Immortals of Indriell- The Collection

by Melissa A. Craven

  ~~~

  Aidan woke with a groan and a stretch. After a good night with his friends and a decent meal, he felt a million times better.

  He stood cautiously, testing the soreness in his legs and shoulders. It was better, but still stiff.

  Nothing an early morning jog won’t cure. Aidan liked to run before school. It wasn’t for the exercise, so much as the opportunity to clear his head.

  After a quick protein shake, Aidan darted down his favorite trail and let his body take over, just focusing on breathing in and out, taking in the fresh air and letting his muscles bend and flex. The sound of his feet pounding against the hard packed earth was loud in his ears and the gulls swooping overhead were his only distraction. For once, he wasn’t brooding. For once, he felt a moment’s peace.

  But with his next breath, Aidan’s spine went rigid and he skidded to a halt in the gravel.

  Who the hell is that? He balked at the unfamiliar presence he sensed up ahead. She was young, but fairly powerful. Nothing like Aidan, but it was still disturbing. If new Immortals were in the area, they were there without permission. Gregg would surely have mentioned this girl if he knew.

  So much for my nice quiet morning. He was so not in the mood for a first encounter. He didn’t meet Immortal girls his age very often, but when he did it usually wasn’t a fun experience. It was too late to turn back now; she’d already sensed him. She was running faster, trying to put some distance between them. He felt obligated to set her at ease. And he was curious, wondering what her family was up to. The trail looped around up ahead. If he cut through the woods, he could be waiting on her when she came around the bend. She would see him ahead and know he wasn’t a threat. Aidan made as much noise as he could, crashing through the dry leaves.

  “Sorry, sweetheart, I’m not actually trying to stalk you!” he called out a greeting. She could easily jump to the wrong conclusion out here on the secluded trail.

  Aidan caught a glimpse of her as he left the woods and stepped back onto the trail. He expected to feel her fear, but what he actually got from her surprised him. She was … irritated, but nothing from his gift or her body language said she was scared. She cast a look over her shoulder and her red hair tumbled out behind her. It gleamed in the early morning light, matching the subtle hues of the fall landscape with strands of silver, copper and gold.

  This could get interesting. She’s hot. She’s Immortal. Great taste in music! He could hear the tinny sound of Pavane coming from her headphones. But she didn’t see Aidan standing on the trail just ahead of her and he didn’t react quickly enough. She barreled right into him with a loud smack. They tumbled to the ground in a citrus scented heap.

  “Dammit! Watch where you’re going!” he growled, immediately regretting his tone.

  “Sorry!” Her voice shook uncertainly.

  “Your knee is crushing my spine, sweetheart.” He tried to put a hint of teasing into his voice, but it came out wrong again.

  I seriously suck at this.

  “Crap! Sorry!” She scrambled to her feet and reached to help him up.

  Without a thought, Aidan placed his hand in hers. She was warm and her small hand felt so natural in his. He waited for her to pull away with the rejection that was just part of his life, but she surprised him again when she took a tiny step closer. He didn’t think she even realized she’d done it. Aidan’s breath caught in his throat as he met her gaze and found the weirdest shade of green blazing in her beautiful, almond shaped eyes.

  Damn. He felt something stirring in his chest, and it wasn’t his power. It was hope.

  She looked at him expectantly. Surprised, but not afraid. A girl his age. Immortal. Beautiful. A girl he hadn’t grown up with. A girl he did not see as a sister.

  Where did she come from?

  She looked confused and he thought he saw uncertainty in her eyes. Say something, you idiot!

  “Didn’t mean to scare you.” His tone came out right this time, but he couldn’t tear his eyes from hers. Stop staring, man. You’re gonna freak her out.

  “I tried to call out before I got too close, but either your hearing sucks or your music was freakishly loud.”

  “Probably both.” She laughed nervously.

  Aidan felt like one wrong move would send her scurrying away and this strange little bubble they were in would burst.

  “Aidan McBrien.” He offered his hand, eager for the excuse to touch her again. “I live just up the beach. New to the city, right?”

  “Um, yeah.” She nodded, but her eyes were glued to his hand as it closed around hers so easily. She was tense. Uneasy, but not afraid, even when everything about this encounter should have had her on the defense.

  Aidan stared at their joined hands, uncertain what to do or say next. She was a reasonably powerful girl, but she shouldn’t be so at ease with a total stranger who was immeasurably stronger. She should have her back up. She should be running away. But instead, she looked up at him—way up, and they both smiled. The tension between them evaporated instantly.

  She’s just a girl, Aidan. You talk to girls all the time. But not girls like this. Not ones who responded to him like he was a normal guy. Not a girl who stared at his bare chest like she wanted to go exploring.

