“Quinn is a huge part of who you are.” Allie pushed on the door leading to Quinn’s cell, but it was locked. She knocked and waited. The longer they stood there, the more agitated Sasha became.
“I’m going to break it down.” Sasha moved to kick the door.
“Darius, please open the door,” Allie said. She knew he would hear her. She could sense him standing just on the other side.
“Well, this is about to get messy,” Darius said as he opened the door, but Sasha rushed past him.
“Open the cell,” she demanded.
“Sasha?” Quinn leapt to his feet. “I missed you.” He reached through the bars.
“Get him out of there!” Sasha’s eyes blazed with fury.
“It’s not safe, Sash,” Quinn said. “I need a few days in here—”
“You will not hurt me. You don’t have it in you. Now get him out of there.” Sasha glared at Darius.
“Will do.” Darius stepped to the door and unlocked the cell.
Before Quinn could take a step out, Sasha ran in and threw her arms around him, locking her legs around his waist.
“Can you believe this?” Darius whispered. “I picked up on their bond when I came back in here to talk with him. He’s been like a caged lion ever since I explained what little I could. He wanted to see her but he’s still afraid he’s going to snap at any moment until he gets control of his power back from Livia.”
“They’ll be fine now.” Allie smiled. For such a strange bond to occur twice in the same night was incredible, but she couldn’t deny it—Sasha and Quinn were also Syntrophos. I’m gathering my equals. She could see their hazy future and wondered what her friends’ lives might have been like if they’d never met her.
“Who is she?” Sasha finally asked.
Quinn turned toward the girl sitting on his bed, Sasha still clinging to him.
“This is my … girlfriend, Santi,” Quinn said carefully.
“Hi,” Santi said softly. “He forgot to tell me you were beyond gorgeous.”
Sasha slowly slipped out of Quinn’s arms and stared up at him, her eyes practically sparking.
“This would be the messy part I mentioned earlier.” Darius crossed his arms with a smile, like he was settling in for the entertainment.
“You have a girlfriend?” Sasha said coldly. “You’ve been off in some kind of prison camp, have obviously been through hell, and you come back with a girlfriend? While I’ve spent the last eight months dying inside, you’ve been hooking up?” She gave him a shove.
“Sasha, it’s not going to change whatever this bond is we have now,” Quinn said.
“Wow, she’s pretty feisty. I like her,” Santi said.
Allie thought she was very brave for daring to interrupt Sasha’s tirade.
“I—”
“Can we argue later, Sash?” Quinn asked. “Right now, I’m just really happy to see you.” He reached to cup her face.
Santi clearly didn’t like it, but she was smart enough to keep it to herself.
“This is not going to be easy for them,” Darius said. “At least you and I are single.”
“About that.” Allie sighed. She didn’t know exactly what she and Aidan were, but they were far more than friends now. She could no longer resist putting a label on their relationship. “Aidan and I are kind of together.”
“When the hell did that happen?” Darius scowled.
“It’s been on a slow boil for months, and it kind of boiled over right before all of this.”
“You can yell at me if you want, but he’s not good enough for you, Allie.”
“He’s your brother. Be nice.”
“I am. He’s a putz.”
“I’m pretty sure you’d say that about anyone I wanted to date.” She elbowed him playfully.
“Probably.” Darius yawned.
“Let’s get these two off to Gregg for Syntrophos lessons, and then I’m going to go find Aidan and go to bed,” Allie said.
“Do you have to do that?”
“I’d like to have a dream-free night, so you’re going to have to deal.”
“Come on, you two,” Darius said. “Santi … uh, you should probably stay here.”
“Fine by me; I’m exhausted. It’s been a really long … year.” She stretched out on the bed with a yawn.
Quinn had trouble maintaining his emotions as they walked through the hallways of the underground where he grew up. Sasha whispered to him the whole way to Gregg’s office, but it was obvious he was in for a long struggle to put the past eight months behind him.
