“You’re going to be fine. We have at least four months to prepare for our new baby.” Allie pressed on Emma’s tummy, feeling the swell of a baby bump Emma should have noticed. “We’re all going to be right here with you through the whole thing, and we’re all going to spoil that little baby rotten, and he or she will grow up with Kahlynn and be best friends.”
Emma’s breathing broke on a sob. “I’m scared. I can handle the baby part, but it’s the pregnancy and delivering part that I’m freaking out about. I don’t wanna.”
“I don’t blame you. I can’t imagine the shock after more than eight hundred years of believing it’ll never happen. The idea of it actually happening seems insane. But I promise, Emma, you’re going to be the best pregnant mom there ever was.”
“Did you see the birth? You looked terrified during your vision. What did you see?”
“Oh it was nothing. Just confusing. Why don’t we call Daniel now?” Allie poured Emma another cup of tea and reached for her phone.
“No! Um. I need something stronger than tea.” Emma glanced around the kitchen.
“You can’t drink alcohol, Emma,” Allie reminded her.
“Oh! You’re right. See, I don’t know anything. How about water? Ice cold water, please.” She nodded, setting the steaming cup of tea aside. “And then can you take me home?”
“Of course.” Allie moved to make her mentor a tall glass of water.
“Can you tell him?” Emma asked. “I don’t think I can do it.”
“Tell Daniel he’s going to be a father? No way. That’s your job, momma bear.”
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Aidan
Milan, Italy, May
“Aidan, I’m not sure I can do this.” Naomi paced across their narrow living quarters, arms hugging her chest. “I know we have to get these kids out of here, but are you sure this is the best way?” She turned to face him; the moonlight streaming in through the floor to ceiling windows cast a sliver aura around her. He could almost see her growing stronger under the nearly full moon.
“I don’t know.” Aidan hung his head, feeling the same pressure and regret she did. “We’re playing a long game here and we don’t know all the moves yet, but I’m afraid this might be our only way out. Once we’re inside Sterling Tower, we’ll be safe.” Aidan dropped onto the slate-gray suede sofa feeling much older than his twenty years. It didn’t matter if they ran now or waited for the Soma takeover; whenever they fled the initiative, the Chief Justice would paint them as criminals rebelling against their government. It would be a Syntrophos witch-hunt. But they would at least be safe inside Sterling Tower where no one could touch them. They’d figure out their next move then.
“And when will that be?” She turned to face him. “And what happens if your plan doesn’t work? What if we get inside Soma and Rowan doesn’t help us like you think she will? It’s her job to make sure we actually hand Soma over to the Chief Justice.”
“I don’t know, Naomi. We’ll just have to deal with Rowan when the time comes,” Aidan said, thrusting his hand through his too-long hair. “Pilar has already set this in motion. She told Cleo I’m the child of prophecy just like we planned. There’s no turning back, so I need you to be strong for whatever’s coming next.”
“I will.” She sat down next to him on the sofa. “You know I will. Naomi’s eyes filled with frustrated tears she wiped away with her palm.
Aidan pulled Naomi onto his lap, wrapping his arms around her. “We have to stay the course. This plan will work, we just need to be patient.”
“I don’t like what this place is doing to you.” Naomi leaned her head against his shoulder. “It’s making you harder. Angrier.”
“I’m distancing myself from the pain. Trying not to feel it as much. I can’t allow Neela’s pain or Ezra’s fear to affect me. I have to harden myself to it because it’s not going anywhere anytime soon.”
“I can’t do that. I show off my tough facade, but it’s only skin deep. I don’t know how to distance myself from this when kids are involved—and it just never ends.”
“We have to take it one day at a time and focus on how we’ll get through the next hour or minute. And remember at the end of all of this, we have an amazing family who will do everything they can for all of our people.”
“And remind me again why we can’t just ask them for help? We’re in over our heads, Aidan and it’s about to get worse with your insane plan.”
“Cleo and Genevieve have threatened Allie and our family more times than I can count. I know my father could handle them, but this is the Chief Justice we’re really talking about here. They believe I’m the child of prophecy. They aren’t just going to let me walk away because I called my parents to come get me, Naomi. They would destroy my entire family just to keep me here.”
“But the prophecy isn’t even about you, Aidan. Please help me understand why you want them to think it is.”
Aidan caught Naomi’s gaze. They had to watch what they said, even in their private quarters. They could never forget how, with just a touch of her hand, Cleo could see and hear through walls. He reached inside himself, searching for the bond that connected them as Syntrophos. He couldn’t talk to her like he could with Allie, but he could use the bond to get her attention. “We cannot risk our family or anyone we love. It’s too dangerous.” The bond ignited between them as Aidan willed Naomi to understand what he couldn’t say in words. Allie was the child of prophecy and she was his Complement, too. He could not allow anyone to use her against him. Too much was at stake.
“I understand.” Naomi’s eyes flashed in the moonlight, their bond humming between them. “She is important,” she whispered softly in his ear.
“And so are you,” he said. “I need you on my side.” Aidan laced his fingers through hers. “I will never survive this without you. But if you need to go, I will help you leave.”
