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

by Jamie A. Waters

  “How many tails do you have, Valentina?” the dragon responded, a trace of mirth in his tone.

  “None,” she said with a frown, suspecting that was the wrong answer.

  “Are you sure? I count three bonded to your spirit. Your sister has bonded to another. The youngest holds her own. There are seven in total, as Fate has always decreed. Time is cyclical, like the emblems you adorn.”

  Valentina’s eyes widened as she caught sight of the ouroboros symbol on Brant’s uniform. It was a stylized emblem of a dragon looped around to form an “O” and grasping its tail in its mouth. The Coalition’s emblem was also formed from a circle with a line embedded through it to mark their path. Perhaps their two respective cultures had more in common than she’d realized.

  Turning back to the dragon, she considered the numbers again. “In the stories I heard as a child, Gorynich was said to have seven tails. In other stories, the hero possessed a whip made from seven silks bound together. You’re saying those weren’t tails or silks? They were bond connections? We were always Fated to form these bonds with each other?”

  The dragon continued to blink at her. “A weapon is always stronger when bound together. You are stronger together, Valentina.”

  Kayla frowned and held up her hands. “Whoa. Wait a minute. I don’t know about all this talk of whips and tails or about this Fate stuff. How can it be Fate if I was briefly bonded to Alec? If I hadn’t removed it with Brant’s help, we’d still be bonded.”

  The dragon huffed, a wisp of smoke rising from its nostrils. “You were never meant for a bond, Clotho.”

  “Kayla,” she said, gesturing to herself. “Just Kayla.”

  The dragon’s eyes twinkled. Valentina had the impression it was amused by the conversation, which was a little disconcerting. Although, entertaining a dragon was much better than dealing with an angry one.

  “So many names. Very well, Kayla. You were never meant for a bond.”

  “Then we were right. Alec was always meant for me,” Ariana murmured, gazing up at the man standing beside her.

  “Yes,” the dragon agreed. “Do you have a name preference, little healer?”

  “Ariana,” she replied. “What shall we call you?”

  “Well met, Ariana. I have had many names over my lifetime. But you may call me Gorynich since that is the name your older sister prefers.”

  Ariana smiled. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Gorynich. How did you come to be here?”

  “Your youngest sister tried to wake me years ago,” the dragon replied, focusing again on Kayla. “Someone tried to cut her thread before it was time. I awakened enough to ensure she survived before I went back to sleep.”

  “You helped save me in the ruin collapse,” Kayla whispered, her eyes wide in astonishment. “I remember now. I heard you in my thoughts back then just like I’m hearing you now. You led Leo and Veridian’s mother to me so they could take me to safety. I didn’t want to leave you, but you said it was too soon. You warned me to keep my abilities secret. That’s why the thought of going to the towers scared me for so long.” Her brow furrowed. “You’re what’s been pulling me toward the ruins all these years. You’ve been missing and lost. I wanted to find you.”

  The dragon huffed, two plumes of smoke trailing out of its nostrils. “I have not been missing or lost. I have always known exactly where I am. You connect and weave the threads of life together. That is your function and your purpose. Lost, indeed. Who has been filling your head with this nonsense?”

  Kayla glanced over at Alec, who appeared equally confused. Kayla shook her head. “I don’t understand. I’ve always been able to find objects that have been missing. You’re saying that’s not what I was doing? I’ve been connecting threads of life instead?”

  “Threads of Fate,” Gorynich corrected. “You connect the Threads of Fate with their intended recipient. Some things are not meant yet, so you will not be able to connect them, but each object you discovered has a purpose. You may not understand it, but your comprehension was never a requirement.”

  “Then I was supposed to find the dragon figurine,” Kayla said, glancing at the glowing statuette in Valentina’s hand.

  “Indeed. You were not meant to find it until you were ready to reunite with your sisters.”

  Valentina shook her head. All of this was too overwhelming to believe. “Why did you want me to have the figurine?”

