Emerge- The Heir

by Melissa A. Craven

  “I’ve seen others experience much worse. Many of you know Quinn and Santi.” Allie nodded in their direction. “They trained here, but neither was ever given a choice. I know because my sister, Livia, was the one to take Quinn from us.” Allie turned to face her sister. “I hated her at first. But when she was finally free of this place, I grew to understand that she was a victim as much, if not more, than any of us. Raised by a cruel man, Livia was forced into the role she played here at Soma. I am proud to say she is not the woman you all remember. And I hope you will give her a chance to show just how much she has changed.”

  Allie scanned the crowd, looking for Dean. He stood in the middle of the gym, taking a reading of the crowd. He gave a subtle thumbs up to keep going.

  “It ends now. From this day forward, Soma will be a place of refuge for those of our generation who need it. I claim Sterling Tower as the new headquarters of Indriell, in the name of the ancient queens whose blood runs in my veins. I am the first princess, granddaughter to Queen Alísun and Alexander the Scholar.” Allie gestured at her grandparents as they came to stand with her.

  The crowd murmured anxiously, casting wary glances at each other.

  “First and foremost, you are all free to leave whenever you like. Soma is not a prison anymore. But for those who would like to train with us as we build a new Soma, you are welcome to stay. We have taken measures to ensure your safety. The building is protected. No one can enter without our permission. Not even Marcus Servius himself. But that means no one can leave without escort, either. So if you want to leave, please ask. Do not try to leave the building on your own. You won’t be able to.”

  “Just like that?” A girl in the crowd asked. “We can leave?”

  Allie nodded. “Just like that. If you’re ready to go now, line up at the exit and someone will escort you from the building.” A few of the older students made a beeline for the exit, but Allie still held the crowd’s attention.

  “And if we want to stay, just to see what you’re about?” the girl asked.

  “Stay as long as you like and leave whenever you’re ready.”

  “How can we know you’re for real?” a boy called from a group of younger students. “All this stuff you say about how bad Soma is; how do we know you’re not just making it up?”

  “She’s not making it up,” the first girl said. “I’ve wanted to leave for years and I’ve never been allowed.” She pushed up her sleeve. “The Soma mark won’t let me. I guarantee if you’d ever shown an interest in leaving, they’d have stopped you.”

  “She won’t be any better,” a young girl about Lennox’s age stepped forward. “First princess or not, this is Livia’s sister we’re talking about.”

  “She is the first princess, though,” another said. “That’s obvious.” A few others nodded, leaving Allie wondering how they could be so certain when she still doubted it.

  “May I?” Tessa stepped forward.

  “By all means.” Allie and her grandparents moved away from the railing.

  Tessa addressed the crowd calmly. “Allie is the real deal. You all can feel it. I can see it in your faces, but I know you’re guarded. It’s not easy to trust people here. You only have to hear the passion in her voice to know Allie cares deeply for all of us. If you need more proof, look no further. I grew up here. I’m literally the poster child for what Soma professes to be.” She pointed at a banner on the wall. A much younger, naive version of Tessa smiled back at them. The caption read ‘be a shooting star like Tessa St. James.’ “All my life, I was told how Soma would provide the kind of future I wouldn’t otherwise be able to attain on my own. I did everything right, and I waited patiently to receive a summons for my first assignment as a Soma agent. It would be the pinnacle of my education and the final feather in my cap. After my first assignment, I could go anywhere in the world and Immortals would be lining up to offer me jobs I could only dream about if it weren’t for the education I received here. It was all a lie.

  “The day I was finally summoned was the happiest day of my life. I couldn’t wait for the opportunity to use my gifts to do great things. Only the work I had waiting for me wasn’t what I’d been led to believe. That wasn’t what I was purchased for. Yes, I said purchased. Vivian Dyson paid Soma fourteen million dollars for the rights to own my gifts. She bought me at an auction run through the Amrita events.” Tessa gave a mirthless laugh, casting her eyes down at her captive audience. “It still took me weeks to figure it out. My first assignment was nothing like I dreamed it would be. I can do the most beautiful things with my gifts.” She shook her head.

  “When I finally realized I was a slave and that this assignment would never end, I fell into a deep depression. I thrive in the natural world, but for nearly four years I was locked in a cold and lifeless laboratory for sixteen hours a day. I was forced to use my gift in the most profane ways until I dropped from exhaustion and could no longer walk out on my own. My health suffered and I grew weak. But I produced what the master wanted.” She gave a caustic smile. “Vivian made billions off my back.

  “I am only standing here today because Jayesh, Livia, and Allie have given me my life back. But I couldn’t go home. My work here is not done. I stand behind the new first princess, ready to fight.”

  Tessa turned toward Allie, taking her hand. “You have my loyalty, my respect, and my fealty. Never again.” She turned back to the crowd below. “Never again will a child of Soma experience what I and countless others have.”

  The crowed cheered for Tessa. Another thumbs up from Dean told Allie they were, indeed, swaying the crowd to their side. Gregg and his team had only removed a few individuals Dean had flagged throughout her speech.

  But Allie wanted them to know everything before they decided to stay or go.

