The culprits still needed to be dealt with, and he intended to make them suffer a thousandfold for every moment of pain they’d inflicted on her. Sergei glanced over at Nikolai, catching sight of the medics working on the two people on the ground. “Nikolai, why don’t you escort Valentina to the medical center?”
Her eyes narrowed, but before she could object, Nikolai put his arm around her and pulled her away. Brushing a kiss against her temple, he said, “Please, Valya. It would make me feel better if you allowed me to go with you.”
Valentina scowled. “You’re all manipulating me.”
Yuri chuckled and picked up her knives. He offered them to her and said, “Get checked out. Otherwise, you won’t be able to keep any of us in line.”
She snatched her weapons from him. “Fine. But don’t kill them yet, Sergei. They have information we need.”
Sergei made a noncommittal noise, staring at the two men. He wouldn’t make any promises. They’d hurt the woman he loved and had nearly taken her from him. Even if he left them alive, by the time he was finished, they’d wish they weren’t.
Yuri glanced over at him and grinned. “I’m staying too.”
He nodded. “I had a feeling you might.”
Chapter Nine
Valentina didn’t bother to look back. Sergei and Yuri would do what they must, and she suspected Lars would intervene with OmniLab on their behalf. But quite honestly, she didn’t care. If Charles or Jakob knew who was responsible for providing them with weapons, Sergei and Yuri would find out.
Ariana and Alec approached them, along with Kayla and Carl. Ariana smiled and said, “I’ll go with you. If there’s any additional damage, I can heal the remainder without surgical interference. If the bullet is still embedded somewhere, Alec may be able to help remove it.”
Nikolai put his arm around her waist, and Valentina leaned against him.
Grigory walked over to her and said, “I would like to accompany you, if you don’t mind.”
Nikolai frowned and glanced at her. “Valya?”
“Please, Uncle Grigory. Come with us. I’d like to speak with you about what happened and why you’re here.”
Alec’s eyebrows rose. “Uncle?”
“Not by blood,” Grigory said and fell into step beside her.
Valentina glanced down at the gold dragon in her hand. “You weren’t surprised when I pulled Charles’s weapon out of his hand. How long have you known about me?”
“I only suspected until now,” he said quietly. “I knew your parents for a number of years, Valya. They were discreet, but you can’t be in a unit for long without knowing every detail about another person. That’s one of the reasons I tried to keep track of you, but you managed to hide your abilities well. I’m assuming your grandmother warned you against the dangers of being discovered.”
“Yes,” she admitted. “Then Ivan knows as well?”
Nikolai tensed beside her, and she couldn’t blame him. Nikolai and Ivan weren’t at odds, but they weren’t allies either. Ivan and her parents had been in the same unit together years before she was born, but Grigory had always remained closer to her family. Several years after her parents had died, Ivan had been awarded his current leadership position.
Grigory sighed and nodded. “Yes. Ivan would have offered you a place within one of his camps, but we knew you were loyal to Nikolai. Years ago, Ivan and I promised your parents we would look after you and Nadiya if anything ever happened to them. You’ve always been independent though. We respected that and decided to keep our distance.”
Now it was her turn to stiffen at the mention of her sister. Valentina darted a glance at Alec, and he was regarding her with a question in his eyes. With a sigh, she said, “Yes, Alec. Nadiya is my sister. She’s an energy channeler, too, but she was too young to come into her abilities when I left. My grandmother would have taught her the same restraint she taught me.” She paused and looked over at Grigory again. “That’s why Nadiya is sworn to Ivan’s service and not in your camp?”
“Yes,” Grigory replied with a frown. “She was safer remaining in one of his other locations. Otherwise, she would have needed to travel with me to areas that were more dangerous. I know she’d like to see you again. She misses you and asks after you often.”
Lowering her gaze, Valentina nodded. She had avoided reaching out to her sister for years. If people believed the two of them were close, they could try to use Nadiya against her or Nikolai. It had pained her to do it, but it was necessary to put distance between them. “I miss her too. Thank you for keeping her safe.”
