Shadow of the Coalition

by Jamie A. Waters

  Kayla flushed, remembering how it felt to open herself completely to him. It was as though he knew every thought and feeling she’d ever experienced. “So it’s like this with everyone? It just depends on how much energy you share with them?”

  “Not quite. Each person’s energy has a different… flavor,” he tried to explain. “The stronger and more potent your bloodline, the more desirable the energy. Different types of energy will usually be drawn to their opposing counterpart. So someone who channels air energy may be more drawn to an earth channeler. A fire channeler will be drawn to a water channeler and vice versa. Your emotions also are tied into it.”

  “So… wait. If Seara’s an earth channeler, does that mean my father channeled air energy too?”

  “You would think so, yes,” Alec admitted and rubbed his chin as though he were considering her words. “It’s possible to have a relationship with someone who isn’t your counterpoint, but it’s not as satisfying. Your father was rather remarkable in the sense he was able to channel both air and fire equally. Not many people have the ability to specialize in more than one element. Once he bonded to your mother, his ability to channel air became even stronger. He never lost his fire ability though. I can’t help but wonder whether his strong dual talent is part of the reason you ended up a spirit channeler.”

  “If I’m a spirit channeler, I’m not your counterpoint,” she pointed out. “How does that fit in?”

  He gave her a slow smile. “You’re unique and incredibly desirable. It’s not just your level of power, which alone is impressive. You can connect with any of the elements. Your energy seems to shift to become your partner’s perfect balance.”

  At her confused look, he added, “That means you’re most likely irresistible to everyone, but you won’t necessarily feel the same way. You’ll only want to connect with someone who can return a significant amount of energy to you. Anything less will leave you… unsatisfied.”

  Kayla couldn’t help but laugh at his description. “Is that your polite Omni way of saying I won’t have an orgasm?”

  “Something like that.” Alec chuckled, and his eyes glinted meaningfully. “If you’re interested in a demonstration, I could show you how easily I could take you there with my thoughts alone.”

  She held up her hand to stop him. No way was she going down that road again. “I think you already proved yourself. I was about halfway to climaxing a few minutes ago.”

  He gave a half-hearted shrug as though to say it was her loss. He was probably right, but she’d already caused enough complications for one day. Kayla leaned against the desk while considering his words. Other than with her mother, she’d only ever made a connection with Alec. She wondered how small the connection would need to be to prevent something like this from happening with anyone else.

  Hearing her thoughts, Alec offered, “I’ll supervise your instruction. I won’t risk anyone trying to claim you when you’re already bonded to me. It’s possible, of course, but the claim would be fleeting and wouldn’t have the effect you need or desire.”

  Kayla wrinkled her nose. The details of this energy business seemed endless. “I don’t understand. I thought a claim was a bond.”

  “It is, of sorts,” he agreed. “A sexual claim is fleeting. It lasts as long as the energy does. It may last longer if you have feelings for the person you’re with, but just like a bad relationship, it can be ended. A permanent bond is something much deeper and can’t be destroyed. You tie your aura or soul to the other person in a permanent way. A sexual claim combined with a permanent bond reinforces and strengthens both.”

  Just like that, the metaphorical floor collapsed beneath her. She swallowed as the full impact of his words registered. “We have a permanent bond. You’re saying my soul is tied to yours?”

  Alec hesitated and then nodded. At her horrified expression, he sighed. “It’s not as bad as it sounds. I won’t ever hurt you, Kayla. It goes both ways too. You have a piece of me with you, just as I carry a piece of you. It’s another type of balancing point.”

  Kayla shook her head, feeling overwhelmed. She slumped down in one of the chairs in front of the desk and put her head in her hands. “I don’t want any of this. Can’t we just turn it off?”

  He moved behind her and rested his hands on her shoulders. As he gently kneaded her muscles, a soothing wave of energy washed over her. “I’m not trying to frighten you. It’s truly a beautiful and amazing thing. If you give it time, you’ll understand much more. You’re trying to learn a lifetime of knowledge right now. Give yourself time to absorb all of it.”

