Emerge: The Awakening (20 page)

CHAPTER

TWENTY-NINE

Allie screeched to a halt when she approached Naeemah’s house Saturday evening. It took her a long moment to lift her foot off the brake. There were some very old Immortals waiting to meet her.

She forced herself to cross the courtyard, but when the door opened, she sank into a reflexive crouch.

“Allie?” Sasha called, bolting to her side, her ever-present Highland dirk in her hand. “What’s wrong?”

“Sorry.” Allie flushed.

“Old people freaking you out?” She shoved the dirk back in its sheath under her dress.

“Just a bit.”

“Well, you’re kinda freaking them out.” She giggled as they entered the kitchen.

Allie’s eyes immediately sought Aidan’s, an impulse she couldn’t seem to control these days. She felt a pang of loneliness when he ducked into the living room.

He should be the one introducing me to the family he loves.

“This is the little rug rat you guys brought home?” a dark, ruggedly handsome man said with a familiar grin. “She is a little firecracker, isn’t she?”

“Aye, be nice, little brither.” Gregg punched him playfully. “Our little firecracker has bite.” He swept her into a massive bear hug. She suspected they’d been drinking…a lot. The Socts in him was out in rare form tonight. “Allie, this is my baby brither, Aidan Sr. If you cannae see why I named me son after ‘im, ye will before the nicht’s over.”

“There’s three of you grinning, winking McBriens?” she smirked. She could definitely see the family resemblance between uncle and nephew and found it remarkable, considering there were no actual blood ties between them.

“Sarcasm, love? You wound me.” Aidan Sr. grinned with a wink that made her giggle like an idiot.

“Everyone calls me Uncle Aide to avoid confusion. Come, you have several more McBrien boys to meet.” He carelessly draped his arm around her.

“Nephews!” he called as they entered the living room. “And of course, Imogen, my elderly niece. Meet Allie. I found her wandering around the kitchen.”

“
Elderly?
By barely half a century, you worthless cad.” Imogen rolled her eyes.

Allie gasped. She recognized the stunningly gorgeous woman with eyes that glowed like a ring of fire. 

“I see Mom has shown you how I came to join this family. Not my finest hour, but lucky for me she is a forgiving woman.”

Allie couldn’t believe what an amazing person Naeemah was, to adopt the young girl who attacked her on that mountainside so many years ago.

“This is my husband, Lucian.” She introduced the young man seated beside her.

“We’ve heard so much about you.” Lucian smiled in a way that oddly reminded Allie of her father.

“Yes, little Aidan has been telling us all about you.” Imogen smiled.

“Gen!” Aidan flopped down beside his big sister. “Stop. Please, I’m begging you!”

“Aw, baby brother.” She ruffled his dark hair playfully.

“You were right, little bro.” A burly young man with wavy brown hair vaulted over the sofa to sit beside Allie. “She’s hot.” He winked. “I’m Darius and that’s Seamas and Fitzie. We’re little Aidan’s older, more attractive brothers.” He dodged Aidan’s swing.

“Darius!” Aidan glowered, and the two were off, chasing each other through the living room.

“I prefer Scott.” A gentle voice sounded behind her.

“You must be Fitzie.” Allie giggled at the look of chagrin on the slim man’s face.

“A nickname referring to my past in the limelight. Darius was forced to actually read a book in high school and made some discoveries about his big brother back in the Gilded Age. Thus ‘Fitzie’ was born and unfortunately it stuck.”

“So you’re—”

“Darius! Leave the kid alone!” Seamas roared as the boys flashed past him.

“Allie, I already feel like I know you.” He smiled graciously, sweeping her into a familiar hug. “This is my husband, George.” He introduced the tall, muscular black man with impressively long dreads and a huge smile.

“Lovely to meet you,” George said, dodging Darius.

“Not in the house, boys!” Naeemah snarled.

“Sorry, Ma, the little punk started it!” Darius returned to his seat after besting Aidan in the short wrestling match, leaving him behind to bear the brunt of Naeemah’s wrath.

“I’m sorry, George.” Allie smiled. “I have to ask—”

“Nearly five-thousand years old,” he said.

