Lars took the pendant from Kayla’s outstretched hand, cradling it reverently. A sense of rightness filled her. Alec squeezed her midsection as though he, too, sensed it. She looked up at him and smiled, feeling the beginning of hope settle over them.
One of the guards pressed his hand against his earpiece. “Excuse me, Master Tal’Vayr. Trader Carl Grayson is on the surface with an urgent message from the Coalition. The towers are under attack.”
Chapter Fourteen
Kayla couldn’t make it to the surface fast enough. The moment she was clear of the lift, she started searching the group of OmniLab personnel for Carl. The sight of him wearing the stolen Coalition protective gear sent a rush of giddy relief through her.
“Kayla!” he shouted, reaching toward her.
She tossed her helmet aside and threw herself into his arms, burying her face against his chest. He wrapped his arms around her, holding her as tightly as she held him. The whole engagement thing between her and Alec was just going to have to be canceled. They’d find another way to keep Alec safe. She loved this man and wasn’t willing to spend another minute denying it.
“You’re okay,” Carl murmured, pulling back and looking over her as though inspecting her for damage.
She looked up at him, memorizing the details of his face, and ran her hands up his chest and down his arms. Now that she knew he was safe, the fear that had been sitting like a weight in the pit of her stomach finally began to ebb. His shoulders relaxed, and his eyes softened as he continued to gaze down at her.
She smiled up at him, cupped his face, and pressed a kiss against his lips. “So are you. I guess neither one of us can die that easily.”
He tightened his grip, yanking her closer and holding her in his embrace. “Don’t even mention dying. When I found out you’d come to the surface to find me, I almost lost my mind. I was terrified something would happen to you.”
Kayla squeezed her eyes shut and listened to the sound of his heartbeat. Each beat was one more reminder of how much she needed him. “I had to try to find you, Carl.” She lifted her gaze to look up at him. “You came for me when I needed you. I had to do the same.”
“Sweetheart, I’ll always be there for you,” he murmured, reaching up to tuck her hair behind her ear. She leaned into his touch, relishing the contact.
Alec pulled his helmet off as he approached from the lift. “I hate to break up your reunion, but I need to know about the attack.”
Carl lifted his head to focus on Alec but didn’t release Kayla. “Sergei gave me the coordinates to track Miranda and Lars. He only gave us a one-hour window to negotiate before they were scheduled to attack. It wasn’t enough time. As soon as I arrived here, we tried to contact the towers to verify whether the attack has commenced. All communication with the towers has been shut down.”
Alec walked over to the guard manning the communication center. “Report.”
“We’re still trying to get through, sir, but there’s nothing but static. The communication center for the towers is offline.”
Brant stepped forward and added, “The Coalition troops that escorted Lars to this location withdrew about thirty minutes ago.”
Alec frowned. “Where are they now?”
The OmniLab technician shook his head and adjusted the screen in front of him. “With the communication feeds down, we were unable to track their retreat. Our surveillance systems are offline until we can reconnect to the towers. They headed in a northwest direction, but that’s all we know.”
“Keep working on it,” Alec snapped.
Carl tightened his arms around her. Kayla lifted her head to see him glaring at Lars and Miranda as they emerged from the lift. Carl pulled her behind him and started to move toward them, but Kayla plastered her body against him. “Stop, Carl, don’t! The challenge is over. I’ll explain everything later, but we need them.”
He hesitated, but the fury in his eyes didn’t diminish. “I doubt that.”
Alec raised his hand in a warning gesture and moved in front of his cousin, blocking Carl’s visual. “Your grievances will need to wait, Trader Carl.”
“Carl,” Kayla urged, tugging on his jacket to draw his gaze back to hers, “it’s over. Brant helped me break the bond with Alec.”
He blinked, his gaze darting back and forth between her and Alec. “What? The bond is gone?”
