Tremors of the Past

by Jamie A. Waters

  She touched her fingers against the barely noticeable line marking her injury. It would fade within weeks, leaving no trace at all. OmniLab had some amazing tech. She wondered if she could get a couple devices shipped to her former ruin rat camp. It might come in handy next time someone got hurt.

  Before she could inquire about the possibility, the medic asked, “Do you need anything for the pain?”

  Kayla grimaced and shook her head. If both Carl and Alec were giving her the stink-eye, she needed to keep her wits about her.

  “All right. Try to avoid doing anything that will further aggravate the injury. If it gets any worse or you open it again, we won’t have a choice about admitting you to the medical ward.”

  Carl gave her a pointed look. “She’ll be careful.”

  Kayla grumbled under her breath but nodded. The medic didn’t hide his skepticism, but he remained silent. Instead, with a brief bow to her and Alec, he picked up his bag and left the room. Once he left, Carl took her hand and interlaced his fingers with hers, pressing a kiss against the back of her palm. Touched by the intimate gesture, she gave him a small smile. Carl was still being cautious about displays of affection when anyone else was around. Except for a select few, most of the tower occupants still believed she was engaged to marry Alec. Until the political situation in the towers stabilized, Kayla had agreed to continue with the ruse.

  Brant cleared his throat. “If Kayla would like to return to her family’s quarters to rest, I’ll have the rest of my men finish canvassing the area.”

  Kayla turned to the security officer with a frown. She wasn’t a fragile artifact that needed to be coddled.

  As though sensing her impending objections, Alec interrupted. “Actually, I was planning on having two of our designers meet with you to discuss your idea about building a home for the surface dwellers. If you’d like to return with me to my office, I can ask them to meet us there. We’ll have someone run over to your quarters to pick up a change of clothes.”

  Kayla glanced down at her bloodstained shirt. She’d probably throw some delicate Omni sensibilities into a tailspin if she walked around like this. Besides, Alec’s suggestion had merit. Ever since her mother had planted the idea about building another tower for the ruin rats, Kayla had been considering the possibilities.

  Life on the surface was harsh and a sharp contrast to the posh lifestyle in the towers. Some of her former ruin rat campmates would reject OmniLab’s offer of a permanent residence simply upon principle. There wasn’t much she could do about their preconceived prejudices, but there were others who would jump at the opportunity for safety and security. Leo and his camp had not only saved her life as a child and given her a home, but they’d given her the tools she needed to survive. It was now her turn to repay the debt and offer them the same. Whether they accepted it was up to them.

  “Okay. I’ll go with you, but I want to look at the outlying video footage first. I want to find the asshole who tried to knock me off the beam.”

  Alec hesitated and then glanced up at the beam. He was either trying to figure out how she got up there, or how to prevent it from happening again. “That might be wise. You may have witnessed something from your unique perspective. Maybe you’ll recognize someone from the feeds.”

  Kayla thought back to the tingle she’d felt. She might have glimpsed someone in her peripheral vision, but she couldn’t be sure. Everything happened too fast. Her only focus was on not becoming an ugly smear on the ground.

  Brant pulled off his jacket and handed it to her, nodding toward her injured side. She looked up at him, surprised by the gesture. The security officer was standoffish, but he’d warmed up slightly ever since Lars and the Coalition had abducted her. Kayla suspected he didn’t care much for Inner Circle members, but she didn’t know the reasons.

  “You’re not still pissed off that I dodged your minions?”

  Brant shook his head and curved his lips in the slightest hint of a smile. “No. If anything, they’ll learn to be more cognizant of their assignment.” His expression became more serious as he added, “I understand not wanting to have someone watch your every move. But Kayla, please remember I’m only here for your safety. As evidenced by what happened a few minutes ago, there may be people within the towers who wish you harm. I hope you’ll give me the opportunity to prevent that from happening.”

  She hesitated and then pulled on the jacket, accepting the peace offering. It was still warm and smelled nice. Huh. She brushed her nose against the collar, trying to figure out the scent. It reminded her a little of Alec but with more earthy undertones. It was probably an Omni thing.

  “I’m not sure that’s necessary. Now that I’m out of medical, we need to get started on mapping the underground river. We can be back on the surface by tomorrow,” she replied.

  Carl and Alec exchanged another look. Kayla narrowed her eyes and tried to put her hands on her hips. The sleeves of the jacket were too big and got in the way. She huffed and then wiggled her hands in the air to push up the sleeves. So much for her badass image. She felt like an overdressed doll.

  “Okay. What’s up with that? Why do you keep looking at each other like there’s some big secret?”

  Carl’s lips twitched in a smile at her antics. He took her hand and folded up the sleeve of the jacket. “I know you’re eager to start on the river analysis, but it’s not safe for you to return to the surface right now. We don’t know what Lars and the Coalition are planning, but we’re trying not to take any chances with your safety.” He frowned at Alec before focusing again on her. “Although, I’m not sure how safe you are in the towers after what just happened. I know you don’t like the security detail, but we’re hoping you’ll at least try it until things settle down. If you can tolerate it a bit longer, we should have a better handle on things soon. It’ll also give you a chance to finish healing.”

