Awakened Read online

  “You’re good,” I said, breathing hard.

  Kim shot me a smug smile. “I know.”

  Humility wasn’t encoded in her pure-bred genes. I started to lose my cool, which didn’t bode well for me. Getting riled only made you careless, a lesson I learned from Grampa. Never stopped me though, I sucked at losing. And more than ever, I wanted to wipe that arrogant smile off Kim’s face.

  Focus, Grampa telepathed me.

  I couldn’t afford to let my attention wander to him, but tension was thick in the air. But he was right. I needed to loosen up. Deep breaths, slow releases, personal feelings toward Kim pushed aside. I started the next bout more alert. I went after her with a cross cut. She shuffled backward and stretched out her arm to block, giving me a slight opening for a preemptive attack. I took it with a flurry of combination strikes.

  Left…right…left….

  She attempted to block me, controlling her sword with rapid wrist tilts. Soon she switched to elbow motion, shuffling backward to put some distance between us. I moved in, not giving her a break. When the elbow failed her, she went for shoulder movement, her sword veering too far from the middle of her torso. Her swings slowed down and the long slashes started affecting her balance.

  I shuffled back and let her go.

  We stared at each other, chests heaving and sweat pouring down our faces. Was that shock in Kim’s eyes? I guess she hadn’t expected me to turn tables on her. I grinned. Her eyes narrowed.

  She came at me with an over cut, anger making her reckless. I took control of the flow of the fight again. The longer we continued, the angrier she became and the less subtle her mistakes appeared. I recalled Izzy’s words, how this fight was so important to Kim. Maybe I should give her control. After all, I didn’t need to impress anyone.

  I slowed down my attacks and gave her an opening. Out of nowhere, a short burst of air swept around my ankles. I lost my footing and came down hard, the contact with the hard floor sending a stinging pain up my back.

  Somehow, I managed to hold my sword above my head and blocked Kim’s, which, stopped a few inches from my face.

  Sweat rolled down my face and into my eyes, causing me to blink several times, but my gaze didn’t waver from Kim’s triumphant grin. I could not believe she used her powers on me, the cheat. And I’d been willing to let her win. I was tempted to sweep my leg under her and knock her on her ass.

  “Okay. That’s enough,” Kenta-daisensei called out.

  “Not bad, rookie,” Kim said. Then she sheathed her sword and offered me her hand.

  She was faking good sportsmanship now?

  “You’d better accept my hand because they’re watching,” she warned in a hard voice.

  I glanced behind her at our audience. She was right. All eyes were on us, the room quiet. I accepted Kim’s hand, and she pulled me up. The room came alive as the instructors and trainees descended on us.

  “Well done, Kim, Lil,” Kenta said.

  Grampa wasn’t far behind. “Good job,” he said and pushed a towel in my hand.

  I wiped my face and scoffed. “She trounced me,” I said when I wanted to yell, “She cheated.”

  Grampa laughed and handed me bottled water. “What I saw was every move I ever taught you perfected. Besides, Pilar has the added advantage of being taught by the world’s best swordsman.”

  “Me,” Seth said as he came to stand beside us. He was about Grampa’s height and built but clean-shaven. His blond hair hung to his shoulders, and his smile didn’t reach his piercing blues eyes. I wondered if he knew Kim had cheated.

  He slapped Grampa’s back. “Falcon is right. You have good form, speed and agility, a real match for our Kim here.” He squeezed Kim’s shoulder and offered me his hand. “I’m Seth, Kim’s great uncle and the Cardinal Air Guardian. Now that Ares has stopped gallivanting in that thing he calls a home, I can give all of you kids a few pointers together.”

  Somehow, I couldn’t see the man as benevolent. “That would be nice, sir.”

  “I noticed that your parries are a little—”

  “No time for lessons, Seth. We’ve all been waiting to welcome Lil,” Hsia said, her eyes twinkling. Like Janelle, she wore dark brown outdoors clothes, matching boots and coat. Strapped around her waist were belts of throwing knives. She gripped my forearms and kissed me on my cheeks then leaned back and grinned, tiny lines creasing the corners of her eyes. “I heard you wanted to change some of your classes at school?”

