“Hey Kelly!” Allie waved. “You guys want to skirt through another canal before we head back?”
“Sure.”
“Awesome!” She turned back to see Gavin beaming at her.
“Good job, Allie!”
It was nearly dark by the time they got back to the truck, but Allie was having a great time.
“You ready for the party? We don’t have to go if you don’t want to.” He pulled her close as he leaned back against the truck.
“Let’s go, it’ll be fun.” She let her arms drape around his neck, leaning in against his chest. His hands lingered at her hips as his lips brushed against hers. Allie ran her fingers through his hair and he let out a startled gasp. Kissing Gavin was nice, but the earth didn’t shift under her feet. Sometimes Allie worried his feelings were a little more intense for her than she realized.
“Come on, freckles, let’s get outta here.”
~~~
CHAPTER
ELEVEN
Aidan:
Wendy: They’re going to vote me off their island!
Aidan: Last time I checked Germany was not an island.
Wendy: They hate me! I’m butchering their language!
Aidan: Other than challenging feats of backward linguistics, how’s school?
Wendy: Amazeballs!! I cannot wait until you get here!
Aidan: That makes two of us. Any hot girls?
Wendy: Can’t think about that now. I miss Anya :(
Aidan: She was total batshit and you’re hot. I’m sure half the music prodigy’s are swooning, and the other half are just waiting for me :)
Wendy: Dammit! Now I miss you too! The time difference blows, I have to get some sleep. I have music theory at the crack of dawn.
Aidan: Night, Wen. I’m glad you’re doing this. I’m proud of you.
Wendy: Night. Thanks for being in my corner.
Aidan sighed miserably as he dropped his phone. He missed her more than he cared to admit.
He sat alone in his studio in the underground. He was still grounded from his latest antics at the beach, but his mother insisted he be allowed to keep his newfound sanctuary. If for no other reason than to give him time to think about his actions and how it seemed to have permanently affected his friendship with Jason.
Aidan absently hit record, lifted bow to strings and began playing Mozart’s Air. The achingly sweet melody filled the soundproofed room and his thoughts drifted back to Wendy. This was one of her signature pieces. The subtle nuances of the slowly exaggerated notes sounded forlorn without her cello to accompany him.
Get a grip, Aidan! It’s not like she was your girlfriend!
He was feeling lower than he had in months and he poured everything he had into the music, feeling his power smoldering deep within his core. There in the privacy of his studio, he could play in a way that he would never share with another living soul. It was too personal—too raw. Even when he listened to his recorded tracks, he could feel the music filled with his frustrations, fear, anger and all of his self-loathing. It all just came pouring out, like some kind of emotional release. He would play like this for hours and sometimes he felt better, but most of the time, it left him feeling like he had nothing left to give. Then it would all build back up again and he’d be right back here, playing his heart out for no one to hear.
~~~
Aidan meandered down the long flight of steps to the stone grotto on the beach. His father had built the grottos for his mother ages ago. There wasn’t much Gregg wouldn’t do for Naeemah. He did it himself, despite the fact that Ming could have done it in a day. It was a peaceful place where the waves lapped gently at the room’s perimeter. The grotto was Aidan’s favorite spot on the island. When he was with his friends, he often felt like he wanted to be alone, but once he was alone, he craved people. In the grotto, it was just comfortable, thanks to Naomi’s gift. She’d left for Europe more than a year ago, but she was powerful enough to sustain it still.
Everyone was in the underground, sitting vigil for Graham’s Awakening. Aidan tried to sit with them, but he couldn’t take it. No matter how much he wanted to be there for his friend, it was just too painful. Instead, Aidan spent the day alone. The sun was setting and there would be a celebration soon, but this was one of those nights he felt like an intruder. He synced his phone with the surround sound and settled on something sad and broody to fit his current brood.
He felt so off balance. Like there was a piece of him that still hadn’t fully regenerated from the accident yet. That was the only plausible explanation for the funk he’d been in since Tibet. Even in training, he couldn’t focus, and Jin spent most of their last few sessions berating him for his lackluster performance.
I gotta snap out of this maddening spiral. He absently stacked driftwood in the fire pit. I’m starting to annoy myself. He grabbed a six-pack of Blue Moon from the fridge and settled on the sofa to call Wendy before it got much later.
“Hey!”
“Was gehft?” she yawned loudly.
“Nicht vie—and that about taps out my German.”
“You sound broody. Seriously, what’s up? Spill it, I’m tired so you have about ninety seconds before I start snoring.”
“Were you serious about me and Kayla?”
“YES! She’d be good for you. And I happen to know she likes you.”
“She might be going through some stuff right now.”
“We’re all going through stuff, Aidan.”
“True, but what if I screw it up?
“You probably will.”
“Thanks for the vote of confidence.”
“It’s high school. Lighten up. There’s no reason you can’t have a healthy relationship with a nice girl without it getting too serious. Just see how it goes. And do not pull that fake Aidan BS with her!”
“I’m going to do it,” he said firmly. “I’ll ask her out next week.”
“Great, just don’t be a dork.”
“I’m a lot of things, Wen, but I have never been a dork.”
