He was outside my door before I opened it. “Kim, right?” he said, his expression reflective.
I narrowed my eyes. “Why ask if you already knew?”
“Just trying to prove a point.”
“Which is what?”
“You’re loyal even when you don’t need to be. Kim, like the other trainees, is lucky to have you as a member of their team.”
He had no idea how wrong he was. “But?”
“No buts. Come on, I’m starving.”
“Then why do I have a feeling that you’re dying to say something?” I challenged him.
He grabbed my hand and led me to the door on the side of the house. The manicured lawn was separated by tall trees from its neighbors and a panoramic view of the valley was visible from the driveway. The side door led to the garage, where a jeep was parked.
“You’re nice, but soon you’ll have to let her—them—know who the leader of the pack is.”
I shook my head. “Remy is the leader of the trainees, not me.”
“Was the leader. Like your Grampa, you’ll lead your group. You’re already more powerful than them. As time goes by, you’ll only become stronger.” He spoke with certainty, which was daunting.
I frowned. Was that why they acted funny about my powers? Who wanted the headache of being a leader? I loved going with the flow. I was happy being a follower. I shook my head. When Bran opened his mouth to speak, I covered it.
“No, I’m not interested in Guardians or being their leader. I’m hungry,” I said.
He laughed and the warmth of his breath on my palm sent heat down my arm. I dropped my hand in a snap, my cheeks heating up. As if Bran knew how he affected me, he grinned then led me through a door, along a short hallway and into a kitchen.
An L-shaped counter separated the kitchen island from a dining enclave with a long table for eight and a china closet. The sweet aroma of something scrumptious filled the air. I sniffed. Pizza. A wicker basket and a duffel bag sat on the kitchen island.
“Is that our dinner?” I tugged my hand free from his and went to lift the lid of the basket, but Bran beat me to it.
“No peeking.” He lifted the wicker basket off the counter with one hand and grabbed the duffel bag with the other. “Can you teleport yet?”
I shook my head. “No.”
“Then put your arms around me,” he said, lifting his arms to give me room.
My heart flipped. “Why?”
“We’re going up the mountain, and I can’t teleport us unless you’re close enough.”
Did he have any idea how being close to him made me feel? I wrinkled my nose, my heart beating double time. Still, I moved closer and wrapped my arms around his waist. He felt so warm and solid, and smelled nice. This was a bad idea on so many levels.
“How does this work?” I tried to keep my tone carefree but failed. It came out shaky.
“You visualize where you want to go and will yourself there.” His voice was husky, indicating he too was affected by our closeness. “You want to give it a try?”
I looked up and our eyes locked. My vision narrowed so everything went blurry except Bran’s gorgeous face. In a dream-like state, I watched his pupils dilate until I could see my reflection in their bottomless depth.
“Lil?” he warned.
I closed my eyes tight, face burning.
Seconds passed. Nothing happened. No whoosh of air. No feeling of weightlessness or a tingle indicating my body had disintegrated into tiny atoms. Cold air hit my skin, and my ears picked up outdoor sounds. I opened my eyes and blinked. We were on a flat shoulder on the mountain ridge hugging Cache Valley.
“How? I didn’t feel anything,” I said.
“Teleporting is so fast your normal senses can’t detect any changes in or around you.”
I realized I still had my arms around Bran and stepped back. Studying our surroundings gave me a chance to cool my burning cheeks and steady my thundering heart. The sun hovered above the western ridges of the Wasatch Mountains, the golden rays bathing us and the buildings scattered below. We were somewhere north of Hsia’s house. “It’s breathtaking.”
“The air is crisper than down there,” Bran said from behind me.
I turned to find he had spread a thick blanket on the ground. He dropped down to recline sideways with one leg straight and the other bent, an elbow propping his upper body. The face, the attire, the setting, he could be posing for the Outdoor Living magazine. For a moment, he held me spellbound with his piercing emerald eyes.
