Awakened (7 page)

Sykes threw the silent Remy a disgusted look. “She’s siding with them already.”

Kim and Izzy grinned. Remy just shrugged then asked, “So you want to tell us what’s bothering you?”

Should I tell them about the fear I had that I might start a storm at school and hurt someone? That my carefree life was over or people could see I was a freak? Then there was Bran. I let out a shaky breath. “I’m just trying to get used to things. You know, who we are, what I can do.” Or I didn’t want to do. I glanced at the girls. “What made you guys change your minds about joining the Guardianship?”

Izzy shrugged. “Training. It was pretty scary at first, but once I accepted my powers and realized what a difference I could make in people’s lives, I was in.”

I stopped myself from rolling my eyes.
Help people…make a difference in people’s lives.
Were they brain-washed or punch drunk from drinking too much Guardian Kool-Aid?

“And the fact that there’s a lot more at stake,” Kim said in ominous voice.

The other trainees turned to glare at her, disbelief on their faces. Izzy even shook her head. But I was already intrigued. “Like what?”

Kim’s glanced at the others, a mocking smile on her lips. “At ease, Gs. It’s not my place to tell her the details, but she’ll know soon enough.”

Know what? I wanted to ask. Before I could speak, Izzy added, “Anyway, the longer we trained, the stronger and better we became at controlling our powers and the better we felt.”

Sykes and Remy were still scowling at Kim. Whatever she had hinted at must be some top secret among Cardinal Guardians or something. “And you guys?” I asked them.

Sykes looked at me and shook his head. “Never had a doubt. We were born to do this.” He and Remy knocked fists, again.

“Have you guys ever met a demon?”

The four of them nodded.

“Mainly
werenephil
,” Remy added.

“Were-what?” I asked.

Remy leaned forward to explain. “
Werenephils
are the shape-shifters of our race. Many of the nasty demons in human theology books are
werenephils
, so are scout demons who search for vulnerable souls.”

Sykes smirked. “Others are collectors, trading souls like common goods to other demons. Can you imagine a demon auction? Serial killer going once…twice…sold to the drama queen at the corner.” He pointed at Kim with his sucker.

Izzy kicked him hard under the table. “Will you be serious?”

“Moron,” Kim added, throwing Sykes a killer glance.

“Hey, I tell it as it is.” Then Sykes grinned at me. “And just so you know, they outnumber us, which means we have to be stronger and faster than them.”

Now that wasn’t something I needed to hear. “I guess fighting them is an endless battle.”

“Not really. We drive them underground until they regroup and come back swinging. What works to our advantage is they’re not methodical or well-organized,” Remy explained. “There’re many dark lords with minions competing with each other. Some are perfectly happy accumulating wealth and becoming powerful.”

“But others, like demoness Coronis, devour Guardians for fun,” added Sykes.

“Sykes,” Izzy snapped.

“Seriously, Lil, Coronis is as bad as they come and has the largest following,” Sykes continued, his tone becoming more serious. “She was also one of the original members of the Circle of Twelve.”

I looked around the table to see if anyone would indicate he was joking. They all nodded.

“It’s true,” Remy stated. “She left because she didn’t like the CT’s agenda. While other demons cause mischief for fun, you know, play with the psyche of sane people and turn them into sociopaths…serial killers and whatnots...Coronis’ elite demons are the nature-benders. They are our worst nightmare.”

I watched him with wide eyes, caught between fascination and revulsion. “Nature benders?”

“They mess with nature. Water demons whip up hurricanes and cyclones.”

“Land demons create tsunamis and earthquakes,” Sykes added.

“Energy demons cause wildfires and thunderstorms,” Izzy piped in.

I gulped, remembering last night. Did that make me a nature bender?

“And air demons behind twisters and blizzards,” Kim finished. “Or the ones who do it all like…Valafar.” She said it in three syllables. The others gave her pointed looks I didn’t understand. She ignored them, just leaned forward and watched me with narrowed eyes as though waiting for my reaction.

I didn’t know what her problem was, but fear coiled inside of me, as though I stood at the edge of a precipice while dark waters churned below, waiting to suck me under. “Are you saying natural disasters…?”

“Are not natural,” she whispered.

“Most of the time,” Remy corrected.

