Emerge: The Judgment: (Book 2)

by Melissa A. Craven

  “What aren’t you telling me?” She shot him a glare. You’re blocking me. You never block me.

  “It’s not a party, Allie.” Graham said. “Well, it’s not just a party.”

  “What did I say?” Aidan punched Graham’s shoulder.

  “Whatever, your plan to spring it on her in the car on the way there was a terrible idea. We’re trying to fool a clairvoyant, dude. It’s clearly not working.”

  “What am I missing?” Allie frowned. “Why does this club have you all freaked out?” She directed her questions at Sasha. She understood why Sasha was so eager to go, but she had a really bad feeling about this place.

  “It’s totally stupid of us to even consider it,” Sasha said. “It’s a dangerous place with sketchy connections. There will be tons of kids there, just looking to have fun, but it’s the kind of place where anonymity is crucial and information can be discovered if you pay attention.”

  “I’m fine with all of that,” Allie said. “I’m in, but let’s get back to the ‘springing it on Allie’ part.”

  “I knew you would be down with anything to help Quinn,” Graham said. “But—”

  “Wait for it,” Aidan said.

  “It’s not just a party … it’s a freakin’ fight, isn’t it?” Allie said. “A stupid, let’s-try-to-kill-each-other-for-entertainment-fight?”

  “There it is,” Aidan said dryly. “Yes, Lex, Amrita isn’t just a dance club. There will be games too, which is why I wanted to wait to tell you because I knew you would handle it better if you didn’t have time to overthink it.”

  “Games? Like on the island?”

  “Not really,” Graham said. “At Amrita, it’s more about fun—of the dangerous, stupid sort—and less about learning. Think paintball or laser tag, but our version is a little more—”

  “Violent? Scary? Inappropriate?” Allie supplied.

  “Exactly.”

  “Gregg’s going to kill us. And then he’s going to enjoy watching us slowly heal as he lectures us, knowing we can’t escape.”

  “Probably,” Sasha said. “But these people have Quinn. I don’t care what happens to me.”

  “You're right.” Allie nodded. “Tell me about the fights.”

  “Right. The fights will start at sundown and last through the night. They’re super-competitive, arena-style fights,” Graham began. “There will be three rounds and everyone there has to compete at least once. Anything goes—hand-to-hand combat, weapons, and gifts are all allowed. Then the final competition will be a melee-style fight among the best competitors, which none of us need to aspire to. The last one standing is declared the winner. And then there’s a big party after.”

  “All right.” Allie gave a determined nod. She didn’t mind the fighting part so much anymore. She’d finally learned to enjoy the sport of it, but she still had issues with the hurting-people-on-purpose part.

  We have to try, Lex.

  I know. And I’m all in. I just don’t have the warm fuzzies about this place.

  “We just need to figure out how to pull this off without getting caught until after. When is this thing?” Allie asked.

  “We don’t know the dates yet, but it will be soon.”

  “And about the not-getting-caught part?” Allie asked. “They’ll be expecting us to go.”

  “I don’t think they even realize we know about it,” Graham said.

  “How do we know about it?”

  “Amrita has ways of getting the word out to the Unproven crowd. As long as we can get in before the parents figure out what we’re up to, then we’re good. Once we’re in, they can’t crash the party. Once we’re in, we’re there for the duration. You don’t get to leave Amrita early.”

  “So we’ll deal with the consequences after, but by then, hopefully we’ll have some news that can help Quinn.”

  “Exactly,” Sasha said.

  “All right. I guess we’re doing this, then,” Allie said nervously.

  “Not a word of this to Darius.” Aidan shot Allie a glare.

  “Not a word about what to whom?”

  They all jumped at the sound of Darius’s voice echoing down the hall. Allie turned to see him at the door a moment later.

  “Sorry, there isn’t much I can’t hear, guys. Now what’s this ridiculous idea about sneaking off to Amrita?” He waggled his eyebrows devilishly as he flopped onto the sofa beside Allie.

  “How do you know about it?” she asked.

