Emerge: The Awakening (18 page)

Allie observed from a distance as the abbot led a frightened Naeemah into the temple gardens where an eerie golden light descended. For hours she struggled, screaming in agony from a torment Allie could not comprehend. The gardens blazed with a brilliant fire radiating intense heat. Finally, lying in a heap amidst the swirling ash, Naeemah rose from her misery, putting everything behind her. She left the gardens, forever altered—like the Naeemah that went into her Proving was a child. This Naeemah was an adult. A formidable one.

“I hope this helps you understand how important our gifts are?” she said softly as Allie blinked in surprise.

“It does.” She shuddered. “She just took your gift?” Allie shook her head in disbelief.

“I was once able to defy gravity,” Naeemah sighed. “Not that I could fly. Think cheesy martial arts movie and you will get the general idea. I was able to reconnect with my gift in time, but it has never been quite the same. I am more fortunate than most in my position.”

“She’s just out there somewhere with your ability?” Allie was horrified by the idea.

“She no longer has anything that belonged to me. A stolen gift does not often survive the trauma of an attack, and unfortunately, the girl did not have the stamina to sustain my gift and it died. That is why so many Immortals continue to prey on victim after victim, effectively chasing their next high.”

“She stole your gift for nothing?”

“Several months later, the girl was brought to justice. She was raised by a family of men who abused her in the worst ways a woman can be used. She experienced it for years until she was finally strong enough to fight back. She escaped and retreated into the wild where she took care of herself the only way she knew how. I could hardly blame her after hearing the awful details of her life. I begged the Senate to give her the help she needed,” Naeemah said.

“I have shown you one of my greatest mistakes so you can learn from it. I was still a child in many ways when I left Agra. I was far too inexperienced to travel alone and I paid the ultimate price for that mistake. I would give anything to have what I once had…lame ability or not.”

Allie flushed, tears of shame pricking her eyes as she saw how utterly disrespectful she’d been about her own emerging gift.

“Naeemah, I am so sorry!”

“No apologies. It won’t be long before you truly appreciate your gifts. In time you will understand, and you will respect what belongs to you.”

<><><>

CHAPTER

TWENTY-SIX

“Concentrate!”

“I. Don’t. Know. What. I’m. Doing!”

“You have zero patience!” Emma glared. Their feisty tempers made them a good match.

Since the night of the Van Gogh opening, every time Allie walked into a room, the lights flickered, and after two days of skipping school to work with her mentor, it wasn’t any better.

“Let’s take a break and try again later.”

“Fine!”

“You’re expecting too much too fast, Allie. When the time is right, you will come to know your gift, but you can’t force it.”

“I need a distraction!” Allie groaned when the kitchen lights glimmered like a strobe light.

“I’ll make us lunch, and then I’ll show you a story of my life as a young lady…and I use the term ‘lady’ loosely.” She grinned.

“Cheers to that,” Allie laughed. 

“As a child of twelfth century France, I was the apple of my father’s eye, my mother’s pride and joy, and my brother’s precious baby sister. So naturally, I was spoiled rotten.” Emma smiled ruefully as she bustled about the kitchen. “I grew up in a castle in Orlèans, where my Lord father was the master of the land. We were a happy, proud family, but I was taught we were superior beings, and it was our responsibility to govern the simple minded creatures of the mortal race that existed only to serve us.”

“No, Mother, I will not marry that old man!" A young Emma bristled as she paced her bedroom behind the thick stone walls of her father’s castle.

Allie blinked, watching as a spectator.

“You must, child," her mother sighed. "He is not long for this world. In a few years, he will be gone and you will be a titled woman in your own right. By then you will be ready for the Proving with all the comforts you could desire."

“I don't care about titles!”

“Daughter, you must learn to stand on your own two feet!?”

“By marrying a sick old man and taking his money?” 

“Marriage is the only way a woman can advance herself in this world. You will accept his proposal tomorrow night!” 

“I’d rather die than prostitute myself to a mortal!”