  “Maybe,” she said quietly and closed her eyes. The combination of his hands and the energy sweeping over her was wonderful. She considered telling him to stop, but it seemed to be his way of trying to calm and reassure her. She was coming to realize energy manipulation was second nature to him. Damn, this is nice, but I don’t like wanting it so much.

  Alec’s commlink beeped, and he pulled away. He was quiet for a moment, reading. When finished, he raised his head and his eyes shone with an inner fire. Kayla stared at him, transfixed by the allure of his blue eyes. “What’s going on?”

  “The test results on your water samples are complete.”

  Her eyes widened, and she straightened in the chair. He had her full attention. The turnaround time was faster than she’d thought. “What do they say?”

  “The water is potable.” He scrolled through the message. “They found some minor contaminants, but it’s safe. They suggest some minor filtering for drinking purposes but there were no unusual readings. This is excellent news. Another drinking source will take an enormous amount of pressure off our current water resource management. We may be able to lift some of our current restrictions and even utilize the water energy from the river.”

  She jumped up from the chair. “Oh, wow! Carl is going to freak out.”

  Alec nodded and mused, “I’ll arrange to have some additional personnel and equipment sent over to map the cavern. Carl mentioned he didn’t believe the river could be fully explored on foot. I’ll speak with our researchers about acquiring some underwater cameras to navigate through these areas.”

  “What about floatation devices? We could just ride down the river and see where it goes.”

  Alec shook his head. “No. Not right away. Once the passage is mapped, that might be a possibility depending on where it leads. But some of these underground rivers are treacherous. We don’t know how far they go, whether they continue to go underground, or if there’s enough oxygen in deeper areas of the cave.”

  His concerns were valid, but they wouldn’t deter Kayla from exploring as much as she could. She was anxious to get started. “Fine. I’ll wait a bit, but I want to start mapping it immediately.”

  “Of course,” Alec agreed, walking over to press a button next to the computer terminal. Less than a minute later, his assistant entered the room.

  “Sheila, I need you to contact Director Borshin and tell him to put together an excavation and analysis team for an underground river. Mistress Kayla Rath’Varein will be the point of contact. Find out what equipment the teams will need and send the requisition requests directly to me for approval. If there’s any other equipment Mistress Rath’Varein requires, put a priority on it.”

  Sheila nodded. “Of course, Master Tal’Vayr. I’ll take care of it right away.”

  The assistant left the room, and Kayla shook her head. “You don’t need to do all that, Alec. I feel like you keep giving me special treatment and it makes me feel weird.”

  “I am,” Alec admitted and sat down at the desk. He folded his arms and leaned back in his chair. “You’re going to have to get used to it. If you insist on overseeing the river analysis, I intend to make sure you have everything you need. I’ll do everything in my power to keep you as safe as possible.”

  Kayla pursed her lips. It was tempting to argue, but the thought of telling Carl the news about the water samples was far more enticing. “Okay, I’
m going to go find Carl. I want to see his face when he hears the news. Are we done here?”

  His eyes darkening at the mention of Carl’s name, he hesitated for a long moment and finally nodded. “I have a few things I need to handle this morning. Brant can escort you back to your quarters so you can speak with your trader. I’ll stop by in a couple hours and have the designer meet us at your family’s quarters. If it makes you more comfortable, we can continue your training there.”

  “All right,” Kayla agreed and opened her commlink to make sure Carl was still there. When he didn’t answer, she frowned. It wasn’t like him to not answer. With a shrug, she tried calling Seara. Her mother answered immediately but wasn’t much help. Carl had left not too long ago, claiming he had some errands to run and would be back later.

  Kayla sighed in disappointment and closed the commlink. It was too early for his appointment with Director Borshin. He must be on some other trader business or possibly visiting his family. She drummed her fingertips on the desk. Patience was never her strong suit, and she was itching to tell him the news.

