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.
“There’s a small cavern up here,” Liam announced.
“Oh, thank God!” She surged ahead as the ceiling began to rise. She scrambled into the room, but her relief was short lived. She choked on embarrassed sobs, wanting nothing more
than to go home.
Familiar arms wrapped around her, and as much as she wanted to curl against his chest and accept the comfort he offered, she fought his influence.
“Lex, calm down.” Aidan forced her to meet his gaze in the darkness.
She fell apart at the seams, utterly heartbroken when she caught a tiny glimpse of her best friend.
“I’m sorry!” She was humiliated by the pathetic whimper that escaped her.
Aidan held her close and his familiar earthy scent calmed her more than his gift could have.
“You have to stop forgetting you’re Immortal. There’s nothing for you to fear down here.”
“Aidan, she just found out who she is,” Imogen scolded. “Don’t force her, she needs time.”
“It’s getting hard to breathe, guys.” Liam wheezed. “We better keep moving.”
“Ming sealed this up tight,” Jin said. “It isn’t natural for the air to be so thin.”
“Oh, I think she’s trying to teach me something,” Quinn laughed. “She wants me to pull oxygen into the cave.”
“Give it a shot, son.” Daniel’s face was sweaty and his voice shook from the effort to breathe.
As Quinn concentrated, the air stirred and Allie felt a cool, oxygen rich breeze flood their cramped quarters.
“Thank you.” She breathed deeply.
“That’s why we do this!” Daniel beamed. “When we’re in the safety of our training sessions, it’s often difficult to get results, but when we’re faced with a challenge, we can make astounding progress. Quinn has been trying for weeks to manipulate gasses and liquids and hasn’t been able to do it, until now.”
Allie nodded. She understood, but it didn’t make this any less terrifying.
“Come on.” Liam urged her toward the tunnel.
“No. I live here now.”
“We’re almost there, sweetheart.” He chuckled.
“Liar.” She reluctantly crawled away from what felt like freedom into the cold blackness of her worst nightmare.
All too soon, Allie was belly crawling through the darkness. She found it difficult to breathe with the pressure of a mountain at her back. Still she inched forward, following the sound of Liam’s voice. Allie was hardly aware of anything but the crushing weight above them. She couldn’t stop thinking about what it might be like to be trapped. Unable to move, and worse, unable to die.
“Allie,” Liam said. “The path gets quite narrow up here, just before it turns into a deep shaft. We’ll be climbing soon.”
She continued to slither through the most difficult passage yet. The rock shelf slanted sharply to the floor, leaving only a few inches to maneuver. With her arms stretched above her, she moved her head and shoulders through the narrow gap and saw the larger tunnel above. The air was fresher, and she gulped deeply, but the tight bands of stone constricted her lungs and she couldn’t move. She sobbed as stars danced in her vision. She was going to pass out.
“Little one,” Liam murmured. “You must calm down. We’ll get you out. Aidan’s going to push and I’m going to pull, but I need you to slow your breath.”
Allie did as he said, stifling her sobs. As Aidan pushed and Liam pulled, the shifting rock tore at her body until she was bloody, but free. Liam dragged her into the vertical chute where she was finally able to stand and take a few deep breaths. She trembled so violently, she wasn’t sure she could go on.
“Alright, Allie. Climb up to me so we can keep moving.”
She grasped his hand and braced her back against one side of the shaft and her feet against the other, inching her way up to him.
“Lex, how did you do this?” Aidan struggled through the tight space.
“How many times do I have to tell you, don’t call me Lex!” she growled, reaching for his hand to help him up.
“Nephew, it’s been my experience if a woman doesn’t like a certain nickname, you’d better not use it.”
“Ahh, who asked you, Liam?” Aidan grumbled as they inched their way up the shaft to make room for the others.
“Looks like one more tight squeeze and we’re through!”
Allie watched in the dim light as Liam disappeared. She was suddenly alone at the top with nothing above her but the stone ceiling. She couldn’t see where he had gone and started to panic. She frantically searched for an opening. Aidan grabbed her hands, gently tracing her palms with the pad of his thumb, but he wouldn’t meet her gaze.
“Why are you doing this to me?” She felt tears prick her eyes.
When he looked up at her, she could feel his pain. “Allie, I—” but Liam reappeared and she realized what she thought was the ceiling was just a ledge. How he got through by himself, she had no idea.
“Come on, I’ll pull you through. This one might hurt.”
With her arms over her head, she maneuvered into the awkward space, crying out when her left ear ripped away from her scalp. With head and shoulders through the narrow gap, she continued to struggle and wiggle to no avail. She was stuck and couldn’t catch her breath. Liam pulled until her lower ribs snapped like toothpicks and she scrambled out. She winced, desperately trying to draw a breath.
