The Omni Towers Boxed Set (Books 4-6): A Dystopian Fantasy Series

by Jamie A. Waters

  “That’s a shame,” Nikolai murmured. “Why would they reattach them? Now you’ll just have to cut them off again.”

  “Exactly,” Yuri agreed, lifting his glass in salute. “And these Omnis claim they don’t condone torture.”

  Sergei grinned as Lars shook his head in exasperation and poured another drink. Lars wasn’t quite as squeamish as he pretended. He’d seen the former exile handle himself in far worse circumstances than what he’d witnessed tonight.

  Leaning forward, Sergei said, “There were some benefits to us remaining behind.”

  Nikolai’s expression turned curious. “Such as?”

  Sergei picked up the abandoned bottle and topped off his glass. “I had an opportunity to try out my version of a truth barrier on them. That, coupled with losing a hand or two, and Charles became quite cooperative.”

  “Sergei’s mastering the art of paralyzing people while interrogating them,” Yuri said with a trace of envy in his voice. “It was a beautiful thing to witness.”

  Nikolai arched his brow. “That has possibilities. I’d like to see a demonstration at some point. Did Charles mention any names?”

  “No,” Sergei admitted. “I don’t believe they knew who they were dealing with on the surface. Pavel was their main contact, and he could have handled everything. That’s why they were so quick to try to pull in Valentina. Their supply dried up when I killed him.”

  “At least the infusion of weapons has stopped,” Lars said, refilling his glass. “Brant and the rest of the Shadows are trying to chase down everyone involved with the possible rebellion. They’re also conducting searches to locate the weapons that have already made their way into the towers. It’ll take time, but at least we’re that much more ahead.”

  Yuri scowled. “The halt is temporary. We still need to find out who’s responsible. Otherwise, they’ll just find another distributor.”

  Nikolai drummed his fingers on the edge of the couch. “Yuri’s right. Based on what Grigory said, we can most likely narrow it down to Peter or Lena. I’m inclined to rule out Ivan as a possible suspect. I believe he’s only in the area out of respect for Valentina’s parents’ last wishes. Nadiya is sworn to Ivan’s service, and she’s going to be arriving in his camp soon. Grigory wants to secure her a place in the towers.”

  Sergei paused in surprise, a slow smile spreading across his face. “Well, that’s somewhat unexpected but very welcome news. Nadiya was the main reason Valentina was reluctant to risk alienating herself from the Coalition. But if her sister is living here, Valentina will be more inclined to stay in the towers. I know she wants a relationship with her again.”

  Lars’s eyes widened, and he leaned forward. “Wait. What? Valentina has a sister? I need more details.”

  Yuri snorted. “If you want to find out what it’s like to lose a body part, go ahead and touch Valya’s little sister. I dare you.”

  Lars grimaced and reached for the bottle again.

  Sergei grinned and turned back to Nikolai. “We know Peter has ambitions to take over control of the new tower, but I don’t know Lena’s motivations for being here. She’s been in the area for the past two months but hasn’t had much of an interest in the construction. Some of her people have been helping with resource acquisition and the river excavation though. It’s possible Pavel was working with her as a connection to the construction, but I don’t have any knowledge of it. He never mentioned her while he was acting as my second-in-command, and she never requested any construction progress reports from me. But that may be an indication he was already providing that intel.”

  Lars frowned. “When Pavel abducted Ariana, he took her to Sofia’s camp. Maybe Sofia’s the connection instead.”

  “Possibly,” Nikolai admitted, drumming his fingers on the edge of the couch. “Valentina can make some discreet inquiries about Peter and Lena’s relationships with Sofia. To be honest, I personally don’t know much about Lena. I only know she’s been an adamant objector to Sergei’s position within the towers. Does she have a problem with you, Sergei?”

  He shrugged. “I’ve met her a few times, but nothing happened out of the ordinary. She’s not fond of me, but I’ve never troubled myself over it. I’m not Peter’s favorite person either.”

