Betrayed (39 page)

As we continued toward the HQ offices, we fel into a pattern of uncomfortable silences fol owed by stilted conversations about school, Kylie, hunting, Gavyn. We usual y shared our day while in each other’s arms. Now we walked stiffly, stealing glances and looking away.

The awkwardness between us was so foreign and hard to bear that I wanted to teleport home and nurse my hurt feelings in the privacy of my room.

What could the Cardinals have told Bran that he would risk hurting me like this? The gap between us seemed to be growing every day.

He stopped and I looked around in confusion.

We’d passed the offices and now stood at the entrance of one of the tunnels, a number seven written in black on the gray wal . Seven led to Remy and Sykes’ home, not mine.

“What are we doing here?” I asked, frowning.

Bran indicated the tunnel with a wave. “The others are waiting for you. Izzy is back.”

“Izzy?” Then everything came rushing back.

“Why didn’t you say so? We could have teleported instead of walking. What did she find?”

“I don’t know. She pinged and asked me to get you, but to give her time to get everyone together.”

I hurried ahead of him, my heart pounding with excitement and dread. For once I didn’t let fear of tight places slow me down. “How did she sound?

Excited? Worried?”

“She sounded…like Izzy.”

I threw him a disgusted look over my shoulder, pressed the wal at the end of the tunnel and a door appeared. Low voices reached me first though I couldn’t hear what was being said. Sounded like an argument, but I could be wrong. We went through the secret door, moved inside the room and then into their gaming slash entertainment area.

Sykes, seated on his favorite side bench by the window, saw us first.

“They’re here,” he said, though it sounded more like a warning.

Everyone stopped talking and turned to watch us. I noted the worry etched on their faces and my mouth went dry. There was no package on the table, which meant Izzy didn’t bring it back.

Bad news hung in the air like rotten garbage. I felt it from the others. Smel ed it. Tasted it.

Swal owing, though my mouth had gone dry, I sat on the end of the couch. Bran settled beside me. I wished I could lean against him and draw strength from him, but the way things were between us, I didn’t dare. Didn’t want to. Exhaling sharply, I braced myself and looked at Izzy.

20. Betrayed

“Who is it? Who took the package?” I asked when no one spoke.

Izzy looked at the others first, bit her lower lip, then exhaled sharply. “Cardinal…Janel e.” Blood accelerated through my veins and buzzed past my ears, leaving me faint. I shook my head to clear it with little success. It couldn’t be true.

Aunt Janel e directed us to the cleaners and didn’t say anything when Grampa claimed Valafar lied about sending the presents. Why would she do that when she had them?

Everything became surreal, like I was having an out of body experience. I was there, yet not involved. The others talked, their mouths opening and closing, but not a word penetrated the shroud of detachment surrounding me. Images flashed in my head. Aunt Janel e holding me while I cried, talking to me about Bran and Grampa, standing protectively between me and Valafar the day I first met him, rage on her face as she told him I belonged with the Guardians, not him. She never missed any of my birthdays when I was little, stopped by whenever Grampa was gone and helped me with my homework. There had to be an explanation for why she did this.

“Do you guys think she’s the guide?” Kim asked, her words yanking me into awareness.

Silence fol owed her question.

I held my breath as I glanced at her wide eyed, then at the others. They couldn’t possibly think Aunt Janel e was the traitor. The very thought was ridiculous. She might have hidden my present and lied to me, but there was no way in hel or Tartarus she could betray the Guardians, or Grampa.

“No way,” Sykes said as though reading my mind.

I sucked air into my lungs and exhaled, relief washing over me.

“I don’t think the present has anything to do with the guide,” Remy added.

Izzy shook her head. “Me neither. She’s nice, always has a kind word. When I was new here, she talked to me every chance she had. I’m sure there’s a perfectly good explanation for what she did.” Izzy turned to Bran and asked, “What do you think, Bran?”

“I think the Cardinal probably thought she was protecting Lil from Valafar’s influence,” he spoke slowly, choosing his words.

His words hit a raw spot. He kept things from me to protect me too. Both of them were wrong. I was capable of taking care of myself. Granted, four months ago when I joined the Guardianship program I was naïve, but Aunt Janel e had a chance to tel me the truth now and didn’t. She knew I was worried about one of my friends being the medium. We would be further ahead in locating the medium instead of running in circles chasing that stupid package. As for Bran—

“Do you want to go home?” he whispered in my ear.

