Forgotten (Guardian Legacy Book 3)

by Ednah Walters

“A convenient one.” He smiled and dimples flashed on his cheeks. Katia and Lottius kept staring at him. He bowed. “If you’ll excuse me.”

  “I’m telling you, he’s the one,” Katia said.

  Lottie watched him with a speculative gleam in her eyes until he disappeared, then said, “Yeah, he’s the one. That walk is unmistakable.”

  When had she observed his walk?

  “He doesn’t carry himself like a minion,” Skylar said.

  “Or talk like one,” Ravan added.

  “I’m Number Five, not Six,” a server said a few tables away, in a voice that was clearly annoyed. “I’ll find him for you.”

  “No, it’s okay, Number Five,” a girl said. “We need bottled water.”

  “Make mine carbonated,” one of her friends said.

  “What’s with the numbers?” I asked.

  Katia sighed. “Most people don’t bother to ask minions their names. They just number them.”

  “That’s rude,” I said.

  “Yep,” Katia said.

  “I’ve been to a house with a minion who answered to Hey You,” Skylar said.

  A name defined a person. Not using their names was demeaning. It made minions less than nothing. And I’d bet they hated it, too. I observed them, tapped into their emotions. Yeah, they definitely didn’t like it.

  “You guys want to come to the castle for dinner tomorrow night?”

  “Can I bring a friend?” Lottius asked.

  “Sure.”

  I was thrilled when they all accepted my invitation. They discussed things my father and Lady Nemea had never mentioned, things that interested me. In the past week, I’d searched for CCs on minions and had come up empty-handed. The upper-level Hermonites called them hardworking but incapable of taking care of themselves, but I wasn’t so sure.

  -7-

  “Your father wants you downstairs, dear,” Lady Nemea said in the doorway of my closet the next morning, and I whipped a dress in front of me.

  “Privacy, please.” I wished she’d announce herself before barging into my room or closet. She and Solange had serious boundary issues.

  She smiled. “Of course, dear. But do not wear that dress. I already laid out something on your bed.”

  Another outfit to make me look harmless, I was sure. “I can choose my own clothes.”

  “I know,” Lady Nemea said. “Just like I know you keep changing the colors back and forth.” She disappeared into my bedroom.

  Perks of having the ability to manipulate solids. Grinning, I touched a burnt-orange dress. Burgundy. The color replacement took seconds. What else could I manipulate other than fabric? I hadn’t tried messing with other solids yet. Maybe I could mentally lock on to the missing CC from Gavyn. I left the closet.

  On my bed were black pants, a black top, and soft leather shoes. That was new. They usually shoved pastels down my throat.

  “Come to the hall when you’re done,” Lady Nemea said. “And do put your hair back in a ponytail.”

  “Why? What’s going on?”

  “You’ll see.”

  She wore a smile that said I wouldn’t like whatever waited for me downstairs. She was still ticked off about my trip to the beach yesterday.

  “Okay, I’ll play. There’s something I forgot to ask you yesterday,” I said before she could leave.

  “Was that before or after you decided to go to the beach with out informing Sir Malax or me?”

  I refused to argue with her again over a simple trip to the beach. We’d already rehashed what could have happened to me a gazillion times. The fact that I had Ruby and her partner, whose name I still couldn’t remember, and four Godzilla guards hadn’t placated her.

  “Why can’t people make an effort to learn minions’ names instead of using numbers? Why does everyone I meet mention their powers? I’m Rita, P1, energy. Callum P2, psi and air… Ha, that’s his name.”

  Lady Nemea frowned. “Whose name?”

  “The guard, uh, Ruby’s partner. Anyway, what’s with the power intro?”

  “Our abilities define us,” Lady Nemea explained. “Not our groups or what we look like. The more powerful you are, the more you are revered. So, it’s common to mention them so you are treated accordingly.”

  “You mean you can be a douche and still receive respect because you are a P1?”

  She shrugged. “As for the names, I didn’t know people used numbers. I know the kitchen staff and the cleaning staff by name. I have to go now. Don’t keep your father waiting.” Then she was gone.

