“Why?” I ask.
Braden’s eyes leave my diktats and travel up to my face. He examines every contour with his gaze. It takes all my effort not to shiver, though I’m not sure whether I would be responding to his attention with fear or delight. Braden’s brow crinkles before finally answering my question. “The Guardians are afraid because they think they know what you’re going to do.”
“Don’t they?”
His hand drops away from me. “I don’t know.”
“Are you afraid of me?” He’s seen my talents, and I’ve told him I am coming after the Guardians for imprisoning the Ciphers. He has every reason to be afraid.
Braden meets my eyes. His expression is calm, sure. “No, I’m not afraid of you.”
I don’t know if it’s overconfidence, or something else, but I have the urge to set him right. “You should be. You should be scared like everyone else.”
“Maybe everyone else has reason to fear you, but I don’t. The kind of coldhearted killer it would take to destroy the world wouldn’t have jumped to her friend’s defense even though she had a broken ankle and knew saving him would give away her secrets. I’m not saying that you’re not capable of being merciless. Pushed hard enough, anyone can be twisted, but there’s something …”
My chest tightens in fear of what he might say next. I hear my own thoughts spilling back at me from him. He’s a Guardian. I should hate and fear him, but I don’t. I know deep down in my soul that I’m safe with him, that he would never hurt me. My logical mind tells me I’m an idiot for believing nonsense like that, but the feeling is there all the same. If Braden feels something similar …
Shaking his head, he finally takes a step back from me. “I just don’t see you hurting people that don’t deserve it.”
“The Guardians do deserve it,” I say, eager to get away from my own thoughts. “I’ll kill as many of them as I have to. It’s not like they haven’t done the same.”
Braden doesn’t argue. The Guardians pretend to be servants of the people. Their protectors. They’ve shown their true colors too many times for anyone to actually believe that.
“Not all Guardians are like that,” Braden says.
“Have you ever killed anyone?” I ask. He’s a Cipher hunter. Collecting helpless teens shouldn’t be too deadly, but I doubt every Cipher ever revealed has gone quietly. Darkness flashes in Braden’s eyes.
“Only when absolutely necessary,” he says.
“The night you came after Milo, would you have killed me if you’d had the chance? Would my death have been necessary in order to capture him?”
“Would I have killed you that night?” Braden repeats. “Yes.”
“Would you kill me now?”
There’s no one around to see him. He’s been ordered to leave me alone by the president once thousands of Cipher families rallied to save my life after seeing me protect Milo, something I am still shocked by. If he were to take the initiative and slit my throat, I’m pretty sure he’d be promoted rather than punished. My fingers reach up and push back the long sleeve of Braden’s dress shirt to reveal his blade. I expect him to tense up, push me away, but his head only cocks to the side as he watches me slide the knife from its sheath. Instead of keeping the weapon, I push it into his hand.
“Why am I still alive, Braden? Why did the president give in to the Cipher families? I broke our agreement. He had every right to kill me after what I did at the theater. I know he wants to see me dead more than anything else. Why don’t you end the biggest threat our world has ever seen, right now?” I let my hands fall to my side in a passive gesture.
Braden shifts his blade into a more secure grip, one used for inflicting damage. “President Howe wants you alive so you can train and become someone worthy of being killed by him. Despite the legends, he’s supremely confident killing you won’t be that difficult. He wants to make a spectacle of your death and make anyone contemplating removing him from office think twice. Howe wants Lazaro, and those like him, to tremble at his knees and beg for their lives. He’s getting older. His ways of doing things don’t mesh with everyone, anymore. The president is quickly losing power among some of the younger Guardians.
“And let’s face it, most of the world doesn’t believe in you. The idea of you scares them, sure, but do they really expect a girl to destroy the entire world? No. Howe knows that. If he kills you now, he looks like a coward. If he lets you keep causing problems and killing people, maybe the world will start to believe they need him to protect them from you. Then, when everyone else is sure you’re about to end everything, he’ll step in and save them. Killing you will cement his reign until his death. No one would dare challenge him if he can kill the Destroyer when she’s at full power. Not even Lazaro, if he’s still alive.”