  I laughed. Her timing sucked. “Yes, ma’am. Pre-calc for algebra and chemistry instead of biology.”

  “Consider it done. Stop by the office tomorrow before class for your new schedule.”

  “Thank you,” I said, liking her already.

  She patted my cheek then turned to Kim. “Come with me, dear. You and I need to have a little chat.”

  As I watched them walk toward the northern wall, a sudden hush fell in the room and everyone’s attention shifted. I followed their gaze to the door leading to the hallway, and my jaw dropped. The most unusual woman I’d ever seen stood beside Janelle in the doorway. Her long, straight black hair had a shock of white running from the left forehead and across the crown of her head to the back. As if her hair wasn’t distracting enough, she wore heavy Gothic make-up, which would have looked garish on someone as pale as she, yet on her it seemed just right. Her pants and duster were pitch black and studded, unlike the other Cardinals’ palettes of brown.

  She sashayed toward us, leaving Janelle behind. The others shuffled out of her way. There was something hypnotic about her walk, something untamed and predatory in her eyes as she glanced from one face to another without speaking. No one spoke, not even Grampa. When I glanced at him, his eyes twinkled with amusement.

  I blinked when the riveting woman drew closer. There was an increase in warmth in the air as though she radiated heat. And her eyes were weird—the left one was silver gray and the other green. Was she the last Cardinal? Since Janelle was the Earth Guardian and Hsia the Time, she must be the Energy. Up close, I couldn’t see a single line on her beautiful face.

  I realized she was scrutinizing my features too, my hair. She smiled, a perfect set of teeth sparkling behind dark red lips. “So you’re the darling child who froze omnis last night,” she said in a soft purr.

  I heard gasps behind me, and my cheeks warmed. “Yes, ma’am.”

  “Call me Moira.” She put her hand behind my back and nudged me forward. I felt the heat from her hand through my clothing. “Walk with me.”

  I strolled beside her and away from the others. She and I were about the same height, which made it easy to tailor my strides to hers.

  “So tell me, dear. How did you stop them?”

  “I just raised my hand and yelled, ‘Stop.’”

  “That’s all?”

  I shivered, recalling the terror. “I guess I focused real hard.”

  “Focused, huh? Ares, you need to bring this child on our next hunt.”

  “She’s not ready,” Grampa said.

  I looked over my shoulder and realized that he and the others were right behind us, listening to our conversation. It was as though Moira tethered them to her.

  “You see these?” Moira said, drawing my attention back to her. She tapped her silver gray eye and touched a lock of her white hair. “A demon zapped me with an omni. I couldn’t stop it, not with my weapons or my own energy balls. It exploded in my face. Of course, I made sure I hunted down the spawn of Tartarus responsible and made him regret crossing my path. Now I wear it as a testimony of my strength and enjoy using it to my advantage. In pitch dark, they usually know when I’m coming. Be proud, little one. Omnis are the devil to stop.” She grinned at her choice of words.

  I liked this woman, loved the way she embraced who, or what, she was with pride and dignity. “Actually, I was so terrified I can’t really say how I did it.”

  Moira threw back her head and laughed. “Honest and modest, I like that.” She stopped walking, kiss
ed both my cheeks. Her lips were hot. I resisted the urge to touch my cheeks and check for blisters. She also had a unique scent, tangy yet sweet.

  “Welcome to our little family.” She shot the others a glance though I couldn’t interpret the meaning behind it. “We’ll talk again.” Then in sparkling dust, she dematerialized.

  I felt rather than heard the collective sighs that filled the room. Were they sighs of relief or disappointment? I couldn’t tell because Grampa and the Cardinals disappeared soon after and the trainees left with their individual instructors, leaving me behind with Kenta and Mrs. Deveraux.

  For a moment they didn’t speak, and I had a feeling they wanted to ask me something. At last, Kenta said, “Next time you spar with anyone, don’t throw the fight like you did earlier. I don’t care what your reasons are. Don’t do it.”

  I blinked. Why was he angry with me? “What about Kim’s behavior?”

