Immortals of Indriell- The Collection

by Melissa A. Craven

  “You wouldn’t be the first young Immortal to disappoint. Your generation is all talk. Special snowflakes with ‘unique and astounding abilities’ and your parents have stoked your egos into thinking you are more capable than you actually are. I’d rather see for myself if you can really do what I’ve been told you can.”

  “I’m shooting that gun before we leave today. That’s like giving my brother a Stradivarius and telling him he can’t play it.”

  “I don’t know what that means, but show me you can follow directions and we’ll see about having a demonstration later.”

  “I don’t need a demo. Me and guns, we’re friends.”

  “Lunch, Sasha. Eat something and then we’ll get to the fun stuff. I promise.”

  “Fine.” She took a seat under the shade of the canopy and helped herself to the buffet the monks had spread out for them. “What do you need to see from me?”

  She couldn’t show him how good she really was, but she needed to show him enough to put an end to his doubt.

  “Arrows.” Jay slid the bow over to her side. Except it wasn’t the kind of bow Sasha was used to training with. It was a rudimentary sapling bow. The most un-gun-like thing Jayesh could possibly find. But Sasha could shoot anything, and as long as her gift connected with the target, her aim was infallible.

  Don’t get cocky. That was what he expected. She selected an arrow from the quiver and strung the bow. Her gift never missed, but she could. If her head wasn’t in it and her gift failed to connect, she could miss the easiest shot. She had to walk a dangerous line today. She had to be good. But she couldn’t be too good. She had to fail at the right moments. She had to have her head on straight and her gift under her firm control. And that required a level of focus and calm she did not currently have. And Jayesh knew it. He was testing her.

  “Just need a minute to get my focus on.” She stepped into the sunlight.

  Sasha walked up to the edge of the cliff, taking a moment to really see the world stirring to life all around her. She smiled, closing her eyes as her conscious mind sought the wildlife lurking just out of sight. The Senate might demand the use of her target ability. That was all they could see when they looked at her. But they didn’t need to know all the cards she carried. Sasha drew strength from nature. She was in her element here in the wilds of ancient India. As she focused on the untouched world around her, she’d never felt more alive. For a moment, she put herself in their place. She soared with the birds, experiencing the joy of their flight. She ran with the predators deep in the forest, thrilling at the exhilaration of the hunt.

  When she opened her eyes, returning to herself, she’d found her center. The animal kingdom never failed to set her at ease. With a deep breath, Sasha notched an arrow along the bowstring and took aim at the sky. When she was ready, Brother Raj would launch the clay target over the cliffside and she would have mere seconds to connect with the target and take aim.

  Jay was giving her an easy first shot and she needed to make it.

  “Ready,” she said.

  The monk flung the clay bird into a high arc, giving her plenty of time to call the target with her gift. She felt it, stirring low in her chest, the icy burn of her power as familiar as her next breath. Her eyes followed the clay bird’s flight. The breeze stilled as she searched for the break in the air, the tiniest indication that told her when to release the arrow. She took a breath. Counted down slowly in her mind, keeping her focus on the target. As it began to fall, arcing back toward the ground, Sasha’s breath caught in her throat and the world went silent when she released the arrow.

  She didn’t need to look. She knew exactly where her arrow would pierce the clay bird.

  “What’s next?” she asked. “More birds?”

  “Take a few more shots with the bow,” he replied. “But let’s see how you do with multiple targets.”

  “Nice shot, Ms. Sasha,” Brother Raj said.

  “Thank you.” She bowed respectfully to the monk. “Let’s go with three birds this time and give me about five seconds between each.”

  “Two birds. Ten seconds,” Jayesh corrected. “We’re starting slow, Sasha. I know you can do much more with your gift. This isn’t about you showing off. It’s about me seeing your gift in action.”

  “Did I complain?” She raised her brow but he didn’t acknowledge her question. “No, I didn’t complain because I get it, Jayesh. I’m not an idiot.” Sometimes the man made her want to break things with her fists. She could feel her pulse pounding in her veins.

