Emerge: The Judgment: (Book 2)

by Melissa A. Craven

  “This must be killing little bro, missing out on all the fun.” His tone was light and typical Darius, but she knew he was just as tense as she was.

  “Who’s missing out?” Aidan asked as he and the others crept in through the back near the ancient-looking cider press.

  “Why am I not surprised?” Darius groaned. “I knew you all agreed to stay behind way too easily.”

  “I’m sorry, I had to get them here, Dare,” Allie said.

  “You know Gregg’s going to kill you, right?” He shot her a look of reproach.

  “He doesn’t even need to know they’re here.” Allie paced back to the barn entrance. “At least not yet.” She could smell the smoke in the hazy twilight. The Blood Moon hadn’t made its appearance yet, but there was something strange about the evening light. Like the rose tinted light before a storm.

  The shadowy figures would be swarming the front lawns by now. Their smoldering fires setting the forests ablaze. Ready for the inevitable—but she intended to change that. Allie’s heart clenched in agony when she realized this was it. It was actually happening, here in the real world and not in the safety of her dreams. There would be no gift-Allie telling her what to do tonight. She was cut off from Navid and there would be no do-overs. It was up to her now. She’d done what she could to prepare everyone, but she wanted so badly for none of this to happen.

  “Allie, seriously, sit down. You’re going to wear a hole in the ground.” Darius pulled her back down beside him on the hay bale. They needed to wait for the fight to come to them—but the waiting was killing her.

  “I just want to … make it stop.” Her voice was full of frustration.

  “Look at me, Allie. I can’t imagine how hard this is for you, but we need to react intelligently, not emotionally.”

  “Of course.” She squeezed his hand. “Thank you for being here with me.”

  “I trust you, killer. But Liam should never have left if you knew they were coming.” He gestured at the others. Graham was busy fiddling with one of his contraptions and Chloe paced quietly on her own. She had her own limited way of seeing what they faced tonight. Every decision that needed to be made would plague Chloe, and Allie wondered how her little friend was coping with the stress.

  “Liam’s just on the other side of the orchard, standing watch. He’ll be here when we need him, but right now, I need to talk to them and I didn’t need him flipping out.”

  “All right, let’s do this. Tell us how this is going to go down.”

  It was time to tell them everything, but she wasn’t sure she was ready to set things in motion.

  The time is now, Lex. We all trust you.

  She looked up to catch his unwavering gaze across the dusty barn floor. What if I make the wrong decisions?

  You’ll make mistakes. Anyone in this situation would. We all understand there are limitations to what we can do. We are human, not heroes in a comic book. Even the strongest of us have failed. But we pick ourselves up and we try to do better next time.

  Thanks, Aidan. She nodded. Taking a deep breath, she turned to face her friends.

  “Chloe, I want you to stay away from the fight. I need you to watch. Keep an eye on your parents and don’t think about anything else. Don’t get distracted by all of the decisions people are making around you. I need you to try to focus on my decisions and help me make the right ones. You’ll see Ming coming up from the beach below. And Jin will be with Emma in the tunnels so they’ll come out through the barn. When you see your parents … acting strangely, get between them,” Allie said. “Let them see you. It will help.”

  “What do you see for them, Allie?” she asked fearfully. “I sense something, but I don’t understand it.”

  “I don’t either, Chlo. Just keep an eye on them. I can’t see everything; there are holes. Stuff I don’t understand. I just know they will fare better if they are focused on keeping you safe.”

  “Graham, stay with Chloe. She’ll need someone watching her back. Is there anything you can do to keep us in communication with each other?”

  “I’m on it,” Graham said, passing tiny Bluetooth headsets to everyone. He picked up three small drones the size of Frisbees and flung them in the air where they hovered, as if waiting for his instruction. With a flick of his wrist, the drones flew off in three separate directions.

  “That. Was badass,” Aidan said.