I glared at him. Learning about Aunt Janel e didn’t make me forget his behavior from the last few days. He was no different from her.

“Izzy,” he cal ed out to draw her attention.

“Thanks for doing this. I know it must not have been easy.”

Izzy shrugged. “We’re a team, Bran. I had to do something. The party is in a few days and Valafar stil won’t give her his number. Now we can get the stil won’t give her his number. Now we can get the package from the Cardinal, get the phone number Valafar claimed he sent Lil and set our plans in motion.”

“Nevertheless, thank you.” His hand pressed into my back as though urging me to get up.

I didn’t want to leave with him, yet I couldn’t open my mouth to tel him. My numbness faded and anger seeped in, building up slowly like a train taking off.

“Are you going to talk with Cardinal Janel e about this?” Izzy asked.

“That’s up to Lil,” Bran answered.

“Actual y, I was asking Lil,” Izzy explained.

“Yeah, Lil. You haven’t spoken since Izzy mentioned the Cardinal’s name.” Remy added tentatively, very unlike his usual forthright way of speaking. “What do you want to do next?” I shook my head. If I answered him, shared with them my pain and sense of betrayal, the hold I had on my anger would slip. With my re-emerged energy powers, there was no tel ing what I’d do.

Probably fil the room with bolts of lightning and hurt someone, if not al of them.

The thought sent me to my feet. “I can’t think right now. I’m going home,” I said in a high-pitched, rushed voice. “Alone,” I added firmly when Bran stood.

Heat blazed in his eyes then dimmed, but I knew what that meant. He was going to be difficult. I narrowed my eyes at him, my jaw clenched tight as I turned to the others, who watched us with concern. It was our first fight in front of them.

“Are we hunting tonight?” I asked no one in particular.

Remy shook his head. “No.”

“Good. I’l see you guys tomorrow.” I teleported, their worried faces imprinted in my mind.

I landed on my bed and stayed there, heart pounding. Images from the past zipped through my mind, haunting and taunting me. Grampa kept secrets from me, too, and I lost it when I found out.

Aunt Janel e was family, and I refused to go through that again. Even as the thought flashed in my head, a bolt of lightning materialized and fried the floor lamp by my reading desk. How ironic. Aunt Janel e gave it to me as a housewarming gift.

Without warning, Bran appeared inside my bedroom. His glance darted around the room until he found me. He exhaled sharply as though relieved.

“What do you want?” My voice was hostile, but I didn’t care. I wanted to be left alone.

“I want you to change out of your gym clothes,” he said in a firm voice.

“Why?” I retorted.

He crossed his arms, looking every inch the Cardinal Guardian. “I’m taking you out. I won’t let you lock yourself in here and wal ow in self-pity. I’l even let you pick the location. We can have brunch in Melbourne…breakfast in Paris…lunch in Brazil…or dinner at any one of your favorite restaurants in New York or L.A.”

On a different night, I’d jump into his arms.

Today, his arrogant tone alone set my teeth on edge.

I wouldn’t go with him if he got down on his knees and begged.

I sat up and swung my feet to the ground. “No.

I don’t feel like going out. What are you doing in my bedroom anyway? You didn’t ping for permission.” My voice rose as I slowly stood, my eyes not leaving his. “Oh, I forgot. You can’t link with me anymore therefore can’t even ping me.”

“This is not about us,” he interjected.

“Oh, but it is. I’m in a very strange mood tonight, Bran, and you do not want to be here pushing my buttons,” I repeated the words he said to me on Friday except mine were accompanied by two bolts of lightning.

Bran teleported to the end of the room and cursed, the charges missing him by inches. They blasted the wal behind him, leaving holes and charred drywal .

Grampa was not going to be happy to see that.

“I know you’re pissed, but do you mind aiming elsewhere?” Bran said, his calm tone managing to piss me off further.

“I deliberately missed you, you bonehead,” I yel ed. “Next time I won’t.”

His eyes narrowed. “I didn’t hide your presents, Lil.”

“No you didn’t, but you keep stuff from me,” I said through clenched teeth.

We stared at each other across the room, both of us breathing hard. He moved closer, taking one measured step at a time. I moved back. “I know one measured step at a time. I moved back. “I know you feel betrayed, Sunshine, but don’t shut me out.

