Aidan’s older sister, Imogen, was the new head of security, and his cousin Erin was her assistant. Allie saw them patrolling the grounds during her morning break. Aidan’s older brother Seamas was the new assistant art teacher and she was eager to learn from the man who had learned from the Impressionists themselves. His Complement, George, was the new assistant coach of the girls’ basketball team as well as the varsity football team. And Aidan’s other older brother Scott was teaching a special American literature class. Aidan’s uncle Aide was teaching Allie’s social sciences class and his Complement, Hélène, was teaching Allie’s trig class. The extra funding for all the new teachers and new subjects had been donated by a “private organization.” Allie felt sufficiently guarded and wondered if the others realized she was under more scrutiny than anyone else.
Really? You think I didn’t notice that? Why the hell is Mom so freaked about your safety? What happened in that room, Allie?
She knew it was driving Aidan nuts, but she just wasn’t ready to deal with it yet.
I’m trying really hard not to push, but I’m worried. Why do you need to be guarded so closely? What don't I know?
I promise, you’ll be the one I confide in when I’m ready. “I don't understand why Naeemah would have us all guarded so closely at school, but not at home or anywhere else we go?”
“You've only noticed the guards you know,” Aidan said. “I saw several familiar faces on the ferry this morning. But I don't know them all. Mom has her minions everywhere and they're good at what they do. We'll never even notice them.”
~~~
CHAPTER
FIVE
“Crap! They’re home already,” Allie muttered, pulling into the driveway. She rushed in through the back door, eager to see her parents just returning from their side trip to Bali.
“Hi honey!” Lily called from the kitchen.
The scent of pot roast hit her the second she walked in the door, making her mouth water. She was starving and it would be hours before that delicious roast was ready.
“Sorry about the mess, Ma. I wasn’t expecting you till later.” Allie dumped her books on the kitchen counter and grabbed a towel to dry the dishes her mother insisted on washing by hand because she was a total weirdo and enjoyed it.
“We caught an earlier flight. And I wouldn’t have expected a clean kitchen anyway. You’re just like your dad. Carson used to throw the dirty dishes away when I was gone for more than a day or two. I’d always come home to a new set of dishes.”
“You should have introduced him to paper plates.”
“Nah, it was more fun that way.”
“Missed you, Ma.” Allie gave her adoptive mother a hug. The more she grew to understand her own Immortality, the more significant her parents’ mortality became to her. She had such precious few years left with them. She’d understood that before. Her parents were in their fifties, although they didn’t look a day over forty. Before her Awakening, Allie accepted death as a part of life. It was natural for a child to outlive her parents. But the thousands of years stretched out before her, without her family—that scared Allie more than anything. It was better now that she had Liam as a brother. The fear wasn’t as palpable anymore. She intended to absorb as much time with her parents as she possibly could while she had the opportunity, but there was so much about her life she couldn’t share with them.
“How was your first day back?” Lily asked, placing the last dish in the cabinet.
“Good.” Allie heaved a sigh, searching for something she could tell her mother. She wanted so badly to tell her everything, ask her advice, and have a good cry on her shoulder, but that couldn’t happen.
“We have a bunch of new teachers,” she finally offered so they might have something to talk about.
“I know, I’m on the parent board this year. We’ve been so busy this summer I haven’t had the chance to tell you we have a couple of … guests for the school year.” Lily was struggling to remain nonchalant—struggling and failing. “Oh, screw subtlety.” She turned to face her daughter. “It’s Liam and his daughter. He’ll be renting the guesthouse. You have … a special bond with him, don’t you?”
Lily dropped all pretenses so quickly Allie wasn’t sure how to react. She simply nodded.
“I’m happy you’ll have family. You always wanted a big brother,” she whispered. “When he approached us about needing a place to stay, we offered him the guesthouse. We thought it would be a good chance for you two to get to know each other. And we like the idea of having someone close—someone to keep you safe. He and the baby will join us for dinner tonight. I’ll get started on the salad while you eat a sandwich, and then you can help me set the table before you go over to Aidan’s for homework.”
“I love you, Ma.” Allie hugged her mother again. Her parents knew more than they let on, but Lily knew enough to keep her mouth shut and pick her moments. Maybe one day they could talk more openly, but until then, Allie needed to choose her words carefully. “I know you aren’t my birth mother, but I don’t think she could have handpicked a better mom for me.”
“Oh, Allie-girl.” Her eyes were bright with tears. She leaned in closely to whisper, “Your mother was an incredible woman.”
“She did handpick you,” Allie whispered.
“You know—what she was?” Lily asked. “What she was capable of?”
“Yes.” Allie exhaled softly. Kassandre was the most powerful clairvoyant who ever lived.
“Then I’m sure you can imagine how hard she worked to make sure you were well taken care of.”
Of course Kassandre would have seen things about her daughter’s future and made preparations for her safety. She would have searched the world to find parents capable of caring for her Immortal daughter. But what Allie didn’t understand was why Kassandre and Navid had given her up and placed her among mortals. And she couldn’t reach Navid to ask. Her birth father was alive. Allie knew him well, and if he was alive, then her mother had to be too. Immortal couples could only be killed together in a violent ritual. So where was she? Was she a captive somewhere?
