Awakened Read online

  I glanced at Kylie. “Want some?”

  She shrugged. “Sure.”

  I got two bowls from the cupboard and served the steaming mixture. Cumin and oregano wafted to my nose. I caught Grampa’s gaze on me. “Looks good, Grampa.”

  “Tastes better,” he answered, giving me his standard response.

  “Can I go to a dance tomorrow night, Grampa?”

  He put his spoon down, frowned. “Where?”

  “At school. It’s a back-to-school thing.”

  “Who’s going to be at this dance?” When I didn’t answer, he turned his attention to Kylie. “Do you know, young lady?”

  “Just other kids from school, sir,” she answered. “We’re going with my cousin, Amelia, and our friends, Nikki and McKenzie.”

  Grampa looked at me, still frowning. “When does it end?”

  I shrugged. I had no idea.

  “One o’clock,” Kylie answered.

  Grampa hesitated as though trying to figure out something. “Okay. But be home by eleven.” He went back to his food and paper. Subject closed.

  I slanted my head toward my bedroom, and Kylie hurried ahead of me. She clambered on my bed, sat cross-legged and hugged a pillow. I handed her a bowl of chili, put mine on the desk and went back to get dinner rolls and spoons. I could feel Grampa’s eyes on me. I ignored him. I pushed my door shut on my way back, then sat with my back against the wall.

  “Your Grampa is, like, really strict,” Kylie whispered.

  She was sucked in by his performance. “He’s not so bad.”

  “I thought he’d start asking about boys,” she added with a giggle.

  Maybe that was it. Grampa knew if I stayed at home, I’d stress about Bran. “I’m sure he was thinking about them.”

  “Does he know about Bran? Does he approve?”

  “Yeah. He does.”

  “Phew. It’s bad when they don’t. The jury is still out on Cade, but I don’t care. I love him. Have you kissed Bran yet?”

  “None of your business.”

  Kylie laughed. “Busted. Did you put your tongue in his mouth?”

  The very idea was shocking yet…intriguing. I shook my head.

  “You don’t know what you’re missing.”

  What? I wanted to ask Kylie. I couldn’t imagine kissing Bran that way. I’d burst into flames or something. Even now, I was sweating just thinking about it.

  We ate, talked about boys, tomorrow’s dance and the Halloween party at Cade’s next month. I wasn’t sure I’d go, but I had a month to back out. Kylie helped me with my history homework before she left.

  Grampa was fast asleep on his chair when I checked on him. I retrieved a throw rug from his room and draped it around him then cleaned up the kitchen.

  “Kylie’s gone?”

  I turned, smiled. “Yes, Grampa. Did I wake you up with my noisy cleaning?” I hand-washed the pots and pans, but the dishes were in the dishwasher, which whirred in the background.

  Grampa sat up, rotated his neck to remove kinks. “No, sweetheart. You didn’t.”

  There was silence, but I was aware of his gaze on me. “You’re not hunting tonight?”

  “Later.” He stood, walked to where I wiped the counters. “Do you want to talk about it?”

  “About what?”

  “Everything. You didn’t really want to go to the dance tomorrow.”

  Of course, he knew. I shrugged. It was a done deal. No need complaining about it.

  “You’re worried about Bran?” he asked.

  “Why do you say that?”

  “You’re cleaning. You do that when you’re angry or worried.”

  I stopped, wrinkled my nose. “I guess I am. I think it might be a trap.”

  He gave me an indulgent smile. “He’ll be fine. The boy is smart and a quick thinker. He gave Hsia his contacts in L.A. From what she told me, he should be back in a day or two.”

  Despite Grampa’s confidence, I still worried. Dropping the paper towels in the garbage can under the sink, I kissed his cheek. “Goodnight, Grampa.”

  “Night, sweetheart.” He didn’t move as I walked away. Right when I reached my door, he spoke again. “On Saturday, you can buy those human gadgets you’ve been going on about.”

  Yes!

  “You might think about asking Remy and Sykes to go with you. I don’t know anything about these modern machines.”

  I rolled my eyes. “I can shop by myself, Grampa.”

