Warmth stirred in her chest as he rallied, desperately clinging to his end of the bond. Allie willed her strength to him. She could see their bond in her mind, visualizing her strength coursing along that bond to bolster him using her gift to lend vitality. She imagined her strength leaving her body in search of his. It wasn’t possible. She had to be touching him to do it, but she pretended for a moment that she could feel herself growing weaker.
“Allie, stop,” Navid said sharply. “What are you doing?” He pulled her out of her meditative state.
Allie blinked, coming back to the present. Her eyes widened with the realization of what she’d done. “I didn’t think it would actually work.” She wasn’t supposed to help him. Darius had to do this on his own. She reigned in her power, pulling away from Darius in her mind. She’d always needed physical contact to use her ability before. She’d never realized she didn’t need it with Darius. “It was only for a minute,” she said, her heart hammering in her chest. She didn’t want to be the reason this went on any longer for him.
“It’s okay,” Navid assured her. “Just don’t let it happen again.”
“Will you go check on him? Just to be sure? We haven’t had a report from Grandpa in hours. I’m worried.”
“Of course, Livia and I will go and come right back.”
Navid left her in Naeemah’s care.
“How are you feeling?” Naeemah asked.
“Sore. I think I need to lie down again.” The tension and lack of rest was its own kind of torture, but Darius was experiencing a level of pain she couldn’t fathom. Allie only felt a shadow of his physical pain, but it was enough to wreak havoc on her body.
“Come, let’s go rest by the fountains.” Naeemah guided her across the soft green lawn to the bed of pillows they’d made for her there. She loved them for trying so hard to make this easier on her, but all the spa music in the world wouldn’t help after days of this endless waiting. She really just wanted to curl up in a dark corner by herself and pray for daylight.
“Was this what it was like for Aidan when he sat with me through my Awakening?” Allie asked. It felt odd saying his name. She rarely talked about him with his family anymore.
“In a way, yes, but on a much smaller scale,” Naeemah said. “There is no doubt Awakenings are painful, especially for those like you and Aidan, but there is something particularly awful about an adult’s Proving.”
“I miss him, Naeemah.” Her voice sounded like sandpaper against wood.
“You and me both.” She smoothed Allie’s hair back. “But Aidan will come home to all of us one day.”
Allie shook her head. “He left me. I don’t think he’s ever coming back. Not to me.”
“Leaving you broke something inside him, Allie. It was the hardest thing he’s ever done, and he didn’t do it without good reason. Trust in that. Trust in the boy you fell in love with, because deep down inside, he is still that same boy. He has never stopped loving you.”
“So many years.” Allie shook her head. “He sacrificed himself when he didn’t need to. I don’t know if I can forgive him for that.”
“You’re both still so young,” Naeemah said. “Love makes us do stupid things when we’re young. He was only eighteen, Allie. I think Aidan made the best choice he could in an impossible situation.”
“You’re probably right. But I still want to scratch his face off for being so stupid.”
“You and me both.” Naeemah smiled.
“He is coming out of it!” Navid jogged across the lawn to her side.
“It’s over?” Allie scrambled to sit up; a spike of pain shot up her back like liquid fire. Her bones creaked and popped as she moved to stand. She couldn’t imagine how Darius would feel.
“Not yet, but he is lucid. He should be through the worst soon.”
“Thank you, Navid.” Allie breathed a sigh of relief. She took a step toward Naeemah’s office. “I have to see him.”
“You can’t, Allie. Not yet,” Alísun said.
“I’ve had enough of this.” Allie made a run for the door, but she slammed into her sister. “Out of my way, Livia.” The surge of strength evaporated at the look on her face.
“He isn’t done with his fight yet, Allie,” Livia said gently.
“But he’s lucid now. He’s asking for me.”
“No, he isn’t.” Livia’s tone was hard, and her silvery stare grew icy.