“Do as you are told or leave this family. And then we shall see how you manage a proper life without a husband!” Her mother stormed from her rooms.

“That is the problem. I do not want a
proper
life.” She watched her brothers wrestling in the yard below. “To be born a man! No one would ever question my desire for an exciting life.”

Fine, Mother! The hard way it is.
She grabbed her pack and took only what she needed.

Centuries passed as Emma struggled to make her way.  Allie watched her adventurous mentor grow into a jaded woman. She eventually found the exciting life she sought, along the Barbary Coast of Northern Africa. She was taken captive aboard a pirate ship and earned the respect of the crew, fighting to become one of them. Not long after, she became their leader. In time, she filled her ranks with strong Immortals. 

“Captain, why waste our time with such a little ship? We take slaves, not worthless cargo.” Her quartermaster frowned.

“I have my reasons.” She issued her orders to take the small merchant vessel. “Be wary of the Asian woman, she is powerful.”

Emma boarded the ship last and sought her captive, who faced the twenty sword points of a fearsome Immortal crew.

“It is to be a fight between us then?” Ming Lao spat.

“That depends. What is your position here among these men?”

“The captain is my husband.”

“The child is yours? You raise him on the seas among mortals?” The women spoke in tones mortals could not hear. Two of Emma’s men brought forth Ming’s young son. Allie was shocked to see it was Daniel.

“You do him a disservice, denying him a suitable father.” 

“You harm my husband or my child and I will drag you to the bottom of the sea and leave you chained there for an eternity!”

“You are in no position to make threats.” She took a step toward Ming's husband, held captive by her men. Without a backward glance, she slit his throat and threw him into the sea.

“Xavier!” Ming cried in anguish, fighting the men who held her back.

“Choose your husband’s more wisely,” Emma advised, turning to leave.

“A mortal father isn’t worth your tears, boy.” She brushed past Daniel without a backward glance.

“What was that all about, Captain?” her quartermaster asked.

“We were not meant to consort with mortals. The woman needed to learn that lesson.”

Centuries passed as time and again, Emma returned to the seas, pillaging along the Mediterranean coasts, gathering Christian slaves to deliver to the markets of the Muslim world still torn asunder by the Crusades.

Allie followed her mentor across deserts, marching slaves to the Arabian Sea and onward to India. Emma no longer had a conscious as she lined her pockets with more gold than she would ever need. After delivering her cargo to the slave markets of Bombay, she took advantage of an opportunity to raid a fleet of the Mughal Emperor’s ships.

She hid her treasure like the pirate she was, and went back for more, only this time she attacked the wrong ship.

“Let us see how
you
do at the markets, shall we?” The Coalition captain snapped a magnetic collar around Emma's pale throat. She feared she faced an eternity in one of their prisons, but he simply sold her at auction, leaving her shackled by the collar that rendered her weak and useless.

She arrived at the palace in Agra, where Emperor Jahangir ruled. Years passed behind the harem walls where she served as chambermaid and dancing girl, the collar forever at her throat.

Just as Allie caught sight of Naeemah, the colors swirled in her mind and she was back in the kitchen with her mentor.

“My time as a slave taught me much needed humility.” Her face flushed in shame.

“Clearly you have redeemed yourself,” Allie reached to squeeze her hand. “I did not realize Ming Lao was Daniel’s mother.”

“He knew me for the murderer I was the moment he laid eyes on me. Somehow he forgave me. Ming Lao, on the other hand, tried to follow through with her threat when we met again. But in time she, too, forgave me.”

“Perhaps it’s long past time you forgave yourself?” Allie said softly.

“Let’s just get back to work, Sparky.” She winked.

“Har, har.” Allie wanted to cry when the lamps flickered the moment they returned to Emma’s office.

“Allie, that lamp hasn’t worked in weeks. It’s not even plugged in!” 

“What?”

“It seems we’re finally getting somewhere.” 

“So what do we do? How do I? What should I—”

“Let’s try relaxing, shall we? Take this and concentrate.” She pressed her burner phone into Allie’s hand.