“Almost there, sweetheart.” Liam pulled her into a careful hug. The cave wasn’t as narrow here and she was able to inch past him. “The worst is over. Go on and rest. I have to go help the others. Will you be okay?”
“Go,” she whispered hoarsely. “I’ll be fine.”
Allie crawled until she felt soft green grass beneath her and warm sunshine at her back. She curled into a ball and shook with relief. Aidan eased up beside her and pulled her into his arms.
“No!” She pushed him away. “Not if you’re going to go back to hating me!”
“I don’t hate you. I just can’t. It hurts too much. Here, let me help.” He offered. “I can’t heal you fully, but I can alleviate the pain. If you’ll allow me?”
She nodded as he pressed her ribs with his cool hands. She sensed his power seeping into her bones. It went against the grain to allow it, but with the odd sensation of her ribs slipping back into place, the burning ache diminished.
“There. Now let me look at that ear.”
She cringed as he prodded her mangled ear, but the pain vanished at the touch of his gift.
“Aidan!” A small trickle of blood oozed from his nose. “Don’t push yourself so hard.”
“I don’t mind the challenge.”
“Thanks.” Her eyes filled with tears.
“Don’t cry, Allie, I’m not worth it.”
Jin stumbled onto the lawn with Imogen close behind, and soon everyone was out. Allie wasn’t the only one with broken ribs, scrapes, and bruises. Aidan was busy tending Sasha and Quinn too. She finally took her first tentative steps, relishing the sun’s rays that were like a balm to her ragged emotions.
Liam was laughing with the boys and drinking ice-cold water left for them at the checkpoint with their second flag. She was so thirsty and her throat so dry, she snatched the bottle and drained it in three long gulps.
“Allie, no!” Sasha cried.
“What?” She stared down at the empty bottle with the odd yellow label stuck to the plastic.
“How much did you drink, Liam?” Imogen asked.
“Nearly half!”
“What’d I do this time?” Allie sighed.
“You should be writhing in agony!” Liam glared.
“I can’t believe we all forgot to tell her,” Jin said.
“No one drinks after me! That’s why I keep the yellow stickers on everything!” Liam spat. “Allie, you can’t get close to me unless I’m prepared, you cannot be near me if I’m upset and you most certainly cannot eat or drink after me. Most Immortals instinctively keep their distance! What’s wrong with you?”
“I-I’m sorry.”
“I’m poisonous, Allie,” he said gently, taking a moment to get his temper in check. “I’m fatal to mortals when I choose, and Immortals become violently ill for days when they get too close. How
are you not affected? You’re a powerful girl, but you should have seized before you finished the first sip.”
“I didn’t know.”
“He isn’t mad at you, kid,” Jin said. “He’s confused. You’re either extremely lucky or you’re an anomaly and have thwarted two thousand years of his experience.”
“Liam, take a walk and calm down,” Scott said. “We need a break anyway.”
“Here, sit. Eat. I’ll explain.” Darius shoved a few protein bars and a bottle of water into Allie’s hands. She sank to the ground beside him.
“Most Immortals sense he is dangerous. But he marks everything with those yellow dots so we’ll know to stay away. His poison is potent and I’m pretty sure we’ve all been affected at some point or another.”
“But, I was just behind him all through the tunnels and he even hugged me when we reached the end.”
“He has perfect control, but he has to concentrate every waking moment. Liam’s had a hard life. He blames himself when something like this happens and right now he’s probably just freaking about scaring you. He needs to regain his composure before he can come back to us.”
“So, how am I not sick?”
“I have no idea,” Liam said, standing at the edge of the grassy slope, his arms crossed tightly over his chest. “I have always thought one person would be immune to my poison.” He ventured a little closer. “I have long hoped that my Complement would be someone I could finally connect with. I said when we first met there was something familiar about you…” Liam trailed off uncertainly.
“DUDE, YOU CANNOT BE SERIOUS!” Aidan roared, anger blazing in his eyes.
“Liam, what exactly are you saying?” Imogen asked cautiously.
“WHOA! BACK UP!” Allie jumped to her feet.
“No, no,” Liam laughed. “That is impossible. My Complement was born two centuries ago. ”
Allie collapsed in relief and Aidan managed an irritable grunt.
“Shall I clarify?” he grinned. “I’ve always hoped my Complement would be immune, but I never dreamed anyone else could be. It must be your power. Or it could just be a fluke, and you got lucky.” He shrugged. “We will have to experiment. I am sorry I scared you, little one,” he said softly, “but heaven help the man who is your Complement. He’ll certainly have his hands full.” He winked causing Allie to flush scarlet.
Emerge: The Awakening Page 21