  I tried the pants. They were form-fitting and came to my knees. The top was really a sports tank top with a built-in bra. It had the raven logo on the breast. There were also fingerless gloves. Once I put on socks and the boots, I teleported downstairs.

  Father was talking to two men. One had long, sleek black hair tied back, and slanted eyes, and was dressed like me, right down to the gloves. The other guy was a skinny man with glasses. He was shorter than me and something about his eyes was off.

  The guy with slanted eyes saw me first and smiled. A memory teased my mind but disappeared before I could analyze it, leaving behind wariness in its wake. Father turned and indicated I join them.

  “Lilith, I want you to meet your tutors. Kenta”—Lord Valafar pointed at the guy dressed like me—“is your physical trainer. You’ll work with him twice a day, in the morning before your lessons, and in the evenings.”

  Kenta hesitated as though waiting for something. “It will be an honor to work with you, Princess Lilith.” He bowed.

  “And this is Rahm.” Lord Valafar pointed at the skinnier man. He was bowing, so all I saw was the crown of his head. He had long curly hair. “He’ll help you in the coming months to catch up before you can join the academy.”

  “Months? You said a couple of weeks,” I protested.

  “That depends on how fast you catch up,” Lord Valafar said firmly. “They’re six months ahead of you.”

  If I studied my butt off, I could catch up within a month. “Why can’t he test me to see what I know, then we can cover what I don’t know? If I pass after that, I join the Academy.” My eyes swung from Lord Valafar to Rahm.

  Lord Valafar smiled. “It depends on Rahm. He’s in charge of your lessons.”

  I studied my new tutor. I realized why his eyes seemed weird. He had cat eyes, which meant he was a Werenephil. “Can I?”

  He bowed slightly. “The princess drives a hard bargain.”

  “So, we have a deal?”

  “Yes, but only if we start testing you today.”

  “Yes!” The sooner I convinced him I was ready, the faster I’d join my friends at the Academy.

  “But first, we train,” Kenta said.

  “Then I’ll leave you to it,” Lord Valafar said. He pinned me down with narrowed eyes. “Make me proud, Lilith.”

  “Does that mean I have done something to make you not proud?” I teased.

  Surprise flashed in the eyes of my teachers. Lady Nemea sighed as though I’d committed another mortal sin, but I ignored her. Lord Valafar studied me from his great height without cracking a smile. I could tell he was amused. I wish he could smile more.

  “You’ve tried my patience once or twice, but I’m adjusting,” he said.

  I grinned. “Good, because my friends are coming to visit this evening. I’ve invited them to dinner.”

  He tilted his head to the side as though thinking about it.

  “It’s okay, right?” I added quickly when he took too long.

  “Yes. We’ll eat in my quarters. The dining room is larger.”

  “No way. They’ll be too intimidated by you to relax.”

  “We are a family, Lilith. We eat dinners together. Bring them to my quarters. Seven o’clock sharp.”

  “Stinker,” I said before I could stop myself, then cringed. I expected him to scowl with disapproval. Instead, he smiled.

  Then something weird happened. Instead of his face, I saw a face of an older man with
a graying beard, long hair, and twinkling dark eyes. The image lingered even after Lord Valafar disappeared.

  Who was the old man, and why did his face fill me with mixed emotions—anger, sadness, and regret? I turned and faced the others. Lady Nemea looked like she was about to have a stroke while Kenta studied me with amazement. I found Rahm’s poker face more intriguing.

  I tried listening to his thoughts, but all I heard was static. Only a Psi could do that. I wanted to know how to block people from getting inside my head.

  “Can you teach me to do that?” I asked.

  A smile flickered across his face and I was sure he’d pretend he didn’t know what I was talking about. “Of course, Princess.”

  “Oh, good.” I turned to face Kenta. He didn’t seem pleased about something. I bowed toward him. “Where do we train, Kenta?”

  “Outside, and it is Master Kenta, or Daisensei Kenta.” He studied me intently. “Do you know what that means?”

  “Teacher,” I said. Then I glanced at my new tutor. “I know several languages. I didn’t realize it until I read some books at the library.”

