“Mrs. Dyson?” Brecken knocked on her office door.
“Bring them in.”
Tessa trembled as she followed Dean into the room. Someone else was here with Vivian. Someone she knew. She choked on the hope rising in her chest, smashing it back down. If this place had taught her anything, it was to not let hope take root in her mind. It only caused her pain.
“Jayesh?” she managed to get his name out when she saw him sitting opposite Vivian.
“Dean, Tessa.” Jayesh nodded at each of them. “Thank you for coming.”
“What can we do for you?” Dean asked politely. He didn't seem as confused as she did. He seemed relieved. Like he'd been waiting for this day for a long, long time.
What has he kept from me?
“Soma has need of you. Vivian has graciously agreed to let you come home for a short while.”
“A very short while. And this is their home,” she said sharply. “Don't forget that small detail, Jayesh. I paid a fortune for these two.”
“Yes, you did. And we do respect that they are essentially your property, Vivian, but we do include a recall clause in all of our contracts. If Soma ever has need of a particular gift, or gifts, the individual is recalled to Sterling Tower. They will be returned to you as soon as possible.”
“I'd still prefer to send Brecken with them. To monitor my assets.”
“I'm afraid that is against the rules you agreed upon when you purchased them. I have a copy of the contract here.”
Tessa was furious, listening to them speak so bluntly about them. As if they were pieces of meat one might buy at the grocery store.
“Then by all means go, so you can get them back to me. Every day they are gone, we lose money. A lot of money.”
“You will be compensated as you deserve. I promise.” Jayesh smiled.
“Shall we … go pack?” Tessa asked, not believing what was happening.
“No. You'll have everything you need when we arrive back in Atlanta.”
“We're leaving now?” She took a tentative step toward the door, clutching Dean's hand. She was eager to go as quickly as possible but after all this time, she didn't trust that they wouldn't be separated.
Jayesh nodded and stood to escort them from their prison.
Bewildered, Tessa followed as they walked right out of the front door and slid into the backseat of Jayesh's black SUV.
The driver's side door slammed shut, and they were rolling down the driveway. Really fast.
“We need to get through those gates before she has a chance to compare that fake contract to the original,” Dean said, looking over his shoulder.
“What?” Tessa glanced between Dean and Jayesh.
“Let's get out of sight of the house first,” Jayesh muttered. “I have a helicopter waiting nearby. We'll be out of here faster than she'll react.”
“What's going on?” Tess demanded. “Dean, what do you know?”
“We're going home, Tessa.” He clasped her hands, shaking with relief.
“I don't understand. You lied to me? All this time?”
“Only because you suck at lying,” he swore. “I wanted to tell you, but we couldn't risk it.”
“I couldn't get out of sending you here, Tess,” Jayesh said as he picked up speed, racing through the gate that stood wide open for them. “The best I could do was send Dean with you, so you wouldn't be alone through all of this. It's the only thing I could do for you.”
“To be fair, he's a few years later picking us up than we planned,” Dean said.
“I'm so sorry. A lot has happened while you've been here. This is the first chance I've had to come get you. We need you both.”
“I won't go back to Soma,” Tessa insisted.
“I don't work for Soma anymore,” Jayesh said. “And neither do you.”
“We don't have to go back?” Tessa gasped as the weight of what he was saying hit her.
“You never have to go back.”
“We're finally free, Tessa” Dean whispered.
~~~
EPILOGUE
“What's in Cleveland?” Tessa asked. The journey from South America to Cleveland had overwhelmed her. So much had happened in such a whirlwind of chaos, she still had more questions than answers. Like who was the nice man in dreadlocks Dean seemed to know so well? His name was George. He'd flown them out of Vivian's reach in the most confusing helicopter ride of her life. He'd also done something to their Soma brands. Said it would fade in time, but once Ryan learned of their escape, he would probably attempt to call them back. George said that might hurt a bit.
He hadn't lied about that.
“My family is here,” Dean said.
“We're going to meet with some friends, and then you'll have all your answers,” Jayesh said. “I promise.”
Tessa followed them from the airport where a driver met them at the curb. He was quiet in the extreme. Tall and fair like a Viking right out of the history books.