  “It’s not just Soma,” Allie said, raising her hands to take the crowd's attention once more. “Our own government has stood by and let this happen to us. The Senate is one of Soma’s best customers, buying and selling us like cattle. And now, they want to take Soma for themselves. That is why I am here today." She took a deep breath, feeling the tension ease from her shoulders. “I will not allow that to happen. I am making a vow to you all right now that I will be the advocate our generation needs. I will protect you all with the might of Indriell behind me.”

  For a horrifying moment, she thought the crowd was going to laugh at her audacity to think she could lead them. Silence so loud she could hear her heart beating in her chest threatened to send her running from the spotlight.

  The thunderous applause caught her by surprise, leaving her stunned and humbled by their acceptance. Allie waited for them to settle back down before she continued.

  “I will not lie. Someone very important to me is being exploited by the Senate. I am here today, claiming my birthright in a way I never thought I would because I can’t sit back and allow this to happen to him or anyone else. If you are with me, you are welcome here. We need you. If you don’t want to be involved, but you want a safe place to train, you are welcome. If you want to leave, we will not stop you. You have tonight to decide. Tomorrow, we will be changing the ways of Soma forever.”

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  “What do you mean, you’re leaving?” Livia snarled. “We just got started with this takeover.”

  “I have to go check on my parents, Liv.” Allie folded a t-shirt and slipped it into her carry on bag. “I’ll only be gone a few days.”

  “Gregg left Lily and Carson with ample security,” Livia said. “Besides, it’s not safe for you to go without me.”

  “Emma, Daniel, and Darius are going with me. I just need to see for myself that my parents are being guarded day and night, and Darius needs a little down time after all he’s been through. While I’m there, I’m going to see if I can salvage my college career. I’m hoping my professors will let me submit my work from here, so I can still graduate on time.”

  “I can’t be in charge.” Livia sat down on the edge of Allie’s bed.
“I don’t even want to be here.”

  “It’s not permanent. And you have Liam, Navid, and the grandparents here to help you. The students see you as an authority figure—”

  “They’re afraid of me, Allie. I don’t want to slip back into the woman I was.”

  Allie grabbed her sister’s hands and sat down beside her. “You have your husband and family with you now. We will not let that happen. Just think of what a great place this could be to train Kahlynn.”

  “No.” Livia pulled her hands away. “I will never bring my daughter here. I don’t want her to ever step foot inside this place.”

  “You’re thinking of the old Soma. This isn’t the same place it once was. It might take a while for the old demons to leave but they will. And we’ll make new memories here. It’s just a building, Liv. Concrete and steel beams. We get to decide what happens now.”

  “Don’t be naive, Allie. The Senate is going to retaliate. They might not be able to blow the building off the map, but they will respond. And when they do, you need to be here.”

  “Marcus might beat them to the punch.” Allie crossed the room to gather her last few things. “Right now he only knows we’ve taken over. It’s only a matter of time before he realizes I’m the child of prophecy. That I’m the one with the gift he believes belongs to him.” Allie shut the dresser drawer with a sigh. “That’s why I need to go home now. While I can. I need to tie up some lose ends so I can put my full focus here. If I wait too long, I won’t have that chance.”

  “I should go with you.” Livia insisted.

  “I’ll be quick. I promise. Would you feel better about staying here if I left Jayesh in charge?”

  “Yes.” Livia let out a breath.

  “Fine. It’s done.” Allie hugged her sister.

  "Thank you. I do understand your need to protect Lily and Carson. I would never have left my mother unless I knew she was safely out of Marcus's reach.” Porcia had spent a lot of time with the McBriens and the royals over the years, but Livia and her mother ultimately decided she needed to be somewhere Marcus could never find her. Sasha and Jayesh had helped with that. Porcia was with Mother Raghavan in the Chola Valley. Her time there would be a peaceful respite until it was safe for her to return to her daughter.

  “Perhaps it’s time you and your little family go for a nice long visit with your mother. Once things settle down here. You could use the break.”

  “That would be wonderful.” Livia’s eyes brightened at the idea. “A few days there would feel like months. That’s exactly what we need.”

  “We should go.” Allie tossed her bag over her shoulder. “We have a meeting with the trainers in the dining hall before I leave. I’ll be back this weekend, so we can discuss having a meeting with the parents of all the younger children in residence here. They need to be informed of the takeover and what we intend.”

  Allie and Livia left the suite they’d used for the last few days and headed down the hall to the stairwell.

  “Allie, hey.” Jayesh hopped off the elevator as they passed. “Just the person I was looking for. Do you have time to talk to the onsite staff before you go? I’m hearing some grumblings about job security with the new regime.”

  “Job security?” Allie frowned as she took the stairs down to the dining hall with Jayesh and Livia behind her.

  “The support staff. Cooks, housekeepers, concierge staff, all the people who make this place run smoothly. They just need to know where they stand.”

  “Of course, they are welcome to stay in their jobs. I will talk to them this evening if they can all be gathered in the gym?” She took a left down a side hall to catch a shortcut across the building.

  “Can you stay until tomorrow? Not everyone is here today.”

  “I’m leaving tonight. I can do a letter or something to address their concerns, so they have it in writing.”