“I would do the same for you, if you would let me.”
Nikolai trailed his thumb along her side in an agitated gesture. She leaned against him again and said, “I appreciate that, Uncle. But I won’t leave Nikolai, Yuri, or Sergei.”
Grigory nodded. “I didn’t make the offer before now because of that reason.” He paused, darting another glance at her. “Although, until today, I thought you and Sergei had broken ties.”
“They’ve been mended,” she said with a shrug, not willing to explain everything that had happened.
All of them entered the priority elevator, and Alec programmed it to take them to the medical ward. Grigory stared out the glass wall, which overlooked an expansive gardenscape, complete with a cascading waterfall. He watched it for a long moment and then said, “A fire broke out in the warehouse when you lost consciousness.”
Valentina started to stiffen but forced her body to remain relaxed. She hadn’t been aware, but she wasn’t surprised. Sergei had gotten much better with his control, but the circumstances today had sorely taxed his limited training.
“Perhaps there were some combustible materials nearby,” Nikolai mused, staring overhead at the floor indicator screen. “A weapon misfire could have triggered something.”
Valentina sent a wave of thankful energy toward Nikolai. The accidental fire in the last facility wasn’t public knowledge. If people believed Sergei had caused it with supernatural abilities, the result could prove to be disastrous. Nikolai had covered for him then, too, claiming it was an effort to expedite the surrender of the residents within the facility.
“Perhaps,” Grigory agreed with a small smile. “Although, the same thing tended to happen whenever your mother was injured. Your father didn’t take it well either. Ivan and I became quite accustomed to putting out fires caused by… misfiring weapons.”
Everyone’s gaze flew toward Grigory.
“Holy shit,” Kayla said and snickered. “It’s nice to know I’m not the only one with impulse control problems when someone they love is in danger.”
“I think a fire is a little easier to contain than one of your earthquakes,” Carl said, pulling her closer.
“You’re probably right,” Kayla said with a grin. “But Sergei’s always giving me shit about training. It’s nice to know I’m not the only one who needs it.”
Nikolai frowned. “What do you intend to do with this knowledge, Grigory?”
Grigory’s eyes softened, and he smiled at Valentina. “Nothing. I won’t betray your secret, Valya. Your parents saved my life more times than I can count.” He glanced over at Nikolai. “Although, I am curious about you and Yuri. Something was happening with you two.”
Valentina stiffened. “Sergei and I have powers, yes. But Nikolai and Yuri have been my brothers for over ten years, Grigory. Just like you were close with my parents, they are also my family. I don’t know what you suspect or believe you witnessed, but Nikolai brought me here so I could learn more about my abilities.”
She lifted her chin, daring him to contradict her. She might agree to let him know about her talents, and even Sergei’s powers since he’d witnessed such a thing, but hundreds of lives depended on Nikolai retaining his position.
“I see,” Grigory murmured. “I won’t ask any questions, but I want you both to know you can trust my discretion. I agreed to operate a camp under Sergei’s command in the hopes I might learn more
about OmniLab’s abilities. I wanted to know if they were similar to the talents your parents possessed. Once Sergei helped form an alliance with them, Ivan moved into this area too. We were planning to bring your sister here once things settled down. Our goal was to make sure she had a place within the new tower if they proved to be likeminded people who would embrace her skills.”
The elevator opened, and they all filed out. Alec led the way down the hall to the medical ward and showed them into one of the empty rooms. Kayla and Carl agreed to wait outside while the doctor conducted an examination.
Ariana motioned for Valentina to sit on the bed. “Alec will be right back with a doctor. Why don’t you go ahead and lie down? I can do a preliminary evaluation while we’re waiting.”
She nodded and laid back, and Ariana placed her hands over her abdomen. Valentina paid careful attention to how Ariana was using her healing ability to assess for damage. It was fairly straightforward, and Valentina suspected she could duplicate the process if necessary.
Nikolai turned to Grigory. “Perhaps you should explain why you’re here in the towers.”