I dragged my eyes away from his to the two boxes of pizza, two salad containers, bottled water and a six-pack of Sprite spread before him. “How did you find this place?” I asked.
“Not by accident. I love high places.” He patted the area on the blanket beside him.
Heart thumping, I kicked off my shoes, sat with my legs straight and my hands on my lap. We weren’t even that close, yet his warmth reached out and enveloped me. My eyes sought his. “Because of the air?”
“Not really. The isolation appeals to me more. I think better when alone.”
“I read that Hermonite demons move in packs.”
He shrugged. “They do. But being alone doesn’t bother me. In fact, I prefer it. Or rather I did before.” He glanced at me from under his lashes and frowned.
So he liked hanging out with me, but wasn’t too thrilled about it. I didn’t know how to feel about that. I looked around for something else to talk about. My gaze fell on our picnic. “What toppings did you pick?”
He sat up and opened the pizza boxes. One had half pineapple and half mixed vegetables, the second one had pepperoni. “I wasn’t sure what you like but thought I couldn’t go wrong with fruit and vegetables. And the salads.”
I opened the salad containers. Pasta and Caesar. Nice. I added the dressing and croutons to the veggies. As I reached for the plastic bag with disposable utensils, I looked up and found Bran watching me. He wasn’t eating though he held a slice of pepperoni pizza. Our last meal flashed through my head. He was waiting for me this time.
As soon as I forked some lettuce, he took a bite of his pizza. For the next fifteen minutes, we ate and drank pop, and just enjoyed the view. I thought it would be cooler up the mountain, but it wasn’t. I felt warm…comfortable…happy. After the salad, I had two slices from the pineapple and veggie box while Bran demolished most of the other pizza.
Done, I leaned back on the heel of one hand and played with my soda can using my other hand. I tried hard not to look Bran’s way. The battle was lost before it even began. He’d gone back to a reclining position but now propped his upper body with his elbows, his head only a few inches from my arm.
My eyes traveled from his long masculine legs, past a narrow waist and wide chest to smiling lips and sculptured face. Rays from the setting sun danced on his midnight black, shoulder length hair. When my eyes connected with his, I found he’d been studying me with unsmiling, brooding eyes. My cheeks warmed, but I didn’t look away.
He butted me with his head. “Tell me what happened this evening to make you so angry?”
“I thought you were supposed to show me something first.” I made a play of pushing his head away and let my fingers sink into his hair. It was dry now and so soft. No fizzled tips. I wish I had hair like his. When he didn’t answer me right away, I tugged at his locks.
“I’m waiting for it to get dark.”
What did daylight have to do with it? Was he going to turn into some light-sensitive demonic fiend? Even as the thought crossed my mind, I realized I didn’t care. Whatever Bran was, I’d accept him just like he accepted me.
“Lil?” He encouraged me with a nod to start talking.
I let go of his hair, my restless hand moving to the blanket. I plucked the threads. “I overheard Kim and the others talking. Kim was doing most of the talking while Izzy more or less agreed with her. Remy and Sykes tried to make her stop.”
Bran’s eyes sharpened as though he were bracing hi
mself. “What did she say?” He sounded angry.
“That it was weird I could stop omnis and start dry storms, something no Guardian has ever done. She accused me of using air powers on her when I know I didn’t. She questioned the origin of my powers.”
Bran shook his head. “You can’t predict or judge anyone’s ability. They can surprise you in ways you can’t imagine. Take my family, for instance. I inherited my grandfather’s powers through my father and very little from my mother. Gavyn got more of Mom.” His eyes grew serious. He pushed the pizza and salad boxes aside then shifted positions so we faced each. He took my hand in his. “You’re a very powerful Guardian, Lil. That’s something the others will have to accept sooner and later.”
“So you don’t think I’m weird?”
Instead of answering me, he did the strangest thing. He interlocked our fingers and pressed our locked hands against his heart. For a long time, he just stared into my eyes. Butterflies fluttered in my tummy.
