Her friends went to get something to eat while Solange plopped onto the chair next to mine. "Hey, little sis."

I searched her face. "Is Father okay?"

She smiled. "Of course. He sent me with these. More presents." She put a small present bag in front of me. "He thought you might be worried."

I dove inside the bag and pulled out a clear box with a green crystal, probably a CC, and a black velvet box. I looked up and caught a strange expression on Solange's face. She smiled and I wondered if I'd imagined it. "Thank you. I was so worried about him."

"Why?"

"He said he'd be back on Wednesday and today is Friday. I was sure something bad had happened to you guys."

"You are so melodramatic." She rolled her eyes and stood. "I've done my sisterly duty, so see ya."

"Are you going back?"

"Yep." She waved to her friends.

"To where?"

"L.A. Can I go now?" She didn't wait for an answer, just joined her friends and then left the cafeteria.

"Your sister scares the c.r.a.p out of me," Tannin said.

"She's sweet," I fibbed.

"Yeah, like a viper," Lottius said under her breath, but I heard her. We exchanged a grin. I was in such a good mood, her att.i.tude didn't bother me. My father was fine.

Lady Nemea was waiting for me when I got home. "Solange said you heard from your father."

I showed her the CC. "I haven't watched it yet."

"Go ahead. I'll get you something to eat."

"Thanks." I sat on my bed and opened the velvet box first. The b.u.t.terfly necklace inside was simple and gorgeous. Lady Nemea came back and found me trying to put it on.

"That is beautiful," she said, walking around to help snap it on. She lifted the b.u.t.terfly and stroked it.

"He knows I love b.u.t.terflies, like my mom." I studied the necklace, then reached for the CC. Lady Nemea continued to sit. "I'd like to watch this now. Alone."

"Of course. Let me know what he says." She teleported.

I opened the box with the crystal and activated it. Light shot out. I waited for Father's image to appear. Waited and waited.

Nothing happened. The light dimmed and went off. No, there must be a mistake.

I reactivated the crystal again. Once again, no images appeared. Anger swelled inside me. That conniving, bitter piece of dark matter masquerading as my sister...

Solange! I screamed. What was her problem? First the CC from Gavyn, now this. Had she switched them, or just deleted them? I paced, imagining different ways to make her suffer.

Then I realized what I was doing, stressing, probably shooting off energy. The fact that Bran hadn't come running said he wasn't on the island. A quick scan confirmed it. Taking a deep breath, I focused on calming down.

Still a little p.i.s.sed, I marched across the room and through the family area. The two guards who'd taken over from Ruby and Callum jumped to their feet. They were new, but this was one time I didn't ask for names. Sir Malax had been using new and younger guards since Father left.

"Have you seen Solange?" I asked.

"No, Princess," they said in unison.

I could feel their eyes drilling holes in my back as I entered Solange's bedroom. "Solange! Where are you?"

Of course, I knew she wasn't around, but I still made a show of searching for her. The closet and bedroom were empty. I focused on the energies around the room and found where she hid her stash of CCs-in a secret compartment under her ma.s.sive bed.

I took the box and teleported to my room. She had so many of the crystals in different colors, but several of them were like the purple one Father had sent me.

I chose one of them and activated it. Gavyn's smug face appeared in the holograph. My stomach started churning as he started talking.

"We have everything in place at my end, Solange," he said. "My brother and Lilith are exactly where we want them. Finish your part and get in touch with us ASAP."

I frowned. Who was "us?" I activated the second crystal.

"The Tribunal will have no choice but to send the Archangels to take care of them now. I know we'll lose some of our people, but it is for the greater good. Have you found your father yet? We'll need him to rally the people behind us," he said.

"We have to get rid of the High Council," he said in another. "They lack vision. We'll replace them when the time is right. Right now, we need Lilith. Oh, thanks for keeping me updated on your father. Who knew he'd bought an island and was building a city for our people? You are right. It is perfect."

"So, the little princess is under your control. Make sure it stays that way. He can't know, or our plan is blown. Keep them busy." This fourth CC was short and to the point.

I couldn't breathe. Nausea hit me hard and I ran to the bathroom. I lost the snack I'd eaten, my eyes tearing. I'd bought everything Gavyn had told me. Was Bran really my boyfriend, or was he part of a diabolical plot with my sister and his brother?

I rinsed my mouth, staggered back into my bedroom, and continued watching the CCs. In one, Gavyn talked about the Tribunal and the plans for the island. In another, he responded to one about keeping me docile, powerless. That meant lowering my energy. Draining it. They weren't draining my energy to help me. They did it to control me.

