Shadow of the Coalition

by Jamie A. Waters

  Chapter Seventeen

  Kayla watched as Carl twisted the metal clamp on the cot back and forth. Just a little more and… there. With a grunt, Carl managed to snap off the piece of metal. She took it from him and began trying to pry the cover off the door-locking mechanism.

  “I’ve never seen a keypad like that one,” Carl observed from over her shoulder.

  She hadn’t either. One of the corners lifted slightly, and she moved on to the next. Even though she wasn’t familiar with the design, it had the same function as any other door lock. Just like with most other things in life, underneath the fancy exterior, it shared a common purpose. The trick was getting under its skin.

  She glanced back at him. “See if there’s anything else we can use to hold this edge up. I need something flat to slip underneath it.”

  Carl turned away and began searching the room while she continued working on the keypad. Kayla heard the distinctive sound of footsteps approaching, and she scrambled back from the door. Carl caught her around her waist and pulled her behind him. She slipped the piece of metal into the waistband of her pants just as the door slid open.

  Sergei entered with two armed guards and pointed at Kayla. “You will come with me.”

  “Excuse me?” Kayla let out a bitter laugh. “I don’t give a damn what you want.”

  Carl glanced down at her. “No. If she goes anywhere, I’m going with her.”

  “She comes alone. We either take her willingly or by force. That is your choice.”

  Kayla made an obscene gesture. “Does that mean fuck off in your language too?”

  Sergei spoke to the guards and one of them grabbed Carl. Kayla watched as Carl’s pent-up frustration finally had a target and he attacked the guard trying to restrain him. Sergei shouted into the hallway and two more men came into the room.

  One of them reached for her. She sidestepped him by using one of the moves Mack had shown her. With her elbow, she gave him a sharp jab to the gut. When he hunched over, she spun around to kick him. He shoved her up against the wall and pressed his forearm against her throat, cutting off her air.

  Just before she passed out, the guard abruptly removed his arm. She bent over, resting her hands on her knees and tried to take several deep breaths. Crap. That hurt. She rubbed her throat, convinced her bruises were going to have bruises if things kept going at this rate.

  Kayla glanced up to see that three of the guards had subdued Carl and forced restraints back on his wrists. Sergei tsked at her and shook his head before gripping her arm and leaving the room.

  She was marched back to the office she’d been in earlier. Lars was in the room and looked up when they entered. At least she didn’t have to deal with restraints this time. Sergei nudged her toward a chair, and Kayla took a seat, debating her limited options. Even if she managed to find an opportunity to escape, she wouldn’t leave Carl behind.

  She crossed her arms and glared at her captives. “Are we going to keep playing musical chairs here? Because being dragged back and forth is really starting to piss me off.”

  Sergei went over to a cabinet in the corner of the room and pulled out a hydrating pack. He tossed it to her before sitting back down across from her.

  Kayla caught it but hesitated for a moment. Now they were playing nice? She didn’t trust it, but she wouldn’t say no either. It was vital to keep herself sharp to get out of this situation. She opened the hydrating pack and took a long drink.

  Lars studied her with a frown. “Why is her shirt torn?”

  Sergei spoke rapidly in his language. Lars’s expression darkened. He said a few curt words and Sergei nodded in response.

  Kayla finished the hydrating pack and crumpled the container. She threw it at Sergei. He caught it easily and winked at her. Damn. I need to work on my aim.

  “If you two are finished talking about me, you might want to tell me why you dragged me back here.”

  Lars frowned. “I understand you had a rather unpleasant experience with Ramiro. Sergei has assured me Ramiro was properly dealt with and will no longer be a problem.”

  “You must be pretty desperate if you enlisted someone like Ramiro for help to begin with.”

  “It was no surprise he fell from honor in your towers,” Sergei said with a shrug. “His usefulness to us was short-lived. Now he is no longer problem.”

  Lars walked around the desk to stand closer to her. He clasped his hands behind his back in a move that reminded her of Alec. She couldn’t help but wonder about his connection to OmniLab.

