“What about you? You’re from the towers. Would you go too?”
“That’s a little different,” he said with a frown. “I’ve been assigned to stay here until I’m recalled or my contract expires. I’ll need to head to the towers in a few days when the High Council replaces Ramiro. As part of my trading agreement with OmniLab, I’ll meet with the other traders to establish guidelines for working with the new one. If you want to go on ahead with Master Veritan, I could bring you and Veridian back in a few days.”
It was a reasonable suggestion and she was hard-pressed to find a flaw in it, but she couldn't shake the sense of foreboding at the idea of going to the towers. “Something about Master Pompous Ass bothers me,” Kayla admitted. “I don’t like the way he looks at me.”
Carl chuckled. “He looks at you the same way every other man looks at you. You’re the most beautiful, passionate, and desirable woman I’ve ever met, Kayla.”
She looked up at him and her stomach fluttered as he gazed down at her. She reached up to kiss him again. The man was dangerous. She couldn't seem to keep her hands off him and in return, his touch made all her concerns seem insignificant.
“He’s kinda’ pretty, in a strange sort of way,” she told him with a teasing smile. “But he doesn’t make me feel the same way you do.”
“I’m glad to hear it,” he laughed. Then he knelt down and whispered huskily in her ear, “I hope you’ll keep giving me the opportunity to make you feel that way.”
His expression became thoughtful. “So do you think you’ll go? This would give you something to do while you’re still healing up and not able to go into the ruins. Ramiro can’t touch you there and besides, think of all the technology you could get your hands on.”
Her eyes widened as she considered his words. Holy smokes! She never even considered the possibilities. “You’re right. I wonder if they’d let me see some of their prototypes?”
“I imagine they would,” he admitted with a trace of a smile. “Your name holds far more weight than you realize.”
She cocked her head and asked, “When do you think you’ll be coming to the towers?”
“I suspect things will happen fairly quickly with Ramiro now. My best guess would be two or three days at the most. They can’t leave Ramiro’s camp without a trader for long.”
She could handle that. “All right. I’ll go check out these towers. I guess I should go tell Master Stick Up His Butt I’ll go.”
Carl laughed. “Having you in the towers is definitely going to liven things up. I wish I could be there to see it.”
Kayla dismounted from her bike and stared up at the huge towers. The buildings were larger than she thought. Curious, she touched the wall with a gloved hand. It was somewhat reassuring to know it was just a regular building.
“You okay?” Veridian asked. Feeling sheepish, she pulled her hand away and nodded. Veridian gave her a reassuring smile. Taking a deep breath, she put aside her reservations and followed Master Veritan and Director Borshin into the entrance area. When the door sealed behind Veridian, she pulled off her protective gear and helmet.
A young man tentatively approached her. He bowed and reached out to take her belongings. At Kayla’s hesitation, Alec motioned for her to hand them to the man. Puzzled, she watched as the man hung them on a nearby rack.
“I could have done that.”
“My apologies if I have offended, Mistress Rath’Varein,” the young man stammered. He seemed troubled at the possibility he had displeased her.
“What the hell?” she asked in alarm, both at his actions and the use of the unfamiliar title. She looked at Alec, determined to put a stop to it. “Oh no, you tell him to cut that out. I’m Kayla. Just Kayla. You start calling me something else and I’m out of here.” She crossed her arms and muttered under her breath, “And I can hang up my own shit.”
Alec's lips twitched as though he was suppressing a smile, and handed over his own equipment. “It's fine, Leon. You may call her Kayla, if that's her preference.”
Leon looked puzzled but nodded in agreement. He reached out to take Director Borshin’s and Veridian’s belongings.
Kayla looked around the large open room. It was white. The floor tiles sparkled and shone and the walls were a brilliant white. A desk sat in the center of the room with large green plants on both sides of it. A woman stood behind the desk, gaping at Kayla. When Kayla returned her look, the girl immediately looked away and pretended to be engrossed with the screen on her desk.
Kayla leaned toward Alec and whispered, “Is everyone going to stare at me?”
He smiled at her. “Probably at first. You’ve been dead for thirteen years.”
“Great,” she muttered, and followed him into the next room.
Sunlight filtered through the main common area of the towers. An enormous waterfall cascaded down into a pool at the ground level surrounded by lush plants and greenery. Kayla’s eyes widened in disbelief. She'd stepped through to another world.
She reached out to touch one of the plants, entranced by the smooth texture of the leaf. Alec's observation of her tactile exploration made her flush in embarrassment and she dropped her hand. He seemed pleased by her reaction though, and held out his hand to her. “This is the main entrance area. We’ll be traveling up the elevators toward the quarters of the Inner Circle. You’ll probably want to spend most of your time there.”
