Seara stood, her gaze sweeping each of them. “I want to apologize to all of you. On behalf of myself and the rest of the Inner Circle, we were wrong. As you’ve reminded us today, your gifts are a blessing and should be treated as such. It is you who have kept us in check, preventing our own destruction and keeping us safe from harm.”
Seara paused to gaze down at Kayla. Her mother’s eyes were filled with a love so pure and staggering that, for a moment, Kayla wasn’t sure if it was the pain in her chest making it difficult to breathe. This was what Veridian had wanted her to have, she realized. This was her second chance. This was a second chance for all of them. Her family wasn’t confined to the boundaries of the surface. It extended beyond the ruin rats, to Carl’s camp, and into the towers where she was born.
Seara smiled at her and turned back to the Shadows. “My daughter was correct. You are part of us as much as we’re part of you. I hope you can one day forgive us for all of our past mistakes.”
Josten took a step forward. A bruise darkened the side of his face, and his uniform had been torn sometime during the fighting. “Will the Inner Circle acknowledge our familial ties?”
Seara clasped her hands together, her gaze lowering as though trying to find the right words. When she raised her head again, her eyes were filled with regret. “I wish I had the power to give you what you want. I may not be able to repair the rifts between you and your families, but I can make sure you’re given the same rights as every other Inner Circle member. The rest, hopefully, will heal in its own time.”
Josten nodded, accepting the truth in her words. “What punishment will be given for our crimes here?”
Alec released Kayla’s hand and stood. She tried to sit up to stop him, but pain shot through her. Crying out, she reached for him with a small energy thread, brushing against him and trying to draw his attention.
“Dammit, Alec, don’t punish them. Haven’t they already been punished enough?”
Alec knelt back down beside her, taking her hand once again and accepting the energy. “You’re the most stubborn woman I’ve ever met. If you’ll remain still until the medics get here, you can have a say in their punishment.”
Despite her pain, she couldn’t help but smile. It wasn’t their permanent bond, but the small contact was still reassuring. It felt right. No matter what happened in the future, Alec was a part of her life and always would be. This time, though, they both could dictate the terms of their friendship.
“Deal,” she agreed. “I want the Shadows to help build the tower for the Coalition and the ruin rats. Working with Leo will be more than enough punishment. Just watch.”
“Very well.” Alec let out an exasperated sigh. He lifted his head to address the Shadows once more and said, “In recompense for your crimes here today, you’ll be assigned as laborers to assist in the construction of the new tower. Once the construction is complete, you can take your place as Inner Circle members.”
Lenora pushed her way forward. “This is outrageous! I refuse to acknowledge them as Inner Circle members. They attacked us, imprisoned us, and have proven to be untrustworthy.”
“This is not your decision, Lenora,” Seara declared, staring down the woman with a cold glare. “Alec and I are in agreement on this matter. OmniLab, from this day forward, recognizes shadow energy as one of the powers of the Drac’Kin. All rights, benefits, and titles shall be bestowed upon them as members of the Inner Circle.”
“Witnessed,” a voice called out from behind the Shadows. Another voice echoed the same sentiment.
Marcus Staghorn moved to stand beside Lenora. “Put aside your personal issues, Lenora. With the way we’ve treated them, I’m surprised they didn’t rebel before now. When push came to shove, they saved us. We’d be buried under a pile of rubble if they hadn’t stepped in when they did.”
“I will never acknowledge them as one of us,” she hissed.
“You will,” Seara said, her tone firm and unyielding. “If you refuse to enforce the will of the High Council, you will be confined to your quarters. We will not allow you to jeopardize the stability of the towers based on a personal slight.”
Lenora jerked back as though slapped. She glared at Seara but didn’t offer any more objections.
The sounds of voices and hurried footsteps interrupted the conversation. Carl brought Kayla’s hand up and kissed her knuckles. “It’s Sergei. He agreed to escort the medics here.”
She caught a glimpse of the tall, blond foreigner entering the room, followed by several others. Sergei grinned at her and winked.
“Ah, good,” he said in lieu of a greeting. “You managed to live. I had some concerns.”
Kayla wrinkled her nose at Sergei. “I seem to get hurt whenever you show up. Maybe one of these days we can stop meeting like this.”
Sergei threw his head back and laughed. “I can have my men bring up another bottle of vodka, if you like. We never did finish getting to know one another.”
Carl glowered at him. “I don’t think so. Where’s the medic?”
Ariana stepped out from behind Sergei and knelt beside Kayla. “If she’ll allow it, I can heal her. The other medics can treat some of the others.”
Alec started to move out of the way, but Ariana stopped him. “No, stay. Your bond strengthens her.”
Alec hesitated and then shook his head. “There is no bond, Ari. It’s been dissolved.”
Ariana froze, looking at Alec with something akin to shock. She opened her mouth to ask, but then lowered her gaze to focus on Kayla. “May I touch you? I’ll try to be gentle.”