  “What about it?” he asked.

  “She…she….” I glowered then sighed. “Nothing.”

  “I see. One thing I’ll teach you in the coming months is to stand up for yourself. Bullies come in many forms. I’ll see you tomorrow. Go with Azure.” He nodded at Mrs. Deveraux, then he teleported from the room.

  Great. First day of training and I already pissed off my instructor. I blew out air.

  “Don’t worry. He’ll get over it,” Mrs. Deveraux said and took my arm. She led me toward the door. “Between you and me, I think you intimidate him a little.”

  I scrunched my face. “Why?”

  “Kenta never trained anyone who causes electric storms and freezes omnis. He needs a new strategy. Even your fighting is superior to the others, but I guess that’s expected. Your grandfather is an amazing swordsman.”

  “I thought Kim’s uncle had that title.”

  She threw me a little smile. “Yes, he does.”

  Leaving the practice room behind, we turned left toward the corner of the L-shaped hallway. Doors I didn’t notice earlier were cracked open, the other trainees and their personal instructors busy at work.

  “How do you like Cache High?” Mrs. Deveraux asked.

  I shrugged. “It’s okay.”

  “You’ve made friends?”

  I nodded.

  “That’s good. You must try to act like a normal teenager at all times, and that includes interacting with humans as much as possible. Make friends. Hang out at the mall or wherever kids frequent. Don’t give them a reason to believe you’re different. Here’s our room.” She pushed open a door, reached inside and flipped on a switch.

  Neon lights from the ceiling flooded a rectangular room with moderately high ceiling and textured white walls. Blue gym mats covered the floor, and foam blocks of different sizes and colors were scattered everywhere. It looked like a giant child’s playroom, the bright colors jarring.

  Several thick books sat on top of a table at the right corner of the room. The top one had well-preserved brown leather cover with floral and geometrical design in gold gilt around the Cardinal insignia and two golden clasps held it closed.

  “Those are for you. Demonology Volume I and II, and our history,” Mrs. Deveraux explained.

  I groaned.

  She frowned. “What is it?”

  “I hate history.”

  She walked to where two meditation mats were set side by side. “Ours is very engrossing, you’ll find out. Skim through it and see. Xenia, the gracious founder of our home Xenith, was quite a controversial figure in her time. You’ll find her very intriguing. The Rift, when some of our people decided they didn’t like her agenda and started their evil practices, is also interesting. Start with those two chapters. Keep all the volumes away from your human friends. The demonology books can only be opened by Guardians, but still, trying to explain them can be tricky. Sit here.” She pointed at a red mat, kicked off her shoes and sat on the blue one, the bottom of her feet touching.

  I copied her.

  “If you have any history questions, talk to Hsia. As a Cardinal Time Guardian, she has seen some of the events in the book and can explain them better than anyone. I will help with demonology if you need it. The books are for reference, but it doesn’t hurt to familiarize yourself with the most powerful demons and their abilities. Any questions?”

  I mentally went over the group in the training room. “How many Cardinal Guardians are here in the valley?”

  Sadness entered her eyes. “There should be six in each continent but we lost the Cardinal Water Guardian and we haven’t been able to replace him.”

  If they accepted Bran, that wouldn’t be an issue anymore. “So there are only five Cardinals Guardians for the entire North America?”

  Mrs. D. grimaced. “For the whole world. Once, we had teams of six in each continent, but the war has taken a toll on us. Losing Xenia’s Kris Dagger didn’t help.”

  I shook my head. “What?” I asked.

  “Our sacred weapon. It disappeared when Tariel was taken and turned. We’ve been at a disadvantage since it disappeared fifty years ago.”

  First Izzy, now Mrs. D. It bugged me that everyone just assumed that Bran’s grandfather became evil when it wasn’t true.

  “We might be powerful than them, but they’re more. They first targeted the Cardinals, then mid-level Guardians and the trainees. The last attack on us was ten years ago at our camp in New England. We’re lucky your grandfather’s team survived. But we’re bouncing back. We’ve had quite a number of powerful children in the last several years, and they’re being trained at secret locations all over the world, in places the demons would never think of looking.”

