Emerge: The Awakening (25 page)

“I can’t wait to get out on the water!”

Enough already,
Aidan sighed miserably.
The trip’s great, the boyfriend’s great, and I’m an asshole. Can I go to sleep now?

Jeez, Aidan, no one’s stopping you,
she teased. She knew she had to let him off the hook.

You’re mean…you know that, right?

<><><>

“I’m not really accustomed to teaching,” Darius said as they headed for Naeemah’s office. “Training, yes, since my own is still a huge part of my life. I’m only twenty-six, which in our world, kinda still makes me your age.”

“That’s really confusing,” Allie said. “You look like an adult, but I can sense you’re really not.”

“It’s a tough age. Sometimes I think about going back to high school or college because it feels more natural.”

“So, when will you be an official adult?”

“Not until after my Proving, which could still be a few decades.”

“That kinda blows. You know you’re not making the next hundred years sound very promising.”

“It’s not all bad, but you should know what to expect. I’m guessing no one has taken the time to really explain it to you?”

“Nope.” She dropped onto the couch beside him. “Although I had a vague idea that it would probably suck for a while yet.”

“Well, when it matters, I’m treated like an adult. I’m just not legally allowed to live on my own yet. The Senate mandates that all Unproven Immortals live with a guardian at least part time. Scott and I are roommates, but officially, he’s in charge. George is my mentor, and we’ve trained almost every day since I was six.”

“So why don’t you guys come around more often? You’re just across the bay, but we never see you.”

“We like to keep travel to the island to a minimum. It could draw the wrong attention if too many of us come and go.”

“It’s nice when you’re around,” she said. “I know Aidan and Sasha miss you too.”

“You miss me, Killer?” he grinned.

“Well, yeah. You never sugarcoat it.” There was something about the way he was with her. He wasn’t a teacher and he wasn’t one of her school friends—and he definitely didn’t feel like a brother. He was fun, never too serious, and she knew she could trust him to be straight with her.

“Tell you what. Whenever you feel the need for some Darius time, just call me and we’ll do coffee.” He winked.

“Cheers to that.” She added his number to her contacts.

You do realize my brother is shamelessly flirting with you?
Aidan asked sleepily.

Darius is a flirt, a trait that runs rampant in your family. He’s harmless.

“We’ve gotten way off track, which I hear you are very good at doing.”

“Who, me?”

“Yes you. Now let’s talk about this telepath situation.”

“Our dreams mingle and we can sometimes read each other’s moods.” She shrugged. “The time difference is kind of a bummer.”

“Liar, liar, pants on fire.” He rolled his eyes. “You two can communicate.”

“Don’t tell anyone! Please?”

He won’t, I already talked to him.

“So you know?”

“That the two most powerful kids I’ve ever met are sharing a brain? Yeah I know.”

“We need to figure this out on our own.”

“I get it, but you’re going to have to come clean eventually.”

“I know, just not yet. It’s complicated.”

“I’ll lay off the questions, but this connection is going to be a very valuable tool when it really begins to unfold.”

If it unfolds anymore, I’ll be wearing dresses,
Aidan grumbled.

<><><>

CHAPTER

THIRTY-SEVEN

“Allie, it’s just not possible, even for you.” Emma shook her head in disbelief.

“I’m serious!”

“I know you think this is happening, but it’s too soon. Like years too soon—decades.”

“I saw the game I just played, in my dreams a week ago,” Allie insisted.

You’re going to have to tell her about our other dreams,
Aidan added.

Uh, no, she’s already pissed!

Suck it up, Lex. 

“Emma, this isn’t the first time.”

“What? Allie, you know better than to keep your progress from me!”

“The first dream was just after spring break and it didn’t seem like a big deal. Aidan and I were meeting Kayla at my house for a school project and we were running late after training. We heard her crying when we came in, so we peeked into the kitchen and saw my mother comforting her. When we walked in they went back to the polite conversation of near strangers and Kayla discretely wiped her eyes. It was a stupid dream, but it happened just a few days later.”

“From now on I want total honesty from you, young lady.” 

“Yes ma’am.”

“We’ll discuss this again next week after I’ve consulted with Daniel. You can go now.”

“I’m sorry, Emma.”

“It’s alright, sweetheart,” she said absently.

Why does she always freak when I show progress?

Jin does the same thing.
Aidan shrugged.
Now stop distracting me with your crap, I’m getting my butt kicked here.

Oh, my bad. Did I have sex with a random stranger and make you watch? Dude, I’m so freakin’ sorry!
Allie immediately regretted the fleeting thought.

I thought we resolved this! How are you still mad?
He lost his balance again and fell from the beam.
Naomi is a friend! Pardon me for connecting with the only girl who can stand to be that close to me!

She’s hardly a girl.

Alexis Ann, you’re jealous!

Am not!

You can’t have it both ways.