The CCs appeared to cover the period from before the Tribunal until after I arrived on the island. There was very little mention of my father after Gavyn mentioned the island, so I couldn't tell if they had plans for him, too. At least I now knew my father was never behind the Tribunal.

My first instinct was to destroy the CCs. Turn them into dust. Nuke them. But that would let her know that I knew about them. Not that I knew what their endgame was or who else on the island was in on it. Did Katia know?

My stomach heaved again. I gathered the crystals, put them back in their box, locked it, and took it back to her room. I hoped she didn't realize I'd found them. As soon as Father came home, I was showing him every last one of them. In the meantime, I had to know if Bran was involved.

I nearly jumped out of my skin when I left her room and found Lady Nemea waiting for me. "Is Solange back?" she asked.

"No. I was hoping she was. What's going on?" I hoped I sounded normal, because my mind was a mess.

"I just wanted to ask about your father."

Part of me wanted to tell her about Solange, but the cautious part wasn't sure she could be trusted. Just because she loved my father didn't mean she wasn't colluding with Solange and Gavyn. Gavyn, Mr. Don't Trust Anyone On The Island, was a liar. Bran had repeated his lies or agreed with most of the things he'd said. What did that make him? Another liar? Were the brothers colluding to control me? Maybe that was why he could move around the island without being busted. Their supporters helped him. My anger started to build up again.

"Lilith?"

I stared at Lady Nemea, wishing she could leave me alone. "He said not to worry, yada, yada, yada," I fibbed. "He'll be home soon. I, uh, need to shower before dinner, and after dinner I'm going to visit the Subsixers."

"You know how I feel about you going down there, Lilith," Lady Nemea said.

"I know." I wanted to touch her arm to rea.s.sure her, but I wasn't in a benevolent mood. "But I promised Seraph I'd visit again. Bilal said we have surplus pastries. Can you believe they forgot Father and half the guards were gone? Weird, huh? I asked her to put them in baskets so I can take them with me. Gotta go."

I disappeared into the bathroom and sagged against the door. That was the best acting I'd ever done. The problem was that I had to continue doing it until Father returned or until I found out what was really happening on this island.

The shower didn't make me feel better. Where was Bran? A quick scan said he wasn't back. I needed to connect to someone. I did something I would never have thought of doing a few weeks ago-I went to Father's quarters. The guards didn't even bat an eyelid when they saw me. I knew they would call Sir Malax, but I didn't care.

I sat on his bed. Being surrounded by his earthy scent brought me some comfort. Feeling so alone, I kicked off my shoes, curled up on his bed, and closed my eyes. The dam broke. I cried and cried until I was drained. By the time I left his room, I was calmer and focused.

Lady Nemea was unusually quiet during dinner, and I was sure I was to blame. She tried to talk about Father, but I wasn't in the mood. When she asked me about school, I answered in monosyllables.

"Are you sure you want to go to Sublevel six now?" she asked when we were done eating. "Most people will be eating dinner or having family time."

"Then the pastries will be my contribution to their meal." I was probably safer among the Subsixers than among the people in the castle. Another scan said Bran was still not around. He'd better be at Seraph's place when I get there, I thought. I needed proof once and for all that he was on my side.

I waited until Lady Nemea left before leaving, too. "Let's stop by the kitchen to pick up a few things," I told the two new guards. They were young and looked so inexperienced.

"May I ask where we are going, Princess?" one of the guards asked.

"Sublevel six." When they looked at each other, I c.o.c.ked my eyebrows. "What?"

"We must inform Sir Malax or-"

"Okay. Go ahead. Lady Nemea already knows and she's okay with it. I mean, we're taking them leftover food from the kitchen." Despite my indifferent tone, I hoped they didn't inform Sir Malax, since he could foil my plans. I'd never trusted Mr. Funny Eyes. If anyone topped my list of People Plotting Something Dastardly, it was Malax.

Downstairs, Bilal's a.s.sistants handed each guard a large basket filled with bread and pastries. I thanked Bilal. She'd told me about the extra food when I'd gone to get my snack after school.

"It is no problem, Princess," she asked. "Are we still throwing a party this weekend? I can start planning it now."

Throwing a party was the last thing on my mind now. "No. I'm putting it on hold for now. But thank you." I nodded at the guards. "Follow me."

I didn't know whether they had told Sir Malax or not about our impromptu trip. No one came to stop us or greet us when we appeared in the hallway outside Seraph's home.

