Immortals of Indriell- The Collection

by Melissa A. Craven

  Allie screamed as the huge snakes swarmed the boat, writhing around each other and sending her into the frigid water. All sense faded from her mind as she panicked. She felt their bites—their venomous fangs; the slither of their bodies as they pulled her under.

  There are no poisonous snakes in Lake Erie. This is just a dream. But the water filling her lungs was real. The pain of the long fangs sinking into her flesh was real. The burn of the venom in her veins was like acid and the feel of their cold, scaly bodies constricting around her as they dragged her to the bottom of the lake was much too real.

  ~~~

  CHAPTER

  THIRTEEN

  Allie woke gasping for air, fighting with the blankets and sheets wrapped around her.

  “Calm down, little one. I am here.” Liam's voice pulled her out of her nightmare.

  Her heart raced and her vision blurred so everything she saw still had the stormy green tinge of her dream. She shook her head to clear her mind and thought she was going to be sick. She could still feel the snakes twisting around her.

  “It's okay. Just breathe.” Liam's fingers combed through her damp hair. He sat on the bed beside her, propped against the headboard. Her head rested on his lap and his arm draped protectively around her.

  Snakes. Anything but snakes, Aidan whispered.

  Cheers to that. Allie took another shaky breath. You okay?

  I'm fine, baby.

  Try to get some sleep.

  “I see now why you prefer not to face your dreams,” Liam said. “You did not sufficiently prepare me for that.”

  “You think?” She sat up, rubbing her eyes until everything returned to its normal color. “I'm guessing you couldn't wake me, then?” She reached for the bottled water beside her bed, feeling like something the dog threw up.

  “I didn't try. And that was not an easy thing to do. Letting you scream with no sound, thrashing around like someone was trying to murder you. Damn near killed me just watching. But I won't coddle you the way Aidan does.”

  “He doesn't coddle me.”

  “I know he can't help but want to comfort you after seeing that, especially given his front-row seat in your mind.” Liam tapped her forehead. “But you're letting a man take care of you, sweetheart. And no sister of mine is going to let a man protect her when she has the strength to protect herself. You have to learn to live with your dreams and function on your own so when he can't be here for you, you won't fall apart. I don't want to see you tethered to him like this, unable to last a week without Aidan by your side. Not that he isn't worthy or that he doesn't care for you.”

  “Oh my God. You're right. I never thought about it like that. Ugh!” The temptation to avoid her dreams was strong, but after she’d just told Aidan she didn’t want to be that girl, especially with him, Liam held up the mirror and showed her that was exactly what she was.

  “There's nothing wrong with seeking a peaceful night with him every now and then, as much as I hate to admit it. I just don't want you to need it. You’re stagnant right now. You are not learning what your gift is trying to teach you. What you’re doing … it’s just putting a Band-Aid on an open wound. I think you’ve spent so much time trying to avoid your dreams, that they're just piling up, like spam email in a junk folder. Then when you do dream, they are terrifying because they’re trying to get your attention. I’m hoping if we give your dreams the focus they need, they will no longer be quite so frightening and we may actually be able to figure out what they mean.”

  “We?” Allie glanced up at him.

  “Of course. I’m going to help you with this, little one.”

  “Any ideas how I could possibly handle this on my own?” A surge of hope filled her. This was something she had never felt comfortable talking about with Gregg or Emma, but with her brother, it didn’t feel awkward at all.

  “For starters, you are going to put your big-girl pants on and face your dreams. It may take a few more nights of observation, but I’m going to help you sort this out. Now, tell me what you saw, before you forget.”

  “I won't be forgetting that anytime soon. It was snakes. Every-freaking-where.” She shivered.

  “Well, that makes a lot more sense,” he muttered. “Has Aidan ever told you how active you are when you dream?”

  “Not really. He sees most of what I see so I think he's been focused on that. What did I do?”