“Wowsa.”

“He was born as Gilgamesh,” Seamas said proudly.

“Seriously? You have to show me your story sometime!” she begged. “I know that’s probably rude, but I don’t think I care!” 

“Hey, she’s smart too.” Darius grinned. “I always thought Gilgamesh was that dude from the smurfs.”

“That’s Gargamel, you idiot.” Seamas rolled his eyes.

Allie watched the brothers in wonder; Seamas looked like a taller, blond, paler twenty-year old version of his much younger brother.

“How is it—?”

“That I am so marvelously young and handsome, when my younger brother is so old and decrepit?”

“Er…sure.” Darius didn’t look old, really. He was maybe twenty-five or six.

“Watch it, big brother.” Darius frowned. “Just remember, I am much more interesting.”

“And I’ll always be younger, and older than you,” Seamas added to Allie’s complete confusion.

“Sorry,” he laughed. “I am one-hundred-and-fifty years older than Darius but I look like his little brother. A few months before my sixteenth birthday, my first love died and I struggled with the loss. I suffered a terrible early Awakening that lasted nearly a week—not because I am extraordinarily powerful, but because I wasn’t ready. My progression into adulthood was greatly affected by my experiences. In my teens, my power was nearly impossible to control, but I eventually found my footing and I began progressing rapidly. The slowing started almost immediately, and my Proving came far too early. It was almost as erratic as my Awakening. Mom and Dad were afraid you might suffer similarly and I advised them to do everything they could to avoid telling you until after. For that I am deeply sorry.”

“It worked out for the best,” Allie said. 

“Allie!” Sasha called, “come meet my cousins.”

Dean and Erin were Aide and Hélène’s children. Dean could easily have passed for his Uncle Quinn’s twin. His older sister Erin was tall and slim like Sasha, but with pale skin and short spiky blond hair. Her plethora of tattoos and piercings gave her a hard edge, but her exuberant smile won Allie over immediately. She was busy giving Aidan a new tattoo—somehow removing a portion of an older one and replacing it with something Allie had drawn for him weeks ago.

“Well, that explains his morphing tats.” Allie stared at his chest as the girl worked with her unusual gift.

“Holy crap! You are strong!” Erin looked up from her drawing.

“Um, that’s what they tell me.” Allie flushed.

“Don’t mind me. You excited for tomorrow?”

“Yeah, sure.” Once again reminded of the approaching morning, she felt her fears of inadequacy rise, and excused herself.

“You must be Allie.” A deep voice sounded behind her.

She felt a chilling jolt hit her at the weight of his lifeline.

“Liam.” She looked up and up….and up. She’d seen him in Gregg’s memories, but she marveled at his sheer height and blond Norse coloring. It was like meeting a Viking straight out of Valhalla.  

“I’ll be your team captain tomorrow.” He tossed back a glass of brandy marked with an odd yellow label. When he took her hand, she felt a warm vibration spread up her arm and immediately resisted the influence of his gift.

“Sorry, bad habit. Once I touch you with my gift, I will always be able to find you. It’s kind of like an internal GPS. May I?” He reached for her hand again. This time she allowed the intrusion.

“I know you must feel like we’re throwing you to the wolves, but I promise it will be fun. Just stick close to me tomorrow.” He winked.

“You may live to regret that,” Allie laughed. There was a quiet, deep sadness in his eyes, and she was strangely calmed by his assurance.

“You seem oddly familiar to me. It’s like I know you.” He poured another drink and smiled wryly. “At my age anything new is a reason to celebrate.” He raised his glass. “Cheers to that, little one.” He grinned with a bright smile that transformed his face.

“Liam, she’s just adorable!” Naeemah said, coming around the corner with a sleepy toddler on her hip.

“Allie, this is Liam’s daughter, Kahlynn.”

“Are you ready for her?” she asked carefully. He took a deep breath and reached for his daughter.

“I found this little peanut last year when I was up visiting Hélène and Aide. She was sleeping in an old barn on their property and I was a goner the moment I saw her.” He hugged the sleepy little girl to his chest. “Never in a
billion
years would I have ever attempted raising a little girl on my own, but here I am, a two thousand year old Viking, scared to death of a baby—”

“And loving every second.” Naeemah grinned.

