Carl studied his commlink while he waited in line for the replicator to finish restructuring molecules to manufacture a cup of coffee. A woman placed the beverage in front of him, and he murmured his thanks. Taking the drink, he turned away and continued reading the message from Jinx. She’d detailed a list of canceled supply deliveries and the camps associated with them. As he’d suspected, Kayla’s former camp was on the list of those not receiving their needed supplies. He needed to speak with Alec again or Kayla might be inclined to do something hot-headed and dangerous.
An incoming message caught his attention. He pressed the earbud into his ear and accepted the call.
“Carl? This is Elyot. We just arrived in the towers, and we’re getting set up. I know you’re busy, but I was hoping to have a chance to speak with you privately about Lisia. Do you think I could get in to see her?”
Carl hesitated before answering the man’s request. Lisia was still being held in the prison ward within the towers. OmniLab hadn’t yet issued sentencing for her involvement in Kayla’s abduction. Based on the daily reports from his camp and Cruncher’s comments, Elyot had been having a difficult time coping with his sister’s betrayal and imprisonment. Despite himself, Carl felt a wave of pity for the man. Lisia was his only family, and even though her actions were misguided, ruin rat loyalties ran deep.
OmniLab would never allow Elyot access to the prison without Carl accompanying him. The thought of seeing the woman who’d betrayed him wasn’t appealing, but he couldn’t hold that against Elyot. He needed to remember the former ruin rat hadn’t been responsible for his sister’s actions.
“I’ll see what I can do, but I can’t make any promises. I have some time before my next appointment. Where can I meet you?”
“I’m in the basement area outside the main hall. All the trading camps are arriving so it’s a little crazy down here. I can meet you in one of the empty conference rooms on this level. Can you come to…” There was a muffled pause as Elyot spoke with someone else. “Room C-12? Do you know where that is?”
Carl agreed and disconnected the call. He slipped his commlink back into his pocket before heading downstairs.
The basement area was more than packed by the time he arrived, heavily congested with the influx of new arrivals from the trading camps. Carl navigated through the crowded corridor, nodding greetings to people he recognized, and then headed down one of the lesser used hallways. He located the conference room and stepped inside to find Elyot sitting on the far side of the room. The defeated look on the ruin rat’s face tugged at Carl’s sympathies.
“Elyot? Sorry it took me a while. It looks like all the camps arrived at the same time. I didn’t see Cruncher and everyone else yet. Do you know where our camp is setting up?”
At the sound of Carl’s voice, the scavenger lifted his head. He grimaced and quickly looked away. Carl frowned at the strange behavior and took another step into the room.
“What’s going on?”
When Elyot didn’t reply and merely shook his head, Carl’s apprehension grew. Something wasn’t right.
“I apologize for the subterfuge, Carl. We didn’t know how else to get you alone. I needed to have a private word with you,” a woman’s voice sounded from behind him.
He spun around to find Miranda and Lars were both in the room, moving to block the exit. Carl took a step backward and pulled out his commlink to warn Alec, but he never got the chance.
Lars lifted his hand, and with a flick of his wrist, a swift wind knocked the device from Carl’s grasp. Fuck that. He wasn’t going to play with these assholes. Carl threw his drink in Lars’s direction and rushed him. Before he could make contact, the liquid froze, suspended in midair.
The sight of the frozen droplets and Miranda’s raised hands caused Carl to hesitate for a fraction of a second. Unfortunately, that was all the time Lars needed. With another wave of his hand, a strong gust of wind shoved Carl across the room and slammed him into the wall with a thud.
Carl grunted at the impact but pushed away from the wall, ready for round two. Miranda shook her head. “Please, Carl, we don’t wish to harm you. We only want to speak with you.”
Miranda lowered her hand and the contents of his drink fell to the ground in a harmless puddle. Carl eyed the two renegade Omnis warily, not trusting them for a second. He glanced at Elyot and wondered what they’d promised him in exchange for this deception.
