Emerge: The Judgment: (Book 2)

by Melissa A. Craven

  “I came here about a year before I was taken,” Daniel said.

  “Where are we?” Allie asked.

  “Palos de la Frontera, Spain,” Daniel replied. “This way, I think.” Daniel set off across the wharf and ducked into a sketchy-looking building on the corner.

  The light inside was dim and Allie blinked. It was a bar, but a richly appointed one with sleek, dark wood polished to a shine. The place was empty, but she heard voices upstairs.

  “I met here with the Spanish conquistadors,” Daniel said as they slipped into a stifling hot room, filled with smoke and the stench of unwashed bodies.

  Allie eyed the young Daniel at the center of the activity. He seemed so much stronger than the man who stood beside her now. She got a glimmer of what he might have been had he not been captured by the Coalition.

  She listened as the men talked excitedly about the upcoming expedition, but she couldn’t grasp much of what they said with her limited knowledge of Spanish. Her other teachers were always able to show their memories in English, but Daniel’s limitations often held him back with the simplest of tasks.

  “The expedition was an attempt to discover what lay beyond the Atlantic.” Daniel pointed to the fourteenth-century map on the table before the group of men. “We would set sail as soon as the funding was approved, so I lingered here to await the launch of the Niña, the Pinta, and the Santa Maria,” he said with a flourish.

  “You helped discover the New World?” Allie gasped, but she knew that wasn’t possible. He was taken captive before that expedition ever set sail.

  The world churned again, but briefly this time. Allie stumbled like she’d just stepped off the Tilt-A-Whirl at an amusement park.

  “Let’s just watch here.” Daniel took a step back into the shadows.

  They were at a ball where the young Daniel danced with a lovely young mortal woman. Both clearly besotted with the other.

  “Who is she?” Allie asked.

  “She was Niña Pinzón. Her father was Captain Vicente of the Niña. He was visiting the Spanish court with Christopher Columbus, seeking royal permission and funding for the voyage. While they were away, Niña and I fell hopelessly in love. Of course, I sensed Emma from time to time, but Niña was far more real to me than some idea of a woman I’d meet in the distant future. We were young and in love and determined to marry as soon as her father returned. Only when Captain Vicente granted me an audience, I was in for the surprise of my life. Vicente was Coalition, and he would never allow his daughter to consort with an Immortal.”

  Allie watched the happy couple dance the night away, feeling a surge of fear for what their future held.

  “He gave me a chance to leave and never come back,” Daniel continued, “but I was stubborn and didn’t fear him as I should, so I persuaded Niña to run away with me.”

  Allie felt the sway of the ship beneath her and her stomach roiled until she found her sea legs. With the wind in her hair and the images of the ball fading from her mind, she watched as Daniel’s ship sailed at a fast clip, trying to outdistance the larger vessel quickly gaining on them.

  The fight that ensued was a furious sea battle. Allie and Daniel watched in a world without sound as his crew was executed until only Niña and Daniel remained.

  “He was more furious with Niña than with me. To him, I was nothing. A creature he would stomp under the heel of his boot. I did not know it at the time, but Niña knew what I was. She had been taught to hate Immortals, but she loved me.” He gestured at the scene before them.

  Niña threw herself in front of Daniel, crouched in an attack stance with a sword clutched in her hand. She screamed at her father, but with a host of Coalition at his back, the lovers didn’t stand a chance.

  “I wasn’t prepared for how my actions would affect Niña,” Daniel said sadly. “I was taken prisoner but I assumed she would return home to her loving family. In our world, our children are precious and rare.…”

  Allie gasped as the Captain struck his daughter, turning her over to his men for punishment. Suddenly, Niña’s screams echoed in the darkness of the void.

  “I won’t ask you to watch what happened next,” Daniel said, back in the comfort of his office.

  Allie felt dizzy and sick to think of what the Captain must have done to his own daughter.

  “They tortured Niña as a traitor to their kind. I watched as they beat her—by her father’s command—until she could no longer stand. Then they hung her for the simple crime of falling in love with the wrong man and then they threw her body to the sharks.” Daniel’s voice was flat and lifeless as if the memory still haunted him.

  “They are pure evil.” Allie shuddered at her own memories of the Coalition.

  “I’m not suggesting that Vince’s association with you could lead to such an end, but for some of us, when we love a mortal, it just never works out well for them.”

  “Thank you for sharing that with me,” Allie said. Seeing Daniel’s story was just the kick in the pants she needed to do this.

  “You can get past this situation with Vince and he can be safe with you, but you have to be sure your feelings for each other are strong enough to be worth the risk.”

  “Nothing’s worth that,” Allie insisted. “I never realized what being with me could do to him. I can’t use him like that. I just need to get it behind us and hope we can still be friends.”

  “Believe it or not, Aidan has an idea that might work.”

  “Of course he does,” Allie scoffed.

  “That’s why he asked me to help convince you. He’s waiting for you in the yard.”

  “This ought to be good.”

  “He may have an ulterior motive here, but it’s a good plan,” Daniel said.

  Allie made her way through the maze of hallways and stone corridors of the underground until she reached the huge cave opening that led into the yard. She and Aidan had been spending most of their sparring time here since they returned.

