-20-
Father didn’t come back that night, but he was home on Sunday long enough for brunch. I couldn’t bring myself to ask him about my memory loss and psi energy. I was too worried about him going back out there to discuss such a serious subject, especially after he said, “I’m on the last leg of my tour, but it’s going to take me longer to sort things out because we’re having problems in the Northwest Sector—”
“What problems?”
He chuckled. “Nothing to concern yourself with. I just wanted you to know in case you don’t see me for a couple of days. How is Project Rocky Beach?”
I wrinkled my nose. “It’s only been a few days, but it’s looking good. The students are really into it. They’re also talking to the Subsixers. It’s like they’re connecting. Now, can we go back to the subject we were discussing before you tried to distract me? What problems are there in the Northwest Sector?”
Father chuckled. “You are tenacious. Okay. A few lords are not too happy with the jobs I assigned them. I need to straighten things out.”
It took all my effort not to ask if the lords he was talking about were dark lords.
“I don’t want you to worry while I’m gone. Any luck with the Kris Dagger?”
I couldn’t tell him the powers were inside me without explaining my visit to Lord Zhane’s and the dark lords, so I shook my head. “But I check every day.”
He nodded. “Good. I should be home by Wednesday night.” He dropped a kiss on my forehead. “Be good.”
“And you be careful, Daddy.”
Wednesday came and went. He didn’t come back. I tried not to worry, but I had a sick feeling in my stomach. The kind you get when something bad has happened or is about to happen. I kept busy at school and training even though Master Kenta still insisted I couldn’t participate in the tourney. Students kept trying to guess who had been with me at the beach during the party. Tannin even had a pool going, so students watched my every move. Only Daeva had the guts to ask me. I just shrugged.
In the evening, I worked with my friends on Rocky Beach. Tannin rallied more Prime Earth students, both juniors and seniors. It wasn’t hard once students heard company reps were stopping by.
Master Rahm finally started an afterschool program for the Subsixers, using the Mount Hermon Elementary classrooms and the sublevel library. He offered two-day vacations off the island for volunteers, and they came in droves.
“This is temporary until I hire more teachers,” he explained when we spoke.
“And classrooms?” I asked.
“Your father plans to expand Mount Hermon Academy and Elementary.”
There was no word from either Father or Solange on Thursday. The Northwest Sector was America, Canada, and Mexico. I used the school computers to search for any problems in the area—strikes, riots, political mayhem—and came up empty. Maybe the problem concerned only our people, not humans.
I paid Sir Malax a visit before I went to bed. “Have you heard from my father?”
“No, Princess. But we know he’s fine. He’s on a tight schedule.”
“Do you have real-time clairvoyant observation stations?”
He frowned. “What is that?”
“A live feed from wherever he is,” I said. I couldn’t even explain how I knew about live feeds. “Clairvoyants observing him can pass the images to clairvoyants here, so you know exactly where he is.”
“No, we haven’t tried that kind of live feed.”
Why not? I wanted to demand. I studied the people in the office talking to clairvoyants. The images were real time. Why wasn’t he monitoring my father? Something was definitely wrong.
“Thank you, Sir Malax,” I said politely, when I wanted to rant and call him names.
I had another weird dream. I couldn’t move or open my eyes, and a red light shone on my eyelids. I woke up feeling more tired than usual. My powers were fluctuating again. Since they were tied to my emotions, it made perfect sense that they were. The sick feeling in the pit of my stomach grew. I couldn’t get rid of the feeling of déjà vu, like I’d waited for someone like this before and things had gone south.
Bran wasn’t waiting for me at school on Friday when I arrived. A quick psi scan said he wasn’t in the city. Or his shield was up. Katia and Lottius distracted me until we went to our separate classes, then my thoughts returned to my father.
What’s wrong? Bran asked during third period.
Hey, I missed you this morning.
I had to take care of something. What’s wrong? You’re pulsing.
I listened to thoughts in the class. I can’t be. No one is complaining of headaches.
No one is complaining of headaches because your psi energy is low. Abnormally low. Did something happen last night that I missed? This morning?
I frowned. No. I probably drained my energy fighting Master Kenta and the students last night. He extended it for another thirty minutes because some students were goofing around. I woke up tired this morning.
There was silence. How often does this happen?
I smiled. Lady Nemea had asked me the same question last week. I’d hedged. Not this time. Once or twice a week since I came out of the coma, but fluctuating energy is normal among the Specials. Three students in my class are Specials and their energy surges and falls, too. I’m worried about my father, Bran. I’m sure something is wrong.
You’re surging again. Just a second.
The brush of energy against mine didn’t surprise me. And like always, I welcomed its warmth and calming effect.
Better? Bran asked.