“Sorry, Da,” Darius said after Gregg let them in. He was busy making phone calls and taking intel from everyone still out there taking stock of their situation.
“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Gregg said in shock when he realized why they were there. “You too?” He asked Sasha.
“I sense lots of group Syntrophos classes in our near future,” Darius said.
“We’re going to go.” Allie pulled Darius toward the door. “We’ll talk tomorrow, Sash.”
“I’m going to go crash in Daniel’s office,” Darius said after they left. “But if you need me, just call. I’m always here for you, Allie.”
“Thanks, Dare. This is all … so confusing and overwhelming. But I’m glad it’s you.”
“If you have to have a Syntrophos, at least you got a fun one.” He winked. “Night, Allie.”
“Night.”
Now she just needed to go find Aidan.
~~~
He was in his office. Sitting in the dark, drinking.
Not a good sign.
I’m just exhausted … and glad to see you found your way to me. I was afraid—
That I would stay with Darius? This bond doesn't work that way, Aidan.
“So what is this thing you have with my brother?” He pulled her down onto his lap and offered her the bottle he was drinking from. Gregg’s extra-potent moonshine.
“It’s called a Syntrophos. It means we are connected in a special, non-romantic way.”
“Non-roman-tic.” He laughed—but if he were anyone else, she would have called it a giggle.
“How much have you had to drink?” she asked. It took some skill and hard work to get sloshed liked this.
“A lot.” He took a long gulp straight from the bottle. “Say more things like non-roman-tic.” He gave her a goofy grin.
“Drunk Aidan is super cute.” She smiled back. “I don’t know much about it yet, but your father was bonded to my mother this way. She and Ashar and Gregg found a way to make it work, and so will we.”
“Yeah? I’m pretty sure my dad did your mom for a few centuries before she met Ashar.”
“Aidan, gross!”
“Just sayin’ there’s something there I don’t like.”
“Hey. Look at me.” She turned his head to meet her gaze. “This isn’t going to change anything between us. But I’m too tired to figure it out tonight. I just want to take a hot shower and go to bed and feel you beside me. I want to forget about the awful things that happened. Every horrific thing I've seen and the awful things I’ve done. I just want to sleep and not dream.”
“I can at least do that for you, Lex. Come on.”
She followed him to the bedroom behind his studio, feeling a sense of dread about their future. She was suddenly unsure of Aidan’s ability to cope with her new relationship with Darius. To choose between them would be impossible.
Aidan didn’t speak as they changed out of their gear. He didn’t speak as he led her to the bathroom. His eyes were broody and sad as they stepped into the hot shower together. His kiss was slow and sweet, but he didn’t push further. His hands on her body were methodical as he helped her wash the blood and grime away.
When he wrapped a towel around her, he pressed a kiss to her forehead. For once, she couldn’t fathom what he was thinking. He had her blocked; whatever he was feeling, he hid it from her in a way he never had before. He had his own box now and suddenly t
he tables were turned and she was getting a taste of her own medicine.
Aidan? She stared up at him uncertainly.
I’m fine, baby. Just tired and trying not to think about … anything. “Let’s just go to bed. I’m happy to keep your dreams away.”
She grabbed his hand and pulled him back. “You know that’s not the only reason I’m here, right?”
The look he gave her said he wasn’t so sure. It cut her to the quick. She backed away from him, taking a moment to change into shorts and a t-shirt from the drawer she’d stocked weeks ago. She threw some clothes at Aidan, not trusting herself to speak.
You know that’s not what I meant.
“Aidan … I’m here because I love you. I’m here because there is no one else I want to be with after the night we’ve had. What happened before … back in my bedroom. That wasn’t something I took lightly.”
“I know, Allie. That’s not what I meant. I don’t know what I meant. I’m drunk. I’m still feeling Daniel’s pain. I just … I don’t like this. I don’t like feeling like a jealous fool. I need time—to get used to this thing you have with my brother. I’m not sure how to act and I’m messing this up, which is the last thing I want right now.”