Callum opened the door before we could knock. "Princess, what a surprise."

Was it? My distrust level was off the charts. "What are you doing here?"

"Visiting," Callum said, then added telepathically, Bran is inside.

"We're here to see Seraph," I said to distract my guards. "We brought some treats."

-21-.

There was hardly enough room for all of us inside Seraph's home. Callum wasn't the only visitor. Ruby was there, too. I wasn't sure how I felt about their presence. I planned to visit the dungeons and talk to Prisoner Zero, and I didn't want guards with me. Bran wasn't in the living room, but he was nearby.

"Can I have this too, Mommy?" Seraph asked, adding a cream-filled croissant on top of the three pieces on her plate.

"I don't know, sweetheart," her father said. "Don't you want your friends to have some too?"

Seraph's lower lip jutted out, but she nodded and put one back in the basket. She glanced at me. "Can I have one more, Princess Lilith?"

"Two is great. I'll bring more tomorrow." I smiled at her father. It was my first time meeting him. He was a dark-haired man with a serious face. The wife had introduced him as Anzu, son of Barachiel.

"Thank you, Princess. Is it okay if she helps pa.s.s the rest to our neighbors?" Anzu asked, and I nodded.

Seraph and Ruby left with a basket and headed down the left hallway. Callum convinced the guards to help him. "The princess will be fine with Anzu and his wife," he rea.s.sured them. "I'll keep an eye on her." They headed right.

Inside the house, Seraph's parents pointed at another door. At the back of my mind, I wondered if I could really trust them. I had questioned the loyalty of some people after my talk with Gavyn. Now I suspected everyone.

I walked in to find Bran pacing. He stopped, his eyes locking on me with an intensity that made me blush. I smiled weakly. He looked amazing as usual in black T-shirt and jeans, but then again, what he wore never really defined him.

I closed the door and silence followed as we stared at each other. I wanted to clutch him and never let go, but there was that nagging voice in the back of my head questioning everything. Could he be working with his brother?

"You okay?" Bran asked.

I started to nod, but then I stopped. I hated liars and didn't want to become one. I shook my head. Emotions surged through me and I started to shake. After the things I'd learned, I felt alone and vulnerable. Who could I trust? This beautiful man standing before me was supposedly putting his life in danger to be with me, yet I wasn't sure whether to trust him anymore.

"Lil," Bran whispered, and took a step closer. "What is it?"

I raised my hand to stop him from getting closer. If he touched me now, I'd dissolve into tears. "No. Don't. I have things I need to say first. Questions that I need answered."

He frowned. "Questions about us?"

"About everything. You and I are supposed to be in love, yet I don't remember you. How is that possible when I'm this powerful person? How could someone erase my memories? What's wrong with me that I can't remember anything?"

Bran extended his arms as though to touch me but stopped when I flinched. He closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. When he opened them, his eyes gleamed with unnatural intensity.

"First," he said slowly as though choosing his words carefully, "there's absolutely nothing wrong with you. We are dealing with Princ.i.p.alities and Archangels, powerful deities and demons. And they are douchebags. Second, there's no 'supposed to be in love' when it comes to us. We are bound in ways no one understands. We complete each other, Lil. From the moment I met you, I knew you were the one." He gave me a sheepish grin. "In fact, I was drawn to your energy before we met. Whether you remember me or not, my place is with you, and that's why I'm here. Always and forever."

I searched his face. My chest hurt as though he'd sucked the oxygen from the room and my lungs were starved of air. My heart threatened to leap from my chest. I loved this guy. I couldn't explain how I knew. It wasn't just the utter belief in his voice or how I felt whenever he was around. Something inside me recognized him, like he was a part of me. But the doubts refused to disappear.

"Yours always, mine forever," I whispered.

He smiled. "Those were our vows. We exchanged them thousands of miles in the air with the elements as our witnesses."

"I dreamed about those words. I just didn't know what they meant. So, you have wings?"

"Yes." He pulled off his T-shirt and I caught myself ogling him. He had a beautiful body-broad shoulders, a chest that went on forever, washboard abs, and narrow hips. I wished I could let go of the doubts and just enjoy the view.

He curled his body, his knees bending, head dropping to his chest. b.u.mps appeared on his back. It was as though something was alive under his skin. He strained, the muscles on his back shifting and reforming until V-shaped b.u.mps formed. The bulges grew and transformed into wings. At first, the wings were small like Cupid's. Then they grew.

I took a step back, my eyes widening as they kept growing, the feathers black and glossy with a white line of down on the inside. They were huge.