  “That’s good—”

  “You should know all worldly languages, including extinct ones,” Master Kenta cut off my tutor rudely. “The weather is perfect for outdoors. Follow me.” He teleported like Solange—one minute there, the next gone.

  What a grouch. And how could he know what languages I knew?

  He was standing by the gazebo when I arrived outside. Propped against the wall of the gazebo were wooden sticks and swords, along with real daggers and swords. Workers taking care of the gardens watched us curiously until they realized who I was and bowed. I smiled. I felt Green Eyes’s presence and looked around.

  He watched us from the corner of the castle. I couldn’t explain how I’d known he was around. He waved.

  “Focus, Lilith,” Master Kenta said sharply. “Catch!”

  I froze the wooden sword before it hit me. What was Master Kenta’s problem? If he continued to be a jerk, I was so going to ask Father for a new trainer. I plucked the wooden sword from the air.

  “Not real swords?” I asked, smiling and hoping he’d thaw a bit.

  “I want to see how much you remember first. En garde.”

  Remember from where? I barely evaded his wooden sword before he could hit me. We parried, moving back and forth, sideways. The entire time, he watched me with narrowed eyes.

  “Your form is still good,” he said. “At least the Guardians didn’t screw that up.”

  Not what I wanted to hear. As far as I was concerned, the memory of my time with the Guardians was better left buried. Then I frowned. “What do you mean, ‘still good?’”

  “Let’s see how fast you are,” he said instead of answering, and went on the offensive.

  Somehow, the hated Archangels hadn’t erased memories of my training, because I knew what to do. Every strike and move he pulled, I countered and outmaneuvered him. When I teleported and appeared behind him to land a blow, surprise flickered in his eyes.

  “I guess the Guardians did teach you a thing or two,” he mumbled.

  Enough with the Guardian references. “Or maybe I’m just a good learner.”

  “You were. Next time, we’ll use the swords.”

  Again, his wording made no sense. “What do you mean by ‘you were?’”

  He shrugged. “You must have been good, since everyone knows Guardians are weak, manipulative, and incompetent,” he snapped, and pointed at two wooden staffs. One moved toward me while he grabbed the other.

  We were in the zone when Green Eyes returned. Once again, I knew the moment he appeared. He stood behind a shrubbery, shears in his hands. When he gave me a thumbs-up, I almost lost my footing.

  He wasn’t the only one watching us. Lady Nemea and Master Rahm were talking in low tones inside the gazebo, but their eyes were on us. The workers around the garden had stopped whatever they were doing too, and my father stood on the balcony with Sir Malax.

  Master Kenta pushed me harder, probably to impress my father. The more he pushed, the more I pushed back. Soon, we were both breathing hard, sweat dripping down our faces. He threw down the staff on the ground and assumed the position, legs apart, hands raised.

  “Hand-to-hand combat,” he snapped.

  I swept hair from my sweaty neck and imitated his stance. Then I made the mistake of smirking. Anger flashed in his eyes.

  Okay, he definitely had serious anger issues.

  He rushed me. Once again, each move was familiar and I countered it. Unfortunately, he was faster on his feet. Or maybe being in a coma for six months and not exercising meant I wasn’t up to his level physically. My arms grew tired and heavy, my feet sluggish. I lost my footing a few times and he landed blows and kicks to my torso. Concern drifted from those watching us.

  Master Kenta smirked. “I guess the Guardians fell short in preparing you in some areas.”

  Anger slammed into me. Maybe it was his mocking tone or the mention of the Guardians. It didn’t matter. I wanted him to shut up. I went on the offensive, throwing punches and kicks, attacking from different angles.

  “That’s enough,” he said, raising his hands in a placating way.

  “Don’t ever mention the Guardians to me. They kidnapped me and kept me away from my family. My mother would still be alive if it weren’t for them.”

  Shock flashed in Master Kenta’s eyes, but his hands stayed up. “Okay, I won’t do it again. I promise.”

  “You deliberately goaded me by mentioning them. Why?”

  “I wanted to see if you remembered anything from your time with them. Put the swords and the daggers down, Lil.”