  “Well, you punched me.” He rubbed his jaw and she could see a hint of a proud smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.

  “Sorry.”

  “You move your hands a lot. It took me a while to figure out what you were trying to do.” Liam reached for the sketchbook on the bedside table. “This is probably one of the most amazing things I've ever seen, and I've seen a lot.”

  He opened the book to a page filled with sketches of the same symbol. Several pages were filled with the drawings at different levels of completion. She didn't remember drawing them.

  “I did this in my sleep?” She took the sketchbook from him and studied it carefully.

  “It seemed like you were trying to write something so I gave you the sketchbook and a pencil. You immediately sat up and for the next few hours you drew these. You never spoke. You never opened your eyes. You continued to scream and thrash, but you never made an audible sound.”

  “What do you think it means?” Allie ran her hand across the page of writhing snakes. Some were a figure eight, and some were circles, but they all clutched their tails in their mouths.

  “It's an ancient symbol.”

  “I feel like I’ve seen this before,” Allie said.

  “These are two iterations of the ouroboros,” Liam said. “Historically, the figure eight—or infinity—is exactly what it appears to be: a serpent devouring its own tail. It symbolizes the cycle of nature and the universe: creation from destruction, life from death. The snake eats its own tail to sustain its life in an eternal cycle of renewal. We are the only exception to that cycle. We can live forever, but we are still bound to nature because we are human. We may not die easily, but we still experience cycles of destruction and renewal just like all things of nature. This symbol began with us. It is one of the oldest symbols in the world—it is the crest of the Indriell Queens.”

  “What does that have to do with me?” She stood and paced to her closet for a sweater. She was cold, but more than anything she wanted to avoid any talk of Indriell.

  “Everything.”

  “You know?” She whirled around to face him.

  “Recently, yes. Gregg told me.”

  “It wasn't his secret to tell.” Allie was furious. She should have been the one to tell her brother in her own time.

  “Perhaps. But you are young and you need me. I am the only Immortal family you have and I needed to know. I also knew your parents. Your mother was an incredible woman, but I knew your father best. He mentored me a very long time ago. In a weird way, he was like a father to me too.”

  Allie closed her eyes. It took everything she had not to tell him her parents were alive. Damn you, Navid. This secret is killing me. She knew he wouldn’t respond but it felt good saying it, knowing he would hear her. I don't like secrets and lies. My whole life has been nothing but both and I'm sick of it!

  “So this symbol? What does it mean for me? Why am I drawing it in my sleep?”

  “This is your family crest.” He pointed to the large figure-eight symbol she’d drawn in intricate detail. “It represented the longevity of your line. During the days leading up to the Great War, many perversions of this symbol arose. Including the circular version. Its meaning has changed throughout the centuries. Some think the perfect ‘O’ ouroboros was a symbol of the Enlightened who brought about the war. Some see it as the ‘undoing’ of the Indriell line. Perhaps you are dreaming of it because you know who you are now and your gift is trying to show you how to learn more. Where to start.”

  “I don't want to learn more.” Allie sat back on the bed beside him. “At least not
yet. I haven't wrapped my brain around the idea that I'm a natural born, much less that my parents were so important.”

  “You take all the time you need, little one. And when you're ready to talk about it, I'm always here. Gregg will be home soon, but he's a bossy son of a bitch.”

  Allie laughed and felt the tension in her body slowly relax. “I love you, Liam.” She rested her head against his shoulder. “I'm glad you're my big brother.”

  “Me too, little one. Go to sleep; we have a few more hours before school.” He pulled the covers up over her.

  “Hmmmm,” Allie mumbled, her head nodding against him.

  “I never realized I've been waiting my whole life for you, my little sister—my family. Not Gregg's or anyone else's. You and Kahlynn are my whole world now. Who knew I'd be such a softie for a couple of little girls.”

  Allie felt the rumble of his laughter as she fell into a peaceful sleep.

