Emerge: The Judgment: (Book 2)

by Melissa A. Craven

  “Patience is not one of my strongest virtues, as you so often point out, but I’m learning. I won’t pressure you, Lex. Not on this. Take all the time you need. We have more important things standing between us than your relationship with Vince. Until you’re ready to talk about that—about what happened in that room before we left for Agra—your dating life is the least of our worries. Whatever my father told you shook you to your core and that’s what has me worried.”

  “Aidan, I—”

  “I know, you aren’t ready to talk about it. And I know that when you are, you’ll let me know. We’re both exhausted, so let’s just go to bed.” He held his hand out for hers.

  She stared at it for a moment, wondering how she could be the kind of girl who would literally go from choosing to take her relationship with Vince to the next level, to sharing a bed with Aidan in the span of a few hours.

  “Stop it.” His laughter caught her by surprise. “It’s just sleep, Lex. Vince got much further tonight than I will anytime soon.”

  “I hate you.” She drained her glass and took his hand.

  “It’s a thin line between love and hate, babe. Come check out my music room. It’s my favorite place in the world.”

  Allie had often heard Aidan talk about his music room, but he’d never offered to show her and she’d never pushed. It was his domain and she was pretty sure it was the place where he did his best brooding.

  “Wow, this is incredible.” Allie stepped through the doorway and wandered over to the glossy, black piano resting in a place of honor at the center of the dark room. The walls were upholstered in a rich plum color, with sidelights illuminating the dim interior. The plush gray carpet absorbed even the slightest sound of her footsteps, and a glass booth at the front of the room housed all the sound equipment for recording. Three guitars were mounted on the wall and a red violin rested on a stand in the corner. The studio was a part-gift, part-bribe from Gregg last year—an incentive for the office and teaching duties Aidan really didn't want. But music was Aidan’s ally and this place was a temptation he couldn’t resist.

  “I’ll play for you tomorrow.” He turned toward the sliding double doors to his bedroom at the back of the studio.

  Allie let her hands wander over the piano keys, hearing a distant echo of Navid’s words: Allie, you should learn to play an instrument while you’re young. Music is a part of who you are. Don’t listen to others making music. Make your own. She saw a flash of a distant future where she and Aidan played here together. The visions came to her like that now. It started over the summer with brief bursts of insight that she usually didn’t understand. What she saw was only a possibility right now, depending on the choices they each made. She was used to seeing things that might or might not happen, but this was the first time she saw something she really wanted. They seemed so peaceful and at ease, it made her want to learn to play.

  “You have me blocked so hard I can’t fathom what you’re thinking,” Aidan whispered behind her.

  She let her fingers tap the keys, lost in the possibilities of that future.

  “I can teach you,” he said.

  “We don’t have time for that.”

  “Allie, we sleep three nights in ten when our friends still sleep twice that. We can find the time if you really want to learn to play.”

  “I’d love to, someday.”

  “You have an ear for music, Lex, and this is something I would love to share with you. But right now, Aidan needs sleep. Come to bed.” He pulled her through the double doors behind him into a room that was wall-to-wall bed. The entry was a small foyer with a chest and mirror. Three wide steps led down to a mattress covered in a thin sheet to keep the dust away while he traveled for the summer.

  Aidan lifted the sheet and she saw the mattress was covered in soft gray suede. Pillows and books lay scattered around, like he was just there only last night.

  “Grab a T-shirt and get comfortable. I’ll get us a blanket.” He ducked back out to give her some privacy. She grabbed one of his longest T-shirts from the chest and settled back on the bed. It’s like a cloud. She rested her head on a suede-covered pillow.

  Amazing, right? Aidan returned, bare chested in his boxers, and flung a blanket over her. As he settled beside her, she accepted the comforting embrace he offered, eager for the peaceful oblivion they experienced when sleeping together. With the lights off, the ceiling began to glow like the night sky dotted here and there with stars.

  It’s beautiful.

  But something about it bothered her.

  “Wait.”

  “Crap. I forgot, Lex.”