  “And you are?” he felt a genuine smile cross his face and she blushed to the roots of her crazy red hair. And then it hit him, she wasn’t flustered by his power or even this unexpected situation. She was nervous because she found him attractive! It was all so normal.

  Well back atcha, sweetheart.

  “Oh! Um, Alexis Carmichael.” She flushed an even brighter shade of red and continued stuttering something he didn’t catch.

  “Nice to meet you. Sorry I scared you. Bad habit of mine.”

  “No damage done.”

  Aidan’s mind was reeling as they walked along the path together in an easy silence. Gregg wouldn’t be pleased with her parents. There would be hell to pay for going about this in all the wrong ways, but maybe they just didn’t know any better? I really hope they aren’t here to start trouble.

  “What brings you to Kelleys Island, Lex?” She didn’t look like an Alexis and the nickname just suited her somehow.

  “Parents’ new jobs. The usual.”

  “You know it’s not generally considered very polite to show up unannounced. But I won’t hold it against you, although your parents should check in with mine. My father is Greggory McBrien and my mother is Naeemah El Sadawii.” He wanted her to be prepared for any issues they might have with the unplanned move, but he cringed when it came out sounding like he was bragging.

  “So your parents aren’t married?”

  “Of course they are.” Why would she think that?

  “Oh, your mom didn’t change her last name? That’s seriously cool.”

  “Yeah … she’d like to think so.” He gave her a wary glance. Either he was missing some important detail in their exchange, or she was messing with him.

  How could she not know such a normal custom? Immortal women only adopted their husband’s last names as a matter of blending in. In their world, it was not recognized.

  Aidan got the feeling he needed to be careful. Somehow, he wasn’t on the same page with this girl.

  “Will you be going to Cliffton Academy?” he rushed on to a safer subject.

  “Yes, today’s my first day.”

  “That’s why you’re out here running at the crack of dawn? Nerves getting to you?”

  “Not really, I’ve done this a hundred times. I guess I’m just trying to psych myself up for it again. Sometimes it’s just easier to crawl back into my nice comfortable shell and keep to myself, you know?”

  “I believe I do.” She had no idea how well he understood that temptation. “But at least there will be one friendly face in the crowd. I’ll introduce you to my sister and our friends.”

  Maybe they can help me figure you out. They were nearing her house now and Aidan was reluctant to go. She seemed eager to linge
r as well. He was tempted to touch her again, but with his power this time. She was difficult to read, but his gift would tell him exactly what she was feeling. He was desperate to know if she really was as unaffected by him as she seemed.

  “Sorry about before.” He motioned back to the path behind them, absently running his fingers through his hair. Chloe’s right. I need a haircut.

  “Sorry for crushing your spine.” She beamed her beautiful smile at him.

  “You’re little, it’s okay.” He grinned back like a total moron.

  She tripped over the uneven cobblestones and he reached out to steady her, releasing a trickle of his power, just enough to get a read on her but not so much that she would notice.

  Except she did. Crap!

  “You want to keep that hand?” She whirled around to face him.

  “Whoa! Sorry about that, I was just—” he threw his hands up and took an uncertain step back. How the hell did she do that? It was like she wouldn’t let him use his gift on her.

  “Aidan, I-I’m sorry. I don’t know what got into me.” She dropped her gaze down to her shuffling feet. Aidan resisted the urge to reach out and tilt her chin up so he could see those eyes again.

  “No damage done.” He winked, but he suddenly had a really bad feeling about this girl. “You’re certainly different, aren’t you, Lex?” He could see it plain as day, Alexis Carmichael was a breath of fresh air, but she was also trouble.

  “I don’t know. Is that good-different, or I-should-come-with-a-warning-label-different?” she laughed, totally at ease with him once more.

  Aidan took a step closer. His heart skipped a beat at her nearness, her scent like oranges and honey.

  I’m in so much trouble with this one. He felt the bad mood of the previous weeks finally lifting—along with the pressure of a mountain that had been with him so long, he didn’t even notice it any more.

  He leaned in, tilting her chin up to meet his gaze, his fingertips lingering along her jaw. She was so warm and inviting and she didn’t pull away from him. For one insane moment, he thought about kissing her.

  “I’m going to go out on a limb and say both.” His hand fell to her shoulder. “See you at school.” He ran his fingertips down the length of her arm, letting the tiniest trickle of his power sizzle between them. Not for any reason other than he wanted to feel it.

  He turned and jogged off toward the cliffs in the distance. It took everything he had to go. Aidan couldn’t help but wonder if it was all just a fluke. That he’d let his imagination run away with him, but he was also terrified that it might be exactly as it seemed.

  How could she not know what she is?