  The dragon focused its golden eyes on her again. “My ties have always been closest to your bloodline, Valentina. You look much like Zabava. Even your thoughts remind me of her.”

  “Zabava was the princess from the legend,” she whispered, recalling the story her grandmother had told her. “Some stories said you abducted her, but that wasn’t true, was it?”

  “I am not in the habit of kidnapping or harming innocents, as some of your stories claim. Zabava was a friend, and I gifted her with abilities.”

  Sergei wrapped his arms around Valentina’s waist, drawing her against him. “If you do not wish any of us harm, why did you lead us here?”

  “The time for sleep has passed, fire wielder. It has been centuries since the Fates walked this earth. They only converge when there is great need. I can smell the taint of this world from my resting place, and if there is a chance to bring your world back to life, I must assist them.”

  Valentina tilted her head, studying the dragon. Each scale was enormous, at least a couple feet in length. It was impossible to tell how thick they were, but the dragon was well protected. It watched her in return, but Valentina couldn’t bring herself to be afraid of it. She had no doubt it could kill all of them with little more than a thought, but she simply didn’t believe it would ever harm them intentionally.

  “You can help bring life back to the world?”

  The dragon shifted its head a fraction, but it was enough to cause a nearby boulder to dislodge from the wall. Sergei tightened his arms around her, and she placed her hand on his arm to reassure him they were safe. Part of her wondered how the dragon had managed to get down here in the first place, but if it was a creature of magic, she was sure it had its ways.

  “In part. Your people once called me a hydra. The water is my dominion. It is only through my efforts that this river has remained pure. It is my gift to you, but there are many other sources of water which need to be revitalized if your people are to survive.”

  Kayla frowned. “We’ve been trying to harness the river for months. Our equipment kept getting destroyed in the rapids. Were you doing that?”

  A whiff of smoke unfurled from the dragon’s nostrils. “A gift is freely given, not taken or demanded. I gift this river to the three of you now. Your equipment will no longer be destroyed. You may do what you wish with it.”

  Valentina felt Sergei relax. If the dragon were being honest, this would take a great deal of pressure off their people. But it didn’t negate some of the other obstacles they’d been trying to overcome. “With all due respect, Zmei Gorynich, the rapids have risen dramatically. This has endangered our people here. Some of them are still trapped in the cave above us. Were you the cause?”

  “Your people are safe. The ones on the surface are lowering the noisy metal contraption to rescue them. I will not interfere. Now, tell me, what do your stories say about dragons?”

  Valentina blinked at the dragon, wondering how he knew all this. But she had no reason to doubt the dragon’s word. Trusting the trapped people were safe, she said, “I’m not sure what you wish to know. We originally didn’t have a word for dragons. You were called zmei in our folklore, but that just means snake. I mean no disrespect, but your kind were originally a representation of evil. We later borrowed the word drakon from the west. Over the centuries, you became less of a threat and more of a curiosity and fascination.”

  “Then times have indeed begun to change and the cycle has begun again,” the dragon mused. “What else do you know?”

  She frowned, thinking back to her childhood. “The stories of you an
d Tugarin Zmei were the most popular ones told to children. Chudo-Yudo was another. Your arrival was heralded by dark clouds, thunder and lightning in the sky. It was said you enjoyed the water but also the mountains.”

  “And have you seen these things? Dark clouds? Thunder and lightning?”

  Valentina started to say no but stopped, and her eyes widened. “I have not seen them for myself, but when the dragon figurine was used to heal me, such events were reported. There were storms and even an earthquake.”

  “Indeed. You three combined your energy, fusing the direction of Fate together to accomplish your goals. It never heralded the arrival of dragons. It was the result of intense power.”

  The tip of the dragon’s tail emerged from the water and lay beside its head on the rocky shore. Valentina stared in amazement at the pointed, arrowlike tip. It could do some serious damage if given the inclination. But even with its potential for destruction, there was still a remarkable beauty and elegance in it.

