Emerge- The Heir

by Melissa A. Craven

  Chapter Three

  “That old nut-job has lost her damn mind.” Allie swerved across two lanes of traffic to catch her exit for the Shoreway.

  “Could you slow down?” Darius gripped the edge of his seat. “Just down to about eighty would be great. I’d like to get back home in one piece.”

  “Of all the things she’s said over the years, that was just … she’s senile. She has to be. Do ancients get Alzheimer’s, do you think? We should have her checked out.”

  “She isn’t the crazy one, Red.”

  “She’s just—she creeps me out.” Allie shivered. “When she gives you that ice queen stare, it’s like she’s looking right through you, seeing all of your inadequacies like the gunk on the bottom of her shoe.”

  “Yet, she still named you her heir.”

  “Because she’s crazy.”

  “Because she loves you.”

  “I know grandma Alísun loves me. It’s the queen part of her that causes all these problems.”

  “She believes in you, Allie.”

  “That’s great. When your grandma believes in you, it should be like she thinks you're going to be the world’s greatest graphic designer. It should not be, hey, your batty grandma thinks you’re going to be the next dictator of the world.”

  “That’s not what she said.”

  “First princess of Indriell, Darius. What am I supposed to do with that? If she knew me at all, she would know that is the absolute last thing I would ever want.”

  “Can you imagine for one second how that might be appealing to a queen who wants to choose the right leader for her people? That she might want someone who wasn’t power hungry? Someone who recognizes the burden of ruling for what it is? She chose you because she believes you are the right person to follow in her footsteps.”

  “Aren’t you supposed to be on my side?” Allie glared at him. But she knew he was right. Allie should be honored that the queen chose her. And she truly was honored, but under that humbled feeling was a fear so intense, she couldn’t even process it.

  “Of course, I’m on your side. Don’t you think I’m crapping myself over this, too? I’m the Syntrophos of the first princess. When you become queen, I’ll be expected to lead your council or army, or some other shit I’m not prepared for. I’m a cop, not a politician.”

  Allie’s eyes shifted to meet his as she exited the Shoreway, speeding down the ramp into Cleveland traffic. He was just as freaked out by this as she was, yet he was still trying to calm her down.

  “We are the worst people for this job.” A worried frown creased her forehead.

  “Right? Can you even imagine?” Darius forced a laugh.

  “She can’t be serious, right? She just can’t be that crazy.”

  “I’m afraid the queen doesn’t have much of a sense of humor, princess.”

  “You want to keep your face looking pretty, never call me that again.” Allie glanced in the rearview mirror as she changed lanes.

  “Allie, she’s looking at the big picture. The woman is a prophet, and she’s seen literally everything that has ever happened. She’s almost eight thousand years old. She’s not just Immortal; she’s a legend. I imagine she knows what she’s doing. I hope she knows what she’s doing,” he added with a note of alarm in his voice.

  “It should be Livia. Livia is so much stronger and better prepared for this. And older. An experienced leader.”

  “Yeah, Liv with all the experience leading her evil minions into the mass market slave trade.” Darius arched a brow at her.

  Allie shot him a dirty look. “You know she never had a choice in that. And she’s still more experienced than I am,” she muttered, clutching the steering wheel with a white knuckled grip.

  “But she’s not you, Red. Alísun’s not going to push you into this. She knows you well enough to know you need time to wrap your mortal brain around what she’s offering. The naming was just for the family. This isn't happening right now and probably won’t any time soon.”

  “You’re right. As usual.” She released her death grip on the steering wheel and reached for his hand. It was instinctive—the urge to touch him when she was upset. The bond craved it. “I just can’t see myself ever accepting this role. There has to be someone better suited for this.”

  “The queen chose you.”

  “And we’re back at the question of her sanity.” Allie sighed.

  “She sees something ahead. Something bad.” Darius clutched the safety handle as Allie slammed on the brakes for a red light.

  “Me and my mortal brain just aren't ready for this.” Allie shook her head. She liked her quiet, normal life. She'd worked hard and sacrificed too much to see it change now.

  “Did you even listen to what she said?”

  “I was kind of busy trying not to freak out.” Allie swerved across two lanes of slow-moving traffic and back again to avoid the shifting, blob-like figures standing in the road. In her current state of mind, she’d let her focus drop, and her visions were commanding too much of her attention. Some of them even had faces. Faces she knew she should stop and study, but her head just wasn’t in the right place for that.

  “When she talks about the banished mortals, she thinks of them as her children. Her son was one of the original mortals. I’ve only ever heard one other Immortal talk of them with such reverence and respect. And she’s sitting right next to me, driving like a maniac. Seriously.” He put his foot on the dash. “You should not be driving right now.”

  “I’d be happy to be part of something bigger,” Allie said, ignoring Darius’s concerns. “She’s right; things do need to change. But why do I have to be the force behind that change? What’s the rest of our world going to think?”

  “Since when do you care about what other people think?”

  “I just want to go home and focus on school, Dare.” Allie threw her hands up in defeat.

  “Keep. Your. Hands. On. The damned wheel, Alexis Carmichael.”