  “Sweet, that's what I was going for.” Graham gave him a cocky smile. “The drones are connected to my phone so I can watch everything play out from above. I’ll try to keep you all informed. The headsets are linked so we can all talk to each other. Just remember to turn them on before things get crazy.”

  “Genius,” Allie said. “I knew there was a huge reason for you to be here. But I need you to stay hidden, Graham.” She continued. “When you see … Quinn, you cannot react. Do not let him see you.”

  “He’s here?” Graham whirled around to face her.

  “Yes, but he won’t be himself. If he sees you it will just upset him. He’ll get confused. And if your parents see you both, it won’t go well. Emma and Daniel cannot worry about both of you or it will end badly for all of you. We’re going to try like hell to get him back tonight.”

  She turned to Sasha, looking her in the eye. “Sasha, Quinn needs to see you. He has to see you. But don’t get too close. You need to go now. Go find Liam and tell him to take you up to the gates to wait. He'll be mad you're here, but explain what I've told you and he'll do as you say. Wait until you see Quinn on his own on the opposite side of the gates. Let him see you and then turn around and come back here. He’ll follow you but Liam needs to stay where he is. Naeemah will need him more than I will in the beginning. But when you see Quinn with Emma, get his attention. I can’t see what happens after that. All I know is Quinn will snap out of it when he hears your voice. But you can’t go to him. I need you to stay with Chloe. She’s going to need your protection. Otherwise, stay back. Keep your bow with you and take your shots from the cover of the barn. Take out anyone you see around me. I can’t fight tonight. I need to watch events unfold.”

  Allie couldn't stop now. She had to get it all out so they would know what to do. “Dare, I need to know you and Aidan are covering me, but we have to keep moving so I can see everything.”

  “We’ve got this, Lex,” Aidan said softly. “We’ll do everything you say, when you say it.”

  “Everyone, please be careful,” Allie begged.

  “Will we … get him back?” Sasha’s face was even and controlled but her voice wavered. Allie knew she was dying inside.

  “We’ll try.”

  “There is no trying, Allie. This is the only chance we’re going to get.”

  Allie nodded, thinking of the way her gift had come to her wearing Sasha’s face. She was right; Sasha would never forgive her if she screwed this up.

  “You three, please be careful tonight,” Darius said. He was struggling with his role here. He didn’t want to be responsible for his youngest family members, but Allie knew he trusted her and she was grateful he was willing to follow her blindly. He just didn’t know how blind Allie really was. She knew they were doing everything they could, but there was so much she wasn’t seeing. So many dark spots. So much she didn’t understand.

  “Aidan, keep me in your sight—at all costs,” she said. “Do not get distracted and fall behind.”

  “Lex, I know you see something and I know you think you’re protecting me by keeping it from me, but if you have something to tell me, tell me now.”

  “I cannot lose sight of you, Aidan. Stay nearby. Stay alert and we’ll be fine.”

  “Are you sure about that, killer?” Darius asked. “What’s your role in all of this?”

  “I’m doing it right now. I just have to hope it’s enough and that I haven't missed anything important.”

  “And what do I need to know?” Darius turned his piercing midnight gaze on her.

  “Give us a minute?” Allie asked the oth
ers. She needed a quiet moment with Darius. Whatever this was between them, it was about to be resolved right now and she didn’t want Aidan to have a front-row seat for it.

  You too, she added as they all drifted farther back into the barn and out of sight.

  Are you going to lock me out tonight?

  It’s for the best. You cannot be distracted by my thoughts and what I see. You need to go help the others get organized. We have some time before the fighting comes this way. Come find me when you hear the first signs of battle.

  She reluctantly watched him go as Aidan left to join the others. She shifted the block against him, sealing her mind off to him again. She turned back to Darius, dreading what was coming because she still didn’t know what it meant. They stepped away from the barn, into the last row of trees at the edge of the orchard—the same spot where the dream version of Darius had come to her.

  “Are we alone now?” he asked, tapping her forehead.

  “Yes.”

  “Then answer my question, Red. What do I need to know about tonight?”