Allie’s heart suddenly leaped into her throat and the color drained from her face.

“Relax, it’s just my parents,” Naeemah said in her lilting cadence.

“Allie!” Nadira smiled brightly, “we’ve so been looking forward to meeting you!”

“Oh my, you were right, Daughter,” Sayid said reverently. “She’s extraordinary.”

“This is totally surreal!” Allie giggled, trying hard not to make a fool of herself as she eagerly greeted the real live, positively ancient, Senmut and Hatshepsut.

<><><>

CHAPTER

THIRTY

“Remind me again how this is supposed to be fun?” Allie gripped her seat as the helicopter lurched and she was suddenly looking down into the choppy water below.

“Enough with the tricks, Jin! Fly this thing straight!”

“Buck up, Red.” Liam stood to address his team. As captain of the red team, he would lead Jin, Daniel, Imogen, Hélène, Scott, Darius, Quinn, Sasha, Allie and Aidan. Ming Lao would lead the opposing blue team, and Gregg was head of the judges.

Allie contemplated jumping from the helicopter and taking her chances with the frigid lake below, but she was pretty sure they’d just fish her out, dry her off, and put her back in the game. She was just going to have to suck it up.

How bad could it really be?

When they landed on the small island, she couldn’t help but notice how much it had changed since the last time they were there. It was almost unrecognizable, more like a jungle than a forest.

“Hélène, you’ve been busy.” Gregg admired the new landscaping.

“Yeah! Awesome job, big sister, but let’s get this thing started already!” Quinn said eagerly.

I’m so not ready for this!
Allie was nearly frantic when the judges piled into their jeeps and Gregg turned to address the group. “On Chloe’s count the game will begin. Follow your respective paths to find your first clue. Play smart and have fun!”

At the sound of Chloe’s whistle, everyone surged forward. Allie shuffled unsteadily beside Liam.

“There!” Sasha pointed down the narrow path. A large frozen pool was just barely visible with their first clue trapped inside.

“Can you manage it?” Allie asked. The others were already circling the pool, chattering away with different ideas.

“Sure, if I had a few hours and a pizza.” Aidan shrugged, rolling up his sleeves to give it a shot.

He carefully placed his hands on the ice and tiny beads of water puddled on the surface.

“This could take all day!” Quinn huffed impatiently.

“Give him some space!” Allie snapped. “Let him concentrate.”

Aidan pushed himself too hard, the color draining from his face. He was demanding far too much of his gift.

She placed her hands at his back and he tensed, resisting her influence.

“Let me help you.” She gently massaged his shoulders until he relaxed, finally allowing her to revitalize him with her peculiar gift.

“Is she helping him?” Hélène gasped when the ice began to melt faster.

“She’s lending him strength,” Daniel said proudly.

“They’re so young and so very extraordinary already,” she whispered in awe.

They worked together silently until Aidan managed to reach the large wooden block.

“What is it?” Allie asked.

“No idea.”

“Is it Norse?” she asked Liam.

“Yes, but it’s a dead dialect. My mother spoke it when I was very young.” He paced as he puzzled over the translation.

Finally, he gathered everyone around. “These are the rules of the game, people! It’s simple; we need to capture the majority of seven flags. Each side will have an opportunity to earn two flags, but we will be competing against blue for the remaining three later in the game. Our first challenge is up ahead, which I’m certain will be an ambush.” He grinned in anticipation. “I’m guessing we’ll earn our first flag when we’ve beaten the judges.”

Allie’s panic surged to new heights. She carefully stuck to Liam’s side while Imogen and Hélène moved ahead, taking point.

“Stop freaking, little one. I got your back. But you might want to draw your weapon.”

“What’s happening?”

“You see that flag up there?” He pointed into the vine-covered trees. “We’re going to need that, but I’m thinking the judges will be attacking any second now.” His piercing blue eyes searched the trail for the enemy.

“Aw, crap.” She took another step closer to his side.

The forest grew darker and more menacing the further they ventured along the path. Allie felt like she was back in the Amazon.

