that!”
“You needed me.” He shrugged as if that settled it.
Allie couldn’t fathom the sacrifice he’d made to be with her through the most terrifying day of her life.
“Why did you cut yourself?” He stroked his thumb across her injured palm.
“How did you know I did it to myself?”
“My gift.” He thumped his temple. “I can tell it was self-inflicted, but I’m afraid I can’t heal an equal.”
“What does that mean?”
“We’re all powerful, Lex—some more than others. It seems you and I are equally powerful, so we kinda cancel each other out. It would take a lot of practice and most of my strength to heal this little cut and it still might not be enough. For you. Anyone else wouldn’t be a problem.”
“What aren’t you telling me?”
“Do you have any idea how hard it’s been to dodge your questions?” He leaned back against the gnarled tree, draping his arm around her with a reluctant sigh.
“In the past, when you’ve encountered others like us, what have you felt?”
“Curiosity, like I desperately wanted to connect.”
“Did you ever fear for your safety?”
“Just once.”
“This morning?”
She nodded. “You’re…dangerous?”
“So are you. I’m told most Immortals feel fear when they encounter an equal or more powerful Immortal, but today was a first for me. I’ve felt intimidated by the few extremely ancient ones I’ve met, but never anything like that.”
“So you’re saying…in all your life, you’ve never met anyone more powerful than yourself?” Her mouth went dry as she tried to swallow.
“I have not, but you are within a hair of being more powerful than me.”
“So that’s what this is between us? Power?”
“You know it’s more than just that, Lex. But yes, we are equals.”
“I don’t feel powerful.”
“You must have experienced the isolation?”
“People are afraid? Of me?”
“Sometimes it’s fear, sometimes fascination or deep loathing. Like how Vince hates me for no reason.”
“I’m not so sure it’s for no reason,” she muttered.
“It's instinctual. They can't help it.”
“But, I'm not even remotely scary.”
“You’d be surprised.” He smiled. “I’ve told you how much your friendship means to me. I’ve never—ever, been with someone who feels one hundred percent comfortable with me the way you do. My own mother flinches if I get too close,” he said sadly. “You saw it that day in the grotto and you knew enough to offer me the comfort of your touch. You can’t possibly know what that little gesture meant. It still amazes me that I can hold your hand and you don’t recoil the way Sasha did with you earlier. You’ve got a lot on your plate, but I’m here for you; whatever you need, whenever you need it.”
“So what else can you do?” she asked, eager to change the subject.
“Not much. I have enormous potential, but I’m still very young so I have a lot of work ahead of me. I have the typical enhanced senses. I’m fast, but not as fast as Graham and Sasha. I regenerate a little quicker than others my age, which probably has something to do with my gift.”
“Speaking of crazy, rapid healing. You did burn your hands in the fire, didn’t you?”
“Yes, but your burns were much worse at first. You were within days of your Awakening, and it seems your body managed to speed your healing along when you weren’t looking. You were so distraught and so pissed off when we wouldn’t give you answers. We were actually afraid the whole thing might send you into an early Awakening, which would have been catastrophic. You would have suffered the consequences forever. I was an absolute wreck trying to steer you away from all the questions, and I hated myself every time you insisted you weren't crazy. You didn’t deserve that. I shouldn’t have let any of it happen. Everything just fell apart so fast!”
“Aidan, how could you have stopped it?”
“I started it, Allie.”
“How?
“You needed me.” He shrugged as if that settled it.
Allie couldn’t fathom the sacrifice he’d made to be with her through the most terrifying day of her life.
“Why did you cut yourself?” He stroked his thumb across her injured palm.
“How did you know I did it to myself?”
“My gift.” He thumped his temple. “I can tell it was self-inflicted, but I’m afraid I can’t heal an equal.”
“What does that mean?”
“We’re all powerful, Lex—some more than others. It seems you and I are equally powerful, so we kinda cancel each other out. It would take a lot of practice and most of my strength to heal this little cut and it still might not be enough. For you. Anyone else wouldn’t be a problem.”
“What aren’t you telling me?”
“Do you have any idea how hard it’s been to dodge your questions?” He leaned back against the gnarled tree, draping his arm around her with a reluctant sigh.
“In the past, when you’ve encountered others like us, what have you felt?”
“Curiosity, like I desperately wanted to connect.”
“Did you ever fear for your safety?”
“Just once.”
“This morning?”
She nodded. “You’re…dangerous?”
“So are you. I’m told most Immortals feel fear when they encounter an equal or more powerful Immortal, but today was a first for me. I’ve felt intimidated by the few extremely ancient ones I’ve met, but never anything like that.”
“So you’re saying…in all your life, you’ve never met anyone more powerful than yourself?” Her mouth went dry as she tried to swallow.
“I have not, but you are within a hair of being more powerful than me.”
“So that’s what this is between us? Power?”
“You know it’s more than just that, Lex. But yes, we are equals.”
“I don’t feel powerful.”
“You must have experienced the isolation?”
“People are afraid? Of me?”
“Sometimes it’s fear, sometimes fascination or deep loathing. Like how Vince hates me for no reason.”
“I’m not so sure it’s for no reason,” she muttered.
“It's instinctual. They can't help it.”
“But, I'm not even remotely scary.”
“You’d be surprised.” He smiled. “I’ve told you how much your friendship means to me. I’ve never—ever, been with someone who feels one hundred percent comfortable with me the way you do. My own mother flinches if I get too close,” he said sadly. “You saw it that day in the grotto and you knew enough to offer me the comfort of your touch. You can’t possibly know what that little gesture meant. It still amazes me that I can hold your hand and you don’t recoil the way Sasha did with you earlier. You’ve got a lot on your plate, but I’m here for you; whatever you need, whenever you need it.”
“So what else can you do?” she asked, eager to change the subject.
“Not much. I have enormous potential, but I’m still very young so I have a lot of work ahead of me. I have the typical enhanced senses. I’m fast, but not as fast as Graham and Sasha. I regenerate a little quicker than others my age, which probably has something to do with my gift.”
“Speaking of crazy, rapid healing. You did burn your hands in the fire, didn’t you?”
“Yes, but your burns were much worse at first. You were within days of your Awakening, and it seems your body managed to speed your healing along when you weren’t looking. You were so distraught and so pissed off when we wouldn’t give you answers. We were actually afraid the whole thing might send you into an early Awakening, which would have been catastrophic. You would have suffered the consequences forever. I was an absolute wreck trying to steer you away from all the questions, and I hated myself every time you insisted you weren't crazy. You didn’t deserve that. I shouldn’t have let any of it happen. Everything just fell apart so fast!”
“Aidan, how could you have stopped it?”
“I started it, Allie.”
“How?
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