Sergei scowled at him but didn't respond. Instead, he turned back to Nikolai and Valentina, determined to salvage his blunder. “Ariana is honorable. She has a gentle heart and is far too trusting. I believe that's why Pavel was able to take her from the towers to begin with. Alec would not have agreed to bring her here if he considered the situation to be dangerous. She cannot handle violence.”
Nikolai frowned. “You know her that well?”
“I do,” he admitted. “Ariana will try not to intrude on your emotions intentionally. She has some difficulty with control and may pick up on some things if you are not guarded. Alec is the one you should be concerned with, especially if he can use her abilities.”
“I see,” Nikolai murmured. “We will keep that in mind.”
Sergei glanced over at Valentina, who was regarding him thoughtfully. He couldn't tell what she was thinking and that had him more than a little concerned.
He met her gaze. “My omission was not intentional. There is too much we still don't know about them. Every day I spend here, I learn more. But even the most trusted among their people don't know everything. I would never keep such information from any of you.”
Valentina took a step toward him, the short, red dress leaving even less to the imagination than he'd first thought. “Do you have access into their network?”
“Partial,” he admitted, burying his surprise at the change in subject. Although, nothing should surprise him anymore when it came to her. “They have several blocks up, but we were able to install a few backdoors during our takeover. Unfortunately, we cannot access their restricted files remotely without triggering their alarms. They heightened security after another breach several months ago by Kayla, the young woman I told you about. I'm still working on a solution.”
Valentina nodded. “If we cannot access their files remotely, we need to get into those restricted areas in this tower as soon as possible. I want to do it this evening or tomorrow morning. We need to be in the construction tower by eleven for a meeting with Viktor.”
“Viktor?” Sergei asked in surprise and then narrowed his eyes. “That mudak who works with Peter and has never been able to take his eyes off your ass?”
Yuri snorted. “You remember him well.”
“Yes,” she agreed, watching him carefully. “He seems even less thrilled with you. I want to know why.”
“Valya,” Nikolai interrupted before Sergei could respond, “let's wait to see how the rest of today goes. We can discuss these matters later. I don't want you to break into any part of the tower until I give authorization. We need to proceed cautiously.”
She shook her head and placed her hand on Nikolai's arm. “Please, Kolya. If I can review their files and learn more about their ways, I will feel much more comfortable about you remaining here.”
Nikolai sighed, looking down at her. “I have a difficult time refusing you anything.”
Valentina smiled up at him and stood on her toes to press a light kiss against Nikolai's lips. Seeing them like this made it easier to understand why most people believed them to be lovers. But Valentina had always had an easy affection with Nikolai and Yuri. It was just part of who she was, but he'd kill anyone else who dared put their hands on her, including Viktor.
Nikolai glanced over at Sergei. “You will keep her safe if she does this.”
“You don't even have to ask,” Sergei replied, crossing his arms over his chest. He wouldn't let anything happen to her, and Nikolai knew it.
Nikolai nodded. “Very well. Do what you both must. If you obtain any other information on these people, let us know right away. I do not wish to be blindsided again.”
Sergei nodded.
A chime sounded from the living area, indicating Alec and Ariana's arrival. Valentina frowned. “I suppose it's showtime.”
Nikolai leaned down and kissed her cheek. “It will be fine.”
“I hope so,” she murmured.
Sergei followed them out, hoping for Alec's sake that he kept his mouth shut about Valentina and the truth barrier. They were all already on edge. Alec's interference would just add more kindling to the fire. Sergei had enough flames to try to put out on his own.
Valentina slowed her gait, adjusting her movements to make them appear more casual. Nikolai placed his hand against her back, leading her into the common area. Alec and Ariana were there, along with Lars and Brant. The limited number of people made her relax a fraction, and Brant appeared to be the only one on the Omni side who was armed.
Ariana's eyes lit up in welcome, and Valentina couldn't help but respond with a genuine smile. She walked over to Ariana and kissed her cheek on the left, the right, and the left again. “It is wonderful to see you again, Ariana.”
Ariana beamed at her. “I was thrilled when Alec told me you had come back to the towers.”
“I wanted to thank you again for everything you have done, for me and for Sergei,” Valentina admitted, lowering her gaze and unable to hide the emotion in her voice. “If it weren't for your healing, I don't believe either one of us would have survived. I owe you a debt that can never be repaid. From now until my last breath, I want you to know that you are my sister in all ways but blood. If you ever have need of me, I will be there for you. All you ever have to do is ask.”
Ariana's eyes welled with tears and she reached out, hugging Valentina tightly. “I feel the same way. If it weren't for you, I don't even want to think about what could have happened. You saved me.”
Valentina shook her head. “No, you saved yourself. I may have helped you take advantage of an opportunity, but you decided to pick up my weapon and use it. You are much stronger and braver than you believe.”
Ariana blinked back tears and nodded. “I can't tell you how much your words mean to me, Valentina.”
She reached over to squeeze Ariana's hands lightly. “We will talk more later.”
Alec stepped forward and put his arm around Ariana. “Ari, I'd like you to meet our other guests.”