“Mom?” Allie frowned, picking at a bag of potato chips. “I, I really miss Navid. I could sure use a good talk with him.” Her voice came out in a strangled whisper—not the casual tone she intended. “D-do you have his number?”
“I’m so sorry, honey.” She stepped closer, keeping her voice low. “It’s not safe for him. He … um … he always seemed to think you’d have your own way of reaching out to him when you really needed him.”
“I do. But let’s just say he isn’t answering.”
“Be patient with him. He has certain limitations. Just remember, you are always his top priority.”
Allie nodded, feeling somewhat better after her talk with her mother.
“Hey, little one!” Liam called when he came whistling through the garden doors with baby Kahlynn on his hip.
“Shall I take the baby for a bit?” Lily offered. “I’m happy to babysit while you two catch up.”
“Thanks, Lily.” Liam smiled, passing Kahlynn off for a short while.
Allie wrapped her arms around Liam’s waist, burying her face in his shirt. She’d missed him so much.
“I missed you too, sister.” He held her for a while, silently stroking her hair.
“You know they have phones now, right?” She finally frowned up at him. “Tiny ones that fit in your pocket.”
“Where I’ve been, making a phone call hasn’t really been an option. But I’ll do better next time.”
“There better not be a ‘next time’ for a while. I’d like the chance to get to know my brother.”
“That’s exactly why I’m here now. You should know, you are the only one who could ever get me to teach high school. It’s been one day and I’ve been tempted to make a few of my students disappear already.”
“You know you can get fired for that, right?”
“Eh, some of the parents might thank me. So how’s my class?” Li
am took a seat beside her, reaching for a chip. Her automatic reaction was to smack his hand away.
“Well, it was kinda boring, to be honest.”
“Boring?”
“Liam, you witnessed a good bit of that history. You think maybe you could sound like you haven’t swallowed the textbook? Spice it up, make it interesting.”
“The textbooks are mostly fiction. I had to memorize the damn thing so I could teach it right.”
“I’m really glad to see you.” She reached to squeeze his hand.
“I’m sorry about the Vince situation. You doing okay, sweetheart?”
“Ugh! Does everyone know?” Allie clapped her hands over her face.
“I of all people should have warned you that could happen during sex,” Liam said.
“There was no ‘during.’ No sex was had.”
“I do not want to know the details, little one.”
“I have to break up with him. I just don’t know how to do it.”
“You don’t have to break up with him if you don’t want to. I understand why you feel like you should, but I’m going to work with you on your control.”
“Let’s make that a top priority. I can’t lose it like that again.”
“Stay out of your boyfriends’ beds for a good long while and you’ll be fine,” he said dryly.
“I do not have multiple boyfriends.”
“That’s not what I saw in Agra.” Liam scowled down at her.
“What you saw in Agra was not what you thought you saw.” Allie’s ears turned bright red and she wanted the floor to open up and swallow her. That night was the most embarrassing thing. Ever.
“You have far too many admirers.”
“Poor Kahlynn.” Allie shook her head. “You're going to ship my niece off to a nunnery, aren’t you.”
“I already have pamphlets.” His toothy grin was only a little bit terrifying.
“I’ve got training. See you at dinner?” Allie darted to the pantry for a handful of cookies to tide her over.
“You might want to double-fist those cookies, little one. Naeemah has a new regimen planned for you and you aren’t going to like it. I’m going on record now saying I had nothing to do with it.”
~~~
Is she serious? Allie asked.
‘Fraid so, Lex.
“A diet? You want to put me on a diet when I’m half-starved already?” Allie glared at Naeemah through her ankles as she grasped her feet.
“It’s not that kind of diet, Allie. You’ll have plenty to eat, as always,” Naeemah said.
Is she crazy?
Certifiable. She’s been starving me with this diet crap half my life. Run, Lex. Run while you can.
“Don’t listen to whatever garbage my son is telling you. I’ve never starved him a day in his life.”
Oh, she’s such a liar!
Go on, momma’s boy. I can handle this. I don’t live with her. She can’t monitor every bite.
Ha! Just wait—and I’m a McBrien; we’re all momma’s boys.
“It’s not about limiting what you eat or reducing your calorie intake. You’ll actually eat more. But you’ll be eating lean proteins: chicken, turkey, and fish only; healthy carbs and lots of vegetables, with healthy fats, like avocados or coconut oil.”
“It’s not that bad, Allie,” Sasha said from her Sirsa Padasana pose, where her feet nearly touched her head. “It just takes a little self-discipline and you’ll get used to it.”
Don’t listen to her either. Her diet isn’t nearly as strict.
“You can still have some of your favorite foods in moderation.”
But say goodbye to butter, babe.
Like hell.
“You’ll have lots of fruit and kale smoothies for breakfast with whole grains,” Naeemah said.
Don’t let her fool you. ‘Smoothie’ sounds good, right? It’s not. I’d rather munch on the front lawn.
How does she get you to stick to this? Allie couldn’t imagine Aidan giving up cheesecake or steak or going anywhere near anything with kale in it.