  You’ve never let me in here, but you let her? She wanted to take the errant thought back immediately. She hated how ridiculous she sounded when she had no right to be jealous of the time Aidan spent with Naomi.

  “She did this for me months ago.”

  Naomi had a gift for creating illusions. She could make a place feel like an oasis of comfort and peace. Allie recently discovered that was why she loved hanging out in the grotto so much—and had since decided that knowledge had ruined it for her.

  “When was she here?” Allie could hear herself talking but couldn’t seem to stop the stupid from flowing out of her mouth. If it was anyone other than Naomi, she wouldn’t have said a word. The two girls had taken an immediate dislike to each other over the summer and neither had gone out of their way to be civil.

  “After spring break last year but before the ball. She was only in town a few days.”

  “I know you like her. Forget I said anything. You know I didn’t mean it.”

  “Hey.” He looked down at her in the dim light of the twinkling stars and she could see the tiniest flicker of power in his eyes. “I brought her here because I couldn’t bear to take her anywhere you and I have slept. Until tonight, this was an Allie-free zone. You know how I feel about you. If you want me, I’m yours. But I’m not going to sit around forever waiting for you to get over your fear of us. Naomi is a great friend and we have fun together. I won’t apologize for that. But she will never have my heart.”

  “What about Kayla?” She hadn’t heard him talk about his mortal girlfriend in months.

  “Allie, we were never anything more than friends. People thought we were dating so we let them believe it. We both have a thing for someone else and we bonded over that shared misery. That’s it. We’re just friends.”

  “You broke up?”

  “There was never anything to break up from.”

  “Aidan, I’m so sorry if I’ve made you feel like—like I’m using you or leading you on. Our friendship is everything to me and I would never intentionally hurt you.”

  “You’re just scared, babe. I get that. I’m a lot to handle.” The cocky arrogance crept into his voice and she knew she was forgiven. “I can see how overwhelming I could be.” He stretched back with a big yawn and wrapped his arms around her. “I can talk a big game about not waiting around forever, but you know I’ll be here when you’ve gotten over yourself. You’ll be ready for us one day, Lex. I can wait. But the hormonal seventeen-year-old douchebag inside me is an impatient little bastard. He just wants someone to throttle some sense into you.”

  “Bring it on, douche-boy. You know I can wipe the floor with you.”

  “Only when I let you win.” He gave her a sleepy grin.

  “That’s total BS.”

  “Yeah, it is.” He laughed. “You’ve been a beast in training lately.”

  “Well, I’m not letting anything like that night happen again. Ever.” She balled her fists at the memory of how much of a failure she’d been when it really mattered.

  “Go to sleep, Lex.” He reached for her hand, prying her fist open. “This is our last weekend of summer and I intend to enjoy it.”

  “Night, Aidan,” she murmured into his chest.

  She drifted off to a peaceful sleep, confident he would keep the dreams away for one more night. Eventually she would have to deal with the dreams on her own.
She could feel them swirling inside of her, begging to get out.