“That depends on who’s asking.”
“Gute Nacht, Wendy. Thanks for listening.”
“Anytime, babe. Auf Wiederhören.”
Am I really doing this? Was Kayla the right girl? He definitely liked her. They could be a good match, but something about the idea just didn’t sit well with him.
Aidan stared at the fledgling flames in the fire pit, willing them to catch and burn hot and bright. He frowned as he felt his power stirring when he hadn’t reached for it.
“No!” He gripped the edge of his seat as the flames spread and a burning sensation blossomed in his chest. He was losing control. It was slipping away from him so quickly and without warning.
What’s happening? Aidan doubled over as the heat spread to his limbs. The fire responded to the power coursing through his body and it began to grow, spiraling into a tall pillar. Hot flames licked at the stone ceiling, leaving trails of thick soot as smoke and ash filled the room.
Aidan collapsed in a heap as every muscle in his body seized in sudden agony. He lay there, unable to move as his power erupted, free and unrestrained. He finally saw it—how insanely powerful he was and how easy it would be to let it rule him. It was tempting, to give into it and fight no longer.
The fire had nowhere to spread in the cold stone grotto as it blazed, white-hot. The air scorched his skin, making it crack and bleed.
He took a desperate breath, clutching his skull as some new facet of his power began to emerge like an alien force ripping from his body. He couldn’t move and he couldn’t stop it.
It’s not supposed to be like this!
He lay there for an eternity, wrestling for control, but feared it was a battle he would lose.
It’s the fire! Everything was linked to the fire. He had to put it out, but he couldn’t move and he didn’t know enough about this newest gift to understand how it worked. The flames roared, billowing up from the pit in the floor. It didn’t spread, but grew hotter
and hotter until the ceiling glowed.
“Aidan Loukas McBrien! What are you up to now?” His mother burst through the concealed door to the underground.
“Mom!’ he cried in relief, his face covered in blood, soot and sweat.
“Aidan!” She was at his side in an instant. She struggled to move him, but that wasn’t the answer.
“No! Put it out!”
Naeemah darted into the kitchen, leaping over the sofa to land on the bar. She returned with the fire extinguisher and had the flames out in seconds.
Aidan choked as the last spasms wracked his body. Naeemah reached for him with trembling hands.
“Don’t touch me!”
She shivered from the sheer amount of power surging inside him, but she didn’t let it stop her.
“It’s okay,” she crooned in her lilting melodic voice as she helped him away from the fire pit.
“Water.”
Naeemah used her gift to call several bottles of water from the kitchen. It was a testament to her worry; she never used her power in the open like that.
Aidan chugged the first bottle, letting the coolness soothe his parched throat, and dumped the other bottle over his head.
“Glad you showed up, Mom.” He grasped her hand.
“Deep breaths, son. Find your control.” She brushed the singed hair from his face.
“Sorry I torched your grotto.”
“Shhh. Aidan, it’s okay. Just focus on your breath. Nice and slow.”
“What do you think this is?” He was healing quickly. Much faster than he should at his age, but it would still take days for the burns to fade completely.
“I’m not sure. I have never seen a gift emerge so violently. I’ve known other young Immortals who have endured pain with a new ability, but never like this.”
“Apparently, that’s my lot in life,” he groaned as he sat up.
“If I could take it all on myself, I would,” Naeemah said. “But I promise it won’t always be like this. You are strong, my son. It’s harder for you, yes, but it will never be more than you can bear.”
“I know.” He smiled for her benefit. He wished there was something he could do to make this easier on her. She took it so hard whenever he struggled.
“Can you stand?” she asked.
“I think so.” But as soon as he did, pain shot through him like he’d been beaten and burned. His legs gave out and he stumbled.
Naeemah draped his arm across her shoulders and guided him to the stairs.
“I don’t think I can do it, Mom.” His body ached with a deep soreness that had nothing to do with the fire and would not heal so quickly. This pain stemmed from his newest emerging gift and he wondered if this would be the one that would push him over the edge.
Can an Immortal lose his mind?
“Lean on me, son. I am strong enough to carry you.”
~~~
CHAPTER
TWELVE
Allie:
Allie watched Gavin as he joined the other boys for a game of football along the grassy shore of the beach. She should be okay with it, but she felt a wave of dread creep up and all of her insecurities flooded back in to drown her. Even after all these weeks and all the progress she’d made.
You have to learn to function without a buffer! She was doing well interacting with Gavin and his friends these days, but when he wasn’t there, she fell apart.
“Hey Allie! Come join us by the fire!”
Allie watched as Kelly and the other girls huddled around the driftwood fire. The cold weather was breaking and the warmer temperatures would be upon them soon.
“I-I ah, I’ll join you in a … in a minute. I-I’m just going to get a drink.” Allie hated the way her mind went blank in these situations. She had no idea what to say or how to act with these girls and most of the time her words came out in a tumble of stutters. At least Kelly seemed the nicest, Allie just wasn’t sure it was sincere.
I don’t even want a drink. She usually sipped on the thick dark beer the others seemed to prefer. She didn’t see the draw. It tasted awful and it never really affected her. Gavin didn’t drink much either, so she followed his lead.
