“I can try it with you, Josten,” she offered.
Josten’s head whipped back to her. A mixture of hope, apprehension, and then suspicion flew over his face in rapid succession. She held both hands outward, trying to show him she meant no harm.
“It’s up to you. We can try it and see if it works. If you think I’m going to try anything, you can kill me.”
“Kayla!” Carl barked, the word a sharp criticism to her suggestion.
She glanced at him and shook her head, begging him with her eyes to trust her. Josten wouldn’t risk killing her, not if there was a chance she could change their future. She may not have grown up with the Shadows, but she recognized desperate hope from her time with the ruin rats. It was all the same, whether here or on the surface.
Before Josten could respond, one of the other Shadows stepped forward and offered him a commlink unit. “We’ve got a problem, Jos. There was an explosion in the security offices. Henri and Nick aren’t responding anymore.”
Josten grabbed the commlink and studied the screen for a long moment. He tossed it back to its owner and pointed his weapon at Kayla. “Why did Alec allow you to come here? What’s his plan?”
Fuck. Things just went from bad to worse.
Sending a silent plea to Alec to hurry the hell up, she focused on the irate Shadow in front of her. Keeping her voice even, she replied, “The original plan was for Seara to talk to you. I didn’t agree with that, so I grabbed Brant and came here. Carl saw us leave and followed.”
Josten narrowed his eyes at her. “You expect me to believe Alec Tal’Vayr allowed his bondmate and the only known spirit channeler to walk in here unarmed?”
Kayla crossed her arms and lifted her head in defiance. “I didn’t wait around to ask his permission.”
“Kayla’s telling the truth,” Brant insisted. “She was worried about her mother putting herself in danger. The plan was for Alec to target the security offices while Seara negotiated with you.”
“Then why hasn’t Seara come to try to rescue her daughter?”
Shit. Good question. Kayla squeezed her eyes shut and tried to think of a believable reason.
“She probably wanted to,” Carl suggested. “More than likely, Alec convinced her that a rescue could jeopardize Kayla’s safety. They probably decided to take back the security offices so they could find out what’s going on in here. They won’t risk putting Kayla or the High Council in danger until they know what’s going on.”
Carl’s explanation seemed feasible because many of the Shadows relaxed a fraction. Kayla took a steadying breath.
Marcus Staghorn, one of the council members, spoke up. “As we told you before, we’re willing to negotiate with you for our release. If you tell us what you want, we’re in a position to listen to your complaints and discuss a resolution.”
Rob scowled at the man. “Why should we believe you’ll honor anything you say right now? You’d swear to just about anything. Your word doesn’t mean anything. Not anymore.”
Kayla was really starting to wish she’d punched Rob when she had the chance. “I know you guys want things to change. The High Council can make that happen. This situation isn’t really that bad. You have options. You haven’t hurt anyone.”
Lenora sniffed. “You can’t reason with animals.”
Kayla lost her patience and glared at the woman. “Shut the hell up, lady. Be thankful you’re still breathing. The Shadows have shown remarkable restraint. If it were me, I’d have already shot you.”
Lenora’s eyes widened, and her mouth gaped. “You can’t speak to me like that. How dare you!” She gestured to Josten. “You’re no better than that… that abomination. Only someone who has corrupted their energy threads could link with one of them.”
Josten’s jaw clenched in anger.
Brant held up his hand to get the Shadow’s attention. “She’s baiting you, Josten. You know she’s always hated you. Just ignore her. Not all the council members have the same prejudices. Marcus Staghorn has been honorable in his dealings with us. If he’s willing to negotiate, you should consider it.”
In a low voice, Kayla asked Brant, “Why does she hate Josten?”
“Josten’s father is Lenora’s husband.”
“Oh,” Kayla murmured. “I can’t say I blame him for preferring another woman’s company. She’s kind of a bitch.”
Brant made a small noise of agreement.
