The buzzing of a commlink alarm woke Carl the next morning. With a grunt, he reached over and grabbed the device. He rubbed his eyes, trying to focus on the screen to determine if there were any messages requiring his immediate attention.
The first was an urgent message from OmniLab. They’d issued an edict declaring the towers and surrounding areas on high alert due to the surveillance aircraft sighting. There was a secondary message from Alec with another strongly worded request to bring Kayla to the towers for her protection, especially in light of this newest development. The third message was from Xantham. He’d managed to extract a few images of the aircraft from the surveillance feed yesterday. They’d already been sent to OmniLab for analysis.
With a sigh, Carl tossed the commlink back onto the nightstand before rolling over and propping himself up on one arm to look down at Kayla curled up against him. It was so contrary to her normally independent and free-spirited nature. He’d never seen anyone look as peaceful and angelic when they slept. It made him hesitant to disturb her. It also brought out every single one of his protective instincts. She’d become an important part of his life in such a short amount of time.
Carl bent down and lightly kissed her nose. The blanket had shifted around her hips sometime during the night, leaving a teasing expanse of soft skin exposed. His eyes roamed over the curves of her lush body, and he cursed his luck. Any other time, he’d consider pushing back their trip for a few hours.
Kayla was indifferent to her natural beauty. In Carl’s opinion, it only added to her appeal. She was petite in stature, but the same couldn’t be said about her personality. Surprisingly strong-willed and fiery in nature, she had a tendency toward being stubborn and obstinate. Underneath, though, she was far more complex and sensitive than he’d ever imagined.
Her shoulder-length dark hair fanned across the pillow, and he carefully brushed it away from her face. Trailing his fingers across the softness of her cheek, they brushed against dark lashes. Her eyes remained closed, but he knew once they opened, he’d be looking into the most striking green eyes he’d ever seen. From the moment he’d first seen her, she’d captivated and intrigued him.
“Good morning, sweetheart.”
At the sound of his voice, Kayla opened her eyes and gave him a sleepy smile. She stretched, causing the blankets to shift even more. His eyes followed their movement, appreciating the rather tantalizing glimpses of what lay beneath.
She raised an eyebrow at his expression. “Mmm. I know that look.”
Of course she did. Any man with a pulse would have that look if they had her sleepy, naked form in their bed. He’d bet the rest of his OmniLab contract that most of them daydreamed about it. At least he had the privilege of knowing the reality was even better than the fantasy.
The thought of his OmniLab contract brought him back to the present. As much as he’d like spending the rest of the day in bed with his beautiful siren, pissing off the higher powers in the towers wasn’t the best idea. He was already on Alec’s shit list.
With a pang of regret, Carl bent down and brushed his lips softly against hers. “I’m sure you do. But sadly, we’re going to have to get going this morning. We’ve got a long drive ahead of us to get to the towers.”
Kayla shifted and lightly kissed his neck. Trailing kisses upward toward his ear, she flicked her tongue against his earlobe. “You don’t really want to rush out of here, do you?”
His willpower went out the window. They could spare an hour. Maybe two. This woman owned him, body and soul. Burying his face in her hair, he groaned and pulled her closer. “You’re an evil temptress.”
She laughed and wound her arms around him. He dipped his head to kiss her when his commlink began beeping from the nightstand. With a curse, he rolled away and switched it to audio before answering.
A familiar voice came over the communication device. “Good morning, Carl. Sorry for disturbing you so early, but we had an unidentified aircraft flying through our district about an hour ago. Director Borshin mentioned you reported a similar incident yesterday.”
“Good to hear from you, Rand.” Carl sat up, his attention now completely focused on the call from the other trader. Another sighting in the neighboring district didn’t bode well. “It happened late yesterday afternoon. Were you able to capture an image?”
“Yes,” Rand replied. “We sent it to OmniLab already. I’ll forward a copy of the image to you too. They were flying low, and it’s possible they were conducting some sort of surveillance of the area. You should hear from the towers shortly if you haven’t already. They’re talking about possibly recalling us. Have you had any other sightings?”
“Not to my knowledge. I have an appointment at the towers later today so I’m getting ready to head there now. Have you spoken with the other traders?”
“Not yet. Director Borshin indicated you were the only one to file a report.”
Carl frowned and considered the possibilities. He shared the area to the east of the towers with Rand. It was possible that whoever was piloting the aircraft just hadn’t moved into the other districts yet. “I’ll have Cruncher send you a copy of our surveillance video from yesterday. Let me know if you find out anything else.”
“Will do. Take care and give my best to Kayla.”