  “It’s our last semester, and I want to enjoy it. I just … I can’t think about this right now.”

  “You say enjoy, I say endure. I can’t wait ‘til this education crap is behind us.” Darius scrubbed his hand over his face.

  “This will not be the only time I go to college, Darius. I like learning, and I have multiple lifetimes ahead of me. I will go back to school. Often.”

  “Well, the next time you decide to further your education, can we just make me your loser live-in boyfriend, so I don’t actually have to get another degree?”

  “You majored in Photography, Darius.” Allie arched her brow. “And I do most of your homework for you.”

  “It sounded fun at the time and an easy way for us to take a lot of the same classes, but photography requires way more talent than I actually have," Darius said. "When we’re done, I’m going back to being a homicide detective."

  "You didn't have to quit the CPD," Allie said. It bothered her to no end that he'd sacrificed the job he loved just to be with her, doing something he hated.

  He shot a grin at her. "You know I needed to be near you, Red.”

  “I never expected you to give up your career for me. You could have kept your job, and we could have seen each other in the evenings and on weekends.”

  “That would have driven us both insane.” He took her hand. “I can’t be away from you like that.”

  “I wouldn’t have liked it either, but I want you to be happy. I want that more than I want my own happiness.”

  “I am happy, Allie. More than I’ve ever been. We agreed; college first and then when you get your first job, I’ll go back to detective work.”

  “Or assistant to the queen in training,” Allie muttered.

  Chapter Four

  “Are you even going to sleep tonight?” Darius rubbed a hand across his tired eyes.

  Allie violently fluffed the pillows on her bed back at the sweet little lake cottage they shared with Sasha, Quinn, and Santi near campus. “Probably not but you
need to sleep.”

  “Just because I need to sleep doesn’t mean you have to.” Darius stood in the doorway of their adjoining rooms, dressed in black pajama pants and a soft gray t-shirt.

  Allie cracked a smile. “How many times have I told you that same thing?”

  “A million.” He crossed the room to flop down onto her freshly made bed. “But it’s only because neither of us wants to be sleeping when the other is awake.” He reached for her hand, pulling her down beside him.

  Allie curled into his side. “You’d think after all this time, we wouldn’t still feel the need to be within arm’s reach of each other.”

  “It makes for a long day when we have separate classes.” He sighed, maneuvering them so Allie lay in the crook of his arm. For nearly four years, they’d structured their course schedules so they never had to spend more than a few hours apart. The rest of the time they were in class together.

  “You could have majored in the graphic arts with me, so we’d have the exact same schedule.”

  “They would have kicked me out in the first semester. The art history classes alone have been my nemesis, yet you insist on taking them every single semester.” He rolled his eyes.

  “Hey.” Allie flipped back toward him. “Those are the easiest classes for us to take together. And I happen to love art history.”

  “Professor Wilson actually asked me to stop taking his classes.” He laughed, absently tracing the lines of the tattoo along her throat. He stopped at the neckline of her t-shirt, but the tattoo continued, snaking down her side from her jawline to her hip, concealing the worst of the scar she’d received the night she was shot with a Coalition bullet. “Are you okay, Red?”

  She nodded.

  “I know you’re mad as hell about this heir business, but behind all that fire and brimstone you’re throwing around with those fiery green eyes of yours, I know you’re just scared.”

  “Terrified.” Allie closed her eyes. She wouldn’t admit it to anyone else, but she was frightened beyond anything she’d ever felt before. “What if I actually end up being a freaking princess? Or worse, a queen?”

  “I don’t think it’s something you can really escape,” Darius said. “You’re a royal; it’s who you are whether you like it or not.

  “Royal-schmoyal.” Allie settled onto her side pulling Darius’s arm around her. “I’m the heir of a dead nation.”

  “Just take a deep breath and remember we don’t have to deal with any of this now. Nothing may ever come of it anyway.”

  “You’re right. Grandma said it's my choice what to do with my title. I can't see myself ever reaching for that kind of power.”

  “And we have bigger things to worry about right now.” He heaved a big sigh.

  “What could possibly be bigger?”

  “I have to graduate in a few months. You’ll be fine, but it’ll be a miracle if I actually make it.”

  “You’ll make it if I have to drag your dead carcass across the finish line. Go to sleep, Dare. We’re okay.” Allie kissed his palm.

  “You sure?” His midnight blue eyes were filled with concern as he gazed down at her.

  “I’m sure.”

  “I’m like four feet away if you need me.”

  “Go to bed.” She shoved his face playfully.

  “Night, Allie. Love you.” He crossed the room to the double doors that never closed between them.

  “Love you, too.” Allie rolled over, turning her bedside lamp off. It was nice having him so near. They were closer than she could imagine any two people being, but their Syntrophos bond made it easy. Too easy sometimes. In the beginning, it was awkward, and their feelings were so confusing. They craved each other like air, but their desire to remain close had also remained completely platonic.

