From the moment she'd awakened that morning, there had been a whirlwind of activity. Since she'd never been to the surface, they'd outfitted her with all the necessary gear to protect her from the harmful rays of the sun. On the plus side, she now owned clothing that would allow her to better blend in if she visited the construction site again. On the opposite end of things, the clothing was hot, bulky, and more than a little uncomfortable.
She was given a quick tutorial on how the equipment worked and how to use the communication devices. There was some sort of emergency drill she no longer quite remembered. It was all a jumbled mix of procedures and unfamiliar terminology which had made little sense when she was listening and even less now. If there were some sort of emergency, she was well and truly screwed. At least she'd have an exciting experience while it happened, and if she survived it, an even more amazing story to share.
After the condensed introduction to all things surface-related, she'd been escorted to the caravan. Alec had explained that due to the size of their party, they had to rely on the slower-moving ground transports. Ariana had gone along with all of it because there really weren't any other options. She'd agreed to help and wasn't about to back out now. It was more than just the promise of the adventure though. If they weren't able to harness the power of the river, it wasn't just her and her family that would be affected. There were thousands of people depending on this resource.
As the caravan bumped and jostled them along, Jason groaned, looking a little green around the gills. Ever since they'd fought last night, Jason had hardly spoken to her. The tension between them was palpable, and she gripped the edge of her seat tightly. His anger and motion sickness leeched into their bond and tainted the energy in the air with an almost sour stench.
Ariana tried to divert her attention again to the outside world. Sandwiched between Alec and Jason, her view out the windows was somewhat limited. Sergei, Lars, and Kayla were sitting across from her, but unlike her brother, none of them appeared fazed by the motion of the vehicle. That was a small blessing because the rest of the group's growing excitement, worry, and nerves grew stronger with each passing minute. She tightened her grip on the edge of the seat, trying to block it out.
A wave of nausea hit her, and she squeezed her eyes shut, willing it to recede. It was either an echo from her brother's misery or the escalating emotions in the vehicle were proving too much to handle.
Alec leaned toward her. “Are you all right, Ari?”
She could do this. She had to do this. Oh, hell, she couldn't do this. Now their worry and concern was out of control, threatening to suffocate her. There were too many people in close quarters. It was too much strong emotion all at once. The farther away from the towers they traveled, the more intense the emotion seemed to get. If she could just manage to breathe through it, maybe it would be okay. But even breathing was becoming difficult with the stupid helmet on her head.
Before she could respond, the caravan halted. Overhead, there was a loud beep signaling they'd enabled the UV guard.
Sergei's voice came from her right. “Lean forward. Put your head between knees.” A hand pressed against her back, forcing her into position.
Someone removed her helmet, and her unbound hair fell forward, covering her face. She'd forgone braiding her hair that morning because she'd been told it would uncomfortable with a helmet. She was now grateful for the suggestion because her hair acted as curtain to hide her discomfiture. Someone pulled off her gloves and eased off the restrictive jacket. A cold, wet cloth was placed on the back of her neck and more were wrapped around her wrists. When a cool mist sprayed into the surrounding air, she nearly whimpered in relief.
“Make her drink,” Jason instructed with a groan. “My shielding isn't doing shit for her. I think I'm making the situation worse.”
Alec put his hand against her bare arm. She flinched at the sudden contact, wary of any additional emotions that threatened to invade her senses. Her shields had shattered in the past few minutes, and she'd given up trying to reinforce them. But Alec was shielding himself, trying to protect her from his emotions. It wasn't complete, but at least they were somewhat muted.
“Can you drink something, Ari?” Alec’s voice was gentle.
“Yes,” she managed and tried to sit up. Another wave of nausea struck, and she wondered if she could manage to keep it down. If she could drink, she could reinforce her emotional barrier enough to heal her brother. That might make it easier to get through this hellish trip. There was something really wrong in the universe when you had to worry about your brother's motion sickness becoming contagious.
“Easy,” Sergei advised and helped keep the cloth around her neck in place.
Alec handed her a hydrating pack, and her hands shook as she tried to open it.
“Fuck,” Lars muttered, leaning forward to open the hydrating pack for her. “This was a mistake, Alec. We need to get her out of here. I didn't realize it would come on this suddenly or be this bad.”
Ariana shook her head and drank the cool liquid. It was a soothing balm against her throat. She wove the water energy around her to better insulate herself. She could still sense everyone's emotions, but it was more of a dull roar than a pounding bass. The fact the caravan had stopped and Jason's stomach was beginning to settle down also helped tremendously.
Alec pressed a button on his commlink. “Thomas, I need to know how quickly you can get an aircraft transport out to our location.”
“No,” Ariana said in a hoarse whisper, shaking her head again. “Alec, wait. I just need a minute.”
“I won't risk you, Ari. It's not worth it. We'll find another way,” Alec declared.
She closed her eyes and took a deep breath of the moist air. The energy threads around her strengthened and solidified even more. She continued to weave them into her shields, reinforcing the weakened areas. Once she was satisfied, she turned to Jason and pressed her hand against his bare skin. Healing energy poured out of her, calming his stomach and his unease. He groaned in response, slumping back in relief.
