Flames of Redemption

by Jamie A. Waters

  “That will never happen,” Sergei swore and held out his hand toward her. Valentina went to him, a sense of rightness filling her at once again being in his arms. “I love you, Valechka. I will spend the rest of my life proving it to you, if you will let me.”

  She nodded, wanting to believe his words more than anything. After being apart from him for so long, it was almost surreal having him hold her once again. She'd always loved him—from the moment they'd first met until the day he'd walked out on her. If she was honest with herself, she'd never stopped.

  Even after Nikolai and Yuri told her Sergei was gone, she hadn't believed it. She'd gotten angry with them for trying to convince her otherwise. It wasn't until she accessed the reports from the takeover that she'd realized it was true and he wasn't coming back. Seeing Sergei's signature on the order accepting command to lead the OmniLab takeover had destroyed something inside her. After that, she'd been too angry with herself and hurt to even consider any alternatives.

  She'd spent the past three years trying to bury her feelings for him. Sometimes it worked, but more often than not, she tried her best to ignore it. His loss had been a constant ache, and she'd spent more time than she wanted to admit reading his progress reports. Several times, she'd even considered tracking him down to demand an explanation, but her stubborn pride had refused to allow it. She hadn't wanted him to know how deeply he'd wounded her.

  Reaching up to touch his face to reassure herself this was real, she looked up into his eyes and let him see how much she'd missed him. His eyes softened as he gazed down at her, telling her without words how much he loved her and how wrong she'd been. Valentina swallowed, tracing the line of his strong jaw with her fingertips.

  “I love you too, Seryozha,” she whispered.

  “You will not regret giving me another chance, little dove.” He bent down to kiss her, his lips gentle in a whispered promise. When he pulled back, he looked over at Nikolai but didn't release her. “Are you willing to consider Alec's proposal?”

  “I don't know about staying in the towers,” Nikolai said, glancing out the glass elevator wall into the courtyard area below. “Their offer is generous, but we have no way to guarantee their silence on the matter. It will also take longer than we can spare for Valentina to be trained. If we are to support Alec's request for additional time on the construction, I will need her and Yuri to help make it happen.”

  “Would you consider establishing a permanent base in the towers?”

  Her eyes widened, and she looked up at him. “That is your command, Sergei.”

  He shrugged. “We can work something out. We've done it before.”

  She turned to look at Nikolai, who was regarding Sergei thoughtfully. Nikolai was most likely intrigued by the idea, but it was the implementation of the plan that had the most challenges. Either way, it was a discussion best tabled for another day.

  “I think we should stay,” she began. “For now, at least. If they believe I'm one of them, they will most likely share some information with me about their powers. This could be one of our only opportunities to get this type of information from them.”

  Nikolai frowned. “And what happens when our people believe the same? I'm not willing to put your life in jeopardy for this information, Valya.”

  She gestured to herself and said, “I appreciate your concern, but our Coalition trained me to blend in and adapt. I blended. I adapted. I have never given our people any reason not to trust me.”

  “You are too close to the line,” Nikolai warned, that hardened glint coming back into his eyes. “If you give them reason to suspect you, it will be over.”

  Yuri nodded. “It's not worth it, Valya. Let someone else investigate. You were too obvious when you stood on the truth barrier. There were too many witnesses.”

  She huffed. They were sometimes a little too protective. “I can claim it was a ruse. Besides, we still have an investigation to conduct. I'm supposed to meet with Viktor tomorrow morning to tour the construction tower. If I don't show up, he and Peter will take it as a slight. We cannot afford to offend them.”

  Nikolai waved off her concerns. “I can handle Peter.”

  Valentina nodded. “You can, and you frequently do. But if any of us are a target, we are safer here than back on the surface. Our people were responsible for the ambush. The Omnis didn't have a hand in the attack.”

  Nikolai frowned. “You spent all of yesterday trying to talk me out of coming here, and now you're trying to convince me to stay.”

  She shrugged and gave him a small smile. “Circumstances changed my mind.”

  “Or Sergei's arms around you did,” Yuri muttered.

  Those same arms tightened around her as Sergei said, “If you decide to leave and return to the surface, I will join you. I meant what I said about not being parted from Valentina again. However, I agree with her. I think remaining in the towers, at least temporarily, is the best place to launch your investigation. I will go with her to meet Viktor, so she'll be protected no matter what. But in the meantime, can you afford not to take advantage of the possible intel Valentina can obtain by training with them?”

  “I do not need protection from Viktor,” she reminded him.

  Sergei grinned and pressed a light kiss against her lips. “Very well. I will protect him from you.”

  She rolled her eyes. Nikolai glanced at Yuri, and the other man shrugged to indicate he would defer to whatever Nikolai decided.

  Finally, Nikolai sighed. “Very well. We will stay until the meeting with Viktor has concluded. After that, we will reevaluate.”

  Valentina lifted her head to stare up at the open hatch in the ceiling. “Yuri, do you want to fix the elevator? I would rather not climb while wearing this dress.”

  Nikolai raised an eyebrow, but Yuri sighed and opened the panel. “She's not wearing any underwear.”

