Liam beat you to it. Although I had the chance to do it myself…
“How did we never realize they could do this?” Naeemah whispered in awe.
“We were careful to hide it,” Aidan said, returning to his seat.
“This connection. It’s very—it’s private!” Allie snapped, trying to convey a feeling she had no words to describe.
“It is an intimate gift,” Emma said. “I can understand how you would want to protect it. Even from us.”
“Tell me everything you can about this Livia woman.” Gregg steered them back on track.
“She was more interested in me.” Allie frowned. “I’m not sure why, but she was looking for someone. The others thought I might be the one she was after.”
“Did she give any indication why she was so interested in you specifically?” Gregg asked in frustration.
“She saw my necklace in the photo and wanted to know how I got it. But it has to be some kind of mistake.”
“Let me see that necklace?”
Allie handed him the glittering pendant and watched as he examined the strange, black stones. He traced the serpentine lines of pewter looping around the pendant and an eerie light of recognition shone in his eyes. As he raised them to meet hers, she saw fear in those amber eyes.
“Lily gave this to you?” He carefully fingered the chain.
“Yes, a long time ago. It’s been in our family for years. I wear it all the time.”
“It has to be a mistake.” He exhaled softly, returning to his seat. “I cannot imagine why an heirloom necklace from a mortal family would interest this woman. We’ll have to do some digging to find out who she is. We need to get to the bottom of why she might be interested in something so trivial.”
“How did you get the collars off?” Allie knew he was hiding something and she wanted to ask, but with the slightest of nods, he warned her to keep silent.
“Livia ordered them removed so she could test us.”
“Alright, Red. I know you desperately need your rest, but I cannot let you go to bed looking like that. It pains me.”
“I’m fine, Gregg. I just need a few good meals and I’ll bounce back. Besides, I don’t think I could sleep anyway. Not when so many decisions need to be made.”
“I wonder if there is anything we can do to speed her healing along?” Gregg asked.
“I don’t want Aidan to push himself more than he already has,” Naeemah said. “He’s nearly as spent as Allie.”
“I don’t mind trying,” he offered, “but I don’t know how much help I’ll be.”
“I was thinking of experimenting with Allie’s gift of lending strength. I wonder if it’s possible for you to pull energy from a third party?” Gregg asked.
“You want to use me as a circuit?” She considered the possibility of channeling energy from one of the adults to Aidan. It might give him the stamina he would need to heal her injuries. “It’s brilliant!”
“Do you think you can do it?”
“It seems plausible.”
Don’t push yourself, Allie.
I think I can do it.
“I’ll be the guinea pig,” Jin offered.
Aidan stifled a huge yawn, and Allie wasn’t sure it was worth it.
I’m fine, baby. He smiled, reaching for her battered hand as Jin gingerly clasped her other. She sat back, closing her eyes in concentration. She’d never focused much attention on this ability because it always worked intuitively whenever she was in need of it. Within moments, she felt Jin’s immense strength coupled with Aidan’s overwhelming fatigue. Allie focused her attention on what was needed and felt a coil of warmth pooling in the palm of her hand. It coursed up her arm, flooding her body, revitalizing her as she pulled and guided the amazing flow into Aidan’s body.
She felt the shattered, broken bones of her face slide smoothly back into place. Her connection with Aidan allowed her to see his gift at work, and she was stunned by his power.
Even with Jin’s added stamina, the exertion of healing weakened Aidan considerably.
You should rest.
I’ll be fine.
She could feel his comforting touch coursing through her hands, giving her instant relief. When she looked down, her fingernails returned.
That looked incredibly painful. He kissed her fingertips.
Thank you, she murmured. He continued working to ease the pain of her bruised and broken body. She couldn’t take the guilt anymore. She broke into sobs, severing the connection between Jin and Aidan.
“Stop!”
“What’s wrong?”
“They crushed his skull with a bat! No one’s going to heal Quinn. I shouldn’t get the easy way out!”
“Come here, kid.” Jin pulled her into his arms. “I know my grandson, and he would want you to take whatever relief you could get. And he wouldn’t want you to blame yourself.”
Aidan tried to pull her hands back, but she refused.
I can’t bear it, Aidan! I won’t!
At least let me heal your black eyes?
“No! I’m done! What happens now, Gregg?” She sniffed back her tears. “What are we doing to get him back? How do we know others won’t come for us? How can we be sure it’s safe to go home? How can I know my parents and Vince are safe from the Coalition?” She fired her questions at the room.
“Daniel and I took care of your parents and Vince earlier this evening,” Imogen said. “Lily and Carson are here … er … resting comfortably until we can figure out what to tell them. Vince thinks you guys were mugged and you’re recovering at another hospital,” she explained. “Nadira and Seamas are guarding him on the off chance that the Coalition shows up.”
“Gen!” Allie hobbled over to hug her. “Thank you!”