  The longer she put it off, the worse it was going to be.

  ~~~

  CHAPTER

  FOUR

  “Get ready for fake Aidan,” Aidan said as Allie and their friends headed across the courtyard of Cliffton Academy.

  “I hate that guy.” Allie shuddered, fidgeting with her blue and gray uniform. She’d had to talk herself into putting it on. Only one more year of plaid and she’d never have to look at it again.

  “It’s my armor, Lex. It’s my way of coping with all the crap I feel in a huge group of mortals. If I harden myself to it, it doesn’t affect me as much.”

  Allie understood he needed to do whatever he could to brace himself from the onslaught of every emotional and physical pain around him. She just wished everyone could know the real Aidan.

  “I don’t think any of us are ready for this year. I know I’m not looking forward to it.” Allie slowed as they reached the Greco-Roman admin hall to pick up their new schedules. “I know Quinn wouldn’t be with us anyway, but I feel the weight of his absence today. I miss him.” A fresh wave of guilt had her clenching her fists again. If she’d handled things differently, it was likely her friend would be heading off to college now instead of rotting in some Coalition prison somewhere.

  “Allie, my brother would be the first one to tell you not to blame yourself,” Graham said. “And he’d be the first one to tell you to get over it.”

  “We have to get him back, Graham. I just don’t know how we can help.”

  “I’m working on something. There may be a way for us to actually do something.”

  “How?” Aidan asked. “Dad keeps running into dead ends and he refuses to tell me anything.”

  “And Emma just keeps telling me how important it is to get back to my regular routine,” Allie added.

  “I’m looking for the kind of leads the governor’s people would never be able to find,” Graham said. “With my tech gift, it’s really the only thing I can do.” He shrugged as he grabbed his schedule and headed off to the junior hall.

  Allie watched him retreat with shoulders slumped and his head down. Graham had lost so much of himself. He was no longer the spirited, happy kid he’d always been.

  “We can’t get sucked back into high school life and just forget about Quinn. I refuse to let that happen,” she said. If she could trade places with him, she’d do it in a second.

  “Agreed, but we have medieval history first period. Let’s go get seats so we aren’t stuck in the front row all year.”

  Allie followed Aidan and Sasha into the senior hall, feeling the culture shock more than she’d expected. Returning to their normal routine among so many mortals, and after such a long absence, made her feel like a fish out of water.

  The auditorium classroom teemed with students. Aidan and Sasha were with her, but when Vince joined them, Allie felt a surge of guilt. His smile and eager greeting tore at her heart, but the feel of his hand encircling hers was so familiar and comforting. If she was going to end this, she needed to do it soon. The temptation to let everything go back to the way it was before was too much of a risk.

  As Allie pulled her hand from his, she sensed a familiar presence—more than just one.

  “Liam?” she cried. She hadn’t seen him in months. The sight of her newly bonded brother brought an instant smile to her face as she launched across the room.

  “Little sis!” He beamed, catching her up in a bear hug. He whispered cautiously in her ear, “I’m Liam Carmichael, your older brother and your new teacher. Try to take the enthusiasm down a notch—but God, it is good to see you, little one.”

  “You’re teaching? Why didn’t Dad tell me?” She grinned, going along with the cover story. He really was her brother now, but he was also a McBrien and Aidan’s uncle.

  “I wanted to surprise you. But until school’s out, I’m your teacher, so take a seat, Red. And try to behave yourself.”

  Allie turned to scan the crowded lecture hall for her friends when her eyes landed on Aidan’s older brother, Darius. Her heart leapt at the sight of him leaning against a desk, talking to Sasha and Aidan. Dressed in Cliffton attire, he seemed different, younger—much younger. She saw a flicker of how he must appear to the other students. He blended with the crowd. When his boyish smile turned on her, he winked.

  “Darius!” She rushed up the steps to hug him tightly.

  “Ahh, it’s good to see you, killer.”

  “What’s your story?” she asked softly.

  “I’m Sasha and Aidan’s ‘cousin’, a fellow senior, and your new bodyguard. I’m in all your classes, even the college courses you and Sash are starting next month.”

  “So what’s this all about? Why all the babysitting?” Allie asked.

  “Too much has happened. Gregg won’t rest easy anytime soon, so that means—”

  “Round-the-clock babysitters,” Aidan interjected.

  “Can’t be too cautious, little cos.” Darius slapped his back.

  When the bell rang, Allie sat between Vince and Aidan with Darius and Sasha right behind them. She didn’t care if they were there just to babysit; seeing her favorite McBrien boys all together was a good surprise.