  “You forget, I’m Unproven too, killer. I get the emails.”

  “Darius,” Aidan said. “Just forget whatever you heard.”

  “You taking a page out of my book, little bro? Naomi and I took Erin and Dean there when it first came to the U.S.—but think again. Gregg will flip his biscuits if he finds out you guys even know about Amrita.”

  “Come on, Darius!” Chloe begged. “You know we’re the only ones who can get in without causing suspicion.”

  “You guys might feel confident risking the wrath of Gregg and Naeemah, but that situation looks a lot different this side of eighteen. Dad will just kill me if he finds out I let you go, but mom will give me the ‘I’m-so-disappointed-in-you-Darius’ look. She’s too good at making her momma’s boys feel like total a-holes when we’ve screwed up. Sorry, guys. It’s not happening.”

  “Dare?” Allie said. “It’s not just about Amrita. Please, just look the other way.”

  “Oh no, put those green eyes away. I can’t let you do this. I know you think you’re going to get a lead on Quinn. But that’s why I’m going. Alone.”

  “Well … what if you come with us? You know, like for protection. A chaperone.”

  “Lex, be serious,” Aidan said. “He’s not coming.”

  “I am going,” Darius said. “Alone. And if I see you guys there, I’m bringing you right back home and then no one will get the chance to do any digging.”

  “I’m totally serious. Darius, six pairs of eyes and ears will be so much better,” Allie said.

  “And with your cop stink, you aren’t going to find out anything, anyway,” Aidan added.

  “Please, Darius?” Sasha said softly. “I need to do this. I need to do something before I lose my mind. Once we’re in, Dad can’t come barreling in after us. We’ll deal with the consequences after, but it’ll be worth it if we can find a new lead on these Soma people.”

  “Oh, blue eyes. Not you too?” Darius sighed.

  “Please, Darius?” Chloe added softly.

  “Fine. I’m a sucker for the begging. I’ll go with you on one very important condition.”

  “Sure,” Allie agreed.

  “You all have to listen to me. That includes you too, little brother.” He glared at Aidan. “We are going there to listen and observe. None of you will be getting in over your heads. If you see anything suspicious, you come to me and I will handle it. Are we clear?”

  “Yes, yes. Thank you!” Sasha readily agreed.

  “Are we clear, Aidan?” Darius asked again. “If I’m going to be the pseudo-adult in this situation, I need to know you will listen to me. I’m not trying to take over, but I’ve been to Amrita before and I know how crazy it can get. You think it’s just all about fun and goofing off, but people take this seriously and a lot of shady shit goes on there. You gotta work with me on this, bro.”

  “Fine.”

  “Guys, don’t make me live to regret this.”

  ~~~

  Allie tossed and turned in a fitful sleep. Her nose burned from the acrid smell of smoke, and the heat of the fires had her face flushed hot and her pulse racing. Ever since Liam had started working with her on her dreams, she dreamed often of fire and rage—of a bloody world filled with darkness and fear, and so much anger. But it never coalesced into anything she could understand. The terror continued to plague her with no end in sight. But this dream was different. She could hear screams echoing in the forest, but she couldn’t seem to find the source.

  “Mom!” The terrified shriek filled the night
.

  “Chloe?” Allie ran through the hazy forest until she stumbled onto an empty path. Her heart nearly beat out of her chest with the intensity of her fear. She couldn’t see anything that truly frightened her, but she could sense the chaos happening all around her.

  “Chloe, you shouldn’t be here,” Jin cried, his voice anguished. “Go now; we cannot stay with you.” The voices came from a great distance, but Allie could hear their distress. Ming Lao’s wails chilled her to the bone. Something was wrong. Something unnatural.

  Everywhere she turned, raging fire blocked her path and Allie grew angrier and more frightened with every step—not for herself, but for Chloe’s family.

  “Chloe!” Ming Lao screamed.

  Allie could sense their struggle, but she couldn’t see it. She could hear Chloe’s tortured cries and the clash of weapons as Jin and Ming fought to protect themselves and their daughter. From what, Allie couldn’t see.

  “Allie? Please help them,” Chloe sobbed, appearing just ahead of her along the dark path. Her face was streaked with soot and tears, but it was as if Chloe was trapped in some other world where she could see the things Allie couldn’t. Just as quickly as she’d appeared, she vanished.

  Allie wandered along the forest path until she caught the scent of apples and found herself alone in an orchard. She searched through the rows of trees until she found Chloe again, standing at the edge of the forest. Allie took a step closer, but Chloe pointed behind her and she whirled to see the fires bearing down upon them.

  “We have to save them, Allie. Both of them.”

  The fire blazed hot, blistering Allie’s skin, and the smoke suffocated her. But the rage filled her, overwhelming her fear. With an otherworldly shriek, Allie threw her head back and her screams echoed in the darkness as she lost her battle with the rage boiling inside of her.

  She blacked out when the chaos won and her dreams pulled her in another direction. Soon she bobbed among the lazy waves of the lake marshes, drifting in the small boat as the snakes teemed in the waters around her. This time she didn’t panic. She had no idea what she was supposed to discern from the things she saw, but she refused to be pulled under again. She would not be undone.

  She concentrated and a paddle appeared in the boat. Allie made her way toward the shore. The snakes continued to writhe, twisting around each other and biting themselves. She ignored them, setting her sights on the horizon in the distance as she paddled into the deeper waters.

  “The snakes are just a symbol. They can’t hurt me now.”