“Liam, George and the boys will be working with some of our most trusted lieutenants to contain this situation,” Gregg continued. “Our focus now will be on finding Quinn and discovering what we can about this Livia woman and what her agenda could possibly be. Otherwise, we can only go on with our lives as normally as we can, with the absence of one,” he added sadly. “I do not think we are working with the official Coalition here, but I’m afraid we cannot go home—at least not until I know it’s safe to return. You will all finish school in three months, but you will do so as study abroad students. After everyone has rested, we will leave for Aide and Hélène’s home in New York for a few days. Now, Allie, it’s time for you to get some rest. We’ll fill you in on everything in the morning.”
“Screw that! I can rest later!”
With a nod to Naeemah, Gregg ignored her outburst.
“Come with me now, Allie,” Naeemah said in her haunting melodic voice.
She found herself slowly rising from her seat to obey, but resisted the mindless urge.
“No.”
“You’re going to make me work for this, aren’t you? Come with me, Allie-girl,” she said in that creepy singsong voice.
“I—I don’t think I want to.” Still, she reached to grasp Naeemah’s hand.
“You will rest and recover while we deal with other matters,” she sang softly, leading Allie down the hall.
“Crap … okay.” Her resistance crumbled.
“You will sleep now,” Naeemah chanted, pulling the covers up around her.
~~~
Scoot over, Lex, Aidan whispered, climbing in beside her. No nightmares tonight.
Her eyes snapped open. The sky was just beginning to lighten. She’d slept only a short while.
I imagine we’re done with bad dreams for now, she yawned.
I don’t want to risk it tonight. He wrapped his arms around her and she snuggled against his chest.
I was so scared I lost you, he murmured. Please stop beating yourself up about Quinn.
It should have been me! I messed up. The dreams were a warning and I didn’t see it!
We’re young, we’re still learning. I didn’t see it, either. We couldn’t have known it was a premonition. We’ll
find him. And if we don’t, he’s strong; he’ll take care of himself.
I hesitated, just like you all knew I would! Allie’s face crumbled under the weight of her guilt. I had him! she sobbed. I should have killed him for touching me! Then he wouldn’t have shot me. The others wouldn’t have been distracted and Quinn would still be here!
You don’t know that. Killing isn’t done lightly. Any of us would have tried to avoid it.
I had him and I just let him go!
You did everything right! Stop blaming yourself.
I have to take my training more seriously. I have to stop thinking like a mortal, she said firmly.
Don’t stop being you, Lex.
I can’t stand fighting, and I hate weapons. It’s one thing to hesitate when I’m protecting myself, but it’s another when my actions, or lack of, hurts our family.
I will help you but don’t let this change you.
She felt hopelessness sinking in as she realized somewhere in the night everything changed. She was no longer a child—innocence was gone and it was time to grow a pair. But Navid’s words came back to haunt her. Right now at this very moment, you are everything you should be and you cannot allow circumstances to change who you are at your core. Always remember this girl, this version of yourself.
Allie just wondered how she could possibly live this life and still be that girl.
~~~
CHAPTER
FORTY-FOUR
Will we ever get to go home? Allie asked as she and Aidan settled under a grove of laurel trees. They arrived at Aide and Hélène’s farmhouse along the New York side of the lake several days ago and she wasn’t sure what their next move would be. Lily and Carson were fishing at the dock, under the impression that they were all vacationing together.
Eventually. But Dad won’t make that decision until he’s absolutely certain it’s safe.
“You guys are creepy when you do that,” Sasha said as she joined them. The light in her eyes had dimmed since Quinn’s capture and Allie wondered if her friend would ever forgive herself for what happened.
“Apparently, Dad has decided we’re all leaving tomorrow,” she announced in a flat tone.
“Where are we going?”
“We’ll finish the school year in Agra in the guise of some study abroad program. Chloe and Graham are scattering to parts unknown with their families. We’ll all reconvene in a few months on the white sandy beaches of the Azores,” she said, obviously not in the mood for vacationing.
Allie wasn’t in the mood either, especially when beaches meant bathing suits, which meant dealing with her disfigurement.
You are not disfigured, Lex. You’re beautiful and always will be.
You’re biased.
It’s just a scar, baby, it doesn’t define you.
I know. I’d just like to wallow in self-pity for a bit.
Allie’s shoulder was healing very slowly and so far, the scar was hideous. Thin, ropes of knotted tissue snaked along her jaw, down her throat and around to the back of her shoulder and bicep, marking the path of the magnetic poison as it spread through her system.
You’ll hardly notice it in a few weeks, Aidan said cheerfully.
She shot him a scathing glare in return.
“You know, you could just go back to pretending we don’t know you can do that,” Sasha muttered uncomfortably. “Allie, Dad wants to see you. He’s waiting in Aide’s office and he’s kicked everyone out. So, good luck with that.”
~~~
Allie made her way through the deserted house. She’d dreaded this moment since her rescue.
“Come on in, Red!” Gregg called from the study.
“Where is everyone?”
“Out. We need privacy for this, but I will not tell you to block Aidan. I know he’ll be the one you run to.”
“What’s going on?” she asked, closing her mind off to Aidan. She would tell him later, but she knew this was going to be bad.
“Aidan has shown me his memories of your nightmares,” he began.
