Immortals of Indriell- The Collection

by Melissa A. Craven

  She carefully got to her feet. They needed to keep moving. Livia would come after her soon and Allie needed to know for certain that she wouldn't hurt Liam and Darius if she went with them now.

  Allie leaned against the car. She just needed one more minute, and then she’d pull it together.

  Sobs wracked her body and she beat the car with her fist until her knuckles were bloody. Who was she to decide who lived and died? She understood now, what she’d done to the man who’d attacked Aidan. She could feel his immortality wrapped around her like an invisible cloak. She’d taken it from him—in essence, killed him. How was it possible that Allie, a seventeen-year-old girl, had broken a powerful Immortal man––left him mortal? He would die someday, and his Complement, a woman he’d yet to meet, would never know the completion they all desperately needed to survive the crush of so many years. Who was Allie to ruin two lives? But she knew she’d do it all again if it meant saving Aidan from the life of torment she’d seen for him in the space of a heartbeat.

  “Little one.”

  Liam’s touch filled her with fear and she whirled on him.

  “I’m fine, sweetheart. You won’t hurt me. I cannot leave you to sob your heart out like this.” He pulled her into his arms and held her tightly. A deep chasm of grief filled her as she bawled on his shoulder. How could she ever live with herself? But she had to pull it together now. She drew a shaky breath.

  “We have to go,” she whispered, her voice hoarse and brittle to her own ears. “I cannot be trusted yet. Not till we know for sure what this is.”

  “Gregg will meet us soon and we will regroup and sort this all out.” Liam held his hand out to her. She took it carefully as he helped her into the backseat.

  “Darius, if you’re coming, get in the car. We have to leave now.” Liam slid in the front seat and cranked the car, checking for Vince and Kayla in the rearview mirror.

  Allie still wrestled with the anger bubbling within. But her anger was directed at herself now. Exhaustion swept through her as soon as her head rested on the seat. She curled into a fetal position and hugged her knees to her chest. She was too tired to think and too scared to sleep. What if she lost control? What if she hurt two of the most important people in her life?

  Darius. She didn’t know what this was, but without thinking, she reached between the seats for his hand. His fingers laced through hers, resting on the console between the front seats. He didn’t even hesitate to touch her.

  “What is this, Liam?” Darius asked, his voice low and distant.

  She could hear them, but they felt so far away, like she was underwater again.

  Maybe this was all a dream and I’ll wake up soon. But Allie stared at the back of the seat in front of her, her eyes like glass.

  “Tell me what happened?” Liam said.

  “Before the fighting—we bonded. But I don’t understand it. It’s not like any bond I’ve ever heard of.”

  Liam swore softly under his breath. “I can sense it. It's strong.”

  “What does it mean?”

  “I don’t know much about it. Gregg will be able to help you.”

  “It’s my job to protect her,” Darius said. “I can feel it.”

  “She can protect herself.” Liam chuckled. “Clearly she can fight her own battles. She just needs you to be the voice of reason.”

  “Reason? Have you met me?”

  “Fate has a sense of humor, nephew.”

  “So I’m supposed to advise her or something?”

  “Just be the friend she can trust unfailingly. You’ll figure out the rest.”

  Liam's phone chirped with a message from Vince.

  “We're supposed to take the next right for four miles and then we’ll hit the back roads till we cross back into Ohio.” Darius responded to Vince’s text and set the phone on the console to watch for updates from their tail.

  “So what’s our next step?” Allie asked. Her voice like gravel in her throat.

  “We get back to the underground as soon as possible,” Liam said. “But we have to make sure we aren’t followed. You doing okay, little one?”

  “I have control now.”

  “That’s not what I mean.”

