Immortals of Indriell- The Collection

by Melissa A. Craven

  Allie nodded. Guns weren’t a typical weapon of choice for most Immortals, but Emma had made sure she knew how to use one. Target practice was a huge part of her training over the summer and was the reason her aim had improved so much recently.

  Carson crossed the room and quickly went through the instructions for loading the gun and removing the safety.

  “I don’t want a repeat of last spring. So whatever it is that had you so upset in the middle of the night last night, I’ll feel better knowing you have this as an added precaution.”

  “This might not help where I’m going,” she whispered. She hadn’t even considered that her parents would have heard her screaming when she woke from the worst nightmare of her life, but of course they knew. They always seemed to be one step ahead of her.

  “I’m not worried about your kind, sweetheart. I know you and your friends can take care of yourselves. I’m worried about my kind and whatever they did that gave you that scar.” He traced the line of her jaw with his fingertips.

  Allie gasped in surprise. Her parents shouldn’t be able to see her scar.

  “Relax, Allie. I just want you to be safe. Shoot first and ask questions later. Aim for the kneecaps and take care of yourself.”

  Allie nodded as she tucked the gun at her back.

  “We love you, honey. Always know you can call us for help. You may find us more capable than you think.”

  “Thanks, Dad.” Allie stepped back into the living room, her mind a whirl of possibilities. Her parents knew more than they should, but they also knew how to pick their moments. Maybe one day they wouldn’t have to.

  “Your parents really don’t ask a lot of questions, do they?” Aidan asked as they pulled out of the driveway and back toward his house. They would slip back into the underground there, hoping they weren’t missed. She would get back in time to meet Liam for the long ride up to Imogen’s house. Her heart ached at the thought of leaving Aidan behind.

  “They trust me,” Allie said. “Which is why I hate lying to them so much.”

  “It’s for their protection, Lex.” Aidan nodded toward the two cars parked at the end of her driveway. She wasn’t sure who was guarding her family, but she knew they were friends of Gregg’s and that was good enough for her.

  “I know.” Allie thought about the gun that was now resting at the bottom of her bag. Somehow, knowing it was there made her feel a little better about everything she would face in the coming hours.

  ~~~

  CHAPTER

  THIRTY

  Armed to the teeth and fidgeting in her protective gear, Allie sat in the backseat between Ming Lao and Daniel. Liam drove and Darius sat beside him. It was eerily similar to her frightening trip through the night nearly a year ago.

  “Stop squirming,” Ming said. “You’ve done well, Allie. We’re sufficiently prepared. We’ll all get through this, thanks to you.”

  “Don’t thank me yet,” Allie muttered. A thousand things had to go right for this to work and she was the only one who could orchestrate it all. If she missed even one minor detail, this intricate house of cards she was trying to build would come crashing down around her.

  Where are you now? Allie asked.

  Two feet farther than the last time you asked. You need to chill, babe, or you’re going to drive us both crazy.

  Let me know when you’re in the water.

  Oh, I’m pretty sure you’ll know.

  “How long until we’re there, Liam?” Allie asked.

  “It’s nearly a three-hour drive, little one. We just left.”

  She trembled, feeling a chill creep into her bones.

  “Are you cold?” Daniel asked.

  “A little,” she lied. She felt like she’d taken a dive into an ice bucket. Aidan and the others were in the lake now. It would be a quick swim in the frigid water before they would meet Vince.

  You okay?

  Freezing off some rather important parts, but I’ll live.

  How are the others?

  They’re doing okay. I’ve done what I can to give them a little extra warmth, but I don’t want to overdo it.

  Did anyone suspect you guys were sneaking out?

  No. The yard has always been a last-resort escape route. It’s been there so long, no one really thinks about it anymore. I just hope Vince is not waiting up there with a bunch of his buddies.

  He won’t be.

  Almost there.

  Allie could feel Aidan’s relief when he broke through the thin layers of ice at the surface, but the chilly winter wind was almost worse than the swim.

  She could see through their connection as Vince approached in Aidan’s boat.

  The bastard stole my boat?

  Borrowed. With my permission.

  When they were out of the water, shivering and near hypothermia despite Aidan’s efforts to keep them all warm, they quickly shed their wet clothes and changed into the dry clothes they’d brought with them in a waterproof pack. Allie watched from Aidan’s perspective as they donned their gear and weapons. She knew Vince would never ask questions. But Vince wasn’t alone.

  Why the hell would he bring Kayla? Aidan practically snarled. He still cared a great deal for Kayla and didn’t want her anywhere near the danger they faced.

  Allie should have anticipated that Kayla wouldn’t want Vince doing this alone. She must have been there with him when she called.

  Just let it be what it is. They’re giving you a ride. That’s all.

  I don’t like this.

  I never expected you would.

  ~~~

  Allie sat back, eyes closed, relieved Aidan and the others were on their way. She needed to go over every last detail in her mind now, but she had to fully block Aidan first. She couldn’t chance letting him see what she saw. It would overwhelm him to see every possible scenario of what might happen to his family. And there were things about herself—about what she might have to do—that she never wanted him to see.