  ~~~

  Allie choked on the smoke filling her lungs. Arms and legs flailing, she landed with a thud on her bedroom floor, a tangled mass of hair and sheets and … blood.

  “You do that a lot,” Liam said.

  “What, fall out of bed?” Allie grimaced as she wiped her bloody hands on the sheets. They had only been working together for a short time, but she’d made little to no progress, still struggling with the bizarre nightmares that didn’t make any sense.

  “You clench your fists till your nails puncture your skin. I’ve tried to make you stop, but you’re damned strong. I’m going to start making you sleep with stress balls taped to your hands if you don’t stop it.”

  “Har, har, mister funny man.” Her legs shook beneath her as she stood and she dropped to the bed with a groan. Nothing was worse than waking up feeling like you hadn’t slept in a month.

  “You overslept. I tried to wake you. Better get moving if you don’t want to be late for school.”

  “Maybe I’ll skip.”

  “Maybe I’ll give you detention.”

  “Maybe I’ll be late?” She gave him her most pitiful look.

  “Maybe I’ll look the other way.” Liam winked. “See you in class, little one.” He turned to go and halted at the door. “It may not seem like it now, but you are making progress.”

  ~~~

  CHAPTER

  SIXTEEN

  “Hey, sweetheart, what can I help you with?”

  Allie smiled at the gruff old police officer as she entered the precinct. She was looking for Darius. After a few days of dealing with a new gift that was driving her crazy, she realized Darius could probably help her. And if he couldn’t, it was going to officially drive her over the edge.

  “I’m looking for, er … Detective McBrien?” She’d just finished training for the day and since Emma hadn’t been much help, she came looking for Darius. Emma’s advice was to suck it up and deal with it as part of her clairvoyance, but there had to be something more she could do.

  “Sure thing. You his kid sister or something?”

  “Er … something like that.”

  “Straight back to the left. You should find him at his desk—if he hasn’t eaten it,” he added dryly.

  Allie made her way to the back of the office, watching Darius as she approached. He was yelling at someone on the phone. He’d sensed her, but was preoccupied with his work.

  “Allie.” He sighed, running his hands through his hair in frustration. “You okay, sweetheart?”

  “Just hoping to talk. I suppose I should have called first.” He was different here. This was not Dare. This was Detective McBrien, the youngest on homicide in the whole CPD.

  “Give me five minutes? I was just going out to find some decent coffee and dinner.”

  “Sure.”

  She watched him make a few more phone calls and bark out orders to the sergeant at the front desk.

  “Let’s go, killer.” He was gruff and distant as he hung up the phone. She couldn’t tell if he was annoyed with her for just showing up.

  “Are you sure? It can wait.”

  “Get me out of here, Red. I’m seriously cranky, in need of some food and caffeine. And despite my bad manners, I’m very happy to see you.” He gave her a smile.

  “Sergeant, be back in an hour; taking my little cousin out for dinner.” Darius shrugged into his jacket and motioned for her to follow.

  She’d never felt like such a kid before in her life.

  “You coming?” He winked and she got a glimpse of the Darius she knew.

  “Right behind you, Dare.” She followed him out of the precinct.

  As they walked along the busy sidewalk she saw him relax. The transformation was extremely odd. One minute he was like a stranger. Detective McBrien, someone his colleagues respected and probably feared more than just a little. Then he was her good buddy, Dare, completely at ease with her as he always was. Giving her the smile that made her heart do those annoying somersaults in her chest.

