Awakened Read online

  The mess there was overwhelming. Pot and pans no longer hung on hooks over the sink. They were scattered all over the floor and the kitchenette table and chairs, along with the colored plastic cups and plates from the cupboards. The fridge door was ajar, bowls of leftovers and jars of food on the floor. Grampa’s usually neat bedroom, visible from my position, was not spared. I could only imagine the chaos outside. Before I could look, he pushed me onto the tan and brown plaid couch.

  “Sit. This will take a few seconds.”

  He picked up mugs from the floor. “Picked up” wasn’t quite accurate. Mugs lifted off the floor and into his hands. As he filled them with water and placed them in the microwave, pots and pans floated to their nooks above the sink. Cabinets opened, and cups and plates drifted onto shelves. Wipe cloths flew from under the sink to blot spills on the tan carpet, floral wall-paper and the wooden surfaces. From my seat, I could see part of my room. Lotions, books and pencils slid back onto my desk.

  Throughout the whole “clean up” progress, Grampa kept glancing my way as though he expected me to…I don’t know…lose it? I’d seen him perform before audiences in the circus and thought his acts were all illusions. Now that I knew they weren’t, I didn’t know how to react. I felt numb.

  I studied him like I would an alien. He’d been mother, father and best friend to me all my life. Raised me single-handedly when my mother died, homeschooled me until I was ten and never made me feel like I had to cook, clean or look after him. So why hadn’t I noticed anything to indicate he was different?

  For a grandfather, his skin wasn’t wrinkled. His neatly trimmed beard and shoulder-length black hair was sprinkled with little gray, and his black eyes were keen and sharp. At six-foot-three, he walked like a younger man and worked out regularly, running, swimming and personally training me in martial arts. With his fondness for dark pants and full-length coats, scruffy boots and a fedora hat, he looked like a cowboy, not a demon-hunting Cardinal Psi Guardian.

  I closed my eyes, took in a breath and exhaled. This was my grandfather, my only living relative and someone I loved. No matter how angry and betrayed I felt, I had to listen to what he had to say.

  Ares, what happened?

  I jerked as a woman’s voice resounded in my head.

  Lil’s powers finally emerged, Grampa answered, but his face stayed calm, his attention on the can of cocoa powder he was removing from one of the cupboards. He measured scoops into the mugs. I would never have guessed he was communicating with someone. How often did he do this in my presence?

  That’s wonderful, your family’s been blessed, the woman answered.

  Thank you, Hsia. Are you back in the valley?

  I felt the energy surge and returned. The others are here, too.

  How bad is it? Grampa asked, stirring each drink.

  A few fires here and there…debris…an accident or two, but no serious injuries. We’ll take care of things.

  I’ll be there in a few minutes to help.

  No need to. Take care of the young one.

  Thank you, Hsia. Let’s meet at the headquarters in ten minutes.

  Who was Hsia? Another Guardian? Were they talking about the damage the storm had caused? I jumped to my feet and rushed to the window. My eyes widened. Our neighbors huddled outside in their pajamas, street lights bathing the fear on their faces, crying children in their arms. Garbage cans and trash littered the ground. In the distance, the shrill wail of ambulance and fire truck sirens mixed with dogs barking.

  Dismay washed over me, and I sank back onto the couch, wanting to hide my head under a cushion. How many were injured because of me? “I didn’t mean to do this,” I whispered.

  Grampa looked at me. “I know. Don’t worry about it. It will be taken care of it.”

  How? I wanted to ask, but my throat closed with grief. I was such a freak.

  Grampa pushed hot cocoa into my hands. “Drink it,” he ordered.

  The hot liquid scorched my mouth, ran down my throat, but I knew I’d never ever feel warm again. Grampa sat on the couch opposite mine. He held his drink between the palms of his large hands, his expression serious.

  “Who’s Hsia?” I asked.

  “Aah, you heard our conversation.”

  I nodded and drank from my cup, the cocoa calming me. “How come I can hear you so clearly now?”

  “Your psi energy expanded, which resulted in the emergence of your powers. All our people can use telepathy and teleport, but those with stronger powers can do a lot more than that. Hsia is one of the counselors at your high school and the Cardinal Time Guardian.”