  “You … can’t save Erin … or Dean. I’ve seen it a hundred different ways and it always happens and you always try but you never get there in time.” Her eyes bright with tears. “I won’t tell you not to try, Darius … but they drain you. Every single time. You have to let them go. We can always try to rescue them later. That is the best chance they have. Stick to Aidan like glue. He will need you to pull him back. Erin has a chance, but only if we leave it up to her to save herself.”

  “And Dean? Is there nothing I can do to help them?” His eyes held deep anguish for the two friends who were more like siblings. Erin was to him what Chloe was to Allie and her friends. The little sister. And he and Dean were as close as brothers.

  “Let Erin help herself. But Dean.… I’m sorry. Don’t ask me how—I just know when fate will have her way no matter how I might try to stop her. I’ve seen it so many times, Dare. I’m sorry. There’s just not enough time. They’ll take him no matter what we do.”

  Darius leaned against one of the largest apple trees as if he needed the support. “I will try to heed your warning.” He nodded, his face gray with the severity of what she’d just told him. “But they are my family. I don’t know if I can stand back and not help them.”

  “You have to, Darius. Please. It will be so much worse if they take all three of you. Do nothing and you and Erin have a chance to walk away to fight for Dean another day.”

  “I will … if you give me an honest answer to my next question.”

  Allie nodded. She knew what he would ask and she owed him the truth.

  “Will you make it through unscathed, or do I need to worry that you plan to sacrifice yourself to save everyone else? I’d like to know I can trust you to look after yourself. You’re more than capable.”

  “I’ll be fine, Dare. I see something. I'll do ... something. But I just don’t understand it yet.” It was one of those things she wouldn’t understand until it happened. All she saw was blood and all she felt was rage. “I just know the fewer witnesses, the better. So if you can cause a distraction at the right time, that would help. There’s so much I don’t understand yet, but I know even you will look at me differently after tonight. They are here for me. I’ve brought this down on us. I just don’t know why this Livia woman is so hell-bent on capturing me. But I will do whatever I can to keep that from happening, and not just for my own safety and freedom. If they capture me, they will use me for my power and it will be bad. They have ways to force me, but I can’t see how. So I have a lot of motivation to keep myself safe. I just want everyone to have the information they need to get through this with the least amount of loss. I need everyone to trust me when every instinct they have tells them I’m too young to know so certainly. There is a lot I don't know, but everything I do see is crystal clear now. I know what is within my power to change and what isn’t.”

  “I trust you. I’ll leave Erin and Dean to their fates if there is truly no other way.”

  She felt that now-familiar tug in her chest. The feelings she had for him were so confusing but she knew she couldn’t stop this from happening. Her warring emotions were at an all-time high where he was concerned and it left her breathless.

  “Darius?” She wanted so badly to cross whatever line they were about to cross, but she just didn’t understand it—she was terrified of where it would take them if she gave in to the pull of Darius. She couldn’t—wouldn’t—do that to Aidan. Especially now. Especially with Darius. But she wasn’t sure she had a choice anymore. She could feel her free will slipping from her grasp. This was happening whether she wanted it or not.

  “I know, sweetheart.” He hugged her close. “I don’t know what this is between us. I’m insanely attracted to you, but I know I don’t want to be with you like that.”

  Allie’s heart nearly beat out of her chest as she stared up at Darius. He was the one person who always made her laugh and never let her take life too seriously. She loved him, but she wasn’t in love with him. She was attracted to him in a thousand ways, but at the same time she knew he wasn’t for her. She wanted him to be part of her life, but she didn’t want him to be her whole life. She knew he was part of her—a missing piece that she’d always felt the absence of, but never truly realized until this moment.

  “What’s happening?” Darius whispered, clutching her hand.

  “I don’t know.” Allie’s heartbeat slowed until it grew sluggish. She could barely breathe. She couldn’t take her eyes off Darius. This couldn’t be … that.

  “Wait. No. We’re … bonding.” He fell to his knees, pulling Allie down beside him. “It makes sense now.” His breath grew shallow, matching her own.