She took the phone and closed her eyes, concentrating on that elusive thing that was always beyond her reach.

“Just let it happen.”

Allie exhaled, feeling the heat of her power stirring. She focused on the object in her hand and the warmth of her power rising in her core.

“Quite impressive,” Emma hummed in satisfaction.

Allie wasn’t sure what she expected when she opened her eyes but she expected
something.

“What am I missing? And why are you positively beaming with pride?”

“The phone doesn’t have a battery!”

“Huh?” 

“The phone, the lamp—they’re working without a power source. You are the power source! It’s like you’re a...solar panel."

“Of course!” Allie gasped as everything slid into place in her mind.

“You’re absorbing solar energy, and as your gift emerges, your body is trying to use that excess energy.”

“That’s actually kind of awesome! But now what?”

“It’s just a matter of experimenting and letting your instincts guide you. I’m so proud of you!” Emma pulled her into a warm embrace.

“Emma, you’re pretty good at this mentor thing.”

<><><>

CHAPTER

TWENTY-SEVEN

Allie’s phone rattled across the table with a text from Aidan. She was curled up in her favorite chair under a warm blanket, studying for a history exam. The raging blizzard outside was more than enough to keep her securely inside. 

Aidan:
Meet me on the beach in ten.

Allie:
You’ve lost your mind. Have you looked outside?

Aidan:
I’ll keep you warm. :)

Allie:
One blizzard = no redhead.

Aidan:
I’ll play for you

Allie:
Violin on the beach in a snowstorm sounds like a bad idea.

Aidan:
Get your butt down here, Alexis Ann!

Allie:
Yes, because yelling always helps!

Aidan:
Why argue when we both know you’ll cave?

Allie:
Will not.

Aidan:
You’re already getting dressed aren’t you?

Allie:
You have me on nanny cam?

Aidan:
I just know you.

Allie:
You better be friggin’ amazing!

Aidan:
Virtuoso Lex :)

She scowled down at the arrogantly grinning, winking smiley, which captured him so accurately she wondered if it was a creation of Graham’s.

Ten minutes later, she trudged through the icy snow desperately trying not to slip, only to tumble headfirst into a drift.

Warm hands had her back on her feet in an instant.

“Please tell me how you plan to play that thing out here?” She punched his arm.

“Ouch! That actually hurt.” Aidan rubbed his shoulder.

“Skip to the part where it gets warmer!”

“Look down there.” He pointed to the driftwood fire in their usual spot.

“That dinky little fire is not gonna cut it!”

“Humor me. Please?”

She stomped through the snow, but when she entered the clearing, it was like an oasis. The wind stopped blowing, the snowflakes stopped falling, and the fire burned hot and bright.

“Aidan, how are you doing this?”

“I’m getting better at controlling temperatures without maintaining touch.”

“How have you made so much progress lately?” She curled up beside him on the lounge.

“We tend to experience growth spurts right around our birthdays for the first few years. I’ll be seventeen in a few weeks.” He shrugged. “But tell me about your latest development, Sparky.”

“That’s so not sticking!” She narrowed her eyes at him as she fished his phone from his pocket.

“I could have done that for you,” he grumbled at her familiarity.

“Check this out.” She held out his phone.

“What am I supposed to see?”

“Come on! Your phone is doing something it should not be doing!” 

“Lex, why is my phone charging?

“Awesome, right?”

“So you can actually power things using the solar energy you absorb? Like a real walking, talking, cute, redheaded solar panel?”

“Exactly!”

“Okay, I’m impressed.”

“It’s hard to maintain control. If I let my concentration slip even for a second, I have to fight to rein it in all over again. Tuesday during English, I got so focused on Mrs. Barclay’s lecture I accidentally charged Kayla’s iPad.”

“Maintaining that kind of control isn’t easy.”

“So how are things with you and Kayla?”

“She’s doing really well after her latest surgery. I’ve pushed her healing further this time. I’d really like to eliminate her scars completely, but Dad won’t let me, even if I could manage it.”