I stare at Braden, waiting, hoping he knows more.
“I’m sure there are more reasons than that,” he says, “but those are the ones I’ve heard so far. As for me? One on one against you, I know I haven’t got a chance. No one does.”
The cool steel of his blade presses against my neck. “I could try to kill you right now, but before I could even form the thought to draw this blade across your neck, I’d be dead. I don’t have a death wish, Libby.”
“That’s the only reason?” I ask, sensing he’s holding something back.
“No, that’s just the most logical one.”
“What are the illogical ones?” I ask. I want to know. It should be enough that he has no intention of trying to end my life, but a deeper part of me needs to know why. Braden’s lips turn down slightly, press together, and start to open.
“Is there a problem here?” Principal Andrews demands, her voice echoing through the empty hallway.
Braden flicks his blade back into his sheath with the barest movement and turns confidently to face her. “Not at all.”
“What is she doing out of class?” Principal Andrews asks shrilly.
“Just on my way to the bathroom,” I say. I attempt to slip away from Braden and make a beeline for the haven of the girl’s restroom. Principal Andrews’ voice halts me before I really get going.
“Why did you have your knife out, Guardian?”
I watch as a mischievous glint sparkles in Braden’s eyes. My stomach drops and I recontemplate running. “There was an incident in the hall a few weeks ago that Miss Sparks witnessed. I have been trying to question her about it since then without luck, and thought she needed a little more incentive to explain her involvement. She was just about to tell me what really happened to Casey Harper.”
Glaring at him fiercely, I fold my arms across my chest. “No, I wasn’t.”
“Why not?” Principle Andrews demands.
“Because it’s none of his business.”
“He’s the school Guardian,” she says drily. “Everything that happens here is his business.”
Braden’s expression turns expectant. Mine goes from irritated to downright hostile. “Not this. It was personal.”
“Young lady, if the school Guardian has asked you a question, you are expected to answer it. Now.”
When my fiery gaze snaps over to Principal Andrews, she stumbles back a step. “Who’s going to make me?” I demand.
Her eyes flick over to Braden and his blade, but he only stares back at her impassively. He’s already admitted he won’t come after me one on one. Principal Andrews has even less of a chance against me. I’d snap her twiggy arms like dry pasta. Realizing she’s overmatched, her face turns scarlet. “Fine,” she snaps, “if you won’t answer the Guardian’s questions, you will join the rest of the delinquents in detention this afternoon. Mr. Bond will be expecting you.”
After that she turns on her heel and stamps away, quickly.
“Thanks a lot,” I say, punching Braden’s arm hard enough to make him wince.
“You’re the one who wouldn’t answer a simple question.”
I stomp away from him, back toward my classroom. The torture that is Spiritualism is a
lmost over, but I’m willing to suffer for a few minutes in order to get away from him right now. Before pulling the door open, I look back at him over my shoulder and say, “I can’t believe you got me detention. I’m not going to forget this.”
His smile shows teeth in a feline smirk. “Neither will I.”
Chapter 7
Reason
My body relaxes as Milo slows down and makes the turn into the parking lot of the motel I am currently living in. It’s a small, unattractive place to live, but I like it. I could afford a better place thanks to the trust fund left to me by my dad, but this is where I feel safest. I let out a held breath when the car finally stops.
Holding onto the door handle when Milo drives hurts his feelings, so I try not to, but cruising down the freeway at just over one hundred miles per hour makes me nervous. That may be putting it lightly. I know Milo’s unlocked Speed and Strength give him the capability to drive that fast without putting us in any real danger of wrecking, but it still freaks me out. I start breathing again as he pulls into the parking space right in front of my room.