Aidan, this connection we share…it’s so confusing.

You don’t want me, but you don’t want anyone else to have me either?
He stumbled and went flying to the mat.

I just don’t want to watch.

Neither do I.

I don’t want to fight anymore,
Allie sighed.

Me either, but I would really love to not be celibate at some point in my life, so we’re going to have to deal with this eventually.
He climbed back on the beam again.

Having trouble staying on that thing today?

Out! Get out of my head right now!

I’m going, I’m going.

<><><>

No dream date?
Aidan asked as she slid into bed after a very long three-day marathon.

Mmmm, later.

Night, Lex,
he murmured, but she was already out.

Her dreams came quickly, filling her with a sense of dread. It was dark and she couldn’t see. Allie could feel the cold damp earth beneath her. Her breath grew erratic when she realized she was back in the caves—alone. Allie heard muffled voices above, but couldn’t make out what they were saying. She couldn’t get a deep breath as she pounded on the low ceiling, but it wasn’t stone like she remembered, it was wood, like a coffin.

Allie screamed, clawing at her prison, her nails cracking and bleeding as she desperately tried to escape. She hammered her bloody fists against the barrier for what felt like hours. She shrieked for help, but no one ever came.

Scraping through the rotten wood with her bare hands, she finally broke free. Earth and rock poured through the opening. She shouted for help, but dirt filled her mouth as the weight of a mountain suffocated her.

“Allie! Please wake up!” Aidan begged. “You’re scaring me.” She heard him, but continued to thrash in her sleep, gasping for breath, silent tears streaming down her face.

She woke with a start, reaching for Aidan in a total panic, still locked in the clutches of her nightmare.

“Just a bad dream, baby,” he murmured, holding her close. “I’m so sorry we made you do that stupid challenge. I had no idea it would affect you this way.” 

She trembled violently, her heart still pounding in her chest. She knew it was only a dream, but it felt so real.
Buried alive!
She couldn’t shake the horror of it.

“That was some nightmare.” He stroked her back, attempting to calm her with his gift. She wouldn’t allow it, her power raged like a tempest inside her.

“Talk to me?” But she continued to shake, her eyes wide and unseeing.

“I-it felt so real,” she finally managed.

“I know. I saw it. But you blocked me right around the time you started screaming and clawing at the coffin. I couldn’t get you to wake up, so I came over.”

“You got here fast.” She still clutched him in a vise grip.

“Allie, I’ve been here for hours. It’s almost morning.”

“Hours?”

“The dream went on and on. I could hear your screams in my head, but you never uttered a sound. I couldn’t wake you.”

“I’m sorry, I’ve kept you up all night and I don’t feel like I slept at all.”

“Are you okay now?”

“I think so.”

“Then can you please relax your grip? I can’t feel my arms.”

“Sorry. Thank you for coming, Aidan.”

“I’ll always be here when you need me.” His words echoed Vince’s, but somehow, his carried more weight.

<><><>

The dream returned the next night, and then the next, and the one after that, and the one after that. It was different each time. Sometimes she clawed at a wooden barrier, sometimes stone or brick. Occasionally she crawled through the tunnels alone and lost, but her terror was always the same. Most nights she would wake to find Aidan in her room pleading with her to wake up. When she finally did, neither of them could sleep. What little sleep she did get wasn’t restful, and they were both dead on their feet.

I’ll stay awake tonight so you can rest and then maybe tomorrow we can switch,
she suggested.

I’m too tired to argue with you,
Aidan sighed.

<><><>

CHAPTER

THIRTY-EIGHT

Allie thought about taking a nap where she lay sprawled on the gym floor. Jin raised the height of the balance beam to give her a new challenge. She was supposed to be sparring with Chloe, but was spending most of her time on the mat instead.

“Again!” Jin demanded.

She climbed back up to find Chloe skipping lithely across the six-foot high beam, wielding her quarterstaff like she was born with it clutched in her fist.

Allie had good balance, but her exhaustion was really beginning to affect her performance. It was only a matter of time before her teachers started asking questions.

“My mind isn’t on this today. Can’t we just cut out early?” Her chest tightened at the mere memory of the dream.

“Absolutely not! We don’t slack off for high school dances,” Jin said. “You get to leave early for the dance tomorrow, but not today. Today, I demand your focus.”

That’s so not it.

The Springtime Ball was tomorrow, but she would gladly skip it if she could just get some sleep!

“Allie, I’d love nothing more than to see my children and students grow up without a care in the world,” he said gently. “Unfortunately we don’t get that life. Again! And focus this time!”

She gingerly climbed onto the beam for another beating.

Where’s the guy who gave me Twinkies and Coke? 

Just be glad he’s not your mentor,
Aidan said.

Yeah, you have no idea how terrifying Emma can be.

