“It’s going to be fine, Valya,” Nikolai murmured, placing his hand on her knee. “We knew this was a possibility. We’ll do whatever is in the best interest of our people. It’ll require some adjustments on our part, but it’s inconsequential compared to your life. We’d all rather have you with us than the alternative.”
“Nikolai’s right,” Sergei said from the doorway. Valentina lifted her head, and he took a handful of steps toward them. “You’re the most important thing to all of us, Valechka. Nikolai mentioned you told Grigory about us but nothing about him and Yuri. We can still try to spin this, if that’s what you wish, but this may be a good opportunity for us to embrace a new beginning.”
She frowned and placed her hand on Nikolai’s chest. “Is that what you want, Kolya?”
“What I want is to make sure you, Yuri, and Sergei remain safe.” He lifted her hand and pressed a kiss against it. “Everything else is secondary, including our position within the Coalition. I’ll renounce my position before I will risk losing my family.”
Valentina bit her lip. “What about everyone in your camps?”
“We’re going to move some of them into the towers,” Sergei said, closing the distance between them. “We spoke at length about this while you were asleep. Even if Nikolai’s removed from his leadership position, he has the skills and allies needed to run the new tower. He also has us. No one besides the four of us can adequately understand the Coalition’s needs and those of OmniLab. Just as Kayla straddles the line between the ruin rats and the towers, we can do the same with our people. The spirit of our people will thrive in the towers, Valechka, especially under your guidance. It’s not just Nikolai they follow.”
“Sergei’s right,” Nikolai added. “Our people know you love them, and they respond to that. Their loyalty is just as much yours as it is mine. In some cases, I’d say they’d follow you first.”
She frowned. “This is what you both want? To stay here? What about Yuri?”
“He fell asleep a few hours ago,” Nikolai said, giving her a gentle squeeze. “But Yuri has made it clear he will defer to whatever we all decide. He doesn’t particularly care either way, provided we stay together.”
Valentina sighed. “I don’t want to walk away from our people completely, but if they turn away from us, we won’t have a choice. Provided we can resolve this situation with our alliance, staying in the towers might be the best option. We’ll need to return to our camp and make some final arrangements for our people, just in case. Perhaps we can go by there before we investigate Lena’s camp.”
“There’s been a change on that too,” Sergei said, holding out his hand toward her. Nikolai released her, and she climbed off his lap. Sergei drew her back into his arms and added, “We need you to contact Grigory to set up a meeting. We’re going to hold a paralyzing truth barrier over both Peter and Lena to get to the truth. One of them is responsible for the thefts, and this is the quickest way to resolve the situation. We’ve already spoken with Alec. He’s agreed to travel there with us. He’ll try to influence them to forget, if it’s necessary.”
She peered up at him and frowned. “That’s very risky. They won’t go to a meeting without armed escorts.”
“We’ll limit it to one guard. I’ll also be there to explain the incident at the nightclub and how one of our weapons was discovered in the possession of a tower resident. That’ll lend believability to my reasons for being there. With your energy, I should be able to extend the truth barrier to encompass several people simultaneously. You can go as Nikolai’s agent and help me hold the truth barrier, but Yuri will need to remain out of range. Peter will most likely bring Viktor. I believe Lena’s second-in-command is Roman. Unfortunately, we need to call the meeting tonight.”
Her eyes widened. “You can’t be serious. We need at least a day to put together even a rudimentary plan.”
Nikolai shook his head. “It must be tonight, Valya. OmniLab’s High Council is holding a vote in the morning to close the towers to our people and terminate our alliance. They discovered a large cache of weapons in that warehouse, but it’s not enough to account for all the missing weapons. Some of our weapons are still out there, but the damage has already been done. The High Council believes these weapons are evidence of our plans to launch another assault on OmniLab to retake the towers by force.”
Valentina blew out a breath. “This problem originated from an unequal representation within their government. They need to clean up their own damn house. Brant said this resentment has been going on for fifteen years.”
