Hunted

They disappeared upstairs.

“Are you guys really thinking about moving in with them?” I asked, not buying it.

“Do you have a better idea?” Izzy asked.

“I can talk to my grandfather. As the head of the Cardinals, his ruling trumps Kim’s father when it comes to Cardinal Guardian business. Because of him, you guys lived with your parents when you moved here from Xenith, instead of rooming with members of the High Council like the new students.”

Kim studied me with narrowed eyes as though thinking about my suggestion.

“There was no ‘Academy’ at the time and parents weren’t willing to send their kids to this High Council after the demonic raid, which, your father led, princess,” Izzy teased.

I stuck out my tongue. “It was just a thought. Don’t call me princess.”

Izzy shook her head, her ponytail whipping left and right. “Princess… princess…princess…”

She could be so annoying sometimes. I waved a hand, and a pillow from one of the gaming chairs shot toward her. She caught it and flipped it back at me. I stopped it before it reached me and sent it her way again.

“Stop it, you two,” Kim snapped, then nodded at me. “Do it.”

I blinked. “Really?”

Kim arched her right eyebrow. “You offered. Let’s see if Grampa really is putty in your hands, princess.”

With a lift of my chin, a pillow shot up and flew toward her. Air shot past me as the pillow reversed directions with a whoosh. The guys came back to find a pillow fight and giggles.

Sykes laughed. “Now this, I can live with. Saturday night strip poker and pillow fights are a must for roommates.” He ducked when four pillows flew toward him.

“We’ll pass for now,” Kim said. “Lil will talk to her grandfather about getting us our own place.”

“Now, or after this Tribe mess is over?” Remy asked.

Just like that, the playful mood disappeared. The discussion moved to the Tribe.

“They’re still discussing what to do?” Izzy asked, outraged.

“From what my grandfather said, the Cardinals would like us to face the Tribe head on, but the High Council prefers diplomacy.”

“I wonder what the CT has to say about all this,” Kim murmured. “Do they even know what’s going on?”

“It’s been four days since the attack and Academy students and their teachers are still in Xenith,” Remy said. “Someone must have explained their presence.”

“Meanwhile we train without knowing the Tribe’s weaknesses and strengths,” Izzy added.

“Master Haziel knows something but he’s being so close-mouthed,” Kim griped.

“Did Bran tell you what they discussed this morning?” Remy asked. “It seemed intense, but they were both grinning like they’d found the Holy Grail.”

I shook my head. “I haven’t seen Bran since our morning training session.”

“You trained this morning?” Izzy asked.

“Around five o’clock,” I said.

Kim reached out and rubbed my arm. “The nightmares again?”

Surprised by the gesture, I nodded. “I agree with Remy. Master Haziel knows something. Remember how he pointed out a passage on the book on Mediums before we knew Kylie was a medium? He gave me a book…” My cell phone dinged. I fished it out of my pocket and read the text.

Is Bran with you?

I typed. No. Why?

When I pressed the send button and looked up, the others were staring at me with annoyance. Making a face, I put the phone back in my pocket. “Sorry. It’s Kylie. Uh, where was I? Yeah, Master Haziel gave me a book on the Goddess and he keeps pushing me to read it.” I shrugged. “So are we going to continue hiding and waiting?”

“We should sneak out and do our own investigation, beat the senior Cardinals to the punch like we’d planned before,” Sykes said. “Like we did with Coronis and on Jarvis Island.”

Silence followed his announcement, then everyone started talking at once.

“I don’t know, guys,” Izzy said.

“Live a little, Izzy,” Sykes said with a gleam in his eyes. “We can round up demons and torture them until they talk.”

“Or ask Darius and the Brotherhood to help us,” Remy added. “The problem is how to contact them without the senior Cardinals knowing about it.”

“Don’t worry, Keiran and his friends will help,” Kim said confidently.

“How do you know that?” Sykes asked then he smirked. “Ah, I forgot you two are joined at the hip now.”

“We’re not,” Kim protested.

Everyone laughed while she blushed. My cell phone dinged again. I reached inside my pocket and muted the phone.

“Dante and Kael might help too,” I said, “if they don’t hate me for hurting him.”

“The big guys can handle pain,” Remy said dismissively. “They’re nature-benders. Who wants something to drink?” He got to his feet.

Everyone nodded. While he went and got sodas, my phone dinged again.

“Give me that,” Kim snapped and stuck her hand toward me.

I cocked my brow. “What?”

“Your stupid phone keeps making that annoying ding,” she explained. “I know you and Kylie are tight, but she can’t monopolize your time. She’s always calling with some cockamamie excuse about needing your help or…”

I tuned her out, pulled the cell phone out of my pocket and checked the last text. Kylie was desperate. Her ‘get here now’ had exclamation marks. I powered it off. “Are we done? Because I’ve got to go.”

“Did you hear anything I just said?” Kim asked.

I grinned. “No. See you guys tomorrow morning.”

Izzy gripped my arm. “Wait a sec. Do you know that Kylie’s family moved?”

Another lost memory. “When? To where?”

“Beginning of summer. They live in Nibley now. I’ll show you. We’ve had to drag your behind from her house a few times in the past few weeks.”

- 11 - TRUTH AND LIES

A big dresser stood in the middle of Kylie’s bedroom and I would have bumped into it if I hadn’t slowed down my teleport. Izzy wasn’t so lucky.

“Dang it, Kylie. What’s this doing in the middle of your room?”

Kylie looked up and grimaced. She had been watching something on her laptop while lying on her bed. She sat up, a frown on her face. “Sorry about that.”

“Never mind. Gotta go.” Izzy glanced around and whistled softly. “Nice decor. You two have fun.”

Kylie wore a confused expression. “What was that about? I mean, what was she doing here?”

“Long story. But seriously, what’s this,” I pointed at the dresser, “doing in the middle of your room?”

Kylie wrinkled her nose. “Dad had it repainted and brought it in an hour ago. I tried to move it, but it weighs more than I do. What time is it?”

“Nine-thirty-ish,” I guessed without looking at my watch, my gaze on the Celtic symbols all over the dresser. With the black background, the squiggly drawings popped. Her new bedroom was spacious and beautifully