  “Allie, I didn’t know you had a brother.” One of Aidan’s perpetual shadows leaned over her shoulder. The Cliffton girls were always trying to get closer to Aidan through her, but none of them ever lingered long. To them, he was an intimidating enigma.

  “Sure, she talks about him all the time,” Vince said. “Your dad really didn’t tell you he was coming?”

  “No, but they like their little secrets.” It was painful lying to Vince when clearly Daniel had been busy making him and everyone else think she had an older brother she never mentioned. It still seemed odd to her that she felt the strong pull to Liam, considering she didn’t really know him despite the family bond they now shared.

  Plenty of time for that. Especially now that he’s babysitting.

  It won’t be that bad, will it?

  If I know Dad, Liam and Darius are just the tip of the iceberg.

  “Everyone take a seat.” Liam called the class to attention. “I'm Mr. Carmichael and this is Advanced Medieval History. This year, we'll be learning all about life in the Dark Ages.” He paced around the room, passing out enormous textbooks. “One of the most fascinating aspects of medieval history is the art and architecture of the period. For that reason, I've asked my assistant to spend a portion of our time devoted to Romanesque and Gothic art history. She'll be along shortly.”

  “Oh, crap.” Aidan fidgeted in his seat beside her.

  “What's wrong with you?” Allie asked.

  “Someone's in trouble,” Darius said in a singsong voice only they could hear.

  “You’re not helping.” Aidan glared over his shoulder at his brother.

  “Ah, here she is,” Liam said. “Please welcome Ms. Naomi Hauser, everyone.”

  “What the—?” Allie choked, shooting a hateful glare at Aidan.

  “Don’t look at me like that, Lex, I didn't know she was coming.”

  “Ms. Carmichael? Is there a problem?” Naomi handed her another large textbook, her perfectly shaped brow arched in mock surprise.

  “Er … no, ma’am,” Allie muttered, grateful Aidan was distracting Vince with football talk. “Just surprised to see you … teaching,” she added in a tone the mortals around her would never be able to hear.

  “Well, we thought about having me come back as a student but Liam and I decided I would be more believable as a teacher.” Her low whisper and the fleeting sneer she gave Allie escaped everyone’s notice. It had Allie clenching her fists, nails digging into her tender palms.

  “Well, you always do like to play the adult, don’t you?” Allie shot back. Naomi was twenty-seven going on three thousand. She refused to admit that she was just another one of the Unproven kids.

  “Be nice, Naomi,” Darius said. “You too, killer.”r />
  “Aidan, it's good to see you again,” Naomi said in a whisper. “I’ve missed you since I left the Azores last month. We'll have to … reconnect while I'm in town keeping watch over your little friend.”

  “This is not happening.” Aidan shrank back in his seat but he couldn't seem to keep the grin off his face.

  “What are you grinning about?” Allie huffed as Naomi drifted away, passing out her art history books to the other students.

  “You're not just jealous, your head is about to explode.” Aidan laughed. “You have nothing to worry about, babe. I was with you last night when I could have been with her.” But she was the last thing on my mind, he added silently. He gave Allie his most arrogant wink, thoroughly enjoying her reaction.

  “Dude, worst thing you could possibly say.” Darius smacked him on the back of the head. “Don’t anger the redhead.”

  “That's not it at all,” Allie insisted. “She has no business teaching. She should be a student like Darius.”

  “Think about that, Lex. Would you rather have her as a teacher in one class or as a student in every class? You know Mom was the one who decided this, no matter what Naomi says. Maybe Mom just didn’t want you two to kill each other?”

  “Or Mom didn’t want Naomi anywhere near baby McBrien,” Darius added.

  “Shut up, Dare.”

  “Hi.” Liam crouched down in the aisle beside them. “Is my lecture bothering you guys?”

  “Sorry, Liam. Er … Mr. Carmichael.” Allie flushed.

  “Let’s all just remember that I can hear everything you say, even if your classmates can’t. That’s my baby sister you’re talking to, Aidan. If I hear anything more about you ‘being with her,’ you’ll be taking your next few meals through a straw. Keep it in your pants if you want to keep it.”

  “Liam!” Allie shrank back in her seat, mortified. In some ways, it was nice having a scary two-thousand-year-old Immortal Viking for an overprotective big brother. In other ways, not so much.

  ~~~

  Aidan was right: Liam, Darius, and Naomi were just the tip of the iceberg. Allie was happy to see the familiar faces—most of them. But she wondered how tedious it would be under this constant supervision. It seemed Naeemah was serious about security. She wasn’t taking any chances that the Coalition wouldn’t come back for them all.