Just as the path began to widen, Gregg and Lou materialized from the trees above, attacking Imogen and Hélène who reacted without breaking stride.

Liam shoved Allie behind him when Gabrielle attacked wielding a wicked two-handed sword. He reacted in a flash, pulling a double-edged
Jian
from the sheath at his back.

Quinn was already battling Lucien while Aidan and his namesake uncle eagerly grappled in hand to hand combat, both grinning like they were having the time of their lives.

Sasha was engaged in a fencing match with Emma, and Allie suddenly found herself on the ground with her knee throbbing. She looked up just as a quarterstaff came whistling at her head. She rolled aside and leapt to her feet with her own quarterstaff unsheathed and extended to block the attack.

“Nice one.” Chloe grinned. “You think you might actually beat me this time?”

“Cheap shot, Chlo!” During their shared sessions, Allie tried very hard not to hurt her little friend, but she wasn’t feeling quite so benevolent at the moment.

“I knew it! You’ve been holding back!” Chloe glowered when Allie pinned her to the ground in record time. “But I hope you win.” She hopped up to retreat to the sidelines.

“Now what?” Allie turned to face the melee. Sasha was fighting a losing battle against Emma, while Quinn and Aidan were working together against Aide, who was bleeding, but seemed happy about it. She winced as uncle struck nephew with a loud crunching blow and Aidan spat several bloody teeth to the ground. His raucous laughter didn’t fit the situation at all. 

“This isn’t a spectator sport!” Sasha shrieked. “Get your butt over here!”

Allie recoiled as Emma laid Sasha’s cheek open with a slash of her sabre. She stepped in to deflect another jab and suddenly had her mentor’s undivided attention.

Uh oh!

She countered her advance, but Emma was relentless and Allie quickly sustained several injuries of her own.

“Don’t let the violence of the fight get to you,” Emma said. “This is just like training.”

“This is not like training!”

“Shut everything out. Focus on helping Sasha win this fight. Don’t look at me as the mentor you love, but as an enemy who would take her from you. This isn’t just a game! What would you do if she were really attacked? Would you cringe at the thought of hurting someone, or would you protect your friend—your sister?” she pressed ruthlessly, slashing into Allie’s shoulder with a flick of her sharp blade.

“This isn’t about fun! You need practical experience so when this is real you’ll have a fighting chance!”

Allie knew if it was real, she wouldn’t hesitate; but this wasn’t real.

I have to disarm her!

She frantically blocked Emma’s advance. When Sasha moved in to help, Allie noticed a glint of silver at her wrist. She reached for her whip and gave a slight nod to Sasha who adjusted her stance, allowing Allie the opportunity to make her move. She cracked her whip just as Sasha did, and together they managed to disarm and restrain Emma, bringing a swift end to the match.

“Dad made me one too.” Sasha grinned.

“I’m going to need one of those, Gregg,” Emma laughed. “I didn’t even see that coming.”

The applause startled Allie. The challenge was over and her team had won their first flag. When she looked around, she didn’t like what she saw. Everyone was nursing various injuries and Aidan was busy helping Quinn with a rather nasty looking eye.

“All this for a silly game?” She threw her weapon to the ground in disgust.

“You did well,” Emma said kindly, “but you must think we’re monsters for enjoying this.”

“It’s difficult to understand how this is supposed to be fun, but I get why it’s important.”

“You’re bleeding,” Aidan said, offering to tend her slower healing wounds until they could mend on their own.

“Thanks,” she murmured. His gentle touch reminded her how much she missed him, but his eyes were so cold and distant. When he finished patching her up, he turned away without a word.  

“Red team, gather round,” Gregg called, delivering the hard earned flag to Sasha. “That was nicely done! You’ll find your next clue along the path ahead. Good luck!”

“Let’s move!” Liam barked. They darted up the narrow path that rapidly became a steep, almost vertical incline. The way was littered with loose rock and large stones that slipped and rolled down the hill as they scrambled to the top. The trail ended at the base of a sheer cliff with a narrow cave opening. Their next clue waited for them at the entrance.

