Contents
Praise For The Emerge Series
A Free Offer
Also By Melissa A. Craven
Emerge Family Tree
Emerge Family Tree
Additional cast list for Emerge: The Heir
Author’s Note
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Epilogue
History of the Indriell Queens
About the Author
Acknowledgments
Praise For The Emerge Series
2017 YA Books Central Top of Shelf Finalist | 2016 RONE Award Winner – Best Book Cover | 2016 YA Books Central Best Indie Finalist | 2015 Dante Rossetti YA Awards Finalist |2015 International Book Awards Finalist | 2015 USA Best Book Awards Finalist
"Watch out Tris and Katniss!" Amazon reviewer ★★★★★
"OMGGGGGG....WHAT DID I JUST READ?!!??!!?" Amazon reviewer ★★★★★
"I loved the fact that Emerge wasn’t the usual vampires, shape shifters and werewolves but an entirely new concept." Amazon reviewer ★★★★★
"10/10, would read Emerge again in a heartbeat!" Amazon reviewer ★★★★★
"One hellava series. And one that I hope has lots and lots of books!" Amazon reviewer ★★★★★
"Craven's series is a delight, refreshing and captivating with a uniquely lovely world!" Amazon reviewer ★★★★★
"Curl up on the couch now and take a night of adventure and action inside this book!" Amazon reviewer ★★★★★
"I adored every single character and the author's writing makes them all come to life!" Amazon reviewer ★★★★★
"Craven will take you on a journey that starts quietly with a young girl who seems a little mysterious at first, and even more so when unexpected events set you on edge by the end of the first chapter. Just when you think Allie's journey is coming to an end…Craven shows you just how wrong you were. You should NOT miss the end of this book." Amazon reviewer ★★★★★
“Young Adult Fantasy has been pumped out like never before, but Craven has skillfully developed an Urban Fantasy set in a real life, believable context. I can almost believe this ancient race of Immortals actually lives among us.” Hub Pages Reviewer ★★★★★
“Emerge: The Awakening is a story that begins as a single snowflake and ends in an avalanche. Melissa A. Craven has put together a story that unfolds and unfolds and unfolds again, revealing characters of unusual depth.” Amazon Reviewer ★★★★★
“From the first page to the last, Melissa A. Craven has a talent for keeping her reader’s attention as she reveals Allie’s story, layer by interesting layer. And when you get to the last page, you are left wanting more!” Amazon Reviewer ★★★★★
“The immortal characters in "Emerge" all have a special gift, but so does the author. Craven’s is a superpower that we can all benefit from: storytelling.” Amazon Reviewer ★★★★★
EMERGE: The Heir
Copyright © May 28, 2018
By: Melissa A. Craven
Midnight Hour Studio INC
Atlanta, Georgia
All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, organizations, places, events and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
For more information contact: [email protected] or visit the author’s website at Melissaacraven.com
Cover design by: Covers by Combs
Edited by: Chase Night and Rebecca Jaycox
Interior design by: Michelle Lynn
ASIN: B07B45MD3Z eBook
ISBN 9781982982034 Paperback
First edition for print by Midnight Hour Studio: May 28, 2018
Printed in the United States of America
In The Heir, find out what happens when Allie is named first princess of Indriell.
And then download your free copy of Emerge: The Scholar
Visit Melissa’s website to get your free copy of Emerge: The Scholar, an Emerge series companion novel with over 170 pages and full color illustrations.
Get started here: www.melissaacraven.com
Also By Melissa A. Craven
Emerge Series:
Emerge: The Awakening (Book 1)
Emerge: The Edge (Book 1.5)
Emerge: The Scholar (Illustrated Character Journal)
Emerge: The Volunteer (An Emerge Short Story)
Emerge: The Judgment (Book 2)
Emerge: The Catalyst (An Emerge Short Story)
Emerge: The Captive (Book 3)
Emerge: The Assignment (An Emerge Novella)
Emerge: The Heir
Emerge: The Betrayal (Book 5 coming soon)
For Dad
Thank you for being the kind of father my friends wish they had
Additional cast list for Emerge: The Heir
Alexis (Allie) Carmichael – Child of prophecy and adopted daughter of mortal parents, Lily and Carson Carmichael
Kassandre – Allie’s natural mother. Syntrophos to Greggory McBrien. Also served as Chief Justice of the International Senate
Ashar – Allie’s natural father. A dream walker, also known as Navid. Served as Chief Justice of the International Senate
Alísun – Allie’s ancient grandmother and last queen of Indriell. Was captive of Marcus Servius for almost two-thousand years
Alexander – Allie’s ancient grandfather. Also known as the Scholar
Marcus Servius – Also known as the ancient Lord Teigan. Livia’s “adopted” father. Leader of the Coalition and owner of Soma
Porcia – Livia’s adopted mother and wife to Marcus Servius (Porcia and Marcus have never completed the Complement bond)
Livia McBrien – Allie’s natural sister. Also known as Alivia. Former leader of Soma, “adopted” daughter of Marcus Servius and Complement to Liam McBrien.