“It's a bit better now, but I'll need another minute,” she admitted sheepishly. “It was a combination of everyone's emotions and my excitement. I don't think Jason's stomach likes riding in a caravan very much either.”
Jason made an answering grunt but didn't open his eyes.
Kayla chuckled. “Motion sickness at its finest. I think it's worse being inside a caravan. If you're in the open air on a speeder, it's not so bad. This sucks, even for me.”
Sergei murmured his agreement.
Alec frowned. “Are you sure you want to continue, Ari?”
She nodded. “I want to do this. I don't want to cause problems, but I want to try to help if I can.”
Alec sighed and placed his hand over hers. He spoke into his commlink and canceled the order for the aircraft before turning back to her. “What do you think would help the most? We can keep the moisture fans running, but I don't think you'll get the benefits if you're in protective gear. The UV shields on the caravan can't operate while the vehicle is in motion, and it's too dangerous for you not to wear your gear without the UV shield activated.”
She paused, considering the best option. “The closer we get to the destination, the stronger everyone's emotions become. It's harder for me to ward against it. If everyone can try to suppress their excitement a bit, it would help.”
Alec nodded. “That makes sense. We're about thirty minutes out. To be on the safe side, we'll stop every ten minutes. I think we pushed too far, too fast.”
She nodded. It might be better if they took more frequent breaks. She glanced up to find Jason frowning. At least he wasn't arguing with her, but he still looked unhappy. Ariana sighed and started pulling her gloves and jacket back on, and then accepted her helmet from Sergei. This long trip was going to get even longer, but she was determined to see it through. Maybe on the way back, she could ride on a speeder like Kayla mentioned. Now that would be fun.
Al
ec leaned forward and spoke a few words to the driver before announcing, “We're only a few minutes out from the base camp. The equipment has already been set up, and they're expecting us. Once we arrive, we'll go straight to the lift, which will take us down into the ruins. We need to do this quickly because our protective gear can't be removed until we're in the cavern. The lift can only accommodate three of us at a time. Ariana needs to be taken down first to keep her isolated from everyone in the base camp. Jason and I will escort her, and the rest of you will follow.”
Alec sat beside her again and put his gloved hand over hers. “Ari, I know this is highly irregular, but I'd like you to consider forming a connection with me. It would need to be strong enough that we could communicate telepathically without touching and be able to transfer a significant amount of energy at will.”
Her eyes widened at the request, and her face heated in embarrassment. She looked away and bit her lip, focusing on a small spot in the corner of the moving vehicle. What Alec was proposing was a shared intimacy usually only done in the most private of moments. Not only had she never done such a thing, but the fact he was asking her in front of everyone was akin to suggesting they both strip naked with an audience.
“You've got to be kidding me,” Jason muttered and dropped his head in his hands. “For fuck's sake, Alec. She's my sister. I can't listen to this.”
Lars made a strangled noise. “Smooth, Alec. Very smooth.”
“Enough. Both of you,” Alec snapped. When they fell silent, he turned back to her. “Ari, the last thing I want to do is make you uncomfortable or take advantage of you. I swear I won't violate your trust, but if the bond you share with Jason isn't enough, we won't have any other options until we reach the river. Please. I'm asking you to trust me with this.”
She lifted her gaze to meet his. Was it wrong she'd daydreamed about sharing this type of connection with him for a long time? Granted, her fantasies had been in a far more private setting and without an audience. His reasoning was sound, but a part of her wished his request was for a different reason.
Her biggest fear was that he'd be able to really see her. All the emotions and thoughts she'd kept suppressed or hidden would come bubbling to the surface. She'd longed for that sort of connection with someone, but the reality of it was terrifying. If she had enough problems shielding emotions without a connection, she wasn't sure what would it be like with one. Although, when she really thought about it, there wasn't anyone else she trusted enough to form that intimate of a connection. If she were really going to do this, she wanted it to be with Alec.
Ariana nodded and lowered her gaze, feeling surprisingly vulnerable. “All right.”
He let out a long exhale and squeezed her hand. “Thank you. Your trust means a great deal to me. Once we stop, I'd like you to try to drink a little more and reinforce your shields. We should be there any minute now.”
Sergei leaned forward, his eyes narrowed on Alec. “This is not one of those permanent bonds, is it?”
Alec paused, considering Sergei for a long moment. “No, it's not permanent, but it's not something that's done casually either.” He gave Sergei a pointed look and added, “Ari needs to be protected, and only one of our kind can offer that to her.”
“So you claim,” Sergei said and leaned back, holding Alec's gaze in a silent challenge. Alec glared at him but didn't respond.
A moment later the caravan came to a jarring halt, and a loud beep signaled it was safe to remove their protective gear. While Lars retrieved another hydrating pack, Ariana removed her helmet and slipped off her gloves. Once she pulled off her jacket, Alec turned on the cool misting fan and sat back down beside her.
He glanced around the caravan. “If you all could step outside for a few minutes, I'd appreciate it. We'll be with you shortly.”
Jason swore under his breath and was the first to jump up. Ariana leaned back and closed her eyes, listening to the sounds of everyone exiting. Gods, this was humiliating. Someone stopped in front of her, and she opened her eyes as a gloved hand brushed against her cheek.
