“Let’s get started, shall we?” Livia said as she came bursting through the double doors.
“Sure,” Santi mumbled. “What will we be doing?”
“Follow me.”
She followed her down the wide marble hallway of her penthouse suite to the large, fully equipped gym.
Santi envisioned long, grueling workouts here and cringed at the thought of such rigorous training with the indomitable Livia as her instructor.
“I want you to touch me with your gift,” Livia said.
“What?” Santi couldn’t imagine doing such a thing. She didn’t want to know Livia that well.
“Touch my soul––the painful way. I want to see how your gift works.”
“Fine,” she said. “It will be more painful than you can imagine.”
“I doubt it. I have a high tolerance for pain.”
“Very well,” Santi said as she grasped Livia’s arm. She didn’t give her time to brace for it. She wanted her new boss to know how easily she could protect herself with just a touch.
Santi closed her eyes as she felt Livia’s soul scramble away from her. Everything about Livia flooded her mind as she strengthened her grip, the echo of pain rippling through her own body.
Livia’s soul was a dark place. She was a formidable woman, but she wasn’t without merit. She hated the woman she’d become and was locked in an impossible situation, with little choice but to do as she was told. Santi felt sorry for her. Almost.
With a frown she realized something went horribly wrong. She gasped as the pain began to rebound on her, more intense than she had ever felt before. She glanced up at Livia, feeling the struggle between them as she fought for control of her gift. Santi wasn’t prepared for this. Livia’s gift overpowered hers until she could no longer feel the essence of Livia’s soul. But the burn of the familiar agony swelled within her. It was no longer an echo, but the full brunt of her own gift. Livia was touching her soul now and Santi had absolutely no control.
“Relax,” Livia finally said after a struggle that seemed to last for hours. “I will return your gifts to you once you have been fully trained.”
“What? What is this?” Santi couldn’t comprehend what just happened.
“You will not wield your power without my consent. I have full use of your gifts now but I have not taken them from you. My gift allows me to temporarily use another’s power and return it as I please.”
“You can’t do that!” Santi’s voice came out as a harsh whisper.
“It is already done. You will live here until you have proven you can be trusted to do as you are told. You will stay within arm’s reach of me at all times. You will sleep at the foot of my bed and you will do as I say, when I say and how I say.”
“No.” Santi was done. Nothing was worth succumbing to this woman and her every whim.
“As long as I remain in control of your power, you cannot leave. You are mine now. When you have been trained to my satisfaction, you will return to your previous position within the company.”
“No.” Santi shook her head, still in shock. She couldn’t feel her power. She couldn’t grasp it as she had every day for the last nine years. The separation from her power was ... gut-wrenching.
“Yes. You will bend to my will, Santi. On your knees, at my feet, and you will do it now.” Livia pointed at the floor.
Santi fought the urge to obey. She resisted Livia’s will until beads of sweat broke out on her forehead and her back began to bend. Eyes closed and filled with humiliation, Santi fell to her knees, vowing to earn her place back.
~~~
CHAPTER
FIVE
Six months later
Santi curled up on the pallet at the foot of Livia’s bed. She was rarely allowed to sleep for more than a few hours. In the months since Livia had taken control of her power, she’d learned that her captor’s influence lasted only a finite length of time before she had to reestablish her dominance again. She still hadn’t determined how long Livia would need to be gone before she could take control of her own power again. The longest she had ever left her was ten hours. Until tonight.
Santi glanced at the clock beside the luxurious bed. Her captor had left twelve hours ago after a text message nearly sent her through the roof. Whatever the young redheaded girl and the handsome guy in that picture had done, it had spurred Livia into a panic. She’d left with little instruction, only telling Santi not to leave the apartment until she returned.
For the last two hours, she’d tried in vain to take her power back. She could feel it tantalizingly within her reach but it continued to evade her.
There was a time when she thought she could make it through Livia’s training. There was a time when she thought she would do anything to get back into her good graces because she wanted to help train those like Lennox. But no more. Now Santi just wanted out.
She heard Livia burst through the front door of the penthouse and she nearly wept in frustration. Livia would force her to submit again. The cycle would never end.
As she stepped into the bedroom, Livia shoved a dark figure in front of her.
“Sit,” she commanded. “I’ll deal with you later.”
“No,” Santi whispered, knowing it was futile to resist.
“Don’t make this harder than it needs to be,” Livia said. “I would need to be gone a lot longer than a few hours, so stop fighting me. You know it is pointless.”
Santi hung her head as the familiar agony swept through her. It wouldn’t last long if she freely submitted to Livia’s control, but she always had enough will, somewhere deep inside her, that rose to the surface to fight. Livia still had not managed to break that small resistance she clung to. It was the reason she still slept on Livia’s floor.
But Santi refused to be broken.
"Do you have to fight me every time?" Livia asked wearily after she'd taken control of Santi's power once more. "You know I don't enjoy this."
