Hunted

I hated potato soup. “Sorry, I can’t. I have to join the other Cardinal Psis for lunch.”

He leaned back to study me, his craggy eyebrows raised. “Have to?”

“Mrs. D’s brilliant idea to make us one big, happy family. Whether it works is another story.” I leaned against the counter and studied him. This would have been the perfect time to bring up the Specials again, but he looked exhausted. His eyes drooped with fatigue and his emotions—he was frustrated and concerned. His beard had grown longer and whiter, too. “So? How are things going?”

“The same.”

“Are you still trying to find the Summoners?”

Instead of answering, he looked at his watch. “Shouldn’t you be heading to the cafeteria?”

In other words, he wasn’t going to discuss anything with me. “Do you know my birthday is coming up?”

“Already? With everything happening, I totally forgot.”

“Grampa!”

He chuckled. “It is in three days, I know. We’ll have a small celebration with your friends.”

I sighed. My birthday was the one day I reconnected with my Gypsy relatives. We always watched a special performance by my grandmother’s Kalderash circus.

“Can I visit my cousins after we defeat Raphael?” I asked.

A look I couldn’t define crossed his face and my heart sank.

“We are going to defeat them, right?” I asked.

“Of course. Oh, and taking charge of the situation like you did during the mock attack was very good. No matter how disagreeable your teammates are, when your plan is sensible, they’ll always listen to you.”

Ilaughed. Like Master Haziel, he always knew everything that happened around here. I reached up and kissed his cheek. His beard tickled my nose.

“I love you, Grampa.”

I teleported and appeared in the hallway outside HQ offices, then raced toward the Academy’s cafeteria. Everyone was already seated, a low buzz in the air. Onora and Nio waved me over to the Psi Team table at end of the room. Eating in here the last two days had been torture. Our team had received glares from the other Cardinals as soon as we walked in. Today, everything seemed brighter. Smiling, I started across the huge room.

A moan came from my right followed by, “My back.”

When two more echoed it, I slowed down and glanced at the table. It was occupied by the SGs. One by one, they clutched parts of their body and moaned as though in pain. A second table picked up the cry of pain. Then the third.

I stopped and the moaning ceased. I studied the SGs’ serious expressions, lowered my shield, then grinned. They weren’t hurt. They were just messing with me. The walls of the pit weren’t padded and we hadn’t exactly played nice during the mock attack, but no one had broken anything. They had all been on their feet when we left. Besides, their bruises had been superficial and easily self-healed.

Grinning, I continued walking. The fake cries picked up and, like a wave, moved from table to table, perfectly synchronized with my walk across the room. My cheeks grew hot. One thing was for sure, they were not going to quit until I said something. But what was I supposed to say?

I stopped again, bit my lower lip and studied them. Some were grinning, while others still wore the fake grimaces. “Do I need to apologize for the Psi Team?” I asked.

“Yes,” the SGs yelled in unison, as though their performance was staged.

“No,” the Psi Team called back from their table. They were on their feet, waving and shaking their heads.

I glanced at the SGs and shrugged. “Sorry, Guardians. I must side with my team. After all, that was just the first round,” I added jokingly.

The SGs nearest me started murmuring, “Rematch…rematch… rematch…”

The rest of them picked up the chant, about three hundred men and women, half of whom hadn’t even been in the pit.

The Psi table whistled and yelled, “Bring it on…bring it on…bring it on…”

The chanting echoed around the cafeteria. My gaze connected with Sykes’ at the Energy Team table. He looked confused. Remy and the others also wore puzzled expressions

What’s going on? Remy telepathed.

Let’s meet after lunch and I’ll explain. I continued on to my table and was surprised when everyone raised their hands to high-five me. I sat beside Kent. “What’s going on?”

“We’re going to crush them again,” Nio said and bumped fists with Sim.

“We thought you abandoned us,” Onora said as soon as I sat.

“Why would I do that?” There were serving bowls of salad and soup in the middle of the table, along with platters of fruit and sandwiches. I floated my plate to the salad bowl and served myself. “My grandfather was home, and I hadn’t seen him in a while.”

The conversation around our table was lively. They wanted to know about my childhood, growing up with the Gypsies, being on the road with Grampa. I did my best to answer, but my gaze kept going to the senior Cardinal Guardians’ table. It was empty. A quick scan indicated Bran wasn’t in the valley. Cardinals Seth and Moira were missing too. Grampa, Aunt Janelle and Cardinal Hsia were at my place. Where were Bran and the other two Cardinals?

I finished my salad and was reaching for an apple when Nio asked, “Can you take us downtown sometime?”

“Sure. When?”

“This afternoon?”

“Oh yes, please,” Onora piped in. “We’ve been cooped up here for three days straight with nothing to do but play games when not training. Cabin fever is starting to kick in.”

Since the junior and mid-level Cardinals were houseguests of the senior Cardinals, their houses didn’t have electronics. “Give me an hour to arrange something. We’ll probably need cars and drivers. A good thing the Civilians left their cars behind.”

“Why do we need cars?” Eva asked.

“Yeah, why not just teleport there?” Sim added.

I shrugged. “Because we’re not allowed to. We drive. Don’t you?”

“No, but I could learn,” Nio said. “How hard can it be if humans do it?”

Was he serious? I cocked my brow at the others. They shook their heads. “You’re kidding. You do not drive?”

“We have no need for cars,” Onora said.

“How do you get to school, blend in with the other students?” I asked.

“We’ve all graduated; before, Civilian drivers drove us to and from school,” she said. “As for humans, we didn’t interact with them.”

“We still don’t,” Nio added. “To blend in, we just observe and imitate their behavior.” He grabbed Kent’s arm. “Kent can learn how to drive in seconds if you have a manual. He’s something of a super genius.”

The guy blushed.

“I don’t have a manual, but we’ll figure out what to do about drivers.” I stood. “I’ll ping you guys when I have everything set.”

Sykes, Remy, and Kim caught up with me as I left the cafeteria. Izzy was still having a heated discussion with Sol.

“What mind control did you use on them?” Kim said when we cleared the entrance.

“Not here,” Remy warned.

“I don’t care if they overhear,” Kim snapped. “My team has the most arrogant and meanest bunch of Cardinals I’ve ever met. They make snide remarks at everything, have no respect for the trainers, and don’t follow instructions. I was this close,” she indicated with her finger and thumb, “to slapping one today.”

“I kind of did,” I said.

“Is that what did the trick?” she asked as we left the Academy behind.

“Not here,” Remy added again, shutting her up this time though she glared at him.