“Shut your face. I’m not going anywhere until the day we all walk out of here together.”
Aidan chuckled. “At least we have each other.” He pressed his cheek on top of her head, grateful for her calming presence. In the midst of their stressful life, Naomi had transformed their home into a refuge using her gift for illusions. The ceiling swirled like the night sky full of constellations and swirling galaxies from far off. Leaning back on the sofa, they stared into the depths of an endless universe much larger than their immediate problems. It was a comfort even on their worst days.
Naomi’s heart thudded against Aidan’s chest, an echo of his own. “You know tomorrow is going to be the hardest day of our lives, right?”
“Tell me about the prophecy,” Rowan demanded, her eyes smoldering with the heat of her fury. She’d been at this for hours, torturing Naomi for information they would never divulge.
“You know as much as I do.” Aidan’s skin glistened with sweat in the afternoon sunlight. Rowan had no idea she was falling right into their plan.
“The prophecy is about you, Aidan. Your tough as nails Pilar already spilled the beans to save her own hide.” She ran her knife across Naomi’s arm, slicing open another cut, deeper this time.
Naomi’s weak grunt barely passed her lips as she leaned against the wooden post at her back, her arms hanging above her head. She wouldn’t give Rowan the satisfaction of her screams.
But this was the plan. As much as Aidan wanted to give in and free Naomi from her pain, they had a part to play, and they’d agreed neither would break no matter what Rowan did or threatened. To sell their plan, Aidan needed Rowan to believe she’d tortured him into spilling his guts. Still, all the lies he’d prepared to protect Allie were right on the tip of his tongue. He couldn’t hold out much longer. Naomi was at her limit of what she could take. This was Aidan’s point of no return.
“I told you, I don’t know,” Aidan said, letting the desperation he felt for Naomi seep into his tone.
“You’re lying. You’ve spent your entire life hiding from the Senate, not because you’re the m
ost powerful Immortal most of us have ever seen, but because of that prophecy. Now tell me what you know. What does it mean?”
“Don’t you think I’d tell you if I knew? You’re killing her!” Aidan’s scream held a savage edge to it. Naomi had lost so much blood she was bound to pass out any moment. “Please, let me help her.”
“Tell me what you know and this all stops. Give me the truth, and no one else will suffer for your lies.” Rowan was like a madwoman, so close to truth she wanted to see that she didn’t even realize Aidan was playing her for a fool.
Aidan’s gaze shifted to the silent onlookers. His students who had become more like family. Their faces reflected the fear and sadness that was their way of life now. He was doing this just as much for them as he was for Allie and Naomi. With the Initiative’s attention fully on Aidan as the child of prophecy, Naomi and Pilar could plan for their takeover at Soma without detection.
“I don’t know what the prophecy means.” Aidan’s voice came out in a rasp. “No one does.”
“But the child it speaks of, it is you, isn’t it?”
“Don’t, Aidan.” Naomi’s voice was faint, and she struggled to play her part in this.
“We don’t have a choice,” Naomi.” Aidan hung his head, his body weary from the severity of her pain.
“Answer the question,” Rowan said, carving her knife down Naomi’s back, eliciting one long pain-filled scream from Naomi before she passed out.
“I am the one the prophecy speaks of,” Aidan shouted, spit flying from his mouth. “You will let her go. Now.” His power surged along with his anger, causing Rowan to flinch at the authority in his voice.
“And what does it mean?” Rowan demanded, her own eyes blazing with triumph.
“I don’t know, Rowan. I swear. There are so many interpretations, I can only guess.” Aidan let his shoulders sag in defeat. “Only a true prophet could provide an accurate interpretation.”
“It doesn’t matter now,” Rowan said, her voice hard as steel. “He will know what to do with you.”
“Who?” Aidan asked, trying not to let his own triumph show.
“Marcus Servius. He is eagerly awaiting this news.” Her vicious smile sent chills through Aidan’s body. “The Master has been searching for you for thousands of years.”
“Do you think she bought it?” Naomi asked as Aidan carried her back to their private quarters, a trail of blood flowing in their wake.
“Shhh, don’t talk.” Aidan shouldered through their front door and crossed the living room to the glass doors leading into the small garden. He laid Naomi on the stone dais in the center of the walled garden.
“That’s better.” A sigh escaped her lips the moment moonlight flooded her body. Naomi drew her strength from the lunar cycle. There was no better place for her after a full day under Rowan’s knife—an experience she was all too familiar with.
Aidan left her there for a moment, returning with a first aid kit and warm water to wash her wounds. Silently, Aidan clutched her hand, dabbing at her oozing wounds with a damp cloth. There were so many cuts. More than he could heal on his own. He focused on the worst of her injuries first, letting his healing power pool in his hands.
“I will heal on my own. S-stop fussing.” Her breath came in an uneven rasp. She’d lost too much blood and her chest barely moved with each labored breath.
“Save your strength, Naomi. Don’t die on me. We can’t afford the time for you to regenerate.”
“I have a decade on you, remember?” She attempted a smile. “I’ll be out of the woods in a few hours.”
“She took it further than I expected. I’m so sorry.”