“What are you saying?” Allie tried to shove past her sister, but she was like an immovable mountain. It wasn’t like Livia to be evasive. She never sugar coated anything.
Livia stood ramrod straight, the image of the woman she used to be. “Darius doesn’t want to see you.”
He doesn’t want to see you. The painful words had swept the rug out from under Allie. As hard as she tried, she couldn’t keep her emotions in check.
“How is he?” Allie grabbed Navid’s hand as he stepped into the yard. Her body ached with the exhaustion of five days without sleep. Five of the worst days of her life, separated from her Syntrophos. The last day was worse than all the previous days combined when he hadn’t wanted to see her.
Allie had retreated to the farthest corner of the garden to sit in a swing by herself. She’d spoken little and ate nothing as she waited helplessly while Darius fought his way through the final stages of his Proving. But he’d done it. And then he’d shut her out. The whole thing was such a foreign concept for them, Allie didn’t know how to react. She was just numb.
“He’s had a difficult time, sweetheart.” Navid wrapped his arm around her waist, helping her walk. “I know it hurt when he refused you, but that had nothing to do with you. One of the most difficult things about a Proving is coming face to face with who we really are, and that is never an easy thing to accept.”
“But he’s okay now?”
“He will be once he sees you. He started asking for you about an hour ago, and he’s been anxious ever since.”
Early morning fog drifted across the grassy fields of the yard. She wanted to run, but her body just wouldn’t cooperate.
“The separation is painful,” Allie said. “How did Kassandre and Gregg do it?”
“They had so many years together.” Navid set a careful pace across the yard. “But separation was never easy for them. It’s something you two will always have to take one day at a time.”
“Hurry, Navid.” Allie’s bloodshot eyes filled with tears. “Where is he?” She quickened her step, forcing her legs to move.
“He is with George at my cabin. He is comfortable now.” Navid led them around to the back of his cabin, facing the small underground lake that hadn’t always been there.
Years ago, when Ming Lao died, the yard had flooded when her gift no longer existed to keep the underground intact. Jin Jing and Chloe had taken measures to reduce the flooding and shifting of the structures above them, but Chloe decided to leave the small lake at the far corner of the yard, in memory of her mother. Allie thought of Ming Lao every time she came here, but this morning, her thoughts were only of Darius.
“He will not seem quite himself yet, Allie. You will need to give him time to find himself again.”
Allie nodded, but then she saw him. Darius was sitting in a rocking chair on the back porch, gazing across the tranquil waters. Bundled in a white blanket, he shivered, caught up in the torment of his mind. George sat beside him, offering his silent support. George looked as haggard as Allie felt, but Darius looked strong and healthy. His color was good, and his eyes were clear. Allie was comforted that he seemed physically fine, but he’d retreated so far into himself, she couldn’t sense much from their bond. She wondered if it would ever be the same again. He stared down at the steaming cup of tea in his hand. He moved to place it on the table beside him, his hands shaking like an elderly man’s.
“I’ve got it,” George said, taking the cup from him.
“Allie?” Darius stood, turning to face her. She stumbled away from Navid, taking the porch steps on her o
wn. She didn’t say anything. Just flung her arms around him, holding him tight. Strength surged back into their bond, and they both sighed with relief.
“I’m so sorry, Allie.” His voice was barely more than a hoarse whisper.
“Shhh,” she hushed him. “It’s okay, you don’t have to talk.”
He just stood there, holding her, shaking like a leaf. He didn’t cry, but his eyes were red rimmed.
Allie slid her hands down from around his neck to cup his face. “It’s okay, Darius. It’s behind you now.”
“The worst part was being away from you,” he whispered. “Let’s not do that again.”
“Deal.” She pressed her face against his chest, feeling like they’d just completed the world’s worst marathon.
Chapter Eighteen
“I know this is the last thing you want to hear, but Jayesh will be back with Tessa and Dean tomorrow,” Livia said. “We should start making plans for our meeting.”