  You’re supposed to be Zen, Sasha. This is not good for my blood pressure … or my gift. Her gift came to her only when she was in a meditative state, and for it to work properly, she had to push everything else away.

  It took her a moment, but she found her center and didn’t miss a single shot with the bow. When she moved on to the handguns and multiple targets, Jay asked her to hit one specific target of the three or four birds the monks pitched for her. It was elementary stuff, but she waited as patiently as she could.

  “Give me something a little harder this time?” She set her handguns down and traded them for the repeating rifle.

  “Hit all five this time,” he said, nodding to the monks to set her targets in motion.

  Sasha took aim and sighted down the first clay bird, taking them each in rapid succession.

  “Very good.”

  Sasha was surprised to hear real praise coming from him.

  “Good enough to test drive the big gun?” she asked.

  “One shot.”

  “Yes!” She watched eagerly as Jay rolled out a rubber mat and moved the enormous weapon to the ground, just at the cliff edge. She waited impatiently for him to sight down a target.

  “Come, let me show you.” He gestured for her to lay beside him on the mat.

  She listened carefully as Jayesh demonstrated how to use the high-powered lens to zero in on the steel plate target he’d set up more than two thousand yards away.

  “I put a block of ballistics gel behind the plate so we can see how clean a shot you can get from here.

  Sasha laughed as she switched places with him.

  “What’s so funny?”

  “This is so not how I thought I’d be spending my summer.”

  “You’re a little bit of a weirdo, aren’t you? Most girls your age get excited about fancy shoes and boys, right?”

  “Don’t get me wrong, Jay. I like shoes and boys, probably even more than most girls, but guns are my jam.” She smiled as she positioned herself behind the lens to get a feel for the weapon.

  In that moment, as much as she wanted to succeed, she knew she needed to miss the shot. Jayesh needed to be reminded that she wasn’t infallible. That someone her age couldn’t be trusted behind a sniper rifle when the situation was real.

  “Take a breath and focus,” Jayesh said, his hand at her back to steady her. “When you’re ready, pull the trigger and be prepared for the recoil. It’s going to kick like a bull.”

  Sasha felt a flutter in her chest at his nearness.

  He smells nice. The errant thought sent a spike of dread through her. Jay was certainly attractive, but she did not need to be crushing on her trainer. Especially not the arrogant jerk laying beside her. What’s wrong with me? Guilt sent her reeling. She owed Quinn more loyalty.

  Sasha took a deep breath, letting her emotions take precedence over her gift. She aimed, waited for the subtle warning of her gift to pass and fired.

  “You missed,” Jayesh said.

  She wasn’t certain how he would react when she missed the first time, but the chill of his tone terrified her.

  “Why did you miss?” he asked. “I was told you never miss.”

  “I never miss the target when my gift is engaged. Sometimes my focus is off, and I don’t connect with the target. When that happens, I can miss.”

  “Explain.” He stood with his arms behind his back, watching her like a predator waiting to pounce on its prey.


  Sasha rose to face him. “Sometimes I just don’t feel it, Jay.” She shrugged. “There is no other explanation.”

  “That isn’t good enough, Sasha. You must practice until there is no room for error.”

  “Which is exactly what my training has been about in the two years since my Awakening. I had this ridiculous notion that I would have all this time to master this gift. I guess I’m expected to perform well beyond my years, then?”

  “Yes, you are young.” He stood ramrod straight in front of her. “But you need to accept that the Senate will demand perfection. Explain.”

  “When I’m in that moment, right before I take a shot, I need to be centered. I need to be calm and I need to feel it when my gift engages with the target. When that happens, I will not miss.”

  “And if you’re in a situation where it is impossible to be calm and serene? I need to understand every aspect of your gift before I can ever trust you to join my team. You will tell me what it takes to make your gift work when it matters.”