Josten glanced at them but didn’t make any other indication he’d overheard their exchange. Instead, he turned to the Shadow who had given him the commlink and spoke quietly to him.
Kayla took the opportunity to study each of the Shadows. They didn’t seem to have much of a focused agenda, but maybe she could help them along. “Do you think Josten’s father could reason with him? Or any of the Shadows’ parents? Maybe we can still salvage this.”
“It’s not likely,” Brant replied. “There’s too much of a divide between us. I don’t know if a peaceful resolution is possible.”
Someone pounded on the entrance door, and a booming voice called from the opposite side. “This is Trenon Noltreck. I’m here with Seara Rath’Varein. We’d like to speak with you.”
Astonishment filled most of the faces in the room. Many of the council members looked at each other, unsure what this development meant. The Shadows didn’t look pleased at the news either.
“Trenon Noltreck? Isn’t he one of the exiles?” one of the Shadows asked.
Josten frowned. “Yes. He’s supposedly working with the Coalition.”
“Not anymore,” Rob observed. “The bastards must have double-crossed us.”
“You’re right,” Josten agreed, stepping forward and grabbing Kayla’s arm. The sudden move surprised her, and she didn’t have a chance to react. Josten spun her around, yanking her against him in a chokehold.
Carl reached out to make a grab for her, but Rob shoved him against the wall. He pressed his weapon against Carl’s chest. “Move and you die.”
Kayla grabbed the arm around her neck, preparing to blast Josten with energy. A slight shake of Brant’s head made her pause. Brant took a small step forward, holding up both hands to show he had no ill intent.
“You don’t need to hurt them. Kayla and Carl are innocent in all of this.”
Josten’s arm tightened around Kayla’s neck. “No lies, Brant. Did Trenon Noltreck make a deal with OmniLab?”
Someone pounded on the door again. Seara’s muffled voice called out, “This is Seara Rath’Varein. Is everyone okay inside?”
Kayla made a small noise and tugged at Josten’s arm. If he kept applying this amount of pressure, she’d lose consciousness. He relaxed his arm a fraction but didn’t release her. At least she could breathe again.
“Trenon wants back in the towers,” she managed on a gasp.
Josten looked down at her, loosening his hold on her a little more. “He made a deal?”
She nodded, or rather, tried to nod. “Yeah. Amnesty in exchange for fighting the Coalition.”
Rob glanced back at them but didn’t lower his weapon from where he held it against Carl. “Something isn’t right. The Coalition had all the key areas locked down. They wouldn’t have allowed Trenon into the antechamber if he switched sides. It would have been a fucking bloodbath out there, but we haven’t heard a word from our contacts.”
Before Josten could respond, a loud explosion rocked the room. Debris and plaster fell from the ceiling in a large dust cloud. Metal canisters made a distinct clang as they hit the floor. Shouts filled the air and smoke filled the room, obscuring Kayla’s vision.
“Now, Kayla!” Brant yelled.
Kayla pressed her hands tightly against Josten’s arm, forcing energy into him. He jerked away, releasing her, and she dropped to the floor. The air was a little clearer closer to the ground, and she caught a glimpse of Carl and Brant wrestling with Rob and another Shadow. A hand grabbed her ankle. She rolled, using her other leg to swipe at her would-be captor. There was a g
runt, and the hand fell away.
She scrambled across the floor, determined to get to Brant and Carl. The shadow energy in the room was lessening, and the air became electrified as the council members began tapping into their energy. A crash and a scream sounded from somewhere behind her, but Kayla didn’t look back.
An arm wrapped around her midsection, pulling her upright. She jabbed her elbow into the person, twisting her body to escape their grip. They swore, dropping her on her butt.
Kayla yelped at the jolt that radiated from her tailbone all the way up her spine. She started to push off the ground, ready to launch an attack on the figure standing over her. The distorted face within the helmet was more than a little familiar. Pausing, she leaned forward and squinted to see through the smoke. “Mack? Is that you?”