“Who’s this?” Santi gestured at the young man sitting in the chair beside the bedroom door. He was the one from the picture. His eyes were filled with stubborn fury and his dark brown hands lay fisted in his lap. His bedraggled tuxedo jacket clung to his broad shoulders in tattered shreds of fabric.
“He’s your new roomie,” Livia said. “Show him the ropes. I’m going to shower. Don’t bother me again tonight.”
Santi got up and retrieved blankets from the hall linen closet. She made a bed for the newbie beside hers.
“She has your power?”
He nodded, looking at Santi in disgust.
“She will keep you close until she breaks you. Most people only last a few weeks with her.” She shoved a pillow into a pillowcase and dumped it on the pallet.
“How long have you been with her?” he asked.
“Six months,” Santi replied. Six long months. And in that time she’d watched Livia break one young Immortal after another. So many times she wanted to give in, but she refused.
“What’s your name?”
“Why does it matter? You’ll be gone soon.”
“It will be a cold day in hell before I will ever let that woman break me. We’re stuck with each other now.”
“It’s Santi,” she said. His bravado brought a smile to her face. To have a friend here would be a comfort, but she’d found out the hard way that Livia would make sure she never had comfort of any kind.
“I’m Quinn.” He gave her a grimace of a smile.
“How did she get you?” Santi asked, feeling curious. He was such a formidable, strong-looking guy.
“Long story.”
“Fine. I’m going to bed. You should try to sleep. She won’t allow you more than a few hours to rest.”
“What’s her problem anyway?” Quinn muttered softly.
“She can’t help it,” Santi said. That was the shitty part of this mess. Livia was just as stuck as they were.
“Right,” Quinn scoffed.
“She has no more control than we do.
You’ll see. She’s not all bad.”
“Sounds like you’ve got a little case of Stockholm syndrome.”
“Oh, I hate her. She’s the most twisted, evil excuse for a human I’ve ever met. But it’s a facade. A crumbling one, if you ask me.”
“So what happens now?” Quinn shrugged out of his worn jacket and stretched out beside her.
“Don’t think past today. Don’t defy her, but don’t give in to her either.”
“That’s not a plan I can live with, Santi.”
“It’s how I survive.”
“Well, now you have me. Maybe together we can figure a way out of this mess. We can’t let her keep doing this to people.”
“Quinn, if I can get out of here, I’m not looking back. In this place, you protect yourself and you hope you can make them see you as an asset rather than a liability.”
He leaned up on his elbow and looked down at her with a deep scowl on his face. “You still don’t know what we’re up against, do you?”
“Of course I do.” She scowled right back at him.
“You’re a strong woman, Santi. I can sense your power as well as your determination. How have you resisted Livia all this time, but you still haven’t figured it out?”
“What are you talking about?”
“What happens to the ones she breaks? Where do they go?” he asked.
“They go on to train for a role within the company.”
“What company?”
“Soma,” she said in confusion.
“Santi. There is no company. ‘Soma’ is a front for a slave market. She’s selling the ones she breaks. She isn’t grooming you to be some kind of agent. She’s grooming you to be a high-ticket commodity. Once she breaks you, you’ll go to the highest bidder and you’ll do whatever they tell you to do.”
“No.” Santi shook her head. It couldn’t be. She couldn’t have been that wrong. She couldn’t have been that gullible ... to volunteer. To walk right in and ask for this.
"You know I’m right," Quinn whispered.
As she stared at him, reality hit her harder than ever before. She saw for the first time how utterly naive she was. There was no way she could leave kids like Lennox to fend for themselves. She had to help them.
“So what’s your plan now?” Quinn asked.
“Right now? We sleep. Then we get to work on helping you learn to resist her. It will be a long road, Quinn. You need to come to terms with the possibility that you may never see your family again.”
“Clearly, you don’t know my family.” A tight smile played at the corners of his mouth. "They aren't the types to give up so easily."
~~~
Enjoyed Emerge: The Volunteer?
DON'T FORGET TO CLAIM YOUR SPOT
Coming February 2018
JOIN NOW
Join my new VIP reader portal and receive a free short story when you unlock Level 4.
Melissa’s Underground launches in February 2018
Work your way through the levels to claim 16 free books, plus swag packages and more!
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Follow Melissa online: Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | Join Melissa on Facebook | Pinterest
Keep reading for Emerge: The Judgment (Book 2)
The Prophecy's about you, Red...
Allie Carmichael has so many secrets, she doesn't know which way is up anymore. After dropping a huge bombshell and then leaving her in limbo all summer, Greggory McBrien still hasn't answered the questions that have haunted her for months. The knowledge that her life was built on a foundation of lies and deception has left Allie an angry, twisted mess of emotions. She still feels overwhelmed with guilt for her mistakes that left her scarred for life and Quinn, one of her closest friends, a captive of the Coalition.
