Emerge: The Awakening (29 page)

I imagine we’re done with bad dreams for now,
she yawned.

I don’t want to risk it tonight.
He wrapped his arms around her and she snuggled against his chest.

I was so scared I lost you,
he murmured.
Please stop beating yourself up about Quinn.

It should have been me! I messed up. The dreams were a warning and I didn’t see it!

We’re young, we’re still learning. I didn’t see it, either. We couldn’t have known it was a premonition. We’ll find him. And if we don’t, he’s strong; he’ll take care of himself.

I hesitated, just like you all knew I would!
Allie’s face crumbled under the weight of her guilt.
I had him!
she sobbed.
I should have killed him for touching me! Then he wouldn’t have shot me. The others wouldn’t have been distracted and Quinn would still be here!

You don’t know that. Killing isn’t done lightly. Any of us would have tried to avoid it.

I had him and I just let him go!

You did everything right! Stop blaming yourself.

I have to take my training more seriously. I have to stop thinking like a mortal.

Don’t stop being you, Lex.

I can’t stand fighting, and I hate weapons. It’s one thing to hesitate when I’m protecting myself, but it’s another when my actions, or lack of, hurts our family.

I will help you, but don’t let this change you.  

She felt hopelessness sinking in as she realized somewhere in the night everything changed. She was no longer a child—innocence was gone and it was time to grow a pair. But Navid’s words came back to haunt her…
Right now at this very moment, you are everything you should be and you cannot allow circumstances to change who you are at your core. Always remember this girl, this version of yourself.

Allie just wondered how she could possibly live this life and still be that girl.

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CHAPTER

FORTY-FOUR

Will we ever get to go home?
Allie asked as she and Aidan settled under a grove of laurel trees. They arrived at Aide and Hélène’s farmhouse along the New York side of the lake several days ago and she wasn’t sure what their next move would be. Lily and Carson were fishing at the dock, under the impression that they were all vacationing together.

Eventually.
He shrugged.
But Dad won’t make that decision until he’s absolutely certain it’s safe.

“You guys are creepy when you do that.” Sasha frowned when she joined them. The light in her eyes had dimmed since Quinn’s capture and Allie wondered if her friend would ever forgive herself for what happened.

“Apparently Dad has decided we’re all leaving tomorrow,” she announced in a flat tone.

“Where are we going?”

“We’ll finish the school year in Agra in the guise of some study abroad program. Chloe and Graham are scattering to parts unknown with their families. We’ll all reconvene in a few months on the white sandy beaches of the Azores,” she sighed, obviously not in the mood for vacationing.

Allie wasn’t in the mood either, especially when beaches meant bathing suits, which meant dealing with her disfigurement.

You are not disfigured, Lex. You’re beautiful and always will be.

You’re biased.

It’s just a scar, baby, it doesn’t define you.

I know. I’d just like to wallow in self-pity for a bit.

Allie’s shoulder was healing very slowly and so far, the scar was hideous. Thin, ropes of knotted tissue spread along her jaw, down her throat and around to the back of her shoulder and bicep, marking the path of the magnetic poison as it spread through her system.

You’ll hardly notice it in a few weeks,
Aidan said cheerfully.

She shot him a scathing glare in return.

“You know, you could just go back to pretending we don’t know you can do that,” Sasha muttered uncomfortably. “Allie, Dad wants to see you. He’s waiting in Aide’s office and he’s kicked everyone out, so…good luck with that.”

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Allie made her way through the deserted house. She’d dreaded this moment since her rescue.

“Come on in, Red!” Gregg called from the study.

“Where is everyone?”

“Out. We need privacy for this, but I will not tell you to block Aidan. I know he’ll be the one you run to.”

“What’s going on?” she asked, closing her mind off to Aidan. She would tell him later, but she knew this was going to be bad. 

“Aidan has shown me his memories of your nightmares,” he began.

“I thought I was dreaming about the caves.” She was afraid she was in trouble for not telling them about her dreams.

“Aye, I know how difficult it is for a Clairvoyant to read their dreams, Allie. I watched Kassandre struggle with it for years. She was the most powerful Seer who ever drew breath, but even she struggled to understand what she saw.”

“You’re so much like her.” He smiled. “Strong willed and bloody stubborn with flaming red hair to match. But in many ways you’re much more like Asher.”

“Gregg…what are you trying to say?”

“It’s funny how Aidan and Sasha take after Nae and I in so many subtle ways,” he continued. “Aidan and I share many similarities in personality, but he looks nothing like me, and there is very little of my powerful nature in him, where Sasha is very much my daughter in that way.”

“What are you saying?” she asked again.

“This Livia woman has vanished. There’s no record of who she is or where she came from. As far as the Senate knows, she does not exist. For whatever reason, she’s shown an interest in you…and that necklace you wear.”

“I don’t understand.”

“It seems she recognized it the moment she saw it, as did I.” He reached for a book on the shelf behind him, slowly flipping through its pages as if avoiding a painful task. He stopped on the page he was looking for and carefully passed the book to her.

She gazed at the photo of the Chiefs of Justice. She recognized the second couple as the current leaders of the International Senate. But her focus was drawn to the other two figures. Kassandre was a beautiful, petite redheaded woman with silvery gray eyes, and her husband was a handsome, tall, dark, green-eyed man. Allie stared at them for a long time before she trusted herself to speak. She recognized them instantly and felt a surge of white-hot rage igniting her power deep within her core, begging for release.