Carl said his goodbyes and terminated the transmission. Kayla placed her hand on his arm, drawing his attention. “You’re worried, aren’t you?”
“A bit. I have a bad feeling about this. As far as I know, there aren’t many other facilities with surveillance aircraft. If someone else is mapping OmniLab territory, this could be a problem.”
“Maybe we should put off returning to OmniLab until we learn more,” she suggested. “I could ask Alec to hold off on the audit thing for a while.”
Carl didn’t answer right away. Part of him was tempted to stay and keep an eye on the situation, but if there was a potential danger, he wanted Kayla in the towers where she’d be safe. After her confession last night, he knew there was no way she’d willingly go to the towers without him. He also needed to get to the bottom of this audit request.
Leaning forward, Carl brushed a kiss across her forehead. Kayla had enough on her plate without needing to concern herself with everything else. “It’ll be fine. If there are any more sightings, we can come back. Cruncher will contact us if anything comes up.”
“I guess you’re right.” Kayla frowned. It was clear she still wasn’t thrilled with returning to the towers. Her reluctance filled him with a small measure of satisfaction. Aside from OmniLab’s frequent nosing in their affairs, the past several weeks with her had been wonderful. He didn’t care much for the thought of sharing her again with Alec—even temporarily.
Alec could be conniving when it suited him, and he’d obviously set his sights on Kayla as the prize. With the way they’d left things in the towers, Carl had no illusions that Alec would do whatever was necessary to work his way into her life. He’d been making Carl’s work life a living hell for the past month, piling on additional work in the form of tweaking their existing safety procedures, monitoring their comms, insisting upon daily schedule logs, and now this audit had landed on his desk. It didn’t matter that his camp was the smallest of the trading camps and they were short-staffed. Alec kept reminding him he could easily be replaced and recalled to the towers if he didn’t toe the line.
So far, he’d managed to handle things, but it didn’t look like they’d let up anytime soon. He’d played off some of his concerns to Kayla about the audit, but he was worried. There wasn’t anything for OmniLab to find, but he wasn’t sure how far Alec would go in his pursuit. The sooner they resolved the situation with that damned bond, the better. If the only way to do that was to have Kayla return to the towers, Carl was determined to be right there with her. He just hoped this decision wouldn’t backfire on him.
Forcing a smile he didn’t quite feel, he tried to bury his concerns. “Why don’t you get ready to go? I’ll let Cruncher know what’s going on and ask him to send the images to Rand.”
Kayla hesitated for a moment, searching his expression. He kept his face blank and remained silent, hoping she wouldn’t press the issue. After a long moment, she shrugged and climbed out of bed. Tossing a sultry look over her shoulder, she blew him a kiss before stepping inside the bathroom.
Carl watched her go, resisting the temptation to join her. With a sigh, he shook his head and began to dress. Unlike most other relationships, this one continued to confound him. Of course Kayla wouldn’t pry. It seemed to be an unspoken rule with most ruin rats. Sometimes it was amazing he’d made as much progress with her as he had. Kayla had no problem with the physical aspects of their relationship, but any hint of discussing emotions had her looking for the nearest exit.
Ruin rats were transient in nature. Even though she might have strong feelings for him, she shied away from putting them into words. One of these days, he’d manage to bridge all of her walls. In the meantime, Carl reminded himself to be patient. So far, she hadn’t run. As long as he let her set the pace, she continued to let him deeper into her world.
With one last longing glance toward the shower area, he headed out of the room.
Cruncher, Jinx, Zane, and Lisia were in the common room having breakfast and greeted him when he entered. Jinx was a tall, willowy, redheaded woman who had been working as a scavenger for him for the past three years. He’d come to depend on her quick mind, cool temper, and knack for helping to diffuse tense situations in the camp.
Zane was a blond man with fair skin and an average build. Carl had recruited him from the same ruin rat camp where he’d met Jinx three years earlier. Zane was an excellent scavenger with an almost uncanny knack for working locks and getting into tight spaces. He’d immediately impressed Carl. Zane and Kayla frequently challenged one another. Their playful competitiveness only helped to enhance their already remarkable skills.
Lisia, on the other hand, was a problem that needed to be remedied soon. Carl had been briefly involved with her before meeting Kayla. Unfortunately, Lisia harbored some rather intense resentment toward Kayla and Carl’s blossoming relationship. Because of the tension, he’d been giving serious weight to Jinx’s suggestion about transferring both Lisia and her brother, Elyot, to Rand’s camp. The loss of Elyot would be a hardship, but it might be worth it to have less discord within the compound. Once the audit was complete, he’d speak to Rand about the possibility and begin looking for crew replacements. Either that, or they might be able to work out a personnel trade.