  But she couldn’t just block him this time. She had to go into the box in her mind where he’d never been. She’d never attempted it before, but when she felt confident that she was completely alone with her thoughts, Allie ran through everything again and again. Darius in the orchard. The barn. The beach. The house. Aidan on the lawn. Sasha by the gates with Quinn. Chloe with her parents. Graham keeping the enemy’s communication confused. She couldn’t mess this up now. Not when her gift had spent the last several weeks preparing her for this.

  Why didn’t I see it? She was young and her gift was new, but it was all right there in front of her face for weeks. It had taken her way too long to put the pieces together.

  “Are we there yet?” She cringed at how obnoxious she sounded.

  “Almost, little one.”

  “So what’s the plan while we wait for tonight?” she asked.

  “Darius and I will wait in the barn with you,” Liam began. “Emma and Jin will wait in the tunnels near the house so they can help when the attack begins. Ming and Daniel will be hiding near the beach cottage so when they run from the house they’ll have immediate backup waiting. George will wait up near the gates to alert us all when they arrive. Lucien, Erin, and Dean will wait for the attack and follow. We want to give them a false sense of security that their surprise attack is still a surprise. The goal will be to bring the fight to the orchard where we can contain them all and bring this thing to an end quickly.”

  “It won’t work, but it’s a good plan for starters,” she said absently as the constant parade of images raced through her mind. One day she might be able to absorb it all, but right now she could only catch glimpses here and there.

  “What do we need to do to make it work?” Daniel asked.

  “I don’t know yet. Just run with your plan until I tell you otherwise. Listen when I tell you something needs to happen and do it. And … you know … try not to let them capture you,” Allie said dryly.

  “Will do.” Daniel gave her a half-hearted fist bump.
>
  “I know it’s killing every single one of you to put so much faith in such a young gift, but I promise, I’ll do my best.”

  “We know, Allie,” Ming said softly. “No one expects you to shoulder all the burden of this night. We will heed your instructions, pray for the best possible outcome, and no one will hold you accountable for any of this.”