Allie was a good martial artist, but she’d developed a bad habit of regressing whenever she began something new. She’d eventually adjust to the challenge, but then they would throw something else at her and she would go back to sucking again. It never felt like her efforts were good enough.

You do realize we all feel that way, right?
Aidan rolled his eyes.

It’s not the same. I’m still so far behind.

No you aren’t.

Then why is Chloe still kicking my ass?

Because you let that mortal brain of yours get in the way.

“Ow!” She yelped as she tumbled to the mat again.

“You aren’t even trying!” Jin shouted.

Lex, you can do this! Stop watching the ground and trust your instincts.

She climbed onto the beam again. He was right, she was making this way too hard.

This time she met Chloe’s advances without dividing her attention between her opponent and the ground six feet below. Finally, they picked up speed.

“Much better!” Jin clapped as she managed to leap over Chloe’s low sweeping thrust without falling. She ducked to avoid her uppercut and Allie caught her with a slash of her practice sai. They didn’t trust her with the real blades yet. She finished with a low roundhouse kick, effectively dumping Chloe to the mat where she did a graceful little tuck and roll, unlike Allie’s awkwardly spectacular face-plants.

Lex, you are ridiculous.

“Nice job, ladies,” Jin said. “That’s enough for today. Allie, Gregg wants to see you before you leave,” he added when she attempted a quick getaway.

She headed off in the direction of Gregg’s office with a sense of dread hanging over her like a cloud.

“Hey, Red, come on in!”

“What’s up?”

“We’re going to start a new regimen in the morning. You’ve been working hard and it shows, but I’m afraid it’s time we kick it into high gear. From now on, we’ll extend your sessions by one hour during the week and put in four hours together on Saturdays.  You’ll bout regularly with Sasha or Quinn, but Chloe needs to focus on herself until her Awakening this summer. I’m also suggesting that you and Aidan spend a regular session together as well. I’ve been
required
to inform you that he will not be your teacher in any way,” he added dryly.

Duly noted.
She smiled.

So I’m not your teacher.

Dude, I got it. We’ll just make an effort to beat the crap out of each other on a regular basis.

I was thinking more like we could teach each other.

Okay, your idea is better.

“It’s important for you both to have the opportunity to push each other’s limits,” Gregg continued. “You need an environment where you’re comfortable and free to be yourselves. I hate to push you so hard, but the power you own is immeasurable. You’re progressing at an alarming rate and we simply must keep up. Our primary goal will always be to leave you with some semblance of a normal life, but that means putting in a lot of hard work.”

“I understand.”

“Aye, I hate this more than you’ll ever know, sweetheart.”

“So what are we starting?”

“Capoeira.”

“Crappa-what?”

“Capoeira.” He smirked. “A Brazilian martial art combining elements of wrestling and dance. It requires a great deal of strength and control. We’ll begin by blending your knowledge of yoga with the more complicated Capoeira forms. You’re really doing well, Allie, but you’re dead on your feet. You and Aidan are spending too much time on the beach and not enough resting. I expect you to sleep tonight. Now get out of here.”

We have to sleep, Lex. He’s going to put you through the wringer tomorrow.

<><><>

I could just give you a key.
Allie smiled when she heard Aidan’s light footsteps on her balcony.

“Keys just slow me down.” He flopped onto her armchair.

“What happened to sleeping?” She continued towel drying her hair. 

“I have a theory,” he said nervously. “Just don’t get mad.”

“This oughta be good.”

“We’re exhausted.” He ran a hand through his hair, leaving it disheveled. “We’ve had the most success when we go to sleep at the same time, but even then, we only get a few hours. Somehow, I think it helps when we’re in the same sleep cycle and I thought…if we sleep together…we might stay in sync longer.” He finished that last bit in a rush.

“What about our boundary issues?” She could see the merit of his theory, but wondered if it was worth the potential drama.

“I could give a crap about our boundary issues!” he scowled. “Aidan. Needs. Sleep!”

“If my parents catch you, I don’t know you.” She crawled into bed, willing to try anything.

He quickly stripped to his shorts and climbed in beside her.

“Oddly, it doesn’t bother me at all that it took absolute desperation to get you to sleep with me.”

“Har, har.” She felt an enormous amount of guilt, but she just couldn’t resist the lure of snuggling into his arms. His warm fingers trailed through her damp hair, and a moment later, it was dry.

Stop, Lex.

This would kill Vince.

This is just about sleep,
he sighed.
Try to rest.

<><><>

How was it for you?
he asked in the early dawn light.

Freaking fantastic!
She stretched like a contented cat.

You’re welcome.

You’re awfully proud of yourself, just don’t get used to it.

Come on! You have to admit that was amazing!
His grin was almost euphoric.

Best sleep ever. But it’s not a permanent solution to our problem.

I know, but we’ll have to figure it out later. Get dressed. We have training.
“And stop it with the guilt! This isn’t about Vince,” he said arrogantly, zipping his jeans.