  Allie was finally beginning to see Darius clearly. As if the strangeness of their feelings for each other was finally sliding into place. As her heart stilled in her chest and she gasped for breath, a green aura blazed around them.

  “Of course.” She was elated by the new understanding dawning in her mind. Darius was the most important person in her life now. Her heart began beating again, but she felt another beat there now—like she had twin hearts, one an echo of his heartbeat in sync with hers.

  “What is this?” Darius asked. “I can feel your heart beating in my chest. I love you so much it hurts.”

  “It’s so real. So pure,” Allie whispered. “What is this?”

  “I have no idea. We’ll have to ask Dad later. We don’t have time to figure it out right now.”

  “Don’t leave my side tonight, Dare.”

  “I can’t be away from you. Not now.” He grasped her hands tightly.

  “We fight together.” Allie nodded.

  “Be safe, Allie,” he whispered. “I don’t want to lose … whatever this is.” He pulled her into his arms and all the uncertainty and all the stress threatening to suffocate her just evaporated.

  She turned her attention away reluctantly. She would have to marvel over this new bond later, when she had time to grasp the enormity of what just happened. If she thought about it right now, she would totally freak, and nobody had time for that.

  “What the hell was that?” Aidan asked, his face white as a sheet as they returned to the barn, only to realize he’d been watching the whole time. Allie glanced down at their entwined hands.

  “It’s not what you think,” Darius said. “It can’t be. There was no choice involved.”

  “Then what is this? I can feel your bond and I don’t like it.” Aidan’s voice was like acid and his eyes blazed with hurt and fury––like the two people who meant the most to him had betrayed him.

  “We have no idea what this is, Aidan, but please do not let this distract you. Not tonight. I need you focused,” Allie pleaded with him. She was shaking with the aftershock of her bond with Darius and the hurt she could see in Aidan’s eyes. The hurt she felt at the mere thought that he might not understand. That he would think she could ever willingly betray him.

  “Lex?” Aida
n stepped forward as her eyes filled with tears.

  She felt like her heart was breaking, like she didn’t have enough of herself for both Aidan and Darius.

  “Deep breaths.” Aidan pulled her close. “Get control, baby. It’s okay. I can see this is not something any of us has ever seen before. It’s just bad timing. We’ll ask Dad about it when all of this is over. Look at me.” He tilted her chin up to meet his gaze. “We’re okay.”

  Allie nodded. Taking a deep breath, the ache in her chest began to subside.

  Just don’t ever make me choose. It will destroy me. She let the thought pass between them and then she closed her mind off and knew she couldn’t risk it again. Not until this was all over.

  Aidan pressed his lips against hers, holding her close.

  A fist came out of nowhere and Aidan was on the ground in the next instant.

  “What the hell, Darius?” Aidan growled, reaching for his bloody lip.

  “Shit, I’m sorry!” Darius scrambled to help Aidan up. “Apparently I do not like you kissing her.” He flexed his hand and continued to profusely apologize. “I have no idea what this is, bro. I’m so sorry.”

  “Is this some kind of sibling bond?” Aidan asked, spitting blood on the ground.

  “No,” Allie and Darius said at once.

  “It’s not—”

  “No,” they both replied just as vehemently.

  “I seriously can’t describe it, Aidan. It’s not a family bond, but it’s definitely not the other-not-to-be-named bond either,” Allie said. “At least I hope not. No offense, Dare.”

  “None taken.”

  “Can you give us a minute, Darius?” Aidan asked. “Go tell everyone to take their positions and get ready.”

  “I’d rather not.”

  “Darius, please.” Allie sighed, taking his hands in hers. She took a step closer, into the circle of his arms and felt the unsteady thump of his heart in her chest. “We’re running out of time and I just need a minute with Aidan.”

  “Just make it quick, sweetheart.” He tucked a loose curl behind her ear. “I’m not comfortable leaving your side with what’s about to go down.”