Allie sat on the porch of her little cottage, watching Darius and Navid sparring with Kahlynn and Lennox in the back yard. Her niece loved being outdoors so at the first sign of spring, they moved their training outside and flung open the barn doors and windows of the gym. They didn’t have nearby neighbors to worry about anyone snooping around.
“He’s so good with them.” Allie smiled. It had only been a few days since his Proving, but Darius wasn’t quite himself yet. He laughed and joked, but his eyes still held a haunted look. She was beginning to think she would never have her Syntrophos back as he was before.
“Focus, Allie,” Livia said.
“What?” Allie glanced at her sister.
“You have to get your head back into this.”
“Into what?”
“Soma. Taking over. Doing something about the mess Marcus and the Senate have made of our world. Ring any bells?” Livia frowned.
“Right.” Allie sighed. “What is it about this Tessa girl that we need so badly?”
“She was a talented girl, but she was gullible. We turned her into the poster child of Soma. Made her think she was a shining star with a bright future. She dedicated her life to training with us. We charged her and her mother a fortune to train her, and then we sold her for fourteen million dollars to Vivian Dyson of Valkyrie Enterprise. She’s one of many.” Livia’s jaw set in a hard line. “That was Father’s favorite scheme. Make them think you’re helping them. Teach them how to use their gifts, gain their loyalty, and then they’ll never see it coming. It makes the transfer to the new owners easy. They don’t usually realize they’re a slave until long after Soma is out of the picture.”
“That wasn’t your scheme, Livia,” Allie said. “You did what you had to do.”
“I know, but I’ve always felt really bad about Tessa St. James. We screwed her over more than anyone. She was a star at Soma and at Amrita. She was a sweet girl, but she was completely oblivious. Everyone knew who she was, and they all aspired to be her. Her gifts are environmental. Tessa has the power to clean damaged ecosystems and return them to their former glory. And we sold her to someone who uses her to generate cheap, clean energy for those who can pay for it. Vivian Dyson has made billions off Tessa’s back. She spends her days locked in a laboratory, doing something she hates when she should be outside, thriving in her natural environment.”
“That’s awful,” Allie said. “But if she’s willing, we could definitely use her help.” Some of Allie’s initial excitement for the takeover had deflated after recent events. But Livia was right; she needed to get her head on straight.
“If we can get her on our side, others like her will respond to her story and listen to her opinions about what we’re doing,” Livia continued.
Allie nodded. “We will have to win her over.”
“I’m afraid that will be your job, sister. She’s not going to want to hear anything I have to say.”
“You will have to try, Livia. She needs to hear your story, too, you know? I’ve been lucky. I don’t have a story like Tessa’s, so I have no way to relate to her. You do. She needs to know that.” Allie turned her attention back to her niece. She hated the thought of leaving her again, even for a short while. But if they were really going to do this, they needed to do it soon.
“You know, for someone so young, you’re a wise person, Allie Carmichael.” Livia draped her arm over Allie’s shoulders. “Don’t let me forget that.”
“Let’s call this meeting, Liv. Before I change my mind.”
“Who do you want to invite?”
“Everyone we trust. The whole family. All the McBriens and the Loukases, Liam and Darius, of course. Let’s ask Gregg to bring in a few of his most trusted lieutenants, too. We’re going to need the manpower. And then Quinn, Sasha and Santi, Grandma, and Grandpa. And Navid.”
“Dad shouldn’t take such a risk. He needs to stay here,” Livia insisted.
“I won’t be sitting this one out.” Navid withdrew from the sparring match, leaving his practice sword sticking in the ground. “Sorry to eavesdrop,” he said as he came to join them on the porch. “But there is simply no way I’m staying behind. I’ve lived the last eighteen years in hiding for only one reason.” He sat down on the top step between his daughters. “And that was so I could be here for you both. Your mother and I made so many plans for you girls. So many decisions to give you each the chance to become the women you needed to be to face what you must. I’m done hiding. If someone recognizes me, then they recognize me. I’m with you both from here on out.”