You face a potentially game changing choice. To earn your next flag you must make your way to the top of the cliffs. Do you risk the height of the climb, or the dark tunnels within? One route will mean almost certain defeat, while the other might earn you great rewards.

“Obviously, climbing would be the quickest route, but is it the right choice?” Liam asked.

“It’s too obvious,” Jin sighed. “Give me a minute before we make our decision.”

Allie watched how he perused the cliff side from every angle, shaking his head in frustration. He disappeared into the mouth of the cave for several moments before returning, covered in muck and wearing a look of grim determination.

“My wife had something to do with this! I’m afraid climbing is out of the question. Ming designed this challenge to appear easy, but there is simply no way we could all make it to the top safely without gear. The probability of falling is too great and we’ll lose for sure if you kids suffer any major broken bones. Going through the caves will take hours and it’s going to be tight. We’ll be crawling almost immediately.”

“I’m out.” Allie threw her hands up. “Not crawling through that cave for a stupid game!”

“Allie, please!” Quinn begged.

“I’m with her,” Imogen agreed. “I don’t do small spaces.”

“Me either,” Jin said. “But I’m not letting my wife’s shameless exploitation of my fears stop me. She wants us to climb because she knows I’d do just about anything to avoid going into that cave, but I mean to prove her wrong.”

“We’ll be fine, Allie,” Sasha insisted.

“I can’t do this, guys.”

“Yes you can!” Aidan rolled his eyes. “The Allie I know doesn’t understand the meaning of ‘I can’t.’”

“You pick
now
to speak to me like I’m a person?” She returned his glare. He’d been a complete jerk for weeks and now he was giving her a pep talk!

“You’re not a quitter,” he muttered.

“Just remember this is a test,” Liam said, “not just a game. There may come a time when you’ll be grateful for this experience.” 

“Somehow I doubt that!” She stormed past him. “Come on. Aidan’s right, I’m not a quitter. Let’s just do this.”

The cave was dark and wet as it sloped downward. Even Allie had to duck her head, trying very hard not to totally freak when the walls started to shrink around her. 

“Okay, we’re going to start crawling now but there’s plenty of room.” Liam’s voice echoed in the darkness ahead. 

The ceiling continued to slope until Allie had to drop down to her elbows to squeeze through the tight space.

“I don’t like this.” Her hands were covered in grime and her nostrils filled with the scent of rot. She heard Jin swear softly behind her and breathed a sigh of relief when the mud quickly dried to soft sand beneath her.

“Thanks, Jin.”

“Keep moving, sweetheart,” Liam said. “Stay on my heels and you’ll be fine.”

“What if I get stuck?” She was very close to a total freak out as she inched forward.

“You won’t, I promise,” Aidan said just behind her.

“I have to go back!” She couldn’t get a deep breath, but it was impossible to turn around. She had to keep going, but Allie wasn’t sure she could force herself to move. It was so dark, she could barely see Liam’s shoes in front of her face. She was terrified they might actually get stuck in this cave that was more like a fissure. The damp earth surrounded her, constricting her movement. “I can’t do this!” She just wanted to curl into a ball and forget where she was.

Aidan’s warm hand gently squeezed her foot. She wanted to resist him, but the lure of his comforting touch was too tempting.

“Are you sure we’re going the right way?” she asked when she began to move again.

“Pretty sure.” Liam chuckled. “Just follow me.”

After what felt like hours of inching along at a snail’s pace, Allie was forced to a belly crawl, her face drenched with silent tears, although she wasn’t sure how “silent” they’d actually been.

“It’s too tight.”

“Allie, I’m six-four and two hundred pounds. I could fit you in my pocket. If anyone’s getting stuck, it’s gonna be me.”

“Do you have boobs, Liam? And from my current view I’m not seeing much of an ass, either!”

“Sweetheart, I’ll drag you out of here if I have to, but you will make it. I promise.” She could practically hear his stupid grin. 

The rough stone pressed against the small of her back and she had to lie flat on her belly just to get a breath. This was far worse than anything she could have imagined. She had to dig her toes into the loose rock just to get enough leverage to push herself up the steep incline a few inches at a time.