Grampa was right. Now that I knew what I was, there was no running from it. I had to learn to control my powers, know my enemies, or I’d forever be looking over my shoulder, terrified of the unknown. The fighting demons part was what I didn’t want to deal with.

“So when will you start training with us?” Sykes asked.

I shook my head. “I don’t know. Where do you train?”

“Downtown at the C12 dojo, between four and six in the evenings, and mornings sometimes,” he said.

“We have group practice and individualized training,” Remy added.

“It will be great to have you with us, Lil,” Izzy piped in. “We’ll help you adjust, master some of the skills we’ve spent these past two years honing. You’ve been training with your grandfather, right?”

“Just martial arts, with and without weapons.” Thank God for that. At least I wouldn’t be so far behind.

“It’s a big part of our training. Weapons become handy when we can’t use our powers, and the sensei insists martial arts teaches us discipline. Though for some people, I can’t say it is working.” Izzy shot Sykes a sharp glance. “So can you start today?”

I winced at the look of anticipation on their faces, the urge to escape their presence tugging at me. “I need to discuss it with Grampa first,” I fibbed.

They gave a collective groan.

“What?” I asked. No one spoke for a beat. They exchanged looks. Now more than ever I wanted to know what they were hiding. “Tell me.”

Sykes looked at the others and shrugged. “She might as well know. Your grandfather’s famous for thumbing his nose at the rules. He breaks and bends them, and somehow gets away with it. The guy’s my hero.
You
have to tell him you want to train with us.”

If only they knew he was all for it. I grinned at the idea of Grampa as a renegade and stood. “I’ve got to go.” I took a step away from the table then remembered. “Do you guys know anything about this?” I tugged at the chain around my neck and showed them the amulet.

Izzy and Kim reached under their tops and pulled out theirs. Sykes and Remy had theirs added to broad bracelets. Same six-pointed star, same green hexagonal core. “What are they?”

“Protection amulets,” Sykes said. “The jadeite core is from Xenith. It emits a special light that causes demons excruciating pain. They have to destroy the amulet before they can get close to us.”

Bran had stood close to me without being affected. “So every Guardian wears it?”

“Yes, including Civilians, but theirs is a different shape. The six-pointed star is worn by Cardinals. They were given to us after we got our powers,” Izzy explained.

Yet I had mine since I was a child. Was that Grampa ignoring rules again, and did he know I’d have powers? He also taught me martial arts as far back as I could recall. Could he have been grooming me to be a Cardinal all these years?

My head spinning again, I turned away, throwing the words over my shoulder as I scurried from the cafeteria. “Thanks for the info, guys. See you later.”

***

I was headed for my truck when Kylie called out my name and I turned. She ran down the steps to join me. “Do you know which bus goes to our place?” she asked.

I pointed at Grampa’s blue GM truck. “My grandfather let me borrow it. I can give you a ride if you want.”

She peered at me then at the truck. “Cool. Thanks. So how did you first day go?” she asked as we crossed Grizzly Boulevard.

Crappy.
“Good. I’m two weeks behind, and have some catching up to do. I also have to change a few classes.”

“That sucks.”

I glanced at her. “Why?”

“It’ll cost you. They charge, like, twenty bucks now for each class you change. It wasn’t like that last year. Did I tell you I love your outfit?”

I glanced down at my colorful gypsy skirt and lacy top and beamed. “Really?”

“Oh yeah, very original. Where did you get those?” She pointed at my charm bracelets.

I moved my wrists, and the multi-colored vintage beads and stars hanging from the gold chain link jingled. “From a gypsy trader I know.”

“Seriously?”

“Uh-huh. A cousin of Grandmother’s.”

Kylie’s eyes rounded. “So you’re, like, a real gypsy?”

No, I’m a freak from a parallel world called Xenith and my home is the reason ships and planes disappear around the Bermuda Triangle.
I gave her a tiny smile. “Yeah, I’m a gypsy.”

“Wow. That’s cool.”

If only she knew. Kylie hurried to open the passenger side of the truck while I got inside the cab and gunned the engine. She grabbed the door and the body of the truck and pulled her tiny body up.

“Need help?”

She stuck her tongue out at me. “Shut-up, Amazonian.”

“Pigmy.”

