“I’m Quinn.” He gave her a grimace of a smile.
“How did she get you?” Santi asked, feeling curious. He was such a formidable, strong-looking guy.
“Long story.”
“Fine. I’m going to bed. You should try to sleep. She won’t allow you more than a few hours to rest.”
“What’s her problem anyway?” Quinn muttered softly.
“She can’t help it,” Santi said. That was the shitty part of this mess. Livia was just as stuck as they were.
“Right,” Quinn scoffed.
“She has no more control than we do. You’ll see. She’s not all bad.”
“Sounds like you’ve got a little case of Stockholm syndrome.”
“Oh, I hate her. She’s the most twisted, evil excuse for a human I’ve ever met. But it’s a facade. A crumbling one, if you ask me.”
“So what happens now?” Quinn shrugged out of his worn jacket and stretched out beside her.
“Don’t think past today. Don’t defy her, but don’t give in to her either.”
“That’s not a plan I can live with, Santi.”
“It’s how I survive.”
“Well, now you have me. Maybe together we can figure a way out of this mess. We can’t let her keep doing this to people.”
“Quinn, if I can get out of here, I’m not looking back. In this place, you protect yourself and you hope you can make them see you as an asset rather than a liability.”
He leaned up on his elbow and looked down at her with a deep scowl on his face. “You still don’t know what we’re up against, do you?”
“Of course I do.” She scowled right back at him.
“You’re a strong woman, Santi. I can sense your power as well as your determination. How have you resisted Livia all this time, but you still haven’t figured it out?”
“What are you talking about?”
“What happens to the ones she breaks? Where do they go?” he asked.
“They go on to train for a role within the company.”
“What company?”
“Soma,” she said in confusion.
“Santi. There is no company. ‘Soma’ is a front for a slave market. She’s selling the ones she breaks. She isn’t grooming you to be some kind of agent. She’s grooming you to be a high-ticket commodity. Once she breaks you, you’ll go to the highest bidder and you’ll do whatever they tell you to do.”
“No.” Santi shook her head. It couldn’t be. She couldn’t have been that wrong. She couldn’t have been that gullible ... to volunteer. To walk right in and ask for this.
"You know I’m right," Quinn whispered.
As she stared at him, reality hit her harder than ever before. She saw for the first time how utterly naive she was. There was no way she could leave kids like Lennox to fend for themselves. She had to help them.
“So what’s your plan now?” Quinn asked.
“Right now? We sleep. Then we get to work on helping you learn to resist her. It will be a long road, Quinn. You need to come to terms with the possibility that you may never see your family again.”
“Clearly, you don’t know my family.” A tight smile played at the corners of his mouth. "They aren't the types to give up so easily."
~~~
I hope you’ve enjoyed The Volunteer
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Emerge: The Edge (Book 1.5)
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EMERGE
The Awakening
Preview of Book 1
Allie Carmichael has always believed life is simple.
You’re born. You live. You die.
She has no cause to believe those rules don't apply to her.
All her life, Allie has suffered in silence as those around her shrink from her touch, too intimidated to take the time to get to know her. It's left her feeling like a pariah for fifteen years.
When an unexpected move to Kelleys Island brings Aidan McBrien crashing into her life, Allie is thrown by his reaction. He isn't affected by her touch. He doesn’t stutter or make a quick exit. He smiles and welcomes her into his circle of friends.
For the first time ever, Allie knows what true friendship means. Finally, she has a real shot at normal—until “normal” crashes and burns when she wakes in agony on her sixteenth birthday. Aidan calls it her Awakening, a rite of passage he and their friends have all faced. Allie struggles in ignorance through the experience, uncertain of what is real and what isn’t. When she emerges, she is different. She has always been different, but even among her extraordinary friends, she and Aidan are special.
As Allie struggles to maintain her tenuous grasp on the power that threatens to overwhelm her, she worries she will lose herself in this strange new world of ancient Immortal beings.
A dangerous world where she will have to fight tooth and nail to defend the power and freedom that is her birthright.
~~~
The Power is corrupted and will remain so until a new generation is born with the strength of their ancestors, 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—
Book of the Indriell Queens – ca. 6000 BC
~~~
CHAPTER ONE
“My friends are idiots, Allie. Don’t listen to them!” Gavin’s voice echoed across the sand dunes.
“They’re right! Why do you want me around?” She stumbled in the darkness and fell to the ground. Allie watched his friends at the bonfire party below.
You don’t belong down there, Allie.
“Gavin, I know how people feel about me, but walking into a heated discussion about how much everyone can’t stand me just isn’t something I can shrug off.”
“I’m so sorry.” He sighed, sinking down beside her.
