“So you want to drag it into the open?” Allie asked, horrified by the idea.
“He has a right to know. And if this comes out, it will give you a reason to end things with him amicably. You can tell him you feel like you have to bow out gracefully and give him and Kayla a chance to deal with their history and see if they have a future together. If we do it right, there’s a small chance we could all remain friends.”
“I don’t want to do this, Aidan,” she said miserably.
“You don’t have to, Lex. It’s just an idea.”
“What other choice do I have?”
~~~
Allie couldn’t focus on the computer screen in front of her. Her paper on The Grapes of Wrath was due soon and it definitely wasn’t going to write itself. It was one of her favorite American classics, but her mind just wasn’t on the struggles of the Joad family. She had her own struggles to worry about.
She absently rubbed her nose as her eyes glazed over and the computer screen went out of focus.
The overwhelming scent of ripe apples threatened to choke her. Her mind whirled with visions of forests and orchards, fire and smoke that burned her nose and made her eyes water. It was like taking a walk with Dante through his Inferno.
With a gasp, Allie grabbed the edge of her desk. Her vision cleared. She'd lost more than an hour to the visions and was left with a paper to write and the cloying scent of overripe apples clinging to everything.
~~~
CHAPTER
SEVEN
Allie sat, soaking up the sunshine on the grassy hill just above the beach by her house. She was waiting for Vince to arrive, hoping the strength she drew from the sun would bolster her for the coming evening.
An irrational rage swept through her, making her hands shake and her vision blur. In her mind, the late afternoon grew dim. Hot smoldering fires and churning black smoke threatened to suffocate her. Fury bloomed in her chest as blood boiled in her veins. She saw red. Everywhere. And then it was gone.
As the vision faded, Allie shook her head to clear her mind. Sweat beaded on her forehead and her hands lay fisted at her sides, her palms filled with blood. She cut her nails every night but they grew so fast, she was constantly hurting herself like this. She was used to the way these visions came over her now, but sometimes the intensity startled her.
She wiped her palms on the thick carpet of grass and watched the crescent-shaped cuts heal before her eyes. Her friends didn’t heal quite as fast as she and Aidan did. It was still a novelty to see such a miracle with her own eyes.
“Hey, Allie,” Vince called. “We studying out here tonight?”
She took a deep breath as she stood to greet him. “I don’t have much homework. Let’s go for a walk while it’s still light out.”
“Let’s just sit here for a minute.” He settled down, lounging in the cool grass.
“What’s up?” She knelt beside him, frowning. He looked so serious as he took her hand.
“You’ve been really distracted since you got back.”
“I’m sorry, it’s just—”
“It’s okay … I know this isn’t really working anymore, Allie.”
She stared at him, uncertain if she was really hearing him. Is he breaking up with me? How did I not see this coming?
“We had a perfect summer together traveling.” He laced his fingers through hers. “It was incredible, but it was goodbye, and I think we both knew it.”
“Did we?”
Allie squinted in the late afternoon sun. There was something weird about him—he looked almost … green. No, he is green. What the hell? Allie gazed around her; the whole world had gone a funny color. Like the eerie light before a terrible storm. Her power churned hot inside her, a clear indication that something new was emerging. Why now? I’m in the middle of getting dumped!
“It’s just … I’m not the right guy for you,” Vince continued, his tone forced and awkward.
Allie stood up to put some distance between them. She needed to focus on this conversation and she couldn’t do that when Vince looked like Kermit the Frog.
“How about that walk now?” Vince asked.
She could feel his warmth behind her. Allie closed her eyes, dreading the thought of her life without this easygoing, wonderful guy who had done more than he could ever imagine to heal the hurt of so many lonely years. Aidan had done a lot for her in that regard too, but Vince was special. No matter how much her life changed, he was always there and he never made her feel like the pariah she once was.
“I so should have seen this coming.” I’m supposed to be clairvoyant. She wrapped her arm around his waist as they walked along the beach. She’d planned to have the same conversation with him, but it caught her by surprise that he beat her to the punch. It was almost like he knew.
“I love you, Allie. That hasn’t changed.”
“Then where is this coming from?” Shut up, Allie! He’d given her the perfect out, and she was acting like this wasn’t exactly what she wanted. But why in the world is he green? It was like her gift was telling her this was an important moment and she needed to pay attention.
“What’s this?” He gestured at the two lounge chairs and remains of a driftwood fire.
“Oh, um … Aidan and I hang out here sometimes.”
“What have you been doing with me, Allie? I’m not the guy for you.”
“Aidan is just a friend, you know that.”
“He gets you. I can see the connection you two have.”
“I know I’ve been distant, but I never wanted you to think it had anything to do with Aidan or my feelings for you. There’s something you aren’t telling me. I—”
“Screw it,” he muttered. “Allie, I know we weren’t mugged at the ball and I can still see that scar along your jaw every now and then.”
“What?” she stumbled, not sure what to make of his confession.
“Sorry, that didn’t sound so blunt in my mind. Let’s sit down.”
“I, I don’t know what you mean.” She sat on the edge of the lounge opposite him, completely at a loss for words.