Yes, how did you…? Everything fell into place before the words left my lips. How could I have been so blind? It’s you.
It’s me what?
The one who calms me whenever I panic or get angry. You stroke my energy with yours.
Of course it’s me. Who did you think it was? He sounded annoyed.
I grinned. I don’t know. I tried to figure it out and gave up. I just knew it calmed me down and I welcomed it. And watch your tone, mister.
I don’t like the idea of someone else getting inside your head or that close to your energy.
A shiver ran up my spine. Dante, the prisoner in the dungeons, had gotten inside my head and told me what to do to calm down. I swallowed, my heart pounding hard. How did the traitor in the dungeon know such personal details about me?
What’s going on, Lil?
I tried to calm myself, but the sunken eyes of Prisoner Zero zipped through my head. We need to talk.
Whoa, sweetheart. Easy. You’re pulsing again. A lingering caress didn’t seem to help. Okay. I think I may have found a way to evade your security without throwing a party. Meet me at Seraph’s tonight after dinner. I’ll be there around seven.
Okay. If my father was in trouble, I was going to help him, which meant knowing everything about my past.
“What do you think, Lilith?”
Master Otego, the history teacher, yanked me back to the classroom. I stared at him blankly. “Can you repeat the question, please?”
He frowned and I could swear his ears twitched. He was a bald guy with a dark-brown complexion. His head, neck, and even his temples had light and dark spots like a leopard or a cheetah. It made him look very interesting.
“History tells us that the Guardians tend to accept Hermonites who stray to their side. Should they keep the displaced children from the war on Coronis Isle?”
The conversation I’d had with Solange flitted in my head. “It is my understanding that we already have people searching for the Specials. We are discussing the Specials, right?”
He chuckled. “Yes. So you think we should bring these children home?”
I shrugged. “Yes. They belong with their families.”
“Do they?” Master Otego paced in front of the class. “How many of you think they belong with the Guardians, and why?”
“They were raised at Azazel Center and had little contact with their families, so they didn’t really know their parents or siblings, and vice versa,” a student said.
“The Guardians have given them the only home they’ve ever known,” another added. “So, if it boils down to who gives them a happy home, they win.”
My eyes connected with Katia. She looked furious and her eyes were bright with tears. I raised my hand.
“Yes, Lilith?”
“Can I give a rebuttal?” I asked.
He nodded. “Sure.”
“Just because their parents or family members didn’t see them often doesn’t mean they didn’t or don’t love them,” I said. “The bond between a parent and a child happens before birth and grows stronger when the child is placed in their mother or father’s arms. That bond is never broken. The love never goes away.”
“The Institute took some of the children when they were as young as six months, depending on when their powers started to show,” a student at the back of the class said. “The love might have been transferred to their caregivers, so the bond you’re talking about could be one-sided.”
“Then the children should be given a chance to rediscover or reconnect with their birth parents and siblings,” I said. “I am the poster child for what could happen between a parent and a child. My father never gave up on finding me, and I don’t think any parent”—my eyes met Katia’s—“or sibling should give up on finding their missing sisters and brothers. Now that I’m home again, I can’t imagine a life without my father.”
“Well said,” Master Otego said. “However, it is a known fact that some of the Specials were unstable and their parents gave them up out of fear of what they might do. Do these parents deserve to have their children back?”
There was a chorus of “no.”
My eyes met with the omni sisters and I wondered about their background.
“Then it is our duty as a people to raise them,” someone said.
“Let’s not forget that the Specials wouldn’t be in this present predicament if the Guardians hadn’t attacked us,” another student added.
“And that Guardians will only want to use them in their misguided fight to protect humanity,” Katia said. “Some families here just want them home.”
For the first time in months, I was actually enjoying history. Unfortunately, as soon as I left the class, I went back to stressing over my father. Even my friends noticed it.
“What’s wrong?” Katia asked as we headed to the cafeteria.
“My father,” I said. “I’m worried about him.”
Katia and Lottius exchanged glances. “He takes trips and stays away for days, even weeks,” Katia said. “I mean, he has homes on every continent.”
“Maybe he has a lady friend,” Lottius looked at me, and shrugged. “Or more than one. He’s a powerful man, and certain women are attracted to that.”
I made a face. “I don’t care about how many women he has.” Though I was sure Lady Nemea would. “I just want him home safe. He said there were problems in the Northwest Sector before he left.”
Bran was not in the cafeteria, and once again, I performed a psi scan. He wasn’t on the island. Not sure whether to worry or not, I focused on the conversation around our table.
We barely started eating when everyone scrambled to their feet, their hands going to their chests, heads bowed. Thinking it was my father, I whipped around.
My sister was the grande dame of entrances.
