Betrayed Read Online Free

wrapped around me and pul ed me into his chest. I turned, buried my face into his neck, and held him tight. Whatever Valafar’s motive, I wasn’t going to be suckered into listening to him. No way.
    The phone started to ring again.
    2. Medium
    I fished the cel phone from my coat pocket, my heart pounding. Yanking the battery out didn’t stop the ringing.
    “How’s he doing this when it has no battery?” I whispered.
    “He’s not.” Bran stopped scrutinizing the students near us like they were escaped felons and focused on me. “Let me take care of him.” I hesitated, hating to depend on anyone, even Bran, to take care of my problems.
    “Please,” Bran added softly, understanding my reluctance.
    I shoved the phone in his hand.
    Images of TVs turning on and phones ringing when unplugged zipped through my head. Spirits did things like that in movies, except I now know that in real life spirits were mainly demons causing mischief. Valafar could be using glamour to hide among the students. Or maybe he had the ability to become invisible. As a nature-bender, there was no tel ing what other weird powers he had.
    “Stop using a medium to spy on her!” Bran snarled into the receiver.
    Of course, mediums. There were no invisible beings playing with my cel phone. I real y must stop watching horror movies.
    I studied the students hurrying into the building and the ones visible through the glass wal s.
    They stood in groups in the lobby catching up on holiday news. Others were on their phones, talking or texting. My gaze connected with a few and I lowered my shield and linked to their minds.
    Thoughts and emotions slammed into my psyche—worries about boyfriends and girlfriends, family and school, fashion, video games, sports, being too fat, too short, too tal …. I broke the links and exhaled sharply. Whoa, talk about major issues.
    My knowledge about mediums was limited, but I knew they weren’t easy to spot. No physical abnormality marked them as special. They weren’t evil either, just unfortunate to have the ability to act as a conduit for the supernatural world. People considered them seers or psychics. Unfortunately, demons also used the exceptional y gifted.
    “Leave her alone. She doesn’t want anything to do with you,” Bran shouted into the phone.
    My attention shifted to Bran. His eyes had taken the stormy green tinge of the North Atlantic Ocean, which usual y spel ed trouble.
    “You don’t have anything that I need, Valafar,” he added in a cold, harsh voice I heard him use only once—when I’d refused to help him after we first met. He yanked the phone from his ear, threw it on the ground, and stomped on it.
    “Hey! What are you doing?” I snapped.
    “I’l get you a new one,” Bran growled. Any second, I expected his eyes to glow red. Bran was usual y calm and in control, even when angry.
    “No, that’s okay. I’l tel Grampa I lost it or something.”
    He gave the phone one last kick and I knew I had to do something. I reached for his left hand and sandwiched it between mine. Fury mixed with fear flowed from him into me. I closed my eyes and let my energy overlap with his, soothing and showering him with al the love from every cel in my body until he was calm. The expression on his face, when he final y looked at me, was sheepish. He forked his fingers through his raven locks.
    “I don’t know why I did that,” he murmured.
    “I don’t know why I did that,” he murmured.
    “I do.” I interlocked our fingers and studied his face. “Valafar brings out the worst in everyone.”
    “You can say that again.” A muscle ticked on his jaw. “He thought he could bribe me.”
    “Oh please. With what?”
    “Exactly. He has nothing I need.” Bran peered at me. “What did he say to you?”
    “He wanted to talk to Grampa about my safety. As if Grampa would give him the time of day.
    He also said he sent more of my mother’s things to the house. But I haven’t received anything.”