As though sensing the direction of Carl’s thoughts, Elyot shook his head. “I’m sorry for tricking you, Carl. You know OmniLab won’t ever release Lisia. I can’t just leave her here. I know she’s troubled, but the Coalition has offered to give her a place with them. Lars and Miranda just wanted to meet and talk to you. I think if Lisia just gets away and has a chance to start over, things will be better.”
“He’s right,” Miranda agreed, taking a step closer. “We know about your relationship with Kayla and the forced bond with Alec. We have a way of removing their bond, but we need your help to do it.”
Carl’s eyes narrowed, amazed they had the audacity to ask him for help when Lars had nearly killed Kayla a few days ago. “I have no reason to believe or trust you. Your buddy here shoved a knife into Kayla. You can both go to hell.”
Lars arched an eyebrow. “Yet you would trust Alec? From my understanding, her injury wasn’t serious. Alec had a medic to her in minutes. She’s already up, running around the towers and… I suppose you could say, ‘hanging from the rafters.’”
Carl clenched his fists and took a threatening step forward. “If you had anything to do with her almost falling…”
“On the contrary,” Lars admitted and held up a hand, interrupting Carl’s threat. “I need both you and Kayla. We were not responsible for her… sudden fall from grace. Although, we may be able to point you in the right direction if you wish to find the culprit.”
A chill filled Carl at the realization that someone else in the towers had been responsible. He glanced over at his abandoned commlink on the ground. Lars, observing his focus, shook his head and reached down to pick up the device.
“You won’t be needing this. You’ll have a chance to contact Kayla, but not quite yet.” He studied the device for a moment before slipping it into his pocket. When he lifted his head to look at Carl again, his eyes were filled with purposeful intent. “Tell me, Trader, where is your precious Kayla right now? Do you really think Alec is sitting back and not taking advantage of every moment alone with her? All he has to do is send a small pulse of energy in her direction and she won’t be able to resist him.”
When Carl’s entire body went rigid, Miranda touched Lars’s arm and shook her head in warning. In a softer tone, she said, “He’s right, Carl. Nothing is permanent, not even their so-called permanent bond. Alec is using Kayla and their bond to enhance his own abilities. He wants the power, both from her energy and her social position as Andrei Rath’Varein’s daughter.” She took a small step forward and clasped her hands together, her eyes pleading with him to listen. “It was obvious to all of us how deeply Kayla cares for you. I’ve never witnessed such raw pain as when she thought you’d been killed. If we don’t remove the bond between them, you’re going to lose her to Alec. It’s just a matter of time.”
Carl flexed his fingers, forcing them to relax. He needed to keep his cool and remember they were trying to manipulate his emotions. While the logical side of him knew this, he couldn’t help but wonder at Miranda’s words. He’d never agree to help them, but the thought that there might be a way to sever the bond gave him hope of a life with Kayla without Alec’s influence. “What do you mean?”
“Every day that passes, she’ll want him more and more. You may have already seen it for yourself in the small touches and looks between them.” When Carl didn’t respond, Miranda nodded in understanding. “So it’s already begun. You have to understand, Carl, the energy is addicting and intoxicating. It’ll only worsen with time. If we’re going to remove the bond, we need to do it soon. The lon
ger they’re together and the closer they become, the more difficult it will be to eliminate.”
Carl’s jaw clenched. On some level, he knew she was right. Something had already changed between Kayla and Alec. He’d seen the way she’d begun looking at the High Council leader. He’d been concerned at first, except Kayla hadn’t changed the way she behaved toward him. If anything, she’d given Carl the impression her feelings for him had deepened too. Just recalling her response to him that morning quelled any concerns he had about losing her to the charismatic council leader.
He’d be lying if he said that part of him wasn’t tempted by what Miranda offered, but it was more than simply not trusting the renegades. If Kayla truly wanted to be with Alec, Carl wouldn’t stand in her way. It would devastate him to lose her, and he might seriously consider hurting Alec, but loving someone meant putting their wants and needs above your own. He’d promised to never take away Kayla’s free will, and he wouldn’t start now. He loved her too much to ever clip her wings.