At Alec’s nod, Kayla laughed and wrapped her arms around Carl’s neck. “I’ll tell you everything later, but Alec and Lars have worked most of it out.”
Carl pulled her closer, burying his face in her hair. “I didn’t think it was possible.”
“Me neither,” she murmured, not wanting to release him. If the towers weren’t being threatened at this very moment, she’d say to hell with everything and show him how much she loved him. Instead, she lifted her head and looked into his eyes. “I love you, Carl Grayson.”
“Kayla,” he whispered, pressing a soft kiss against her lips, “I fell in love with you after the first time you made me chase you across half the district. I’ll always love you. I don’t care how many bonds need to be broken. I’m not letting you go.”
Kayla swallowed and looked away, trying to get hold of the emotions that threatened to overwhelm her. She wouldn’t cry, dammit. He chuckled and lifted his hand to tuck a lock of hair behind her ear. Curling her fingers into his jacket, she said, “If anyone else had said that to me, I’d kick their ass.”
“Trust me, I know all too well,” Carl agreed, darting a glance at Alec before turning back to her. He shifted her slightly to withdraw a small tablet from his pocket and held it out to her. “Sergei gave me this to track Miranda and Lars. He wanted you to contact him with it. The deadline’s expired though. I don’t know if it’ll still work.”
Grateful for the change of subject so she wouldn’t turn into a blubbering mess, Kayla accepted the device. It appeared innocuous, but appearances could be deceiving.
“We need to run a scan before I try it,” she said, lifting her head to look at Alec and Brant. “Do you guys have the equipment here to check it?”
Brant motioned for one of the technicians to test the device. Kayla handed it over, keeping an eye on the screen while they started analyzing the tablet.
“What do you know of the Coalition’s plan to attack the towers, Lars?” Alec’s accusatory tone cut through the air, distracting her from the on-screen analysis.
Lars began pacing, moving away from Alec and spouting off a string of profanity Kayla had only heard from the most creative ruin rats.
Miranda glanced worriedly at Lars. “There must be a mistake, Alec. The Coalition was only supposed to get into position. Lars instructed them to wait until we returned with Kayla.”
Lars paused, turning around to face his cousin. “If they released Carl, the Coalition must have gotten impatient. Sergei wasn’t pleased with my attempts to capture Kayla. He was under pressure to launch the attack but agreed to wait as long as possible.” Lars glanced at Kayla, his expression worried. The dark shadows under his eyes were even more noticeable in the stark light on the surface. “Sergei thought Kayla might be able to prevent any unnecessary bloodshed. She’d made an impression on him.”
Alec frowned. “What are the chances they held off?”
Lars shook his head. “None. If Sergei gave Carl a deadline, he would have honored that. The Coalition is nothing if not efficient. They don’t make baseless threats.”
“Dammit,” Alec swore. “Do you know the details of their plan?”
Lars clasped his hands behind his back in a familiar gesture Kayla recognized as belonging to Alec. Now that the two men were standing side by side, it was impossible not to see the similarities between them. “Before I share any additional information, I need assurances no retribution will be made against anyone exiled from the towers.”
Kayla gaped at him. “For fuck’s sake, Lars. You’re going to sit here and make demands when the towers are under attack? Can’t we figure this shit out la
ter?”
“I’m afraid not,” Lars replied, not taking his eyes off Alec.
“You have it,” Seara declared, the finality in her tone making it clear she wouldn’t tolerate any arguments. A small trail of energy threaded through her voice, sealing her next words in an irrefutable oath.
“On my honor as a Rath’Varein and a Drac’Kin, and as the appointed co-leader of OmniLab’s High Council and member of the Inner Circle by right of birth, I hereby and forevermore affirm that no repercussions or retribution shall be made against any of those wrongfully exiled by Edwin Tal’Vayr. Furthermore, all familial and individual titles, accounts, and holdings shall be reinstated immediately. From now until the last of the energy in this world is destroyed, I will honor this vow.”