  Alec looked up from his monitor. “If you’re that anxious to tell him, I can locate him for you.”

  She bit her lip. It was still unnerving how he knew exactly what she was thinking. “How?”

  “Any time you use the main elevators, access certain areas, or make a purchase in the towers, it’s tracked. In some areas, we use facial recognition and biometric scanners. He may be conducting some of his trader business on one of the lower levels. I can run a quick check to determine his last recorded location.”

  Intrigued, she walked over to Alec’s computer terminal. He pulled up a display and entered in Carl’s name. A list of purchases and locations appeared on the screen, and Kayla frowned. “That’s kind of creepy. You can locate anyone in the towers?”

  “Yes,” he said and isolated Carl’s recent activity on the monitor. “We use it primarily to eliminate criminal activity, to record shopping habits for product recommendations, and occasionally to help locate lost children. We don’t usually make it a habit of spying on our residents though.”

  Kayla took a step back and shook her head. The idea that someone could track her every movement had her ruin rat instincts kicking in. This must have been how they discovered her location when she was last in the towers. “Thanks, but I should probably just wait until he gets back.”

  Alec looked at the screen thoughtfully for a moment. He typed in a few commands and pulled up another screen. Some unknown emotion flickered in his eyes briefly. “It appears as though he’s at the Flamingo Café on Level Thirty-Two. I’ll go with you to show you where it’s located. Carl was just as anxious as you to get these results.”

  His offer and reaction surprised her. She glanced at the screen but didn’t see anything unusual. Something felt off though. “You sure? I thought you had things you needed to do.”

  “I do, but my appointments can wait a bit. It would be best if I accompanied you if you’re going to one of the public levels.”

  Alec stood and offered Kayla his arm. When she touched him, she got the distinct impression he was suppressing his feelings.

  He led her out of the office, and Brant immediately stood at the sight of them. Alec turned to Sheila and gave her some last-minute instructions about rescheduling his appointments. Once he finished, they headed toward the elevator with Brant falling into step behind them.

  As they approached the elevator, Alec told Brant, “Carl is dining at the Flamingo Café on Level Thirty-Two. Kayla has some news she wants to share with him.”

  Brant nodded, and as soon as the elevator moved, he pressed a button on his wrist unit. When the doors opened, they stepped out into a busy commercial district. This area was markedly different than the area from the previous evening. It was busier, more congested, and lacked the rich decorations and elaborate fountains. The people were dressed more casually, and many seemed hurried as they walked in and out of the stores. Numerous armed security personnel patrolled through the large corridor.

  One of the armed security officers approached them and bowed low. “Welcome to Level Thirty-Two, Master Tal’Vayr and Mistress Rath’Varein. We have four security details assigned to you on this level. Do you require an additional escort?”

  Alec shook his head. “That won’t be necessary. We’ll be at the Flamingo Café.”

  The man gave a small salute before stepping away and conferring briefly with Brant. Kayla noted several of the armed personnel had circled around them and began following at a discreet distance.

  She leaned in closer to Alec. “Why are they following us?”

  Alec wrapped his arm around her waist and spoke silently in her mind. ”This area isn’t part of the Inner Sanctum. It’s open to the general population. Until things settle down in the towers, security has been heightened. It’s nothing to worry about, just a precaution more than anything.”

  It seemed like a pretty hefty precaution. She wondered how dangerous the towers had become over the past month. As they walked through the crowd of people, Kayla was acutely aware of the surprised and curious looks when they were recognized. A small crowd began to gather as more people noticed them, and Kayla pressed closer to Alec’s side. She’d never seen so many people in one place. Thankfully, the security officers encouraged these onlookers to keep moving and go about their business.

  Alec took the attention in stride as they quickly approached the café. The restaurant was bustling with activity. Once again, the contrast between this place and the restaurant from the night before was obvious. The din of plates and loud voices echoed throughout the room. A ragged-looking man wearing a white shirt and a bright-red tie stood behind a desk studying his computer terminal.