“I think we both can agree I’m a terrible liar,” Vince said.
“Yeah, but back to what you just said?” Allie was stunned. The moment he mentioned their supposed mugging after the ball last spring, the world flashed a vivid green and then the color faded to black and white, like an afterimage. She had to blink to get her bearings.
“I have holes in my memory,” Vince said. “I know what that means, although I can’t tell you how I know.”
Allie instinctively reached for the knife tucked in her boot and stopped herself just in time. The only way he could possibly understand any of this was if he were Coalition. But she would have known. Surely Gregg would have known. They couldn’t have missed something so vital right under their noses.
“What are you saying?” she demanded, resisting the urge to pull her knife.
“Let’s just say my family has a long history.” He placed his hand over hers. “A history my father broke away from before I was born. I was not raised … the way he was. But I know things.”
“What are you saying?”
“Listen to me, Allie.” He held both of her hands in his. “If you hear nothing else, hear this. I did not know about you or your friends until recently. I was confused after the ball when my memories seemed so odd. But I dismissed it. Then it happened again the other night and the memories just don’t feel natural. That’s when I started putting it all together. I should have seen it long before now.”
“Seen what exactly?” Allie managed in a whisper.
“I’m not the guy for you, Allie.” He smiled. “But … my kind has always been mesmerized by your kind. Some of us see a fascination and others see an abomination.”
Her instincts told her to run. That she could never trust him again. She knew she needed Daniel to do some kind of super-deep memory wipe, but the part of her that grew up mortal, never knowing about this life, told her
to trust him. Her gift was also clearly trying to tell her this was a critical moment in her life and she needed to pay attention.
“It’s not exactly healthy for you to be saying any of this,” she finally said.
“I know I’m probably breaking about five thousand years of sacred tradition and laws, but I know I can trust you to keep this to yourself.”
“What do you remember? About the ball?”
“I remember what I’m supposed to. But I know it’s not my memory. I feel something … missing from that night. And I know I don’t need or want to know what that was.”
“You shouldn’t be able to do that.”
“Well, I’m not a hundred percent normal in that regard.” He squeezed her hands.
“How?”
“That same ancient lineage that flows so strongly through you, still flows in me and those like me, but only the tiniest spark. We’re just like everyone else, but we’re more attuned to your kind. That’s why … my ‘people,’ so to speak, are so good at what they do.”
“Stop.” Allie shoved his hands away. “It’s not safe for us to be having this conversation. It’s not safe for you to be with me. That’s why I’ve been so distant lately. We have to end this.”
“I didn’t grow up in that life, Allie. I’m not involved in it. I’d trust you with my life. I am trusting you with my life.”
“So you can see this?” Allie touched her face.
“Only recently. It comes and goes, almost like a mirage. I know a very special kind of weapon did that. I’m so sorry that happened to you.”
“I’m sorry this happened to you.” She pressed her palm over his chest where he was shot. “This was my fault.”
“I know you’ve only wanted to protect me.”
Allie nodded. “I love you, Vince. You represent a life I thought I finally had, and I want to keep you so badly.” Tears slipped down her face, but her voice stayed even. “But if you stay with me, you will get hurt and I can’t do that to you. You’re right; you’re not the guy for me and I’m not the girl for you. If you’d died.…”
“I didn’t, Allie. Please don’t blame yourself.”
“Your life is precious and I won’t risk it anymore. It’s two times now. Did you know that? I’ve almost killed you twice.”
“I know. And that wasn’t your fault either, but that’s when it all started coming together.”
“Do you remember anything?”
“No, but I can guess. Did we…?”
“No, but we were headed there.”
“It’s probably best we didn’t. I would never have let it go that far if I knew we were coming to an end.”
“I’m going to miss you.” Allie sniffed back her tears.
“Why? I’m not going anywhere.” He smiled.
“Do you really think we can still be friends?”
“I hope so. I hope you know you can always count on me for anything. I will never ask questions, but I’ll be there for you whenever you need me. Even if you just need to hang out with someone who makes you feel normal for a change.”
“Thank you.” Allie smiled. “I’ll always be here for you. No matter what, no matter when.”
“That means a lot.” He stood to leave. “If you ever need to know anything about the world I come from, just say the word. I’ve got your back, and I’m not as helpless as I might seem. You cut me, I bleed, but I sure as hell fight back. I may not live that life, but there are a lot of people who would force me into it and I’ve had to learn to defend myself. I don’t actually have an after-school job. I have training. Every damned day.”
“Seriously?” Allie gaped at him.
“Seriously. But probably not as intense as yours. Take care of yourself, Allie.” He pulled her up from the lounge where she sat and hugged her close, one last time.
“You too.”
As he turned to go, Allie grabbed his hand to stop him. She saw him so clearly now. And his future. A new vision flashed in her mind, but this one made perfect sense. If he ended up with Kayla, he would live a long and happy life. If he resisted her, that path would lead him back to the Coalition, despite all his father’s work to leave it behind.
“Don’t keep running from her, Vince,” she said in a voice she barely recognized.