  “How can she fix that?” I pointed at the window.

  “She has control over time. She can move back and forth in time, slow down time or stop it. She can also reverse it when sanctioned by the Council. Take a look outside.”

  I rose to look out the window. My jaw dropped. Our neighbors were frozen in place. The expression on their faces would have been comical if the scene wasn’t so creepy. Even more eerie was the utter silence. No flutter of garbage on the ground, no rustling leaves. The sirens and barking dogs had gone quiet, too. My skin tingled as though an electric current shot past me from behind. I turned to face Grampa. His eyes were closed, his arms cutting through the air in slow motion, like conductor directing an invisible choir.

  “What are you doing?” I asked.

  His eyelids lifted and I gasped. His eyes were white, the iris and the pupil gone. He blinked and smiled, his eyes reverting back to normal. “That was just a little insurance to make sure no one clearly remembers what happened tonight. A strong wind sweeping through the valley is not uncommon, but dry storms can be blogged about or reported in the local news. We don’t want that to happen, so I use my psyche to manipulate people’s perception of what happened. That’s my gift as a Cardinal Psi Guardian. I’m also an empath.”

  “What’s that?”

  “Someone with the ability to feel other people’s emotions.”

  Despite my misgivings about my powers, I was impressed. “And the other Guardians?”

  “You’ll meet them tomorrow, including the trainees who go to your school—Sykes, Remy, Pilar and Isadora.”

  Guardian trainees at my school? I wasn’t looking forward to starting school to begin with. And now this? Great. I sipped my drink, my mind racing. “Did Mom have powers?”

  Furrows appeared on Grampa forehead, and his eyes shadowed as though he were in pain. He drained his drink and put down his mug. “Tatiana had some, but not enough to become a Cardinal.”

  “Was it because Grandma was human?”

  “Maybe. Powers are known to skip generations or disappear all together in a family. We’ve been lucky. Your mother had just enough to join the High Council.”

  “What were her powers?”

  He shook his head. “This is not the time to talk about her powers, Lil.”

  And I wasn’t ready to talk about mine. I glared into my drink.

  “You must start training to master yours, learn about our people and our world, the demons we hunt.”

  My head whipped up. “Whoa. Slow down, Grampa. Why do I have to learn these things, train?”

  He smiled. “Your gifts indicate you have the powers of a Cardinal Guardian, Lil. I’m not sure which one yet, but I’m happy we’ve been so lucky.”

  I stared at him in horror, my mouth opening and closing without making a sound. Grampa’s eyes twinkled as though my speechlessness amused him. “But I don’t want be a Guardian,” I blurted out. The smile died on his lips and his eyes became serious. “I didn’t ask for any of this, Grampa. Why should having these abilities seal my fate? Can’t I, like, just ignore them, and they’ll disappear?”

  “No, you can’t. We’re few and need all the help we can get.” Grampa scrubbed his face then studied me with narrowed eyes. “Taking up your Cardinal Guardian duties is voluntary, an honor—but the benefits to us and humans are many.” Before I could ask what he meant, he added, “Many o
f our people wait for their children’s powers to manifest themselves when they turn sixteen. Some parents even go so far as to arrange marriages for their children with the hopes of having a Cardinal in their family.”

  So? That didn’t mean I wanted to become one. Mean kids from various schools I’d attended flitted through my mind. Why should I put my life on the line for them, for those who more often than not treated us like crap during our travels?

  I got up, threw the lukewarm contents of my mug into the sink and turned to face Grampa. “Right now, all I care about is how to control my powers so this mess doesn’t happen again.”

  Grampa’s gaze stayed steady on me, disappointment shimmering in their depth. “I know the world can seem cruel at times and human nature is often hard to understand, but you can make a difference by fighting the forces that make humans do evil things.”

  He was trying to make me feel guilty. It wasn’t going to work. I crossed my arms across my chest and scrunched up my face. “You mean Hermonites, don’t you? Demons?”