There was no doubt she was the image of Kassandre, but she was more interested in the man who stood beside her. Gregg knew him as Ashar, but Allie knew him as Navid.

Be cautious, Allie.
His voice filled her mind.
Our world believes I am long dead.

Is it true?

Yes, sweetheart, I am your father, and I am so proud of you…but Gregg cannot know—
his voice trailed off with an echo.

“How long have you known?” Her eyes blazed with fury, her power barely under control.

“Easy, Allie,” Gregg cautioned. “The day I met you, I was reminded of Kassandre. My suspicions grew, and as I got to know you, I saw not only Kassandre in you, but Ashar as well. Still I denied it. It just seemed so impossible. The day I gave you her sai, and they sang for you, I was all but certain, but I was so afraid of what it would mean for you, I refused to accept it. Now, here you sit, wearing her necklace and I can see his cool judgment and keen intelligence burning in those green eyes you could only have inherited from him. I can deny it no longer. You are their natural child.”

“How could you keep this from me?” she exploded, throwing the book across the room. Something powerful inside her snapped and she intuitively restrained it. She couldn’t lose control now.

“I do not know what circumstances brought you to Lily and Carson, but your mother’s hand is in this! She had her reasons for keeping you in the dark and my guess is she did it to give you anonymity. There is no doubt in my mind; you are Kassandre’s daughter. I should have accepted it the moment I laid eyes on you…with that hair, that sarcastic mouth, and the way you love so fiercely. You are your mother’s daughter and she would be so proud.”

“Lily is my mother!” Allie shrieked, reaching for something heavier to throw.

“I’m so sorry, sweetheart.”

“But…they’re dead?”

“Aye, they were assassinated several years ago by the Coalition.”

She remembered talking with Daniel about the assassination of Kassandre and Ashar. It was a sad story with very few details. They were taken in the night along with a few other key members of the International Senate. All were killed.

But how is Navid alive? If he really is Ashar…my father…then Kassandre must be alive as well. They must have escaped. Please, Navid! I need answers!
But silence echoed in her mind.

“They had another child, Allie—another natural daughter two centuries ago. You are their
second
natural daughter, and I might be the only living soul who knows Kassandre was the seventh daughter of her line. Her mother was Queen Alísun—your natural, maternal grandmother.”

“Queen? Prophecy?” Allie’s knees buckled. Gregg guided her to a chair before she collapsed to the floor.

“The Power is corrupted, and will remain so until a new generation is born with the strength of their ancestors,” Gregg quoted. “Led by one with an unsullied, natural connection with the Power. His heart will guide him, giving him the restraint to wield his Power wisely. He will gather his equals and together they will stand against those who persist in the corruption of the natural order. He will be strong and fierce in his beliefs, and steadfast in his love. Born the second child of the seventh daughter of his line, he alone will possess the skills and the knowledge to heal what has been broken. He alone will have the courage to judge unbiased and mete out the ultimate punishment. Until the time of his birth, may we prepare the way and hope for the future of all the races of men.”

“The word ‘heal’ always made me think of Aidan. For years, I’ve watched my son struggle with his power, growing up with his incredibly talented friends. I’ve watched helplessly as he’s suffered in isolation, alone and lonely and I thought, somehow, I was seeing prophecy fulfilled through my own child.”

“I was wrong, Allie. The prophecy was wrong. Aidan is destined to stand beside you as your equal. The prophecy is about
you,
Red.”

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Words cannot express how grateful I am to my family. I could not have done this without the love and support of my sister, Angela. A special thanks to my mother, Debby, who is the only one who will still talk to me about my book without rolling her eyes. And to my awesome dad, David, for giving me his very special gift of sarcasm. To my grandparents, Walter and Sue Craven, I miss you both so much! My grandparents Carl (wish you were still here) and Dawana Mills (Mamaw, I love you!)

To the one who shall remain nameless, thank you for your countless hours of acting as my sounding board. I literally could not have done this without you. And to everyone I ever asked to read the loong version—I'm so sorry, it was terrible! To Jenny, seriously, get out of my brain! Laura! Thank you so much for your enthusiasm! To my uncles, Kerry and Chris, thank you both so much for your valuable input. Michelle, your feedback was incredible! To all my beta readers, thank you so much for your enthusiasm. And a very special thanks to CDL for firing me. Now, I get to do what I really love.

To Amber J Chapman, my editor and friend, your guidance is priceless! To Deb Bedell, thank you so much for your awesome line editing, that was the task I was dreading the most and you made it so easy! And to Zoe Shtorm for the amazing cover art! Thanks to Spotify for being the greatest thing since sliced bread. I couldn't get through the day without you.

A big thank you to the city of Cleveland for all the wonderful memories and providing the perfect setting for Emerge. And to Kelleys Island especially. The island as it is portrayed in the book is purely fictional, but is based on the real Kelleys Island near Sandusky, Ohio.

Finally, I thank God for the constant reminder that I am doing what I am supposed to be doing. Over the last five years, circumstances
always
bring me back to writing—my favorite thing to do in the whole world.

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