  He shrugged. “Okay. Also, buy yourself some new clothes.”

  “Why?”

  “The High Council will be hosting a party for you next weekend. You’ll get to meet the key people here and tour the headquarters. I believe the other Councils around the world will send representatives and their trainees.” He puffed his chest and grinned.

  I grimaced. “Let me guess, news of my weird powers has travelled?”

  “No sweetheart, an introduction to key people in our organization is something all new Cardinal trainees go through.”

  17. SCHOOL DANCE AND DEMONIC BOYS

  The next evening, Kylie fixed my make-up under Amelia’s watchful gaze. They refused to give me a mirror until she was done. I grinned at my reflection.

  I’d expected a heavy Goth result but was surprised at the way she enhanced my eyes with just the right amount of eye shadow and mascara. I liked the way she did my hair the best. She brushed my long mane and left it loose then made two mini-braids on either side of my head and clipped them in the back in a hippie-like style.

  The three of us, Kylie, Amelia and I, pulled up outside the school at about eight in Grampa’s truck. The parking lots and streets crawled with cars, music blasting from stereos and mingling with the booming beat from the school’s main building.

  Skateboarders zoomed past us. Boys in pants hanging halfway down their butts and T-shirts with crazy logos walked with arms around girls in skimpy skirts or low-riding tight jeans. Bright-colored flirty tops showing skin and more skin, and over the top make-up seemed to be the in-thing. I never thought I’d be overdressed in jeans and a burgundy top, the only thing daring about it was the deep V-neck.

  “Come on,” Kylie said as she jumped down from the truck, shrugged off her jacket and threw it inside the cab. It landed on her cousin.

  “Hey, do I look like a coat stand?” Amelia yelled at her and hopped down, grinning.

  “Your glasses,” Kylie reminded her, her head bopping to thrumming beats streaming through the air.

  Amelia hesitated, and then shrugged and placed them on the dashboard. She squinted.

  “Kylie, your outfit rocks,” someone called out.

  Kylie raised her hands and gave her the horned hand signal. She had on a belted, black tunic mini dress and underneath it, calf-length sheer tights with solid dark rose buds. Her boots had so many buckles, I lost count. And under the tunic, her top had sleeves the same design as her tights. Like me, Amelia was a conservative dresser. She had on layered tees and jeans

  I joined the two girls, added my jacket to theirs and locked the truck. If they hadn’t decided to ride with me, I’d be so lost and overwhelmed by now.

  Kylie grabbed my hand and pulled me forward. “I’m dying to find Cade.”

  Yeah, I wish I were here to meet Bran, too. I hoped he was fine. Hoped he’d be back tomorrow or the day after at the latest. I missed him.

  We ducked past cars and kids with their lips locked, almost got knocked over by a skateboarder doing a backside. Across the street, on the lawn and under the trees, students hung out in groups, some paired up, others not. Kylie pointed out the chaperones as she searched for Cade.

  I felt eyes on me before I noticed Izzy and a tall handsome guy with a trimmed goatee. He had his arms wrapped around her waist while her cheek rested against his chest, but their eyes were on me. Izzy wiggled her fingers in greeting. He nodded. I gave them a smile and a wave.

  “That’s Rastiel. Brains, looks and hoop dreams,” Amelia said from my other side.


  “Is he a student here?” I asked.

  “Nah. He graduated last year. He was the chairman of the Math Club and captain of the varsity team…a weird combo, but he made it work,” Amelia explained, glancing at the couple as we got closer to the school entrance. “He could have gone to any school, but chose Caltech, my dream school.”

  “And if you haven’t guessed yet, he’s my cousin’s dream man,” Kylie added.

  “Shut up already,” Amelia said.

  I stole another glance at Izzy and her boyfriend. Was he human or Guardian? They looked perfect together. Where was Kim? Was her boyfriend in college, too?

  “Hey guys,” McKenzie screamed when she saw us. She rushed toward us.

  Who knew McKenzie could be so adventurous? She had on a lacy see-through camisole over a push-up bra and faux-ripped Capri denim. We hugged. “Where’s your friend?” she asked.

  I frowned. “Friend?”