“We need you, Navid.” Allie reached for his hand. “We need your guidance. And Quinn will be needing you, too.”
“I don’t like it,” Livia said. “I don’t want you taking risks anymore. You’ve been doing that for years. I want you to be safe.”
“None of us are ever safe, Livia,” Navid said softly. “You know that better than anyone.”
Livia nodded, her shoulders stiffening in the way they did when she was trying to keep her emotions in check. “All right, I’ll get everyone to this meeting. Allie, all you need to do is figure out what you’re going to say.”
“Yeah, that’s going to be breeze.” Public speaking was not Allie’s forte. There was an extremely high possibility she was going to fall flat on her face.
Chapter Nineteen
"How did I not know Liam's bar was this fancy?" Allie wandered around the huge, marble-tiled room, flooded with afternoon light. "I've only ever seen his crap bars with dirty floors and sketchy looking patrons.”
"He built this place a few years before we met," Livia said. "It was supposed to be a nice place for local Senate gatherings but turns out my husband has no patience for champagne fountains and black tie events."
Allie snorted. "I could have told him that."
“Maybe we could use it as your headquarters, now that I get a good look at it." Livia elbowed her.
“I do not need an office.” Allie scowled, eyeing the growing crowd. “I know I called this meeting, but it seems like the guest list has grown.” The circle of black and chrome chairs surrounding the conference table and lining the back of the room would house more people than she expected.
"Relax, Allie. We're all on your side. You just need to breathe.”
Allie was so nervous; she could hardly sit still. Gazing out the floor to ceiling windows, she took a few moments to catch her breath, hoping she wouldn’t screw this up.
"Allie." Emma approached her. "How are you doing?" She hugged her close. "I know this is not your thing at all."
"Freaking out. I’m really glad you’re here." Allie placed her hand over Emma’s. “I couldn't do this without you."
"I'm so proud of you." Emma said. "You've come a long way from that snarky little girl you used to be."
"Used to be?"
"Well, you're a snarky little woman now." Emma smiled. "You've got this. We're all behind you."
"Thank you, Emma." Allie turned to the growing group of people waiting for her to speak. They were all f
amiliar, friendly faces. But it was a make or break moment. If she succeeded today, she would be taking a huge step toward staking her claim. If she failed, then she wasn’t living up to the prophecy.
Allie glanced at the maps strewn across the huge conference table. Gregg and Daniel already had plans in the works. She wouldn't be doing this alone. If she were honest with herself, she was just the mouthpiece for this movement. Other people would be doing the hard work, making things happen in her name.
“You’re stressing,” Sasha said, coming to stand beside her with Quinn and Santi in tow.
“She’s Allie, of course, she’s stressing,” Quinn said.
“You know you couldn’t have any stronger supporters than the three of us,” Santi added. “Quinn and I lived the nightmare of Soma, and Sasha’s been through her own kind of hell. We’re behind you all the way.”
“Thank you, guys.” The three were a walking miracle in Allie’s opinion. Sasha and Quinn were Syntrophos with an even closer bond that came from a lifetime of growing up together. Allie always expected their romantic past would be a huge obstacle for Quinn and Santi’s relationship, but they all managed to make it work. Sasha said the Syntrophos bond helped put her feelings for Quinn into perspective, allowing her to be happy for him and Santi. But they still had their jealous moments when Quinn struggled to divide his attention between the two most important people in his life.
Allie couldn’t imagine making it work with Aidan and Naomi. Even if she and Aidan could patch things up, having Naomi become such a huge part of her life, there was no way it would work. It would tear Aidan apart.
“We’re going to need your help. Especially you, Quinn.”
“The dreamworld and my walkers are at your service. What do you guys need from us?”
“When the time comes, Sterling Tower is going to need protection.”
Quinn nodded. “We’ll handle it.”
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