Betrayed (46 page)

“What are you doing here?”

“I’m ready to go to that new place you promised us.” She peered at the other Guardians and made a face when her gaze connected with and made a face when her gaze connected with Remy’s. “He’s stil a grouch. And you,” she pointed at Bran, “don’t ever scare my friends again, or Lil wil make you pay. Right Lil? You don’t punish just bad Hermonites. The Chosen One punishes bad Guardians, too. Solange said so.”

I sighed. Solange fil ed the kid’s head with pure nonsense.

“What is she doing here?” Dante snarled.

“She lives with the despicable Lazari.”

“And you work for mean old Lord Valafar,” Angelia retorted, her lisp stronger, then she glanced at me. “Sorry. I know he’s your daddy, but he’s mean.

We fol owed Solange here and saw him,” she pointed at Dante, “watching from the shadows.

Solange met with her,” she pointed at Izzy this time,

“right here in this parking lot, and they went inside the hotel together.”

We gasped and turned to look at Izzy. Her mouth opened and closed.

My gaze swung from Izzy’s horrified face to the little girl’s. “Angelia, you can’t say things like that,” I warned her.

“The child is right,” Dante added. “I saw the Guardian, too.”

We al protested. Izzy sputtered.

Angelia angled her head as though listening.

“No?” she mumbled to herself then sighed. “I guess it wasn’t her though she looked just like her, had the same skin, face, and hair. Leo said her voice was different.” Angelia angled her head again. “Cresil said she wore a pretty, uh, thing around her wrist.”

“Watch?” Remy asked.

“Charm bracelet?” Sykes added.

“No,” Angelia said. “It had pretty things drawn on it, not hanging from it.”

“A bangle,” Dante snapped. “Are you sure it’s not her?” he jerked his head toward Izzy.

Angelia rol ed her eyes and bragged, “Leo can hear from very far, and he’s never wrong about voices.”

A memory flitted in my head. Izzy stopped by to see me a few days ago and wore a pretty bangle, too. Could she be the guide? Even as the question flashed in my head, I knew it couldn’t be true.

“There’s no Guardian who looks like Izzy,” Remy said.

“Unless we have a shape-shifter,” Bran added.

That would make perfect sense. I touched Izzy’s arm. “Did you stop by my place on Monday after we discussed Aunt Janel e and the present? I was waiting for Bran.”

Eyes flashing, Izzy shook her head. “Kim and I teleported home right after that.” She glanced at Kim. “Remember your Mom reminisced about a recent trip home and gave each of us an Asian pear.”

Kim nodded. “She was home with me. “

“Someone’s been freakin’ shifting into me,” Izzy snarled.

“It wasn’t you?” Dante interrupted.

Izzy cut him a cold look. “Why do you think I’m so pissed?” she screamed.

Dante shrugged his massive shoulders. “You need to get moving before I change my mind about tel ing Gabreel you’re the ones who destroyed his ships.”

Angelia tugged on my trench coat. I leaned down so she could whisper into my ear. “Don’t leave.

I have something to say about Zedekiah, but I don’t want Dante to hear it.”

The others watched us. I gave them a tiny smile and turned to face Dante. “We’l leave, but only after you and your men do.”

Dante’s gaze swept our faces. “Okay. But I’m tuned to you, Lilith. I’l be watching.” He nodded at his friends, who shimmered and dematerialized one by one. “Don’t trust anything that child tel s you,” Dante warned. “Lazari are liars.”

Angelia stuck out her tongue at him.

He glared at her then at me. “Go home.” Yeah, yeah, whatever. “Sure.”

As soon as he teleported, Angelia stuck two fingers in her mouth and let out a loud whistle worthy of a dock worker. Wind picked up. Smoke drifted from the parking lot of the neighboring office and poured over the low brick wal like a waterfal .

Instinctively, we moved back. Hands reached for weapons. The thick gray mass hugged the ground and formed a circle around us, undulating like a giant snake. Then it separated into over a dozen portions and started to swirl and drift upwards like miniature twisters. Little feet in sneakers and sandals formed, fol owed by short legs in jeans, pants and skirts, then tees. Within seconds, we pants and skirts, then tees. Within seconds, we were surrounded by a dozen Specials. Make that two dozen. Some of them were as young as five, maybe younger.

“There’re so many,” Kim whispered beside me.

“Come with me,” I whispered to Angelia.