<><><>

“Did you sleep at all?” Gregg scowled. “You’re still exhausted.”

“I slept the whole night!”

“Aye, I guess you’ll do for today,” he growled.

“You’re planning on beating me bloody senseless, aren’t you?” She couldn’t hide her grin at their exchange. She loved their playful banter.  

“Not today.” His grin was just as wide, and his wink was so reminiscent of Aidan’s she forgot for a moment that he wasn’t Aidan’s natural father.

“We’re going to adapt Capoeira with your yoga lessons to create one of the most difficult strength training regimens you’ll ever attempt. So difficult, you’ll need to draw on your power to get through our sessions.”

“How?”

“When we remain on the cusp of embracing our power, we’re at our strongest physically. It will be exhausting, but it will give you the stamina you need to get through our four hour Saturday sessions.”

“Four hours? Sounds like torture.”

You’re not far off,
Aidan said. 

A little warning next time?

I didn’t think you’d get here so soon.

“I’m sorry, Red, I know I’m asking a lot,” Gregg continued, “but your seventeenth is just around the corner and we have to stay a step ahead of your progress.”

“I can handle it.”

“That’s my girl. Capoeira will teach you total control of your body.” He moved to the mat to demonstrate.

Allie watched as Gregg manipulated his body into impossible contortions, balancing his weight on one hand, holding the stance for several moments, still as a statue.

He slowly moved into a new form, keeping his body parallel to the mat where he held the position before moving seamlessly into an even more difficult one. He finished the form with a carefully controlled handstand, bringing his legs down slowly beneath him.

“Control. Unwavering control of every muscle in your body is what I’m going to teach you.” Sweat dripped from his face, a telltale sign of the effort it took for the demonstration.

“We’ll begin with a simplified cartwheel. First, take your right hand and place it on the mat, keeping your legs straight and your left arm extended like this.” He demonstrated. “Next, we’ll move into a measured handstand using core muscles to project the movement. Keep your lower body still, feet together at the apex where you will pause in a handstand with little or no movement, then you’ll slowly follow through with the cartwheel. This is where you’ll need to reach for your power to give you the added strength for endurance, but we won’t worry about that today.”             

She saw how hard this was going to be as Gregg guided her through the movement. It took several attempts to get it right, her muscles quaking as she tried to hold the handstand. By the end of the first hour, she was drenched in sweat and her arms felt like Jell-O. 

“Excellent! I’m not going to push you any further today, so we’ll move on to the sai for a bit, but no more practice blades. I’m afraid it’s time to release the Kraken,” he said dryly.

“Har, har, funny guy.”

“You’re doing very well, actually.” He grinned. “But it’s time you learn how to spar with real weapons.” He absently chose a huge, two-handed claymore from his toy box. The blade was huge. “Any questions before we get started?”

“Um…I know I can’t actually hurt you, but are you going to cut me to ribbons with that thing?”

With an arrogant smirk, he flicked the sword with frightening speed. She choked on a gasp as the blade quivered against her throat.

“No, sweetheart, I will not hurt you.” He dropped the sword to his side.

“I think I just peed a little.” 

“Up on the beam, Red!” he snorted.

“Aw, can’t we stay on the nice flat ground?”

“Absolutely not!”

This is going to hurt!
It was the first time she’d used real weapons in training—sharp ones anyway.

I’ll bet you my trust fund he won’t even knick you.

I’ll take that in large bills, please.
She gingerly went through the motions of a few practice elements, but her heart wasn’t in it.

“You’re no bloody fun. Red! Come on, let’s ditch the gym. I get better results out of you in the Yard anyway.”

Allie loved training in the huge terrarium they used when they really wanted to be outside. Located in a large cavern, the “Yard” was a collaborative effort, with tall grasses, wildflowers and trees brought in by Hélène, and bright sunshine from Emma. The puffy white clouds were Gregg’s contribution, while the rolling hills and boulders were Ming’s, and a babbling brook was Jin’s: the many other details were contributed by numerous friends and family.

They started slowly as he showed her how to block his huge sword with her smaller weapons. Her blades began to sing when they finally picked up speed.

“Why do they do that?”

“I’ve only heard them sing for Kassandre and her mother. They’ve been silent far too long,” he said sadly. “They recognize the true gift of clairvoyance in you.” He reached to gather his own sai.

“They both had it?” she asked, eager for more information about the previous owners.

“Aye. Focus, Allie. Keep your lead blade up.”

For the last portion of their session, she mimicked Gregg’s movements as they marched through the tall grass, brandishing their weapons in sweeping, cutting, and thrusting forms. They moved slowly and carefully at first and then faster as she gained confidence.

“Nice job, Allie, but one last thing before you go,” he said when they returned to his office. “You need to arm yourself tonight.”