Flames of Redemption © 2018 by Jamie A. Waters
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the author.
The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, or events, is purely coincidental and not intended by the author.
Cover Art by Deranged Doctor Designs
Editor: Beyond DEF Lit
ISBN: 978-0-9996647-8-0 (Paperback Edition)
ISBN: 978-0-9996647-9-7 (eBook Edition)
Library of Congress Control Number: 2018907712
First Edition *November 2018
Contents
The Omni Towers Series
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Sneak Peek
Spirit of the Towers
About the Author
The Omni Towers Series
Flames of Redemption
Beneath the Fallen City
Shadow of the Coalition
Tremors of the Past
Drop of Hope
Flames of Redemption
Spirit of the Towers
Chapter One
The air pressure shifted in the darkened room, indicating the door had been opened. Valentina, pretending to be asleep, continued to breathe deep, regular breaths. The intruder's movements were silent, but she could sense him moving along the wall and toward the bed.
She counted the seconds and anticipated the closing distance, her heartbeat slowing in time with the progression of her would-be assailant. When he was almost within touching distance, she rolled out of bed and threw a scalpel in his direction. It planted itself into the wall with a thump, and she dropped to the ground, waiting for retaliation.
“Ah, Valechka, you always did have trouble holding on to your weapons.”
Her eyes narrowed at the taunt, and she withdrew her one remaining scalpel. “If I had known it was you, Seryozha, I would not have missed.”
“You wish to dance?”
Thankful he couldn't see her smile in the darkness, Valentina slipped under the bed, trying to track his movements. She was better at stealth, but Sergei usually had more patience. Tilting her head, she focused on each of her senses to detect his location. He was moving around the edge of the bed, his confident footsteps painstakingly slow and noiseless. If they hadn't been trained by the same people, she never would’ve known he was there. She slid out from the opposite side of the bed, determined to approach him from behind.
Palming the second scalpel, she moved forward in the darkness and froze. How could he be back on the other side of the bed? She waited, knowing it was a trap but unsure of where he was.
“Behind you,” Sergei whispered next to her ear before grabbing her wrist and bending it backward, causing the makeshift weapon to fall to the ground with a clatter. She followed it, using the momentum of her weight to force him to either release her wrist or unbalance him. He let go and jumped backward, narrowly missing her leg swiping out toward him.
Anticipating the move, he grabbed her ankle and yanked her in his direction. She slid along the ground and kicked out, forcing him to unhand her again. Valentina rolled away, pushed off the ground, and sprung back to her feet. The movement pulled at her abdominal injury, and she inhaled sharply.
“Lights on, eighty percent,” Sergei ordered, and light flooded the room. Valentina blinked at him and frowned, annoyed he'd curtailed their game too soon. A few more minutes and she would have been able to get the other scalpel out of the wall.
“How badly are you hurt?” Moving forward, he reached for her shirt.
Valentina narrowed her eyes and took a step backward before he could make contact. “I did not invite you to touch me, Sergei.”
He froze and lowered his hands to his sides. They stared at each other for several heartbeats, both assessing and considering. The few minutes she'd seen him in Sofia's camp hadn't been nearly enough time to notice all the changes. His blond hair was longer than when she'd last seen him, reaching almost to his shoulders. He used to wear it much shorter, but now he looked much more like one of these Omnis. She tilted her head, wondering if that had been his intention so he could better fit in with them.
His physique had filled out even more too. He'd once been as slender as her, with gray eyes too large for his face. The changes were appealing, though, even if she noticed a few more scars than he'd had before. Then again, they all had more scars. Some were more easily seen than others.
He straightened his body and took another step toward her. “Nikolai wanted me to make sure you were well. Let me see the injury.”
Valentina carefully kept her face blank; inwardly, she doubted Nikolai had said any such thing. Sure, Nikolai was probably concerned. After all, what good is a blunted blade? But Sergei needed to be reminded she wasn't his weapon to wield.
Taking another step backward, Valentina lowered herself onto the bed and began unbuttoning her shirt. She shrugged out of it and dropped it beside her casually as if she didn't care she was only wearing a bra. Tracing downward from her collarbone, she moved her hand over her breasts and to her abdomen where Pavel's blade had entered. Sergei swallowed, his Adam's apple bobbing as his heated gaze followed her leisurely movements. There was no outward sign of a wound; only a small line marred the surface of her skin.
But Sergei wasn't particularly focused on looking for a scar.
He moved toward her, and she leaned back on the bed, letting him see the invitation in her eyes. “If Nikolai wanted you to make sure I'm well, then do whatever he wishes. You know I would never refuse any of Nikolai's orders.”
Sergei froze, his entire body tensing, and his jaw clenched. He grabbed her shirt and threw it at her. “Get dressed, Valentina. If you wish to whore for him, that's your choice. I'm not interested.”