Kylie laughed. I joined her. She had a wacky sense of humor. I liked that.

During the drive home, I rehearsed the questions I meant to ask Grampa. Kylie kept a steady chatter. As long as she didn’t ask about Kim and my defection to the trainees’ table, she could chew my ears off all she wanted.

“Well?” she asked.

I frowned, realizing she must have asked me a question. “What?”

“Motel 6 allows us to use their pool whenever we want. I’m planning on going for a swim after school. Want to come? Amelia and the guys might be there, too.”

This was what I’d always wanted. Friends. Hanging out. But learning about my powers sucked all my enthusiasm for anything normal. What if I messed up again? “I don’t know. I’ve tons of homework.”

She pouted. “So do I.”

“When do you plan on leaving?”

“Five. My mom won’t let me go anywhere until I’m done with all my homework.”

“Grampa, too.” As we pulled up outside the trailers, my gaze went to the weeping willow, and I couldn’t help wondering where Bran was, what he was doing. Not that it was any of my business. I’d rather concentrate on what I wanted, on doing normal things with normal people, even if it was for an hour. I turned to Kylie. “Okay. I’ll go swimming with you guys.”

“Great. I thought you were going to blow me off like you did at lunch. See you at five. And thanks for the ride.” She jumped down and crossed to her trailer.

Just like that, she reminded me of the trainees, of what I was. I sighed as I stepped down from the truck. There was no point in deluding myself that I could ever be normal.

5. A DEMON SCOUT

Grampa was standing by the sink when I walked in, the sweet aroma of home-cooking heavy in the air. “Hey, sweetheart.”

I dropped my backpack on the floor by the door, walked to his side for a hug. Now that I knew what he did for a living, watching him do something as mundane as cooking seemed so weird. “Hmm, smells good.”

“Roast and potatoes.”

“Yummy. I’m starving.” I picked up one of the cherry tomatoes he was cleaning and popped it in my mouth.

He chuckled. “Aren’t you always?”

My voracious appetite was a family joke, since I could pack it in and never gain an ounce. I wrinkled my nose at Grampa, and we shared an easy smile, like we’d done so many times before this Guardian mess started. All of a sudden, I felt guilty. I wasn’t supposed to let Bran come near me, yet I’d ignored Grampa’s warning and did. Would he be disappointed?

I reached inside the cupboard for a box of Cheerios and a bowl then got a bottle of milk from the fridge. I felt Grampa’s eyes on me. Was he reading me now? I tried to focus on his thoughts but heard nothing.

“How does telepathy work?” I asked as I settled on the kitchenette chair and poured milk in my cereal. “Sometimes I hear you and the others, other times I don’t. What am I doing wrong?”

Grampa finished washing the vegetables, turned off the water. He leaned against the kitchen sink, crossed his arms and studied me. “It’s all about focusing, and that comes with training. The address and the hours of the dojo are on the fridge door. The instructors will teach you how to control and maximize your powers.”

Just as I’d expected, he wasn’t going to let me decide for myself. It wasn’t fair. “Why can’t you train me?”

“Because I’ve got a job to do. Besides, Cardinal Guardians train together. That’s how it is with us, team work.”

Yeah, right. Kim didn’t seem eager to be on a team with me earlier today. Even the thought of her left a weird feeling in my gut. “So I can’t know the big secret until I join the program?”

Grampa shook his head. “What big secret?”

“I heard the stakes are high in what you do.”

He shrugged as though he had no idea what I was talking about, which meant he did. Fine. I didn’t need to know. “How was your meeting?”

He smiled at my smooth change of topic. “We’re still talking. The Circle, you’ll come to learn, is made up of a bunch of cantankerous old fools. I’m always amazed we accomplish anything when they’re involved.”

The meeting with Bran flashed in my head. Would Grampa be angry I hadn’t listened to him? I’d never disobeyed him before. “Why did you need to consult them anyway?”

He wiped his hands on his jeans and took the seat opposite me. “As much as I don’t trust the boy Bran Llyr, we think his message might have come from one of our own. Coronis took Tariel fifty years ago. He was the Cardinal Water Guardian. If he’s alive, we must save him.” He paused and pinned me with a steady gaze. “If this is not about Tariel, then this boy is a demon scout. Using you to reach me only makes him more suspicious.”