Hunted

quiet Nibley neighborhood. She peeked out the window and smiled.

“Stay away from the window.” She raced out of the room, closing the door behind her.

I lay on her bed and closed my eyes, picking out energies in the house. Then, I scanned the valley. The Cardinals and their guests were gone. Bran hadn’t returned yet, and Izzy and Kim were no longer at the guys’ house.

Voices drifted from the hallway, interrupting my telepathic searches. The engine of the truck revved, then the music grew faint.

Kylie slipped inside her bedroom, a broad grin on her face. “I just escorted you to your grandfather’s truck.”

“What did you do?”

She plopped beside me on the bed. “That was the older brother of one of Jesse’s friends. Mom saw me walk toward the house after I talked to him, and I told her your grandpa’s truck was behind theirs. You can teleport now. Text me or come over whenever. I want to know what happens next, and if I can help.”

“You don’t want to get mixed up in our mess again,” I warned, giving her a hug.

“Last time I had no choice,” she reminded me. “This time will be different.”

I’d never knowingly use her. “We’ll see. Later.”

I dematerialized.

The lights were still on in my room, just like I’d left them, but the rest of the house was in total darkness. Grampa and the Cardinals weren’t back. Since the attack, they had always made sure two senior Cardinals stayed in the enclave while three left to search for the Summoners. Bran was still not back either. I was starting to seriously worry about him.

My headache was gone, but I wasn’t fooled. It could be back. Then a thought occurred to me and I chuckled. Maybe the meds Kylie had given me actually worked. I changed into my pajamas, brushed my teeth, and crawled into bed.

I was on a beach, the sun shining bright in the clear blue sky, waves slapping against the sands, students frolicking in the water, throwing Frisbees, or sunbathing. A shirtless group of Guardians played a mean game of volleyball to my right. I recognized Bran, Remy, Sykes, Izzy’s boyfriend—Rastiel, and teachers from the Academy.

I stood on the beach next to Izzy and Kim. We were laughing about something when a shadow fell over us and we looked up. Lightning demons were everywhere, spreading darkness over the island and the surrounding waters. We didn’t get a chance to react before they attacked.

Screams split the air. Feet pounded the ground. I tried to move but I couldn’t. I called out, shouted, begged, but no one came to help us as Guardians screamed and the clang of metal filled the air. Wings and feathers fell around me and on me, making it impossible to breathe or see. My screams mingled with the echoing screeches, but when I tried to cover my ears, I couldn’t move my arms either.

Then a woman’s voice rose above the din. She sounded familiar, yet I couldn’t place her voice. Her words didn’t make sense, but I tried to do as she instructed.

I woke up gasping, my heart slamming hard against my ribs. I sat up, then realized I wasn’t alone. Two figures in long coats stood over me my bed. A scream rose from my throat.

“It’s okay, Lil,” one of them said, reaching for me. “It’s us—me and your grandfather.”

Aunt Janelle. Relief washed over me, and I started to shake. She pulled me into her arms and for a moment I clung to her, my breathing harsh in the silent room. Someone turned on the bedside lamp, and I sat back and squinted, pushing back the hair that was plastered with sweat to my forehead and neck.

“Are you okay, sweetheart?” Aunt Janelle asked.

“No…yes,” I mumbled. “They killed Guardians. So many of them and I couldn’t help. I couldn’t move. There were screams and bodies, but the woman said it wasn’t real. How is that possible? I saw them fall. Feathers… wings…” I shuddered.

Aunt Janelle rubbed my arms, then took a wet cloth from Grampa and mopped my brow. I hadn’t even noticed him go to the bathroom. After a moment, I took the cloth from her and pressed it against my neck.

“Why didn’t you wake me up?” I asked accusingly, my gaze bouncing between the two of them. “I was terrified.”

Grampa sat on my other side, his brow furrowed. “Your mind blocked what happened to you on that beach, and we knew that seeing the dream—”

“Nightmare,” I interjected.

“The nightmare in its entirety would provide you some answers.” He swept unruly strands away from my face and peered at me. “Can you tell us what you saw?”

Hearing the concern in his voice, I forgot about getting mad. “I was at the beach with the others and the Academy students when the demons attacked us,” I said, my gaze volleying between them. “Everything went black. They were killing Guardians and I couldn’t help. Something held me back. Paralyzed me. It was awful. You should have woken me up, you know,” I added peevishly. A quick psi scan confirmed Bran was still not in the valley. “Bran would have woken me up.”

“That’s true. He thinks with his heart and not his mind where you are concerned.”

“So?” I became aware of something I’d missed because of my nightmare-clouded mind—Grampa and Aunt Janelle wore ceremonial robes, white with burgundy lapels and bulbous sleeves. I’d only seen Grampa dress like that once—when he was going to meet with the Circle of Twelve in Xenith to petition them to allow Bran to join us.

“Lil,” Grampa snapped, drawing my attention to his face. He’d shaven. “Tell us about the woman. What did she say?”

Aunt Janelle touched his arm and added in a softer voice, “Take your time.”

I closed my eyes and the images sprang into my head. My eyes snapped open. “She said I must stop the Tribe, or they’ll win and make her sacrifices be for nothing. She kept urging me to fight back, but it hurt and I didn’t know what to do.” I blew out a breath.

“Go on,” Grampa urged.

“She said they make you feel a pain that’s not there, a sorrow that’s forgotten and a nightmare that never ends, and the power to stop them was within me. What did she mean? I tried to focus but it was useless. In the end, I reached for my memories of you guys and Bran and the others, then I woke up.”

“She didn’t say anything else?” Grampa asked.

Why was he so interested in what the woman said? “Uh, just before I woke up, she said find the Summoners or something about her weapon.”

Silence followed, but their disappointment hung heavy in the air. When they exchanged a glance, I pounced. “Did I just relive what happened on the beach last weekend? Who is she? Why would she want to help me? Is she the reason the dagger’s powers shifted to me?”

Aunt Janelle rubbed my arms and smiled. “Yes.”

“Who is she?”

Grampa and Aunt Janelle looked at each other and stayed silent.

“Tell me, please. From your expressions you know the answer. Who—”

“The Goddess. She is known to guide us from time to time when we face formidable enemies. She chooses a conduit and relays her message through him or her. In this case, that conduit is you. It’s an honor.”

Something the librarian had said about Xenia listening and answering flashed into my head. Then there was Master Haziel giving me a book about her, and Grampa searching my mind for residual energy. Her energy?

“So you knew she was the one who did this to me on the island?” I asked.

Grampa shook his head. “No, she didn’t attack you. She helped you deal with the attack.”

“But you knew. All this time you knew and didn’t say anything?” I yelled.

“We suspected,” Grampa said calmly.

Sometimes they made me so mad I wanted to scream. “Why is she talking to me?”

“Because you are special,” Grampa added.