Feigning indifference, she picked up the shirt and turned away from him so he wouldn't see her hands shake when she put it back on.
He dropped something onto the nearby table. “This is Pavel's blade.”
Valentina turned, her eyes widening at the sight of the knife Pavel had used on her when she'd gone to Sofia's camp to help rescue Ariana. Unable to suppress her shock and confusion, she reached out, her fingers sliding over the hilt of the blade. For Sergei to be gifting this to her meant he'd declared vengeance in her name, and it was now settled. She lifted her head to meet his eyes, the light gray color reminding her of another blade from long ago.
It was enough to make her turn away, her heart clenching at the memory. She pulled back her hand. “You should give this to Ariana or her lover. They'll want to know.”
Sergei paused for a long moment, the weighted silence making it difficult for her to breathe. She forced her body to stay relaxed, mentally chastising herself for revealing too much. If given the opportunity, he'd use it against her, just as she would with him.
“The blade is for you, Valechka.”
Her heart thudded in her chest, and she turned around to face him. A hundred questions went through her mind, but she couldn't bring herself to ask any of them. She couldn't even force herself to make a flippant response to d
rive him away. As though sensing her weakness, he took a step toward her.
Valentina looked up into his eyes, drowning in their gray depths. There was a small ring of gold around his irises as though an internal flame lit him from within. He took another step in her direction, and she swallowed as the heat from his body radiated outward, offering to chase away any lingering shadows of memory.
Almost of its own volition, she raised her hand and rested it against his chest. His nearness seared her skin like a brand, but she couldn't bring herself to push him away. He moved even closer, pinning her against the edge of the bed. His magnetism pulled her in, captivating her, and demanded she surrender to its insistent plea.
Footsteps sounded in the outside hallway, rapidly growing closer. Shoving him away, Valentina snatched the knife from the table, tucked it into the back of her waistband, and slid back on the bed just as the door opened. Sergei had already moved several steps away, pretending to inspect the empty juice container on her table.
Brant, the security agent who had escorted her back to the towers after her injury, halted at the sight of them. She flashed him a genuine smile in greeting, part of her relieved by his timely interruption. The last thing she needed was to get caught in Sergei's web.
Brant eyed Sergei with a frown before turning back to her. “Am I interrupting?”
She shook her head, motioning for him to come in. “No, we're finished catching up.” You have no idea, but you just saved me from myself.
Sergei leaned against the wall, making it clear he wasn't going anywhere. Valentina glanced at him, doing her best to keep her expression blank but wishing he would take the hint and leave. Please don't make me try to hurt you, Seryozha. Just go.
Brant placed a small box and a large covered cup on the table beside her. “You didn't seem to like the cookies here in the medical center, so I thought you might want to try these.”
Touched by the gesture, she scooted over to investigate. “You brought me cookies?”
Inside the box were several cookies that didn't bear any resemblance to the small, biscuit-style offerings the medical center had given her earlier. She picked one up, the heady aroma of sugar and spices wafting toward her nose. They were still warm. Breaking off a piece, she offered it to Brant. Once he'd put it in his mouth and swallowed, she took a bite. Leaning back on the bed, she closed her eyes and let out a soft moan at the explosion of flavors on her tongue. They were heavenly—decadent, rich, and better than anything she'd ever tasted.
Valentina opened her eyes and sat up to reach for the tea, hesitating for a fraction of a second at the realization that both men were staring at her with heated expressions. Well, that was rather unintended, but it might have some benefits. She pulled off the cover of her tea and offered the cup to Brant. He chuckled but drank from the cup before handing it back to her. She beamed a smile at him and took a sip.
The moment the tea passed her lips, she realized she'd found another piece of nirvana. It wasn't only the taste, but the smell too. She inhaled deeply, her senses alighting as she breathed in the light floral scent. There was no comparison between this delicacy and the imitation brew they offered back in her camp on the surface. Was it any wonder Sergei was intent on staying if this was just a sample of what the towers had to offer?
“Brant, these are heavenly. Even my babushka never made anything this divine, and she was a wonderful cook.”
Brant smiled, obviously pleased by the praise. “Well, you lost a lot of blood, and the doctor wants you to try to replenish your fluids. Since you refused medical treatment, I thought cookies and tea might be the way to encourage you to keep drinking. There's a small café down a few levels. I can take you there when you're better so you can try some of their other items.”
Sergei pushed off the wall, his gaze furious. “You refused medical treatment?”
Holding his gaze, Valentina reached over to break off another piece of the cookie. Shoving it in her mouth, she began to slowly chew, taking her time so he would have to wait for a response. His eyes narrowed, the small throbbing vein on his neck the only other outward sign he was angry. She swallowed the last bite and made a dramatic show of licking a stray crumb off her thumb. Sergei's eyes lowered to her thumb, and he swallowed, his expression suddenly guarded.