“I agree,” Nikolai said, drumming his fingers on the desk. “Alec is taking steps to appoint a non-Inner Circle representative to the council, but the High Council is somewhat resistant. It will take time for changes to happen, but in the meantime, they’re all pointing their fingers at us.”
Sergei nodded. “We also can’t give Lena and Peter time to prepare. This is our best chance to resolve the situation from our end and keep our people safe. You know what will happen if this alliance falls apart.”
Valentina squeezed her eyes shut. The loss of life on both sides would be extraordinary. It seemed they didn’t have much of a choice. Most likely, they could rely upon Grigory and Ivan to act as Nikolai’s allies, but there were too many other unknowns. They’d need to go over everything carefully, searching for any and all exploitable vulnerabilities.
With a resigned sigh, she lifted her head. “You’ve made a lot of plans. How long did you let me sleep?”
“Most of the day, but we’ve already started running different scenarios,” Sergei admitted and kissed her nose. “We let you sleep as long as possible, but you always have a different way of looking at things. Your unique perspective will help tremendously.”
Valentina relaxed against him. The three of them had probably already done most of the heavy lifting. Despite Sergei’s claims, she’d always found them to be more skilled at this type of planning and strategizing. “I got to be lazy in bed while you three did all the work? That doesn’t seem fair. You should have woken me.”
Nikolai smiled. “I told him to let you sleep, Valya. A medic stopped by earlier to check on you, but he said sleep was the best thing for you. As long as we were monitoring you, he suggested we leave you alone. Apparently, Kayla and Ariana have been sleeping most of the day too. Whatever energy you three generated must have exhausted all of you.”
She paused, remembering a dream she’d had. “Kolya, you told me you had a bad feeling when I left to meet with Dmitri. How do you feel now?”
Nikolai frowned at her. “I’m not worried right now, but that doesn’t necessarily mean the danger has passed. The thought of you going off alone bothers me more than I’d like to admit, but I don’t know if that’s because of my premonition. It might be because we almost lost you last night. Either way, you’re going to have to suffer my unwillingness to let you out of my sight for a while. Why do you ask?”
“I had a strange dream last night,” she murmured, trying to recall the different elements. “I saw a rocky outcropping, like the one you described from your vision. But there was something strange about it… I think Kayla and Ariana were with me too.”
Sergei arched his brow. “Ariana doesn’t leave the towers. Could it have been just a dream? Perhaps prompted from Nikolai’s description?”
It was possible, but she didn’t think so. With a shrug, she said, “I don’t know what happened between the three of us in that warehouse, but I think we need to find out what that dragon figurine is made of. There’s something significant about it.”
Nikolai frowned. “Is it still that gold color?”
She nodded. “Yes. I saw it on the dresser when I woke up.”
Nikolai stood. “Do you mind if I take a closer look at it?”
Valentina led him and Sergei back into her room. She picked up the dragon and offered it to him. Nikolai turned it over in his hand, studying the intricate details. “Remarkable. It feels like stone, but it’s unl
ike anything I’ve ever seen before.”
“I saw it in Kayla’s room when we were getting dressed for the club,” Valentina admitted as he ran his fingertips over the small statuette. “When I picked it up, she had the impression it belonged with me. Apparently, one of Kayla’s abilities is finding lost or missing objects. It somehow responds to my energy. It actually reacts to all three of us, but in a different manner.”
Nikolai raised his head to look at her. “With all the commotion, I hadn’t given much thought to Kayla or Ariana. When you disappeared from the surveillance cameras, Kayla tried to track you using your shoes. I wonder if she can track other objects too.”
Valentina paused, mentally kicking herself for not making the connection earlier. “Yes. I don’t know what sort of range she possesses, but she might be able to find the missing weapons and other supplies.”
“It’s a possibility,” Sergei admitted and picked up a tablet she’d left on the dresser. “You mentioned that only a partial shipment of weapons was missing. If we pull one or two guns out of the existing shipment, Kayla might be able to track them for us.” He studied the tablet for a moment and tapped on the display. “It looks like some of them are still in your camp waiting for distribution.”