“All will be well, solnyshka,” Sergei murmured. With a hard look at Alec, he added, “It is fortunate that an unwanted bond can be eliminated.”
Alec stood, his body rigid as he met Sergei's glare. “Ariana has nothing to be concerned about. But you would do well to remember OmniLab has also learned a great deal over the years about eliminating unwanted threats.” He gestured to the exit. “We will join you outside shortly.”
Sergei smirked and then turned, exiting the caravan and closing the door behind him. Once he was gone, the silence was deafening.
Alec sighed and sat beside her, scrubbing his hands over his face. She could sense his tension and residual anger from Sergei's parting words. Ariana hesitated for a moment and then placed her hand on his arm. Sending a soothing wave of energy over him, she said, “It's all right, Alec. I trust you.”
He looked over at her, searching her expression. Whatever he saw made him relax, and his expression softened. Alec brushed her hair away from her face and trailed his fingers over her cheek, almost as though he was trying to replace the memory of Sergei's touch with his. A light trace of his energy trailed over her skin and accompanied his gesture. He brushed his thumb across her lower lip and hesitated, his gaze lowering to her mouth. Her heart thudded at the look of longing on his face. She'd never thought to see that look from him again.
“I wouldn't have offered to do this with just anyone, Ari,” he admitted.
She swallowed and whispered, “I've never done this before. I don't… I'm not…”
“Shhh,” Alec murmured. He lifted her hand and pressed a kiss against the back of it. “Just close your eyes. I'll guide you. It's just a connection. It'll be a little stronger than others you've created. We don't have to exchange energy. This is only a precaution.”
Trusting his word, she did as he asked and closed her eyes, opening herself to the energy threads around them. His warm air energy brushed against her skin in a soft and tender caress. It was light and coaxing, holding a thousand promises if she would only accept him.
Something within her awakened. A long-dormant need rose from within her, and she reached out with her energy. As she connected her threads with his, Alec accepted all she offered and enveloped her in his energy, holding her tightly in a metaphysical embrace. Awareness shifted, and she became part of him as he became part of her. Thoughts and emotions were shared and became something more than separate entities. In that moment, their connection was absolute and pure, something designed by the gods in their infancy when they'd sought a connection of souls.
“Alec,” she whispered and opened her eyes to meet his.
Unable to resist, she reached out to touch him. She pressed her hand against his chest, but it wasn't enough to only touch him through his jacket. She needed to feel his bare skin. Ariana pressed her hand against his face, entranced by the sensation of the duality of touch. What she was experiencing went far beyond picking up emotions she normally read through energy threads.
She could sense Alec—the real Alec. The man behind the façade he presented to the world. It was more intimate and eye-opening than she’d ever imagined. For the first time, Ariana felt as though she'd found what she'd been seeking her entire life. She hadn't even realized the extent of her loneliness until that moment.
Ariana looked up into Alec's eyes and realized he understood. He knew how miraculous the connection between their kind could be, and he ached from the loss of it.
“Oh, Alec,” she whispered, weaving her energy around him to let him know he was no longer alone. Healing energy rushed through her as her fingertips moved over his skin. Desire and a need for him unlike anything she'd ever known unfurled inside her, and she wasn't sure if it was coming from him or if it was the cumulation of their emotions.
She'd imagined touching him like this for so long, and even more. She lowered her gaze to his lips, wondering what it would be like to kiss him. Ariana froz
e, her eyes meeting his, and she realized he could read her thoughts. Through their connection, she could sense his surprise and elation. Before she could pull away, Alec wrapped his hand around her wrist, holding her to him.
“Ari,” he murmured, his gaze tender. “I'd hoped you felt the same, but I wasn't sure after everything that's happened. I've wanted you for so long.” He reached up to caress her cheek, and she leaned into his hand, entranced by the intimacy of their connection and wanting more.
“Gods, you're breathtaking,” he whispered, his thumb grazing over her lower lip. She parted her mouth slightly, and his eyes darkened with desire. He leaned forward, his mouth hovering just over hers and then he paused. With a muttered curse, he pulled away slightly and shook his head.
“Not here. Not like this.” Alec's expression was pained, and his voice filled with regret. With a sigh, he brushed her hair back from her face as though he didn't want to stop touching her. Lifting one of her hands, he pressed a kiss against it. “I wish the timing were better. I really want to explore this with you.”
Ariana took a deep breath, trying to center herself. Alec was right. Even through the caravan doors, she could sense everyone waiting for them. Their impatience was escalating, and the energy threads around them were becoming stronger and more demanding.
“Is that what it normally feels like for you?” Alec asked in wonder, glancing toward the door.
Her eyes widened. “You can feel them too?”
He nodded and frowned. “I had no idea. You can block part of it, right?”
“Yes,” she said, reaching over for the hydrating pack Lars had left for her. Ariana had been so distracted by Alec that she'd begun to let her internal shielding slip. She took a long drink and reinforced the protective barrier around her. The emotions from the others immediately muted. She could still sense them, but it was more like a low murmur rather than loud voices demanding attention.
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