Carl walked over to the table. “Sorry to interrupt your breakfast, but I just heard from Rand.”
Cruncher swallowed a bite of his food. “Something up, Boss?”
“Possibly,” Carl said and told them about the call.
Zane shook his head. “I was with Xantham last night when he was monitoring the comms and radar. There weren’t any other sightings in our district.”
Carl didn’t bother to hide his relief at the news. “Good. I was debating whether I should cancel my trip to OmniLab. Kayla agreed to go with me. Hopefully, we’ll get some answers when we get there.”
Cruncher snorted. “I bet she’s thrilled about that.”
“Not even close,” Carl replied.
“Veridian told me about the earthquake yesterday,” Jinx said with a frown. “We still don’t know what caused it, do we?”
Carl hesitated, wondering if Alec was right and Kayla had been responsible for it. There was no need to worry his crew about it though. “It’s on the list of things to find out. At the moment, I’m more concerned about this aircraft. Cruncher, Xantham managed to capture some images from the surveillance feed yesterday. I need you to send them to Rand when you’re done eating. If there’s any change or any other sightings, let me know and we’ll come back immediately.”
Lisia had been quiet up until this point. She stood and swept her curly blond hair back. “That’s all right, Carl. I need to do some work in the communications room anyway. I can take care of it for you.”
Carl raised an eyebrow, surprised at the unsolicited offer. Lisia wasn’t known for being particularly helpful, especially not lately. Cruncher seemed somewhat caught off guard, too, but shrugged.
“Makes no difference to me,” Cruncher replied and took another bite of his food. When Carl nodded in agreement, Lisia pasted on a polite smile. She dumped her tray into the recycler and headed out of the room.
“That was weird,” Zane muttered and looked around the table. “Anyone else think that was weird?”
“Leave it alone, Zane,” Jinx admonished with a wave of her fork. “I think it’s great she’s offering to help out. Maybe she’s turning over a new leaf. Besides, getting to know some other trader crews would be good for her.”
Carl pinched the bridge of his nose and didn’t comment. This new and improved version of Lisia wasn’t exactly trustworthy. Unless something dramatic had shifted in the past day, something was going on with her. He’d reminded Lisia a month ago that her and Elyot’s contracts were up for renewal, hoping the threat of not renewing with them would change her behavior. Unfortunately, it seemed to have made things worse. Lisia’s productivity, while never stellar, had diminished considerably until most of the camp was feeling the strain from picking up her deadweight.
Her changing behavior might be unexpected, but Carl wasn’t about to get into this discussion now. He’d deal with Lisia and her mood swings after returning from the towers.
After Kayla finished in Carl’s room, she returned to her private quarters to pack. She might spend most nights in his bed, but there was something to be said about enjoying her own private space too. Such a thing had been outside of her experience until she moved to the trader camp. It was still a novelty.
Carl had offered to move her belongings into his room, but she’d managed to dodge the issue so far, unsure she was ready for something so… permanent. As a general rule, ruin rats didn’t do permanent. Losing someone you cared about was hard enough, but when you dropped your defenses and had that expectation they would be there, your entire world could be upended once they were gone. She squeezed her eyes shut, remembering when Pretz had died. She’d been careless afterward, making so many mistakes. In their line of work, mistakes were frequently deadly.
If she’d had that much difficulty coping with Pretz’s death, losing Carl would be a thousand times worse. It was hard enough keeping a modicum of distance between her and Carl while living here in his camp, but she had the feeling it would evaporate entirely once she took that next step and moved into his room.
With a sigh, Kayla finished packing her bag and left it on the bed before heading toward the common room. Jinx and Zane were still finishing up breakfast when she entered.
“Morning, Kayla,” Zane greeted her. “We heard you and Carl are headed back to the towers.”
“Looks that way,” she admitted. Reaching over his shoulder, she grabbed a fruit stick off his tray and winked. He narrowed his eyes but allowed the theft and then chuckled.
Jinx pushed her tray aside and stood. “Could I talk to you, Kayla? I know you guys are trying to hurry and get out of here, but it’ll just take a minute.”
Kayla cocked her head and took a bite of the pilfered food. Jinx shifted from foot to foot, not meeting her gaze. The tall redhead was normally confident and self-assured, but something had Jinx nervous. Curious about the cause, Kayla nodded in agreement and followed Jinx to the workroom in the back of the camp.