  “Bran. That’s his name, right?” She looked at Kylie for confirmation.

  Kylie nodded.

  “Visiting his brother,” I answered and giggled at the understatement.

  “Let’s go inside,” Kylie added, craning her neck to see through the glass windows, continuing to search for Cade.

  Someone opened the door and music blasted into the night. My heart thumped, the gypsy in me wanting to become one with the beat. We swept inside as a group.

  The large foyer had shrunk. Kids were everywhere, their faces bathed by multi-colored lights flashing from the disco lights by the deejay’s table. Flanked by humongous speakers and subwoofers, a young guy in a baseball cap lifted bulky headphones onto his ears and worked the CD player and channel mixer. Beside him, on a chair, another guy typed on a laptop. Their table blocked the stairs and the doors leading to the school offices.

  Smooth vocals from a hip-hop group filled the room. The students answered by rolling and rocking their hips, arms waving and feet shuffling. A few chose the window seat that ran along the length of the room as their stage. Others just nodded their heads, their backs to the wall. Some in need of privacy, slipped inside the auditorium.

  We were in the periphery of the crowd, near the vending machines, but the pulse of the music flowed through me and my feet found the rhythm. I lifted my hands, rocked my hips and started to dance, but stayed close to my friends.

  “I’m going to search for Cade,” Kylie yelled in my ear after a few minutes, and then disappeared in the throng of dancers.

  Amelia, McKenzie and I kept dancing. The crowd swelled, but I made sure we always stayed on the outskirts. The last thing I wanted was for my phobia to rear its ugly head. To have a panic attack in front of all these kids would be social suicide.

  I started to sweat from all the dancing. Then I heard shouting on the microphone. The crowd went wild. I had no idea what was going on until McKenzie screamed, “Ooh, Cha-Cha Slide. I love that dance.”

  I’d never danced the cha-cha slide and tried to slink away before I could humiliate myself, but McKenzie grabbed my hand, forcing me to stay. With little effort, I soon figured out the dance. The singer called out instructions, and the dancers followed them.

  “…to the left…to the right…right foot two stomps…left foot two stomps…one hop this time…cha-cha real smooth….”

  I found the rhythm, went with the flow. Kylie returned with Cade, Zack and Nikki in tow. By the end of the song, my ballet flats were giving me blisters.

  “I need fresh air,” I told McKenzie who was closest to me. I worked my way around the sweaty, writhing bodies. Just before I reached the door, a hand closed around my arm and I looked back.

  “Leaving already, Red?” Sykes asked.

  “No, going outside for some air,” I answered. He held onto my elbow, acted like my bodyguard and escorted me outside.

  Hook-up was the name of the game, and couples used every available place—under the trees, along the walls and in corners—to create their own little romantic space. I tried to not stare. If Bran were here, would I be one of these couples? Thoughts of him flashed in my mind, bringing warmth to my cheeks and a smile on my lips.

  Sykes found an empty spot on the low cement walls of the flowers beds criss-crossing the entrance to the school. He straddled it, facing me as I sat sideways.

  “You’re blushing, Red. All this kissing getting to you?” He propped his foot on the wall and wrapped his arms around his bent knee. The slow grin on his lips made me more self-conscious. I was sweating and thinking naughty thoughts about another guy. Bet no girl ever did that with Sykes. Even in simple jeans, black tee shirt and scruffy black canvas shoes, he looked…interesting.

  “No, it’s not,” I retorted and pulled my shirt away from my skin.

  “You want to experiment? I’m willing.” He wiggled his brow.

  I rolled my eyes, but inside, I wondered if I’d react to his kiss the same way I did to Bran’s. Should I experiment? “If I take you up on the offer, then what happens?”

  His grin was slow. “We’d have some fun.”

  “That’s okay. I’ll pass…this time.”

  Sykes blew out air. Was it from disappointment or relief? I couldn’t tell, but flirting with a guy was fun. I should try it on Bran. I glanced at the building and the bodies writhing in ecstasy. “I just never imagined school dances were like this. It’s fun.”

  Sykes frowned. Once again, I couldn’t tell the cause, whether it was the change in topic or my comments. “This is your first dance, right?”