“Uncle Liam.” Dean clapped him on the shoulder. “It's good to see you.” He took the seat right behind his uncle. “This is my girlfriend, Tessa.”
“Good to meet you, Tessa. We're glad to have you both back. We've missed you, Dean. Your mother hasn't been the same without you.”
“Did you have to nail Sasha to the floor to keep her home?” Jayesh asked, slipping into the seat beside Dean while George took the front seat with Liam.
“I had to let her come to the meeting to get her to stay put. She doesn't like it when you leave,” Liam said.
“Well, I haven't given her much cause to trust me when I say I'm coming back,” Jayesh said.
“You're still too old for my niece.” Liam pulled away from the curb.
“I agree. We've talked about that, Liam.”
“Just so you remember.”
“Sasha is your cousin from Amrita?” Tessa whispered.
“Yeah, she is my dad's brother's daughter. His other brother.” He nodded at Liam. “Let's just say the family tree is quite large but you'll get it in time.”
“And what is this meeting all about?” she asked.
“We're about to find out.” Dean nodded as they pulled into a parking lot in front of a bar not too far from the airport.
“Is there a reason we're meeting in such a seedy dive?” she asked.
“Yes,” Liam said, holding the door open for her. “This is my bar.”
“Oh.” Tessa flushed. “I'm sorry. It's … nice.”
“It's nicer inside.” He cracked a smile. “And it's safe to talk here. Come on in. The others are waiting.”
Tessa followed the big man into a really crappy one room bar with just a few patrons. All of them were Immortal. None of them looked very above board.
“Through to the back,” Dean whispered. “This is just a front.”
“Oh.” Tessa's eyes rounded as they stepped through a doorway into the back hall of the bar where the restrooms were.
“This way.” Liam punched a code into a locked door and stepped through. It was like walking through the brick wall at the Leaky Cauldron into Diagon Alley. Where the front room was dirty and dingy, the back room was elegant and polished. Sleek, black marble floors were polished to a shine at her feet. The floor to ceiling glass windows faced the river with a large oak conference table occupying the center of the room.
The mood was tense.
This was a war room, and Tessa recognized more than one person she never expected to see again.
“Livia?” Tessa found her voice as she took a step toward the woman who had ruined her life.
“That's far enough.” Liam stepped in front of her. “My wife is not the person you remember.”
“Your wife?”
“Much has happened since we last saw each other.” Livia came to stand beside her Complement. “I don't deserve it, but I hope you will give me a chance. As trapped as you've been for most of your life, I have been as well. Soma was my prison, too.”
“We have a lot to discus
s and not a lot of time to do it. Please everyone, take your seats.” Tessa recognized the redhead as Dean's powerful friend from that night at Amrita. She also recognized Quinn and Santi with Sasha and Jayesh standing beside them. She was thrilled to see James again and wondered if Lennox was with Dean's family now. A few others she didn't recognize but suspected they were part of Dean's inner circle.
For some inexplicable reason, everyone in this room seemed to defer to the young redhead and the man at her side. There was something odd about the bond between them. They weren't Complements, but they were … something more. Something she'd never seen before.
“My name is Allie Carmichael, and this is my Syntrophos, Darius McBrien.” She gestured at the man standing sentinel at her side. Tessa had no idea what a Syntrophos was, but the word rang with some kind of ancient power she would never understand. These two were something truly special.
“Most of you know me. Some of you know how much I've battled accepting this Immortal life and my position in it. I never wanted this … any of it. But our world is changing, and our generation is suffering. My maternal grandmother, Queen Alísun, the last queen of Indriell, has named me her heir. A position I've resisted for years, but have finally learned to accept.”
She's a royal? Tessa glanced at Dean beside her. He didn't seem surprised. The hair was a dead giveaway that the girl had a strong connection to Indriell, but a direct line to the last queen? It couldn't be possible.
“I am the second natural daughter of Kassandre and Ashar. My mother, Kassandre, was the natural daughter of Queen Alísun. My elder sister is Livia. She was once my enemy and is now my strength and my ally. Together, we are going after Soma, and we are asking you all to join us.”