Solange, Riesa, and Kimber strode toward our table. Students hurried to make a path for them. They were striking in their black pants, shirts, boots, and trench coats. Dark lords. Or did they call the females dark ladies?
Her friends went to get something to eat while Solange plopped onto the chair next to mine. “Hey, little sis.”
I searched her face. “Is Father okay?”
She smiled. “Of course. He sent me with these. More presents.” She put a small present bag in front of me. “He thought you might be worried.”
I dove inside the bag and pulled out a clear box with a green crystal, probably a CC, and a black velvet box. I looked up and caught a strange expression on Solange’s face. She smiled and I wondered if I’d imagined it. “Thank you. I was so worried about him.”
“Why?”
“He said he’d be back on Wednesday and today is Friday. I was sure something bad had happened to you guys.”
“You are so melodramatic.” She rolled her eyes and stood. “I’ve done my sisterly duty, so see ya.”
“Are you going back?”
“Yep.” She waved to her friends.
“To where?”
“L.A. Can I go now?” She didn’t wait for an answer, just joined her friends and then left the cafeteria.
“Your sister scares the crap out of me,” Tannin said.
“She’s sweet,” I fibbed.
“Yeah, like a viper,” Lottius said under her breath, but I heard her. We exchanged a grin. I was in such a good mood, her attitude didn’t bother me. My father was fine.
Lady Nemea was waiting for me when I got home. “Solange said you heard from your father.”
I showed her the CC. “I haven’t watched it yet.”
“Go ahead. I’ll get you something to eat.”
“Thanks.” I sat on my bed and opened the velvet box first. The butterfly necklace inside was simple and gorgeous. Lady Nemea came back and found me trying to put it on.
“That is beautiful,” she said, walking around to help snap it on. She lifted the butterfly and stroked it.
“He knows I love butterflies, like my mom.” I studied the necklace, then reached for the CC. Lady Nemea continued to sit. “I’d like to watch this now. Alone.”
“Of course. Let me know what he says.” She teleported.
I opened the box with the crystal and activated it. Light shot out. I waited for Father’s image to appear. Waited and waited.
Nothing happened. The light dimmed and went off. No, there must be a mistake.
I reactivated the crystal again. Once again, no images appeared. Anger swelled inside me. That conniving, bitter piece of dark matter masquerading as my sister…
Solange! I screamed. What was her problem? First the CC from Gavyn, now this. Had she switched them, or just deleted them? I paced, imagining different ways to make her suffer.
Then I realized what I was doing, stressing, probably shooting off energy. The fact that Bran hadn’t come running said he wasn’t on the island. A quick scan confirmed it. Taking a deep breath, I focused on calming down.
Still a little pissed, I marched across the room and through the family area. The two guards who’d taken over from Ruby and Callum jumped to their feet. They were new, but this was one time I didn’t ask for names. Sir Malax had been using new and younger guards since Father left.
“Have you seen Solange?” I asked.
“No, Princess,” they said in unison.
I could feel their eyes drilling holes in my back as I entered Solange’s bedroom. “Solange! Where are you?”
Of course, I knew she wasn’t around, but I still made a show of searching for her. The closet and bedroom were empty. I focused on the energies around the room and found where she hid her stash of CCs—in a secret compartment under her massive bed.
I took the box and teleported to my room. She had so many of the crystals in different colors, but several of them were like the purple one Father had sent me.
I chose one of them and activated it. Gavyn’s smug face appeared in the holograph. My stomach started churning as he started talking.
“We have everything in place at my end, Solange,” he said. “My brother and Lilith are exactly where we want them. Finish your part and get in touch with us ASAP.”
I frowned. Who was “us?” I activated the second crystal.
“The Tribunal will have no choice but to send the Archangels to take care of them now. I know we’ll lose some of our people, but it is for the greater good. Have you found your father yet? We’ll need him to rally the people behind us,” he said.
“We have to get rid of the High Council,” he said in another. “They lack vision. We’ll replace them when the time is right. Right now, we need Lilith. Oh, thanks for keeping me updated on your father. Who knew he’d bought an island and was building a city for our people? You are right. It is perfect.”
“So, the little princess is under your control. Make sure it stays that way. He can’t know, or our plan is blown. Keep them busy.” This fourth CC was short and to the point.
I couldn’t breathe. Nausea hit me hard and I ran to the bathroom. I lost the snack I’d eaten, my eyes tearing. I’d bought everything Gavyn had told me. Was Bran really my boyfriend, or was he part of a diabolical plot with my sister and his brother?
I rinsed my mouth, staggered back into my bedroom, and continued watching the CCs. In one, Gavyn talked about the Tribunal and the plans for the island. In another, he responded to one about keeping me docile, powerless. That meant lowering my energy. Draining it. They weren’t draining my energy to help me. They did it to control me.