She absently reached for his hand and saw it. Just in that brief moment when he tried to hide it—his subtle flinch that indicated her touch was somehow uncomfortable. It was that way with nearly everyone. Allie spent most of her life alone and lonely while the rest of the world kept a respectful distance. A rare few were polite and friendly, trying to hide it like Gavin, but there was always an air of deference in their behavior. And then sometimes, like tonight, others would react with barely concealed contempt, no matter how hard she tried to set them at ease. She learned to accept it, choosing to keep to herself instead. It was easier for everyone that way. Everyone but Allie.
This sweet summer romance was a first for her, and she didn’t want it to end. But she didn’t want to come between her boyfriend
and his friends either.
“See? You feel the same way.” She dropped his hand.
“I do not.” He laced his long fingers through hers. Allie could see his determination to power through his discomfort and she was touched by the effort he put into their relationship.
“I’m a pariah, Gavin. I don’t know why. People just don’t like to be near me.”
“You’re an intimidatingly beautiful and unique girl.” He brushed a kiss across her fingertips.
“Unique? That a nice way of saying I’m weird?”
“Okay, you’re weird. But hot-weird, which in my humble opinion is an excellent combination.” His teasing tone set her at ease.
“Thanks.” She felt her cheeks flush. With her long, wavy red hair, almond shaped green eyes and curvy figure, Allie got a lot of looks from boys her age, but not many made the effort like Gavin had.
“Seriously,” he said. “Don’t ever try to be anything less than what you are, Allie. You’re different, and that’s an incredible thing. You just need to own it.”
“You’re right.”
“Come on, freckles. Can I tempt you with hot fudge sundaes? My treat?”
“Extra fudge?”
“On one condition.”
“Name your price.”
“Ignore my friends, because you and I are good. More than good.” He leaned in for a kiss.
She liked kissing Gavin. Despite his trembling hands and brief fumbling hesitations, it was nice. She didn’t feel blazing fireworks, but she definitely enjoyed the connection they shared. Allie often wondered if she should end it before she hurt him, but was reluctant to let him go. He’d done wonders for her in the few months they’d spent together. His friends didn’t really care for her, but for the first time since she could remember, she was interacting with kids her age and doing things she’d always sat on the sidelines watching others do.
“Let’s get outta here.” He offered his hand.
Allie felt a twinge of regret as she slipped into the front seat of his beat-up old truck. She shouldn’t let it get to her, but she’d been in a pensive mood all night and couldn’t seem to shake it.
“Let’s get ice cream and head up to Dover Heights before we call it a night.” He pulled into the drive-thru and Allie slid across the seat to read the menu. She smiled when his arm snaked around her.
“Chocolate peanut-butter ice cream with extra hot fudge and extra whip cream, please.”
“And one normal sundae.” He rolled his eyes. “That is entirely too much chocolate.”
“There’s no such thing.”
They drove the short distance up to the cliffs in silence but she still couldn’t pull out of her funk. Something ominous lay ahead, but she wasn’t sure of the details yet. Allie had a way of knowing things. Her strong intuition was such a normal thing for her she hardly noticed it anymore. She feared her anxious mood tonight might be a warning that her encounter with Gavin’s friends this evening was only a precursor to what school would be like for them if she decided to enroll at Cook Park High instead of the all girls’ school she’d planned to attend.
Will he constantly have to defend me like he did tonight?
“You’re too quiet.” Gavin sighed as they sat on the tailgate, enjoying the cool breeze of the mild Australian winter. Allie stared down at the Tasman Sea below. She’d just crossed it a few months ago when they left New Zealand for Sydney after nearly two years in the same place. A rare feat for Allie’s family.
“You haven’t been this reserved with me in weeks. Don’t make me coax you out of that shell again.”
“I’m currently preoccupied with chocolate.” She scraped the last of the fudge from her cup.
“Liar.” His laughter echoed across the water. “It will be better once you’re in school with us, I promise.”
It really wasn’t fair, the way she dragged him down. She knew he wanted to be with her, but how long could it go on? Eventually he would tire of making excuses.
“Sorry, I’m such a bummer tonight.”
“You’re never a bummer. Come on, curfew’s in ten minutes. Let’s get you home.”
It was a short drive and Gavin was doing his best to make her laugh, but her smile wilted when they parked in front of her apartment building.
No, no, no! Not again! Tears burned her eyes when she saw her mother loading the car with their most essential belongings.
“What’s wrong, freckles? You look like someone just punched you.”
“That about sums it up,” she sighed. “I’m sorry, I don’t have much time to say goodbye.”
“Why does it sound like you mean forever?”
“Because I do.” She scrubbed the tears from her face. She’d done this so many times, it shouldn’t hurt anymore, but this time would be so much harder. She couldn’t face losing Gavin, or the thought of returning to the lonely life she knew before him.