“Yeah,” Kayla agreed, more than a little curious after watching her heal Leo. Ariana placed her hands gently on Kayla’s head, and a gentle warmth emitted from her palms. Although Kayla wasn’t exactly sure what Ariana was doing, she was definitely using energy. Different types of energy threads were being woven together in complex patterns, their frequencies aligning to resonate with hers. Ariana moved downward, pausing now and then to focus on a certain area. It tingled, but the sensation wasn’t unpleasant.
Kayla glanced over at Alec to find him watching Ariana. That same look of regret and longing was in his eyes again. Through the small connection she’d forged with Alec, she could pick up some traces of his emotion. There was a definite attraction there but also sadness. Something had happened between them, but she wasn’t sure what. She glanced over at Carl, a question in her eyes. He gave her a nod, indicating he’d noticed something between Ariana and Alec too.
Interesting.
As though sensing Kayla’s gaze and her perusal along their connection, Alec turned back to her. The connection between them fell silent, as though he were suppressing his emotions. His features once again became schooled into an unreadable mask. “How are you feeling?”
“Much better,” Kayla admitted, sitting up once Ariana finished. She was able to take a deep breath without any pain. “You’re an incredible healer.”
Ariana sat back on her heels and smiled, the expression making her radiant. “Thank you for helping rescue my father.”
Kayla glanced over to where Ariana’s father was standing. The older man was talking to another council member. “I’m glad he’s okay.”
Carl reached down to help her to stand and then pulled her into his arms. Kayla went willingly, the strength of his body surrounding hers in a protective cocoon. She rested her head against his chest, inhaling his familiar scent and listening to the steady beat of his heart.
Alec stood and helped Ariana up, but he didn’t release her hand right away. They stared at each other for several heartbeats and then someone called out for Alec. He released her hand quickly, as though recalling himself, and turned away to speak with one of the council members. Jason came over a second later and ushered Ariana over to their father.
Kayla glanced over at Brant, asking him with her eyes what was going on. The security officer gave her a knowing smile and nodded. Yep. He’d caught the exchange between Alec and Ariana too. The
re was definitely something between them. Kayla darted another glance at Alec and couldn’t help but smile. She wondered if Ariana might have something to do with the choice Brant mentioned when they’d broken their bond.
Kayla rested her head against Carl’s chest again, not willing to release him just yet. She loved him beyond all reason. Love should be a choice, she realized. Even when circumstances seemed to dictate your path in life, you always had a choice. It might be more difficult to take the more challenging path, but the most valuable things in life never came easily. That was part of the reason she’d always thrown herself into dangerous situations, chose the most hazardous ruins to scavenge, or tackled every obstacle with almost single-minded determination. If life and love were easy, it wouldn’t be nearly as rewarding.
She lifted her head to look up at Carl. In him, she’d found her second chance. Maybe Ariana was Alec’s second chance at something too. At least, she could hope.
Kayla reached up to touch Carl’s face, and his eyes softened as he gazed down at her. She remembered what she’d told Brant when she cornered him outside the restaurant: Life isn’t always forgiving enough to give you second chances. And if you’re fortunate enough to get a second chance, you better learn your lesson quick because you can be damn sure there won’t be a third.
She looked around the room, studying the faces surrounding them. There was an eclectic mix of ruin rats, trading camp people, and Inner Circle members. Medics moved from person to person, treating their injuries. It was strange to see some of the people she valued the most all within the same room. With what they’d accomplished today, they were all going to be okay.
“Kayla,” Veridian’s voice called out from behind her.
She whirled around toward the double doors. Veridian, Felix, Cruncher, Xantham, Jinx, and several others had entered the room. Her eyes filled with tears at the sight of them. Veridian ran over to her and enveloped her in a hug.
“You’re okay,” he whispered, his face pressed against her hair. “I heard the audio feed when they found you. I thought you were gone.”
She shook her head, clutching him tightly. Now her family really was complete. “You should know better, V. I’m a ruin rat. We don’t die that easily.”
Veridian pulled back, frowning at her. “What the hell were you thinking pulling a stunt like that? First, you decide to steal an artifact. Then, you climb into bed with a trader. Then, you get kidnapped and stabbed. If that wasn’t enough, you take on the Coalition and try to single-handedly rescue the towers. I swear, you’re going to give me an ulcer. I probably have ulcers on top of my ulcers. Leo had no idea what he was signing me up for when he charged me with keeping you out of trouble.”
He hugged her again, and in a voice choking with emotion, he said, “But I wouldn’t change you for anything. You’re my family, Kayla.”
She tried to blink away the tears that threatened. “You’ve always been mine too, V.”
“Quit hogging her,” Felix joked, stepping forward to give her a hug. “See, this is what I’ve been missing. Life’s always more exciting with you around, crazy girl.”
Kayla laughed, wiping away the tears that had manage to escape. Dammit. This wasn’t helping her carefully cultivated badass image. “I’m glad you’re here, Felix. I really have missed you and all the trouble we used to get into. I’m sorry about everything that happened, with Pretz, bailing on you, all of it—”
Felix shook his head, pressing his fingers against her lips. “I get it. I made my brother a promise to look after you though. When I heard he’d been killed, I was worried you were in over your head.” He lifted his head to look over at Carl. “You were, but you also had good people at your back. You were right; for a trader, he’s not a bad guy. It takes someone with the balls of a ruin rat to storm the towers with you. I think Pretz would have liked him.”