  Nikolai coughed and said, “Somehow, I don't want to know how you know this.”

  “I have a much easier solution,” Sergei said with a chuckle and pulled out his commlink. He pressed a button. “Lars, tell Brant to activate the elevator again. We are heading back to your quarters.”

  Valentina leaned back against him. “You cheated.”

  “Since when do we have rules?” he murmured, running his nose along her neck and pressing a small kiss against it.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Valentina eyed the pool with trepidation. When they had told her what she'd be doing, she had imagined something much… smaller. “You want me to get in that?”

  Ariana nodded. “The water is shallow in this area, so you can stand without a problem. I can teach you to swim eventually, although you shouldn't have much trouble if you're a water channeler like I suspect.”

  Sergei leaned in close and teased, “Don't tell me you're afraid, Valechka. Shall I show you how it's done?”

  Her eyes narrowed, and she shrugged him off, but his words had their desired effect. Valentina stepped into the cool water, mildly surprised at how quickly her earlier tension began to drift away. She moved down lower until the water was almost to her shoulders. Taking a deep breath, she released her inhibitions and submerged herself completely.

  Peace.

  An exquisite serenity unlike anything she'd ever known filled her. The only time she'd ever felt anything remotely similar was when she was in Sergei's arms. It was the sensation of belonging somewhere, as though something missing had finally clicked into place. It was a feeling of home.

  Sergei's hand on her shoulder interrupted her daze, and she broke the surface with a gasp. He'd joined her in the pool and now his worried gaze met hers. “Are you all right? You were under for a long time.”

  She blinked and brushed the water out of her eyes, and Ariana smiled at her knowingly. “You feel it, don't you?”

  Valentina frowned. “I don't understand.”

  “You're a water channeler,” Ariana explained. “The water is your element. I would imagine you haven't had many opportunities to sp
end much time in a pool like this one. But those with our elemental alignment tend to be drawn to the water. This is the source of your power and where you're most at home.”

  Valentina nodded, cupping her hands to fill them with water. It was a little strange to be floating in a pool like a turnip in a pot of soup, but she couldn't deny the sense of rightness. “That's exactly how it feels.”

  Ariana dipped her hand in the water and spread her fingers, causing water droplets to cascade through the air in a surreal demonstration of her power. “Water channelers can have different talents. We don't know exactly how your abilities have manifested themselves, but we can explore them to find out. Most of us can freeze water, pull moisture from the air, make it rain, or redirect the flow of water. Some of us are healers, some can direct dreams… the list is endless.”

  Valentina frowned. All those powers sounded more than a little far-fetched, but Ariana's display was proof of the veracity of her words.

  Ariana swam closer to her. “Will you try something with me?”

  “What?”

  Ariana stopped when she was only a foot away and held out her hand. “If you take my hand, I can form a small connection with you. With it, I can show you some basic water manipulation skills.”

  At her hesitation, Sergei said, “I have seen her do this with Kayla.”

  Valentina looked up at him, and he gave her an encouraging nod. She turned back to Ariana and took the young woman's outstretched hand.

  “We normally begin training a little bit differently, but I think you might learn better through a demonstration.”

  A moment later, a strange sort of awareness filtered through Valentina. Before she could fully explore the sensation, a jolt of electricity shot through her. She jerked her hand away. “What was that?”

  Ariana gasped, flexing her hand as though it pained her. “I-I don't know. That shouldn't have happened. What did it feel like?”

  “It was like an electrical current shooting up my arm,” Valentina said, rubbing her hand and still feeling the tingles.

  Alec burst into the pool area a moment later. “What happened? I felt your distress. Are you all right, Ari?”

  “I'm not sure,” Ariana admitted, a frown on her face. “They both have energy, but it's blocked somehow. I thought I had felt Sergei's energy before, too, but I couldn't reach his either. That might be why I was only able to partially heal them.”

  “Maybe they aren't Drac'Kin,” Alec suggested.

  Ariana shook her head. “No, I know they are. I feel it, Alec.”

  Sergei wrapped his arms around Valentina, pulling her against him. “Perhaps you should explain what you tried to do just now.”

  “I tried to form a connection, just like a thousand other connections I've made over the years,” Ariana said with a frown. “I was looking for some of Valentina's loose energy so I could connect with her. Most of her energy threads are very tightly bound, which is unusual for someone who is untrained. But when I tried to coax one to separate, that's when there was an electrical shock.”

  Valentina lifted her head to meet Sergei's gaze, asking him with her eyes if they should tell them. Sergei shook his head a fraction.

  “You know something,” Alec accused from where he was standing beside the pool.

  “Perhaps,” Sergei admitted, tightening his arms around her. “A suspicion more than anything.”

  “Sergei,” Valentina said gently, switching to their native tongue. “We need to explore this.”

  “I know, but we must consider the ramifications,” he reminded her.

  She squeezed her eyes shut, the water helping to focus her thoughts enough to give her a small measure of patience. Sergei was right, even if she didn't want to wait. She opened her eyes. “I am truly sorry, Ariana. I cannot train with you right now. I'm willing to learn whatever you're willing to teach, but there are boundaries that must be respected.”