  “I’m okay.” But even she didn’t believe her.

  ~~~

  Hours later Allie finally sat up. Inside, she was still a mess. She wanted to curl up and wallow in her misery. I’ll do that later. Later, when I’m home, I can fall apart.

  “We’re almost there.” Darius answered her unspoken question.

  “Vince spotted a tail. They showed up as soon as we hit the Cleveland area,” Liam said. “He helped us lose them in Strongsville. We’re almost to Rocky River now to get another car before we head into the city.”

  “And by ‘get another car’ you mean what exactly?” Darius asked.

  “Borrow it.”

  “Liam. I’m a cop. I can’t be stealing cars.”

  “That’s why I said borrow. We’re not going to keep it.”

  “You can’t tell me you McBriens don’t have an extra car around here somewhere,” Allie said. She felt a fierce urge to protect Darius from even the possibility of getting caught in a stolen car.

  “Can’t you just use your badge to seize one?” Liam sounded irritated.

  “No.” Darius glared at him.

  “Fine. I have a car stashed at one of my bars on the other side of the Metroparks. We’ll ditch this one at the marina.”

  Allie waved as Vince and Kayla drove past them, signaling that it was safe for them to head home. As she watched them leave, she saw her future with them in it. This wouldn’t be the only time they would risk their lives to help her. This was just the beginning of their involvement in her world. Breaking up with Vince hadn’t spared him anything.

  “Time to take a walk. You up for this, Allie?” Liam slowed to a halt in the marina parking lot.

  “I’ll follow you,” she said absently.

  As they marched through the woods along the well-tended trails of the park, Allie somehow managed to keep up with her brother’s long strides.

  “You think she’s okay?” Liam asked Darius, casting a glance back at her.

  “She’s holding it together,” Darius said. “She’s a tough cookie.”

  “Don’t talk about me like I’m not here,” Allie muttered.

  “From the look on your face, little one, you’re a million miles away.”

  “I’ll be fine.”

  “Just let her be, Liam. She just needs some time to herself. The more you ask her how she’s doing, the more irritated she’ll get. She’ll snap out of it when she’s good and ready.”

  Allie moved woodenly, her arms crossed protectively over her chest as if she were trying to physically hold her power back. She concentrated on putting one foot in front of the other. She was exhausted, but it felt good to stretch her legs and empty her mind. It was almost morning now. Still dark, but the birds were just beginning to stir. It was over. They’d made it through the worst of it and as far as she knew, they’d come out of this not completely unscathed, but better than any of them had a right to hope for. She’d just never realized the magnitude of what she would do to that man. It was inhuman, what she did. Even more of an abomination than what Livia did to Ming and Jin.

  “Wait here,” Liam said. “I’ll go get the car.”

  Allie and Darius crouched in the shadows along the tree line behind Liam’s bar. It was a crap dive bar, but it suited him.

  Allie climbed in the front seat beside Liam and pulled Darius in beside her. She felt better having them close now that she was more in control. She pulled her feet up on the seat and wrapped her arms around her legs.

  “What now?” she asked.

  “We go home.” Liam headed along Cliffton Boulevard toward downtown.

  “Aren’t we taking the ferry?” Allie asked.

  “Nope.”

  A few minutes later they pulled into the garage at Terminal Tower in the heart of downtow
n. For a second, she thought they were going to park and take the RAPID to some other location before heading home. But the trains didn’t run this early. Before she could ask what they were doing, Liam pulled onto the tracks and they drove through the tunnel where the trains turned around. Terminal Tower was where the trains converged. The tracks ran from the east side to the west side, passing through the station at Tower City.

  Darius hopped out of the car and crept along the dark tunnel, running his hands along the wall. She wasn’t overly surprised when the wall opened up to reveal another tunnel, just big enough for the car.

  “Please don’t tell me we’re about to drive to the island through this tunnel.”

  “Okay. I won’t,” Liam said.

  “No freaking out, Allie,” Darius said when he slid back in beside her. “We’ll be there before you know it.”

  “How do I not know about this?”

  “We have dozens of ways on and off the island. This one is a last resort,” Liam said.

  “And why is that?”

  “It fl—”

  “The entrance is too public, right, Liam?” Darius shot him a sharp look.

  “Right. Way too public.”

  Allie stared ahead as Liam drove through the dark tunnel. The drive was smooth for a while and then the path turned into little more than a dirt road, dotted with puddles and potholes. The way was bumpy and slow going.

  “Is that … lake water gushing down the walls?” Allie’s voice shook and she closed her eyes.

  “Yep.” Darius made a loud popping sound on the “P.”

  “I’m just going to shut my eyes and you tell me when we’re there, or when I should start swimming.”

  “Will do.” Darius gripped her hand tightly. He didn’t like this any better than she did.

  “It’s freezing down here,” Allie whispered.

  “That’s probably for the best,” Liam said. “The mud’s frozen so we shouldn’t get stuck.”

  It took far longer than the ferryboat would have, but they finally drove out of the long tunnel that she was pretty sure flooded quite frequently. They arrived in the underground, but it was part of the underground she’d never seen before. The vaulted ceilings were just like the main hall she passed through every day, but this was a different hall, much smaller … and deeper. It was cold when she stepped out of the car. She could see her breath.

  “What is this place?” Allie asked.

  “The crypt,” Darius said.

  “Fitting name,” she murmured as she followed him across the intricate stone floor, covered in tile mosaics. Huge archways led to different rooms and a stone staircase rose above them. Allie headed for it, assuming it led to the common room above.

  “Not yet, little one. We have business to attend to first.” Liam guided her toward an arched opening in the wall.

  “Do you want me to come with you?” Darius asked.

  She wanted to tell him no, that she could handle this on her own. That she didn’t want to drag him into her mess, but she nodded and took his offered hand. There would be few secrets between them after tonight.