“I find your presence here curious too, Nikolai,” Grigory said, watching Ariana standing over Valentina.
“Uncle, I’ve heard a friend is often found in times of misfortune,” Valentina said, quoting an old, pre-war proverb and one of her late father’s favorite sayings. “I know you weren’t responsible for the missing weapons, but if we’re going to get to the bottom of this, we need to work together.”
Grigory’s mouth curved upward. “You’re correct, darling girl. Very well. Ask your questions. I will share with you what I know.”
Alec came back into the room with the doctor. Valentina studied the woman, but she didn’t see the translation device. Alec was still wearing one, but she wouldn’t object to him overhearing this conversation.
Switching to her native language, she asked, “How did you come to meet with Charles?”
Alec’s gaze flew to her, and she gave him a small smile and tapped her ear to let him know she knew. Grigory arched a brow and said, “Interesting. I see you’ve made allies for yourself, haven’t you?”
“They’ve agreed to keep my secret and train me,” she said, watching as Ariana moved away and the doctor began running a scanner over her midsection. Valentina gestured to Alec. “This is Alec Tal’Vayr, leader of the High Council.”
Grigory gave him a brief nod in acknowledgment before focusing again on her. “I’ll share with you what I can, but some things need to wait until we’re alone.”
Valentina nodded. If she were in his position, she’d do the same.
“When you showed up in Ivan’s camp yesterday, I mentioned he’s had shipments go missing. However, what I didn’t tell you is that we intentionally allowed another smaller delivery to disappear… but we made some slight adjustments first.”
Her eyes widened. “You set a trap.”
“Clever,” Nikolai murmured.
Grigory nodded. “We attempted it, but I’m afraid it didn’t exactly work out. We confirmed Pavel was the one moving the supplies into the towers, but we didn’t know who else was responsible. Unfortunately, Sergei killed Pavel before he could be questioned.”
“That’s why you suspected Sergei’s possible involvement,” she guessed.
“Ivan did, yes,” Grigory agreed. “I’ve had more opportunities to work with Sergei. I had difficulties believing he could have been close to you for so many years and been that type of man. I didn’t know why you had a falling out, but I had my doubts about his involvement.”
The scanner beeped, and Valentina looked over at the doctor, who was frowning.
Nikolai took a step forward. “Is she all right?”
The doctor hesitated, glancing at everyone in the room before turning back to her. “You were shot?”
Valentina nodded. “Yes. Twice.”
Nikolai moved to stand beside her and took her hand. “There was only one exit wound.”
The doctor glanced over at Ariana. “I know you’re skilled, but I can’t find any trace of an injury. If she weren’t covered in blood, I would have doubts she’d ever been injured.”
Nikolai ran his thumb over the back of her hand. “There’s no bullet?”
“No. There’s nothing.”
Valentina frowned. “Where could it have gone?”
“With your permission, I’d like to do a more thorough scan,” the doctor suggested. “It may be that it’s lodged in an area not displaying on my handheld scanner. We can give you a mild sedative first. The more intensive scanner can be slightly uncomfortable.”
Valentina frowned as the doctor headed out of the room, presumably to set up the scan. Other than being tired, she felt fine. If they needed to sedate her for this test, she wasn’t interested in having it done. “I don’t believe a scan will be necessary.”
“Valya,” Nikolai began, his expression growing concerned, “perhaps it would be for the best. I don’t want to risk anything happening to you.”
Valentina turned toward Ariana. “Can you detect foreign materials?”
Ariana hesitated. “Usually, yes. I was trying to check before the doctor came in, but I didn’t sense anything either. It’s possible I’m not picking up on it for some reason.”
“Did it melt?”
Valentina looked over at Grigory, surprised by his question. “What? What are you suggesting?”
Grigory shrugged. “Your father could melt metal. If Sergei was generating enough heat to cause a fire in the warehouse, he may have melted the bullet.”
“That would have caused a great deal of damage to Valentina,” Nikolai said with a frown.