  “Lars wasn’t trying to kill me,” she pointed out, watching as Carl switched to the other sleeve. “He was just trying to escape. I mean, he apologized before stabbing me. Sure, it hurt like a bitch and I owe him some serious payback, but he made sure not to hit anything too vital. It affected me worse because I’d already been knocked around so much. Besides, if Lars or Sergei contacts me again, I can try to talk to them. I think they’ll listen. Although, Lars is due for a swift kick in the balls first.”

  Carl dropped her sleeve, grabbed her shoulders, and shook his head. “No, Kayla, you need to stay away from them and not get involved. Let Alec handle it.” She opened her mouth to object, but he pressed a finger against her lips. “How would you feel if someone meddled in your personal business?”

  Kayla’s mouth clamped shut and her eyes narrowed. Her gaze darted to Alec, who was watching them with a puzzled expression.

  As much as she might want to shove Lars’s stunner up his ass and pull the trigger, Alec should have the first shot. Lars was Alec’s cousin, and she had no business interfering in his family business. Besides, their conflict predated to her even finding out about her family origins. It had only been a month since she’d learned she was born in the towers. She hung her head and nodded. “Dammit, you’re right. Okay. I’ll stay out of it for now.”

  Carl’s shoulders relaxed, and he pulled her back into his embrace. “Do you want to meet with the designers now? I have a meeting with Director Borshin, but I can meet you there when I’m finished.”

  Kayla glanced at Alec and then up at Carl. It looked like they were going to insist on babysitting her a while longer. She sighed but nodded in agreement. If they wanted to keep her out of the situation with Lars, fine. But someone here in the towers was targeting her. That made it her business, and neither one of them could stop her from finding the person responsible.

  Chapter Two

  Alec shook his head in bewilderment. Watching Carl and Kayla interact in the storage area fascinated and baffled him at the same time. He’d wanted to curse the surrounding ineptitude when he’d received the message that Kayla had dis
appeared from her security detail again. How could three trained guards manage to lose a slip of a girl in an enclosed building? There were only so many places she could have gone.

  Carl had jumped in and handled her with a deft hand, even going so far as to get her to agree to backing off the situation with Lars. Alec still didn’t fully understand how the trader had managed to convince her. Kayla’s emotions had been riled up and she’d been ready to argue, but Carl’s words caused her to immediately backpedal. She almost seemed contrite.

  When Alec had felt her reach out for him along their bond, it had taken an immeasurable amount of self-control not to give in to her. She was reaching for him more and more, trying to gauge his thoughts and feelings. He wasn’t sure if it was conscious or not, but he couldn’t afford to take any chances. Not now. Not when she’d finally given him hope by acknowledging her feelings for him.

  In so many ways, Kayla was naïve to the mechanics of their world. Alec had already made too many mistakes with her by moving too quickly from an energy standpoint. The consequences of scaring her off had become dire. It went against all his instincts, but he needed to suppress their shared energy bond and allow her to get to know him on a level she felt comfortable exploring.

  It wasn’t just the energy, either, although that was part of his attraction to her. When Leah, Carl’s reporter friend, had questioned him about his feelings, he hadn’t lied. Those green eyes of hers had captivated him since the first moment he’d seen her in Carl’s camp. Then, once he had a chance to get to know her… he was lost. He’d never met anyone so wonderfully complex and unpredictable. She was a fascinating combination of contradictions. Alec couldn’t help but admire the way she continuously met every obstacle head-on with fierce determination and perseverance.

  The Inner Circle had become complacent over the years, including himself. He wasn’t sure if any of them would have been able to thrive on the surface the same way Kayla had. It was a testament to her strength of character, and he admired her all the more for it. Each day he spent with her forced him to see the world in a new light, and he fell a little more in love with the woman who continued to challenge his perspectives.

  Alec recalled his promise to Carl about not interfering in their relationship and sighed. It might pain him to do it, but he’d stand by his word. Kayla’s ability to channel energy with such natural grace and talent might take his breath away, but he’d keep his distance. For now. Kayla had no idea of the draw she had to their kind. She was like a drug he couldn’t seem to get enough of. Even Lars had been taken in by her. Alec clenched his fists, remembering the covetous look he’d seen in his cousin’s eyes and the way he’d touched her.

  To make matters worse, no one had heard anything from Lars or the Coalition since OmniLab raided their camp to rescue Kayla and Carl. The silence concerned him almost as much as the growing tensions within the towers.

  He glanced at the screen in front of him and skimmed over the latest security report. As he suspected, there was nothing new about the Coalition. However, they’d picked up more chatter from members of the Inner Circle who were growing increasingly disgruntled. The combination of the recent regime change and the threat of the Coalition hovered like a guillotine about to drop. The latest attack on Kayla in the basement was just one more indicator that things were escalating.

  Alec drummed his fingers on his armrest, trying to figure out a motive as to why someone within the towers would target Kayla. He could understand why someone would attempt to use her against him, but harming her didn’t make sense. Kayla had nothing to do with council politics.

  If this were some sort of political power play, it would make much more sense to target him or Kayla’s mother, Seara. They were both co-leaders of the High Council. However, even if both he and Seara were removed from power, the High Council would remain in control of the governance of the towers.