The large room was originally designed as a practice room, but with all the new equipment Alec kept sending, it was now quickly becoming more of a secondary storage room. Kayla grumbled under her breath about the excess waste and carefully stepped around some boxes piled by the door. Maybe they could donate some of these things to her former ruin rat camp. They could use the extra supplies. Hell, Leo would probably dance around camp for a week when he got a look at some of these gizmos.
Jinx closed the door behind them and anxiously twirled a red curl around her finger. “Sorry, I just didn’t want anyone else overhearing yet.”
Kayla looked at the young woman in concern. “What’s wrong?”
“I didn’t mean to alarm you,” Jinx said quickly, almost stumbling over her words. She clasped her hands together as though trying to keep from fidgeting. “It’s nothing bad. At least, I hope it’s not bad. I just wanted to talk to you about Veridian.”
“V?” Kayla asked in surprise, growing more concerned. “What about him? What’s going on?”
“This is sort of awkward. I know you’re protective of him. I mean, you guys are really close. I just thought you should know that we… um…” Her voice trailed off as her face flushed to match the red in her hair.
Kayla’s eyes widened in astonishment as realization dawned. “Holy shit! You and V?”
Jinx nodded sheepishly. “Yeah. I’m really into him. He’s an amazing guy. We’ve been spending a lot of time together lately. He was going to tell you himself, but he’s on shift later so he’s still sleeping. I know you and Carl are heading to the towers in a little while. I didn’t want you to find out from someone else. Besides, I figured if you were going to kill me, it would be better to tell you now in case I needed time to run.”
Kayla stared at her blankly for a moment and burst into laughter. Jinx still looked unsure. Both amused at Jinx’s reaction and thrilled Veridian had finally made a move, Kayla couldn’t stop the huge grin from spreading across her face.
Jinx bit her lip. “Okay, laughing and smiling is good. Right? You’re okay with it?” She looked hopeful at the thought. “I wasn’t sure how you’d react. I know you two are close, and I didn’t want things to be weird.”
Kayla shook her head, still amused over Jinx’s apprehension. “No, it’s not weird. I’m glad for both of you. You guys deserve to be happy. Just don’t break his heart or I’ll have to hurt you. That would really suck since I like you.”
Jinx let out a long breath and slumped against the wall. “I don’t plan on it. Man, I feel like I just dodged a minefield. I didn’t want to cause more problems in the camp. I know things are still tense with Lisia.”
The reference to that particular Pandora’s box caused Kayla’s smile to slip. “Right. Well, I think it’s great about you and V. I’m still kinda shocked though. He’s had a thing for you since he first met you, I just didn’t know he acted on it yet.”
Jinx’s eyes lit up and she smiled, making the normally pretty girl positively radiant. “Yeah. I had to drop some pretty big hints to get him to take that step. He was worried about making me uncomfortable or moving too quickly. It sounds silly saying it, but he’s a complete gentleman. It’s a big change from most of the other guys I’ve known.”
“Yeah, he’s definitely one of a kind,” Kayla agreed. Veridian was usually reserved around women and tended to be extremely protective of them. As far as she knew, he’d never had any sort of romantic relationship. He was the stereotypical nice guy, and most women ended up thinking of him as a brother or good friend. Kayla had known about his infatuation with Jinx and was thrilled his feelings were reciprocated.
“Well, I just wanted to give you a heads-up. I know you’ve got stuff to do before you head out, so I’ll let you go take care of it.”
Kayla smiled at Jinx. “When I get back, I want to hear all the details. Knowing V, he won’t say a word, so you’re going to have to spill your guts. Take care of him while I’m gone.”
Jinx laughed. “It’s a deal.”
With a grin, Kayla turned and headed down the hall wondering how she’d completely missed that development. She was still shaking her head when she entered the tech room. Cruncher was hunched over one of the terminals working on the images from the cavern.
Kayla leaned across the desk to get his attention. “Heya, Cruncher. Think I can snag a copy of those images? Carl’s dragging me to the towers for a couple days and I want to take the files with me.”
“Sure thing,” Cruncher replied and pulled up another screen. “Maybe with you two lovebirds gone, some of us can get some actual work done.” She made a move to swat him, but he held up his hands in surrender. “Okay, okay. I’m sending it to your commlink unit now.”
He entered a few commands, and Kayla’s commlink beeped a moment later, acknowledging receipt of the files. She thanked him, and he added, “I’m going to start rendering the images in three-dimensions. I’ll send them to you at OmniLab when they’re ready. When Veridian drags his ass outta bed after playing with Jinx all night, I’m going to have him work on aligning the images with our topographic maps. We might be able to determine the path of the river based on that.”
Kayla’s eyes widened. “Shit, you knew about Jinx and V too?”