Kahlynn McBrien – Adopted daughter of Liam and Livia McBrien
Dean McBrien – Son of Aidan (Aide) McBrien I and Hélène Renard. Cousin to Sasha and Aidan McBrien II. Former Soma slave
Tessa St. James – Former Soma slave. Girlfriend and equal of Dean McBrien
Lennox McBrien – Former Soma slave. Adopted daughter of Seamas McBrien and George Uruk
Jayesh Basu – Friend to Sasha McBrien and current leader of Soma
Naomi Hauser – Friend to Aidan McBrien and daughter of Greyson Hauser, long time friend of the McBrien family
Emma Renard—Mentor to Allie Carmichael. Complement to Daniel Loukas. Mother to Quinn, Graham and Parker Loukas
Known Syntrophos pairs
Alexis Carmichael and Darius McBrien
Sasha McBrien and Quinn Loukas
Greggory McBrien and the ancient, Kassandre
Author’s Note
Emerge: The Heir takes place four years after the events of Emerge: The Judgment and Emerge: The Captive. Allie’s ancient roots play an important role in this new addition to the series. I have included the original backstory of the Queens of Indriell as a refresher for those who need it. Look for it at the back of the book in the table of contents.
My upcoming book, Emerge: The Betrayal will circle back to the timeline between The Judgment and The Heir and will be a dual point of view novel between Allie and Aidan. I hope you enjoy this look into Allie and Aidan’s future before we go back to learn how their journeys have led them to this point.
—Melissa A. Craven
Prologue
From the private journals of Alexander, the Scholar
I am the ghost of history, one of the oldest living Immortals and Complement to the last queen of Indriell. I am the man no one remembers. It is my destiny to witness and record history. That is my role as the Scholar.
I don’t take many things seriously, but my duty to knowledge is one of them. I document the events I witness through the omniscient power of my gift, and I do not dare alter the details of what I’ve seen. But sometimes I must … fudge it. The banishment of the first mortals was one of those dark times. As our history recalls, Queen Alísun exiled the mortals from Indriell to prevent the disease of death from spreading. And then she dismantled Indriell, erasing all traces of her nation from the face of the earth. As the taint of mortality began to subside among the Immortal children, the queen sent her remaining subjects into the world to watch over our mortal brethren, for the world belonged to them now.
But that’s not quite how it went down.
For thousands of years, we’ve taught our children this bittersweet fairytale version of Indriell’s history. In reality, we’ve fed them a pack of lies. But the best lies are rooted in truth. Just as my lovely wife recorded a false prophecy to protect the identity of our granddaughter, I recorded a false history to protect our people from the crimes of their ancestors.
The queen banished the mortals, not to protect the Immortals from the threat of death, but from the witch-hunt that was happening despite our best efforts to stop it. We were dangerously close to another war. Most wanted to wipe out the scourge of the mortal children, bathing them in fire to rid the world of death. Mortals gathered in huge numbers to protest, creating the very foundation of the Coalition. The hatred between the races escalated. And so Queen Alísun banished the mortals to protect them from those who would see them slaughtered.
Our mortal son, Kristopher, led the banished from Indriell. That was the last we saw of him, but I kept my eye on him through the power of my gift. I watched him grow into a strong and courageous man, but Alísun was like a wounded animal when he left. Driven by hatred for those who had given her no other choice but to forsake her only child, the queen destroyed Indriell. Once a beautiful place of lush green forests and fertile plains as far as the eye could see, the queen and her council transformed Indriell into the wild and dangerous jungles of South America. They leveled cities and towns. Raised mountains, rivers, and forests filled with dangerous creatures. They made it uninhabitable for those accustomed to the luxuries of Indriell.
The remaining Immortals scattered across the world while Alísun and I sought a quiet life together—a time of peace after years of war, strife, and sorrow. When our daughter, Kassandre, was born, we finally put the past behind us and looked to the future.