  Surprise flashed on his face. “Yes. They were once Guardians, like us. But then they decided guarding humans wasn’t enough. They wanted more power, immortality, and found a way to achieve them by collecting human souls.” His voice hardened but I could sense his pain. “We banished them to the unexplored regions of Xenith, but many of them escaped to Earth, where they’ve been causing more mayhem. We hunt them down now.” He paused, his gaze narrowed. “How did you know about Hermonites?”

  “From a boy I met earlier. He said he was a Guardian.” I told Grampa what transpired between Bran and me under the willow tree. “He gave me this weird message to pass to you.”

  “What is it?”

  “Coronis has found a way to open the door, uh, the gateway to Tar…Tar—”

  “Tartarus?” Grampa’s voice whipped out. He got to his feet and walked to where I stood.

  “Yes, Tartarus and release the Damned Ones. You should alert the Circle of Twelve.”

  Color drained from his face.

  “What does it mean?”

  Instead of answering, he tugged at the chain around my neck until he clasped my amulet in his hand. “He didn’t touch you, did he?”

  I shook my head, not liking the change that had come over him. “No.”

  “You didn’t feel helpless or your powers weaken?”

  “No.” Fear gripped my chest. I fingered my amulet when he let it go. “You’re scaring me, Grampa. What is it? What did that boy mean? He told me he was a Guardian-in-training and to tell you he didn’t hurt me.”

  Instead of answering me, Grampa gripped my shoulders and looked into my eyes. I winced as pressure built in my head.

  “Don’t fight me,” he said in a quiet voice. “Did he tell you where he was headed?”

  The pressure in my head increased. “No. What are you doing to me?” I griped.

  “Retrieving images from your head.” He let go of my shoulders and stepped away from me. The pressure disappeared.

  I stared at him with wide eyes, shocked but at the same time, fascinated. How often had he done that to me before without my knowledge?

  He started toward his bedroom. “I must talk to the High Council, track this boy down.”

  “What does his message mean?” I asked.

  “It is a code used when one of our own is captured by Coronis and her followers. Coronis is the most powerful demoness on earth. That code hasn’t been used in decades and I haven’t heard of a Guardian trainee missing.”

  “So there’re no such things as Damned Ones or Tartarus?”

  “That’s the least of our worries, Lil. Tartarus is where the Watchers or the Damned Ones are imprisoned and where we send the demons we vanquish. They’ll never be released until the end of time. But Bran’s identity and how he passed our shield undetected by the Civilian Psi Team is another story.”

  “Why?”

  Grampa grabbed his hat from a hook by his door and plopped it on his head. “He could be a demon out to harm you. Coronis and her followers not only trade in human souls, they corrupt Guardians and turn them to their dark side. They tend to prey on the young who have just discovered their powers and are scared, or on those who have just enough powers to become Council members but want more. If they can’t turn you, they take your powers by draining your psi energy.”

  So that was what Bran meant by ‘I’d be in and out of your head so fast you wouldn’t know what hit you’. And the weird reminder that he hadn’t hurt me. I shivered. Had he lied about being a Guardian trainee?

  “Hermonites come in many forms and disguises, Lil. Don’t let Bran get anywhere near you again. Meanwhile, the Council must explain how he got inside our valley. Either the shield has blind spots, or demons have found a way around it.” He paused, his eyes reflective. “Think about joining the Cardinal Guardian Training Program.”

  Yeah, train to be a freak. Right.

  “Don’t stay up too late. Tomorrow is your first day of school.” One minute Grampa was standing near his bedroom door, the next he shimmered in an explosion of blinding lights.

  My eyes widened. He must have seen the look on my face because he chuckled and wiggled his fingers, or pinpoint of lights where his fingers should have been. Then poof, he was gone. If it weren’t for the echo of his chuckle lingering, I’d never have believed he was here a second ago.

  I frowned, something tickling my memory. Bran’s way of teleporting was different from Grampa’s. Was that another way of teleporting or the demonic way?

  I wrapped my arms around me and ambled back to my room, my mind going in circles. Bran’s identity was the least of my problems. All I ever wanted was to fit in and be like everyone else. Having powers and training to fight demons would put me on the freak list. No, I didn’t want to be a Cardinal Guardian.