When I knew the other kids couldn’t hear us, except Leo, whichever one he was, and his amazing ears, I squatted down so Angelia and I were on the same level. “You said there were only ten of you. Where did the others come from?”

“Yesterday, Cresil pinged the other Specials when Solange said we were moving to an island on Sunday.” Angelia glanced at her friends and smiled.

“This afternoon, Leo heard her talk about kil ing Zedekiah and we knew it was time to leave, so Cresil sent out more pings and asked for those ready to come to our place. The ping didn’t go far.

Cresil is stil learning how, but she’s very good.

Everyday she gets better.”

“Which one is Cresil?” I asked.

She waved at the little girl Bran and I met in Paris Las Vegas Hotel. “Do you want to hear what Leo heard?”

“Sure.” We joined the others. Kim was trying to converse with some of the kids. The guys just looked uncomfortable. Izzy was lost in her rage, probably stil pissed that someone tried to frame her.

“Leo?” Angelia cal ed out.

The boy from our last meeting stepped forward until he stood before me. His black hair was greasy and splattered on his head like he hadn’t washed it in days, his eyes shadowed.

“Tel them what you heard,” Angelia said, taking his hand in hers.

He kept his eyes to the ground and mumbled,

“A plane took off just when the Guardian and Solange went inside, so I missed some stuff.”

“It’s okay,” I reassured him, but he stil hung his head. “Just tel us whatever you heard.”

“Zedekiah kept saying he must talk to Llyr or he won’t get paid.” Leo’s voice became louder.

“Then I heard the Guardian ask Solange about Saturday and when to meet. Solange said morning.

Then there was silence.” He hung his head.

I reached out and patted his matted hair.

“That was wel done, Leo.”

“Thank you, Mistress Lilith,” he mumbled.

I lifted his chin. “Al my friends cal me Lil.” He gave me a shaky smile fil ed with such hope that my heart swel ed. Poor things.

I looked at the others and shrugged. “What now?”

“I want to see the person pretending to be me,” Izzy growled. “We’re going back in time.”

“We must speak to Zedekiah, too,” Bran added. “It’s obvious he has something for us.”

“And the little children of the, uh, Specials?” Kim asked.

“I’l take them to the Brotherhood before we start.” Bran looked at me. “I’l be back in two or three minutes.” He studied the children as though counting them and then sighed. “I’m going to need help here, guys.”

“We should al go,” I suggested.

Bran shook his head. “The Brotherhood wil make a big deal out of your presence there, so now is not a good time for you to visit.” He glanced at Sykes. “You’ve been to their compound. Why don’t you come with me?”

“Sure.” Despite his easy agreement, Sykes looked worried. He was an only child, a fact he was very proud of, and probably had no idea how to deal with kids.

“Just fol ow my example,” Bran told him as though aware of his discomfort then turned to Remy and cocked his right brow.

“We’l keep an eye on things over here,” Remy said.

“I want Lil to come with us,” Angelia pouted, gripping the edge of my coat.

I squatted again and hugged her. “I promise I’l stop by as soon as we’re done here. Bran and Sykes are very nice. Just do what they tel you.” The Brotherhood might not be ready for two dozen kids, but at least they knew of their existence.

“Okay. Listen up,” Bran cal ed out, glancing at the children’s faces. “I want you to separate into two groups. Hold hands with the person nearest to you so we’re al connected. On a count of three, Cardinal Sykes and I wil teleport al of you to your new home.” He picked up two kids who were about three years old and told two to grab his legs.

He was so amazing with them. That lump that kept blocking my throat reappeared. Sykes, not to kept blocking my throat reappeared. Sykes, not to be outdone, imitated Bran and picked up two kids, too. The rest of us walked around and made sure the children were al holding hands, arms, clothes, or whatever.

“If I’m not back with Llyr in three minutes, send a search party,” Sykes said and faked a shudder as I walked past him.

I smiled.

On a count of three, they al teleported.

Exhaling, I turned to face Izzy. She stil glowered.

“You sure about this time-travel thing?” I asked.

“No,” she griped. “I hate to do it, and this time I have to take al of you. I mean, I don’t know if I can. I get dizzy and weak, but we have to go back and catch that traitorous shape-shifter.”

“I didn’t even know we had one in the val ey,” Kim added.

“I heard we have several,” Remy said absentmindedly, his gaze at the entrance of the hotel, where the paramedics were loading Lottius into the ambulance. “We don’t have much time.

Maybe Izzy should take us one at a time.”