  “You need to trust me?” Sasha glared, her eyes simmering with rage. She’d had enough. “You. Trust. Me?” She leaned in to him. “What about me trusting you? You arrogant ass. Do you think for one moment that I’m stupid enough to trust you with the knowledge of every nuance of my gift when we live in a world that teaches us the exact opposite? You think my mother didn’t teach me to guard the secrets of my power with my life? You trained with her. You know her ways. Do you really think Naeemah El Sadawii would teach me to give in so easily just because someone older and stronger tells me I’m supposed to trust him when he hasn’t even earned it? This goes against every fiber of my being. And you want to be able to trust me? Trust is a two-way street, Jayesh. I’m not one of your soldiers. I’m not even out of high school yet. I know you need to trust my gift, but you need to back the hell off and show me you’re worth trusting.”

  Jay took a step back, his face pale in the heat of the day. He clearly wasn’t accustomed to anyone standing up to him the way she continuously did.

  “Of course. You’re right.” He nodded absently. “You are so young. I know this is difficult.” His voice sounded distant as if he hadn’t heard a single word she’d said. “You will continue to practice on your own here for the rest of the afternoon. I—I want you to feel at ease when you practice and clearly my presence is affecting you negatively. I will leave you to it.”

  With that, Jayesh turned and walked away.

  “What just happened?” Sasha asked.

  “It appears the young man isn’t prepared to take on the role of teacher yet,” Brother Rabishan said, watching Jayesh disappear into the valley. “It’s a shame. We were having fun.”

  “I don’t know what that was, but something spooked him and it wasn’t me going teen brat on him.”

  “Perhaps you are simply more than he expected,” Rabishan said, shaking with laughter. “But you are absolutely right, young Sasha. He must earn your trust if he expects you to fully commit to becoming a Chola assassin. I’m afraid you two are going to have to find a way to become friends if you are ever to move forward.”