As our numbers grew and the Coalition zealots became a problem, the Immortal Senate was born. A governing body we desperately needed. They became a successful substitute for the Indriell queens.
Until they weren’t.
I’ve seen our world change so many times. I’ve watched Immortals adjust and adapt with each passing generation. I’ve seen them flounder and stumble, and I’ve seen them survive the darkest of times against all odds. We are approaching one of those times. The Senate has grown corrupt and threatens our future, particularly that of our children, whom they have exploited time and again for personal gain.
We are at a crossroads unlike anything I’ve seen since the days of Indriell. The future lies shrouded in darkness, yet we will face it together as a unified community. We can no longer stand quietly on the sidelines watching others rule in corruption. It is time to act. It is time for the resurrection of the ancient queens.
—Alexander, the Scholar
Chapter One
“Here you go, Gramps,” Allie placed the worn leather journal on the table beside her grandfather’s favorite armchair.
“Done with this one already, Allie-girl?” Alexander reached for the book.
“Are you kidding? It was fascinating to read about the sack of Carthage from someone who actually witnessed it. I sobbed like a baby when Grandma Alísun was taken by the Coalition after.” Allie flopped onto the sofa across from him, exhausted after a long afternoon with Emma. “I never realized she spent so many years in a Coalition prison until Marcus got her out of there and took her captive himself.”
“At first it was a relief to know she was finally free from that awful prison. But Marcus’s prison was worse in so many ways.”
“But grandma was able to know Livia. At least from a distance.” Allie was often jealous of the relationship her sister had with their grandmother.
“Watching her granddaughter grow up was a comfort to her during the final years of her captivity. Truth be told, I’m a little jealous.” Alexander lowered his voice. “But I’d never tell her that.”
“What else you got for me, grandpa? The destruction of Pompeii? The fall of the Roman Empire?”
He winked. “I’ll send you home with a few more of my private journals if you like reading the aimless musings of an old scholar.”
“Aimless musings?” A smile tugged at her lips. “You should write thrillers, old man.”
“Who says I don’t?”
“Auntie, are they here yet?” Kahlynn McBrien raced into the common room and pounced on Allie's lap. The seven-year-old girl was getting too big for such entrances, but Allie refused to be the one to tell her to stop.
“Almost, kiddo.” Allie smiled at the excitement in her niece’s cornflower blue eyes. “They’re on the ferry right now. I can see them just over there.” Allie pointed across the room where the spectral shapes of her visions were taking form. Her newest visions weren't always easy to decipher. They mostly looked like red, orange, and green people-shaped blobs, like one would see through an infrared lens. But Kahlynn didn't need to know that. Allie could see a couple that vaguely resembled Liam and Livia standing on the deck of the ferryboat making its way to Kelleys Island this very moment.
“Are you excited? I can’t tell if you’re excited.” Allie folded her arms across her chest in mock seriousness, ignoring the shifting, indistinct forms floating around her. She still struggled with this newest manifestation of her clairvoyance, but she’d found a way to keep the spectral figures isolated to her peripheral vision, only allowing them out in moments like this when she wanted to examine them. She’d learned to cope with her gift, but when it first began to evolve, it was impossible to function like a non-crazy person.
“I can’t believe it’s finally official. I have a mom!” Kahlynn zoomed around the common room like a Tasmanian devil, until she finally settled down beside Allie on the sofa to wait for Liam and Livia to return from their honeymoon.
Allie couldn’t believe it either. She loved her sister, but they’d traveled down a long road littered with the broken glass of heartache, betrayal, and forgiveness before they finally arrived where they were now. Livia was unrecognizable from the hateful woman she had been
the night she became a captive of the McBriens four years ago. And an incredibly long four years it was. Allie could hardly remember what it was like to think of Livia as an enemy and not a sister.
“What do you think, Grandpa Alex?” Allie shot her grandfather a wink. “She’s not nearly excited enough. And I’m not sure her new mom is even going to recognize her after a month away.”
“She’s grown so much, her dad might not recognize her either,” Alexander said, putting on his most serious Scholar face.
“He wouldn’t dare,” Kahlynn said in a huff. “Liv—Mom would kill him.”
Allie admired the way Livia and her new daughter had bonded so quickly. Allie suspected she saw the girl’s innocence as something to protect. Kahlynn was everything Livia should have been if circumstances hadn’t taken her from her family at such a young age.
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