  “I admit I was curious about your talents after your little display back at the trader camp. The amount of energy you channeled was substantial, but it didn’t even seem to faze you. Then, you produced an earthquake to get out of a bad situation. You have my compliments. Your talents are earth-based?”

  Kayla leaned back in the chair and kicked her feet up so they rested on the edge of Sergei’s chair. Nope. No way. She wasn’t getting into a conversation with Lars about energy crap. She ignored him and studied the wall instead.

  Lars frowned. “The skill and power required to create an earthquake is no small feat. I find it strange though. You don’t seem to have the temperament of an earth-based talent.”

  She made a show of stretching and yawning. If an earth-based talent had the temperament of her mother, then nope. Kayla wasn’t even close. She hadn’t realized personalities aligned with the type of energy someone could manipulate. That information might come in handy.

  “I see you’ve chosen to be difficult.”

  Kayla snorted. He had no idea. Lars picked up his tablet and entered a few commands. “There’s someone who would like to meet you. He’ll be here in a moment.”

  “Sure, why not?” she retorted. “It’s a regular freaking party in here.”

  Sergei chuckled and tapped the toe of her boot. “I am curious. If you are one of these Inner Circle members, why do you choose to live outside your towers?”

  At Sergei’s question, Lars looked up from his computer and waited for Kayla’s response.

  She dropped her feet to the ground and leaned forward. “First of all, they’re not my towers. Secondly, I don’t like being locked up. It pisses me off. A pretty cage is still a cage.”

  Before Sergei could reply, the door slid open and an older man with gray hair entered. It was difficult to determine his age. The lines etched upon his face seemed more of a tribute to the trials he’d experienced rather than the decades he’d survived. The moment he stepped into the room, his gaze immediately focused on Kayla. Recognition filled his blue eyes, and he gave her a wide smile.

  “So you were right, Lars. Andrei’s daughter managed to survive all these years. I’d recognize you anywhere. You have the look of your mother.”

  Kayla straightened in her chair and wondered about their ties to the towers. Other than the traders, she’d never heard of any Omni living on the surface. It was strange enough to see Lars here, but the appearance of this man made her wonder how many of them were running loose in her playground.

  Sergei stood and offered the older man the chair. He thanked Sergei graciously and sat across from Kayla. This man carried himself with the same air of authority she’d seen in other Inner Circle members. It made her twitchy.

  “My name is Trenon Noltreck,” he introduced himself. “I doubt you have any memory of me though. You were a small child when I last saw you.”

  Great. Another trip down memory lane. Kayla was beginning to wish Alec had never stepped foot in Carl’s camp and found her. She crossed her arms over her chest, not willing to play nice. After all, they were keeping her here against her will.

  “So you’re from those freakish towers too, huh? That’s just great. Another zap-happy circle freak to join our little party.”

  Trenon looked surprised by her response and glanced at Lars. “Yes, I was from the towers originally, as were you. Like you, we didn’t leave by choice. After your father died, five families challenged Edwin Tal’Vayr’s claim
to rule the High Council, and all five families were exiled from the towers and imprisoned.”

  Kayla recalled the empty seats she had seen at the High Council meeting. “Edwin’s dead. If you want to go running back to the towers, be my guest. Your empty seats didn’t look all that comfortable, but as far as I’m concerned, you’re welcome to them. None of this has anything to do with me.”

  Trenon gave her a sad smile. “I’m afraid it does, my dear.”

  She scowled at him. The old man was pissing her off with his attempts at familiarity. She wasn’t his dear or anything else. “I fail to see how. I didn’t even know I was born there until recently. Besides, if you’re an Omni, why the hell did you attack Carl’s camp?”

  “We’re not Omnis,” Lars bit out, his eyes flashing with anger. “The day they exiled us from the towers was the day any loyalty we felt toward OmniLab died.”