“You know that’s not what I meant.”

“We’re just friends, Lex.”

“You’ve been dating a few weeks now.” He didn’t like to talk about it, but she was thrilled he was showing an interest in someone else.

“She’s not into me like that.”

“Don’t be silly, she adores you.”

“We get each other.” He looked amused. “It’s nice, but there’s no spark for either of us.”

“Really?” The way she saw it, Kayla was head over heels for him.

“Fine,” she relented. “Enough stalling, McBrien. I’m ready for my concerto.” She’d been after him for weeks to play for her, but he always backed out at the last minute.

She watched as he reluctantly retrieved his instrument and realized he was nervous.

“Hey, it’s just me.”

“I play alone these days. It’s the only thing I have that’s all mine—you know, a gift that’s just for me. It’s hard to explain, but when you’ve seen me play before, that was just…fake Aidan.”

“So what’s on the repertoire? Bach? Beethoven? Paganini?” She attempted to set him at ease.

“McBrien.” He smiled uncertainly as he tucked the instrument under his chin and began to play. Allie watched as a peaceful tranquility settled over him. She felt like she was finally seeing “real Aidan.” All his walls were down, leaving behind nothing but his intense vulnerability.

A sad haunting melody filled their warm bubble and she got chills from the shock of it. She could feel the strength of his emotion as he played, his eyes blazing in the firelight. This was like an emotional release for him. He was communicating with her through his music, conveying the depth of his feelings in a way he couldn’t do with words. She experienced the deep sorrow, anger and loneliness he knew before she came into his life and couldn’t hold back her tears. 

She watched a genuine smile light his face as he increased the tempo, and laughed when she knew his joy for the music and his delight to be sharing this moment with her. He was truly an awesome sight, but the music grew exquisitely sad. She couldn’t take her eyes off him. He was baring his soul, sharing his most intimate self with her and she was awed.

She listened for what felt like hours until the last notes faded into the night and he returned his instrument to its case.

“Aidan.” Her voice was a rasp. “You’re amazing. The way you make me feel your music…” She felt wrung out emotionally, just from listening.

“I liked sharing this with you.” He took his seat beside her. “I wasn’t sure I would. I’ve never played like that for anyone before. It’s kind of a private thing. It gives me the strength to go on and it’s the only time I really feel like me.”

“Why do you hide behind your arrogance, even with me? I know you Aidan, that’s not you. The guy I just saw—that’s you. You should let him out more often.”

“It’s easier to be the jovial cocky guy.” He shrugged. “It’s what everyone expects. The pressure, the expectations I have to live up to every day because I have this power. It’s exhausting. It’s just easier for everyone if I pretend it doesn’t get to me. That way I don’t have to see their pity.”

“You don’t feel like your power is yours, do you?”

“Who am I to have so much?”

“Aidan, your power is you. How many times have you reminded me of that?”

“I know, but you have just as much difficulty accepting it as I do.”

“Cheers to that,” she sighed.

“It’s so easy to be myself with you.” He hugged her close. “I love you, Lex.”

“I know.”

“You know you love me, too, right?”

“I know.” Her voice was small.

“So why the pretense with mortal boy?”

“Aidan…don’t.”

“Lex—”

“No, please don’t do this.”

“Alexis Ann, you should be with me,” he whispered. “You know it’s what you want.”

“No,” she said firmly, turning to face him. “How many times do I have to tell you I’m with Vince? I love him. I’m sorry, Aidan, I’m just not that girl. She exists in your mind and I couldn’t possibly measure up!”

“Love?” he growled. “You cannot love him!”

“Aidan. I love you—I do. Just not how you want.”

“He has no idea how amazing you are.”

“Can’t you see he’s what I need?”

“It doesn’t make sense! How can we be so utterly
perfect
, and you chose the douche who doesn’t have the first clue what he has? You should at least be with someone who understands what you’re going through. Graham would be a better choice! Even Darius would be a better choice!” he spat angrily as he rose to pace.