  “Okay, that’ll work.”

  “Thank you, Jayesh. I appreciate all you’ve done for Soma since you’ve taken the leadership role. You’ve done a great deal to make this takeover easier. I’d like you to continue to be in charge while I’m away.”

  “Me?” He sighed. “I hate this job, Allie. It was supposed to be temporary, but that was almost four years ago.” He glanced at Livia, frowning. “I was hoping with your return that you would take your old job back.”

  “I don’t want it,” Livia growled.

  “Someone has to stay in Marcus’s pocket,” Jayesh said. “I kinda thought that would fall to me since you’re married with a kid now.”

  “Enough.” Allie blew out a breath as she stopped in front of the dining hall doors. “We will deal with Marcus eventually. Right now, he can’t reach us here, and he doesn’t know anything about me yet. We have some time before we have to deal with that confrontation. Neither of you are going back to Marcus. Ever. We’re done with that.”

  Jayesh and Livia shared a look that said neither could believe that part of their lives was really over. She was so tired of seeing that skeptical look on so many faces. She could see it in Sasha and Santi. Quinn and Dean. Everyone she loved was so used to being used, they couldn’t see a different way of life even when it was staring them in the face.

  “Jayesh, I need you here just a little longer to keep this place running smoothly. And Livia, I need you to help establish the new rules and get these kids on the right path. And I need you two to work together. You’re on the same side now.” She turned, catching the scowls passing between the two. They were like siblings in their rivalry. It would be amusing if it weren’t keeping them from moving forward.

  “Now, we have some trainers to talk to. I want them to understand what we expect. They need to know certain practices are no longer acceptable. I’m asking Gregg and Naeemah to come teach a class on how to train young Immortals. And then Emma and Daniel can teach them how to properly mentor.”

  Allie reached for the double doors and paused.

  “Allie?” Livia frowned. “How did you know how to get here? You get lost every five seconds without a guide.”

  Allie stared at her hand, wrapped around the door handle. “I don’t know.” But she did. These halls were familiar to her. She’d walked them in her dreams for years.

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  “I’m very proud of you, you know,” Alísun said as she drove Allie and Darius from the airport back to Sterling Tower. Emma and Daniel stayed behind with their son, Parker, but planned to return with Graham once he graduated from MIT in a few weeks.

  “I can’t say I’m not still completely terrified,” Allie admitted, “but I’m also excited by the prospects for the future.”

  “I would worry if you weren’t scared shitless,” Alísun said with a wry grin. “If you’re afraid of making the wrong decisions, then you’re on the right track. No just ruler has ever not been weighed down by the responsibility to their people. I know I chose well.” She patted Allie’s knee as they approached Midtown.

  “Darius, I trust you are recovering from your Proving?” Alísun asked.

  “Spending a few quiet days at home was good for me. I feel more like myself.”

  “Bouncing back from a Proving can be startling.” Alísun glanced at him over her shoulder. “You suffered through this monumental change, and you expect your physical recovery to be just as arduous as recovering from an Awakening, but with a Proving, recovery happens up here.” She tapped her temple.

  “It’s certainly confusing,” Darius said.

  “Slow down, Grandma,” Allie said. “I need a minute before we go in there.” Her newly clarified visions were running amok, and she couldn’t seem to silence their babble.

  “The visions are strong with you.” Alísun parked on the street in front of Piedmont Park. “And they manifest in such a strange way.”

  "How could you tell that's what I'm struggling with?"

  "Who are you talking to, dear? I know because I’ve been there myself, and I raised a clairvoyant daughter."

  “Mo
st of the time, it’s like walking into a swarm of bees no one else can see. I just have to ignore them. In the last week, the most persistent have been making themselves known. They were silent before, but it’s like they want my attention more than ever now. It’s so loud.” Allie rubbed a hand across her face where eyelid twitched with tension.

  “Take a few deep breaths, and we’ll go in when you’re ready,” Alísun said.

  “Thank you.” Allie closed her eyes, focusing on clearing her vision. Sasha called earlier to warn her that the kids had been hanging out in the lobby all day, hoping to get a moment with Allie when she returned. She just needed to get inside the building and on to the elevator. Then she could go up to her room and rest for a little while.

  “Grandma?” Allie played with the zipper on her purse.

  “Yes, dear?”

  “I think I screwed up.” She stared up at Sterling Tower. “I’ve been dreaming about Soma for years and I never realized what it meant. I thought the dreams were about Aidan. Now I’m not so sure.”

  “It happens to the best of us, Allie.” Alísun reached for her hand. “Looking into the future is so often a confused, snarled mess of information. Our gifts aren’t infallible. We just have to do the best we can with the tools we have. You are so young. No one expects you to fully understand everything you see. It would be a miracle if you could. These years are meant for you to practice and learn what your gift is capable of.”

  “I’m still having the dream.” She’d chased Aidan in her dreams again, but this time she recognized the labyrinth of corridors as Sterling Tower. “But I don’t know what it means.”

  “It’s a warning, dear. Your dream is telling you to be on your toes. When it comes to fruition, you will realize it and you’ll be prepared.”