If she hadn’t been watching so closely, Kayla would have missed the slight tremor of relief that went through Lars. He kept his head held high, though, focused entirely on the petite, dark-haired woman who led the towers. Miranda, on the other hand, lowered her gaze, but not before Kayla caught the brief shimmer of tears on her cheeks.
Seara stepped forward, offering her outstretched hands to both of them. “Lars, Miranda, we share the same origins. Tell us what we need to know so we can all return home together.”
Lars bowed deeply, taking Seara’s proffered hand, and pressed his forehead against the back of her palm in a gesture of respect. When he straightened, it was as though a tremendous weight had been lifted from his shoulders.
“We’ve spent the past several years infiltrating the towers and making alliances with the Inner Circle Shadows. The Shadows were drafted to override security at our signal and allow the Coalition forces to enter. From there, key areas of the towers were to be targeted and secured.”
Brant had a look of disgust on his face. “Those traitors. I’ve heard rumblings of discontent, but I had no idea this was going on. How many of the Shadows have been compromised?”
“At least two dozen, possibly more. The Shadows would make recommendations about others who might be inclined to join us. From there, Trenon assessed each target to determine who we approached. We believed you were loyal to Alec, so our agents did not contact you.”
Seara reached for Lars’s arm. “Where is Trenon? I can’t imagine he would condone an attack on the towers. There are thousands of innocents living there. This plan is endangering all of their lives.”
“Trenon Noltreck is not the same man you knew,” Lars admitted and glanced at Miranda. The woman lowered her head in shame. “None of us are the same, Seara. We might have planted the seeds of mutiny, but it was OmniLab who fostered their growth. The Shadows made the deal for a place among the Coalition, provided they assisted in bringing OmniLab under Coalition control.”
“The Shadows can’t suppress the Inner Circle indefinitely. The Coalition will have to move quickly for their plan to work,” Brant observed.
“You’re correct. There may be a way to salvage this,” Seara agreed and turned back to Miranda. “Our trials have changed all of us, not just those who left the towers. Your father has always been a charismatic man and orator. Edwin viewed him as a threat because he had the ability to incite people to rally behind him. We need him now if we’re going to convince the Shadows to stand down.”
Miranda shook her head. “I’m not sure he’ll agree. He was at one of the Coalition’s outlying camps waiting to hear word about the attack. If they’ve already begun, I don’t know if he’s still there or if he’s traveled to the towers with the rest of our people. I can try to get word to him and tell him about your oath. He doesn’t know Lars and I came here to find Kayla.”
Alec motioned toward one of the guards. “Ready one of the transports.”
“I should accompany the transport,” Miranda suggested. “My father might believe it’s an attack unless he sees me with them.”
Alec inclined his head and turned back to the technician scanning the tablet. “What’s the status of the tablet scan?”
“As far as I can tell, it’s a simple tracking and communication device. Without running more extensive diagnostics, I’m not able to isolate whether there are other more covert features.”
Kayla leaned over the technician to study his findings. It was what she’d expected, but part of her wished they had more time so she could take apart the device to better study it. “No time like the present. Let’s try to reach Sergei. Maybe he can shed some light about what’s happening or stop it entirely.”
“Go ahead,” Alec agreed, placing his hand over hers. “Be careful with what you say. Without knowing exactly what’s happening back at the towers, I’m afraid we’re at a disadvantage.”
Kayla nodded and accepted the tablet from the technician. She pressed a button on the device and waited. Nothing happened. She pressed the button again. No response.
Lars stepped forward. “If the attack has commenced, Sergei won’t be able to negotiate. Most likely, all transmission frequencies have been locked down to provide support to Coalition forces.”
Felix took the device from Kayla, studying the foreign technology. “It’s not all hopeless. If this was used as a tracker, we can reverse the code to find its origination point.”