  Sergei took her hand and started to lead her to the edge of the pool. “Come, Valechka, we should get some rest before tomorrow. Thank you for your time, Ariana.”

  “Wait,” Ariana called out, moving toward them. “I can try to walk you through a brief exercise without forming a connection. It will make things a little more difficult for you to learn, but it's still possible. Will you try?”

  Valentina hesitated and then nodded. If there was even a chance they could learn something, they needed to take it. Sergei frowned at her but didn't object.

  “Hold out your hands like this,” Ariana instructed, cupping her empty hands in front of her. When Valentina did as she indicated, Ariana continued, “Now close your eyes and focus on the water around you.”

  Valentina closed her eyes, feeling the cool water lapping against her skin. Every rhythmic motion siphoned off more of her tension until a soothing peace filled her.

  “Imagine in your mind's eye that you pull a thin stream of water from the pool. Now direct it to fill your hands.”

  Valentina visualized the water arcing upward and gasped as water splashed over her hands. Her eyes flew open, and she gaped at the water in her outstretched hands. Ariana was watching her with an approving expression. “Welcome home, sister.”

  Sergei placed his hands on Valentina's shoulders in a protective gesture. “You must not say such things, Ari.”

  Ariana's smile faded a little, and she nodded. “I know. But as a water channeler, we share the same origins. This is a basic water talent.”

  Intrigued by the possibilities, Valentina concentrated again but with her eyes open this time. When the water filled her hand again, she couldn't hide her wide smile. “How do I find out what else can I do?”

  Ariana hesitated. “You learn quickly, but we won't know your more specialized talents until we get much further into your training. It would help if we could form a connection. Some of us have the ability to gauge talents but it requires a connection.”

  Valentina shook her head, trying to bury her disappointment. “For now, I must decline.”

  “If you know about more of our kind, we need to reach out to them,” Alec said, taking a step closer to the edge of the pool. “We can keep their talents secret, too, but it's too risky to have our people out in the world without any form of training.”

  “We cannot answer your questions,” Sergei said, heading out of the pool.

  “Dammit, Sergei!” Alec’s frustration was evident by his rigid body language. “Valentina is one of us, and so are you. Only a true fire channeler could be as stubborn as you.”

  Valentina ducked her head, biting back a grin. That explained a lot.

  Sergei frowned. “What is your point?”

  “If there are others of our kind out there, these abilities can be confusing or difficult to manage without help. We can provide an environment where their powers are fostered and allowed to grow.”

  Sergei grabbed a drying cloth off a nearby rack. “We cannot discuss this with you.”

  “Alec,” Ariana interrupted. “I know you want to protect our people, but Sergei and Valentina haven't refused. Maybe we should give them some time.”

  Valentina sighed and climbed out of the pool, already missing the water. Outside the towers, it was unlikely she'd ever get a chance to experience such a thing again.

  Sergei handed her a drying cloth, and she wrapped it around herself. She squeezed some of the excess moisture from her hair and said, “Ariana is correct. I am curious and would like to learn more, but there are things you do not understand. We cannot share them with you yet.”

  “Valentina,” Sergei began.

  She put her hand on his arm in a reassuring gesture. “Sergei risked a great deal to convince Nikolai to remain here. We are already skirting the line of what may be permitted. I understand you have concerns, but so do we. Our people have made a study of your culture over the years, but yours have not done the same. You don't understand the ramifications of what you are asking.”

  Ariana climbed out of the pool, taking the drying cloth Alec of
fered her. “Sergei told us you could be executed if they thought you were one of us.”

  Valentina's body stiffened, and her eyes narrowed at Sergei. He winced and gave an apologetic shrug. “They didn't understand why it was dangerous, so I explained your position.”

  “You should be thankful I don't have any weapons handy,” she snapped.

  He grinned. “That wouldn't be much of a deterrent.”

  “You have compromised me, Sergei,” she retorted, furious with him for revealing that information. In less than a day, these Omnis knew more about her than her own people did.

  “All is well, Valechka,” he murmured, taking a step closer to her. “I would do nothing to put you at risk. They know only your military status and Nikolai's position.”

  “It's not your place to share even that information,” she argued, poking him in the chest.

  He grabbed her finger, his eyes twinkling with amusement, and bent down to kiss her. “I will have to come up with a way to get you to forgive me.”

  “You are impossible,” she murmured against his mouth but wound her arms around his neck. He pulled her against him, his heated skin contrasting with the cool air in the room. For a long moment, she was lost in his kiss and in him.

  Sergei placed another kiss against her lips but didn't release her. It was so easy to lose track of everything when he was touching her, and based on the heat in Sergei's gaze, he felt the same.

  When she turned to look at Alec and Ariana, they were watching them. Ariana smiled. “Your energy complements each other. I've never seen such a perfect pairing of energy before.”

  Sergei's arms around her tensed. “What do you mean?”

  “Your energy is closed off somehow, but when you two are together and unguarded, it flares. It's almost as though you're already bonded.”

  Valentina exchanged another uneasy look with Sergei. This wasn't good.

  Sergei turned back to Alec and Ariana. “Have you seen this before?”