  ~~~

  Aidan was eager to get to school for the first time ever. He wanted to see her again. Sasha didn’t believe him when he told her about the Immortal girl he met in the woods. In her defense, it sounded ridiculous when he said it out loud. He couldn’t wait to see the feisty redhead again, if only to see if her reaction to him was any different.

  “Let’s stop for coffee,” Aidan said.

  “You never want coffee.” Sasha shot him a puzzled look.

  “Well, today I feel like it. Pull over.”

  Plus there’s a cute redhead hiding out in the café we just passed. He sensed her when they were sitting at the red light at Saint Claire and West Sixth.

  They all walked along the busy city block together as Sasha regaled the others with her version of Aidan’s story.

  Lex is nervous. He could feel a hint of her anxiety as they rounded the corner. She seemed to be worried about fitting in at Cliffton, but it was difficult to tell with her.

  “Aidan!”

  He almost kept walking, but he knew the quickest way to get rid of the clingy girls was to flirt with them for a second and then send them on their way. But he wasn’t sure he had the patience for it this morning.

  “When are you going to take me for a ride in your BMW?”

  It was a Maserati, babe, and I’m still picking pieces of it out of my teeth.

  “Sorry, sweetheart, I wrapped it around a tree a few weeks ago.”

  “Hasn’t your dad bought you a new one yet?”

  “I’m afraid I am grounded, and at the mercy of my sister for transportation for the foreseeable future.” He wanted to finish this up and get inside, but for some reason the girl picked today to be brave.

  “Well, maybe I can take you for a ride in my little Mercedes sometime?”

  “Sure, maybe.” He walked into the shop with his arm around her, hoping it would freak her out and bring a quick end to this. He scanned the room for Lex and saw her huddled in a corner booth. He smiled and headed for her table. He didn’t even get one step.

  “Aidan!”

  “Hey, sweetheart.” He blanked on her name as usual. Come on girls! This is the last thing I need today. But they expected it. The flirtation was his M.O. He flirted. They giggled and ran away. It was all just a game.

  Let’s get this done. He approached the counter with an arm around each girl. He laughed and nodded, going through the motions before he sent them on their way. He never even ordered anything.

  “Hey, Lex.” He finally made it to her table while Quinn and the others were busy chatting with their friends. He slid into the booth beside her, trying to relax but he couldn’t seem to find that easy comfort he’d had with her just a few hours ago.

  “You know, I really hate that name.” Her brusque tone caught him by surprise.

  Okay, what’d I miss?