“Who the hell is Darius?”

“My brother.”

“Jeez, how many brothers do you have?” She rolled her eyes. “And why are you so hung up on me dating Vince when you are clearly with Kayla?”

“It’s not love, Allie! There’s a huge difference! You’re just going to get hurt pretending to be someone you aren’t.”

“It’s none of your business.”

“You have no idea what it could be like for us.” He reached for her. 

“Aidan I—” But his arms were suddenly around her, his lips brushing hers, catching her by surprise. Every nerve in her body responded to his touch.

His soft simple kiss was so powerful, she couldn’t breathe. When he finally pulled back, he gazed into her eyes. She knew he was the one person who understood her best. A small gasp escaped her and he was kissing her again, gently, slowly, as if he intended to kiss her all night.

“Lex,” he breathed, his earthy scent was intoxicating as his lips crushed over hers. She could feel his quiet desperation. He was conveying his feelings through his touch now, just as he had with his music. His warm hands slid down her body, leaving her heart pounding in her chest.

Blood rushed through her veins and all thought escaped her. She responded to him, her fingers sliding through the silkiness of his hair. This was very different from anything she’d experienced with Gavin or even Vince. This was too much. She couldn’t bear it.

Logic told her to end it, but she was too far gone. He continued his slow, effortless assault on her senses. She could feel his desire to make her happy, to make her laugh, to be her equal in every possible way. She was overwhelmed by his capacity to love. Overwhelmed by his loneliness and need.

As the heat of his power melded with hers, her body hummed and her mind raced with all the thoughts she never allowed herself to consider. It would be so easy to love Aidan. They could be amazing together, this kiss was proof of that and all she had to do was let it happen.

I could kiss him forever...

They tumbled back onto the lounge, Aidan no longer gentle as he showed her exactly how he felt. She responded without hesitation, clinging to him despite everything that told her to end this now. Before they both got hurt. She feared that this heat between them would just swallow them up until they were nothing without each other.

Finally, reality slammed into her. She was ruining the best thing that ever happened to either of them.

It took all the strength she had, emotionally and physically to break away.

“I’m sorry!” she cried between shaky breaths as she scrambled to her feet.

“It’s okay, Lex.” His eyes heated with golden light. He stood, reaching for her again, claiming her mouth with another smoldering kiss.

“No! Please! We can’t do this!”

“You can’t deny we have something incredible!” 

“Yes, we do,” she said evenly, pushing hard against his chest to put some distance between them. “We have the most amazing friendship I’ve ever known, and we’re screwing it up!” 

“We could have so much more than friendship! Has mortal boy ever kissed you like that?” He raked his fingers through his hair as the warmth of their cozy bubble collapsed.

“Aidan, I won’t risk losing our friendship when it means everything to me!

“Dammit, Lex! Why can’t you just let this happen?”

“LISTEN TO ME! I want to be with Vince. I won’t lose him!”

“You love me, Allie,” he said firmly, his nostrils flaring in anger as he held her close. “Every time you deny it, you are lying!”

“I can’t handle this. It’s too much! Vince is like an escape when I can’t take the pressure anymore! When I’m with him I don’t have to think about how everyone expects me to just adapt to this life I never asked for! I don’t have to think about how I’ll outlive my entire family! You have yours forever, Aidan! I don’t. In a few decades I’ll be utterly alone and that scares me more than you can imagine!” She sobbed as she desperately tried to rein in the power raging inside her. She knew he was fighting the same battle. 

With a deep breath, she continued in an even tone. “When I’m with Vince, he makes me forget. I need you to let me have that.” 

“You just need more time.”

“No!” She took a step back. “I won’t risk loving you when I’m only going to lose you. Our friendship means the world to me. Nothing can ever happen.”

“Don’t say never. Not to me, I won’t accept it.”

“I couldn’t survive losing you. Our friendship will have to be enough.”

“I won’t go back—I
can’t
go back.” His voice broke in despair.