  ~~~

  CHAPTER

  FOURTEEN

  “Hey, Allie. Come on in.” Scott held the door open for her. She’d never been to the apartment Darius shared with Scott, aka Fitzie. It was a huge warehouse loft downtown, probably big enough for four or five roommates, but she imagined the top floor was probably outfitted for Darius’s training.

  “Hey, killer! Be down in a sec,” Darius called from the upstairs.

  “I’m pretty sure he was late for his own birth,” Scott said as he led her into the gigantic living room.

  “This place is gorgeous.” Allie took in the view of the city from the floor-to-ceiling windows.

  Aidan, this isn’t a date. But can you—?

  Make myself scarce? Yeah. I’m out with Naomi tonight anyway and I think she’s going to break it off with me. I’d like to not have an audience for that. She’s the ‘dump them before they dump me’ type and I haven’t been around much lately. And she’s—

  He threw a brick wall up so fast, Allie had to shake her head from the impact.

  Dude, what the hell was that?

  Nothing.

  What don’t I know about Naomi?

  You’ll just get mad.

  Tell me.

  She’s kinda into Liam now, he said in a rush.

  What? No, not my brother. He can’t possibly fall for that. You have to stop her.

  How? I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but Naomi does what Naomi wants. Nothing I say is going to change her mind.

  Aidan.…

  Don’t ‘Aidan’ me, Lex. I’m not getting involved. Liam’s a big boy; he can do what he likes.

  Sorry about the whole getting-dumped thing. I know you like her.

  It’s fine. We make better friends anyway. The chemistry’s just off. She blames it on my feelings for you and she’s probably right. She deserves better than that. So if Liam makes her happy, then I say she’s long overdue for some happiness.

  You’re right. I just wish she’d find happiness somewhere else.

  “Crap, Fitzie, I’m sorry.” Allie shook off her spaced-out look and shot Scott an apologetic glance. “That was so rude.” She and Aidan had gotten really bad about checking out of a conversation with those right in front of them.

  “It’s fascinating to watch you two communicate, but you have to be more careful. It’s fine to drop all pretense with me, but you cannot do that in public.”

  “I know. We’re working on it. We were so good at concealing it for so long, but once we didn’t have to hide it anymore, we just developed some bad habits.”

  “You ready, Red?” Darius took the stairs two at a time on his way down.

  “Yeah.” Allie turned to greet him. Her heart doing that weird flippy thing it did when Darius was around.

  “Try to remember to be alert, both of you?” Scott warned. “I’ll be in the area if you need me. And don’t forget, Darius, if you run into anyone you know—”

  “I know. I’m not Darius the cop, I’m his little brother, Dan, who looks an awful lot like him.”

  “Let’s go, Dannie boy,” Allie said playfully. She forgot the world would see him as an eighteen-year-old boy, and that helped her mindset tremendously. She was used to him blending in with the kids at school, but his age was a sensitive issue for her.

  “Wait! Darius, show me how to do the thing with the map again?” Fitzie held out his iPhone like it was a bomb.

  “Seriously, you haven’t mastered this yet?” Darius took the phone from him and went through a painstakingly awkward lesson in navigating Google Maps.

  “I just got used to texting and Darius decided it was time I upgraded to this century and get a smartphone. I think it was too soon,” Scott said irritably. “I hate technology.”

  “You gotta get over that, bro. It’s only going to get worse.”

  “I know, I know. That’s what I get for keeping my head down for too long. The world doesn’t stop turning and we can’t stop moving with it. Night, kids. Have fun.”

  As they walked down the hill to the flats, Allie decided not to let the age thing be an issue tonight. They were just friends, and she intended to enjoy the evening.

  Darius slipped his hand around hers and pulled her to a stop. His eyes seemed troubled.

  “What’s up, Dare?” her voice came out all weird and trembly and she had to resist the urge to roll her eyes at herself. Her reactions to his attention never seemed to match her emotions.

