Betrayed (19 page)

hal ways.

A rumbling from above and I stopped, my A rumbling from above and I stopped, my heart slamming hard against my chest. Then I remembered I was under Sagebrush Drive.

“Someone just drove above me,” I mumbled.

“Nothing to induce a panic attack.”

Sheesh, now I was talking to myself like a demented fool. I laughed, and the sound echoed eerily off the closed wal s. Heart pounding, I sprinted the rest of the way. Pressing my hands on the sealed end of the tunnel, it dissolved to reveal a closet and an empty room with storage boxes.

Home sweet home. A wave of my hand and lights flickered on.

I stepped inside the closet and sighed with relief. No more using the tunnel for me. The wal sealed behind me before I left the room and started upstairs. Lights were on, but the house was quiet.

The things Grampa had said replayed in my head as I showered and changed into my pajamas.

No one in the demonic world could be trusted, now more than ever. Stil , I had to find a way to help Angelia and her friends.

***

“You suck!”

Bran ignored Celeste and angled the video game control er, making his avatar finish off hers in an avalanche of bul ets and grenades. The two had come to my place thirty minutes ago. She’d watched TV while Bran helped me with physics. Then the two played video games as I finished my homework.

I hadn’t expected Celeste to come with him.

From his apologetic expression when they teleported in, Bran felt bad about bringing her along, too, but the girl was an unstoppable force of nature.

You either went along with what she wanted or she stewed over it. She was stil getting in touch with her humanity, learning to deal with other’s needs, wants, and social manners.

Celeste threw her control er on the floor.

“Stupid game.”

Bran and I exchanged smiles. “No, pint,” he teased. “You’re just a sour loser.”

She scrunched her face and gave him the finger before teleporting. A second later, she reappeared and smiled at me. “I forgot. Goodnight, Lil.”

“Night, Celeste,” I said.

She threw her brother another mean look and disappeared.

Bran switched off the game, got up, and walked to the desk where I sat working on my computer. Physics was done and tucked away in my folder. Just one more paragraph and I’d be finished with English lit, too.

“I swear she’s picked up the worst behavior from watching television,” Bran said, sounding annoyed.

I grinned, my fingers flying over the keyboard.

“Too many reality shows. She’s always tel ing me what she watched, what the characters said and did.

She does amazing imitations.” I gasped when Bran scooped me up in one clean swoop, one arm behind me and the other under my knees. “What are you doing?”

“Distracting you.” He sat on my chair and settled me on his lap. “When are you going to be done?”

“Soon.”

Bran peered over my shoulder as I typed, his warm breath brushing the side of my face. Mmm.

Minty. I wanted to turn my head and kiss him, but I knew I wouldn’t want to stop and I needed to finish my homework. His energy caressed mine and I caught my breath. It was so hard to resist him, especial y when I knew how badly he wanted to kiss me.

“I can type faster than that,” he whispered.

“Show off.”

“Just stating a fact. You can link with me and tel me what to write. Oops, spel ing error there,” he teased.

I ignored him, finished the last sentence, and clicked save. Scrol ing to the top of the page, I reviewed the finished report.

“Hmm, the opening paragraph is pretty good,” he said, lifting hair from my nape to plant a kiss there.

The snappy retort I planned died when I looked at him over my shoulder. His wolfish smile dared me to seize the moment. I wanted to send him away until I completed my work, but his smoldering emerald eyes kept me rooted. Turning slightly, I leaned forward to taste his lips.

He took over, forking his fingers through my hair to grip the back of my head. Homework ceased hair to grip the back of my head. Homework ceased to matter. Worries about the mediums flew out the window and into the cold night. His energy and scent wrapped around me like a cocoon. I wound my arms around his neck and savored the taste of him, the feel of him.

One second we were trying to be as close as physical y possible with our clothes on, the next my back connected with the soft cover of my duvet. He’d teleported us to bed.

I giggled, tugging him down. Our legs and arms tangled, lips dueled. We rol ed across the bed then fel off, landing on the carpeted floor with a thud.

I squealed and started to laugh, but one look at Bran and my laughter died a quick death.