  “I have enough friends, thanks,” Sasha muttered.

  ~~~

  CHAPTER

  FIFTEEN

  Quinn: Fall

  Atlanta, Georgia

  “What is with you two?” Livia threw her hands up in disgust. “You have the chance to use each other to make your own situations better, but you’re so concerned about the other, you’re torturing yourselves for no reason. It's just prolonging the inevitable and making this harder than it needs to be.”

  “It’s called being a decent human being,” Santi said. “You must have missed that lesson growing up.”

  “Well, being a decent human being never got me anywhere.” Livia shoved her hands into her boxing gloves, a sure sign she was annoyed. Quinn just hoped she’d vent her frustrations on the punching bag instead of his face. One hit and he would go down like a sack of rocks.

  Quinn flexed his shoulders, trying to work out the ache in his back. He was so hungry and exhausted from Livia’s demented schedule he wasn’t sure how he was still on his feet. His reprieve had been short and sweet, and now he was caught up in Soma’s newest torture scheme.

  Every morning for the last month, Livia delivered Quinn to the entrance of Soma’s version of the Yard. A ten-thousand-square-foot warehouse connected to Sterling Tower via an underground tunnel. The warehouse was the result of a myriad of gifts, much like the Yard was at home. When stepping into the warehouse for the first time, Quinn felt like he’d stepped through a portal to another realm. The forest was unlike anything he’d ever seen, dense and dark with menacing plant life that grew quickly and crept along the ground in an unnatural way. The whole place was unnatural. From the wildlife lurking in the darkness, right up to the sheer mountain peak hidden among dark, swirling clouds.

  Each morning he was given the same task: run to the top of the mountain to retrieve a two-hundred-pound log waiting for him there. If he dropped it on the way down, he had to start over. The old Immortal who lived in the warehouse was responsible for the landscape, which changed constantly from one week to the next. The terrain grew more challenging each week and the log became heavier and more difficult to find. The expanse of wilderness inside the building defied the laws of physics, but the old Immortal’s ability was extraordinary. Quinn had five hours each day to complete the task. If he failed, Santi was sent to Michael for the night while Quinn was given a feast and a full night’s sleep. He rarely failed.

  But failure was the whole point of the impossible exercise. They were supposed to fail, but neither of them could face what that failure meant for the other. So Quinn spent his days running up the mountain and back down as fast as he possibly could. Every day he dropped the log at Santi’s feet with barely a moment to spare, his clothes drenched in sweat and his heart racing in his chest. It was her job to return the log to the top of the mountain each afternoon. If she failed, Quinn was sent to Michael for the night while she got to feast and rest. She rarely failed, but when she did, Michael made sure it was the worst night of Quinn’s life.

  After Quinn completed his daily task he trained with Livia in her private gym in the evenings. She spent hours pushing him further and further into his addiction, keeping him dancing on the cusp of going too far.

  And on the nights when he’d failed his task, he had to see the fear in Santi’s eyes when Michael came to collect her. The food tasted like ash and he tossed and turned the whole night worrying about her. On the nights when they were both successful, Santi and Quinn spent a quiet night together on the wide balcony that ran the length of the penthouse. They weren’t allowed to eat or sleep, but they found solace in each other.

  “Hold my bag, Quinn. I need to hit something.”

  “Liv, what you need is a good, long talk with a therapist,” he muttered as he took his place behind the punching bag.

  “Quinn's got jokes.” Livia laughed, landing her first strike, leaving him breathless.

  His time at Soma had taught him one thing: Livia was merciless, but that wasn’t the real Livia. He suspected she had no idea who she really was.

  Quinn let out a grunt when her foot connected with the bag. He stood, clinging to the punching bag so he didn’t fall over. An outsider might wonder what had her so furious, but he knew. She hated watching them struggle. She hated doing this to them. Deep down, she wanted them to take turns failing so at least one of them would get a good meal and some much-needed rest. Livia didn’t understand how they could care so much about each other in such a short time that they would be willing to kill themselves every day just to see that the other didn’t have to suffer at Michael’s hand.

  “Tell me why you make this so difficult,” Livia said as she flew into a high kick.

  That was the thing about Livia. When she got frustrated, she didn’t immediately lash out in anger like Michael did. She backed away and dropped the facade, carefully considering
her next move, always trying to understand their point of view. Like now. In moments like this, he almost liked her. The Livia he first met was the type to do something extreme to get their attention. To remind them who was in charge. But as the weeks went by and they continued their “training,” she was becoming less of a monster and more of a person with a very demanding job. Her job just happened to be bringing them to heel, and neither Santi nor Quinn were making it easy on her.

  Did I just feel bad for her?

  Livia launched into a complicated sequence of kicks and strikes, taking her frustrations out on the bag.

  “The momentary comfort of food and rest just isn’t worth putting him through that,” Santi said. “But that’s the point, isn’t it? We’re not supposed to enjoy those things. It’s a double-edged sword. I screw over my friend, I get food and sleep, but I don’t enjoy it because I screwed over my friend. Put yourself in my place, Liv.”

  “I’m trying to.”

  “Then put your mother in Quinn’s place and ask yourself if you wouldn’t race up and down that mountain even harder than we do if that was all it took to keep her away from Michael … or your father.”

  “I see,” Livia said, her brow furrowed in concentration. “But she’s my mother. You two aren’t anything to each other.”

  “Haven’t you ever had a friend you cared about?” Quinn asked.

  “Sure, but I wouldn’t give up a good meal for them.” Livia landed another kick.

  “Then you don’t understand people at all.” He winced at her punch. He cared more for Santi than he was ready to admit, even to himself, but there was no way he was going to be responsible for allowing Michael to lay one hand on her. Not as long as it was in his power to stop.

  “Love?” Livia sneered. “Love only causes problems. Look what it’s doing to you two.”

  “That’s not what’s happening here.” Quinn flushed. “And it’s none of your business.”

  “I’d say we’re more in the heavy like phase at the moment, but it works the same for helping you understand, Liv.” Santi shot Quinn a wink. “When you care about someone, you don’t put your own needs before theirs.”