  Valentina lifted her gaze to meet the dragon’s golden eyes again. “In the short time we’ve been here, the water has receded and become less fierce. It happened the first time when you lifted your head, and again just now when you removed your tail. You haven’t always been submerged, have you?”

  Regret, sharp and pungent, flowed into her mind. Underneath, she also had the impression the dragon was a little embarrassed.

  “No. But I became hungry while I awaited your arrival. You three are as stubborn as the last Fates. Even I need to eat.”

  Valentina floundered, not wanting to offend a hungry dragon. She’d seen Yuri cranky when he hadn’t had a meal. She didn’t want to think about irritating a hungry creature of this size. “My apologies. I was not aware you were hungry.”

  Nikolai tensed. “I’m not sure how we can manage to keep you fed. In the old stories, dragons were said to eat people. Were the stories wrong about that too?”

  “Bah,” the dragon complained, but his eyes twinkled. “Humans are much too crunchy with not enough meat. Energy sustains me. Water energy, preferably.”

  Valentina’s mouth twitched. “That’s why you’ve been slumbering in the river. How long have you been here?”

  “Time loses meaning over the centuries. One day I grew weary, so I decided to rest.”

  Valentina held up the dragon statue. “This brought us to you. Do you know what it is?”

  “Ah,” the dragon focused on the small object. “It appears to be a scale. Not very usable in its current form, but an adequate enough representation.”

  Kayla gaped at the dragon. “Someone carved up one of your scales?”

  “So it would appear,” Gorynich agreed. “An explorer visited this cavern centuries ago. I offered him a scale. He agreed to carve it in my image and leave it for you in accordance with my instructions. We spent a great deal of time together while he carved. Learning about the changes in your world was a welcome distraction, but once he left, I went back to sleep to wait. The lives of men are far too fleeting compared to my own.”

  Ariana frowned. “Forgive me if my question is too presumptuous, Gorynich, but you said you could help revitalize our world. I’m interested in learning more, but your… resting place is somewhat problematic. Will you try to fly yourself out?”

  Kayla’s eyes widened. “Holy shit. You’ll cause another earthquake if you do that.”

  “I don’t think that’s a concern,” Sergei admitted. “If the stories are true, Gorynich can leave anytime.”

  Nikolai chuckled. “I suspect you’re right. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if you’ve left many times over the centuries.”

  Ariana bit her lip. “Are the stories true, Gorynich? Are you a shapeshifter?”

  Alec’s eyes widened. “We always believed we were descendants of the dragons and had lost our shapeshifting abilities. Is that true? Are we like you?”

  The dragon blinked at Alec. “Do you wish to be a dragon?”

  Alec frowned. “As wonderous as your true form may be, I’m not sure it’s very practical.”

  “I never said this was my true form.”

  Valentina’s curiosity was almost overwhelming, but intuition warned her that it might not be wise in prying too deeply into the dragon’s origins. He’d been forthcoming enough with information, but he’d worded some things in such a way that led her to believe he’d chosen his words with care. In the short time they’d been speaking with him, his language had changed, gradually becoming less formal and stilted. He was adapting, learning just as much from them as they were from him.

  The dragon focused on her again, and its voice echoed within her head. The cadence was different, though, and she knew it was only speaking to her, Ariana, and Kayla.

  “You are perceptive, Valentina. Some questions from the Fates I may answer, but some I shall not answer at all. As Fates, you may guide, but the final choice will always be left to the individual. That includes questions.”

  Kayla’s eyes widened. “You can use targeted mind-to-mind contact, but can you also speak to everyone? Carl, Brant, and Lars can’t hear you.”

  “Um, Kayla,” Brant began, looking decidedly uncomfortable, “not real sure I like you volunteering me for anything right now. It hasn’t ended well for me in the past.”

  Carl made a small noise of agreement.

  “Speak for yourself,” Lars said. “I’d love to be able to talk to a dragon.”