  Trenon held up his hand to silence the younger man. “I understand you’ve lived on the surface most of your life. However, the actions taken against us weren’t conducted by a single individual. There were several members of the High Council who were responsible for our imprisonment and the deaths of our family members and friends. We seek retribution against all of them.”

  Her jaw dropped, and she shot to her feet. “Seriously? This is all about politics? You attacked Carl’s camp and killed one of my friends to get back at some idiots on the High Council?”

  Trenon’s eyes hardened. “Blood is on your hands as well, Kayla Rath’Varein. There are always casualties in war. It’s an unfortunate necessity. However, your presence on the surface has given us the opportunity to demand justice from the High Council for their crimes.”

  Kayla clenched her fists so tightly that her nails bit into her palms. “You’ve definitely got a couple of screws loose if you think I’m going to help you in any way. You bastards abducted us.”

  “I have no intention of harming you, my dear.” Trenon’s tone became placating. “Just the fact you are in our custody will give us the footing we need to make our demands.”

  Lars stepped forward and handed the computer tablet to Trenon. “You might be interested to know that even though they only met a month ago, she’s engaged to Edwin’s son.”

  Trenon looked at Kayla in surprise. “Is this true?”

  Kayla swore under her breath. She was going to kill Alec for letting that announcement stand. “I’m not getting married.”

  The older man studied the tablet quietly for several minutes. When he finished, he considered her thoughtfully. “You’ve only known about your heritage for a month?”

  She didn’t answer.

  “Lars, I want you to determine the scope of her talents,” Trenon told the younger man and handed the tablet back to him. “If Alec is intent on marrying her this quickly and without any formal training, I want to know why.”

  Sergei leaned against the wall and chuckled. “I suspect many reasons.”

  Lars spoke sharply to Sergei and the man merely shrugged. Trenon gave them both disapproving looks. “Lars, please proceed.”

  As Lars approached Kayla, the older man explained, “This will only take a few minutes and won’t hurt. Lars will just need to form a strong connection to test you.”

  Kayla backed away from Lars. She pressed herself against the wall and shook her head. “Screw you. If I wasn’t going to let Ramiro touch me, I’m sure as hell not going to let you get near me.”

  Lars narrowed his gaze on her. “I am only interested in learning the extent of your abilities and talent. If you want to be difficult, we can drug you and determine the same thing. It’s your call.”

  Kayla hesitated and then nodded in resignation. Above all else, she did not want to risk being drugged. Lars took another step toward her and reached out to touch her cheek. The intimate gesture unnerved her, and she resisted the urge to jerk away from him. She shuddered as he established a connection with her. It felt wrong. She didn’t know how else to describe it, but it made her miss the purity of the connection she shared with Alec.

  His blue eyes held hers as he probed her energy threads and connections. Kayla felt as though she were being stripped bare and her soul exposed. It was more than she could handle. She gathered a large amount of energy around her and pushed it toward him. Lars abruptly broke the connection.

  He moved his hand to her throat in a threatening gesture. “If you try that again, I promise I’ll retaliate and you won’t enjoy it.”

  “I didn’t enjoy being probed much either,” she retorted. “Whatever you have in mind can’t be much worse.”

  “Lars,” Trenon warned.

  “I’ll handle this,” Lars snapped without looking away from her.

  Kayla sensed energy begin to swirl around him, and her eyes widened in surprise as a sudden wind began to circulate throughout the room. The surrounding air was sucked away and disappeared into the strange vortex. Even though he didn’t tighten his grip around her throat, Kayla struggled to take a breath. Lars used the distraction to force a new connection with her. Energy flooded through her. It was no longer a timid exploration. Light and color bombarded her as Lars pushed to see how much energy she could handle.

  She was reminded of her experience at the hands of Alec’s father. Furious, she found a calm oasis in her mind and opened herself to the energy storm raging around her. Channeling both her own energy and the storm, Kayla redirected the attack back onto Lars. His eyes widened in shock when he realized she was assaulting him using his own tactics. He abruptly ceased the energy flow, and Kayla took another gasping breath as he once again severed their connection.