  “Yes.”

  “It makes sense,” he said.

  “What?”

  “Your grandfather wanting to be protective of you. You’re pretty.”

  I widened my eyes and fluttered my eyelids. “Are you flirting with me, Sykes?”

  “And if I am?” He lifted a lock of my hair and rubbed it between his fingers, the gesture intimate. I leaned back, forcing him to let go. His expression became serious. “I like you, Red.”

  Whoa, he was intense. I could feel my face warming. “And I like you, too, Sykes… uh, what’s your last name?”

  “Sykes.”

  “First name?”

  He shook his head. “Nah. Not even you can make me tell.”

  I could read his mind if I wanted to. “Why not?”

  “No one knows my first name. And those who do, don’t use it.”

  “Not even Remy?”

  “He’s an exception. We grew up together. And he knows better than to tell anyone, so don’t you try to charm it out of him. I don’t know what my parents were thinking, but I’m stuck with it.”

  “Try mine. Lilith. Who names their kid Lilith?” I looked around to make sure no one was close enough to overhear us. “In the human world, it’s an innocent name. Beautiful even. In our world, after what I’ve learned these past few days, my mother must not have been thinking straight. I once googled ‘Lilith’ and you wouldn’t believe what I found.”

  Sykes shook his head. “Googled? I heard your grandfather hates modern technology.”

  “He doesn’t. He just has no use for it. I often use library computers.”

  “Personally, I don’t think there’s anything wrong with being named after the first woman ever created, the other face of Eve, a goddess, a revolutionary thinker who believed men and women should be equal and refused to bow down to her mate Adam, a beautiful enchantress no man could resist.” His smile was so naughty.

  I laughed. He’d twisted the tales of Lilith in every mythology to make her sound wonderful. “You’re forgetting one important title,” I reminded him.

  “You mean Queen of demons? As long as you are on our side, we’ve nothing to worry about.”

  Was that a dig at my relationship with Bran? “We’re not talking about me.”

  “Aren’t we?” he teased.

  I swatted his arm. “That’s not funny.”

  “What isn’t funny?” McKenzie asked from behind us. Her gaze swung from me to Sykes, and locked on him.

  “Sykes’ lame
jokes. Were you looking for me?” I jumped down.

  “Yeah. Let’s go dance.” But her wide eyes stayed on Sykes.

  I shook my head and introduced them. He flashed a smile. She sighed, a dopey expression settling on her face. Oh brother. I’d better get her out of here before she throws herself at him. “Come on, McKenzie. See you later, Sykes.”

  “Save a dance for me, Red.”

  I dragged McKenzie toward the school entrance.

  “He’s so hot,” she said. “How can you not want to kiss him?”

  I glanced back and caught Sykes’ grin. I scrunched my face at him.

  She wants me, Red. Jealous?

  You wish.

  Why are you dragging her away so fast?

  Good question. I didn’t need to answer it now. I pushed the door, and McKenzie and I disappeared inside. I didn’t want Sykes, however tempting he looked. Bran was the one for me.

  Still, I looked back at Sykes through the glass doors. Two girls had already taken up the spot I left a few minutes ago. As though he knew I was watching them, Sykes looked up. Our gazes met. He wiggled his eyebrows. What a flirt.

  I turned and followed McKenzie to where Amelia, Zack and Nikki were dancing. Cade and Kylie had long disappeared. Maybe I should just go home. I was already tired, and my feet hurt.

  “Ooh, someone is checking you out, Lil,” McKenzie yelled in my ear, almost bursting my eardrum.

  “Who?”

  “Over there.” She motioned with her head.

  Five jocks eyed us from the dark corner near the vending machines. Wide chests, legs like tree trunks and baggy hip-hop attire, they looked like linebackers. They guzzled bottled drinks, which I hoped weren’t laced with alcohol or some weird drug.

  “They’re hot. I’m going to ask the one with dark hair to dance,” McKenzie said.

  I shook my head. McKenzie was boy-crazy. I didn’t like the predatory way they stared at us, or that Zack and Nikki were headed for one of the auditorium doors. “You don’t know them,” I warned.