Carl shook his head. “If you came to me with hopes I would force Kayla into something, you have the wrong man. If what you’re saying is true, this has to be Kayla’s choice. She might be open to severing their bond, but I won’t push her into anything. If she decides to be with Alec, I’ll accept it.”
Miranda lowered her head in disappointment and sighed. “Then if you won’t help us, I’m afraid we can’t help you.”
Before Carl could respond, Lars flicked his wrist and sent a small device flying. Carl flinched at the sharp prick against his neck. His hand flew up, clamping around the small cylindrical object and yanking it out, but it was too late. Numbness was already beginning to spread through his body. He stumbled against the conference table as his legs stopped supporting his weight. His arms were clumsy in their movements and refused to cooperate.
Elyot jumped up and rushed over to help him. His furious gaze darted back and forth between Lars and Miranda. “What are you doing? You said he wouldn’t be hurt.”
Lars stepped forward and motioned Elyot aside. “There’s been a change in plans. If you want our help in freeing your sister, you’ll keep your mouth shut and do as you’re told. We can’t have him reporting us to security. As it is, we’re nearly out of time. Our contact said they could only circumvent the scanners in this area for thirty minutes.”
When Elyot backed away, Lars checked Carl’s responsiveness and turned back to his female companion. “Are you satisfied, Miranda? You saw Kayla’s reaction when he was threatened. What made you think he was any less devoted?”
Miranda refused to meet his gaze and adjusted her jacket. “I had to try. Kayla was right. Too many people have been hurt already.”
Lars’s blue eyes were almost eerily cold. “Focus, Miranda. Lay the blame where it’s deserved. Once Alec is dealt with, we can put an end to all of this. All we need to do is lure Kayla to the surface. Carl can help with that, willing or not.”
Miranda gave Carl a pitying look and turned away. “Fine. Let’s get out of here.”
Carl’s eyes widened, and he struggled to call out or get someone’s attention. Whatever drug they had injected worked fast. He was fully aware but unable to move or do anything more than blink. Lars motioned for Elyot to help him drag Carl over to a conveyor cart. As they lifted him inside and covered it, Carl squeezed his eyes shut. The moment Kayla found out he was missing, she’d go rushing into danger to try to save him. He needed to warn her. Somehow.
Chapter Seven
“You have to bring her to the party later, Alec. You can’t keep this gorgeous creature locked up. Although, I can’t say I blame you for it,” Jason teased.
Kayla laughed and swatted him with her towel. Now that she’d gotten to know him better, she actually liked him. With his flirting and teasing, Jason reminded her of some ruin rats. He didn’t mean anything by it, but she suspected he wouldn’t be opposed if she expressed an interest in something more. He was relatively harmless though. She’d learned quite a bit from him and Ariana about channeling energy. She had no idea their talents were so diverse.
They’d spent the past couple of hours in the pool. After getting over her initial shock at submerging herself in such a large amount of water, they’d taught her the basics of manipulating water energy. She still needed a lot of practice, but she was beginning to get the hang of differentiating between the different types of energy.
Jason was a wizard at offensive and defensive strategies, but it was clear Ariana excelled at the more nuanced water channeling abilities. Together, they were a formidable team. They were also as different as night and day. Kayla now understood Seara’s comments about Ariana and had to admit her mother was right. Ariana was one of the few Omnis she’d met who wasn’t pompous and egotistical. She couldn’t help but like the young woman. In fact, Ariana’s nature and temperament reminded her quite a bit of Seara. There was a soothing serenity about her that drew Kayla in. Ariana’s energy was still markedly different from anything she’d experienced so far. It was almost as though Ariana’s energy had an additional component her brother’s lacked.
Ariana stepped out of the pool, looking like a dark-haired water goddess emerging from the sea. She took the towel her brother held out and wrapped it around herself. “That’s a wonderful idea. Oh, Alec, please bring her. It won’t be a large gathering, so it would be a great opportunity for Kayla to get to know just a few of us without being overwhelmed.” She smiled at Kayla and added, “I don’t know how much Alec told you, but I can somewhat relate to your experiences. Until recently, I hadn’t had much interaction with anyone outside the Inner Circle. Sometimes, when I meet new people, it’s hard to remember not to introduce myself with energy like I would with others of our kind.”