Allie took her seat at the head of the table. “Soma isn't the only entity using and abusing our generation, but they are the worst, claiming to be something we all desperately need in a guise to lure us in, only to be sold into slavery. It has to end.
“Livia and I are going to return to Soma, and then we are going to work to bring it down from the inside and build it back up into the institution it claims to be. And then we're going after the others. Most of you have already agreed to help. But we still need you, Tessa. And Dean. You both have a unique experience with the enemy. Others will look to you for the truth. Tessa? Are you with us?”
For so long, she had trusted blindly, and then her whole world crashed down around her. Part of Tessa wanted to walk away from it all. To go find some small corner of the world where she and Dean could be happy together. They'd earned it. But a much larger part of her knew she could never leave her generation and the next to be used as she had.
“I'm in.” She nodded firmly, not sure if she was supposed to bow to the First Princess of Indriell. She got the impression Allie wouldn't care for that at all. The only thing that mattered to Tessa now was going after Soma. If Allie and her people were leading the charge, Tessa was sure as hell going to do her part to bring down the institution that raised her. Soma would never destroy another child's life again.
Allie let out the breath she'd been holding. “Good because someone I love is in trouble and I need your help. All of you.”
~~~
ENJOYED EMERGE: THE ASSIGNMENT?
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EMERGE: THE HEIR IS COMING SOON
The last Immortal Queen of Indriell has named her heir.
The title means nothing to Allie Carmichael. Nothing but more drama and attention she never asked for.
Allie loves her newly discovered royal grandparents, but she just wants to finish her senior year of college and start her first job. Not step forward as the princess of a long dead nation she knows precious little about.
At twenty-one, she considers herself an adult and has finally found the normal life she’s always craved. As normal as it gets for a young Immortal legacy—prophecy or not.
For years, Allie and Aidan have gone their separate ways, doing the college thing and just living their lives. Apart. It was his choice to sever their ties. A sacrifice to give her the time she needed to come to terms with her bond with his brother, Darius. A sacrifice she’s come to believe was necessary for all of them.
But when Allie discovers that Aidan hasn’t been in school all this time—and his family hasn’t heard from him in more than a year, she struggles to contain her rage and the powerful judgment that burns within her.
Protecting Aidan, even from himself, fuels her every breath.
She would do anything for him. Even step forward as the heir.
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Emerge: The Heir (book 4) will release on May 28,2018
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Melissa A. Craven writes Young Adult Urban Fantasy with crossover appeal to other genres and audiences of all ages. She believes in stories that make you think and she loves playing with foreshadowing, leaving clues and hints for the careful reader.
She draws inspiration from her background in architecture and interior design to help her with the small details in world building and scene settings. (Her degree in fine art also comes in handy.)
Melissa is also the indie manager and a staff reviewer at YABooksCentral.com. You can follow her reviews and her contributions to the YABC blog at YABooksCentral.com.
Melissa LOVES to hear from her readers. You can connect with her at her website MelissaACraven.com to find out more about upcoming Emerge releases and enter her giveaways.
Hungry for more?
EMERGE: THE HEIR IS COMING SOON
The last Immortal Queen of Indriell has named her heir.
The title means nothing to Allie Carmichael. Nothing but more drama and attention she never asked for.
Allie loves her newly discovered royal grandparents, but she just wants to finish her senior year of college and start her first job. Not step forward as the princess of a long dead nation she knows precious little about.
At twenty-one, she considers herself an adult and has finally found the normal life she’s always craved. As normal as it gets for a young Immortal legacy—prophecy or not.
For years, Allie and Aidan have gone their separate ways, doing the college thing and just living their lives. Apart. It was his choice to sever their ties. A sacrifice to give her the time she needed to come to terms with her bond with his brother, Darius. A sacrifice she’s come to believe was necessary for all of them.
But when Allie discovers that Aidan hasn’t been in school all this time—and his family hasn’t heard from him in more than a year, she struggles to contain her rage and the powerful judgment that burns within her.
Protecting Aidan, even from himself, fuels her every breath.
She would do anything for him. Even step forward as the heir.
PREORDER NOW
Emerge: The Heir (book 4) will release on May 28,2018
Sign up to receive a new release reminders
Immortals of Indriell- The Collection Page 126