She looked up at him, hope and sorrow welling within her. “You really think that?”
“Yeah, I do,” Felix said and hugged her again. In a low voice, he whispered, “But anytime you want to kick things up a notch and get into more trouble, I’ll be here for you.”
“Deal,” she agreed with a laugh.
Carl pulled her back into his arms, eyeing Felix with trepidation. “Do I want to know what he whispered to you?”
She grinned. “Probably not.”
He sighed and shook his head, muttering something about troublemaking ruin rats under his breath. Kayla laughed. He was so right.
She leaned against him again, a small smile on her face as she watched the occupants of the room. Rand was going to each of the trading camp members and ruin rats who had stormed the room, checking on each of them and introducing himself to the ones he didn’t know. Yep. Both he and Carl shared a lot of similarities. If Rand’s behavior was any indication of the future relationships between the trading camps and ruin rats, she had a lot of hope that this new tower would heal the rifts between their people.
Alec and Seara, on the other hand, were both busy talking with Sergei, the Shadows, the former exiles, and some council members. The merging of all these different groups and their goals warmed something within her. They were all getting second chances at a new beginning.
Brant was standing next to Alec listening intently, but he must have felt her gaze on him. He turned to her and winked before focusing again on his half-brother. Oh, yeah. The upright Shadow was definitely mellowing.
Carl turned her in his arms. Tilting her head back, he tucked her hair behind her ear. “You won, sweetheart. It’s over.”
Kayla smiled up at him, letting her love for this once hated trader reflect in her eyes. The greatest victory was having him here by her side. “No, it’s not over. Not even close. It’s a new beginning for all of us, and there isn’t anyone I’d rather share it with than you.”
His gaze softened. “You’re right. It is a new beginning. But, I’m still going to hold you to an old promise.”
Kayla blinked, trying to recall what she’d promised. So much had happened, the past few days seemed like a blur. “What promise?”
He grinned, pulling her even closer. “If I remember correctly, you said that when all this is done, we’d disappear together for a few weeks and go play in the ruins. I hope you know I’m going to hold you to that.”
She laughed and threw her arms around his neck. The future was suddenly looking even brighter. “I did, didn’t I? Well, Trader Carl Grayson, that’s a promise I have every intention of keeping.”
Ariana Alivette’s story continues in Drop of Hope, #4 The Omni Towers Series. Turn the page for a sneak peek or click here to read it now!
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Sneak Peek
Dangerous secrets lurk under the water’s surface…
Ariana Alivette has lived a life of perceived luxury in the elusive Omni Towers. While most of the remaining survivors around the world are struggling to survive, Ariana has been locked away to protect a dangerous secret. But, even the walls of a gilded cage can’t last forever.
When Ariana makes the decision to reveal her secret to save a life, she suddenly finds herself targeted by those determined to use her for their own ambitions. Ariana must quickly learn the rules of this new world and do whatever is necessary to master her own fate, because one wrong decision means losing her life—and her heart.
Drop of Hope
Ariana ran toward the priority elevators and plugged in her earpiece. She could hear the child’s screams in the background. “Paul, talk to me. How bad is her condition?”
“It’s worse than we expected. We’re trying to stabilize her now,” Paul explained over her headset, the worry in his voice indicative of the precariousness of the situation. “The transport team is working on her, but we’ve got
burns covering about thirty percent of her body. Are you in your quarters?”
“I just left. I can meet you in the training room.”
“No. It’ll take too long,” Paul argued, pausing for a moment to issue some instructions to someone. “Can you head directly to the medical ward? We’ll have to meet you there. I’ve sent instructions there to have a clean room ready.”
Ariana swallowed, praying to whatever gods might be listening they wouldn’t take an innocent life far too soon.
“I’ll be there in a few minutes,” she informed him and disconnected from the commlink call.
“Ari?”
Ariana glanced down the corridor to find Alec hastening toward her, but she couldn’t stop while a child’s life was in jeopardy. Pressing a button on the priority elevator, she said, “I’m sorry, Alec. I can’t talk right now. I have to hurry.”
His blue eyes were marked with concern. “What is it? What’s wrong?”
“It’s Mira,” Ariana managed, pressing the button again and willing the elevator to arrive faster. She needed a blasted override code for these situations. Realizing who stood beside her, she grabbed his arm. Alec wasn’t just a friend, he was also one of the High Council leaders.
“Alec, I need you to override the elevators. Mira’s being transported to the medical ward right now. She was in an accident in the training room, and there are burns covering most of her body. I need to meet the medical team right away.”
Alec paled and quickly entered in his override code. “I’ll go with you. She’s the promising young fire channeler from the Gavron family, right?”
Ariana nodded as the elevator doors opened. While Alec entered his code again to bypass all other floors, she said, “Yes. She’s only eleven. I’m not sure what happened or why there wasn’t a water channeler monitoring the situation, but I could hear her screaming over my commlink.”
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