Allie stepped toward the row of open tailgates where the keg was set up. She didn’t quite know how to work it and she stared at it for a minute until she heard the other girls laughing. She fumbled with her empty cup and changed her mind, grabbing a fruity, fizzy bottled thing that probably tasted like cough syrup. She reached for a slice of pizza and then she heard them.
“She’s so weird!” Leslie whispered, her voice carrying with the wind.
“Does she give anyone else the creeps?” Kelly asked. “I promised Gav we’d be nice, but there’s something so off about that girl.”
“Do we know what school she’s going to yet?” Courtney asked. “It’s bad enough now, but I don’t want to deal with this crap at school too.”
“Come on girls, be nice to the weird girl. Gav’s totally smitten,” Eric said as he joined them. “Can’t imagine why. She’s way more trouble than she’s worth.”
“Poor Gavin,” Leslie said. “Do you think he’s regretting it yet? He’s such a sweet guy to have to deal with all that fumbling and stuttering all the time.”
“To be fair, she’s not like that with him,” Kelly said.
“Well, he’s thrilled.” Eric shook his head. “That’s as close as Gav will ever get to a hot girl.”
“Hot? More like a hot mess,” Courtney said. “She’s painfully awkward. It’s hard to watch. But sometimes I think it’s an act to get sympathy. That girl is way more confident than she lets on.”
“He insists it’ll get better if we’re all nice to her,” Eric said. “But I tried to talk to her in the elevator when she first moved in and she went mute, wouldn’t even answer me. This thing with them can’t last long.”
“Well, I just don’t understand why he has to drag her to our parties when no one wants her around,” Courtney said loudly.
Allie dropped her slice of pizza and the bottle slipped out of her hands to crash onto the truck bed. The pizza box fell to the ground and she turned to see everyone staring at her.
“Screw this! I’m done!” Allie fought back tears as she stalked away. She refused to let them see how much their words hurt. She’d rather go back to spending her time alone than deal with such hateful people. Why did I even bother trying?
“What the hell’s wrong with you guys?” She heard the hurt in Gavin’s voice and wished she could have a ctrl+z. This tension between Allie and his friends was making him crazy.
I shouldn’t have said anything!
“We didn’t know she was listening. Gav, just let her go,” Leslie said.
“You’re terrible people. I’m ashamed of all of you!”
Allie tripped over the tall grass and stumbled toward the beach, clutching her sweater. She didn’t know where she was going, but she had to get out of there.
“Allie! Wait!” She heard Gavin call behind her, but she kept moving across the sand dunes.
“My friends are idiots, Allie. Don’t listen to them!”
“They’re right! Why do you want me around?” She stumbled in the darkness and fell to the ground. She watched Courtney and the others at the bonfire party below. She could hear their laughter. They didn’t even feel bad.
You don’t belong down there, Allie. As much as she liked Gavin, she wasn’t sure this was ever going to work.
“Gavin, I know how people feel about me, but walking into a heated discussion about how much everyone can’t stand me just isn’t something I can shrug off.”
“I’m so sorry.” He sat down beside her.
She absently reached for his hand and felt his subtle flinch; that constant reminder that her touch startled him. He felt the same way they did, but he was willing to look past it to see the real Allie. It meant the world to her, but it just wasn’t enough.
I can’t go to Cook Park High. It’ll never end well. She wanted so badly for
everything to fall into place here in Sydney, but the timing was off and it wasn’t going to work no matter how hard they tried to force it. Gavin was great, but it was like he just wasn’t the right guy and his friends weren’t ever going to accept her. But Allie wasn’t ready for it to end. Not yet.
“See? You feel the same way.” She dropped his hand.
“I do not.” He laced his long fingers through hers. Allie appreciated the way he resisted the urge to pull away from her, but she wondered when it would get to be too much for him.
“I’m a pariah, Gavin. I don’t know why. People just don’t like to be near me.”
“You are an intimidatingly beautiful and unique girl.” He brushed a comforting kiss across her fingertips.
“Unique?” she snorted. “That a nice way of saying I’m weird?” She felt more like herself now that they were alone, and that just wasn’t fair to him. Why couldn’t she be like this with the others?
Because they hate you and you can feel it.
“Okay, you’re weird.” He grinned. “But hot-weird, which in my humble opinion is an excellent combination.”
“Thanks.”
“Seriously, don’t ever try to be anything less than what you are, Allie. You’re different, and that’s an incredible thing. You just need to own it.”
“You’re right.”
“Come on, freckles. Can I tempt you with hot fudge sundaes? My treat?”
“Extra fudge?”
“On one condition.”
“Name your price.”
“Ignore my friends, because you and I are good. More than good.” His kiss was tentative at first, but he grew bolder as she responded. He was the first to break away, as usual, but she didn’t mind.
“Let’s get outta here.” He offered his hand. She took it, reveling in the way it felt to be close to someone, but she had a nagging suspicion that everything was about to crash and burn.
~~~
CHAPTER
Immortals of Indriell- The Collection Page 39