When he cuts the engine, Milo reaches for my hand. “Are you sure you don’t want me to stay? I’m in no hurry to get back.”
My lips curl up in a smile. I would love for him to stay. “As nice as that sounds, I’m exhausted. Working with your mom tonight was…” How do I wrap up my lessons with her tonight nicely? “It was very frustrating, to say the least.”
“I know dealing with my mom can be excruciatingly painful sometimes.”
His hand tightens around mine. The argument Milo and his mom got into tonight when she tried to work with Milo on his own Spiritualism makes me cringe when I think about it. Neither one of them can say more than two words to each other lately without it starting a fight. They are so different from each other in personality and tactics that it’s a miracle they’ve managed to live in the same house this long.
Mrs. Hanover expects everything to go so perfectly every time she sits down to work with him. Milo’s Spiritualism is as strong as hers, but it takes finesse to use it. The fact that Milo leans more toward brute force in using his talents sets her teeth on edge and she ends up snapping at him constantly. Milo can’t stand the way she tries to guide him like a two-year-old and gets angry at her for treating him as if he isn’t capable of doing anything on his own. Finding a new Spiritualism teacher would help Milo as much as it would me.
“It wasn’t all bad,” Milo says. “You did make some progress tonight. You should be happy about that, at least.”
“Sure, I finally managed to reach my own spirit tonight, but that’s as far as I got. It’s nothing compared to where I need to be.” My head falls back against the headrest in frustration. “The second I started pushing my spirit out of my body toward the Ciphers, it’s as if it turns into a too-small rubber band that refuses to stretch as far as I need it to go. It just keeps snapping back at me.”
“A rubber band, huh? Mine feels like a runaway train.”
I attempt a smile at his humor, but it doesn’t go very far. “It totally fits with my track record that the one place I want to send my spirit is the exact place it seems determined to stay away from.”
“You found my spirit, too. That was huge, and pretty cool.”
After pushing so hard at the spirit world, my spirit actually seemed willing to go somewhere else. I did touch Milo’s spirit, but only after I had found Lance’s. I think contacting Lance’s spirit was made much easier by the Guardian Oath connection between us. Milo was picking up Celia from dance at the time, but I didn’t mention that part to him when he got back. I had tried touching Milo’s spirit before and wasn’t successful. I didn’t want to hurt his feelings that I found Lance’s so easily.
I sigh. There seems to be a lot of things I don’t tell Milo lately.
“You’re going to figure this out,” Milo says. “A little more time and practice, and everything is going to fall into place. I’m sure of it.”
This time I smile for real. “Thanks.”
“Are you sure you don’t want me to come in for a while?” Milo asks again.
I do, but I have another reason besides exhaustion for not giving in. “Milo, please don’t take this the wrong way, but I know it upsets your parents when you don’t come home. Things are already so tense between you guys …”
“Don’t bring my parents into this,” he says brusquely.
“It’s just that I don’t want them to hate me because they feel as if I’m the reason you fight with them so much.”
Shaking his head, Milo pulls me closer. “You’re the only reason I speak to them at all. I know things aren’t great between me and my parents, but they practically worship you.”
“It still makes me sad to see you guys fight so much. I don’t have any family anymore. Your parents aren’t perfect, but at least you still have them. I know you argue, but you’d be devastated if you lost them.” I lean my head against his shoulder. “I just want you to think about it, okay? It would mean a lot to me.”
Kissing the top of my head, Milo sighs. “Alright. I’ll try, but I’m not making any promises.”
“Thank you,” I say before kissing him. “Now, I really am exhausted, so I’ll say goodnight. See you in the morning.”
Milo kisses me again, and I get out of the car. As usual, he waits for me to get to my door and unlock it before heading out. I turn the doorknob slowly and push into the room. The cloying darkness prickles against my skin. I neglect to turn the lights on because I have every intention of simply collapsing onto my bed and not getting up until morning. I don’t reconsider turning them on until I knock my leg against the bed. It’s been a long day. I sigh and rub my shin as I debate whether I should turn on the lights and actually get ready for bed or just flop down and sleep in my clothes.