  “Sorry about the 'little cousin' thing. I had to come up with something to make me not look like a total perv. I’m two very different people and it’s not often my two lives collide.”

  “I should have called.”

  “You can come visit me anytime you like. I just worry that seeing me like that might confuse you … and my coworkers.”

  “There's not much about you that isn't confusing, Dare.”

  “I could say the same for you,” he muttered. “But I love my job. It’s the only place I get to be an adult, where people actually take me seriously. But I also love going back to school with you guys. It gives me a chance to really be myself in a way I haven’t been able to do in a really long time.”

  “Let’s get you some food. And then I’m going to need your help.”

  “Bad pizza okay?”

  “I love bad pizza—just don't tell Naeemah I'm about to eat my weight in cheese.”

  “What diet? I don't know anything about a diet.” He led her around the street corner to a dive pizzeria he claimed had the best bad pizza in the city.

  Allie slid into the thread-worn booth, her stomach growling in anticipation of something delicious for a change.

  “What can I get you?” the waitress asked.

  “White pizza with extra cheese, a side of chicken wings, and a giant Coke,” Allie said.

  “We’re out of the Caesar salad, but I can get you the antipasto; i
t’s really good if you’re in the mood for salad. We have bottled water and hot tea to drink.” The girl gave her a blank stare.

  “No, I want pizza.” Allie nearly cried. Naeemah had hit just about every restaurant in the city. Every time she ordered a burger and fries, she got broth soup and a club sandwich on wheat with no mayo and turkey bacon. If she ordered pizza, she got salad. Allie banged her head on the table in frustration. “If she brings me salad, I refuse to eat it.”

  “I’ll have a white pizza and a double-pepperoni pizza, breadsticks, a basket of wings, and two large Cokes,” Darius ordered for them.

  “Thank you,” Allie muttered.

  “So how do you need my help?” Darius asked.

  “I’ve got something emerging, some sort of extension of my clairvoyance. And it’s driving me insane.”

  “Not that I’m disappointed, but why did you come to me?”

  “It reminds me of your gift. The way you said you can just see what you see about people with little control.”

  “How’s it manifesting for you?”

  “It’s like I can see a person’s true nature. Like I can … weigh their character.”

  “So you can tell the good guys from the bad guys?”

  “It’s just there. All of a sudden. Like our waitress, she’s an absolute angel—besides the fact that she wants to bring me rabbit food. She’s kindhearted, would give a total stranger her last dollar. But that guy over there—he’s selfish, greedy, and lazy. And I just see it, plain as day. Like he has a neon sign flashing ‘douche-nugget’ over his head.”

  “Want a job? I could park you in front of the precinct and you could just arrest all the bad guys. Make my job easier. I could sit at my desk, play a video game. Take a nap.”

  “How do you do it, Dare? You observe people so easily. You see and you know so much about the people you interact with. How do you ignore it when it’s there all the time? Can you turn it off?”

  “Nope. It’s one reason why I do what I do. I meet someone like Mr. Black Soul over there—which BTWs, I agree with your assessment. He’s a criminal just waiting for his next golden opportunity. So I’ll keep my eye on him and those like him, and when I can catch them in the act, I do.”