Cruncher laughed. “They’ve been making eyes at each other for the past couple of weeks. When they disappeared together last night, we all had a general idea what was going on. It’s a genuine lovefest in here. I’m going to have to go find myself a woman.”
Kayla blew out a long, drawn-out breath. “I can’t believe I’ve been so out of the loop.”
He grinned and patted her shoulder. “Judging by the amount of time you’ve been spending with the boss and dodging Alec’s calls, I’d say you’ve got more than enough loops of your own.”
He might have a point, but she wasn’t going to admit it. “I was doing pretty well with dodging Alec until yesterday.”
“It was only a matter of time. We all knew this would happen, so enjoy the sights and the food and then get your ruin rat ass back here to work. We’re going to need you for that cavern.”
Kayla smiled at Cruncher’s words. Even with all the teasing about her birthright and ties to the tower, he hadn’t treated her any differently. Although regarded as a derogatory slur by some, she was proud of her ruin rat ways and still considered herself to be one. She felt a pang of longing and realized she missed Leo and her former camp. In some ways, life was much simpler there when it was all about survival.
Making a mental note to try to visit her old camp with Veridian, Kayla put the thought aside to focus on more urgent matters. “Did Carl forward you a copy of the aircraft image Rand sent over this morning?”
Cruncher raised his eyebrows at the question. “You didn’t see it?”
She pulled up a chair in front of another terminal and sat. “Not yet. I want to look at Rand’s images and the ones Xantham extracted. I’d like to see if they’re the same design.”
“No problem.” Cruncher gestured to her terminal. “You can view them both on Lisia’s machine. She was looking at them a few minutes ago.”
Kayla entered the commands to bring up the two aircraft images. The request was rejected. She frowned and glanced up at Cruncher to ask him about it, but he was fully engrossed in his project. Unwilling to disturb him, she circumvented the system and extracted the files from the archive server. She’d have to ask him and Lisia later if they’d changed some of the system settings. Carl would be wanting to leave soon, and she didn’t have time to investigate the issue.
Based on what she could see, the design of the aircraft was identical. She enlarged the images to take a closer look and caught a glimpse of something on one of the wings. There was a partial image on the one Xantham had extracted as well.
Kayla manipulated the picture to overlay Rand’s image with the one from Carl’s camp. It appeared as though some sort of emblem had been painted on the wing of the sleek aircraft. She enhanced and sharpened the image even more.
Once it was complete, she sat back and eyed the finished product. It was an unusual design that looked like a circular shape with a line extending through it. She saved the new image and sent it to her commlink along with the unmodified images of the aircraft.
Cruncher glanced at her screen. “What’s that?”
“Some sort of design on one of the wings.” She shifted the screen so he could view the image. “Have you ever seen anything like this before?”
He frowned and shook his head. “No. I can send it over to OmniLab and have them run a search through their database though. I didn’t catch that when I saw the images.”
“Catch what?” Carl’s voice interrupted as he entered the room.
Kayla turned in her chair. He was wearing his UV-protective gear and looked like he was ready to leave. She pointed to the monitor. “This image was on the aircraft. Have you seen it before?”
He walked up behind her to get a better look at the screen. Carl studied the image and shook his head. “I can’t say I have, but I haven’t made a study of other facilities. You just found this?”
She nodded. “Yeah. I overlapped the images to get a clearer look at it. I’m going to send it to Alec.”
Carl waited while she sent the image directly to Alec along with a short message explaining how she found it. She turned back to Carl when she finished and said, “Maybe he’ll know something by the time we get there. You’re ready to go?”
“Yes. The bikes are already packed. I grabbed your bag off your bed.”
Kayla picked up the water samples and put them into a secure carrying case. Unable to think of any other reason for delaying, she sighed. “Okay. I guess it’s time to get this over with.”
Cruncher chuckled and waved them off. “Have fun, you two. I wouldn’t mind if you brought me back a couple of those sandwiches.”
She grinned, recalling the last time they had been in the towers. Cruncher had become obsessed with the food Seara, Kayla’s mother, had served them. Her mother had been delighted with Cruncher’s appreciation and had sent them home with a full box of sandwiches. It wasn’t much of a surprise when they’d been devoured within a day of arriving back at the camp. The pre-packaged foods the camp normally kept on hand were tasteless compared to the food in the towers.
After promising she’d mention his request to Seara, Kayla and Carl headed to the entrance so she could gear up. She pulled on her protective equipment, and they both headed outside into the bright sunlight. Kayla scanned the horizon, half expecting to see the aircraft again, but there was no sign of it or anything else.
