He stared at me, his cat eyes slitting. "That's because the knowledge is pa.s.sed down from wielder to wielder. There are no recordings or books."

"So the previous wielder teaches the new one?"

He chuckled. "No. You hold the dagger and link with it. All its powers and the knowledge from past wielders are pa.s.sed down to the new one."

Why the heck had Green Eyes's ancestor written it down? I'd hidden it upstairs in my panties drawer and I knew it had better be there. Since I hadn't found the CC Lord Gavyn had given me, I was scared of losing something again. "I'm ready now."

Master Rahm produced a crystal, activated it, and a math problem projected in the air. "No pencil and workbook?"

"No. When I taught at a Hermonite Academy in Los Angeles," Master Rahm said, leaning back against his chair, "we had to warn students to be careful when using crystals, in case humans noticed. It's nice to be on the island among our people. We don't have to hide our powers or who we are here, thanks to your father." His cat eyes gleamed. "Look at the questions and work them in your head." He placed a different crystal by my right hand. "Put your hand on this, so your thoughts can flow into it."

So, that was how the recording was done.

"You have an hour, Princess. When you are done, we'll discuss the problems."

The afternoon went by fast. Master Rahm was not afraid to speak his mind, and his progressive way of thinking meant he and I would get along perfectly.

"So, you think a king should mingle freely with his subjects?" I asked him just before we finished.

"Absolutely. The people don't want a king in an ivory tower. They want one willing to listen to their problems. Visit them in their homes, see what they need to make their lives easier, and make it happen."

I made up my mind to ignore everything Lady Nemea had said about Katia and Lottius. Whether or not I was the future leader of our people, I refused to give up my friends.

"Is it true you beat the c.r.a.p out of Master Kenta?" Lottius asked when she, Katia, Skylar, and Ravan arrived at the castle that evening. I didn't know the fifth guy, but Katia had told me they would bring a friend. I was thrilled that they wanted to hang out on a school night.

My eyes went to the guards at their station. Had they heard her? Lottius often spoke her mind and didn't care who overheard her. I waved at the guards. I'd already told them we weren't going anywhere, except downstairs to my father's quarters. The other two left, leaving behind Ruby and Callum.

"I'd hardly call it beating the c.r.a.p out of him," I said.

Lottius made a sound as though annoyed and dropped onto the nearest couch.

"That's her way of saying she hates Master Kenta and would have loved to hear that you humiliated him," Katia explained. "He trains us at the Academy, too."

"I don't hate him. I dislike him," Lottius corrected, and sank lower in the seat. "He's a phony, just like every teacher at school. Nothing exciting happens around here, yet we can't leave the island."

"You know why," Katia said. "It's safer here."

"So say our parents and the powers-that-be." Lottius glanced at me as though to say your father.

"You can leave with me," the new guy said. "I'll protect you."

"Why would I want to do that?" Lottius retorted.

The guy laughed and said, "Because you love me."

She made a face and the others laughed. They hadn't bothered to change from their school uniforms. The girls wore pleated blue plaid skirts, gray knee-high socks, light blue shirts, and navy-blue blazers with the school logo. The red-and-blue-striped silk ties were loose around their necks. The logo on their blazers was a shield with a raven perched on top of a mountain, inside an outer yellow circle with Mount Hermon Academy sewn on it. A ribbon with the words Commitment, Att.i.tude, Performance curled at the bottom of the circle.

I focused on the new guy, who didn't wear a uniform. He was dressed casually in jeans and a T-shirt. With his golden-blond hair and blue eyes, he looked like someone who spent most of his time outdoors. He caught me studying him and c.o.c.ked an eyebrow.

"I'm Lil. And please, don't bow or call me princess," I added.

He c.o.c.ked his eyebrows. "Lil?"

I frowned, surprised I had shortened my name like Green Eyes often did. "Lilith."

"I like Lil. It's less princessy. I'm Gusphon, but everyone calls me Gus. I'm a P1, Earth"-he glanced at Lottius and winked-"and Lottie's mate."

"Friend," she corrected him with a glare.

"Whatever you want to call me, sweetheart." He b.u.mped her knee, which earned him another glare, and sat next to her. "You and I are mated."

"I was tricked." She elbowed him and scooted away, but he scooted closer.

"Are they really mated?" I asked Katia.

"Yep." She sat by me while Ravan and Skylar took the loveseat.

"Did your parents arrange it?" I asked, glancing at Lottius, who was now leaning against Gus.

"Yes," Lottius said.

"We fell in love," Gus said at the same time.

"So they say," Lottius mumbled, though she didn't look so torn up about it.

Gus kissed her temple. "I'm going to spend centuries proving to you that there's no conspiracy."

Intrigued, I leaned forward. "Conspiracy?"

"To turn us into model citizens by feeding us false information about the past," Katia piped in. "She's always looking for evidence."

"Where do you look?" Skylar asked. She hadn't spoken since they arrived. "I can't remember anything that happened before the Great Battle."

"Pictures. Our parents said we would remember," Lottius said, and rolled her eyes. "They lied."

"Eventually would remember," Katia corrected her.

"Mine act like they don't know anything, yet I know they weren't in the Great Battle," Skylar added.

Lottius's mother had tried to tell me something the night of my party, but had suddenly developed amnesia. Maybe Lottius was onto something. I caught the tail end of Skylar's words.

"...lived in New York City. None of my sisters and brothers survived the Great Battle."

I hadn't really thought about where I'd lived with the Guardians.