Naomi lifted a weary hand and clapped it against his face. “We got what we needed. Everyone here thinks you’re the child of prophecy. So, now the spotlight is on you. And you-know-who is safe.”
Aidan’s laughter came out like a strangled sob. “She would make so many Harry Potter jokes about that.” His eyes misted at the thought of Allie’s laughter, a sound he couldn’t even recall anymore. With each passing day, the pain of missing Allie was becoming more than he could bear.
“She’s not ready for this yet. She needs to reach her Proving …” Naomi erupted into a fit of coughing.
“Rest now.” Aidan smoothed his hand over her hair. “You did an amazing job out there.”
“Well, let’s not make it a habit.”
“I just hope our little act is going to be enough to get him here.”
“And what are you going to do with Marcus once he’s here?” Naomi asked.
“Don’t worry about that right now. I just want to talk to him.” The lie tasted bitter on his lips. She would be furious with him when she found out. But it was for the best.
Naomi’s breath rattled in her chest as she took a deep breath. “We’re playing a dangerous game with this guy, Aidan. I hope she’s worth it.”
“She is, but this isn’t just about her. It’s about all of us. We need to buy her the time to come into her own so when she is ready, she can face Marcus with confidence.”
Aidan’s thoughts weighed heavily on his mind as he left Naomi to raid the dining hall. She was resting now, but she was going to need a good meal before breakfast. He walked on bare feet down the wide stone colonnade. The cool mountain breeze flowed through the open arches bordering the training field and the dim light of the gas lamps lit his way.
“What are you doing out past curfew?” Aidan jumped at the sound of Rowan’s hateful voice, echoing behind him.
“I’m not out past curfew.” He blinked at her in surprise. “I’m on the grounds. I was just getting Naomi some food. She’s had a rough day. Or are we not allowed out of our rooms at all now?”
“Just go.” Rowan waved him away. She was jumpy and her eyes were hollow. Her normal porcelain skin was the color of ash. She reminded Aidan of an addict in withdrawal. Her hands shook and her eyes twitched.
“Are you okay?” Not that he really cared, but Aidan needed Rowan on his side and if showing her a little kindness would make that happen, he could set aside his feelings about the woman.
“I’m fine.” She returned to her nervous pacing along the open corridor, inhaling in the fresh summer breeze like a healing tonic.
“You don’t look fine.” Aidan watched the way her power flickered in her dark eyes. She was battling with her gift and she was losing. “You overdid it.”
“Nothing I can’t handle.” She continued to pace.
“Has your gift always worked this way? Or has it evolved since your bond with Spencer?”
“Are you really trying to mentor me right now?” She gave him a scowl, her dark eyes somber.
“Looks like you could use another perspective. Tell me what’s got you so off balance?” Aidan stood, arms crossed over his chest.
“It’s nothing I haven’t dealt with before. I just need to focus on something else until the chaos settles down.”
“This isn’t the first time you’ve struggled. You’re losing control, and it’s slipping farther away from you each time, isn’t it?”
“What are you, psychic?”
“No, but I know what it feels like so I recognize the signs.”
“I’ve always had the ability to cause pain, but with Spencer, it’s more … intense and difficult to control.”
“Have you worked with her to find a balance? If she exacerbates your gift, amplifying it so it’s more powerful, then she should also be able to temper it with a little focused training.”
“How do you know so much about Syntrophos?” She leaned against the stone wall beneath the gas lights, focusing on her breathing.
“Lean over and keep breathing,” Aidan instructed. “It’ll help.”
To Aidan’s surprise, she actually followed his suggestion, which meant she was truly struggling.
“I just happened to study about the Syntrophos in a history lesson once, and I found it fascinating.” He shrugged. No need for her to know the truth. “I believe Spe
ncer could help you.”
“No.” Rowan shook her head. “Spencer has enough to deal with on her own. I can handle this.”
“Sure you can. Until you can’t. And if you lose the battle you’re fighting now, then what good will you be to Spencer and your Complement?”
“All right. Let’s say I take your advice? How could Spencer help with this?”
“Can you tell me what you’re feeling when your gift spirals out of control?” Aidan sat on the cold floor opposite her.
“Anger. Lots and lots of anger.” She shoved her hands through her hair in frustration. “Like I want to make things burn kind of angry.”
“Well, it might do us all a favor if you get that under control,” Aidan muttered.
“You’re not funny.”
“You trust Spencer, right?”
“With my life.”
“Then take her somewhere private where you don’t have to keep up your pretenses and meditate.”
“Meditate? Seriously? That’s your sage advice?”
“It will work. I promise. Both of you need to find a quiet sense of peace within your minds, and then open yourself up to each other. Let your power mingle with hers.”
“She struggles so much with her own abilities. Her own demons. I don’t want to put more on her than she can take.”
“You might find the simplest solution is to let your bond take care of both of you. Syntrophos are a natural balance to each other. By taking care of yourself, you’ll take care of Spencer, too.”
“Why are you helping me?” Confusion clouded her eyes. “You have no reason to show me kindness. Especially after today.”
Aidan shrugged. “You’re no good to me if you lose control.”
Emerge- The Betrayal Page 27