“Glad to see you remember some of those moves, darlin’,” he shouted over the commotion and offered her his hand.
Relief flooded through her. She took his hand and stood, trying to look around the smoky room. There were a lot more people now, all of them fighting—some with weapons, some with energy. With the limited visibility, it was nearly impossible to identify anyone. She glanced up at Mack, noting the heads-up display embedded in his borrowed OmniLab helmet. At least he had a way to identify who was on their side. She leaned close to him and shouted, “Go back. I need to find Carl.”
“Felix wanted us to get you out of here,” he yelled, gesturing toward the thickest part of the smoke where they’d made their entrance.
Kayla dodged as a piece of furniture flew over her head. The Inner Circle members who had been released from the shadow energy were fighting back with a vengeance. With the limited visibility, it would be almost impossible for the council members to tell who was on their side. They were as likely to attack the ruin rats as they were to attack the Shadows.
Mack scanned the room and pointed to their left. “Your trader’s over there. I’ll grab him while you head out.”
“No!” she shouted, grabbing his arm.
The ruin rats were great at distractions, minor skirmishes, and misdirection. But they didn’t have the extensive training of the elite Shadow security officers or the energy-wielding capabilities of the High Council. Even she had more firepower at her disposal than her former campmates. She’d asked for their help, but that was when they were up against the Coalition. She’d never intended for them to face these odds. Leo’s injuries were proof enough they were out of their element. She needed to put a stop to this. Now.
“This isn’t your fight, Mack. Get our people out of here.”
Mack hesitated, but he finally nodded and turned away. Kayla hunched down and moved forward, trying to stay close to the ground where visibility was a little better. She’d only taken a handful of steps when someone flew into her, knocking her off her feet, and collapsed on top of her. The force of the blow stole her breath.
Kayla shoved at the unconscious man, trying to ignore the building panic of not being able to breathe. He was too heavy to move. She pushed, trying to roll away, but he had her pinned. Unable to get a breath, she couldn’t even call out. Desperate now, she ignored the oily grip of the shadow energy still encompassing the room and threw her energy outward, reaching for Alec. But… there was nothing. Alec wasn’t there. The bond they’d shared and relied upon was gone, dissolved by her own hand.
Her vision started to dim, the sounds of battle sounding further away. If she lost consciousness, she’d die. In a last-ditch effort, she reached into the deepest part of her and tried to channel as much energy as possible. If she couldn’t move the man off of her, Brant would sense her energy. Even if no one else did, he would pick up on her energy signature. He had to.
There was no answer, and the battle continued without her. As the world grew dark, her last thought was of Carl. He’d given her a glimpse of a world with love, hope, and possibilities. Kayla had wanted that with him more than anything.
Ruin rats weren’t supposed to feel regret, but that was a lie too.
Chapter Seventeen
Kayla blinked open her eyes, trying to focus on the face staring down at her. Carl’s worried eyes met hers. She looked him over, wondering if he was real or her imagination. A small cut at the corner of his mouth drew her attention. It was bleeding. He must be real; otherwise, she’d never imagine him hurt.
She started to sit up, but agony ripped through her. It felt like a speeder had parked on top of her chest. She managed a cough, but it only made the pain worse. At least she could breathe though. Sort of. But yeah, this was definitely reality, and it was a bitch.
“The fucker fell on me.”
Carl’s expression changed to one of stark relief. “Sweetheart, I thought I was too late…” He shook his head and managed a weak smile. “Try not to move yet. The medics are on their way here. We don’t know how badly you’re injured.”
“You’re hurt,” she whispered, reaching toward his cut.
He shook his head. Capturing her hand in his, he pressed a kiss against it. “No. It’s just a few scrapes. Don’t worry about me.”
She frowned, catching sight of Brant out of the corner of her eye. Several of the Shadows were standing around her with their hands raised. The heavy coat of shadow energy blanketed her, adding weight to the heaviness already on her chest. Some of the council members and ruin rats were standing just beyond them.