The CCs appeared to cover the period from before the Tribunal until after I arrived on the island. There was very little mention of my father after Gavyn mentioned the island, so I couldn’t tell if they had plans for him, too. At least I now knew my father was never behind the Tribunal.
My first instinct was to destroy the CCs. Turn them into dust. Nuke them. But that would let her know that I knew about them. Not that I knew what their endgame was or who else on the island was in on it. Did Katia know?
My stomach heaved again. I gathered the crystals, put them back in their box, locked it, and took it back to her room. I hoped she didn’t realize I’d found them. As soon as Father came home, I was showing him every last one of them. In the meantime, I had to know if Bran was involved.
I nearly jumped out of my skin when I left her room and found Lady Nemea waiting for me. “Is Solange back?” she asked.
“No. I was hoping she was. What’s going on?” I hoped I sounded normal, because my mind was a mess.
“I just wanted to ask about your father.”
Part of me wanted to tell her about Solange, but the cautious part wasn’t sure she could be trusted. Just because she loved my father didn’t mean she wasn’t colluding with Solange and Gavyn. Gavyn, Mr. Don’t Trust Anyone On The Island, was a liar. Bran had repeated his lies or agreed with most of the things he’d said. What did that make him? Another liar? Were the brothers colluding to control me? Maybe that was why he could move around the island without being busted. Their supporters helped him. My anger started to build up again.
“Lilith?”
I stared at Lady Nemea, wishing she could leave me alone. “He said not to worry, yada, yada, yada,” I fibbed. “He’ll be home soon. I, uh, need to shower before dinner, and after dinner I’m going to visit the Subsixers.”
“You know how I feel about you going down there, Lilith,” Lady Nemea said.
“I know.” I wanted to touch her arm to reassure her, but I wasn’t in a benevolent mood. “But I promised Seraph I’d visit again. Bilal said we have surplus pastries. Can you believe they forgot Father and half the guards were gone? Weird, huh? I asked her to put them in baskets so I can take them with me. Gotta go.”
I disappeared into the bathroom and sagged against the door. That was the best acting I’d ever done. The problem was that I had to continue doing it until Father returned or until I found out what was really happening on this island.
The shower didn’t make me feel better. Where was Bran? A quick scan said he wasn’t back. I needed to connect to someone. I did something I would never have thought of doing a few weeks ago—I went to Father’s quarters. The guards didn’t even bat an eyelid when they saw me. I knew they would call Sir Malax, but I didn’t care.
I sat on his bed. Being surrounded by his earthy scent brought me some comfort. Feeling so alone, I kicked off my shoes, curled up on his bed, and closed my eyes. The dam broke. I cried and cried until I was drained. By the time I left his room, I was calmer and focused.
Lady Nemea was unusually quiet during dinner, and I was sure I was to blame. She tried to talk about Father, but I wasn’t in the mood. When she asked me about school, I answered in monosyllables.
“Are you sure you want to go to Sublevel six now?” she asked when we were done eating. “Most people will be eating dinner or having family time.”
“Then the pastries will be my contribution to their meal.” I was probably safer among the Subsixers than among the people in the castle. Another scan said Bran was still not around. He’d better be at Seraph’s place when I get there, I thought. I needed proof once and for all that he was on my side.
I waited until Lady Nemea left before leaving, too. “Let’s stop by the kitchen to pick up a few things,” I told the two new guards. They were young and looked so inexperienced.
“May I ask where we are going, Princess?” one of the guards asked.
“Sublevel six.” When they looked at each other, I cocked my eyebrows. “What?”
“We must inform Sir Malax or—”
“Okay. Go ahead. Lady Nemea already knows and she’s okay with it. I mean, we’re taking them leftover food from the kitchen.” Despite my indifferent tone, I hoped they didn’t inform Sir Malax, since he could foil my plans. I’d never trusted Mr. Funny Eyes. If anyone topped my list of People Plotting Something Dastardly, it was Malax.
Downstairs, Bilal’s assistants handed each guard a large basket filled with bread and pastries. I thanked Bilal. She’d told me about the extra food when I’d gone to get my snack after school.
“It is no problem, Princess,” she asked. “Are we still throwing a party this weekend? I can start planning it now.”
Throwing a party was the last thing on my mind now. “No. I’m putting it on hold for now. But thank you.” I nodded at the guards. “Follow me.”
I didn’t know whether they had told Sir Malax or not about our impromptu trip. No one came to stop us or greet us when we appeared in the hallway outside Seraph’s home.
Callum opened the door before we could knock. “Princess, what a surprise.”
Was it? My distrust level was off the charts. “What are you doing here?”
“Visiting,” Callum said, then added telepathically, Bran is inside.
“We’re here to see Seraph,” I said to distract my guards. “We brought some treats.”