Hunted

have an audience.”

Bran followed my gaze, got to his feet and wished the trainer good morning.

“You could not sleep again?” His ancient face scrunched up with concern as he studied me.

I nodded. His scowl deepened.

“I wanted you to try something different this morning, but it can wait. Go home and rest.” He glanced at Bran. “Stay behind.”

“But I’m not tired,” I protested.

“You look tired, and your responses a few minutes ago were slower,” Master Haziel said. “Have you had time to read the book I gave you?” he asked pointedly.

“Uh, yeah. I’m out of here.” I jumped to my feet and teleported.

After a shower and breakfast, I curled up on my bed with the book on the Goddess. Boring couldn’t begin to describe it. Half the book was things I already knew. My eyelids grew heavy. I must have dozed off because the sound of my cell phone woke me up. The clock said it was quarter to nine and the streetlight fell into my room through the window. My stomach growled.

I’d slept the day away without having a nightmare. A quick scan told me Bran wasn’t in the valley, but Grampa and the Cardinals were at HQ. They weren’t alone, which meant they were still having the conference. Izzy and Kim were at the guys’ house.

I picked up my cell phone and chuckled at the text message from Kylie. She had an emergency and needed my help. I texted her back, promising to be at her place in a few minutes.

I got dressed and checked my cell phone again. Kylie hadn’t texted me back, so I slipped the phone in my pocket and headed to the kitchen for food. I chewed on an apple as I warmed leftover lasagna. I hated eating alone. Usually, I ate with Bran. Where was he?

I checked in with the others as I ate. What are you guys doing?

Talking Guardian business, Remy said. Happy you are awake. Now get here ASAP, and bring Bran. We need his input.

Guardians business always came first. Kylie would have to wait. Bran is not in the valley.

Then join us, Sykes added. We stopped by your place twice, but you were asleep. You looked cute, Red. No drool or anything.

You watched me sleep? I screeched

Just for a few minutes. You don’t snore, just in case you were wondering, he teased.

I’m going to kill you, Sykes, I vowed.

He chuckled and broke the link. I teleported to their place and was met by raised voices.

“Oh, come on,” Remy was saying.

“No way,” Sykes retorted. “I’m not changing my routine because of new roommates. I love free Sundays.”

“What’s free on Sundays?” Izzy asked.

“I am. It’s laundry day.” He saw me and waved me over. “Hey, Red. Rocking that Gypsy outfit. Did I mention you were smiling while you slept? Must have been dreaming about me.”

I shot him a mean look.

“Don’t listen to him. We stopped by your place but you were out. How are you feeling?” Izzy asked.

I shrugged. “Better, I guess.”

“Back to the subject,” Kim said, snapping her fingers in front of Sykes’ face. “Why are you free on laundry day?”

Sykes smirked. “Use your imagination, Goldie.”

“He walks around naked,” Remy said.

“That’s so…so…” Kim couldn’t think up a word.

“‘Liberating’ is the word you are searching for,” Sykes said, still smirking.

Izzy made a disgusted face. “Does he really?”

Remy nodded. “I usually just ignore him, which is not easy because he’s a morning person and often wants to recap everything that happened the day before while I make breakfast. Thank the Goddess for kitchen counters.”

I imagined the scene and laughed.

“Come here, Red.” He patted the seat beside him. “Knock some sense into their heads. Tell them it’s wrong and unfair to move in with us. I don’t want to watch chick flicks and forgive snippy comments at a certain time of the month.”

“That’s insulting,” Izzy said indignantly.

“Who’s moving in?” I asked, my gaze volleying between the girls.

“Izzy and Kim,” Remy said.

Sykes gave a mock shudder. “Don’t you mean Miss Rules and Miss Stuck Up? The things that go on in this house stay in this house. My women won’t, uh, you know, be themselves with you two around.”

“What women?” Kim said in a disparaging tone. “Don’t you mean the poor human girls parading in and out of here like it’s a cheerleading camp?”

“We can have our bedrooms upstairs,” Remy continued. “You girls can take downstairs.”

“We get upstairs,” Izzy corrected him. “And we get to redecorate the living room.” She and Kim laughed and high-fived each other.

“You two are actually thinking of moving in?” I asked, sitting on the bench by the TV. “With them?”

“My parents are bending the rules again to suit themselves,” Kim explained, a defeated expression settling on her pretty face. “When Cardinal Guardian trainees turn eighteen, which I did a month ago, they are supposed to get places of their own. My parents insist there are no houses available, yet Kenta’s house is empty.”

Kenta was our disgraced former master trainer. He had betrayed us by feeding my father information about me, and been banned from our Council.

“And even if his house wasn’t empty, it takes Guardians…what? A week to build a house?” Izzy rolled her eyes. “Hardly a reason to keep us under their thumbs.”

Izzy had lived with Kim’s family since her family moved back to Xenith. “You too?” I asked.

Izzy shrugged. “They can’t allow me to move out and refuse Kim, so I’m being punished too. Worse, they’re trying to find Kim—”

“Don’t,” Kim snapped and slapped a hand over Izzy’s mouth.

Izzy teleported and appeared beside me. “Amate.”

Kim growled. “You need to mind your own business, Isadora Salazar.”

I expected the guys to burst out laughing because it was absurd. No one arranged marriages anymore. But everyone went quiet, their expressions serious. Immediately after joining the Guardianship program, Izzy had told me something interesting about Kim’s family—the Larsons had a history of arranging marriages to produce powerful offspring and future Cardinals, which was why every generation of Cardinals included a member of their family.

“That’s messed up,” Remy said, frowning. “You can pretend to choose one of us to get them off your back.”

Kim smiled. “Thanks, Remy, but there’s no need for that. Can we discuss something else?”

“I second what Remy said,” Sykes added, his expression earnest. “It might mess up my rep with the ladies, but we’re friends and friends help each other out. So, yes, count me in for as long as you want me.” He stretched and pretended to check Kim out. “But if you want to upgrade it by adding benefits, I’m calling first dibs, bro.”

Kim laughed and leveled Sykes a mocking glance. “You couldn’t handle me.”

“Try me,” Sykes said, then he winked.

“So? Should we rearrange the rooms for you guys?” Remy’s glance bounced between Izzy to Kim as he spoke.

“Whoa, slow down, dude. We are still in the maybe-it-might-happen-depending-on-the-ground-rules stage.” Sykes pointed at Remy, then tapped his chest and indicated upstairs. “Let’s go.”