Carl shook his head. “I’m not sure if that will do any good. The signal most likely originated from the camp where they were holding me. By the time Sergei released me, most of their forces had already left, and the remainder were getting ready to deploy.”
Lars inclined his head. “Carl is correct. There are many Coalition base camps scattered around the various districts. The camp where Carl was being held would have been abandoned as soon as they initiated the attack. I have knowledge of two other camps. The locations of the others were not shared with us. “
Carl frowned. “I don’t know how that’s possible. I know my district fairly well and we’ve never seen them in my area.”
“They’re very good at staying hidden,” Lars explained. “The Coalition’s cloaking technology is more advanced than anything I’ve ever seen, so it would be almost impossible to detect them unless you’re practically right on top of them. The size of each camp is smaller, with maybe under a hundred people, which is designed to minimize the impact if one of them was discovered. They all operate independently, with each camp leader in the area reporting to a commander. In this case, Sergei.”
Kayla didn’t bother to hide her surprise. She hadn’t realized Sergei’s position was quite so high up. Shaking her head, she said, “If there’s no point in tracing the tablet back, we might be able to use their communication signatures to tap into their feeds. If so, we’ll have inside information about what they’re planning.”
“It could work,” Felix mused, turning over the device and prying it apart.
Lars frowned. “I’ve seen some of their security. Even if you could get past it, you’ll be too late to use it. Our best hope is to return to the towers as quickly as possible. Sergei will be manning the command center nearby. His second, Pavel, will be overseeing the initial sweep of the towers. Once it’s secured, Sergei will move to the towers, along with most of their reserve forces. I wasn’t privy to all their plans, but I can tell you what little I know. Do you have a map of the towers?”
Alec motioned for one of the technicians to pull it up. Lars leaned forward, studying the map, and said, “Once the Shadows give them access, the Coalition will move in. Residents will be urged to return to their quarters where many of them will be locked in. Those who resist will be executed.” He paused and then began pointing at certain areas on the screen. “The Coalition, in conjunction with the Shadows, will then focus on locking down the main control room, generators, security, databanks, and food distribution centers. Once they gain control of these key areas, they’ll create a stranglehold on the towers.”
Seara shook her head. “Our people will be massacred. The Inner Circle won’t stand down. With the Shadows negating their abilities, they won’t be able to fight back. We depend too heavily on our powers.”
<
br /> Alec leaned over to study the map. “With the communication systems offline, we need to assume the Shadows have either already allowed them into the towers or they are about to open the doors. It’s imperative we stop them before they take control of any of those key areas.”
Kayla glanced over at Brant. “How many of the Shadows know how to manipulate energy? If I flooded them with my energy, would they know how to use it?”
“Not likely,” Brant admitted. “I’ve received much more extensive training than many of my counterparts. It wasn’t easy to handle your energy, even with my background. You might be able to offset their abilities, at least temporarily. It’ll be dangerous though.”
Carl placed his hand on her back, and Kayla glanced up into his worried eyes. She leaned against him and said, “If they’ve already moved into the towers, I don’t think we have much of a choice. If we can throw them off their plan a little bit, we might have a chance.”
Alec frowned. “As much as I hate to say it, I’m afraid you might be right. The last thing I want to do is put you in more danger, Kayla. We need to return to the towers immediately to get a better idea about the situation.”
At Alec’s order, the remaining OmniLab guards began packing up and loading the convoys. Felix shook his head, still working on the Coalition tablet. He glanced over at Kayla. “There’s a problem your new friends haven’t addressed.”
Kayla sighed. “Yeah. The communication with the towers is offline. Since they’ve already shut that down, it’s likely that getting inside the towers is going to require some creativity.”
Felix leaned over and tweaked her nose. “This is why I like working with you. Life is always more entertaining.”
She grinned at him. “Always.”
Kayla watched the last of the OmniLab transports pull out. Time was ticking down. With Felix trailing behind her, she flung a bag of supplies over her shoulder and headed in the direction of the hidden bikes.
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