“Can you…” she stopped to cough again, the pain sharp and stabbing in her chest, “…make them stop. It’s hard enough to breathe.”
“Yes,” Alec said, glancing over at Brant and the rest of the Shadows. He gave them a nod, and they lowered their hands. The lingering shadow energy slowly receded from the room. It still hurt, but breathing was a bit easier. Alec knelt beside her, taking the hand Carl wasn’t holding. “Is that better?”
She managed a nod. “Where’s Seara? Is she okay?”
Her mother’s voice sounded from somewhere behind Alec. A moment later, Seara was also beside her, gently brushing away the hair from Kayla’s face. Her mother’s eyes were filled with tears, but a relieved smile was on her face. “I’m right here. I’m not going anywhere.”
Kayla relaxed a fraction at seeing her mother unharmed. “What happened?”
“You almost brought down the towers. Your earth energy seems to flare up when you’re threatened,” Alec explained.
Dammit.
She’d done it again. Kayla tried to sit up to assess the damage, but pain lanced through her again, followed by a swift wave of nausea.
Carl shook his head, gently pressing her back to the floor. “Please, sweetheart, try to remain still.”
Kayla squeezed her eyes shut, willing the room to stop spinning. The thought of trying to move again wasn’t something she was willing to tackle at the moment. She never thought she’d be anxious to see those stupid medics so soon. “Shit. I was trying to get Brant’s attention. How bad is the damage?”
“We don’t know yet,” Alec admitted. “Fortunately, most of the residents had already been on lockdown in their quarters. This tower was built to withstand energy attacks, so we’re hoping the damage is minimal. We’re checking on the residents now and having our engineers run some assessments.”
She opened her eyes once more, feeling uncomfortable at all the people hovering over her. “The Shadows stopped me, didn’t they?”
“Yes,” Alec said, glancing over at Brant and the rest of the Shadows. “You managed to somehow break through the shadow energy and send out more power than most of us have seen. They all had to step in to stop you.”
Kayla frowned. That shouldn’t have happened. She’d sent out a lot of energy, but it wasn’t any more than what she’d done before. “It’s getting stronger, isn’t it?”
Alec nodded, squeezing her hand in reassurance. “Yes, but we think it’s because your energy reacts differently around shadow energy. That’s why you were able to break through their normal barrier.”
Seara gave her a small smile. “We heard wha
t you said to the Shadows. Your energy is connected to theirs. You’ve never been in close proximity to so much shadow energy. We believe it somehow magnified your abilities.”
Kayla looked back and forth between Seara and Alec, a hundred questions forming in her mind. “What do you mean? Isn’t their energy supposed to suppress mine?”
“It is,” Alec agreed. “You’ve never conformed to our normal rules though. It took the combined strength of the Shadows to stop your energy. Without their help, all of this could have ended badly.”
“No kidding,” she muttered, not wanting to think about what could have happened. Although training wasn’t her idea of fun, it looked like she needed to make it a priority. There was no way she could risk anything like this happening again. “So I guess just having Brant follow me around isn’t going to be enough?”
Alec lifted his gaze again, looking over the Shadows still within the room. “No, I don’t believe so. I suspect this is why Spirit channelers are so rare.”
“What do you mean?” Carl asked, still holding her hand.
“Our numbers have always been fairly evenly distributed between the different elements,” Alec explained. “Counterbalances are extremely important to us, and this is no exception. The Shadows greatly outnumber Kayla, but I think that’s by design. If we had more Spirit channelers, the result could be disastrous.”
Brant nodded, taking a step forward. “I agree. One Shadow could easily subdue several energy channelers, but Kayla blasted through their shield without much effort. I never dreamed she could break through like that.”
Seara looked up at the Shadows with gratitude. “All of this has made it clear that we need you, and you’re an important part of the towers. You should not be treated as second-class citizens or any differently from the other Inner Circle members. It’s been proven today that you’re one of us, no better and no worse.”
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