to slow. For most, the slowing is almost imperceptible. For me, it began in my late twenties, but here I am nearly five centuries later and it’s as if little more than a year or two has passed, but it will never truly cease.”
“Can you still die of old age?”
“I suppose it is possible, but I have never met anyone so old.” She smiled.
“Show me what you can do, Naeemah. I think it will help.”
Allie watched her gather a pile of twigs and rocks and stared in wonder as she sent the debris swirling and dancing into the air.
“That was amazing!”
“I keep waiting for the moment when this becomes too much for you and you run away screaming. I shouldn’t underestimate you,” she said. “There is one more thing you should see, to help put things into perspective.” She took a small sharp knife from her hip and sliced open her hand.
Before she could even react, Naeemah began to heal. Allie watched, mesmerized, as the bleeding slowed and the gash became an angry line against her golden skin. Within minutes, the wound faded and soon no evidence of the injury remained.
“This is too much!” She reached for the knife.
“Allie! No!”
“Ahh!” she cried as the knife bit into her skin and blood filled her palm.
“I’m so sorry! I should have warned you. You’re still very young. You will not regenerate as quickly.”
“It feels different. The pain is dull.” Allie watched, transfixed as the minutes passed and the bleeding slowed. Soon the ache subsided almost completely. Her eyes swam with fresh tears when she realized this was no nightmare. Life as she had known it was over and nothing would ever be the same.
“I’m Immortal.” She cried on Naeemah’s shoulder for the normal life she would never know.
“How is she?” Aidan asked as he approached.
“She’s just having a moment.”
“What’s wrong? Eternal life is good news.” His tone held such concern, she choked on a sob as she reached for him.
“Please don’t cry, Lex.” He settled her on his lap. “Your tears are like a knife in the gut and there’s nothing I can do to make it better.”
“We have covered the essentials.” Naeemah rose to her feet. “She is going to need your friendship more than anything right now, son. You need to let her mourn her loss.”
Allie saw the worried look on her face as she left them sitting silently under the laurel tree. She couldn’t tell if her concern was for Allie’s situation or the way Aidan held her, gently stroking her hair.
<><><>
CHAPTER
THIRTEEN
“How do you feel?” Aidan’s brow furrowed in concern.
“I’m not sure.” She leaned back and wiped her face on her sleeve. “Sorry, I snotted your shirt.”
“It’s okay. I know this is intense, but there are certain things you need to hear from me. I’m just going to talk and if it gets to be too much I’ll stop.”
“Are you about to tell me why you are the only person who’s ever been completely comfortable with me?” she gave a final sniff.
“I wasn’t sure you recognized it so clearly. How long have you understood we’re the same?”
“Always,” she said.
“Your intuition is strong, Lex.”
“I am what we call a Healer,” he continued after a long pause. “I’m very young, so I can only heal ordinary cuts and scrapes. I can sooth emotions too. It’s why Dad said I was a fixer. It’s just in my nature to help when someone is struggling—especially someone I care about. My gift…it’s who I am. It’s always felt so wrong that you haven’t known the real me. ”
“Aidan, you are the most compassionate person I know. I may not have known the details, but it suits you.”
“You should probably know that I can sense when someone is in pain. I feel a shadow of what they feel,” he added reluctantly.
“My Awakening?” Her eyes narrowed to slits. “You felt it?”
“Keep your hair on. I have a high tolerance for pain.”
“Aidan, why would you willingly put yourself through
“Can you still die of old age?”
“I suppose it is possible, but I have never met anyone so old.” She smiled.
“Show me what you can do, Naeemah. I think it will help.”
Allie watched her gather a pile of twigs and rocks and stared in wonder as she sent the debris swirling and dancing into the air.
“That was amazing!”
“I keep waiting for the moment when this becomes too much for you and you run away screaming. I shouldn’t underestimate you,” she said. “There is one more thing you should see, to help put things into perspective.” She took a small sharp knife from her hip and sliced open her hand.
Before she could even react, Naeemah began to heal. Allie watched, mesmerized, as the bleeding slowed and the gash became an angry line against her golden skin. Within minutes, the wound faded and soon no evidence of the injury remained.
“This is too much!” She reached for the knife.
“Allie! No!”
“Ahh!” she cried as the knife bit into her skin and blood filled her palm.
“I’m so sorry! I should have warned you. You’re still very young. You will not regenerate as quickly.”
“It feels different. The pain is dull.” Allie watched, transfixed as the minutes passed and the bleeding slowed. Soon the ache subsided almost completely. Her eyes swam with fresh tears when she realized this was no nightmare. Life as she had known it was over and nothing would ever be the same.
“I’m Immortal.” She cried on Naeemah’s shoulder for the normal life she would never know.
“How is she?” Aidan asked as he approached.
“She’s just having a moment.”
“What’s wrong? Eternal life is good news.” His tone held such concern, she choked on a sob as she reached for him.
“Please don’t cry, Lex.” He settled her on his lap. “Your tears are like a knife in the gut and there’s nothing I can do to make it better.”
“We have covered the essentials.” Naeemah rose to her feet. “She is going to need your friendship more than anything right now, son. You need to let her mourn her loss.”
Allie saw the worried look on her face as she left them sitting silently under the laurel tree. She couldn’t tell if her concern was for Allie’s situation or the way Aidan held her, gently stroking her hair.
<><><>
CHAPTER
THIRTEEN
“How do you feel?” Aidan’s brow furrowed in concern.
“I’m not sure.” She leaned back and wiped her face on her sleeve. “Sorry, I snotted your shirt.”
“It’s okay. I know this is intense, but there are certain things you need to hear from me. I’m just going to talk and if it gets to be too much I’ll stop.”
“Are you about to tell me why you are the only person who’s ever been completely comfortable with me?” she gave a final sniff.
“I wasn’t sure you recognized it so clearly. How long have you understood we’re the same?”
“Always,” she said.
“Your intuition is strong, Lex.”
“I am what we call a Healer,” he continued after a long pause. “I’m very young, so I can only heal ordinary cuts and scrapes. I can sooth emotions too. It’s why Dad said I was a fixer. It’s just in my nature to help when someone is struggling—especially someone I care about. My gift…it’s who I am. It’s always felt so wrong that you haven’t known the real me. ”
“Aidan, you are the most compassionate person I know. I may not have known the details, but it suits you.”
“You should probably know that I can sense when someone is in pain. I feel a shadow of what they feel,” he added reluctantly.
“My Awakening?” Her eyes narrowed to slits. “You felt it?”
“Keep your hair on. I have a high tolerance for pain.”
“Aidan, why would you willingly put yourself through
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