  He shook his head and stared at her as though seeing her for the first time. There was a hint of awe in his voice as he said, “I was wrong. Your talents aren’t earth-based.”

  She slid away from him, keeping her back against the wall. Her eyes darted to the door. She definitely needed to get out of here.

  Lars glanced back at Trenon. “She channeled earth energy earlier, but she just now channeled my own air energy against me. Each time, her energy has a different nuance as though it changes its resonance to reflect mine.”

  The older man gaped at him. “That’s impossible. Are you suggesting she’s a spirit channeler? There hasn’t been one among us in centuries.”

  “It’s more than just a dual talent. I’ve never seen anything like it. If so, this explains why Alec bonded to her so quickly,” Lars said quietly and looked down at her with a trace of pity in his eyes. “I’m surprised he allowed you to leave the towers.” He lifted his hand and brushed his thumb across her check. A light trickle of sympathetic energy flowed over her. “He must be desperate to get you back.”

  Kayla jerked away from him. His hand froze in midair, as though he hadn’t realized what he’d done. He slowly lowered his hand but didn’t move away.

  She swallowed. “How did you know we were bonded?”

  Trenon’s expression became thunderous. “Are you saying he claimed her? Even if she is a spirit channeler, I can’t believe he bonded to an untrained Drac’Kin.”

  “I can,” Lars murmured as he continued to study her. “You didn’t experience her energy. I’ve never felt anything like it before. She doesn’t just channel it. It’s part of her.” He frowned and searched her gaze. “Did you even know what you were doing when you formed this bond?”

  Kayla narrowed her eyes. The pity in Lars’s eyes had unsettled her, but these personal questions were just pissing her off. She would not have this conversation with this creep. She jabbed her finger against his chest. “You ask a lot of questions but don’t give very many answers. I’m not telling you a damn thing. You attacked Carl’s camp, set it on fire, killed my friend, and then kidnapped us. I’m thrown into walls, smacked around, nearly raped, mentally probed by zap-happy circle freaks, and now you’re asking me all sorts of personal questions. I’ve had a really shitty past couple of days and I’ll be damned if I’m going to tell you anything.”

  “You’re
absolutely right, my dear,” Trenon said diplomatically and stood. Kayla looked at the older man in surprise, wondering what sort of game he was playing now. “Sergei, I want you to take her to Miranda and see that she’s given a chance to clean up and get something to eat.”

  Kayla shook her head. “No. Take me back to Carl.”

  “The trader?” Trenon raised his eyebrows and exchanged a look with Lars. “I’m sure you would be more comfortable in Miranda’s quarters. We’ll make sure he receives the same courtesies though. In exchange, I hope you’ll give me the opportunity to speak with you after you’ve had a chance to rest.”

  She frowned. Okay, so their plan was to keep them separated for now. Kayla didn’t like it, but it wasn’t as though she had a choice. At least she’d get the chance to learn more about the layout of the camp.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Sergei escorted Kayla through the narrow hallways of the compound and stopped outside an unfamiliar door. He knocked briefly, and a woman’s voice called out for them to enter. He slid the door open and motioned for Kayla to step inside.

  It was about the same size as the office, but there were two beds set up in the room. A desk with a computer terminal sat in the corner. Like the rest of the camp, it was relatively sparse.

  A slender woman in her late twenties was seated at the desk and stood when they entered. Her golden hair was braided away from her heart-shaped face. She wasn’t particularly beautiful, but there was something about her features that captured your attention. She wasn’t a woman you’d easily forget. Her gray eyes softened slightly as she studied Kayla and smiled.

  Sergei looked between the two of them. “Your father, he said to have her cleaned up.”

  Miranda nodded in understanding but didn’t look away from Kayla. After several long seconds, she seemed to realize she hadn’t said anything and laughed. “Forgive me. It’s just strange to see you again, especially all grown up.”