  ~~~

  CHAPTER

  THIRTY-THREE

  “Seriously, what is this place?” Allie asked as Liam led her into a dark room. It was cold and damp, which meant they were probably at the deepest part of the lake.

  “It’s, uh—”

  “It’s our totally illegal prison,” Darius said.

  “Prison?”

  “Not exactly,” Gregg said.

  Allie turned to see him standing in front of a door with bars in the window.

  “Looks like a prison,” she muttered.

  “How are you, Allie?”

  “Glad to see you.” She rushed across the room but stopped herself. She remembered the fear she’d seen on his face when she did what she did.

  “I’m so proud of you, Allie.” Gregg pulled her into his arms without hesitation. “You saved us.”

  “Is … is everyone okay? Aidan?”

  “Aidan is fine, thanks to you. And you were right—they all needed to be there. I should have listened to you.”

  “Ming?” Her lip trembled at the thought of what she had caused.

  “Aye, we lost Ming and her parents too. They tried to avenge her death and were no match against Livia’s people. The family is a wreck. Imogen and Lucien were taken. We don’t know yet if they were executed. She has such a rare gift, I believe they will be safe. At least for the time being, and we may be able to work out a trade. Dean was also taken, along with three of my lieutenants.” Gregg’s voice was weary and full of sorrow for the family they lost.

  “Gen?” Allie’s eyes filled with tears.

  “You saved her life. You did good, sweetheart. We’ve managed to come through this well enough.”

  “And Erin?” Darius asked.

  “She is still with us. Thanks to Allie.”

  “Greyson? George? Naomi?” Allie asked.

  “All fine.

  “How is Jin? Chloe?”

  “In shock. This won’t be easy for them. We’ve never dealt with this before. It will take time.”

  “How did you beat us back?” Darius asked.

  “Helicopter. We had to move quickly,” Gregg said.

  “Why are we here?” Allie asked, gazing around.

  “We have a few … guests. We have no other choice but to keep them here until we decide what to do with them.”

  “Allie?” The voice sent a shock right through her. She turned to find a familiar face on the other side of a prison cell.