“You’re special, Sunshine. Not weird. Special. I knew it from the moment I locked onto your psi energy.”
Warmth unfurled inside me like a flower blooming in spring. He believed what he was saying. I saw it in his eyes. Felt it in the feelings flowing from him to me. Our first meeting flashed in my head, followed by our conversation after his brother attacked us and when we were in the truck earlier. “How come you always believe in me? Notice things the others don’t?”
He leaned back and flashed a smug grin. “I’m good at reading people.”
I snatched my hand from his. “Oh please.”
“Seriously, since I’m years older than you—”
“Three,” I retorted.
“I’m the wise sage while you’re a work-in-progress.”
I sat up, not letting his words bother me. “I’m not a child, you know. Whatever it is, I can handle it.”
Bran stopped grinning and appeared to debate with himself. He sighed. “Okay. Do you know what alrunes are?”
I shook my head.
“Everyone Guardian has an alrune, a person whose energy pattern matches theirs. When alrunes’ psi energies combine, they enhance each other’s powers. Even when not combined, they’re in perfect tune with each other’s emotions. When one is in danger, the other feels it. When one is happy, sad or mad, the other knows it. They complement and balance each other, the yin and the yang, the interconnected triangles on your amulet.” He paused, his emerald eyes flashing. “That’s why I asked you for help instead of Izzy or Kim, Lil. My psi energy recognized yours. Even before we talked, I knew you would never hurt or betray me. You and I are alrunes, Lil Falcon.”
14. FLYING UNDER THE STARS
Was he talking about soul mates? That would be ridiculous. Or maybe not. “Does that I mean I can feel your emotions from afar, too?”
“As your powers grow stronger, you will. Just like I did earlier.”
I recalled something his brother said. “What if you drained my energy?”
Bran chuckled, squeezed my hand and let it go. He flopped on his back and cushioned his head with his crossed arms, his gaze on the darkening sky. “Forget it. I’d never do that.”
I stared down at his sculptured face and a pang of longing seeped into my chest. I wanted to know everything about him—his past, his dreams, his darkest secrets. “What if, Bran?”
His eye grew stormy, like the thoughts whirling in his head were distasteful. “I’d be unbeatable, invincible—the most powerful being in the world.”
I tried to tease a smile out of him. “Don’t you mean the most powerful demon?”
His eyes sparkled. He pulled one hand from behind his head and punched my arm. “No, nosey. My demonic ways are way behind me. Haven’t you been paying attention?”
I had, and I believed him. Silence followed. Yin and yang. Two halves of a whole. I liked the idea of having someone special in my life, someone just for me.
I shifted so I lay on my tummy, propped myself on elbows so I could watch his face while we talked. The move brought our bodies so close together his heat engulfed me, but I didn’t move away. Now that I knew about our matched energies, I felt like he belonged to me. How weird was that? “Tell me about you life in L.A.”
He scowled as though that was the last thing he wanted to discuss. “There’s not much to tell. I only lived there for two years.”
“Two years is a long time,” I pushed.
His scowl deepened.
I refused to give up. “Are there many demons there?”
He let out a deep sigh, then nodded. “A lot more than I’d expected to find, and not all are loyal to Coronis. They’re integrated in every aspect of the society, from small businesses to politics. I attended a private high school that’s owned and operated by them for a year during my senior year. They pick and choose who goes there.”
“No humans?”
He grimaced. “Not a chance.”
“Souled demons?” I asked him.
“Definitely not.”
“In Demonology Volume I, they say demons with souls are a myth.”
Bran made a disgusted sound. “Then someone ought to revise those books. The ones in L.A. are the nicest Nephilim I’ve ever met. Unfortunately, other demons treat them like crap. And the Guardians won’t even acknowledge their existence.” His voice rose and fell, anger and sadness flowing from him. “All they want is a chance to return home to Xenith, you know. To prove they’re Guardians.”
My heart squeezed, knowing this was how he’d felt all his life.