Lottius and Katia had lived in Beverly Hills, while Gus was from Malibu, where he spent hours on the beach when not taking cla.s.ses at a nearby human college.

"Coronis Isle, born and raised, then Chicago," Ravan said softly. "Mom loves to talk about our life on the island. According to her, it was perfect. When the Guardians attacked, they destroyed everything and left us with nothing. Overnight, we had no home. No queen. No community. Nothing."

Silence settled in the room. Skylar squeezed Ravan's hand and hugged his arm. It was obvious she'd heard the story before. Gus ma.s.saged Lottius's sock-covered feet absentmindedly. Katia's chin trembled.

"Living on Coronis Isle didn't prepare us for living among humans," Ravan continued. "On the island, we had everything we needed. Food. Clothing. Shelter. We didn't have to worry about paying for anything. Coronis provided for us. Out here, money talks. Those of us with relatives in the human world were lucky. My family went to Chicago to live with my uncle, who owns a construction company. Others weren't so lucky. They disappeared into the underbelly of big cities, took to crime and gang activities." He stopped talking and buried his face in Skylar's hair.

"Ravan's mother said there were few schools for our kind," Skylar continued, stroking Ravan's hair soothingly, "so they sent their children to human schools. They had to hide their powers and learn to act like humans. The only academy was in L.A., and it was expensive." She stroked Ravan's dreadlocks, which he had pulled back into a ponytail. "Want to take over?"

He nodded. "My mother said it was terrible. They were scared all the time. Scared of being discovered, scared of messing up, scared of the Guardians finding us. So, when your father bought this island and turned it into a refuge, our people came from all corners of the world." He glanced at Lottius. "It might not be perfect here, Lottie, but it's home."

The silence this time was different. There was anger and pain. So much pain.

"Do you hate them?" I asked, searching their faces. "The Guardians?"

"I do," Lottius said. "They still raid our businesses."

"We are not talking about what's going on out there, Lottie," Gus said. He was no longer smiling. "We are talking about here. We are trying to turn this island into a paradise for everyone. Even the Guardians are welcomed."

"I don't think so," Lottius retorted.

"Does that mean minions are supposed to consider this place paradise?" I asked, remembering people's reaction when I'd treated Seraph's injury.

Gus nodded. "Unfortunately, we've reverted to the way things were on Coronis Island. The most powerful are at the top and the powerless are at the bottom. We plan to change that."

"One person at a time," Katia said.

The others nodded, but Lottius rolled her eyes. I decided to ignore her like the others. "How can I help?"

"When you become the leader of our people, you can change things from the top while we do it from the bottom," Gus said.

"Talk to your father," Lottius said.

Surprised, I glanced at her. "And tell him what?"

"Everything. How you feel. You don't like how minions are being treated, right?"

"She can't do that," Katia protested. "That's like saying she doesn't like the way he's running things."

"She doesn't, or she wouldn't have asked for help," Lottius retorted.

"We could tell him tonight during dinner," I said.

Unease followed my announcement and no one could meet my eyes.

"I thought we were eating with you, not him," Katia said.

"We're still wearing our uniforms," Skylar added.

"No one just sits down with him for dinner without preparation," Katia said. She glanced at Lottius. "Remember how nervous your parents were before Lilith's party. They were worried about what to wear, what to say or not to say, how to treat Lilith."

Gus nodded. "My parents, too."

"I already told him you guys are coming to dinner," I said. "But if you guys are uncomfortable, that's okay."

"Uncomfortable with what?" Lady Nemea asked, appearing suddenly with several minions. "Put the drinks on the table and the snacks on the counter," she directed them.

I got to my feet and went to the nearest worker to take the tray. "Thank you."

"Princess." She bowed, gracefully balancing the tray, but her grip on it didn't ease.

"What's your name?"

"Iris, Princess." She kept her head low.

I lifted her chin until our eyes met. "Thank you, Iris."

I took the tray from her hand. The others followed my example, taking the trays from the servers, who didn't hide their dismay. They asked the minions their names and to join us.

Lady Nemea clapped. "Out!"

"Dinner is served." Lady Nemea came upstairs to announce hours later.

We arrived at Father's private dining room to find the table set for eight.

"Where is he?" Katia asked nervously. She and the others had gone back to their dorms and changed. The guys now wore dinner jackets and the girls wore semiformal dresses. I had changed, too, because Lady Nemea insisted that we all change for dinner.

"He'll be here," I said.

"Who's the eighth person?" Skylar asked.

"Probably Solange," I said.

"I'm so nervous, I'll probably choke on the first thing I eat," Skylar whispered.

"Or throw up," Katia added.

Gus and Ravan tried to act nonchalant, but I could tell they were also nervous, which made me wish I had canceled the dinner. Lottius was the only one who seemed to have it together.

We had barely sat-Katia, Skylar, and Ravan across from me, Lottius and Gus next to me-when Father arrived. The others scrambled to their feet and bowed.

"Sit down." Lord Valafar nodded at the minion who'd pulled out his chair and took his place at the head of the table. "How's your grandmother doing, Gus? I heard about her accident."

Gus was surprised, and for one brief moment he just stared at my father. "A healer took care of her wounds, sire."

"That's good. At her age, she needs to be more careful. If it happens again, contact me and I'll send my personal healer."

Gus nodded. "Thank you, sire."

Lord Valafar's glance shifted to Lottius. "I had a meeting with your parents this afternoon, Lottius, and mentioned tonight's dinner. They sent their love."

"Thank you, sire," Lottius murmured, her earlier bravado gone.