Part 42 (1/2)

My stomach growled as I walked to the window. The sun must have set hours before, because stars dotted the sky. Fear floated through the window and hit my empathic sense like a hurricane. I looked down and frowned. What looked like the entire population of the island had gathered on the lawn, the light from the crystals in their hands lighting up the yard. The people were scared and needed to see me. Not up here but down there, rea.s.suring them.

Someone saw me and pointed. Whispers of ”the princess” followed. I waved. They lifted their crystals, but their fear didn't lessen. I channeled my powers and sent a ma.s.s telepath. Thank you for watching over me. I am okay now.

The whisper of ”the princess” became a chant, a demand that I join them. No matter what Lady Nemea and Solange had done to me, these people were innocent. They were my people and they needed me.

I smiled and waved again. I am coming.

Hunger pangs. .h.i.t me as I cut across my bedroom. How long I had been out? I was starving, yet I didn't feel weak. With a wave of my hand, the door flew open to reveal Katia, Lottius, Ravan, Skylar, and Gus. Behind them stood Kewpie and Barbie and the Specials they'd introduced to me the first week at the Academy. In the back on the sofa were more people. Children, actually. And Locke? The children were all Specials. No wonder I'd felt their energies.

”Don't ever scare us like that again,” Katia scolded, hugging me.

Was she or was she not working with Gavyn? ”How long was I unconscious?”

”Five days.”

Which meant today was a school night. ”Shouldn't you guys be doing homework or something?” I teased, hugging Lottius.

”School was canceled, thank goodness,” Lottius said. ”We should have prison breaks more often.”

Katia rolled her eyes, but the others looked shocked. Guess they weren't used to Lottius's glibness. ”I'm sure they'll allow a few inmates to escape just for you, Lottie. Thanks for coming, guys.” I touch Skylar and Ravan's arms and smiled at the omni girls. I would have expected Tannin and the guys to show up, not the Specials. ”Thank you.”

”We had to come.” Kewpie indicated the children behind them. ”They picked up your ping just before you pa.s.sed out two days ago and told us you needed our help.”

”You said someone was draining your energy,” a boy with curly hair said with a lisp. He couldn't be more than eight.

A girl of about ten pointed at Locke. ”And he helped fix you.”

”Fix me?” I asked.

”Your energy was too low,” Katia said. ”He gave you some.”

”Oh.” I studied the shy guy. He still couldn't meet my gaze. ”That was a dangerous thing to do. In my weakened state, I could easily have drained him.”

”We know, but he offered when you didn't recover,” Barbie added.

”He was very careful, though,” Kewpie again.

”Then I owe you a lot more than thanks, Locke.” I glanced at the others. ”Let's all go downstairs. I want to talk to the people.” I pulled Katia and Lottius aside. ”I'm starving. Can one of you get me something to eat?”

”I'll do it,” Katia said, and teleported.

The Specials didn't leave, despite the fact that I'd told them to head downstairs. I also noticed another odd thing. My guards weren't at their usual station. ”Where are my guards?”

Lottius nodded toward the Specials. ”When the scary little people got your SOS, they decided you needed new guards. As you can see, they're still not leaving.”

I wasn't sure whether to be impressed or worried.

”Even their parents tried to convince them to leave, but they refused,” Lottius continued in a whisper. ”Xezbeth and Zagan organized s.h.i.+fts, and they took turns watching over you. Impressive, if you ask me, except for the part where they insisted on invading my head and Katia's in the name of vetting us.” She glared at Kewpie and Barbie.

”We had to confirm you were not traitors,” Barbie protested.

Lottius made a face. ”Yeah, whatever. Just stay away from me.” Bran had already told us to keep an eye on you.

You saw him?

He sent a message with his brother after he tried to come back. Yeah, I know all about Gavyn. I heard something you told him made him change sides. Her dislike for Gavyn was still obvious and justified. He said to tell you the G.o.ddess took away his s.h.i.+eld, whatever that means.

It meant his deal with the G.o.ddesses was over. ”You do know we can all hear you,” Kewpie piped in, interrupting our private conversation.

”Then quit eavesdropping, Xezbeth,” Lottius snapped. ”Oh, FYI, the guards left.”

”What guards?” I asked.

”The ones upstairs. They're all gone.”

Upstairs meant the top security team that watched over the island. ”Gone where? Never mind. I'll find out downstairs. Let's go.”

”There's something else you need to see, Princess,” Barbie called out before I could teleport.

Fear and hunger were making me queasy and irritable. ”Not now. I have to go...” My voice trailed off when I saw the box Locke was carrying. The Kris Dagger box. ”What are you doing with that?”

”He took it from Lady Nemea,” Kewpie said. ”She was stealing it, along with a trunk full of crystals with your energy. She escaped with those. Sorry.”

My dagger was more important, and I knew it had better be there. I pointed at the lock and lifted the lid of the box. The sack with the ancient markings lay inside. With a curl of my finger, I loosened the string and lifted the dagger.

It rose in the air, the blade clear and wavy, the green jewel on the guard catching light and sparkling. I realized what the red light I always felt on my eyelid was-the red stone on Solange's jewel. They'd used her dagger to drain me, just like Queen Coronis had used it on the junior Guardians when we'd attacked Coronis Isle. I'd relived that night during my mind-meld with Bran. Not something I wanted to imagine happening to me while I was unconscious.

The dagger floated to my hand. The tingle at the base of my spine kicked into gear. It shot up my spine, the writings appearing on my arms. Instead of my hand glowing like it always did, the writings flowed to the blade. When all the writings left me, I felt strangely bereft. The dagger started to glow.

I knew it! an excited Locke yelled.

He finally spoke! Knew what?

That the powers of the Kris Dagger were inside you, he said. I felt them. Lady Nemea didn't.

No, she didn't. She hoped the dagger would link with...her, so she drained my energy and absorbed it. I couldn't tell anyone Solange was involved. When that failed, she tried to possess me.

Locke's eyes widened. She's a Lazarus?

Yes. Anyway, thanks for giving me your energy. I owe you one.

Bring my brother home, he said.

I blinked. Your brother?

He's a Special like us. He's only seven.

I nodded. Then I promise I'll do my best to find him and all the Specials if it's the last thing I do.

He looked down, his cheeks reddening. I glanced at the others, but they were mesmerized by the dagger. Lottius was the only one who didn't seem impressed. But then again, she'd seen it. She just couldn't remember it. I transformed my nightdress into a regular dress and the robe into a cloak, then indicated that we should leave.