“I thought I was dreaming about the caves.” She was afraid she was in trouble for not telling them about her dreams.
“Aye, I know how difficult it is for a clairvoyant to read their dreams, Allie. I watched Kassandre struggle with it for years. She was the most powerful seer who ever drew breath, but even she struggled to understand what she saw.”
“You’re so much like her.” He smiled. “Strong willed and bloody stubborn with flaming red hair to match. But in many ways you’re much more like Ashar.”
“Gregg, what are you trying to say?”
“It’s funny how Aidan and Sasha take after Nae and I in so many subtle ways,” he continued. “Aidan and I share many similarities in personality, but he looks nothing like me, and there is very little of my powerful nature in him, where Sasha is very much my daughter in that way.”
“What are you saying?” she asked again.
“This Livia woman has vanished. There’s no record of who she is or where she came from. As far as the Senate knows, she does not exist. For whatever reason, she’s shown an interest in you, and that necklace you wear.”
“I don’t understand.”
“It seems she recognized it the moment she saw it, as did I.” He reached for a book on the shelf behind him, slowly flipping through its pages as if avoiding a painful task. He stopped on the page he was looking for and carefully passed the book to her.
She gazed at the photo of the Chiefs of Justice. She recognized the second couple as the current leaders of the International Senate. But her focus was drawn to the other two figures. Kassandre was a beautiful, petite redheaded woman with silvery gray eyes, and her husband was a handsome, tall, dark, green-eyed man. Allie stared at them for a long time before she trusted herself to speak. She recognized them instantly and felt a surge of white-hot rage igniting her power deep within her core, begging for release.
There was no doubt she was the image of Kassandre, but she was more interested in the man who stood beside her. Gregg knew him as Ashar, but Allie knew him as Navid.
Be cautious, Allie. Navid’s voice filled her mind. Our world believes I am long dead.
Is it true?
Yes, sweetheart, I am your father, and I am so proud of you … but Gregg cannot know—his voice trailed off with an empty echo.
“How long have you known?” Her eyes blazed with fury, her power barely under control.
“Easy, Allie,” Gregg said. “The day I met you, I was reminded of Kassandre. My suspicions grew, and as I got to know you, I saw not only Kassandre in you, but Ashar as well. Still I denied it. It just seemed so impossible. The day I gave you her sai, and they sang for you, I was all but certain, but I was so afraid of what it would mean for you, I refused to accept it. Now, here you sit, wearing her necklace and I can see his cool judgment and keen intelligence burning in those green eyes you could only have inherited from him. I can deny it no longer. You are their natural child.”
“How could you keep this from me?” She exploded, throwing the book across the room. Something powerful snapped inside her and she intuitively restrained it. She couldn’t lose control now.
“I do not know what circumstances brought you to Lily and Carson, but your mother’s hand is in this! She had her reasons for keeping you in the dark and my guess is she did it to give you anonymity. There is no doubt in my mind; you are Kassandre’s daughter. I should have accepted it the moment I laid eyes on you. With that hair, that sarcastic mouth, and the way you love so fiercely. You are your mother’s daughter and she would be so proud.”
“Lily is my mother!” Allie shrieked, reaching for something heavier to throw.
“I’m so sorry, sweetheart.”
“But they’re dead?”
“Aye, they were assassinated several years ago by the Coalition.”
She remembered talking with Daniel about the assassination of Kassandre and Ashar. It was a sad story with very few details. They were taken in the night
along with a few other key members of the International Senate. All were killed.
But how is Navid alive? If he really is Ashar … my father … then Kassandre must be alive as well! They must have escaped. Please, Navid! I need answers! But silence echoed in her mind.
“They had another child, Allie—another natural daughter two centuries ago. You are their second natural daughter, and I might be the only living soul who knows Kassandre was the seventh daughter of her line. Her mother was Queen Alísun—your natural, maternal grandmother.”
“Queen? Prophecy?” Allie’s knees buckled. Gregg guided her to a chair before she collapsed to the floor.
“The Power is corrupted, and will remain so until a new generation is born with the strength of their ancestors,” Gregg quoted the prophecy from memory. “led by one with an unsullied, natural connection with the Power. His heart will guide him, giving him the restraint to wield his Power wisely. He will gather his equals and together they will stand against those who persist in the corruption of the natural order. He will be strong and fierce in his beliefs, and steadfast in his love. Born the second child of the seventh daughter of his line, he alone will possess the skills and the knowledge to heal what has been broken. He alone will have the courage to judge unbiased and mete out the ultimate punishment. Until the time of his birth, may we prepare the way and hope for the future of all the races of men.”
“The word ‘heal’ always made me think of Aidan. For years, I’ve watched my son struggle with his power, growing up with his incredibly talented friends. I’ve watched helplessly as he’s suffered in isolation, alone and lonely and I thought, somehow, I was seeing prophecy fulfilled through my own child.”
“I was wrong, Allie. The prophecy was wrong. Aidan is destined to stand beside you as your equal. The prophecy is about you, Red.
~~~
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Immortals of Indriell- The Collection Page 30