  Darius was her ride or die guy. If he killed someone, she'd be the one reloading the smoking gun, no questions asked. His love was like her morning coffee. It was a given. She never had to question it or worry that it wouldn't always be there. Just like his loyalty. From the moment they met, Darius was the one who reminded her to have fun and never take life too seriously. He was the one who encouraged her to reach for her dreams, but he was also the one to tell her like it was. Darius didn't sugar coat things. He was her rock. And despite the intimacy their bond demanded, there were no romantic feelings between them.

  The love she shared with Darius gave her almost everything she needed. Almost. But she still craved romance, like any girl. But that kind of love had walked out of her life years ago without a backward glance.

  It still hurt. Even after all this time.

  Goodnight, Aidan… wherever you are.

  Allie ran through the dark corridors, up and down stairs, checking every door as she went. They were all locked.

  Sweat beaded her brow, and her heart thumped in her chest as she ran, her bare feet pounding against the cool marble tile. She rounded a corner in the never-ending sea of hallways, catching a glimpse of a dark shadow at the other end.

  She pursued the shadow, desperate to lay eyes on him. To finally understand why she chased him. She’d raced through these halls so many times; she knew the labyrinth by heart. Darting down a narrow corridor, Allie reached the other side of the building, cutting off her phantom shadow. She would see him this time.

  He ran toward her, his face guarded in shadows as he looked over his shoulder, expecting to find her behind him.

  Allie reached for the hood of his jacket and as she felt the fabric in her hands, he dissolved into nothing.

  “Aidan,” she gasped as she sat up in bed, her heart still pounding from the same old nightmare that had haunted her for years. Tears soaked her pillow, and her heart shattered all over again.

  With a deep breath, she tossed the covers aside, despite the chill of the late winter night. She glanced into Darius’s room, hoping she hadn’t disturbed him. His breath came in the familiar even pattern of sleep.

  She lowered herself back against the pillows, checking the time. Three in the morning. Nine o’clock in Germany where Aidan lived. At least he had the last time she’d heard anything about him. Her heart still ached with missing him. She hid it well, but it still hit her hard in these moments of solitude. She’d moved on. They both had. She'd created a life for herself. The normal life she’d always wanted. As normal as a young Immortal’s life could ever hope to be.

  They were both doing the college thing now. She’d been content with that for these last few years, but now that she was in her last semester and the next chapter of her life was on the horizon, she thought of him more often than she cared to admit. What would happen when they both left college behind?

  Would he even want to see me again? Would I? The night he’d chosen to end their telepathic connection was one of the most horrifying moments of her life. She’d worked hard to put it behind her, rarely letting herself think about him. He'd left her with no other choice but to move on.

  I want you to have your own life, Allie. We're young. We both need time to figure out who we are. Without each other. His final words had echoed in her mind for months after he left. The sentiments had been her own. It was ironic that her reasons for why they should never have been together in the first place ended up being his reasons for leaving.

  From the moment they met and she finally knew what it was like to truly have a friend, her greatest fear had been that loving Aidan would ruin everything. It seemed she was right all along. Those few short weeks after she’d admitted she loved him were some of the happiest Allie had ever known. But things changed. Aidan was different, withdrawn and distracted. She knew he still loved her or had when he first chose to leave for what was supposed to be one semester abroad. But then he'd failed to keep his promises to see her during their months apart. And then he just never came back. Stopped answering her calls. Changed his number. The son of a bitch ghosted her.

  At the time, it gutted her, but after four years, it just made her sad that she couldn’t look back on what they’d o
nce had with fond memories. It was all tainted with unanswered questions.

  In her worst moments, she’d thought that once he’d finally gotten what he’d wanted from her, she no longer held the appeal she once had, and the kindest thing he could do was leave. But in the quiet of a still night after dreaming of him, Allie knew he wouldn’t have left if he hadn’t had a good reason. Not after everything they’d been through together.

  The not knowing gnawed at her from the inside out. Having zero closure and a wealth of unanswered questions made it so much worse than it should have been.

  She’d seen it happen to other couples. High school romances tended to break apart when college and circumstances set two people on different paths. It sucked, but you got over it and moved on. Despite her dreams, she had moved on. But more than anything, she missed the friendship she’d shared with her equal. So many times she wished she could go back and unsay her professions of love. Then Aidan might still be here with her.

  She had Darius now. He was her Syntrophos, and she loved him dearly. She was grateful for the time they’d had together to dive into their relationship with zero distractions.

  But he just wasn’t Aidan.

  Chapter Five

  The thump of Allie’s foot against the punching bag was always such a satisfying sound. Working out her aggression on the poor, unsuspecting bag, she never held back. Darius had to make her a special punching bag with a double layer of thickness after she’d ruined several by putting her foot right through the canvas.

  Since bonding as Syntrophos, she and Darius were both stronger than they were before. The bond linked them in a way that gave them access to each other’s gifts—it was what made a Syntrophos pair so dangerous. She would never be able to use Darius’s gifts directly, or he hers, but the connection allowed their individual gifts to influence and sometimes merge with the other’s, giving them an unprecedented range with their collective abilities. Allie’s gift for lending strength and stamina had given them each a near constant bolster of strength.