  “Speculating about why Sergei pisses people off isn’t going to be helpful,” Yuri muttered, placing his glass on the nearby table and reaching for the bottle. “With the exception of Valya, more than a few of our people wouldn’t mind seeing him prematurely expire.”

  “The same goes for you, Yuri,” Sergei reminded him. “You’re just as much of an unlikable bastard.”

  Yuri snorted and lifted his glass. “There is that. We’ll leave being likable to Valya and Nikolai.”

  Sergei grinned as Yuri downed his drink. It was true. Neither he nor Yuri had ever cared what people thought of them. In some ways, it worked to their advantage. They were able to accomplish their tasks without worrying about dancing around people’s sensitivities. Nikolai and Valentina had always stepped into those roles with remarkable skill, frequently smoothing over any issues he and Yuri had caused.

  Unfortunately, since Sergei had left them three years ago, he’d been operating without Nikolai or Valentina’s softening influence. Nikolai had stepped in to assist him every now and then to support him with their leaders, but Sergei had made more enemies than friends over the years. The list of people with possible vendettas against him was considerably long.

  Nikolai was quiet for a moment. “Before he left the towers, Grigory offered to let us know when Lena visits Ivan’s camp next. He suggested we use the opportunity to investigate her camp to see if she’s responsible since security will be lessened. Although, I’m thinking a change of plan might be in order.”

  Sergei arched a brow. “What do you have in mind?”

  “I know you’ve been practicing, but can you hold your truth barrier for an extended period of time?”

  He nodded. “Yes, but if you’re thinking about having me interrogate Lena, there will be serious challenges with that. If she’s innocent and Peter’s the one who’s responsible, it could jeopardize your leadership position. Ivan could also have some fallout for his involvement.”

  “I’m aware,” Nikolai said, motioning for Yuri to pass him the bottle. “But the alternative is far deadlier. We need to stop our supply shipments from being stolen. We’re already hard-pressed to meet the demand for resources, and these thefts are endangering our people. I’m going to ask Alec if he’ll accompany us to Ivan’s camp so we can interrogate Lena. If we’re wrong on this, he may be able to use his ability to influence her to forget what happened. It worked well enough on Viktor after he stabbed you. I don’t see why we can’t utilize the same tactic now.”

  Sergei frowned. “It has potential, but I’m not sure how Valentina will feel about involving Grigory in this plan. They aren’t that close, but she still respects their familial relationship.”

  Yuri snorted. “Valya will agree. She’s been going out of her mind thinking someone will target you again. She wants the person responsible for these thefts caught and your name cleared.”

  Sergei couldn’t help but smile. God, he loved her. She was so passionate and fiery. Her sense of loyalty and protectiveness was only part of the reason he was enamored with her. He’d have to keep working on convincing her to marry him sooner rather than later, even if it meant agreeing to whatever outrageous demands Yuri suggested.

  He glanced toward the hallway again, remembering how she’d felt in his arms while he made love to her. She didn’t let many people see that softer side of herself, and it only made him treasure those moments that much more.

  Nikolai chuckled and shook his head. “She’s most likely asleep. If you want to collect her from my bed, you should probably do it now. Otherwise, I’ll keep her with me tonight.”

  “Not a chance,” Sergei said and stood. After three years without her, he was determined not to go another night without her by his side.
/>
  Nikolai smiled. “I had a feeling you’d say that. Come find me when you wake up. I want to plan as much of this as possible so Valya can coordinate with Grigory.”

  “Of course,” Sergei agreed and gestured toward Yuri. “You might want to hold off on going to bed until Yuri tells you the rest. We’re going to have more challenges beginning tomorrow, and you’ll need to decide how you want to handle it.”

  When they both nodded, Sergei turned and headed into Nikolai’s room. Valentina was curled up underneath the blankets, appearing almost angelic in her repose. The hilt of a knife poking out from under her pillow was the only hint of the fire that burned brightly within her.