  “It suits you,” he said.

  “I prefer, Allie.”

  “Aidan? Come on! Stop flirting with everything in a skirt and let’s go!”

  I wonder how mad Da would be if I maimed my sister?

  He watched as Allie sensed his friends. She didn’t react as he would have expected. She should be terrified finding herself in the midst of five unknown Immortals, but she just acted like she had a headache.

  “This screaming harpy is my big sister, Sasha,” he said by way of introduction.

  “You were serious?” Sasha rolled her eyes.

  “Adopted sister,” he amended.

  “I thought he made you up to screw with me!” Sasha took the seat furthest from Allie.

  Well, that was odd.

  “Who’re your parents? Did they check in—?”

  “Sasha, don’t you have coffees to order?” He glared at his sister. He didn’t need her opening her big mouth and turning this into a total disaster. If he was right, and Lex didn’t know what she was, Sasha didn’t need to blurt it out.

  “Fine, hog the new girl. You’re a junior, right? I’ll see you in class later? We’ll talk?”

  “Sure,” Allie said, completely relaxed with Sasha who was an extremely intimidating Immortal on her own. The two of them together should have had her looking for a quick exit.

  This just doesn’t make any sense.

  “She talks too much.” Aidan watched his sister move to the counter with their friends. “But she’s awesome. Just don’t tell her I said that.” His nerves were gone and he felt more at ease now that they were alone.

  “The tall, dark, quiet one over there is my best friend, Quinn. He’s a senior. He’s been around Sasha too long, so he doesn’t talk much. The short, pale, hungry looking one, ordering half the bakery, is his little brother, Graham. He is the most genuinely kind person I know. You’ll love him.” Aidan was babbling now, grasping for anything that was a safe topic to discuss.

  “I take it at least one of them is adopted?”

  “They both are.” She doesn’t even know natural borns are rare!

  “So am I!”

  “Interesting coincidence.” Aidan’s mouth suddenly went dry. She really had no idea she was Immortal. But how could she not know? What kind of parents would keep something like that from her?

  “The cute Asian girl with Graham is our friend, Chloe,” he went on. “She’s the only one of us not adopted.” He smiled as they watched his friends. They we
re the most important people in his life, but sometimes he felt like an outsider.

  He watched the same emotions play across Allie’s face. Envy and a desire to belong. For the first time in his entire life, that huge gulf between him and the rest of the world wasn’t there. The relief was almost more than he could bear.

  ~~~

  “Aidan!” Sasha cried as she steered him into a side corridor after first period. “I know it’s crazy but that girl has no idea what she is! How could that happen?”

  “It’s not just me, then?”

  “Are you guys sure?” Quinn asked as he joined them.

  “It’s either that, or she’s the best actress in the world.” Sasha absently chewed her bottom lip. “And there’s something strange about her power too. I find her incredibly intimidating. But I don’t think I should.”

  “She’s no more powerful than you are,” Aidan said. That’s weird.

  “My gut tells me she’s not dangerous,” Sasha continued. “But we have to tell Dad. I’m worried her parents could be here to start something.”

  “I agree,” Quinn said. “They should know better than to just show up like this.”

  “I don’t think we need to worry about that, guys. Let’s just keep this between us for now.”

  “Aidan, that’s a bad idea. For about a hundred different reasons.” Quinn was always the voice of reason.

  “Let’s give it a couple of days first. Let me get her story straight and then I’ll decide how to proceed. The rest of you keep your distance for a while.” He hated using his authority like that, but he knew they would do as he asked.

  “How could she be our age and not know? That poor girl.” Sasha shook her head sadly.

  “Can you imagine? Suffering through an Awakening in complete ignorance?” Quinn said.

  “Jin did.” Aidan reminded them.

  “True, but that was centuries ago. Surely her parents would have told her by now.”

  “Right? Why would they keep it a secret?” Sasha wondered.

  “I don’t know, maybe they just wanted to protect her from it for as long as they could,” Quinn said.