  The dragon stared at Lars for a long time. Energy, more vibrant and encompassing than anything Valentina had ever witnessed, filled the room. The dragon’s scales shimmered from their captivating green color and became the same golden color as the figurine. Valentina averted her eyes as the light became almost blinding.

  A moment later, it was gone.

  Valentina blinked, trying to adjust her sight again to the dimness in the cavern. The dragon was gone. In its place stood a young woman with golden hair that fell nearly to her waist. Her eyes were the same green color the figurine in her hand had once been. Other than a simple white dress, the woman was wearing no other adornments or even shoes.

  “Holy shit! You’re a girl,” Kayla managed.

  The woman smiled and glanced over at Valentina. By all appearances, she was a woman of no more than twenty-five, but there was a weight to her gaze which belied that illusion.

  “I believe Valentina told you that even girl dragons can breathe fire.”

  Chapter Sixteen

  Lars’s mouth dropped open. “A girl dragon who speaks.”

  “I’m not sure we can still call you Gorynich,” Nikolai said with a frown. “Not only will that raise some questions, but it doesn’t fit this other persona.”

  The dragon turned toward Valentina once again and clasped her hands together, emulating the same body language Ariana had displayed only a few minutes ago. “You have the gift of changing personas with ease. Will you name this new form so I might walk among you?”

  “Inna,” she whispered immediately. “It was the name of my great-grandmother.”

  The dragon blinked at her. “You would gift me with a family name?”

  Valentina nodded. “You called me daughter. You referred to Ariana and Kayla as my sisters. If you were friends with Zabava and she is of my family line, then I can do no less.”

  “You honor me,” Inna said quietly with a trace of emotion in her voice, and she bowed her head.

  “You’re the one who’s honored us,” Valentina admitted. “You saved my life that day when the dragon carving healed me. You saved the life of the man I love when he was shot a few hours ago. You’ve been guiding and protecting us all for years and we didn’t know it. I consider Sergei, Nikolai, and Yuri to be my family because I trust them with my life. You’ve already shown us we can trust you with ours.”

  Inna lifted her head and smiled, the expression making her appear a bit more human. There was still an alien quality about her, especially in the rigidity of her movements, but she was quickly adapting. “Will you teach me about thi
s new world of yours, Valentina? Much has changed over the centuries, and I will need a guide.”

  Valentina returned her smile. “I have a feeling you won’t need a guide for long, but yes. I would be happy to teach you.”

  Lars frowned. “Our communication is still cut off. We’re going to have some challenges getting back to the surface unless our new friend can help.”

  Inna turned toward Sergei. “You have not reconnected the communication system?”

  Sergei frowned. “My ability with electronics requires proximity. If the antenna was knocked out on the surface, I can’t reconnect it from here.”

  Inna walked over to him. “Show me your communication device.”

  Sergei offered her his earpiece. “That’s one part of it. But the other part, the antenna, is on the surface.”

  Inna lifted the device and said, “Remarkable. All these little circuits. Your people continue to amaze me.” She handed him the device. “Take it. I will show you how to connect with the other equipment. Location is irrelevant.”

  Sergei accepted it, and Inna placed her hand over his. Valentina’s eyes widened at the flow of energy that swirled around them and through the device. Almost immediately, their equipment crackled to life.

  Kayla yelped and pulled out the earpiece. “Holy freaking feedback. It worked. A little loud, but it worked.”

  Inna turned to look at her. “I had forgotten how sensitive human hearing can be.” She lifted her head to regard Sergei. “Can you duplicate the energy pattern in the future?”

  He nodded, staring at the device in amazement. “Yes. I would have never considered such an approach. Thank you.”

  Inna inclined her head. “If you wish to return to the surface, you must make a choice. You have many options available to you in escaping from this cavern. How will you do so?”

  Yuri arched an eyebrow. “Is this a test?”

  “If you’d like, wind channeler,” Inna agreed. “If you were alone here and unaided, how would you leave?”

  “I’m assuming you expect us to use our talents somehow.”