Hunted

I not her vessel?

Yes, you are. You were not ready, hut the arrival of the Tribe caught us unaware, so the Goddess did what she could to prepare you. That is why the powers of the dagger moved to you. I was not sure whether your body would reject or accept the powers.

I blew out a breath. You knew from the moment we were attacked, didn’t you?

No, I knew from the moment you were born that you were the one. Do you think the Fates decided you should survive the dangers that have dogged your steps since your birth? Guardians were strategically placed to ensure your survival. You might not have seen them, but they were there. I am but a humble trainer, destined to prepare you. As the Chosen One, your duties will be many and varied. Some of them, like being the Goddess’ vessel, are happening sooner than we had expected, but you will rise to the challenge just as you have risen before when the Cardinals needed you.

I swallowed, not sure whether to be scared or furious. Do I have a say on whether I want to be her vessel or not?

Of course you do, but being her vessel is an honor. If you have a problem with it, tell her.

Yeah. Right.

It is true. Just because she is the Goddess does not mean she gets her way all the time.

He was nuts. How do I talk to her?

When she links with you again. After all, this is not the first time she has appeared to you, is it? According to the Chronicles of the battle on Coronis Isle, she helped you retrieve the Kris Dagger.

No wonder she’d sounded familiar. I would have died in that cave if it weren’t for her. Not sure how to feel, I asked, How many surprises should I expect from her?

All will be revealed to you, Lil. Be patient. I will see you at eight. Come prepared to train. And no more doubts about your destiny. I believe it. The Guardians believe it. We will need to rally behind you, but we cannot if you are not a believer.

He broke the link before I could come up with a response. I hadn’t asked to be given all these powers. They came with responsibilities and pain. Pacing, I fought the urge to scream, my heart pounding. Could one really refuse a Goddess? I was a nobody, a teen still exploring her abilities, while she was the Goddess, daughter of Azazel—one of the leaders of the Principalities. She was stronger, powerful and older, while I was…me. Worse, I could still ascend once she was done with me.

Ascend. I had never known that word would fill me with so much fear. Unfortunately, I couldn’t outrun my destiny. Like Master Haziel had said, the responsibilities of the Chosen One were many and varied. Grampa always told me to face my problems head on, even if it meant death. Ascend, death, same thing.

The acceptance didn’t mean I liked it. Neither did it take away my fears. Sighing, I laid on my bed and stared at the ceiling until it was time to head to the pit.

Lights from crystals blazed in the hallway and the offices. The morning shift employees were visible through the glass panels on the doors, holographic images in front of them. The whirring of ellipticals and treadmills filtered into the hallway from the Civilian gym. The High Council provided everything for its employees.

Surprisingly, the lights along the hallway leading to the dorms were also on. Could the students be back? I entered the rotunda of the Academy to find Sykes and Remy slouched on one of the benches.

“Cutting it close, aren’t you?” Remy said, looking at his watch.

I glanced at my watch. It was three minutes to eight. “You guys coming?”

“No, not yet,” Sykes said, teleporting to my side and draping an arm around my shoulders. He led me to the bench. “Sit. We’re waiting for Kim, Izzy, and Llyr.”

“Bran is not in the valley.” I slouched lower and sighed. “He never came home last night. What’s going on?”

“We need to make an entrance,” Sykes added, finger combing his messy hair.

“Don’t listen to him,” Remy cut in. “Master Haziel was waiting here in the rotunda when we arrived. He told us to wait for you guys. What’s wrong with you?”

“Nothing. Why?” I finally removed Sykes’ arm from my shoulder.

“You look like you want to punch someone,” Remy said.

“Yeah,” Sykes added, dropping beside me on the bench. “Didn’t you sleep?”

“Sleep has nothing to do with it. My life sucks.”

They stared, not masking their shock. I tended not to whine about stuff, except to Bran.

“That’s extreme. Did you and Llyr have a fight?” Remy asked.

“Want me to hunt him down and beat the crap out of him?” Sykes added.

“Everyone but me,” I snapped. “Why is that? Is it a conspiracy?”

“What?” Sykes asked.

“When did you find out?” Remy asked.

I explained everything that happened. “So the bottom line is I’m completely bonded with the most powerful weapon in the universe, so I can be the Goddess’ vessel.”

The massive doors to the rotunda closed with a thud and we whipped around. Kim and Izzy walked it. Kim’s usually gorgeous hair was a mess and her eyes were red-rimmed.

“Please tell me he canceled,” she said hopefully.

Sykes laughed. “Nope. What happened to you? And don’t say you couldn’t sleep because your life sucks. Lil called dibs on that first.”

“I’m too exhausted to argue with you,” Kim mumbled.

“Let me guess.” Sykes smirked. “You went back to L.A. to visit a certain violet-eyed Brotherhood Guardian and spent the night tangoing between the sheets?”

Kim opened her mouth to respond, and closed it without saying a word.

“She was up late last night helping her mother pack, and this morning dealing with her tears,” Izzy explained.

“Pack? Why?” I asked.

“Most Civilians have been ordered back to Xenith,” Izzy explained. “They will stay there until we finish with the Tribe.”

Kim looped her arm around Izzy’s. “And the sooner we send them packing, the faster things will return to normal around here.”

“Lil is the solution,” Remy said, causing the other two girls to stop and glance my way. But before they could speak, Remy gripped their shoulders and turned them toward the pit. “We’ll explain later. Right now, Master Haziel is waiting.”

“You can’t just drop that bombshell and expect us to forget it,” Izzy griped, digging her heels in.

“The power of the dagger didn’t just switch to Lil temporarily; she bonded with it because she’s the Goddess’ true vessel,” Sykes said.

I shook my head. He couldn’t keep a secret if his life depended on it.

I ignored the questioning looks from Kim and Izzy as we left the rotunda. Already, the noose of responsibility and of everyone’s expectations was tightening around my neck. How could I train and mentally prepare myself to fight the Tribe with thoughts about the Goddess and being her vessel hanging over my head? When would the Goddess need me?

As we got closer to the pit, we could hear thuds and voices. We glanced at each other without saying anything, but we were all asking the same question—who was with Master Haziel?

Kim, still in the lead, pushed open the door and stopped, forcing us to stop too. We stared. There were at least sixty men and women, all dressed in black sweats and tank tops like us. Unlike the gold six-sided star on the breast of our uniform, their insignia looked like a rising sun. From their sweaty skins and the wooden staffs in their hands, they’d been practicing for a while.