Forgotten (Guardian Legacy Book 3)

by Ednah Walters

  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.”

  -21-

  There was hardly enough room for all of us inside Seraph’s home. Callum wasn’t the only visitor. Ruby was there, too. I wasn’t sure how I felt about their presence. I planned to visit the dungeons and talk to Prisoner Zero, and I didn’t want guards with me. Bran wasn’t in the living room, but he was nearby.

  “Can I have this too, Mommy?” Seraph asked, adding a cream-filled croissant on top of the three pieces on her plate.

  “I don’t know, sweetheart,” her father said. “Don’t you want your friends to have some too?”

  Seraph’s lower lip jutted out, but she nodded and put one back in the basket. She glanced at me. “Can I have one more, Princess Lilith?”

  “Two is great. I’ll bring more tomorrow.” I smiled at her father. It was my first time meeting him. He was a dark-haired man with a serious face. The wife had introduced him as Anzu, son of Barachiel.

  “Thank you, Princess. Is it okay if she helps pass the rest to our neighbors?” Anzu asked, and I nodded.

  Seraph and Ruby left with a basket and headed down the left hallway. Callum convinced the guards to help him. “The princess will be fine with Anzu and his wife,” he reassured them. “I’ll keep an eye on her.” They headed right.

  Inside the house, Seraph’s parents pointed at another door. At the back of my mind, I wondered if I could really trust them. I had questioned the loyalty of some people after my talk with Gavyn. Now I suspected everyone.

  I walked in to find Bran pacing. He stopped, his eyes locking on me with an intensity that made me blush. I smiled weakly. He looked amazing as usual in black T-shirt and jeans, but then again, what he wore never really defined him.

  I closed the door and silence followed as we stared at each other. I wanted to clutch him and never let go, but there was that nagging voice in the back of my head questioning everything. Could he be working with his brother?

  “You okay?” Bran asked.

  I started to nod, but then I stopped. I hated liars and didn’t want to become one. I shook my head. Emotions surged through me and I started to shake. After the things I’d learned, I felt alone and vulnerable. Who could I trust? This beautiful man standing before me was supposedly putting his life in danger to be with me, yet I wasn’t sure whether to trust him anymore.

  “Lil,” Bran whispered, and took a step closer. “What is it?”

  I raised my hand to stop him from getting closer. If he touched me now, I’d dissolve into tears. “No. Don’t. I have things I need to say first. Questions that I need answered.”

  He frowned. “Questions about us?”

  “
About everything. You and I are supposed to be in love, yet I don‘t remember you. How is that possible when I’m this powerful person? How could someone erase my memories? What’s wrong with me that I can’t remember anything?”

  Bran extended his arms as though to touch me but stopped when I flinched. He closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. When he opened them, his eyes gleamed with unnatural intensity.

  “First,” he said slowly as though choosing his words carefully, “there’s absolutely nothing wrong with you. We are dealing with Principalities and Archangels, powerful deities and demons. And they are douchebags. Second, there’s no ’supposed to be in love’ when it comes to us. We are bound in ways no one understands. We complete each other, Lil. From the moment I met you, I knew you were the one.” He gave me a sheepish grin. “In fact, I was drawn to your energy before we met. Whether you remember me or not, my place is with you, and that’s why I’m here. Always and forever.”

  I searched his face. My chest hurt as though he’d sucked the oxygen from the room and my lungs were starved of air. My heart threatened to leap from my chest. I loved this guy. I couldn’t explain how I knew. It wasn’t just the utter belief in his voice or how I felt whenever he was around. Something inside me recognized him, like he was a part of me. But the doubts refused to disappear.

  “Yours always, mine forever,” I whispered.

  He smiled. “Those were our vows. We exchanged them thousands of miles in the air with the elements as our witnesses.”

  “I dreamed about those words. I just didn’t know what they meant. So, you have wings?”

  “Yes.” He pulled off his T-shirt and I caught myself ogling him. He had a beautiful body—broad shoulders, a chest that went on forever, washboard abs, and narrow hips. I wished I could let go of the doubts and just enjoy the view.

  He curled his body, his knees bending, head dropping to his chest. Bumps appeared on his back. It was as though something was alive under his skin. He strained, the muscles on his back shifting and reforming until V-shaped bumps formed. The bulges grew and transformed into wings. At first, the wings were small like Cupid’s. Then they grew.

  I took a step back, my eyes widening as they kept growing, the feathers black and glossy with a white line of down on the inside. They were huge.

  In seconds, he stood before me shirtless, wings jutting above his shoulders and down his sides. He was magnificent. Echoes of memories teased me. I’d seen him like this before. Touched him.

  “Why did you deny having them when I told you about my dreams?” I asked.

  “It wasn’t the right time.” His wings retracted. He pulled his T-shirt back on and pointed to the bed.

  Funny I hadn’t realized we were in a bedroom until then. The room was sparsely decorated, with just a queen-sized bed, dresser, and wooden chair. “The right time for what?” He went quiet, making my chest hurt as my suspicions shot up. “I want to know everything about my past, Bran. Not just the things you confirmed last Saturday. No more hesitating or giving me vague answers. I want…” I wanted to know that I could trust him.

  Bran laughed. “You have no idea how long I’ve been waiting to hear you say those words.”

  I frowned. “Why?”

  “Because they mean the time is right. You’re ready for the truth. I see it in your eyes and hear it in your voice. We need to mind-meld.”

  “Mind-meld?”

  “We overlap our energies and our minds, and you’ll see everything. My memories. My thoughts. My feelings. They might not answer all your questions, but at least you’ll know more than you know now.”