“Then trust me when I say your ability to give me a peaceful sleep is the cherry on top of all the other reasons I’m here.”
“Say more things like that.” Aidan smiled, pulling her close.
“Sleep. Pillows. Blankets. Please.” She yawned into his bare chest. “And I wouldn’t say no to chocolate chip pancakes either.”
“How about pancakes tomorrow and sleep tonight?” His chest vibrated against her cheek with his laughter.
“M’kay.” She lay back on the bed and curled up against him.
The last thing Allie ever wanted was to further complicate their relationship. Just when she was finally brave enough to test the waters with him, hoping they might find happiness together, the world reared back and punched them in the gut.
~~~
CHAPTER
THIRTY-FIVE
Allie brushed her hair, trying to tame her wild curls. Chloe was so good at styling it for her, but she didn’t want to bother her. Not on the morning of her grandparents’ and her mother’s funeral. She hadn’t spoken to Chloe or Jin since Ming’s death. She wouldn’t blame them if they never wanted to see her again.
“I don’t think I should go,” Allie said for the hundredth time.
“Ming would want you there,” Aidan assured her. “No one is blaming you except you. You’ve got to stop taking so much responsibility for things that are completely out of your control.”
“I would blame me,” she muttered as she twisted her thick hair back into some semblance of an elegant bun. “Have you ever been to an Immortal funeral before?”
“No. I think it’s a new experience for most of us.” Aidan paced to his closet for another tie, discarding a perfectly good one with the others piled on his bed. “We’ll each have an opportunity to make a mark on her final resting place with our gifts, so be thinking about what you want to do for her.”
Ming was to be buried in the crypt in a special tomb Hélène had turned into a garden. Allie wasn’t sure what she could possibly do for Ming with her gifts, and she wasn’t sure if the family would even want her to.
“Let’s go, Lex.” Aidan held his hand out for her.
The walk to the underground was long and somber as everyone converged in the main hall where Ming’s casket rested between her parents’ under the high vaulted ceilings of the place they all called home. Her parents had died trying to protect her. Poor Jin and Chloe had lost half of their family in one day.
Allie lingered toward the back of the line, not wanting to draw attention to herself. Quinn, Graham, Darius, and Aidan carried Ming’s coffin at the front of the procession. A distraught Chloe and Jin followed behind the other two caskets.
Sasha and Santi drifted closer to Allie, falling in step beside her. The two girls were having a rough time with the new bond, but they seemed to have a mutual, albeit guarded, respect for each other. It helped that Santi was a complete stranger to Sasha before all of this happened. Darius and Aidan weren’t handling it nearly as well. And Allie tended to disappear whenever they were all in the same room together.
The girls linked arms and followed the silent funeral procession to the final resting place for Ming Lao and her parents, Ju Long and Lu Li.
“Wow,” Santi whispered as they stepped into the lovely garden deep within the recesses of the crypt. The three coffins occupied the center of the room. Trees swayed in a soft breeze. Emma had obviously done her part since the room blazed bright with sunshine, and Gregg’s puffy white clouds drifted high above them. Everyone circled around the coffins and one by one, each person took a moment to say their final goodbyes and offer a gift for the departed. Allie watched as Aidan placed his hands on Ming’s coffin and used his gift to bring a warm, balmy breeze to this oasis, deep within the cold crypt. Sasha stepped forward and called a host of birds to join the quiet garden. Allie heard them winging their way here through the halls until they burst into the room in a chorus of song.
Even Santi offered her gift. As she placed her hands on Chloe and Jin, something wondrous came over them. Their smiles and laughter chased away their sorrow, if only for a moment. It seemed to give them the strength to get through this terrible day. Allie watched as Santi took her place at Quinn’s side, placing her small hand in his. Something about the way she selflessly offered her gift to a woman she’d never met solidified Santi’s future among them. The small act of kindness may have changed the course of her life.