“Go ahead and contact Kayla to see if she’s willing to help,” Nikolai said and handed her the figurine. “If so, we can take her to our camp when we go back to the surface tonight.”
Sergei frowned. “The missing weapons and supplies are only part of it. We still need to call this meeting with the other leaders to find out who’s responsible. Otherwise, there’s a chance it will continue. Alec said the only way he can stop the vote tomorrow is if he can assure the High Council the smuggling has stopped. Ariana’s father is also on the council, and he’s agreed to pull in favors to back our position too. But only if we can end this before tomorrow morning.”
“Kayla will need to be a backup plan,” Nikolai said and kissed her forehead. “There’s no guarantee Peter and Lena will show up to this meeting, but we’ll do everything we can to protect our people. Unfortunately, time is very much against us right now. We won’t have long before the rumors spread to our people and my standing is called into question.”
Valentina frowned. “If OmniLab votes to end our alliance, we’ll have to stand with them against our own people. Otherwise, we’ll run the risk of being cut off from both groups. OmniLab is the only one we know who will accept our abilities.”
Nikolai nodded. “Let’s not worry about that right now. We need to focus on getting through tonight first. Go ahead and get dressed. I’ll go wake up Yuri.”
Nikolai headed out of the room, and she gazed down at the dragon statue. She was grateful Ariana and Kayla had been able to use it to save her life, but the cost had been so high. Dealing with the threat of their alliance falling apart was worrisome enough, but it still saddened her to know she might need to say goodbye to a lifetime with the Coalition. The only bright spot was knowing she’d be able to keep Sergei, Nikolai, and Yuri with her.
“All this trouble over a little dragon,” she murmured. “It’s strange these Omnis believe we’re related to them.”
Sergei chuckled and placed his hand against her back. “Shall I start calling you my little dragon instead?”
Valentina looked up at him and smiled. “I’m not sure that will strike fear into anyone’s heart.”
“Fear, no,” Sergei agreed, drawing her closer. “But you’ve definitely captured my heart, little dragon.”
She softened against him, telling him with her eyes that he’d done the same to her. “You shouldn’t say such things right now, Seryozha. Not when we have people to hunt.”
Sergei reached up to cup her cheek. “I am going to marry you, Valechka. I intend to spend the rest of my life saying these things to you.”
Valentina started to pull away, but he held her tightly. Fine. If he wanted to force this here and now, she’d play along. Lifting her head in challenge, she said, “You don’t think I should have a say in this?”
He grinned. “Only if it’s your agreement in becoming my wife.”
She arched a brow. “I don’t recall you asking me. How can I agree if there’s no question on the table?”
Sergei pressed a kiss against her lips. “And give you the opportunity to refuse? Not a chance. You’re far too crafty. You’ll find a way to wriggle out of such a question or disappear on me.”
A laugh bubbled out of her. He knew her too well, but she’d never admit he was right.
Valentina unsheathed a knife and ran the flat of her blade down his chest. He tensed at the gesture but didn’t move away. If anything, he seemed almost intrigued. “Maybe, just maybe… if you ask properly, I’ll give you the answer you want.”
Leaning close to him, she gave him a mischievous smile and added, “But it wouldn’t be wise to keep trying to dictate to me, Seryozha. I’ve always been a woman who knows her own mind. It’s best you accept that before we discuss any other… future arrangements. Let me know if I need to make my point a little clearer.”
Without waiting for a response, Valentina sauntered into the bathroom. She closed the door behind her and bit her lip to keep from laughing aloud. He really was adorable and so much fun to tease.
She’d definitely marry him, but she’d make him work for it first.
Valentina bent down to check her speeder for any damage or maintenance issues. They were going to be traveling quite a bit tonight, and it was too risky to have one of their vehicles break down. She was also checking for any tracking devices that may have “accidentally” been left behind while her speeder was unattended in the OmniLab garage.