  “So what’s your brilliant plan for my big breakup?” She flopped onto the ground beside him. “It’s so elaborate you needed Daniel’s help?”

  “No, I just needed Daniel to give me some credibility because something tells me you wouldn’t believe me,” Aidan said.

  “So spill it.”

  “There’s something about Vince you should know. Something that might make this breakup easier for both of you.”

  “Something you’ve neglected to tell me over the last year?” Allie felt her temper flare—an impulse she couldn’t seem to control lately. She balled her fists and took a deep breath, stamping out the irrational anger.

  “Exactly,” Aidan said, nonplussed by the flickering in her eyes. “That’s right, babe, you’re not scary.”

  “Sorry. I’m listening.”

  “Dad has this gift with mortals. He can see their equivalent of the Complement bond. Your parents share a very strong Complement-like connection.”

  Allie nodded dumbly. It didn’t surprise her to learn her parents were perfect for each other. She’d watched other married couples fall apart after years together, but her parents never had those troubles. They belonged together and she didn’t need Gregg’s gift to tell her that. But it was nice to hear the proof of it.

  “So he sees Vince’s match?” she asked, finally making the connection.

  “It’s Kayla.”

  “What?” But Aidan had always said Kayla was in love with someone else—with Vince.

  “This whole time? She’s just sat back and watched us together? And she’s still been my friend?”

  “She’s an incredible person.”

  “Why didn’t anyone tell me?”

  “It’s high school. I guess Dad didn’t see any harm in letting you and Vince have your time together. Vince and Kayla will end up together eventually.”

  “But I’ve hurt him. I’ve put his life on the line. Twice! I’ve wasted the time they could have been together.”

  “They’re young. They have plenty of
time to be together—”

  “No they don’t! Can you people no longer comprehend what death means to them? How fleeting their lives are? What if Vince had died at the ball? What if he never got to be with Kayla? What if this last year was the only time they had and I took it from them?”

  “None of that happened. And now you’ve come to the realization on your own that your relationship isn’t good for him.”

  “I should have never been with him at all.”

  “As much as I hate to admit it, you two were good for each other. You’ve given Vince and Kayla some time apart—allowed them to experience other relationships, and that is a good thing.”

  “But now it’s time to end it.” Allie sighed, feeling a weight lift from her shoulders.

  “And I have an idea how you can do it,” Aidan said.

  “Really?” The only plan she thought might work was to tell Vince she’d met someone else, and the only way he would believe that was if that someone else was Aidan.

  We could run with that.

  “How about you tell me your idea?” she said.

  “About a year before you moved here, Kayla and Vince were headed toward a relationship, but the timing wasn't right. It was just after his mom died. He was a mess and Kayla was his closest friend.”

  “And then I came along and screwed it up?”

  “No. Not for about nine months.” Aidan let his words hang in the air between them and the revelation hit Allie like a ton of bricks.

  “Oh, God! You’re serious?” They had a baby together?

  “No one knows. I don’t think Vince even has a clue. She went away. Gave the baby up and then came home like it was nothing. I only know because my gift tells me she’s given birth and it’s torn her apart on the inside. I’ve tried to get her to talk about it, but she pretends like it never happened.”

  “So you want to drag it into the open?” Allie asked, horrified by the idea.

  “He has a right to know. And if this comes out, it will give you a reason to end things with him amicably. You can tell him you feel like you have to bow out gracefully and give him and Kayla a chance to deal with their history and see if they have a future together. If we do it right, there’s a small chance we could all remain friends.”

  “I don’t want to do this, Aidan,” she said miserably.

  “You don’t have to, Lex. It’s just an idea.”

  “What other choice do I have?”

  ~~~

  Allie couldn’t focus on the computer screen in front of her. Her paper on The Grapes of Wrath was due soon and it definitely wasn’t going to write itself. It was one of her favorite American classics, but her mind just wasn’t on the struggles of the Joad family. She had her own struggles to worry about.

  She absently rubbed her nose as her eyes glazed over and the computer screen went out of focus.

  The overwhelming scent of ripe apples threatened to choke her. Her mind whirled with visions of forests and orchards, fire and smoke that burned her nose and made her eyes water. It was like taking a walk with Dante through his Inferno.

  With a gasp, Allie grabbed the edge of her desk. Her vision cleared. She'd lost more than an hour to the visions and was left with a paper to write and the cloying scent of overripe apples clinging to everything.

  ~~~

  CHAPTER

  SEVEN

  Allie sat, soaking up the sunshine on the grassy hill just above the beach by her house. She was waiting for Vince to arrive, hoping the strength she drew from the sun would bolster her for the coming evening.

  An irrational rage swept through her, making her hands shake and her vision blur. In her mind, the late afternoon grew dim. Hot smoldering fires and churning black smoke threatened to suffocate her. Fury bloomed in her chest as blood boiled in her veins. She saw red. Everywhere. And then it was gone.

  As the vision faded, Allie shook her head to clear her mind. Sweat beaded on her forehead and her hands lay fisted at her sides, her palms filled with blood. She cut her nails every night but they grew so fast, she was constantly hurting herself like this. She was used to the way these visions came over her now, but sometimes the intensity startled her.