  Without bothering to look up, the man said, “It’s going to be at least an hour wait unless you have a reservation. If you want to wait, register your commlink and we’ll notify you when a table’s available. Otherwise, you can try the café on Level Forty-One.”

  “No, thanks. I’m actually looking for Carl Grayson,” Kayla said. “Do you know if he’s here?”

  “Lady, I don’t care who you’re looking for,” the man began and looked up. When he recognized them, his face paled, and he stammered, “I-I—You—You’re—You’re Master Tal’Vayr and Mistress Rath’Varein!”

  “Very good,” Alec said, his voice dripping with irritation. “Now, perhaps you’ll answer Mistress Rath’Varein’s question.”

  “My apologies,” he said and quickly began checking his computer terminal. Kayla started to pity the guy as he squirmed under Alec’s gaze.

  “Ca-Carl Grayson, you said? The trader?”

  When Kayla nodded, he jabbed his thumb in the general direction behind him. “He’s over at one of the back tables. I’ll take you to him right away.”

  The man scampered from behind his desk, practically pushing people out of the way as he led them through the crowded room of tables. As they approached the back of the restaurant, Kayla saw Carl sitting at a table with an extremely attractive dark-haired woman next to him. Her hand rested affectionately on his arm and she was laughing at something he said.

  Carl looked up as they approached. His expression quickly became one of surprise and he stood. “Kayla? What are you doing here? I thought you were going to be busy this morning.”

  Kayla glanced at the woman sitting next to him. She was slender and petite with long, dark hair arranged in an elaborate style and large, wide-set brown eyes. Her face was heart-shaped with high cheekbones and full, pouty lips. She was absolutely stunning.

  “We just got the lab results back, and I wanted to tell you what they found. Are we interrupting?”

  Carl glanced down at his companion before shaking his head. “No, we were just having breakfast.” He hesitated for a moment as though trying to come to a decision. Finally, he gestured to the woman. “This is an old friend of mine, Leah Monroe. Leah, I’d like you to meet Mistress Kayla Rath’Varein and Master Alec Tal’Va
yr.”

  The woman’s eyes lit up at the introduction. “How wonderful. Carl, I knew you were acquainted with both Master Tal’Vayr and Mistress Rath’Varein, but I didn’t realize you were on a first-name basis with them.” She stood and extended her hand, giving both Kayla and Alec another long look. Her gaze lingered on Alec the longest and she batted her eyes at him. “It’s a pleasure to meet both of you. We’ve already ordered, but please join us.” She winked at Carl and patted him on the arm. “We can always finish catching up privately later on, darling.”

  Darling? Kayla’s eyes narrowed on the woman before turning back to Carl. He looked pained at this development. Alec cleared his throat. “Kayla, if there are no objections, I think joining them is an excellent idea. You didn’t have a chance to eat breakfast this morning.”

  At these words, the host quickly offered to get some additional chairs and disappeared. Kayla studied Carl, wondering what was going on. He caught her eye and shook his head, his eyes promising he’d explain later.

  She frowned, wishing he could communicate wordlessly the way Alec could. She hesitated for a moment and then asked, “Would it be better if we talked later?”

  “No, it’s fine,” Carl insisted and shot a warning look at Alec before gesturing to his companion. “Leah was just telling me she’s now a journalist for The Omni Observer.”

  The host brought over two additional chairs and menus. “Is that so?” Alec inquired, holding out one of the chairs for Kayla to take a seat. “I believe I’ve heard of you. You report primarily on gossip and events concerning the Inner Circle, correct?”

  After Kayla had taken her seat, Alec sat beside her and draped his arm across the back of her chair. His thumb idly ran across the top of her shoulder and over the strap of her dress in an intimate gesture. Carl stared hard at Alec’s hand as he and Leah took their seats again. Kayla stiffened and started to shrug him off, but Alec’s hand lightly squeezed her shoulder in warning.