  Walking over, he pulled down the blanket and lifted her into his arms. She murmured his name on a sigh and snuggled against him. With a smile, he said quietly, “Shh. Go back to sleep, little dove. I’m just taking you back to bed.”

  He carried her into their room and placed her on the bed. She made a noise of protest when he pulled away but otherwise didn’t awaken. Sitting on the edge of the bed beside her, he trailed his fingers over her soft skin. He’d come so close to losing her again, and that possibility just wasn’t acceptable.

  “I’m going to keep you safe, Valechka,” he promised, leaning down and pressing a kiss against her hair. “No one will ever hurt you again. They’ll have to go through me first. I swear it.”

  Chapter Ten

  Valentina woke up encased in Sergei’s arms. She relaxed against him, enjoying his warmth. She wasn’t surprised to find herself sprawled all over him again; he made a fantastic heater.

  “You undressed me,” she murmured against his chest.

  He stroked his hand leisurely down her naked back, tracing his heated energy along the same path. “Mmhmm. I like to feel you pressed against me.”

  “You took my weapons too,” she guessed, not bothering to check.

  “I did. I even considered tying you up so you couldn’t run away again, but I thought you might not miss next time you threw a weapon at me.”

  “Very wise of you,” she said, still not moving from the heated cocoon.

  “I have my moments,” he agreed with a chuckle.

  Lifting her head, she smiled up at him. “You’re such a troublemaker, but I love hearing you laugh.”

  He grinned and kissed her nose. “I love you, Valechka.”

  Her eyes softened as she gazed at him. She really did love him beyond all reason. Laying her head back against his chest, she traced a pattern over his chest. It was tempting to stay in bed with him for the rest of the day, but it would only postpone the inevitable. “Will you tell me what you learned last night from Charles and Jakob?”

  Sergei stilled his hand on her back, and she lifted her head again. His expression was dark, a silent fury emanating from him. She frowned, guessing the source of his irritation.

  “They’re still alive?”

  “For now,” he replied.

  Valentina slid her body over his, sitting up so she was straddling him. Placing her hands against his chest, she looked down at him. “They aren’t our people, Seryozha. I already killed a few of them in self-defense, and we may face some repercussions for my actions. But we don’t have any right to take the rest of their lives or demand recompense. We haven’t acknowledged our place amongst them yet, but I appreciate the sentiment.”

  Sergei didn’t respond. Instead, he ran his hands up her thighs and rested them on her hips, tracing the edge of her panties with his fingertips. He studied the material for a moment. “I probably should have removed these too when I brought you to bed. I’ll have to do that next time.”

  She narrowed her eyes. “Am I wrong? Have we acknowledged our place here?”

  He winced. “I’m afraid our secret’s out, Valechka. Too many of their people followed Alec and Ariana into the warehouse to find you. We had reports of the storm coming in from too many outside locations. Even now, gossip is running rampant through the towers. You, Ariana, and Kayla were all glowing with that strange light. Everyone witnessed it, even those who don’t possess any abilities. I also managed to cause a small fire when you lost consciousness. The fire suppression equipment kicked in, but not before a few people witnessed it.”

  She felt all the blood rush out of her head. Grigory had mentioned Sergei causing the fire, but she’d been so out of it that she hadn’t remembered the gold light or the storm. Climbing off Sergei, she grabbed her discarded shirt off the floor and pulled it over her head. “Did you tell Nikolai?”

  “Yes. Yuri knows too.”

  Valentina swore and started digging through the bag near the dresser. Pulling out some weapons, she quickly began strapping them on. This was a disaster. Nikolai had to be in a panic. They didn’t have a contingency plan firmly in place, only the beginning of one. They’d left too many things open-ended because they’d thought they had time. She should have known better.

  “Dammit,” she muttered, grabbing another weapon as an afterthought. Yuri would probably comment on all the knives, but she wasn’t about to limit her options. The golden dragon figurine on the dresser caught her attention, and she scowled as she equipped the last knife. “Of all the stupid… That damn dragon was what made me lose consciousness and why I didn’t have any weapons when Charles shot me.”