  “Quinn?” She rushed over to him, reaching for the bars. “Why is he in a cell?”

  “It’s not safe for us to be with the family yet,” Quinn said miserably. “I won’t trust myself until I’m in full control of my power again.”

  “He asked us to put them here,” Gregg explained.

  “It’s a long story, Allie. But I’m glad to see you.” Quinn reached through the bars to clasp her hands.

  “I’m so sorry, Quinn. It should have been me.” For the last eight months, she’d wanted to apologize for what happened. His face was haggard and drawn. He looked so much older now.

  “I’m so glad it wasn’t you. It was better this way.” He gestured over his shoulder to a petite girl sitting quietly on the bed in the corner of the cell. She sat with her knees against her chest, a look of shock and relief on her face.

  Allie wanted to hug Quinn, to ask him about his friend, but there was something in his eyes. He wasn’t quite himself yet and might not be for a long time.

  “Just … don’t judge her too harshly, Allie. She’s a heinous bitch, but she’s had a hard life. She’s never really had a choice.”

  “Who?”

  “Livia,” Gregg said. “She’s here. We couldn’t risk letting her escape this time.”

  “Take me to her, please?”

  “Are you sure?” Gregg asked her.

  “Yes.” It was time they had a talk.

  “I suppose you want Liam with you?”

  “Yes.” She reached for Liam’s hand, leaving Darius behind with Quinn.

  “She’s in a pissy mood, as you can probably imagine. And she’s not thrilled with you.”

  “I bet not.” Allie heaved a huge sigh as she followed Gregg into another room where the cell bars practically hummed with magnetic energy.

  “Oh good, you brought the brat.”

  Allie cringed at the sight of the tall woman, pacing her cell like a caged panther. She looked the same as she had two summers ago, when Allie caught a glimpse of her leaving their house in New Zealand.

  “Do you know why you’re looking for me?” Allie asked. She was proud her voice didn’t shake.

  “Of course. But I won’t be telling any of you that.” Livia eyed Allie up and down, scouring her face like a woman starved for answers.

  “Not the reason your boss wants me. Do you know why you are so intrigued by me? Why time and again you come looking for me?”<
br />
  “What do you know?” Livia paced to stand as close to the bars as she dared.

  “You’re my sister.” Through all of the thousands of visions she’d had in the last few days, Allie was only able to put the pieces together when she saw Livia again. Not until she stood face to face with her. But she got it now. Livia had their father’s coloring and height, and she had their mother’s eyes and temperament. But circumstances had made her the hard, jaded woman who stood before her now.

  “Not possible.”

  “Of course … Alivia,” Gregg whispered. “I haven’t thought of her in more than a century.” He stared at Livia, putting the pieces together. “Do you remember when you were taken?” he asked. “You were so young. I can’t imagine you could remember much of your natural mother and father.”

  “I was adopted. I’m no natural born.”

  Allie could see it in her sister’s eyes—she wanted to know everything, to fill in the gaps in her memory. The part of her life that didn’t make any sense. Allie knew what that was like.

  “You remember a woman with hair like mine, don’t you? You said it the moment you laid eyes on me in that warehouse last year when I was the one behind bars. I remember her too, just vaguely.”

  “The necklace? Let me see it,” Livia demanded.

  Allie tugged the chain from under her coat and held it in the light.

  Livia did the same, pulling a long chain tucked under her jacket. The pendants were nearly identical. The serpentine figure around Livia’s necklace was more clearly an ouroboros with ruby red eyes.

  “It makes no difference. I was raised by the man I call father. That is all that matters.” Livia turned her back to them. She was a strong, proud woman. She wouldn’t accept this easily.

  “I don’t know you. I don’t know who you work for. I don’t know anything about you, but you’re my sister,” Allie took a step forward.

  “She isn’t worth the effort, little one.” Liam stood beside her.

  “She’s my sister.” Allie looked up at her brother. His face was hard as stone.