Emerge: The Captive: (Book 3)(30)

James swallowed, staring out the window as he considered what Quinn said.

“Whatever you’re seeing about my friend, please don’t tell anyone,” Quinn asked in the silence.

He wasn’t sure how Allie qualified as someone important—other than the fact she was one of the two most powerful Immortals of their generation. He had no doubt that Allie and Aidan would be important someday, but right now they were just kids. What could James possibly see about them that would inspire prophecy? Prophecy concerning an underground Immortal nightclub?

“It seems I have a vested interest in keeping that secret now more than ever,” James said softly.

Quinn felt bad about exposing James’s secret like that. But he was certain he was looking at the first prophet of their generation. Prophets were only born when the world had need of them and they were often abused for their power. James really needed to get as far away from Soma as he possibly could. He needed a proper mentor to teach him and help him prepare for his Proving.

“You’ve just been teaching yourself? Running on instinct?”

James nodded. “It’s my only option. “If they knew….”

“Can I really trust you?” Quinn knew Livia wanted to get her hands on Allie and the rest of his family, but he wasn’t sure he could trust James to keep the little information he had about Allie to himself.

“You think I’m the enemy,” James said. “But I don’t offer information to Soma unless they ask, and when they do, I’m intentionally vague. It’s saved me from a worse fate than this cushy job. I’ll be at Amrita. I always have to go. Apparently I’m a good recruiter. I’ll make sure we don’t recruit your friends. They’ll be fine.”

“Can you give her a message?” Quinn asked. “The redhead.” It was a reckless request but he was desperate.

“Depends on the message.”

“Tell her they need to forget about me. I don’t want any of them looking for me anymore. It’s too risky. Tell her … tell her I’m okay and I’m handling it.”

James nodded. “I can respect that. I’ll see she gets the message. And don’t worry. You can trust me, Quinn.”

“Please don’t make me regret it,” Quinn said.

“You just concentrate on not giving Livia a reason to go after Graham, and I’ll handle keeping her away from the redhead. I may not be a hero, ready to die vanquishing the evils of Soma, but I’m also not an asshole.”

~~~



* * *



1 Rigveda 8.48.3





CHAPTER

TEN





Sasha: Summer


The Chola Valley Temple


Sasha stared up at the early evening stars as she stepped over the mosaic threshold at her feet. Something about crossing into the valley had both Jayesh and Imogen visibly anxious.

“There is no turning back now,” Jay whispered. “We are here for the duration.”

“How did … what is this?” Sasha screwed her eyes up against the blazing afternoon sun. “Oh!” she gasped as the Chola temple appeared in the valley below. The sun shone brightly when only a moment ago it was nearing nightfall.

“Give us a minute, Jay,” Gen whispered as she took Sasha’s hand. “Welcome to the Chola Valley.”

Hidden far from mortal eyes and nestled in a verdant green valley, the temple had a timeless quality about it. Like something from the ancient past, but at the same time, it was in pristine condition. Towering gatehouses stood at the north and south ends of the walled structure, each at least eight stories high and carved with intricate patterns of relief sculpture. The gatehouses at the eastern and western walls were half the size. The gardens within the temple walls bloomed bright, with trees and bushes shielding the inner wall that housed the temple. Fifteen stories of carved stone stood at the center of the grounds, surrounded by four quadrants of smaller temples and pavilions with cloistered paths connecting the walkways.

“Time is different here, Sasha,” Imogen said gently. “There is no rhyme or reason to it. While six weeks will pass at home, for us, it could feel like months or even years here. Mother Raghavan is gifted in many ways. She will teach her students what they need to learn in the time that is needed for them to learn it. The outside world and the river of time is of no concern to her. While we are here, it will be like stepping into the past. The days will blend together and you will lose all sense of time.”

“And how long were you here before?” Sasha was almost too afraid to ask.

“I was gone from my home only a few months,” Imogen said.

“But it seemed longer?”

“Nearly a decade by my count,” Jayesh answered, staring across the valley. “But it could have been longer.” He shrugged. “It takes as long as it takes.”

Sasha sank to her knees on the steps. I can’t do this. Even if was only six weeks of her life at home, she wasn’t sure she could live through the months and years it could be for her in this place. She was already so anxious to get this business behind her.

“How could you not tell me?” Sasha glared at her sister.

“One must come to the mother in ignorance. Many do not realize how this place works until they leave and return to their own time. It was a necessary deception, sister. Take comfort in knowing your life is on pause until you learn what is needed from the mother.”