Although the towers could be seen from where they’d been scavenging in Sector Twelve, they were too far away to see from the trader camp. Even without a physical presence, Kayla felt a strange pull coming from their direction. It might be her imagination or because of Alec, but either way, it made her uneasy. The thought of this bond thing having that sort of control worried her. She refused to be dependent on anyone or anything, real or imaginary.
Taking a deep breath and pushing aside her reservations, Kayla climbed on the back of her bike and followed Carl away from the trader camp.
The drive to the towers through the ruined landscape was long and uneventful, but Kayla began to feel a stronger mixture of apprehension and anticipation once the two buildings came into sight. The main tower primarily catered to the human residents, while the other tower housed their more unusual residents: The Drac’Kin. The towers stood out boldly against the barren horizon like an imposing beacon, offering both a potential haven and a warning.
Steeling her resolve, she followed Carl’s lead and parked behind him outside the main entrance. She climbed off and stretched once she’d shut off and secured the speeder, her legs feeling leaden, partially from the long drive but also because of nerves. Carl reached over and grabbed the bags from the backs of the bikes and hefted them over his shoulder before leading her inside.
Kayla pulled off her helmet as soon as she stepped through the large doors into the immaculate entrance area. The blaring whiteness of the interior contrasted sharply with the dust, dirt, and grime from the outside world.
One of the OmniLab attendants she recognized from her previous visit rushed up to them, intent on relieving them of their belongings. Determined to stop any signs of obeisance before they started, she sidestepped the attendant and hung up her helmet. “Heya, Melvin. How’s it going?”
The man stopped short, his eyes widening at the unaccustomed familiarity. “Uh, it’s going well, Mistress Rath’Varein.”
“Kayla,” she reminded him, grimacing at the formal title. She’d cure the whole blasted tower of their annoying deferential attitude if it killed her.
He hesitated before nodding. “Of course, Mis—Kayla. Are—Are you doing well?”
Kayla flashed him a smile. One Omni down, a few thousand more to go. “I’m great, thanks for asking. Although, I think my ass went numb from sitting on the speeder for so many hours.”
Melvin continued to stare at her, completely bemused.
Carl leaned close and whispered, “You’re going to torture all of them, aren’t you?”
She whispered back, “Only until they start treating me like a regular human being.”
An elderly woman with graying hair approached them and waved the young man away. As he scampered back to his station, the woman addressed Kayla and Carl in a clipped but polite no-nonsense voice. “Welcome back to the towers. Master Tal’Vayr informed us of your arrival. Trader Carl Grayson, please sign into the terminal so we can modify your access for this visit.”
Carl hung up his helmet and went over to the console on the far wall. After completing a retinal scan, he placed his palm on the machine until it emitted a loud beep. He spoke his name clearly and then turned back to them.
The woman glanced down at her handheld tablet and nodded. “Thank you. Master Tal’Vayr has given you clearance to visit the Inner Sanctum during your visit. Your biometric signature has been authorized for use within the priority elevators.”
The side door swung open and an unfamiliar man with short, brown hair stepped into the room. He was slightly shorter than Carl with a trim waist and heavily muscled arms and chest. Kayla hadn’t seen many other Omnis with such an athletic physique.
His gaze swept across the room and seemed to absorb every minute detail. Kayla guessed the newcomer was somewhere in his mid-twenties, but the intensity in his hazel eyes made him seem older. She recognized the same look many ruin rats possessed, and it instantly put her on alert. This was a man who’d seen the darker side of human nature.
The gold OmniLab Ouroboros symbol was a stark contrast against his dark jacket. It was a miniature depiction of a dragon circling around and grasping its tail in its mouth. Veridian, who had a love for history, had explained once that it represented the concept of cyclicality. As an example, he told her the story of a bird called the phoenix that had the ability to rise from its own ashes to begin anew.
Kayla pushed these thoughts aside to focus on the man wearing the symbol. Her gaze traveled down his length, and she stiffened at the sight of the weapon holstered at his waist. Given her previous experience in the towers, this wasn’t good news. Kayla glanced at the exit and tried to calculate how long it would take to grab their helmets and make a run for it.
The man noticed her reaction and froze. They stared at each other for several heartbeats, both assessing and considering one another. He slowly raised his hands in a passive gesture, indicating he intended no harm. His voice, when he finally spoke, was low and soothing and reminiscent of someone trying to coax a feral animal into approaching. She nearly snorted at the realization she was the feral animal in this scenario.
“I apologize for startling you. My name is Brant Mason. Master Tal’Vayr and Director Borshin were unable to meet you personally. They both send their apologies. Master Tal’Vayr has asked me to escort you to your family’s quarters. He’ll be joining you there shortly.”