As though aware of my thoughts, he gave me a lopsided smile. “What else does your demonology book say?”
I wanted to hear more about his life in L.A., but it was obvious the memories were too painful, so I kept my voice light and playful as I answered him. I talked and talked, until the orange hues of the sunset faded from the western sky. Darkness crept onto the valley floor and a crescent moon rose above the mountain ridge to the east. “When Coronis left Xenith, most of the Werenephils and Nosferatus left with her. The few who stayed behind tend to keep to themselves. But the book doesn’t explain why. When Moira stopped by the dojo, the other Guardians reacted very strangely toward her and I wondered if their reaction was out of fascination or fear.”
“Fascination,” Bran said. “You should see her battle. Her canines elongate.”
“Is she, like, scary looking?”
“No, mesmerizing.”
I frowned, hating the admiration in his tone. “So, you think she’s hot?”
“But old enough to be my grandmother, Sunshine,” he corrected, grinning. “The Nosferatus are beautiful people, but too arrogant and power hungry. I didn’t hang out much with their crowd in L.A. and there were none on the island. Knowing Coronis, she probably kicked them out.”
“What’s she like?”
He shook his head, his lips twisting in distaste. “Evil, and her people are a different breed, which is exactly what she does. Breed them.” His voice changed, became cold. “She has an agenda to rule this world. That, of course, means destroying the Circle of Twelve and the Guardians. But she’s not above using Guardians in her crazy scheme to create a generation of beings more powerful than the previous ones.”
I shivered. “She practices selective breeding?”
“And gets rid of those with minimal powers, calls them worthless, while the rest enter a program to create more powerful Hermonites. I plan to get my sister out before she turns sixteen.”
“When is her birthday?”
“In two weeks.” His voice caught.
I covered his hand, and he interlocked our fingers. Once again, his emotions brimmed over and into me. He hated Coronis but also feared her. I wished I could reassure him that his sister would be okay. The Cardinals must mount a rescue operation as soon as possible.
For a moment we sat in silence. I shivered though I wasn’t sure whether it was from the sudden drop in temperature or Bran’s predicament.
“You’re cold,” Bran
said.
“That’s okay.” I’d left my hoodie in the truck.
He got up, picked up his coat from the ground where he dropped it and draped it around my shoulders. I turned my head to thank him. He stood with his back to the higher peaks of the mountain, his tall frame silhouetted against the sky. “Thanks. What about you?”
“I’m fine. I don’t mind the cold and never get sick”
I snuggled under the coat, pulled the collar to my ears and took a deep inhale. His scent clung to the fabric. “Me neither. It wasn’t until Grampa mentioned it that I realized I’ve never seen the inside of a hospital except when he was volunteering.”
Bran’s eyebrow shot up. “Volunteering?”
“I’d accompany him when he performed magic tricks for terminally ill kids.”
“A Cardinal pulling rabbits out of hats? Unbelievable. So what was life like with him in the circus?” He pulled the tails of his shirt from his pants.
I blinked when he started to unbutton his shirt. What was he doing? I forced myself to focus on our conversation. “Fun…busy. We didn’t leave Stramboni until I was about ten, but before that, I never missed a show.”
“Were you ever part of his act?”
I laughed at the idea, my voice sounding funny to my ears. The purposeful way Bran was undoing that shirt bothered me. It was freezing. Why would he want to remove his shirt? “No way. He tried to make me his sidekick a few times, but I sucked. I mean, I’d gawk and get spooked along with the audience. We decided…what are you doing?”
“Remember I wanted to show you something. This is it, so keep talking or I’ll chicken out.”
It was hard to imagine him scared of anything. Or maybe he had to show me something icky. Please, don’t let him turn into Freddie Kruger or Dr. Jekyll junior. I never watched horror movies because I hated the unexpected.
“Lil?”
What if his skin turned red and he grew horns, like the demons in theology books? No, he was part water demon. He could be a two-legged sea monster. I swallowed, my mouth going dry.
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