"Or my father might know," I added. He'd mentioned things he'd done to have me by his side, things he'd tried to explain but I didn't want to hear at the time. Maybe this was one of them; I didn't know how I felt about that. My stomach hurt just thinking about it. Please, let it not be him. He and Bran are the two people I trust completely now.

Bran peered at me. "I asked around when you woke up and I realized your memories were gone, but I got nowhere. Are you sure you want to do this? You might end up asking the wrong people, and then they'll know that you know the truth."

"I'll be discreet."

He made a face. "Arguing with you is pointless once you make up your mind, so I'll just tell you to be careful." He leaned in to kiss me.

"I'm sorry to interrupt this intense romantic moment," a familiar and not-so-sorry voice said.

"Get lost, Gavyn," Bran said calmly.

"Nice to see you too, brother. I thought we had a deal, Princess."

I wanted to zap Gavyn to Tartarus, but I had to remind myself a Lazarus had screwed with his head, so I tried to be nice. "I tried, but you know how stubborn he gets."

"Maybe you didn't try hard enough," Gavyn snapped.

"Watch your tone when you talk to her," Bran warned in a hard voice. "Did it ever cross your mind that maybe it wasn't your place to tell her things?"

"Nope," Gavyn said indifferently. "But we need to talk now. Without her."

"Yes, we do." From Bran's voice, they were going to do more than talk. He focused on me. "I'll see you later." He kissed my hand and jumped up.

The fun went out of the evening after they left.

-20-.

Father didn't come back that night, but he was home on Sunday long enough for brunch. I couldn't bring myself to ask him about my memory loss and psi energy. I was too worried about him going back out there to discuss such a serious subject, especially after he said, "I'm on the last leg of my tour, but it's going to take me longer to sort things out because we're having problems in the Northwest Sector-"

"What problems?"

He chuckled. "Nothing to concern yourself with. I just wanted you to know in case you don't see me for a couple of days. How is Project Rocky Beach?"

I wrinkled my nose. "It's only been a few days, but it's looking good. The students are really into it. They're also talking to the Subsixers. It's like they're connecting. Now, can we go back to the subject we were discussing before you tried to distract me? What problems are there in the Northwest Sector?"

Father chuckled. "You are tenacious. Okay. A few lords are not too happy with the jobs I a.s.signed them. I need to straighten things out."

It took all my effort not to ask if the lords he was talking about were dark lords.

"I don't want you to worry while I'm gone. Any luck with the Kris Dagger?"

I couldn't tell him the powers were inside me without explaining my visit to Lord Zhane's and the dark lords, so I shook my head. "But I check every day."

He nodded. "Good. I should be home by Wednesday night." He dropped a kiss on my forehead. "Be good."

"And you be careful, Daddy."

Wednesday came and went. He didn't come back. I tried not to worry, but I had a sick feeling in my stomach. The kind you get when something bad has happened or is about to happen. I kept busy at school and training even though Master Kenta still insisted I couldn't partic.i.p.ate in the tourney. Students kept trying to guess who had been with me at the beach during the party. Tannin even had a pool going, so students watched my every move. Only Daeva had the guts to ask me. I just shrugged.

In the evening, I worked with my friends on Rocky Beach. Tannin rallied more Prime Earth students, both juniors and seniors. It wasn't hard once students heard company reps were stopping by.

Master Rahm finally started an afterschool program for the Subsixers, using the Mount Hermon Elementary cla.s.srooms and the sublevel library. He offered two-day vacations off the island for volunteers, and they came in droves.

"This is temporary until I hire more teachers," he explained when we spoke.

"And cla.s.srooms?" I asked.

"Your father plans to expand Mount Hermon Academy and Elementary."

There was no word from either Father or Solange on Thursday. The Northwest Sector was America, Canada, and Mexico. I used the school computers to search for any problems in the area-strikes, riots, political mayhem-and came up empty. Maybe the problem concerned only our people, not humans.

I paid Sir Malax a visit before I went to bed. "Have you heard from my father?"

"No, Princess. But we know he's fine. He's on a tight schedule."

"Do you have real-time clairvoyant observation stations?"

He frowned. "What is that?"

"A live feed from wherever he is," I said. I couldn't even explain how I knew about live feeds. "Clairvoyants observing him can pa.s.s the images to clairvoyants here, so you know exactly where he is."

"No, we haven't tried that kind of live feed."

Why not? I wanted to demand. I studied the people in the office talking to clairvoyants. The images were real time. Why wasn't he monitoring my father? Something was definitely wrong.

"Thank you, Sir Malax," I said politely, when I wanted to rant and call him names.

I had another weird dream. I couldn't move or open my eyes, and a red light shone on my eyelids. I woke up feeling more tired than usual. My powers were fluctuating again. Since they were tied to my emotions, it made perfect sense that they were. The sick feeling in the pit of my stomach grew. I couldn't get rid of the feeling of dej vu, like I'd waited for someone like this before and things had gone south.

Bran wasn't waiting for me at school on Friday when I arrived. A quick psi scan said he wasn't in the city. Or his shield was up. Katia and Lottius distracted me until we went to our separate cla.s.ses, then my thoughts returned to my father.

What's wrong? Bran asked during third period.

Hey, I missed you this morning.

I had to take care of something. What's wrong? You're pulsing.

I listened to thoughts in the cla.s.s. I can't be. No one is complaining of headaches.

No one is complaining of headaches because your psi energy is low. Abnormally low. Did something happen last night that I missed? This morning?