“You see my mother packing the car?” she whispered. “I know what that means.”
“By the look on your face, I’m guessing a family vacation isn’t on the list of possibilities?”
“I’ve told you we move a lot.”
“But you just got here! You can’t possibly leave again so soon!”
“My parents’ jobs keep us on the move. I don’t even ask anymore, I just follow.”
“Gavin.” She reached for his hand. “I will never forget you.”
“Allie—No. Come on, let’s just go talk to your mom and find out what the deal is. It might not be what you think.”
“I don’t need to ask. I can read the signs now and I don’t want to say our goodbyes in front of my mom.”
“Dammit! Allie! I can’t do this!” He pulled her into his arms. “Promise me you will call whenever you get where you’re going? Maybe we can still see each other?”
“I’ve done this a lot. It’s usually better if I just walk away and not look back.”
“That’s not fair. You have to at least let me know you’re okay.”
“I’ll try.” She made the vague promise, knowing she would never be able to keep it. Allie already knew this was one of those times she would be expected to cut all ties.
“Look at me, freckles.” He tilted her chin up to meet his gaze. “It hurts that I might never see these green eyes again. I need you to know how amazing you are. Whatever this thing is that makes you so different, call it whatever you want, but it’s something special. Don’t resist it. Be proud of who you are because you’re so much stronger than you know.”
“Back atcha.” She met his kiss one last time. “You’ve been a great friend. Thank you for forcing me out of my shell. I was in there for a really long time.”
“Don’t go back, Allie. Be yourself and the people that really matter will stick around … despite your quirky ways.” He smiled sadly.
“Quirky? I like it. That’s better than weird.”
“You have to put yourself out there, Allie or nothing will ever change. Promise me you’ll try.”
“I will. I’ve met a lot of people in my life. Not many are as kind and patient as you’ve been with me. I won’t ever forget that.”
Allie stepped out of the car, feeling like she left a piece of herself behind. She crossed the street, her vision blurry from the tears she couldn’t control, and the fuzzy images of Gavin in some distant future with the cute blond girl who was just right for him.
“I’m so sorry, Allie,” her mother said when she approached.
“Don’t.” She shook her head miserably. She didn’t want to hear all the perfectly logical reasons why they had to leave this very instant.
“Let’s go get your things.” She took Allie’s hand as they headed for the decrepit old elevator that would take them up to the seventeenth floor.
“Navid is here to say goodbye,” Lily said.
“I guess that’s something.” Allie was happy she would get to see him one more time. Navid was really her parents’ friend and colleague, but he’d become more like fami
ly over the years.
She felt the tension when she entered the apartment and was startled to find Navid in a heated discussion with her father.
“Navid?” she asked hesitantly.
“Allie!” His smile was warm as he reached to hug her. He was comfortable with her, and as a result, she’d always felt drawn to him. “How was your date?”
“Good.” She shrugged, distracted by the way her father hung his head in his hands.
“You seem to know more about my daughter than I do.” Carson frowned.
“Allie and I have grown closer these last months,” he said in his British/Middle Eastern cadence. “She is a delightful girl and a tribute to you both. You should be very proud, you’ve done a marvelous job raising her.” He grabbed his coat and prepared to leave. “I apologize for the intrusion. Lily, Carson, always a pleasure.” He smiled graciously. “Would it be alright if Allie sees me out?”
She was surprised by her father’s glower.
“Carson, please.” Lily rolled her eyes. “Of course, Navid. It was wonderful working with you again. Perhaps next time will be under better circumstances?”
“Oh, I’m certain it will.”
“Thank you for your candor.” Carson reluctantly shook his hand.
Allie followed him into the hall, feeling profoundly affected by the awkwardness of the last few moments.
“What was all that about?”
“Nothing to concern yourself with. I’m so sorry you have to go, sweetheart. I know you will miss Gavin. He’s been good for you.”
“So have you.”
“Don’t be sad, we will see each other again. We always do.”
“This sucks.”
“Allie, I need you to listen to me.” Navid grew serious. When they reached the elevator, he pressed the call button and she knew they had only a few moments for their goodbyes. “What I am about to say probably won’t make much sense right now, but I hope my words of caution and support will come to you when you need them most. You are approaching a very important phase of your life. Everything will change in the coming months and years as you prepare for college and take your first tentative steps into adulthood. I urge you to always remember who you are,” he said. “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.” He looked down at her with a brilliant smile. “You are a beautiful, strong willed, stubborn young woman, who just needs a little more confidence. Hold your head high and don’t ever lose the fire in those beautiful green eyes.” He hugged her tightly.
Emerge: The Volunteer: An Emerge Short Story Page 3