Allie had come to realize her clairvoyance would always be a challenge. She could only see so much, and she could only understand a portion of what she saw. The decisions she'd made that changed the future she'd seen in her dreams was done on instinct. That was the best she would ever be able to do. The future wasn't set in stone. The future was like a river, changing its course over time. But as small things were set into motion, the effects they had on the future could be monumental. All she could do was watch and see what she saw. Sometimes she would be able to act in ways that might alter the things she witnessed in her visions. And sometimes she would have to let nature take its course. Neither she nor her gift were infallible. She had to come to terms with that and accept the outcome of the choices she made.
When it was Allie’s turn, she still wasn’t sure what she could do for Ming Lao. She had very little talent for anything peaceful or serene.
Do whatever moves you in the moment, Lex. There is no wrong way to offer a gift.
As she stepped up to the coffins, she let out a sigh of relief. Graham had placed his gift here already. Dozens of mechanical butterflies with intricate stained glass wings, perched all over the coffins. Their wings fluttered as the moving parts of his creations brought them to life.
Allie took one of the dainty butterflies, cupping it in the palm of her hand and let her solar energy pour into each of them. Graham had linked them together like a hive, in preparation for Allie’s addition. She gave them the energy they needed to power their solar batteries. Once charged, they would continue to draw from Emma’s sunshine, so they would always fly.
The crowd gasped when the butterflies took to the air and Allie smiled through her tears, knowing Ming Lao would have loved it. As she turned, Chloe and Jin waited for her. Their grief was palpable and she couldn’t fathom the enormity of their loss.
When Chloe took her hands and squeezed them gently, Allie lost it. “I’m so sorry,” she whispered. “I’m so sorry. I should have—”
Chloe and Jin wrapped their arms around her. “She would be proud of you, Allie,” Jin said. “She would never want you to blame yourself for what happened. You did everything in your power to keep this family safe and you helped bring Quinn home. She would have gladly sacrificed herself to see that happen.”
Allie nodded. She would never forgive herself for Ming’s death,
but this day was about Chloe and Jin and honoring their grief.
As she stood, holding Jin’s hand, she could feel how drained he was. He could barely stand on his own. Without a thought, Allie called on her own strength and gave it all to him, bolstering him for the difficult days ahead.
With a grateful nod, Jin stepped up to offer his final gift to his Complement. He reached into his pocket and brought out an ancient-looking fur slipper, crumbling with age.
Sasha let out a strangled sob as he placed it at the base of her obsidian coffin. “That’s the shoe he lost the day they met.”
As Jin knelt, he touched the ground, bringing forth a spring that circled the three coffins, creating a little island for them.
It was Chloe’s turn last and Allie had no idea what she might offer her mother and grandparents. Silent tears streamed down Chloe’s face as she knelt beside the new spring her father had created for her mother. She placed her palms against the surface of the water and began to sing in Chinese. Her voice was melodic and sounded so much like her mother’s Allie closed her eyes and smiled. She could almost hear Ming Lao’s laughter, like bells.
Sasha nudged her so she wouldn’t miss what Chloe did next. As she sat, singing and trailing her fingers through the water, a figure emerged from the surface. As it mingled with her tears, it took shape and began to whirl around the coffins.
“A Chinese dragon,” Santi whispered.
Chloe made three of them, each distinct. Although made of water, they each had an ornate design representing the fallen of her family.
Allie’s mind whirled with images. Random snatches of things to come, and things that might never be. In every instance, she saw Chloe, sometimes at her side, but at others she stood in opposition. Regardless, she was an equal in every possible way. Chloe was a sweet-tempered girl now, but she would grow into a formidable, powerful, and respected woman. The death of her mother would have an extreme impact on Chloe’s life. It would make her stronger, but if she didn’t allow herself to fully mourn her loss and deal with her grief, it would send her down the wrong path.
Immortals of Indriell- The Collection Page 83