“I did,” she agreed. “They wanted to give me some sort of blood substitute. You know how I feel about needles.”
What she didn't need to say was that she didn't trust these people. The only reason she decided to eat and drink the items Brant brought was because he had shared them with her both times. So far, Brant hadn't given her the slightest hint his motives were dishonest. This would be the way if he were going to do something nefarious though. Those cookies really were divine.
Sergei, however, was a different story. He may be living here with these Omnis, but two of their people had just abducted an OmniLab resident. Even though she'd intervened to rescue Ariana, there was no way in hell she’d allow these Omnis to do any sort of treatment until she knew whether there would be repercussions from Pavel and Sofia's actions.
“This is not acceptable, Valentina,” Sergei retorted, clearly not agreeing with her assessment.
She shrugged and picked up the tea again, taking a long sip. If he wanted to be foolish and trust these people without testing them, that was his decision. She had another scar on her hip to remind her about the dangers in trusting people.
Sergei turned to Brant. “Bring the doctor in here. She will agree to whatever treatment they decide.”
Valentina put the cup down. “No. I am not in any danger, and this is my decision.”
“You will, or I will strap you to this bed!” he shouted in their native language, all traces of his earlier calm gone.
She pushed herself out of bed and stood in front of him, refusing to back down. “If you so much as try it, I'll pull out Pavel's blade and gut you right here. Then you can be the one to receive their treatment. You do not have any right to dictate to me, Sergei.”
“I do if you're being foolish. You nearly died today, Valentina. You should not have been anywhere near that camp to begin with.”
“You didn't give us a choice!” she yelled, jabbing her finger against his chest. “Nikolai said our alliance was in danger. I was the closest person to Sofia's camp. My life is nothing compared to the thousands of our people at risk.”
“Your life means everything!” he roared, grabbing her wrist and yanking her close. “Nikolai promised he would keep you out of harm's way if I took this assignment.”
She jerked her hand away and shoved him. “It was never your place to make an agreement on my behalf, Sergei.”
The door opened, and a vaguely familiar man entered the room. He hesitated for a moment, his blue eyes regarding them both curiously. “Is everything all right in here?”
“Everything is fine, Lars,” Sergei snapped, not looking away from her.
Valentina glanced again at the newcomer and tilted her head to study him. So this was Lars, one of the exiles Sergei had rescued. She'd seen him at Sofia's camp but didn't realize he was the one who’d started them all down this path with OmniLab.
Interesting.
Brant cleared his throat. “Valentina is correct. She's not in any danger. The doctor merely wanted her to keep drinking to replenish her fluids. She just needs to rest and finish healing.”
Sergei's jaw clenched, and he took a step back. “When will she be released?”
Brant hesitated. “She can leave now, but they would prefer to monitor her for a few days to make sure she doesn't reopen the wound. I spoke with Alec, and he wanted to extend the invitation to have her stay in the towers until she's fully recovered.”
“Your offer is generous, but I need to return to the surface,” she replied, eager to put some distance between her and Sergei.
“No,” Sergei said in a clipped tone. “You will remain here for now.”
She turned back to glare at him. “I will not. I have resp
onsibilities on the surface.”
“They will wait until you are fully recovered,” he said in a low growl, edging closer again.
She paused, smiling sweetly at him. “Did Nikolai tell you he wanted me to remain here? Or did he tell you to make sure I was healed up as quickly as possible so I could return to his side?”
Her words had the desired effect. Sergei's expression blanked, and he took a step back. His eyes were once again shuttered, a mask replacing his earlier frustration. He pulled out his commlink, and she knew he was trying to contact Nikolai.
Valentina crossed her arms, not bothering to hide her irritation. She'd contact Nikolai herself, but her commlink had broken during the struggle with Sofia. If for no other reason, she needed to return to one of their camps to get a replacement.
Sergei switched back to their native tongue, speaking rapid-fire to Nikolai's assistant. Annoyed, Valentina held out her hand for the commlink. He ignored her, and a moment later she knew he was speaking directly to Nikolai.
Sergei turned away. “It is finished. They are no more.”
Valentina lowered her hand, now more curious than annoyed. He was referring to the end he'd given to Pavel and Sofia. It had been tempting to refuse Sergei’s insistence to receive medical treatment at the towers in order to handle them personally, but by accompanying Brant, she hoped she could learn more about OmniLab from one of their security forces.
Sergei launched into an explanation about her injury, how she'd been stabbed and nearly died but was now refusing medical treatment. Valentina's body stiffened, knowing Nikolai would probably go out of his mind. Taking a step forward, she held out her hand. “Give me your commlink, Sergei.”
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