He rol ed back to his knees. Fire burned in his eyes. My floral yel ow pajama bottoms and tank top, the navy blue robe and matching fuzzy slippers were nothing to brag about, yet the look in his eyes said I was the sexiest girl he’d ever seen.

Kiss me,
I telepathed him.

Always impatient.
He ran a finger down my neck and paused at the neckline of my pajama top.

My breath stal ed, heart pounding with excitement. Knowing exactly how he felt about me, what he wished we could be doing drove me more than a little crazy. Despite the promise he made Grampa, I wanted to fly with him and visit unknown territories. Maybe the meeting at HQ spooked him or something, but his thoughts matched mine.

Everything else became blurred as I focused on Bran’s gorgeous face. I wrapped my fingers through his, loving the feel of his large hands against my slender ones, loving the way his needs mingled with mine. My nerves wound tighter than a finely tuned musical instrument. One strum by his long beautiful fingers and I swear I would sing an aria.

My eyes widened when pain shot from him and slammed into me. He appeared to fold into himself. A rip fil ed the air and a loud whoosh fil ed the room as his wings shot out. Oh, phew. The pain came from his wings ejecting not something else. So wide and magnificent, the feathers blocked the light from the chandelier. I reached up and ran my fingers over the soft tips hovering above me. Making out with his wings flexed would be different, exciting.

I raised my arms to him. He shook his head.

We need to cool down.

That was impossible, not with his magnificent wings spread out like an avenging angel. Before I could speak, he pul ed me into his arms and teleported.

Stinging cold air replaced the warmth of the bed. I wrapped my arms around his neck as he shot up above the val ey so fast everything grew hazy.

Wind whipped his raven hair until it lay flat on his head, his powerful wings beating the air in a fast, smooth rhythm.

I laughed.
Brilliant way of cooling off.

Happy you approve.

Who said I did?
I buried my face against his neck and kissed his skin.

Bran chuckled.
Quit messing with my head or
I’ll drop you.

He wouldn’t. I dropped kisses along his jaw.

He laughed aloud and claimed my lips. Frigid air tugged at my pajama bottoms and nipped at my socked feet but heated blood shot through my veins.

We were high up, the lights from the val ey and surrounding counties glistening like stars. It was a good thing our bodies adjusted to extreme temps, otherwise we’d be icicles.

Bran steadied, his wings opening and closing. Blissful silence surrounded us. “Want to go on or go back?”

My report needed one more review before I could print it and I had school the next day, but it had been awhile since we went anywhere alone.

“I want to watch a sunset, just the two of us,” I said.

Bran chuckled. “What time is it?”

I pressed a button on my watch to light up the LCD screen. “Ten-thirty.”

“I know just the place. Hang on.”

I tended to teleport with my eyes closed, but this time, I kept them open. Al I saw were streaming swirls and streaks of light, then blue skies and brisk winds replaced the moonless night. Below us, clouds hugged the base of a mountain range. Bran landed smoothly on the summit of the tal est inactive volcanic crater. I glanced around the rocky terrain.

Weird looking plants dotted the barren slopes. An empty parking lot and some buildings were visible off to our far right.

“Where are we?” I looked around.

Instead of answering, Bran sat on an outcrop Instead of answering, Bran sat on an outcrop of rock and secured me on his lap. He tucked my head under his chin, and his wings closed around us like a cloak. “Watch.”

My breath caught at the vibrant purple and orange hues streaking across the western sky. The landscape turned various shades of gold and red. I sunk against Bran’s chest and watched the sun float to the edge of the earth and sink out of sight. My eyes fil ed with tears as defiant daylight clung to the horizon. Bran pressed his lips to my temple and held me tighter.

“We’re on the summit of Haleakala in Maui,” he whispered as the colors waned, chased by darkness. The wind picked up. “Few people brave the cold night chil or the treacherous drive back in the dark to watch the sunset.”

“It’s beautiful,” I said with a sigh. “How did you discover it?”

“By accident, but I keep coming back. I promised myself I’d bring you as soon as you were al owed outside the val ey.”