“Who?”
“Kayla.”
“She can do so much better than me.”
“But she won’t. Trust me. You’re it for her. She’s it for you. Don’t let that scare you just because you’re young.”
“You should try listening to your own advice.”
“Yeah, well, this isn’t about me.”
“I’m better on my own, Allie.” He stared back at her in the growing darkness.
“That path will lead you to ruin. Your father fought hard to escape that life. Don’t risk undoing it.”
“I’m on a need-to-know basis, Allie. Don’t tell me anything … especially about the things you can do.” Vince turned to leave again.
“She had a baby!” Allie blurted. She never intended to reveal Kayla’s secret. It wasn’t hers to tell. But she had to get through to him.
“What?” His shoulders went rigid, but he kept his back to her.
“She gave the baby up.”
“Are you certain it’s mine?”
“Positive.”
“She doesn’t know what that means.…” He ran his hand through his hair. “You’re sure?”
“The baby was conceived right around the time your mom died.”
“I have to go.”
“I’m sorry, Vince.”
“Thank you for telling me.” He reached for a last embrace, whispering softly in her ear. “You know … there is precedence here, Allie.” His voice wavered. “I’m not the first mortal to stand beside his Immortal friends. I’m here for you. I mean it.”
~~~
CHAPTER
EIGHT
“Darius! Let’s go already, we’re going to be late!” Sasha called across the courtyard.
“Sorry, I got in trouble for sleeping in class again.” He rushed to catch up with them. Darius was definitely enjoying his second round of high school, but the classes seemed to get in his way.
“Did you forget the whole ‘you're here to protect us’ part?” Sasha rolled her eyes. Darius was supposed to be their bodyguard when they left campus twice a week to attend classes at the Cleveland Institute of Art, but he tended to forget that minor detail.
“Come on, girls, we have to get you to class now. No time for goofing off,” Naomi said, sounding like a soccer mom twice her age.
Allie’s temper flared at the sound of her voice. The woman was obnoxious, the way she treated the girls like children and the boys like equals. And she seemed to get a special kick out of giving Allie a hard time. Naomi was acting as Aidan’s bodyguard while he attended classes at the Cleveland Institute of Music. But Allie was pretty sure they spent the whole time flirting and very little time observing their surroundings.
With her eyes flashing like green fire and a death grip on her steering wheel, Allie drove out of the student lot, waving at Imogen as they left the grounds. Her anger always simmered just below the surface and Naomi knew exactly how to push her buttons.
Today was their first official day of college. They’d all qualified to take a few courses during their senior year and Allie intended to take advantage of the opportunity to get a jump on her college education.
“Naomi, you sound like my mom.” Darius elbowed her. “Give it a rest.”
“Don’t forget, we have a job to do,” she said smugly. “The kids need us to be responsible adults.”
“Say that when you haven’t been sucking face with my little brother every chance you get.”
“Darius, shut the hell up!” Aidan glowered at him in the rearview mirror. His ears turned red as he glanced over at Allie.
She gave him a grimace of a smile, an attempt to support his ‘relationship’ with Naomi.
“Sorry, bro. And forgive
me, Naomi, for taking the opportunity to enjoy high school more than I did the first time. You should try it sometime.”
Sasha shoved him playfully. “How in the world did you even manage to get this job?”
“No idea, but I’m not complaining.” His dark blue eyes sparkled with mischief. “But maybe it has something to do with my uncanny ability to make my little sister smile?”
Sasha’s grin was hard to miss; it was so rare these days. Darius was the only one who could pull her out of her funk. Sasha blamed herself for Quinn’s capture, but ever since she came back from her summer job with the Senate, she hadn’t been herself. Allie knew enough not to ask questions. Sasha would talk when Sasha was ready.
“Do you even have any artistic skills?” Allie asked, eyeing Darius in the rearview mirror. He was posing as a student with them and she wondered how he intended to do the work.
“Not even a little bit, unless you count forgery as an art form. But Greyson has promised to look the other way and pretend I’m not there.”
“Professor Greyson Hauser.” Sasha sighed with a goofy smile.
“What’s he like—besides gorgeous?” Allie giggled.
“Really? The long hair and accent does it for you, Red?” Darius rolled his eyes.
“What’s not to like?”
“That is my father you girls are mooning over, Alexis.” Naomi’s voice dripped with venom.
“Oh, come on, Naomi, your dad is hot,” Sasha said.
“He’s had a hard life.” Allie frowned, thinking of his past with Emma. Technically, she really hadn’t met him yet, but she knew him from visiting Emma’s memories, and they’d almost met in person last fall at the art museum.
“What do you know?” Sasha asked. “He had a thing with Emma, didn’t he? Did she show you anything juicy?”
“It’s not really my story to tell.” Allie glanced back at Naomi.
“He was in deep with the Coalition for a long time, trying to earn his Complement’s freedom. He never has,” Naomi said sadly. “I guess she would have been my mother if we’d ever had the opportunity to bond. Dad’s never stopped trying to find her. It consumes him.”
Immortals of Indriell- The Collection Page 60