While Sergei stepped forward to introduce Nikolai and Yuri, Valentina moved beside Nikolai once more. He placed his hand on her back again, the weight a comforting gesture.
After what Sergei had said about bonding, she was curious about the interaction between Alec and Ariana. It was clear they were a matched pair, entwined together in a way that wasn't simply physical. His reactions seemed to mirror her emotions, and vice versa. She couldn't help but wonder if that was a result of their bond or if they'd always been this way together.
Either way, Ariana was extremely easy to read. Every emotion reflected on her expressive face. Alec was slightly less so, and he was the one who would need more careful handling.
Lars gestured toward the bar. “Can I get anyone a drink? The meal is going to be a few minutes yet.”
“I believe we may have something for our hosts,” Nikolai replied, motioning for Yuri to retrieve the items in question. He reappeared less than a minute later carrying two bottles and a small box. He handed the box to Valentina and passed the bottles over to Lars, who eyed the liquor warily.
Lars glanced at Sergei and held them up. “Are these what I think?”
Sergei merely grinned at him. Lars sighed and took the bottles over to the bar, muttering under his breath.
Valentina walked back over to Ariana and held out the box. “These are considered a delicacy by our people. It is a sample of several different types of sweets.”
Ariana's eyes lit up as she opened the box. “They smell wonderful. Are they all different?”
Valentina nodded and pointed to two of them. “Yes. Those two are my favorites, but you really cannot go wrong with any of them.”
“You're going to have to share them with me later,” Ariana suggested, closing the box again.
Sergei chuckled. “Be careful making such an offer, Ari. Valentina really enjoys them. She might end up eating your entire box.”
“Only yours,” Valentina teased with a small smile. “And that was because you were
irritating me. I thought it was fair payback.”
Sergei nodded and told Ariana, “I cannot deny it. I have always found annoying her to be highly entertaining.”
Ariana looked back and forth between them. “You've known each other a long time, haven't you?”
Valentina hesitated and then nodded. They didn't typically volunteer information about their past or group dynamic with others, but there were ways to share information to maintain a friendly atmosphere without revealing too much. “Since we were little more than children.”
“Please have a seat,” Alec said, gesturing to the couches.
Ariana sat beside Alec, and he immediately put his arm around the back of the couch in a somewhat protective gesture. Ariana smiled over at Sergei. “I have a hard time imagining you as a child. What were you like?”
“A bit of a troublemaker,” Sergei admitted, sitting on the edge of the couch.
Valentina sat beside Nikolai, and he rested his hand on her knee, just a few inches away from one of the knives strapped to her inner thigh. She smiled over at Sergei and said, “Nothing has changed. You are still a bit of a troublemaker.”
Yuri leaned against the wall, appearing somewhat casual, but Valentina knew he wouldn't relax while they were in this situation. Brant was obviously emulating his behavior and remained standing as well, a subtle reminder he wasn't there to simply socialize either.
Lars handed several glasses to everyone, with the exception of Brant and Yuri, and then took a seat.
Nikolai raised his glass and said, “A toast to a meeting of friends and a promising alliance in our future.”
They all raised their glasses and drank. Valentina took Nikolai's empty glass and put it on the table beside her.
“Lars has been telling me a bit about the time he spent with your people,” Alec volunteered.
Lars chuckled. “It was an enlightening experience. I learned far more about basic survival techniques than I ever thought possible. I wish I had some of that knowledge when I was first exiled from the towers.”
Nikolai nodded, placing his hand back on her knee and rubbing it with his thumb. “We teach all our people such things. We begin when they are children, and each person learns a wide range of skills based on their aptitude, interest, and our need.”
Valentina tilted her head, intrigued by the differences between their cultures. “Your people don't usually teach such things? What sort of lessons do you give your children?”
“Math, science, literature, history, and the arts,” Alec explained, leaning back and draping his arm over Ariana's shoulder again. “Those are general subjects taught to all children who live here. The subject matter differs slightly between the towers.”
Valentina leaned forward slightly. “Because of your powers?”
Alec nodded. “Indeed. Our children learn to control their powers from an early age, although the more specialized abilities don't emerge until we're teenagers or even later. But up until that point, we focus on general subjects and more rudimentary explanations about energy usage.”
“I find this subject fascinating,” Nikolai admitted. “Many of our people still don't believe these abilities exist. Have you had similar issues with your other residents?”
Alec shook his head. “Not exactly. We typically don't discuss details with outsiders. Over the centuries, our people have been persecuted and attacked because we're different. We may share a home, but we don't share much information with non-sensitives. We prefer our privacy, but rumors still have a way of making themselves known.”
“I see,” Nikolai murmured. “Our pre-war records indicated OmniLab was only a medical center. We were not aware your facility still existed until several years ago.”
Alec nodded. “That was our intention. OmniLab was created under the guise of a medical research facility. Thousands of people sent in their DNA samples to have us research their ancestry and to receive detailed health information. One of the things we were looking for were certain genetic markers that identified them as being one of our kind. Once we had a list of names and families, we conducted additional testing and extended an invitation for them to join us. Our goal was to preserve as many of our people as possible in the event things progressed the way they were heading.”