  She wiped her palms on the thick carpet of grass and watched the crescent-shaped cuts heal before her eyes. Her friends didn’t heal quite as fast as she and Aidan did. It was still a novelty to see such a miracle with her own eyes.

  “Hey, Allie,” Vince called. “We studying out here tonight?”

  She took a deep breath as she stood to greet him. “I don’t have much homework. Let’s go for a walk while it’s still light out.”

  “Let’s just sit here for a minute.” He settled down, lounging in the cool grass.

  “What’s up?” She knelt beside him, frowning. He looked so serious as he took her hand.

  “You’ve been really distracted since you got back.”

  “I’m sorry, it’s just—”

  “It’s okay … I know this isn’t really working anymore, Allie.”

  She stared at him, uncertain if she was really hearing him. Is he breaking up with me? How did I not see this coming?

  “We had a perfect summer together traveling.” He laced his fingers through hers. “It was incredible, but it was goodbye, and I think we both knew it.”

  “Did we?”

  Allie squinted in the late afternoon sun. There was something weird about him—he looked almost … green. No, he is green. What the hell? Allie gazed around her; the whole world had gone a funny color. Like the eerie light before a terrible storm. Her power churned hot inside her, a clear indication that something new was emerging. Why now? I’m in the middle of getting dumped!

  “It’s just … I’m not the right guy for you,” Vince continued, his tone forced and awkward.

  Allie stood up to put some distance between them. She needed to focus on this conversation and she couldn’t do that when Vince looked like Kermit the Frog.

  “How about that walk now?” Vince asked.

  She could feel his warmth behind her. Allie closed her eyes, dreading the thought of her life without this easygoing, wonderful guy who had done more than he could ever imagine to heal the hurt of so many lonely years. Aidan had done a lot for her in that regard too, but Vince was special. No matter how much her life changed, he was always there and he never made her feel like the pariah she once was.

  “I so should have seen this coming.” I’m supposed to be clairvoyant. She wrapped her arm around his waist as they walked along the beach. She’d planned to have the same conversation with him, but it caught her by surprise that he beat her to the punch. It was almost like he knew.

  “I love you, Allie. That hasn’t changed.”

  “Then where is this coming from?” Shut up, Allie! He’d given her the perfect out, and she was acting like this wasn’t exactly what she wanted. But why in the world is he green? It was like her gift was telling her this was an important moment and she needed to pay attention.

  “What’s this?” He gestured at the two lounge chairs and remains of a driftwood fire.

  “Oh, um … Aidan and I hang out here sometimes.”

  “What have you been doing with me, Allie? I’m not the guy for you.”

  “Aidan is just a friend, you know that.”

  “He gets you. I can see the connection you two have.”

  “I know I’ve been distant, but I never wanted you to think it had anything to do with Aidan or my feelings for you. There’s something you aren’t telling me. I—”

  “Screw it,” he muttered. “Allie, I know we weren’t mugged at the ball and I can still see that scar along your jaw every now and then.”

  “What?” she stumbled, not sure what to make of his confession.

  “Sorry, that didn’t sound so blunt in my mind. Let’s sit down.”

  “I, I don’t know what you mean.” She sat on the edge of the lounge opposite him, completely at a loss for words.

  “I think we both can agree I’m a terr
ible liar,” Vince said.

  “Yeah, but back to what you just said?” Allie was stunned. The moment he mentioned their supposed mugging after the ball last spring, the world flashed a vivid green and then the color faded to black and white, like an afterimage. She had to blink to get her bearings.

  “I have holes in my memory,” Vince said. “I know what that means, although I can’t tell you how I know.”

  Allie instinctively reached for the knife tucked in her boot and stopped herself just in time. The only way he could possibly understand any of this was if he were Coalition. But she would have known. Surely Gregg would have known. They couldn’t have missed something so vital right under their noses.

  “What are you saying?” she demanded, resisting the urge to pull her knife.

  “Let’s just say my family has a long history.” He placed his hand over hers. “A history my father broke away from before I was born. I was not raised … the way he was. But I know things.”

  “What are you saying?”

  “Listen to me, Allie.” He held both of her hands in his. “If you hear nothing else, hear this. I did not know about you or your friends until recently. I was confused after the ball when my memories seemed so odd. But I dismissed it. Then it happened again the other night and the memories just don’t feel natural. That’s when I started putting it all together. I should have seen it long before now.”

  “Seen what exactly?” Allie managed in a whisper.

  “I’m not the guy for you, Allie.” He smiled. “But … my kind has always been mesmerized by your kind. Some of us see a fascination and others see an abomination.”

  Her instincts told her to run. That she could never trust him again. She knew she needed Daniel to do some kind of super-deep memory wipe, but the part of her that grew up mortal, never knowing about this life, told her to trust him. Her gift was also clearly trying to tell her this was a critical moment in her life and she needed to pay attention.

  “It’s not exactly healthy for you to be saying any of this,” she finally said.

  “I know I’m probably breaking about five thousand years of sacred tradition and laws, but I know I can trust you to keep this to yourself.”