Kayla wouldn’t have lived long as a ruin rat if she trusted everyone at their word. She shook her head, gesturing to the weapon at his side. Alec’s father had used the same type of weapon when he knocked her unconscious weeks earlier. “Why do we get an armed escort?”
Brant’s expression remained neutral. He continued to hold himself still as though aware that any sudden movement would have her running for the door. Smart guy.
“It’s a standard issue security device configured to stun and subdue. All security escorts carry them,” Brant said carefully, trying to assuage her obvious apprehension. “I understand your last visit to the towers wasn’t altogether pleasant. I assure you, I have no intention of harming you or forcing you to do anything against your will.”
“I’m sure it’s fine, Kayla.”
She glanced at Carl, who gave her a reassuring nod. His vote of confidence made her feel marginally better, but she wasn’t completely convinced.
“I’ll go with you on one condition,” she proposed, determined not to fall into the same trap as last time. “I want my own weapon if you’re going to keep yours. Either level the playing field or I’m out of the game.”
Brant’s head jerked in surprise, and his calm façade dropped for a moment. His obvious shock at her request pleased her. It was about time these Omnis were shaken up a bit. Kayla put a hand on her hip and gave him a cocky grin. When Brant’s eyes narrowed, Carl smothered a laugh and looked away.
Brant hesitated for several long minutes as though deciding. Kayla tapped her foot impatiently, giving a pointed look at the exit door. With a scowl, he bent down. Keeping his movements slow, he lifted his pant leg. Kayla hid her surprise when he withdrew a second weapon from an ankle holster. He turned the device around, aiming it away from them, and then slid it along the floor toward her. Her eyebrows arched in surprise. She didn’t think he’d actually give her a weapon.
Kayla picked up the device and studied it for a moment, itching to take it apart and find out how to replicate it. As a general rule, most ruin rats only had weapons they were able to create or scavenge. OmniLab wasn’t exactly eager to arm the masses on the surface. Experience, however, had taught her never to be without a weapon and she now carried a knife embedded within her belt.
The new device Brant had given her was a slender, cylindrical weapon with a small touchpad. At the bottom of the touchpad was a grooved trigger.
“It’s an electrolaser gun. It stuns your target for several minutes.”
She nodded at Brant’s words and admired the way the device fit in her hand. She was definitely keeping it. The ankle holster wasn’t a bad idea either. She’d have to see about getting one of those too.
“All right,” Kayla agreed and pocketed the weapon. If Brant was willing to take a leap of faith, she could do the same. However, there were going to be some rules. “But you have to call me Kayla. I don’t like the whole Mistress and Master thing. And if you even look like you’re going to pull out that weapon, I’ll have you crying on the floor like a little girl before you know what hit you.”
Brant blinked and studied her as though she were a puzzle he couldn’t quite figure out. Finally, he took a step back and gestured toward the open elevator doors. “I won’t harm you, Kayla.”
She flashed him a smile and walked over to the priority elevator. With a slight chuckle, Carl adjusted the bags over his shoulder and followed them. Once they were inside, Brant leaned forward and programmed their floor into the control panel.
Kayla fingered the weapon in her pocket and looked out the glass window into the huge courtyard area as the elevator shot upward. Flowering plants and vines were scattered throughout the enclosure creating a rich gardenscape. The view in the towers was extraordinary, and she wondered if this was the way the world used to look before the last war.
Carl moved to stand behind her, wrapping his arm around her. When she leaned back against him, he brushed his thumb against the bare skin at the edge of her shirt. His warm breath whispered against her ear, “It’s beautiful, isn’t it?”
She nodded, catching a glimpse of Brant out of the corner of her eye. The security escort was watching them with a disapproving frown. She caught his eye and his expression quickly blanked. With a polite nod, he turned back to watch the elevator console. Kayla glanced up to see if Carl had caught the exchange, but he was focused on looking out the window.
The elevator signaled their arrival, and the doors opened to a large corridor. Recalling her last visit, she recognized the simulated miniature stream flowing through the hall surrounded by trees and foliage. A cobblestone path twisted through the landscape toward her family’s quarters.
The door was decorated with a large tree carved into its surface. Strange creatures she now recognized as dragons, or Drac’Kin as they were referred to in the towers, were flying above the tree and cradled within its branches. She lightly traced over their image with her eyes before pressing her palm against the plate on the side of the entrance.
The door slid open, but before she could enter, Brant said, “Your mother has been informed of your arrival. Master Tal’Vayr will be here shortly. I’ll wait outside until he arrives.”
