls sailed across the moonlit sky and exploded like fireworks. Giant creatures with bat-like wings zipped back and forth, lobbing weapons and dodging hits. The unlucky ones dropped from the sky aflame and in screaming agony.