  I frowned, confused. “What?”

  He glanced to my right hand and I looked down. A sword floated near my arm. I checked the other side to find another sword. Both were pointed at Master Kenta, ready to strike.

  “I’m controlling them?” I asked.

  “Yes.”

  “The daggers?” I asked. He turned slowly and I saw the daggers pressed against his back.

  “Just lower them,” he said.

  “How?”

  He shook his head. “I don’t know how the Guardians taught you to control so many at the same time. Order them the same way you order the Kris Dagger.”

  The what dagger? I closed my eyes and saw their energies. Down.

  The swords and daggers dropped to the ground.

  Wall.

  They moved back and propped against the wall of the gazebo.

  “The old man taught you well,” Master Kenta mumbled, but I heard him.

  “What old man?”

  A frown creased Master Kenta’s forehead. “We are done for now. See you tomorrow morning.”

  “We’re not training this evening?”

  He shook his head and couldn’t meet my gaze. “No. It is your first day. We’ll work in the mornings for a few days before we add evening lessons.”

  Nothing to worry about, sire, he said just before I teleported back to the castle. “Sire” meant he’d communicated with my father. Father must have been worried about me. How sweet.

  Master Kenta’s words stayed with me while I showered and changed. The old man trained you well. What old man? Order them the same way you order the Kris Dagger. What the heck was the Kris Dagger?

  Lunch was already laid out on the table when I stepped into the living room off my bedroom. The surprise was my father. He was already waiting for me. We hadn’t had lunch together since the week I woke up. Dinner, on the other hand, was a family affair. Even Solange made an appearance.

  “Your swordsmanship is impressive,” Lord Valafar said, pulling out a chair for me. “You can teach our people a thing or two.”

  I grinned. “Like almost killing my trainer? I had to apologize.”

  Lady Nemea nodded with approval. As usual, she was overseeing lunch without eating. I wondered about her relationship with my father. At times, she acted very friendly, and other time
s she was very subservient.

  “You don’t need to apologize for anything,” Lord Valafar said. “If he’s not a worthy trainer, he will be replaced.”

  “No, he’s okay.” He’d called me Lil instead of Lilith. Only Green Eyes ever did that. Could Master Kenta and I have met before? He’d mentioned “the old man” training me and that I’d been a good learner. And he had ignored my questions.

  Part of me wanted to ask my father if I’d known Master Kenta before the Great Battle. Another wasn’t sure I should. Heck, I wasn’t even sure I could trust anything the trainer said. Green Eyes had told me not to trust anyone who hadn’t fought in the Great Battle. On the other hand, why should I trust anything Green Eyes said?

  This was all so confusing. If there was one person I could trust, it was my father. He’d never lied to me. I waited until I was done eating before asking, “Did Master Kenta fight in the Great Battle?”

  Lord Valafar carefully put his spoon down. Lady Nemea stood from where she’d been seated behind us.

  “No,” Lord Valafar answered, speaking slowly.

  “Did I know him before? You know, before the battle?”

  Lord Valafar’s eyes narrowed. “Why do you ask? Did you remember something?”

  I shook my head. “No, but Master Kenta mentioned my training with the Guardians as though he knew something. He also mentioned a dagger. Uh, the Kris Dagger.”

  “I see.” Lord Valafar wiped his lips and carefully placed the napkin beside his plate. “When I learned about your existence, I placed Kenta among the Guardians to keep an eye on you.”

  My eyes rounded. “He was a spy?”

  “Yes.” There was no apology or hesitation in his voice. “Feel free to ask him anything you want to know.”

  I wrinkled my nose. “No. I don’t really want to know about my life with the Guardians. I’m home now, and that’s all that matters.”

  He studied me so intently that, for once, I tapped into his emotions. Usually, he was so guarded. Whatever I had just said had pleased him. “Come with me.”

  I followed him to his quarters. He dismissed his guards, so it was just him and me.

  “Stay here,” he said, and disappeared into his bedroom. Seconds later, he came back with a box covered in weird writings and closed with weird locks, then placed it on the table. “Open it.”