  “I’d like to have a good time tonight and not let the age thing feel awkward.”

  “You sure you aren’t a mind reader?” She grinned.

  “What’s little brother up to tonight?” He tapped her forehead and she knew that was what bothered him. She realized, possibly for the first time, how strange it must be to look into her eyes and know Aidan was present in there to a certain degree, like a third wheel.

  “Getting dumped, actually. He’s not here, Darius. We mutually decided on total privacy tonight.”

  “Can you do that now?” His eyes widened in surprise.

  “It’s not always easy, but we're getting better. I still feel him there, skating on the edge of my thoughts. I’d have to stop and focus on what he is thinking or doing. That’s as private as it gets these days.”

  “Dumped, huh?” He grinned. “Bummer.” He draped his arm around her and they ducked into the club.

  It was a small dive bar that had a reputation for hosting some of the best indie bands. The lights were dim and a mellow bass beat filled the air.

  “Grab a table, killer, I’ll get drinks.”

  Allie slipped into a booth and Darius joined her, sliding in beside her. He set a cold beer in front of her. Underage drinking wasn’t something the Immortal world frowned on. It would only affect her for a few minutes before her buzz would fade. Not like that night in Agra.… She’d never been so completely out of it like that.

  “Definitely not a cop tonight?” She smiled.

  “I made your ID; it’s totally legal.” He turned toward her and rested his arm on the booth behind her.

  “Really? Like, legal, legal?”

  “I have a gift with forgery. I make all our documents. When your identification becomes outdated, like your Social Security number, I’ll create a new one for you.”

  “I’ve never asked—I didn’t want to be rude, but I really have no idea what you can do.”

  “Well, I’m a homicide detective for a reason. My defining gifts actually teeter on the edge of clairvoyance. Nothing like you, of course. It only works with crimes. I can sense them happening all around me. And when I’m surveying a crime scene after something terrible has happened, I can just see it. My gift allows me to recreate what happened.”

  “Like a vision?” It would be really nice to talk to someone who could see the way she did.

  “No, it’s not that evolved. When I’m assessing a murder scene, and there’s a blood spatter, for instance, I can see sort of a reanimation of that spatter—like a ghost image, which helps me replay the events in my mind. Most any forensic tech can do the same thing; I j
ust get there faster and more accurately. I can also see what’s missing, almost instantly. Where most investigators would study what is present in a crime scene, I see what isn’t there, which is usually very important information.”

  “Like the murder weapon?” she asked.

  “You don’t find this gruesome?”

  “Yeah, but it’s fascinating too.”

  “Sometimes I can see the absence of the murder weapon as soon as I walk onto the scene. And if I’m really on fire, I can get a sense of where the murderer tossed it—even if it’s nowhere near the scene. I call it my CSI sense.”

  “That's kinda awesome, Dare.”

  “Yeah, well … taking a page out of Greyson’s book, I owe you some long overdue transparency.” He sighed, reaching for his beer.

  “What’s up?” She frowned.

  “I’m very observant. I read people. Really, really well.”

  “You want to read me?” She sipped her warm beer and Darius signaled the waiter for another round.

  “No way, Allie. Let’s just say I can see things about people that they don’t often see about themselves. It makes me a killer profiler, but not a very good friend.”

  “So you just know things about me just by looking at me?” She picked at her beer label, feeling a little uncomfortable.

  “It’s kinda like Greyson’s gift, except I don’t see anything about your power. But like him, I can’t control what I see. I learned a long time ago it’s best to keep it to myself. But I like my friends to be fully aware of what I can do.”

  “Thanks for the transparency.” She drained the last of her drink and signaled for another.

  “Listen, I’m always here if you need someone to talk to—but I know Aidan is that guy for you. Let me be the friend who reminds you to have fun and not take things too seriously. And right now, we have a concert to enjoy.” He offered her a fist-bump. And just like that, the serious mood dissolved and they cheered with the crowd when the band took the stage.