“Thank you.” Bril iant stars appeared in the eastern horizon. Happiness wrapped around my throat. If only this would last forever.

“Let’s make this our special place.”

I frowned. “We already have a special place, the ridge overlooking our val ey.”

He brushed my hair away from my face and tilted my chin so he could look into my eyes. “But we won’t always be there. Guardians don’t stay anywhere longer than fifteen years. I want you to remember this place in case we’re ever separated.”

“What

are

you

talking

about?”

The

seriousness in his tone and eyes had warning bel s going off in my head. My heart fluttered with unease.

He scowled. “After the meeting today, I realized we need to be prepared. Anything can happen when demons are involved. It might be a war, floods, or nuclear disaster. It could happen tomorrow, ten or fifty years from now, it doesn’t matter. Promise me that if we’re ever separated, you’l come up here and leave me a message.” The thought of the two of us apart sliced like a knife through my heart. I swal owed, panic coursing through me. “I promise,” I whispered in a shaky voice.

His eyes glistened. “And I promise to find you no matter what.”

10. Crazy Phone Calls

The drive to school the next morning was different, and not in a good way. Instead of Sykes and Remy bickering about something or other, I had a brooding Celeste in the back seat spoiling my time with Bran. Guilt slithered through me. After moving and changing schools often, I knew exactly how nerve-racking a new school could be.

I turned to glance at her. “You’re going to be okay. The students aren’t that bad once you get to know them.”

She glared. “Don’t use your empathic ability on me, Lil Falcon. I’m al owed to be nervous without you nosing in.”

I faced forward.
Is she going to be all right?
I telepathed Bran.

He shrugged, showing a surprising lack of sympathy.

I reached for his hand and squeezed.
You
okay?

Yeah,
he answered and left it at that. Usual y he asked why.

I frowned, studying him from the corner of my eye. The vibes from him were off. I wasn’t sure whether he was preoccupied with finding the List, worried about his brother or stressed about last night’s meeting. Whatever the reason, he seemed distant.

He must have felt my glance on him because he asked, “what is it?”

“You’re worried,” I said.

“No, I’m not.” He smiled but it didn’t reach his eyes. When I continued to study him, he interlaced our fingers and pressed our joined hands against his chest.

I squeezed his hand again to draw his attention then nodded toward Celeste.
She’s really
stressing. Maybe you should talk to her.

He glanced at Celeste through the rearview mirror and frowned.

“Hey, pint,” he cal ed out, his gaze alternating between the mirror and the road. “Do you want me to pick you up for lunch?”

Celeste glowered. “Do I look like I want my older brother holding my hand? I’l have lunch at the cafeteria.”

Bran threw me an amused glance.
She’s fine.

She just blew you off.
“You can join me and my friends,” I offered.

She growled. “You’re worse than Bran. I’l eat with my new friends. The ones I plan to make in the next,” she checked her watch, “three-to-four hours.” She looked out the window as we rol ed past Main Street.

For the rest of the drive, an uneasy silence fil ed the car. Since we were early, Bran found a place at the curb in front of the school to park the jeep he borrowed from Janel e. He reached for my hand and we entered the school with Celeste walking quietly beside us.

In the office, we found Cardinal Hsia talking to the attendance office secretary. She made the registration process go smoothly, just like Grampa promised.

Celeste looked around with interest, although this wasn’t her first time in Cache High.

“I’l be waiting outside at lunch time,” Bran said, his gaze shifting from Celeste to me. His eyes were shadowed, and he fidgeted as though he couldn’t wait to leave.

couldn’t wait to leave.

“If you stand me up again….” I went on toes and kissed him.
I’ll make you regret it.

He grinned. “I’l be there.” He tugged Celeste’s hair and received a baleful glare. “You know where to find me if you need me.” She rol ed her eyes.

We stayed by the office and watched him take the steps leading to the hal two at a time. As usual, he drew attention and was oblivious to it.

“Okay, enough with the dopey eyes,” Celeste snapped, waving her hand in front of my face. “You’l see him at lunch time.”

I frowned. “I know. I love him.”