Nikolai rubbed her knee with his thumb, the absent gesture indicative of his enthusiasm regarding the subject. She placed her hand over his in a subtle reminder they needed to be careful not to allow Ariana or Alec to pick up on any of their emotions. Nikolai didn't remove his hand, but he leaned back and asked, “So your people differ genetically from everyone else?”
Alec glanced over at Valentina. “Yes. A simple DNA test can show us whether someone carries the same genetic markers. Unfortunately, we were not able to test everyone, so we know some of our people slipped through the cracks.”
Nikolai nodded. “How different are you?”
“We can still intermarry and have children with others who are not like us, although we tend to prefer staying with our own kind to preserve the potency of our bloodlines.” Alec paused for a moment and then added, “If you'd like, we can provide you all with a DNA test and show you the markers we're looking for.”
“No,” Sergei declared, standing from the couch and walking over to the bar area.
Valentina stared at Sergei's retreating figure, surprised by his outburst. He usually had better control of his emotions than this. Dammit. If he lost his cool now, it could put them all in danger.
“I'm afraid I must agree with Sergei,” Nikolai admitted, squeezing her knee a fraction. She took it as an indication for her to diffuse the situation with Sergei. “While I would enjoy a demonstration, this is still very new to us. I would be open to viewing these markers, but I must decline allowing any of my people to participate just yet.”
Valentina picked up the empty glasses beside her and carried them over to the bar area. In their native tongue, she said, “Pour it.”
Sergei's mouth curved upward, and he refilled her glass before filling his. In a low voice, he advised, “Be careful, Valechka. Do nothing that will allow them the opportunity to take your DNA.”
She tapped her glass with his and swallowed the liquor. “You know me better than that.”
“That I do,” he murmured, briefly placing his hand over hers. “We need to speak after lunch.”
Curious, but cognizant this wasn't the time or place, she nodded.
A man emerged from another room and bowed briefly. “Lunch is ready.”
Sergei turned and put his hand on her back to lead her toward the dining area. He leaned in close and whispered, “I will enjoy taking this dress off you later.”
“There is not much else for you to take off.”
He muttered a colorful oath under his breath, and she grinned in delight. At least his earlier mood had been diffused and a different sort of frustration was now plaguing him.
They filed into a large dining area with an elongated table set with several place settings. Large windows were partially shuttered, but she could still see the expansive and mostly barren landscape outside. Valentina took a seat between Sergei and Nikolai, with Yuri on the opposite side of Nikolai. The Omnis were in similar form across the table, so she was seated directly across from Ariana. The server began bringing out dishes, placing them in front of each of them.
The conversation around the table primarily focused on the construction, the planned features of this new tower, and potential security concerns in adapting to life within the towers. Apparently, there had been a few conflicts between their people and the Omnis, most likely from cultural differences and expectations. Ariana mentioned a friend of hers had created a new club to merge all the different groups in an effort to alleviate these problems.
Overall, it was mostly small talk, and Valentina found her focus on the large windows behind Ariana. It must have been beautiful once.
Valentina took a sip of her soup, the rich flavor much better than anything they had in their camp
. When there was a lull in conversation, she gestured toward the glass. “How do your people manage to keep these windows so clean?”
Ariana smiled at her. “Water energy channelers. We create storms to wash away the dirt and grime from the towers. We still send people out periodically to perform maintenance, but we do much of it with our abilities.”
“I had wondered how the towers managed to withstand the surrounding destruction,” Nikolai commented. “Would that be a result of your talents too?”
Alec nodded. “Yes. It was a group effort to withstand the changes. We had earth channelers who were able to secure the ground below us. We created windstorms and clouds to battle against the more harmful environmental effects. Our fire energy channelers were able to keep our power and generators running. All of our people worked together around the clock to make sure our home withstood the destruction. Even so, there was still damage, but we were able to repair it.”
Valentina stared out the window again, remembering all the ruined buildings and obliterated cities she'd seen over the years. The cumulative powers these Omnis possessed were more than a little daunting. “I had wondered. Most of the other surviving facilities are underground bunkers or built into mountains. Your towers are very exposed.”
“This area was selected because it was remote and unlikely to be a direct target for an attack,” Alec said, raising his wine glass to take a drink. “Fortunately, our gamble worked.”
“Have you seen much of the world?” Ariana took another sip of her soup.
Valentina shrugged. “Some. There are still some places that are too dangerous to travel. We send our drones to surveille these areas, testing for contamination levels first. If they are relatively safe, we send a small ground team to assess the area.”
Ariana sighed wistfully. “I've only been to the surface once. Alec has promised to take me back to the underground river, but I'd love to see some of the other places in the world.”
Valentina nodded in understanding. She loved the adventure of discovering new places, but sometimes it could grow tiring. Every now and then, she thought of trying to talk Nikolai into establishing a more permanent base.
The Omni Towers Boxed Set (Books 4-6): A Dystopian Fantasy Series Page 46