Jason grinned. “She’s right. It’s led to some rather humorous moments when she sits there waiting for someone to respond to her energy greeting. We tend to use energy to express emotions even in casual conversation. It’s second nature to us.”
Intrigued by Ariana’s words and Jason’s description, Kayla turned back to the dark-haired woman. “What do you mean? You don’t usually leave this tower?”
Ariana hesitated and then shook her head. “No, not until recently. Some of our kind have difficulty being around non-sensitives. It’s only been in the past few months that I’ve started learning how to interact with other people.”
Kayla felt a surge of frustration and something akin to regret pulse through the bond she shared with Alec. She glanced over to see him rubbing the back of his neck with a haunted look in his eyes. He finally let out a heavy sigh. “It’s all right, Ari. I appreciate you trying to soften the truth, but what was done to you was wrong. That’s time you’ll never get back.”
Ariana opened her mouth to object, but Alec shook his head. “No. I won’t have you, of all people, defend him for anything he did.” When Ariana lowered her head in acknowledgement, Alec turned back to Kayla. “My father was the main reason Ariana was kept in seclusion. Her parents wanted to keep her outside of my father’s awareness as long as possible. Her talents in energy manipulation are rather unique and rare. Wearing one of the bracelets would have been dangerous for her, so once her abilities manifested, they made the decision to keep her mostly isolated.”
Ariana bit her lip and looked up at the High Council leader. His shoulders tensed, and it was clear he felt the weight of the guilt as though he had been responsible. Before Kayla could say anything, the slightest hint of calming and soothing energy filled the room. It was so subtle she barely noticed it, but she watched as Alec’s shoulders relaxed. Kayla arched a brow and wondered if Ariana was responsible for it. If so, she’d have to learn more about how this water channeling stuff worked. That was cool. She was like a human mood adjuster.
Ariana’s luminescent eyes were focused on Alec and filled with understanding and sorrow. “Alec, what happened wasn’t your fault. It wasn’t as bad as you’re making it sound. I was simply encouraged not to leave the Inner Sanctum an
d to avoid doing anything that would draw attention to myself.” Ariana gave a careless shrug and smiled. “Now I get to enjoy all of these new experiences. It’s been an adjustment, but I’ve met so many interesting people. I imagine you must feel the same way, Kayla.”
Kayla frowned. “I guess. I’m not real fond of people throwing energy all over me though. It’s kind of creepy.”
Ariana nodded and gave her brother a pointed look. “I can see why you would feel that way if you’re not used to it, especially when you have people like Jason causing trouble.”
Jason harrumphed, winked at the two women, and crossed his arms over his chest, pretending to be affronted. Ariana merely shook her head and cast her gaze toward the heavens, as though seeking divine assistance.
“My brother may be a troublemaker, but he truly doesn’t mean any harm. Unfortunately, there may be people in the towers who will try to take advantage of your inexperience.” Ariana waved her hand, and water droplets from the pool spouted upward in a complex design and froze in midair. She held it for a moment before allowing them to fall back down. “The water shield we showed you can help buffer some of the ill effects. You can also try to pull the water out of the air, depending on the humidity levels, but that tends to be more difficult. Drinking a glass of water or even adding a little water to your wine can help you focus on the energy threads and give you a chance to reinforce your shields. No one will even know what you’re doing.”
Alec looked at Ariana for a long moment, and Kayla caught a trace of some softer emotion through their bond. “I’d forgotten how you used to do that.”
Ariana laughed, a musical sound. “I still do it, Alec. You just haven’t been around as often lately. I have an easier time being around people now, but it can be a little overwhelming if there are too many. Having a glass of watered wine helps keep up the illusion that I’m a formidable energy channeler.” Her eyes sparkled with humor. “But Alec, if you go telling everyone my secrets and ruin my reputation, you’ll find your plumbing suddenly having problems at the most inopportune time. Just a fair warning.”
Tremors of the Past Page 10