  She smiled as though to reassure me, but my wariness just shot up. I had questions but most of them could wait until later. “Is Moira different from us?”

  Mrs. D. grinned. “You noticed, huh?”

  I nodded.

  “Most of us are Neteru. She’s Nosferatu.”

  I blinked. “Nos-what?”

  “A vampire, dear. The last of her kind in Xenith.”

  Shock glued my tongue to the roof of my mouth. I had spoken with a vampire, stood right beside one and lived to talk about it. “Does she drink…drink….”

  “Blood?” Mrs. D. laughed. “Of course, but it’s nothing like portrayed in movies or books. You’ll find out more in here.” She tapped the Xenith history book. “However, Moira is not a full-blooded Nosferatu, which is why she can hunt during the day. Now, back to your schedule. We’ll spend an hour a day working on your powers. Today we’ll start with pranayama…the breathing exercise I use in yoga. It will help you focus. After that, everything is possible.”

  It took awhile to get my mind off Moira. How were Neterus different from Nosferatus? Maybe reading the history of my people wouldn’t be such a bad idea. I grimaced when I realized I’d just revered to Guardians as my people.

  “Breath in…hold…exhale,” Mrs. D. instructed, interrupting my thoughts.

  I inhaled, held my breath and exhaled. Nosferatus. Neterus. What other kinds of beings were there?

  11. BETRAYED

  The next morning, I went to school early to see Hsia. A few students sauntered from their cars, their heads down, eyes on their iPods or cell phones. I hurried across the parking lot and Grizzly Boulevard, and entered the school building.

  Two students lounged in the counselors’ waiting room. One had his face buried in a manga. The second, listening to an iPod and rocking his head, ogled me and didn’t bother to stop even after I sat. I ignored him.

  More students walked in. A few went in to talk to the other counselors. Fifteen minutes later, Hsia hadn’t arrived. I was busy debating whether to leave and telepath her later when she waltzed through the door. She wore a lemon-colored traditional baggy Chinese cheongsam dress with a bright orange jacket. Last night she was all about stealth and camouflage in her standard demon-hunter uniform. Today, she looked like a circus tent. She could be two different women if it weren’t for the same sparkling eyes.

  A bunc
h of kids jumped to their feet, and started talking at once. “Mrs. Kwan, I sent you an e-mail…you told me to stop by this morning…I have to change….”

  Hsia pointed at the manga reader then the iPod guy. “Jason and Cory, I’ll see you two next then you, you and you.” Her gaze came to me. “Come with me, Lil.”

  The boy with the iPod grumbled. I felt a twinge of guilt and flashed him an apologetic look. I got a scowl in response. Feeling worse, I hoisted my backpack to my shoulder and followed Hsia into her office.

  She closed the door, went behind her overflowing oak desk and turned on the computer and printer. She waved toward the chair across from hers and sat. “Sit, hon. It is so nice to finally have you and your grandfather back with us. How do you like it here?”

  I perched on the edge of the chair and shrugged. “It’s okay.”

  “Made friends yet?”

  I nodded but she was off again. She spoke fast, jumping from topic to topic.

  “Appearance is everything, okay? We must fit in as much as we can, but if anyone meets you in the dead of the night hunting, you don’t want them to recognize you.”

  Was that why she dressed so flamboyantly during the day?

  “Do you have a cell phone?”

  “No. Grampa doesn’t like modern technology.”

  Hsia laughed. “I know. Ask him to get you all these gadgets young people insist on having these days. Money shouldn’t be an issue. There’s more than enough in the accounts to go around.”

  Great. Grampa had resisted buying me a cell phone. I begged for an iPod two birthdays in a row and my present laptop was at least three years old. I told him I needed wireless Internet for homework and research, but he always had excuses. I always assumed money was the issue. Now I knew better.

  While Hsia typed something on her computer, I gave her office a sweeping glance. One wall had a bookshelf of old leather books. On another, several clocks vied for space. They all showed different times. Two ancient maps of the world took up the remaining two walls. One, with more land than water, didn’t look like any world atlas I knew. The second had an exaggerated size of North America.