She’s a dark witch. She’s gonna get you, Lex. Just wait.
“But why?” Allie stopped Naeemah and Sasha before they could continue rambling on about all the merits of a gluten-free, fully organic diet. “What is the point of taking away the only clearly awesome thing about being Immortal? I can eat whatever I want. Why take such a strict approach to food?”
“You are a powerful girl,” Naeemah said. “Your seventeenth birthday is just around the corner and you’re going to be experiencing a lot of progress, quickly. I don’t want you struggling to maintain control at such a crucial time. A clean diet will give you the added strength and stamina you will need in the coming months. Honestly, until you are Proven, a clean diet really should be an essential part of your training.”
“Please, Naeemah.” Allie clasped her hands together as she moved into the Buddhist Stupa pose, begging. “Please don’t take chocolate cake from me.”
“You can have small treats here and there. Trust me, I know Aidan sneaks whatever he can at the first opportunity he has.”
Damn straight.
“I promise, Allie, you’ll feel better,” Sasha said. She was never one to watch what she ate, but over the summer, she’d changed her tune. “You’ll feel so much stronger and more focused.”
Unfortunately, they have a point. I do feel better when my diet is clean. Just don’t EVER tell Mom I said that or we’re screwed for the next century.
“Naeemah.” Allie sighed. “I don’t think we can be friends anymore.”
“You’ll get used to it.” She chuckled.
“Can I have the rest of the week to stuff my face?”
Naeemah tried unsuccessfully to hide her smile. “Try to do so with restraint. We’ll start on Monday.”
I’m going to eat my way through a mile of pizza and then I’m gettin’ nachos.
Only if you share.
“All right, I’ll concede to your crazy diet for the next few months,” she finally agreed.
You do know she’s not going to let you have coffee, right?
“What?” Allie lunged to her feet with clenched fists.
“Ah, I see Aidan’s dropped the no-coffee bomb.” Naeemah laughed as she rolled up their yoga mats for the day.
“Not happening, Naeemah.” Allie drew the line at messing with her coffee.
“We’ll wean you off with a little decaf-caf-soy-milk blend until you’re only on decaffeinated coffee.”
“Decaf tastes like feet and I’m not drinking soy milk.”
“Then I’m cutting you to one cup a day—black. And I mean one eight-ounce serving.” Naeemah crossed her arms.
She means business, Allie.
“One extra-large iced coffee with whole milk,” Allie countered.
“One small coffee with almond milk. Take your pick.”
“Fine.” I’ll just sneak it on the way to school.
Well, don’t be surprised when the barista serves you something you didn’t order. Naeemah’s a sneaky ninja like that.
~~~
CHAPTER
SIX
Allie shuffled through the common room early Saturday morning. The place was eerily quiet without the usual hustle and bustle, but her training sessions with Daniel were always early.
“How’s it going, Red?” he asked as she entered his bright sunlit office. He was much too cheerful for such an ungodly hour.
“Coffee. Cranky. No-talkie.” Allie flopped onto the well-worn sofa across from his desk, grateful for once that their sessions were usually more academic than physical.
“I’m way ahead of you.” He handed her a steaming chai latte.
She took a careful sip and decided it wasn’t so bad. “Et tu, brute?” She set the non-coffee on the table beside her and scowled at him.
“Trust me, the diet will help you, Allie. I eat a pristine diet myself. It’s a challenge for any of us, so you have my sympathy.”
She h
ad dreaded this training session with Daniel. After her first week back at school, life was settling down to business as usual, but she still hadn’t dealt with her relationship with Vince. She was tempted to let things continue in limbo, but she knew that wasn’t fair.
“We’ve been back for over a week,” Daniel began. “You’ve had some time to think about it now. How have you decided to handle the Vince situation?”
“I don’t know,” she said. “Now that we’re home, maybe things will calm down and it’ll be okay.”
“That’s what I thought you might say. I want to show you my only experience with loving a mortal. I’ll be brief. I can’t manage much more than a memory or two, but it’s something you need to see.”
She'd never visited Daniel's memories before. He'd shared stories of his past with her, but after nearly three centuries in a Coalition prison, cut off from his power, Daniel was practically an invalid.
“You know much of my past and the years before my imprisonment that I spent as an explorer,” Daniel began.
Allie felt the familiar tug pulling her into his memories. She closed her eyes and gave in to it, not wanting to make this more difficult for him than it already was.
“I was a young fool out for adventure when the age of exploration was just beginning. It was an exciting time and I was so eager to set out on my own.” Daniel’s voice echoed around her as Allie fell into his memory. The world was a swirling mass of colors, land over sky that made Allie so nauseous, she thought she would vomit.
“Sorry about that. I have very little finesse when it comes to sharing memories,” Daniel said, looking a little green himself.
She was startled to see him standing beside her, but she didn’t say anything. Daniel’s abilities were so limited, playing tour guide through his memories was probably the best he could manage.
Allie felt the sway of the rough wooden dock beneath her feet and when she gazed around, she found herself in the midst of a bustling Spanish port city.
Emerge: The Judgment: (Book 2) Page 4