  I studied him, wanting so badly to believe him. How could I love him and not trust him? He moved closer and searched my face. “What is it?”

  “Does it hurt?”

  “Not for us. Our energies are matched.”

  “Meaning?”

  “They blend perfectly and completely, enhance each other without the highs and the lows others feel when they steal energies.” Without breaking eye contact, he took my hand and directed it to his lips, pressing a kiss into my palm. “I know you don’t trust me. I can see it in your eyes, but once we mind-meld, you’ll see you have no reason not to.”

  “How is it done?”

  He cupped my face and gave me a calm, reassuring smile. “Look into my eyes and let that powerful mind of yours take control.”

  It was weird recognizing his energy, the same energy that had comforted me so many times over the last three months. Tonight, he didn’t have a shield and I actually saw his psi energy for the first time. It was bright and pure with no blemishes.

  It was both comforting and exciting as our energies blended until I couldn’t tell where mine ended and his began. We were one.

  Then something weird started happening. I could feel what he was feeling, hear his thoughts. Then the thoughts were replaced with images. Scenes after scene starring me—entering this bedroom, at school, practicing with Master Kenta, at the beach…

  Hearing my own voice seemed weird. He’d watched me often. In some of them, I hadn’t been aware he was around. He’d fought with his brother after the beach party. He kept yelling at Gavyn that he shouldn’t have told me about the past before I was ready. I saw his sister Celeste, who idolized him. Another tunnel led to a scene of me on my bed. He’d visited me while I was in a coma. The feelings accompanying the visits were raw and intense. When he’d said he loved me, he hadn’t been joking. He’d visited me often, sometimes leaving just before Lady Nemea or my father came into the room.

  I wanted to stay there, but I had other memories to explore. I went down another tunnel to a weird place—the top of a building or a mountain. I could see the sky and clouds and that was it. Or maybe they were in the air, since the gorgeous woman that appeared had massive wings just like his. Instead of leaving, I stayed and stared at her in awe.

  She was gorgeous, with luminous eyes and radiant skin as though tiny lights danced under it. Her long red hair flowed to her waist, and her wings, white and dazzling, fluttered gently behind her. The white silk dress hugging her curvaceous figure frothed around her feet.

  “Goddess Xenia, thank you for meeting me,” I said, and I giggled at my voice. Actually, Bran said that. I was reliving his memories as him. Using all his senses. Seeing with his eyes, hearing with his ears, and talking in his voice.

  “You were once foolish enough to make a deal with me, son of Llyr,” she said, her voice melodic and calming. “I guess you haven’t learned your lesson. How are your wings?”

  “The feathers grew, Goddess,” Bran said. “Lilith found the cure.”

  “She’s a resourceful young lady, isn’t she?” Xenia said with pride.

  “She loves me and would do anything for me,” Bran said, the conviction in his voice unwavering. “I want to show her the same devotion. I want to join the Hermonites and watch over her.”

  A tinkle of laughter escaped the goddess. “You ran away from them, and now you want back in?”

  “Yes. I’m willing to give up anything for her. Take my wings.”

  She stopped smiling. “Taking away your wings was not my doing, my dear. But it was part of Lil’s journey. The Tribunal was another.”

  “You sent the Tribunal?” Bran asked.

  “No, silly boy,” a voice like nails sliding on a chalkboard hissed. “I did.”

  A second woman appeared. She was so pale that blue veins were visible under her translucent skin, and her hair was as pale as her skin. Like Goddess Xenia, she wore a flowing robe, but hers was red, matching her blood-red eyes. Her wings were like Prisoner Zero’s, bat wings with sharp points. I knew who she was before she opened her mouth. Queen Coronis. The paintings and statues on the island had been kind. Probably created by those who’d loved her.

  “So many people died because of you,” Bran snapped.

  Coronis looked at Xenia. “Tell your boy to watch his tone or I’ll try to take his soul again.”

  Xenia laughed. She so
unded like wind chimes. “That won’t be necessary, my dear sister. He tends to be passionate and a bit careless when it comes to our Chosen One.” Xenia threw him a warning glance. “He forgets we don’t help unless they ask.”

  “That’s right,” Coronis said. “Your brother and his friends wanted justice for what they perceived as the Guardians’ unfairness, and I helped.”

  “By sending the Archangels?”

  The sister goddesses looked at each other and shrugged.

  “The Archangels come and go, but the Nephilim survive,” Xenia said.

  “Why did you summon us?” Coronis asked impatiently.

  “I summoned her.” Bran pointed at Xenia. “Not you.”

  Coronis cackled. “Don’t you understand anything, silly boy? When one of the Nephilim asks for help, we answer it. Even if I’m not here, I know when you summon her. When someone summons me, she knows. I am her shadow in the Tribunal. When you asked her to show you a way to save your sister, I was still alive and busy. Her shadow in the Tribunal didn’t know any better.” She shook her head. “My son, the idiot, represented me.”

  “What my sister is trying to say is,” Xenia cut in, “you asked for my help to save your sister and I led you to the Guardians, where you met your true love and destiny.”

  “And I decided to take your wings,” Coronis said with malice.

  “My soul,” Bran said.

  “Wings, souls, who cares?” Coronis snapped. “Good and bad go hand in hand. You can’t get blessings without suffering. I still don’t like his tone, Xenia. Can’t I just take his soul?”

  “No, sister. His is not yours or mine to take. He’s already given it to her.”

  “You could give her another one,” Coronis suggested.

  “I could,” Xenia said.

  “He would make a wonderful addition to my minions in Tartarus.”