  Frustrated, he pushed away from the desk and began to pace the length of his office. From all reports, most of the population within the towers was thrilled to have Kayla back. Her father, the former High Council leader, had been beloved by the masses, and their adoration had passed along to his daughter. To them, she represented hope and a return to the old ways before Alec’s father had taken over.

  He rubbed the back of his neck and frowned. Regardless of how he looked at it, an attack against her just didn’t make sense.

  Unfortunately, Brant and his security team hadn’t been able to discover anything from the surrounding video footage. The only thing they knew for sure was that whoever was responsible for Kayla’s near fall was an air channeler and had access to the service area in the basement. That didn’t mean much since members of the Inner Circle typically didn’t advertise their elemental alignment. Unlike other civilians, Inner Circle members also had access to the majority of the towers. There were plenty of clues but no solid leads.

  Alec paused at the one-way conference room window where Kayla was working with the building designers. He absently brushed his hand against the glass, outlining her image. His desire to protect and be close to her was becoming a near obsession. When he’d agreed to wear the mantle of co-leader after his father’s death, he believed it was in the best interest of the towers. Now, he was no longer sure. Although Seara continued to claim it was the right move, Alec couldn’t help his doubts. Ever since the showdown with Lars, he’d begun to question his loyalty to the towers. He would have given anything in that moment to keep Kayla from harm, and his failure in protecting her still weighed heavily upon him.

  At a time when OmniLab could least afford any liabilities, his feelings for Kayla had become his greatest weakness. Alec pinched the bridge of his nose, squeezing his eyes shut. There was nothing to be done about it until Kayla was ready to embrace her heritage. Unfortunately, even if she were willing, that time wasn’t now. He couldn’t afford to create a rift between her and Carl. Until the threats against OmniLab and Kayla were resolved, Alec needed the trader’s help. Once again, this morning’s attack proved that decision to be the correct one.

  Alec sighed and lifted his head. He studied Kayla through the one-way mirror and the corners of his lips curved upward. Now that he’d found her, it was impossible to imagine a life without her in it. She was exquisite and unlike any other Inner Circle member he’d ever met.

  Unmindful of the dress she now wore, Kayla was sprawled out on the floor with the female designer. Her shoes had disappeared again to whereabouts unknown, and she’d apparently convinced the normally straight-laced designer to remove hers too.

  Notes and designs were scattered around, and even though they’d just met, the scene had the appearance of a meeting with an old friend. Kayla suddenly threw her head back and laughed at something the other woman said. The life and sensuality in that small movement captivated him.

  Apparently, he wasn’t alone. The other designer was sitting in a chair at the conference table and eyeing Kayla’s legs with far more interest than he should. Brant stood against the wall in the room and glared at the oblivious man. When Kayla shifted, causing her dress to slip even further up her thigh, the male designer leaned forward expectantly. Alec could almost see him drooling.

  Without pausing to consider his actions, Alec crossed the room and flung open the door. The conversation in the room halted. Kayla glanced up and gave him a brilliant smile while the other woman scrambled to a standing position. The female designer quickly smoothed down her chestnut hair and tried to make herself presentable. The male designer also hastily stood.

  “Alec!” Kayla rose to her feet. Her obvious pleasure at seeing him flowed through their bond and staggered him. How did this woman get him so twisted up? She grabbed his hands and pulled him over to where she’d been sitting. Her touch was like a soothing balm on his soul.

  She leaned against him, pressing her hand against his chest. He looked down into her guileless green eyes and wondered if she even realized she’d been seeking his touch more often.

  “Wait unt
il you see the ideas Marline has come up with. She’s fantastic,” she said.

  A flustered Marline seemed to collect herself enough to pick up one of the tablets off the floor. She offered Alec a nervous smile as she handed it to him.

  He glanced down at the design, immediately impressed at the extensive workup. “It looks like you’ve made quite a bit of progress.”

  Kayla beamed up at him. He faltered for a moment. If he could keep this look in her eyes all the time, he’d consider threatening or cajoling every single council member into agreeing to this ruin rat tower idea. Unable to resist, he raised his hand and brushed his thumb across her cheek. Her eyes widened, and her lips parted slightly. His gaze lowered to her mouth, and he swallowed. He was never going to survive this. She was an impossible temptation.

  Alec took a deep breath and forced himself to turn back to the efficient Marline. “Have you been able to determine what building materials you’ll need?”

  Marline pressed a button on the tablet and a list populated the screen. “We’re still working out the details. Kay— Er, Mistress Rath’Varein has some interesting ideas about features that would cater specifically to the needs of the new tenants. We’ll need to do some additional research since we currently don’t have anything like that here. I think we can get the information from our pre-war archives.”

  Alec arched an eyebrow. “Oh?”

  Kayla didn’t answer right away. He looked down to find her still looking up at him with a pensive expression. He could sense her trying to explore their bond, but her thoughts were a confusing jumble of conflicted emotions. Without opening their bond more, Alec wasn’t able to get a clear view, and he wasn’t willing to risk it. After a moment, she averted her gaze and offered a small shrug.