Ariana shook her head and smiled. “No, not to her. Sergei would never hurt her, even accidentally. Even if he didn’t realize what he was doing, he subconsciously would have taken care to only affect the bullet while keeping the rest of her from harm.”
“I’ve never heard of such a thing,” Alec said with a frown. “It’s possible, especially since they’re mates. We don’t usually use lethal weapons within the towers, so our experiences are somewhat limited.”
Ariana nodded. “I’m inclined to believe she’s fine. And I have to agree with her. I don’t think a full scan is necessary. Other than picking up her exhaustion, I don’t sense anything else wrong. But I can stop by Lars’s quarters to check on her in a few hours, or have one of the medics do it, if it makes you feel better.”
Nikolai ran his thumb over Valentina’s hand. “Yes. Thank you. I’d rather not take any chances.”
Ariana smiled. “Valentina, if you want to shower and clean up, you can use the facilities here in the medical ward. I can have someone bring you a change of clothes.”
“No. I appreciate the offer, but I’ll shower when I get back to my room.”
Valentina climbed off the table, stretching her body to check for any twinges. There was nothing, and it only reaffirmed her belief. She bent down to reattach her thigh holster, immediately feeling better by the comforting weight of her weapons.
When she straightened, she noticed Grigory watching her thoughtfully. Part of her was curious why he had never shared information about her parents’ abilities before now, but she suspected it most likely had to do with the fact she’d kept her talents a secret. If she’d never given him any cause to suspect, it made sense he wouldn’t volunteer the information.
“You want to ask me something?” he prompted.
Valentina hesitated. She wanted to know more about her parents, but such things could wait for another time. While he was here, they needed to focus on the stolen supplies. “If you knew enough to use one of Ivan’s shipments to set a trap, he must have had others go missing.”
Grigory nodded. “Yes, two others disappeared. This would have been the third.”
“We’ve lost two,” Nikolai admitted with a frown. “Peter’s claimed to have lost some too.”
“Yes. I’ve heard that, but I believe Peter’s under the imp
ression Sergei is responsible.”
Valentina picked up the dragon carving and absently ran her fingers over the curves of its wings. “I met with Viktor, Peter’s second-in-command, a few days ago here in the towers. He mentioned Peter’s hoping to take control of the new tower. He’s made a bid to have Sergei removed as ambassador. I can’t help but wonder if he could be the one responsible for framing Sergei.”
Grigory rubbed his chin. “It’s possible, but I don’t see Peter as the type of man who would provide arms to OmniLab’s residents. He wouldn’t want to risk alienating a potential ally. However, if his goal is to control OmniLab, toppling its current regime might make sense. It’s much easier to wrest control away from people if they’re experiencing open rebellion.”
Grigory looked over at Alec and added, “You’ve made it clear certain items cannot enter into your towers. Most of us respect that decision, with the exception of a few rogue agents. I apologize for entering your towers under this subterfuge, but we need to ascertain the identity of the individuals responsible.”
Alec nodded. “I appreciate your efforts in trying to trace down the source of the problem. You’re welcome to conduct your investigations, but I would ask you contact me personally if you need to access certain areas of the towers. I can keep your presence quiet, but this will help avoid any future incidents.”
Grigory nodded.
Valentina looked down at the dragon statue again, turning over everything in her mind. “Who has a vendetta against Sergei? Someone is obviously framing him, but why? Other than his position as ambassador, what hope would someone have to gain in discrediting him?”
“Perhaps you should ask Sergei that question,” Grigory suggested.
“We will,” Nikolai agreed, resting his hand against her back. “But I’m curious about something else. Valentina mentioned she saw Lena at Ivan’s camp yesterday. Do you know if she’s had shipments go missing?”
Grigory hesitated. “She claims some have disappeared, yes. All the leaders in the area are claiming that.”
Valentina tilted her head. “You don’t believe her?”
The Omni Towers Boxed Set (Books 4-6): A Dystopian Fantasy Series Page 72