Part 29 (1/2)

I reached for his hand. ”It's okay, Dad.”

He covered my hand. ”No, it's not okay. I should have known she'd never harm you. You were everything to her.” I opened my mouth to speak, but he shook his head. ”There's more. Things I did to find you and bring you home. Things I regret, yet I would do them again to have you here by my side.”

”Don't, Dad,” I said, tears streaming down my face.

”You don't understand, Lilith. I was selfish and manipulative. My methods were unconscionable and extreme. Do you know what mortal combat is? I had our people fight to the death just so you could win and be their queen.”

”Stop, please. You love me and wanted me with you. How can that be wrong? We all do things we think are right at the time. It's only later we realize we've made a mistake. We can learn from it, find a way to make amends, or let the guilt eat at us. You created this island, brought our people here, gave them a place they can call home. Then you found me and brought me home. That's what we should focus on. The future, not the past.”

He smiled and shook his head. ”When did you become so wise?”

Since last night. I had some serious atonement to do too. I owed it to my people. ”I am the Chosen One. These rare moments of wisdom are supposed to come naturally.”

He threw back his head and laughed. It was the first time I'd heard him laugh out loud. It sounded good.

”I'm afraid your genes or future duties have very little to do with it. Your grandfather is to be thanked for the way you've turned out.”

”My grandfather? I have one?” I asked.

He chuckled. ”Of course you do. I might be a product of Queen Coronis's breeding program, but your mother was born out of love. I'm talking about your mother's father, the Guardian who raised you. Kenta said he explained about him.”

The conversations I'd had with my trainer flashed in my head. ”The old man was my grandfather?”

”Is,” he corrected. ”He's still alive.”

”Master Kenta said we moved from place to place because the Guardians didn't trust me.”

My father frowned. ”I don't know if that was Falcon's reason for moving from place to place. Whatever his reasons, he preferred the company of his wife's people. He didn't just live among the Gypsies, Lilith. Your grandmother was a Gypsy.”

”A human?”

He nodded. ”Yes.”

So, everything Master Kenta had told me was true. They'd rejected me because of my father and my grandmother. ”How did you find me?”

”Do you remember Lord Gavyn? I pointed him out during your party.”

I nodded.

”His younger brother went missing and he followed him to the Guardians' enclave. When Gavyn came back and told me of a teenager with red hair who could stop omni energy b.a.l.l.s, I was interested because no one can stop those b.a.l.l.s, not even those who create them. That was when I approached Kenta to find out more about you. I expected to find the Chosen One, not my child. You were still alive.” He smiled. ”Your grandfather raised you by himself and kept your existence a secret, despite our paths crossing.” He gripped my hands and studied our linked hands intently before focusing on my face. ”I've forgiven him for keeping you from me, and because of that, I'm willing to consider a request he sent a few days ago.”

”What?”

”He wants to see you.”

”What? Why?” I stammered, trying to process the information my father was throwing at me. He'd just confirmed part of Gavyn's story and now my grandfather wanted to see me? The man who'd kept me away from my people? Made me hunt my own people down and commit heinous acts? I didn't think so.

”He wants to make sure that you are okay. I had to pet.i.tion the Tribunal, the highest council of elders in charge of Nephilimic affairs, to have you here with me. Your grandfather wasn't happy with the way I went about it, but I wanted you with me and I did what I had to do to make it happen.” He frowned, his hands squeezing mine. ”I know you said you don't need an explanation, but when you're ready, I'd like to tell you everything. It doesn't justify so many things that I did, but...” He sighed. ”I was desperate.”

”I understand, and I already said all is forgiven.”

He smiled. ”For now. Your grandfather misses you very much and wants to see you.”

I shook my head. ”No.”

”Lilith-”

”I don't want to see him. Not yet.” Not until I made amends for the pain I had caused when I was a Guardian. Maybe the person who'd deleted my memories had done me a favor. The memories would have crippled me.

-16-.

”Bran didn't come to our meeting,” I told Callum and Ruby that evening when they started their s.h.i.+ft.

The two guards exchanged glances. I hated it when people did that. It usually meant secrets. ”What is it?”

”We saw him last night and he was on his way to the library,” Ruby said.

”He wanted to be there before you got there, Princess,” Callum said.

My stomach dropped. Bran could not be missing. Not now. ”He wasn't there. I was waiting for him when I fell asleep.”

”We haven't seen him today,” Ruby said.

”Do you know where he lives?”

They both shook their heads.

I closed my eyes and tried to feel him. I always knew when he was around. He wasn't today. Maybe he was in the dungeons. I felt a little sick thinking about that. Could my father have arranged the brunch while the guards tortured Bran? No, my father would never do that.

”We'll ask Ziminair. She knows him.”

”Ziminair?” Ruby asked.

”Seraph's mother,” I explained. I had an open invite to visit them, which fit perfectly with my plans to visit the dungeons. They'd better not have thrown Bran down there.

”Okay, let's track down Seraph's family,” I said.

The two exchanged another look. ”Now what?”

”We have direct orders never to let you visit the Subsixers,” Ruby said.

”Orders from?” I asked.

”Sir Malax,” she said.

I rolled my eyes. ”I am visiting Subsixers. You can tell Malax I teleported and you had no choice but to follow.”