I frowned. No. I probably drained my energy fighting Master Kenta and the students last night. He extended it for another thirty minutes because some students were goofing around. I woke up tired this morning.

There was silence. How often does this happen?

I smiled. Lady Nemea had asked me the same question last week. I'd hedged. Not this time. Once or twice a week since I came out of the coma, but fluctuating energy is normal among the Specials. Three students in my cla.s.s are Specials and their energy surges and falls, too. I'm worried about my father, Bran. I'm sure something is wrong.

You're surging again. Just a second.

The brush of energy against mine didn't surprise me. And like always, I welcomed its warmth and calming effect.

Better? Bran asked.

Yes, how did you...? Everything fell into place before the words left my lips. How could I have been so blind? It's you.

It's me what?

The one who calms me whenever I panic or get angry. You stroke my energy with yours.

Of course it's me. Who did you think it was? He sounded annoyed.

I grinned. I don't know. I tried to figure it out and gave up. I just knew it calmed me down and I welcomed it. And watch your tone, mister.

I don't like the idea of someone else getting inside your head or that close to your energy.

A shiver ran up my spine. Dante, the prisoner in the dungeons, had gotten inside my head and told me what to do to calm down. I swallowed, my heart pounding hard. How did the traitor in the dungeon know such personal details about me?

What's going on, Lil?

I tried to calm myself, but the sunken eyes of Prisoner Zero zipped through my head. We need to talk.

Whoa, sweetheart. Easy. You're pulsing again. A lingering caress didn't seem to help. Okay. I think I may have found a way to evade your security without throwing a party. Meet me at Seraph's tonight after dinner. I'll be there around seven.

Okay. If my father was in trouble, I was going to help him, which meant knowing everything about my past.

"What do you think, Lilith?"

Master Otego, the history teacher, yanked me back to the cla.s.sroom. I stared at him blankly. "Can you repeat the question, please?"

He frowned and I could swear his ears twitched. He was a bald guy with a dark-brown complexion. His head, neck, and even his temples had light and dark spots like a leopard or a cheetah. It made him look very interesting.

"History tells us that the Guardians tend to accept Hermonites who stray to their side. Should they keep the displaced children from the war on Coronis Isle?"

The conversation I'd had with Solange flitted in my head. "It is my understanding that we already have people searching for the Specials. We are discussing the Specials, right?"

He chuckled. "Yes. So you think we should bring these children home?"

I shrugged. "Yes. They belong with their families."

"Do they?" Master Otego paced in front of the cla.s.s. "How many of you think they belong with the Guardians, and why?"

"They were raised at Azazel Center and had little contact with their families, so they didn't really know their parents or siblings, and vice versa," a student said.

"The Guardians have given them the only home they've ever known," another added. "So, if it boils down to who gives them a happy home, they win."

My eyes connected with Katia. She looked furious and her eyes were bright with tears. I raised my hand.

"Yes, Lilith?"

"Can I give a reb.u.t.tal?" I asked.

He nodded. "Sure."

"Just because their parents or family members didn't see them often doesn't mean they didn't or don't love them," I said. "The bond between a parent and a child happens before birth and grows stronger when the child is placed in their mother or father's arms. That bond is never broken. The love never goes away."

"The Inst.i.tute took some of the children when they were as young as six months, depending on when their powers started to show," a student at the back of the cla.s.s said. "The love might have been transferred to their caregivers, so the bond you're talking about could be one-sided."

"Then the children should be given a chance to rediscover or reconnect with their birth parents and siblings," I said. "I am the poster child for what could happen between a parent and a child. My father never gave up on finding me, and I don't think any parent"-my eyes met Katia's-"or sibling should give up on finding their missing sisters and brothers. Now that I'm home again, I can't imagine a life without my father."

"Well said," Master Otego said. "However, it is a known fact that some of the Specials were unstable and their parents gave them up out of fear of what they might do. Do these parents deserve to have their children back?"

There was a chorus of "no."

My eyes met with the omni sisters and I wondered about their background.

"Then it is our duty as a people to raise them," someone said.

"Let's not forget that the Specials wouldn't be in this present predicament if the Guardians hadn't attacked us," another student added.

"And that Guardians will only want to use them in their misguided fight to protect humanity," Katia said. "Some families here just want them home."

For the first time in months, I was actually enjoying history. Unfortunately, as soon as I left the cla.s.s, I went back to stressing over my father. Even my friends noticed it.

"What's wrong?" Katia asked as we headed to the cafeteria.

"My father," I said. "I'm worried about him."

Katia and Lottius exchanged glances. "He takes trips and stays away for days, even weeks," Katia said. "I mean, he has homes on every continent."

"Maybe he has a lady friend," Lottius looked at me, and shrugged. "Or more than one. He's a powerful man, and certain women are attracted to that."

I made a face. "I don't care about how many women he has." Though I was sure Lady Nemea would. "I just want him home safe. He said there were problems in the Northwest Sector before he left."

Bran was not in the cafeteria, and once again, I performed a psi scan. He wasn't on the island. Not sure whether to worry or not, I focused on the conversation around our table.

We barely started eating when everyone scrambled to their feet, their hands going to their chests, heads bowed. Thinking it was my father, I whipped around.

My sister was the grande dame of entrances.

Solange, Riesa, and Kimber strode toward our table. Students hurried to make a path for them. They were striking in their black pants, shirts, boots, and trench coats. Dark lords. Or did they call the females dark ladies?