I’m not leaving. If that means you blast me with that lethal mind of yours, fine. I’l recover.” The fight sizzled out of me, leaving me weepy.

I plopped back on my bed. “Then talk to me. Don’t let me get my information from your sister and Valafar,” I said in a self-pitying voice.

“What did he tel you?” He moved closer.

“It doesn’t matter. Don’t you see? What you tel me matters. I need—”

My voice broke. I took deep breaths and fought tears. “I need you to be honest with me, to share everything with me and to stop treating me like I don’t have a mind of my own.”

“That’s not it. I only want to protect—”

“Don’t.” I meant to order him, but the word lacked heat or bite. “If you say one more time how you do things to protect me, I swear I wil use the last of my strength to zap you again. And this time, I won’t miss,” I vowed softly.

“Okay.” He sat beside me, his movements hesitant. “Come to dinner with me, so we can talk.”

“Yeah, about Valafar and Cardinal Janel e, I don’t think so.” I jumped up and started for my bathroom. “I’l see you later, Bran. Don’t forget to knock the next time you decide to pay me a visit.” He fol owed me. Entering the bathroom, I turned to face him. The pleading look on his beautiful face almost got to me. Almost. Just because he offered dinner at some exotic locale didn’t mean I had to forgive him.

“Go away.” Once again, my words came out soft. “When you’re ready to share everything with me, and I mean
everything
, then you can come see me. If not, leave me alone.” I slammed the door in his face.

The tears didn’t come until I stripped and got under the steamy water of the shower. I blocked my mouth with my fist to stop the sobs from escaping. A memory flashed in my head. I was eight when a boy from Grandma’s tribe made fun of my red hair and cal ed me a
gadje
. I had no idea it meant an outsider. It was the place and way he said it—in front of other children and with disgust. After I jumped on him, pul ed his hair and scratched him, I ran and hid to cry. Aunt Janel e was the one who found me hiding in the woods, a fist blocking my mouth. How could she do this to me now? She owed me an explanation, and my presents.

It was my right to refuse them, to dispose of them if I chose to. I did the same thing with the Gypsy dress Valafar sent, didn’t I? I made the choice. Me.

No one else.

Bran was seated on my bed when I came out of the bathroom, my mom’s picture in his hand.

Gripping my towel, I gawked.

“What are you stil doing here?” I asked in a screechy voice.

He stood, pushed his hands in his pockets, and rocked on his heels. “Waiting for you.”

“But I said—”

“I heard what you said, Lil,” he interrupted, his eyes begging me to listen. “Did you listen to what
I
said?” He cocked his eyebrow.

Cold crawled up my bare legs while heat suffused my face. I rubbed my toes together to warm them and went over our conversation. He did mention talking. My grip tightening on the towel, I lifted my chin and looked at him through narrowed eyes. “I’m listening.”

“Thank you.” He sounded relieved. “We’l talk about everything. Okay?”

I swal owed and nodded.

“I’m going to leave now, but I’l be back.” Happiness gripped my throat while worry fil ed my heart. He was gone the entire weekend.

What if he didn’t come back? “Promise?”

“Promise.” His gaze swept me then he flashed a smile. “That’s a nice outfit, but I think I need to give you space to change.”

He teleported and left me with a sappy smile on my face. My eyes smarted, but I blinked the tears away. I wasn’t going to cry, even though they were tears of happiness. Quickly, I changed into a pair of black skinny jeans and a dress shirt. Then I remembered he was about to tel me everything.

Little men started doing jumping jacks in my stomach. When the doorbel rang, I jerked.

***

Taking a deep breath, I headed to the door and opened it. Izzy beamed at me. “Hey, Lil,” she said, rubbing her hands as though cold.

“What are you doing here?” I didn’t realize how rude my question was until she raised her brow.

“I mean, what’s up?”

“Nothing. Thought I’d stop by and say hey.”

“Nothing. Thought I’d stop by and say hey.”

“Hey.” I frowned and checked behind her for Bran. Where was he? I didn’t want to talk to Izzy now.

She probably wanted to discuss what she saw in her back-to-the-past trip. I didn’t want to hurt her feelings but the last person I wanted to discuss was Aunt Janel e. The hurt was too fresh.