When she returns to school and her normal routine, Allie finds herself constantly dancing on the edge of losing control of her power, too afraid and too angry to confide in anyone––even her handsome and broody best friend, Aidan.
A chance encounter at the Immortal club, Amrita, gives Allie and her friends the opportunity to aid in the search for Quinn. If they have any hope of ever bringing him home safely, they'll have to act quickly.
As Allie continues to struggle with the nightmares that only Aidan can keep at bay, she vows to face them on her own. But she doesn't understand what her clairvoyant gift is trying to tell her. Just when she begins to put the pieces together, she fears it might be too late––and this time the price for her mistakes will be much too high.
Last time she was afraid. This time she is angry.
EMERGE
The Judgment
Immortals of Indriell Book 2
Melissa A. Craven
Midnight Hour Studio
Atlanta
EMERGE: The Judgment
© December 15, 2016
By: Melissa A. Craven
Midnight Hour Studio INC
Atlanta, Georgia
All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, organizations, places, events and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
For more information contact: [email protected] or visit the author’s website at www.melissaacraven.com
Book cover design by: Zoe Shtorm
ASIN: B01MEEP81V
First Midnight Hour Studio Edition: December 15, 2016
DEDICATION
For Jenny
Some friendships are fleeting
Others last a lifetime
Happy Friend-iversary!
(Also, Get out of my brain!)
~~~
“—If there were only some way of contriving that a state or an army should be made up of lovers and their beloved, they would be the very best governors of their own city, abstaining from all dishonor, and emulating one another in honor; and when fighting at each other’s side, although a mere handful, they would overcome the world. For what lover would not choose rather to be seen by all mankind than by his beloved, either when abandoning his post or throwing away his arms? He would be ready to die a thousand deaths rather than endure this. Or who would desert his beloved or fail him in the hour of danger. The veriest coward would become an inspired hero, equal to the bravest, at such a time; Love would inspire him.”
—Plato, Symposium
~~~
CHAPTER
ONE
The Prophecy’s about you, Red.…
Those words had haunted Allie all summer. For four long months, they’d echoed through her mind, setting her heart racing and her blood boiling. Everything she thought she knew about herself was a lie … again.
“You two do know there’s a cozy little inside shelter on this tugboat?” Aidan called across the ferryboat deck.
Allie watched the choppy waves of Lake Erie bobbing up and down along the horizon. She hadn’t noticed the thunder or the rain. Neither had Sasha. Allie glanced at her friend on the bench beside her, lost in her own thoughts. They hadn’t seen much of each other in the last few months. Sasha had a rough summer working for the Senate and refused to talk about it since her return.
Neither girl felt quite like themselves after the horrible events the night of the Springtime Ball. Allie had to live with the gravity of her mistakes—her hesitations that led to Quinn’s capture by the Coalition and so many months on the move. She’d almost cost her and her friends the home they loved. And Sasha … just wasn’t Sasha without Quinn.
“Come on, you two.” Aidan stood over them, his blue-black hair growing darker in the rain. “You’re looking a little crazy out here in this drizzle. Let’s get inside where it’s dry. We’re almost home.” He grab
bed Allie’s hand, urging her to release her clenched fist. “Stop doing that.”
Allie relaxed her hands and winced at the sight of blood on her palms. The tiny crescent-moon cuts were already healing and the rain washed away the blood. She stood, smoothing her palms over her jeans.
“Sasha? You coming?” Aidan asked.
“Leave her alone.” Allie turned and left them to their thoughts.
She caught a glimpse of Kelleys Island looming on the horizon and her spirits lifted. After so much time abroad, hiding out in Agra first and then later among the remote Portuguese islands of the Azores, she was eager to get home, now that Gregg finally deemed it safe enough to return.
Home. A strange concept for Allie. After a lifetime of moving from one place to the next with her mortal family, Kelleys Island was part of her now, and she was happy to be back. And she felt guilty for being happy when it looked as though Quinn might never come home.
“Don’t feel bad because you’re happy to be back, Lex,” Aidan said, sitting beside her inside the covered shelter.
“I have to work on my facial expressions if I’m that easy to read.” She still had him blocked. It took a monumental effort to achieve it, but there were things she just wasn’t ready to share with Aidan. When you had a telepathic connection with your best friend, privacy and secrets were a luxury.
“I don't like the way you've shut me out. But I can still get a sense of what's going through your mind, even if I don't know exactly what you're thinking.”
“I was beginning to think we’d never see this place again,” Allie said. She couldn’t wait to get to her tower bedroom for some much-needed peace and quiet. She’d spent the summer surrounded by people nearly every minute of every day. And now she was returning to an empty house, while her parents lingered for a few more days in Bali with her older sister, Joss, and her new fiancé.
Immortals of Indriell- The Collection Page 55