Pulling out a multi-purpose tool, she tightened a few of the bolts. Sergei walked over with some hydrating packs and opened her storage compartment. He paused and glanced down at her. “You’re bringing the dragon?”
She nodded and stood. “I’m not leaving it here. I lost consciousness last time someone touched it. I decided it was better to keep it with me until we discover more about it.”
“That’s probably wise,” Nikolai said, picking up his helmet. “When we get back, we should have it analyzed.”
Sergei placed the hydrating packs in the compartment of her speeder, taking care not to disturb the statuette. “I don’t like the idea of you leaving it in here either. Would you prefer one of us carried it for you?”
“I’ll put it in my pocket once we arrive,” she said and zipped up her jacket. “It doesn’t seem to react poorly to any of you, but I don’t think anyone else should touch it.”
“How long are these people going to take?” Yuri said in a low growl, pacing the small area around their vehicles. “If they aren’t down here in the next three minutes, we’re leaving without them. I’ll send the coordinates for them to catch up.”
“Alec’s on his way now,” Lars said, glancing down at his commlink. “It looks like we’re going to have a few extra people joining us.”
Valentina frowned. Other than Lars, only Alec and Kayla were supposed to be joining them. “Who? We’re going to have enough challenges masking Alec and Kayla’s presence.”
The priority elevator opened a moment later, and Valentina inwardly cursed as Alec and Ariana stepped out, along with Kayla, Carl, and Brant.
Sergei frowned and took a step toward them. “Ariana, I do not think you should accompany us. We’re going to meet with four of our leaders in a highly volatile situation. We will not be able to protect you from harm.”
“She understands,” Alec began, glancing at his fiancée with worry in his eyes. “I’m not particularly happy about this, either, but Ariana insisted. I’ve been trying to talk her out of it.”
Ariana gave Sergei a small smile. “I appreciate everyone’s concern, but I need to go. Alec mentioned Yuri is going to be monitoring from another location. Perhaps I could wait there with Brant?”
Sergei hesitated. “That’s the plan, but we’re still going to be within a Coalition camp. S
omeone other than Nikolai controls it, so these people will not be loyal to any of us. It would be best if you don’t accompany us on this trip.”
Valentina put down her multi-purpose tool. Her dream from the other night briefly flickered through her mind. She’d pushed it aside when Sergei had assured her Ariana never traveled to the surface, but now Valentina couldn’t help but wonder if Fate was guiding them again. Something had changed to cause Ariana to want to travel with them, and she needed to discover the reason.
Valentina took a step toward the two women. “Ariana and Kayla, may I speak with both of you privately for a moment? Nikolai and Yuri, why don’t you two head out to secure the location? I’m going to be a few minutes. Sergei can wait with me.”
Yuri frowned. “Don’t take long, Valya. We’ll need you to help coordinate with Grigory.”
Valentina nodded and led Ariana and Kayla to a corner of the garage. She studied Ariana thoughtfully for a long time, trying to figure out her motivations. From what she knew of Ariana’s history, she’d been remarkably sheltered for most of her life. She suspected this wasn’t just an excuse to explore life outside the towers.
“You know this will be dangerous. I have no intention of talking you out of it, but I will ask you to tell me the truth. Why do you wish to accompany us?”
Ariana bit her lip. “Part of me is worried about Alec. He’s skilled when it comes to influencing people, but his ability is subtle. When he used it on Viktor to make him forget the fight with Sergei and the use of your abilities, Alec needed my energy to amplify his power. If your people resist him again, it would be best if I remain close to him. The greater the distance between mates, the more difficult it can be to share energy.”
Kayla frowned. “I know what you mean about wanting to stay close, but Alec’s pretty good at taking care of himself. I don’t think he’d want to be the reason you put yourself in danger.”
Valentina considered Ariana for a long moment. “You said that’s only part of the reason. What is the rest?”
The Omni Towers Boxed Set (Books 4-6): A Dystopian Fantasy Series Page 75