Kayla glanced at the man, still unsure what to make of him. Unable to do much except nod, she left him at the entrance and headed inside with Carl. The large circular-shaped common room was decorated in soft cream colors. Ornate pillars added an opulence to the room while the plush seating and decorative flowering plants invited guests to linger. The room might appear welcoming, but it just served as a reminder she was out of her element.
Seara Rath’Varein, Kayla’s mother and current co-leader of the High Council, rose from her chair. The petite, dark-haired, older woman moved forward to embrace her daughter. Slowly becoming accustomed to her mother’s displays of affection, Kayla returned the hug and brushed a kiss against her cheek.
Seara beamed in response and took Kayla’s hand. “I’m so glad you’re here. I was ecstatic when Alec told me you were coming back. Please, come in and put your things down. Your old room is still ready for you. I can show Carl where to put everything.” She motioned for them to follow her down the hall, still nervously chattering. “I hope you don’t mind, but I picked up some extra things for you to wear. I just couldn’t help myself. I was going to send them to your camp, but Alec suggested I wait because you wouldn’t wear them on the surface. I’ve left them all in your room for you.”
Kayla smiled at the woman’s enthusiasm. Their relationship was still too new to feel comfortable, and Kayla suspected Seara’s purchases were a way of trying to make up for all the years they’d missed together. At Carl’s nudge, she said, “You didn’t have to do that, but thanks.”
“Oh, I couldn’t resist. One of these days, I’m hoping you’ll join me. I’d love to take you shopping.” Seara laughed, her green eyes twinkling as she beamed at Kayla. “Sorry. I keep going on and on. Of course you’ll want to get settled in and unpack.” She turned to flash a smile at Carl and added, “I’m sure Kayla wants you to stay with us here. I went ahead and put some extra toiletries in the room for you too.”
Before Carl could reply, a loud chime sounded at the door.
“That’s probably Alec,” Seara mused. “Kayla, why don’t you let him in while I show Carl where he can put everything?”
“Uh, sure,” she managed, and her gaze traveled back down the hall. The thought of opening the front door had the same appeal as touching a live electrical circuit just waiting to zap her.
“Kayla?”
She blinked at the sound of Carl’s voice. He and Seara were both watching her stare down the hallway like a dumbass. At Carl’s questioning look, Kayla swallowed her reservations and gave him a tentative smile. She needed to get her shit together and quick.
“Yeah. I’m fine. Go.”
He hesitated briefly, but then nodded and headed into the bedroom with Seara.
Kayla took a deep breath, trying to push aside the nervousness about seeing Alec. Pull it together, Kayla. Just forget about the energy and the stupid connection. You can do this. You’re not going to let him use Carl to get to you. Steeling her resolve, she took a deep breath and marched to the front door.
It slid open, and she found herself face to face with Alec. Any residual anger she’d been experiencing fizzled at the sight of him. He was about the same height as Carl but that was where the similarity ended. Alec’s golden hair fell neatly to his shoulders, and Kayla flushed at the memory of running her fingers through its silky softness. Brilliant blue eyes studied her intently as she admired his strong jaw and elegant bone structure.
The man looked like some sort of ethereal figure standing in a long, white tunic embroidered with golden thread over a pair of white pants. A gold chain lay around his neck, and there were several rings on his fingers. His appearance was so far removed from everything on the surface that it felt a little surreal. How the hell does he always manage to look sexy, exotic, and mysterious at the same time?
“Hello, my love.”
His voice struck a chord, almost hypnotizing her with the sound. A slight smile played on his lips as she looked up into captivating blue eyes. Longing, desire, and a flood of other emotions rushed through her. Desperately wanting to touch and channel energy toward him, Kayla struggled against the urge to throw herself into his arms and succumb to her desires.
Alec lifted her hand and pressed a small kiss against it. Just the slightest touch from him had her senses reeling, and she gasped as a small amount of energy trickled over her. Kayla trembled, and her resolve further weakened as his warm energy enveloped her.
He took a step closer so they were standing barely inches apart. The intoxicating scent of his skin along with the faint aroma of incense filled her nose. Completely aware of her conflicted emotions and desires, Alec offered a slow, triumphant smile. “I admit, I wasn’t sure what sort of reaction I would get when I saw you again. I’m glad it was this one. Are you going to invite me inside?”
Time seemed to stop, and Kayla blinked in confusion. Her eyes widened as she recalled they were still standing in the doorway.
Yeah, real classy. Way to go, Kayla. Just stare at the gorgeous man like a complete idiot and fantasize about jumping him right there in the hall. Shit, I’m in big trouble here.