“No, we al go together.” I pul ed out my dagger and paused as my body adjusted. “Izzy, I’m going to do something. Promise not to panic or fight the effect.”

“What?” She scowled.

“Boost your powers.” I aimed the dagger at her.

She stared hopeful y at the dagger then at me. “You sure it can do that?”

“Remember the battle with Coronis? It boosted your energies when she sucked yours and the others’. Haziel reminded me just a few days ago.”

“He did?” Kim asked. “He’s at the top of my list of suspects. He can shift and astral project.” I shook my head. “Not Haziel. He’s strict and a taskmaster, but he’s not evil.”

“What about Mrs. D?” Izzy asked. “She shifts and wears bracelets.”

“I didn’t know she could shift. She’s been acting strange lately, but I don’t think she’s the one either,” I said. “She’s nice.”

“Nice can be faked,” Kim retorted. “It’s al about whether she wants more power and feels she can get it from a demon.”

“But she wouldn’t wear one of her bracelets when she shifts,” Remy answered. “That’d be just plain stupid.”

“I agree. What if someone is trying to frame her?” I pointed the dagger at Izzy. “Who else has the ability to shift?”

“No one that we know. Just Mrs. D and Haziel. Is it going to hurt?” Izzy asked, her gaze clinging to mine.

It hurt Haziel. “I don’t know. Brace yourself.”
Enhance her powers.
Light shot from the dagger and hit her in the chest. Her eyes grew wide, but she didn’t cry out in pain.

After about five seconds, I lowered the dagger and the glow dimmed from the blade. “How do you feel?”

She shook her head so fast it was blurry.

“Whoa. Talk about a head rush.” She waved a hand over her watch then disappeared. Seconds later, she reappeared behind me. “Holy crap. That was fast. We should do that every time before we go hunting. How far back are we going?”

“An hour and a half,” Remy told her. “Don’t do that again. When we go, we al go.”

Izzy adjusted her watch one more time and disappeared.

“Great. I told her not do it, and she goes right ahead and does it,” Remy griped just as Bran and Sykes returned.

“Where’s Izzy?” Bran asked, looking around.

“Right here,” she cal ed out from the other side of the wal and teleported to our side. She didn’t stand stil , her movement jerky as though a live wire ran through her. “I saw her…the traitorous bitch. She looks just like me. Whoever it is, I’m so ready to beat the crap out of her. How did it go, guys?” she asked in a high-pitched voice.

“Great,” Sykes said. “The women are amazing.”

“The kids are in good hands,” Bran added then jerked his head toward Izzy, who was busy adjusting her watch again and paced at the same time. “She’s hyper. What did you guys do to her?” I waved the Kris Dagger.

“Can we go now?” Izzy asked. “Because if you haven’t noticed, the ambulance is leaving with you haven’t noticed, the ambulance is leaving with Lottius, which means some paramedic wil soon realize she’s not human.” She looped her arm through mine. “Come on, let’s go back in time.”

***

Cars, people near the entrance and across the street, and airplanes taking off from the nearby airstrip al began to move backward slowly then picked up speed. Room lights flickered on and off through the windows then streaked. Dizziness washed over me, as everything became a blur. I always hated amusement park rides, and time-travel felt like I was going in circles at a supersonic speed.

When everything stopped, there were more cars and hotel shuttles near the entrance of the hotel.

Since we were way in the back with a clear view of the entrance, we crouched at the base of the low wal to wait. The vertigo and queasiness passed, but at such a slow pace I felt il . Next time I’m boosting my own energy with the dagger before time travel. I looked at the others, who were either hunched over or held their stomach. Izzy stil fidgeted and didn’t seem unaffected. No one spoke. Tension hung around us thick as a fog.

Half an hour later, two SUVs rol ed into the parking lot. Lottius stepped out of one, looked around, and nodded toward the second car. She walked slightly hunched over, one arm across her stomach, and occasional y stopped as though to catch her breath. A man, presumably Zedekiah, left the driver’s seat. Stocky, he wore a long coat and a basebal cap slung low on his head, making it impossible to see his face. The two walked with quick steps and appeared to be arguing as they headed toward the entrance, though we couldn’t hear their words.

“We’l give them a ten minute head start then fol ow,” Bran said, breaking the silence. “Lil should come inside with me. I’l need her help removing the
hellgel
from inside Lottius.” He studied me under the yel ow parking lot security light. “Use the dagger to find it. It won’t be easy, especial y since she has the shivers. Make sure the dagger doesn’t touch her skin or she’l burst into flames.”