  “We knew it would eventually come out,” Sergei said gently.

  “Yes, but not now,” she argued, leaning against the dresser for support as the weight of this new reality crashed over her. “Nikolai’s going to lose everything over this. They’re going to divide and reassign his territories amongst the other leaders. People who depend on us are going to have to merge into new camps, lose whatever standing they’ve gained with Nikolai, and we won’t have any way to make sure they’re properly taken care of.”

  “Valechka,” Sergei began, his footsteps sounding behind her, “it’s going to be fine.”

  She squeezed her eyes shut and took a deep breath. “You can’t know that, Sergei. They may have to split up families if their new camp can’t support them. I don’t know if it’s possible to prevent that from happening. I don’t want to be the reason a child doesn’t have the chance to grow up knowing a loving family member.”

  He sighed. “I know you entered the training program to make sure your sister was able to remain with your grandmother, but you once told me you believed that was for the best.”

  “Yes, but I wasn’t with her when our grandmother passed away,” Valentina whispered, her heart aching. “My sister had to deal with it alone. I didn’t find out for more than a month, and it took me another month to get back.”

  “Your sister understood,” he said, placing his warm hand against her back. “You made a sacrifice for your family. That’s what families are supposed to do.”

  Valentina nodded, leaning against him as he wrapped his arms around her. “I know, but I wish I had been there to help shoulder her burden.”

  She turned around, cupped his face, and searched his expression. Her sister wasn’t the only reason she wanted to keep families together. In a soft voice, she whispered, “Sometimes I think about the boy you were, and it breaks my heart a little to know you didn’t have that sort of family as a child. I wish I could have saved you from that.”

  His gaze softened. “Everyone’s damaged in some way, but not everyone is fortunate enough to have found what we’ve discovered in each other. You’ve given me a real family, Valechka. I don’t have any regrets.”

  Valentina swallowed, tracing the lines of his jaw with her fingertips. “You’re right. I’ve never regretted accepting the offer for the training program. It kept my sister with my grandmother, and it also led me to you, Nikolai, and Yuri. I love you, Seryozha. I love all of you. I wouldn’t trade being with you for anything, but not everyone was so fortunate with their units. It just as easily could have gone the other way. I don’t want that to happen to any of our people. They should have a choice.”

  Sergei didn’t respond, but she didn’t need hi
m to say anything to know he understood. His reasons for joining had been different. For him, the training program had been an escape. But for her, it had offered her family a future together. At the time, Grigory hadn’t yet been in a position to help them. So she’d done what was necessary to ensure Nadiya could remain with her grandmother.

  She pressed a light kiss against his lips before turning away and heading into Nikolai’s bedroom. She’d expected to find him pacing—or worse. Instead, he was quietly sitting at his desk, reading something on a tablet.

  Nikolai lifted his head and smiled at her. “Valya. You’re awake. How are you feeling?”

  Valentina paused, studying him in surprise. He appeared tired, but more rested than she expected. At least he’d gotten some sleep. She frowned, glancing back into her room at Sergei who was calmly pulling on a shirt. Neither of them appeared overly concerned or frantic.

  She turned back to Nikolai. “I’m worried about you and our people, but now I’m wondering if I need to be. Are you all right, Kolya? You don’t seem as upset as I expected.”

  Nikolai sighed and motioned for her to come to him. She did, and he pulled her into his lap. Wrapping his arms around her, he said, “I guess Sergei told you our secret’s out?”

  Valentina nodded, laying her head against his shoulder. “I thought we’d have more time. I can reach out to some of my contacts in the area to see if they’ve heard any rumors. Even if the truth has spread outside the towers, some of our people are going to want to follow you. We can negotiate with Ivan or some of the other leaders to make sure families can stay together.”

  She frowned, thinking about the logistics. They couldn’t bring all their people here, but maybe they could barter some of their supplies in exchange for certain concessions.