“No wonder you’ve broken so many bones, walking around in the dark like that.”
“Braden!” I gasp, his voice instantly recognizable.
Without another thought, I bolt for the door. Swinging it open, I scan the parking lot for Milo, but he’s already gone. My cell phone gets whipped out next. I’m halfway through bringing up Milo’s number when a hand clamps down on my phone and snatches it from my grip. The prickly feeling I experienced when I walked in explodes over my skin.
A flash of understanding hits me as I realize the goosebumps I felt before weren’t from the darkness, they were because of him. My Concealment usually lets me know when people I’m close to are near me without my having to see them, but I don’t understand this reaction to Braden. We are not close. But even now, I can tell exactly where he is in the room. The connection makes me shiver.
“Give me back my phone,” I demand.
“Not yet. We have some unfinished business to deal with, and I don’t need anyone walking in and cutting me off this time.”
“What are you doing in my room?” I can’t believe he broke in! “How do you even know where I live?”
Braden slips my phone into his pocket and steps closer to me. The prickling feeling grows stronger. “I’ve known where you live since that night at the theater.”
“The Guardians know where I live?” I figured they would probably find out eventually, but the fact that they haven’t attacked me here yet made me hopeful that all my twisty routes home were enough to keep me safe.
Braden moving closer makes my skin hum. “Of course the Guardians know where you live. They have since the night of your Inquest. Did you really think they didn’t?”
I don’t’ answer him. I feel stupid enough for my naïve hope without emphasizing it.
“Right now there are at least three Guardians watching this motel—just as there has been since that night.”
“Howe’s or Lazaro’s?”
“I’m sure it’s both. Howe is making sure Lazaro doesn’t try anything, and Lazaro is waiting for Howe’s men to slip up. Is that really so surprising?”
I don’t answer that one either. I tell myself I can s
tand here all night refusing to speak to him at all, but my curiosity gets the better of me. “I can understand Howe and Lazaro keeping tabs on me. It would be stupid of them not to, but do they really hand out my home address to anyone interested? Seems like that would only invite crazy, rogue Guardians interested in advancing their careers to come and take a swing at me.”
“For one thing, no one is getting past the Guardians watching you. I’m only here because my captain gave me permission to break in and make sure you aren’t hiding anything here. And I didn’t need anyone to give me your address. All I had to do was follow you home that night after the theater.”
“Why would you do that?”
“Because it was a chance to find out where the most despised person in the whole world was hiding herself,” Braden says.
It shouldn’t, but his answer disappoints me. He’s not done yet. His voice softens, warming my skin like an embrace.
“And, because you were hurt and alone, and I was worried about you.”
My pleasure that he wasn’t just scouting for work is as invigorating and disturbing as the familiarity I seem to have with his presence. Has he been keeping an eye on me ever since the theater? The idea of Guardians patrolling my home right now is terrifying. Braden should only add to that feeling, but for some reason I feel safer knowing he’s stalking me.
“What are you really doing here, Braden?”
“I told you I wouldn’t forget about the incident with Casey, and since you won’t speak to me at school, I thought I’d stop by and try talking to you here,” he says. “Snooping was just the excuse I gave my captain. Nothing in your room has been disturbed.”
I can barely see him in the pitch black room, and I doubt his eyesight is much better, but my annoyance is clear in my expression and stance, regardless. He had better be telling the truth, because I am definitely going to check. “Braden, you breaking into my room and scaring me half to death is not stopping by. It’s breaking and entering. How did you know I wasn’t going to walk in with Milo? He almost came in! If he had found you here, I don’t think anything I could have said would have stopped him from attacking you.”
Secret of Betrayal: Book Two of The Destroyer Trilogy Page 6