  Allie nodded, but she wondered if they would really feel the same way after it was all over.

  ~~~

  CHAPTER

  THIRTY-ONE

  “Stop pacing, Allie. You’re making me nervous.” Darius pressed Allie back to her seat on a bale of hay.

  “Sorry,” she muttered. They’d arrived at the barn just before sunset. It would be a long wait, but she was happy they’d had the time to prepare. Everyone involved was strategically moving into the area, taking their places to wait for the coming attack.

  It was bizarre, seeing the orchard in the waking world. Everything, down to the finest detail, was exactly as she’d seen it in her dreams. That alone was enough to truly make her see just how powerful she was.

  “This must be killing little bro, missing out on all the fun.” His tone was light and typical Darius, but she knew he was just as tense as she was.

  “Who’s missing out?” Aidan asked as he and the others crept in through the back near the ancient-looking cider press.

  “Why am I not surprised?” Darius groaned. “I knew you all agreed to stay behind way too easily.”

  “I’m sorry, I had to get them here, Dare,” Allie said.

  “You know Gregg’s going to kill you, right?” He shot her a look of reproach.

  “He doesn’t even need to know they’re here.” Allie paced back to the barn entrance. “At least not yet.” She could smell the smoke in the hazy twilight. The Blood Moon hadn’t made its appearance yet, but there was something strange about the evening light. Like the rose tinted light before a storm.

  The shadowy figures would be swarming the front lawns by now. Their smoldering fires setting the forests ablaze. Ready for the inevitable—but she intended to change that. Allie’s heart clenched in agony when she realized this was it. It was actually happening, here in the real world and not in the safety of her dreams. There would be no gift-Allie telling her what to do tonight. She was cut off from Navid and there would be no do-overs. It was up to her now. She’d done what she could to prepare everyone, but she wanted so badly for none of this to happen.

  “Allie, seriously, sit down. You’re going to wear a hole in the ground.” Darius pulled her back down beside him on the hay bale. They needed to wait for the fight to come to them—but the waiting was killing her.

  “I just want to … make it stop.” Her voice was full of frustration.

  “Look at me, Allie. I can’t imagine how hard this is for you, but we need to react intelligently, not emotionally.”

  “Of course.” She squeezed his hand. “Thank you for being here with me.”

  “I trust you, killer. But Liam should never have left if you knew they were coming.” He gestured at the others. Graham was busy fiddling with one of his contraptions and Chloe paced quietly on her own. She had her own limited way of seeing what they faced tonight. Every decision that needed to be made would plague Chloe, and Allie wondered how her little friend was coping with the stress.

  “Liam’s just on the other side of the orchard, standing watch. He’ll be here when we need him, but right now, I need to talk to them and I didn’t need him flipping out.”

  “All right, let’s do this. Tell us how this is going to go down.”

  It was time to tell them everything, but she wasn’t sure she was ready to set things in motion.

  The time is now, Lex. We all trust you.

  She looked up to catch his unwavering gaze across the dusty barn floor. What if I make the wrong decisions?

  You’ll make mistakes. Anyone in this situation would. We all understand there are limitations to what we can do. We are human, not heroes in a comic book. Even the strongest of us have failed. But we pick ourselves up and we try to do better next time.

  Thanks, Aidan. She nodded. Taking a deep breath, she turned to face her friends.

  “Chloe, I want you to stay away from the fight. I need you to watch. Keep an eye on your parents and don’t think about anything else. Don’t get distracted by all of the decisions people are making around you. I need you to try to focus on my decisions and help me make the right ones. You’ll see Ming coming up from the beach below. And Jin will be with Emma in the tunnels so they’ll come out through the barn. When you see your parents … acting strangely, get between them,” Allie said. “Let them see you. It will help.”

  “What do you see for them, Allie?” she asked fearfully. “I sense something, but I don’t understand it.”

  “I don’t either, Chlo. Just keep an eye on them. I can’t see everything; there are holes. Stuff I don’t understand. I just know they will fare better if they are focused on keeping you safe.”

  “Graham, stay with Chloe. She’ll need someone watching her back. Is there anything you can do to keep us in communication with each other?”

  “I’m on it,” Graham said, passing tiny Bluetooth headsets to everyone. He picked up three small drones the size of Frisbees and flung them in the air where they hovered, as if waiting for his instruction. With a flick of his wrist, the drones flew off in three separate directions.

  “That. Was badass,” Aidan said.

  “Sweet, that's what I was going for.” Graham gave him a cocky smile. “The drones are connected to my phone so I can watch everything play out from above. I’ll try to keep you all informed. The headsets are linked so we can all talk to each other. Just remember to turn them on before things get crazy.”

  “Genius,” Allie said. “I knew there was a huge reason for you to be here. But I need you to stay hidden, Graham.” She continued. “When you see … Quinn, you cannot react. Do not let him see you.”

  “He’s here?” Graham whirled around to face her.

  “Yes, but he won’t be himself. If he sees you it will just upset him. He’ll get confused. And if your parents see you both, it won’t go well. Emma and Daniel cannot worry about both of you or it will end badly for all of you. We’re going to try like hell to get him back tonight.”

  She turned to Sasha, looking her in the eye. “Sasha, Quinn needs to see you. He has to see you. But don’t get too close. You need to go now. Go find Liam and tell him to take you up to the gates to wait. He'll be mad you're here, but explain what I've told you and he'll do as you say. Wait until you see Quinn on his own on the opposite side of the gates. Let him see you and then turn around and come back here. He’ll follow you but Liam needs to stay where he is. Naeemah will need him more than I will in the beginning. But when you see Quinn with Emma, get his attention. I can’t see what happens after that. All I know is Quinn will snap out of it when he hears your voice. But you can’t go to him. I need you to stay with Chloe. She’s going to need your protection. Otherwise, stay back. Keep your bow with you and take your shots from the cover of the barn. Take out anyone you see around me. I can’t fight tonight. I need to watch events unfold.”

  Allie couldn't stop now. She had to get it all out so they would know what to do. “Dare, I need to know you and Aidan are covering me, but we have to keep moving so I can see everything.”

  “We’ve got this, Lex,” Aidan said softly. “We’ll do everything you say, when you say it.”

  “Everyone, please be careful,” Allie begged.

  “Will we … get him back?” Sasha’s face was even and controlled but her voice wavered. Allie knew she was dying inside.

  “We’ll try.”

  “There is no trying, Allie. This is the only chance we’re going to get.”

  Allie nodded, thinking of the way her gift had come to her wearing Sasha’s face. She was right; Sasha would never forgive her if she screwed this up.

  “You three, please be careful t
onight,” Darius said. He was struggling with his role here. He didn’t want to be responsible for his youngest family members, but Allie knew he trusted her and she was grateful he was willing to follow her blindly. He just didn’t know how blind Allie really was. She knew they were doing everything they could, but there was so much she wasn’t seeing. So many dark spots. So much she didn’t understand.

  “Aidan, keep me in your sight—at all costs,” she said. “Do not get distracted and fall behind.”

  “Lex, I know you see something and I know you think you’re protecting me by keeping it from me, but if you have something to tell me, tell me now.”

  “I cannot lose sight of you, Aidan. Stay nearby. Stay alert and we’ll be fine.”

  “Are you sure about that, killer?” Darius asked. “What’s your role in all of this?”

  “I’m doing it right now. I just have to hope it’s enough and that I haven't missed anything important.”

  “And what do I need to know?” Darius turned his piercing midnight gaze on her.

  “Give us a minute?” Allie asked the others. She needed a quiet moment with Darius. Whatever this was between them, it was about to be resolved right now and she didn’t want Aidan to have a front-row seat for it.

  You too, she added as they all drifted farther back into the barn and out of sight.

  Are you going to lock me out tonight?

  It’s for the best. You cannot be distracted by my thoughts and what I see. You need to go help the others get organized. We have some time before the fighting comes this way. Come find me when you hear the first signs of battle.

  She reluctantly watched him go as Aidan left to join the others. She shifted the block against him, sealing her mind off to him again. She turned back to Darius, dreading what was coming because she still didn’t know what it meant. They stepped away from the barn, into the last row of trees at the edge of the orchard—the same spot where the dream version of Darius had come to her.