  ***

  The next morning, I woke up edgy after a restless sleep. I dragged my feet getting dressed, eating breakfast. I didn’t want to leave the trailer and everything familiar, but if I stayed home, I’d wallow in self-pity. Or drive myself nuts going over every detail of my life, searching for clues that should have warned me Grampa was different, that I was different.

  “Did you find Bran?” I asked Grampa when he joined me in the kitchen.

  He gave me a strange look as though he found my interest in Bran weird. “No, but we’re still searching.”

  I shouldn’t be concerned with Bran. I had enough on my plate. Dread squeezed my chest at the thought of my powers. What if they reappeared while I was at school? Maybe if I didn’t think about them, they wouldn’t bother me this much.

  During the drive to school, I rolled my window down and kept a lookout for residual mess from last night’s electric storm. Broken branches and debris littered the roadside, but everyone appeared normal—grownups in their cars heading to work, kids rushing to school, all falsely secure in their ignorance. I would trade places with them in a heartbeat.

  The drop-off zone outside Cache Valley High was busy. Students hailed their friends, laughing and shouting their conversations across the parking lot. Engines of old trucks coughed and popped as though on their last legs and in defiance to the smooth purr of sleek late-model foreign cars. Fallen leaves carpeted the ground, blending with the long yellow buses dropping off more students. We parked across from the school’s main building, and Grampa and I crossed Grizzly Boulevard.

  “It’s huge,” he said with a smile.

  I was too busy trying to control my unease to respond. If I created a storm when I got angry, what would happen when I was sad or scared? Were my emotions tied to my powers? What if someone set me off at school? A chill crawled under my skin at my thoughts.

  I caught my reflection on the glass door just before we went through the front entrance and winced. A gypsy skirt and a simple black lacy blouse. Maybe I should have gone for jeans and a t-shirt and tried to blend in. I pursed my lips. No, my outfit was a statement. As long as Grandma’s blood flowed in my veins, I was a
gypsy…human.

  Inside, I glanced around with lack of interest. Gray industrial carpet, bland off-white walls, Cache Valley High had the same look and feel as all of the other schools I’d attended. Grampa led me to the right passed a set of doors and straight into the counselors’ waiting room. Everything happened fast after that—the registration and locker assignment, paying for lunches and school pictures.

  “I’ve got to go, sweetheart,” Grampa mumbled, his eyes searching my face.

  I looked around at the students milling around to make sure there were no eavesdroppers. “To find Bran?” I whispered.

  “And to Xenith to talk to the Circle of Twelve. Use the truck.” He pushed the keys into my hand.

  “Are you planning to go poof right here? Right now?” My voice ended in a squeak.

  Grampa chuckled. “I’ve been doing this for several centuries now, kiddo. I think I can be more discreet than that.” He peered at my face. “Are you going to be okay?”

  Centuries? Just how old was he? Instead of asking, I stepped away from him. “Of course. You know me, Grampa.”

  “That’s my girl.” He patted my arm. “I’ll convene a meeting at the HQ to introduce you—”

  “Not yet.” I needed time to catch my breath and get used to the new me.

  Grampa’s lips pressed together in disapproval, but he’d raised me to stand up for myself, be my own person and never back down from my stance. From his expression, that wasn’t going to work this time.

  “I’ll see you after school. We’ll talk then.” His voice sounded determined. He kissed my forehead, turned and headed toward the entrance of the school

  As I watched him walk away, my fake confidence evaporated. I hated this. The new school, my stranger powers, the tension between me and Grampa. I wished I could rewind time and erase the last twenty-four hours of my life. No, moving back time was not sanctioned by the Council. What else wasn’t allowed? Maybe I could break a few rules and not get accepted into the guardianship program. I pushed the idea in the back of my mind for later.

  Staying close to the wall, I pulled out the map and tried to get a general idea of where my locker and first class were located. I had algebra in the first hour. I already took it last year. Grampa must have misplaced my report card. I sighed. The thought of tracking down my counselor right now and changing it was too overwhelming. There was always tomorrow. I slipped the map back in my pocket and started down a broad hallway.