Kayla hesitated before taking his hand. “Are you going to zap me again?”
Alec shook his head. “I will not attempt to influence you in any way, Kayla. You have my word.”
“All right.” She tentatively slipped her hand into his. His skin was warm, and there was a slight tingle, but it was an eerily familiar feeling. A flash of a memory floated at the edge of her mind, but it was gone before she could fully recall it. She felt a distinct pull toward Alec and she looked up at him in surprise. His blue eyes were watching her intently.
“Are you sure you’re not doing something?”
“No. Whatever you’re feeling is of your own design, not mine. You may not believe you remember your past, but I suspect part of you does.”
She frowned, but followed him as he led her toward the elevator. He pressed the button and the door immediately slid open. Alec turned to Director Borshin. “Thank you for your help, Director. I’ll meet with you later.”
Director Borshin bowed to Alec and walked away. Once he was gone, Alec turned to Kayla and Veridian. “The priority elevator is closed to the general public. It will take us directly to the Inner Sanctum.”
They stepped inside the elevator and Alec pressed his thumb against the panel on the wall. “Welcome, Master Alec Veritan,” a computerized voice greeted them. A moment later, the elevator shot upward.
Veridian let out a low whistle and looked out the glass window. They were traveling at a fast rate toward the top of the tower. Kayla looked out at the levels rushing past them. Nothing looked familiar.
When the elevator stopped, the group stepped out and Kayla gaped at the large room. A miniature river flowed through the corridor surrounded by trees and foliage. A cobblestone path twisted through the landscape.
“It’s beautiful,” she said in wonder, amazed such a place existed.
“This is where you were born.” Alec pointed to the path in front of them. “You used to run down that path all the time when you were a child. Your family’s quarters are down this way.”
She bit her lip and followed Alec down the path. He stopped abruptly as a tall man approached them. Kayla noticed Alec’s entire demeanor changed and became more formal.
“Mistress Kayla Rath’Varein, I presume?” the man’s low baritone voice asked.
Alec nodded to the man. “Yes, however, she prefers to be called Kayla. Kayla, please allow me to introduce you to my father, Master Edwin Veritan, leader of our High Council, and member of the Inner Circle. I’ve also brought a close friend of hers to visit. This is Veridian Levanthe.”
Kayla looked up at the tall man standing in front of her. She could see the resemblance between him and Alec. He was the same height as his son but more imposing. He carried a bit of extra girth around his midsection, but there was no mistaking he was a powerful man. His golden hair was graying slightly. He kept it pulled away from his face and tied neatly at the base of his neck, the same way Carl wore his hair.
Must be an Omni thing
.
His blue eyes studied her and she returned his gaze evenly. Deciding to play nice while she was in the lion’s den, she said, “It’s nice to meet you.”
He nodded politely at both of them. “It’s been far too long since you wandered these towers. We were quite surprised to find out you were alive and living on the surface.”
“Apparently, I don’t die so easily.”
“Ah, yes,” Edwin replied with a smile that didn’t meet his eyes. “I heard about your unfortunate incident with Trader Ramiro. We've stripped his title and will appoint a replacement within the next few days.”
“Good to know.”
Edwin turned to his son. “I presume you’re taking her to receive a security access bracelet?”
“No,” Alec replied with a determined look. “It was a long trip and she wants to meet her mother. I’ll make sure she has access to whatever she wishes. A bracelet can be given to her later, if necessary.”
The leader of the High Council paused and his eyes narrowed. Alec’s mouth formed a thin line, but he remained silent.
Edwin turned back to Kayla. “It’s against policy, but I’ll permit it for now.”
“What’s a security access bracelet?”
“The bracelet identifies you and will allow you access to most areas of the tower. It’s only fitting someone of your stature and lineage should wear one.”
Kayla examined the man’s wrists and noticed he wasn’t wearing any jewelry. A quick glance at Alec also confirmed that even though he also wore several pieces of jewelry, his wrists were bare. She cocked her head and asked Edwin pointedly, “Where’s yours?”
Edwin studied her for a moment and then said, “I’m the leader of High Council, dear. I’m known on-site.”
“Right.” The man's creep factor was off the charts. She hadn't survived as long as she had by buying this man's version of bullshit. She gestured to Alec. “What about your son?”
Edwin gave Alec a sharp look. Alec shook his head, holding out his hands. “I haven’t needed one, Kayla. You don’t strike me as the type of woman to need embellishments either. Your beauty speaks for itself. A bracelet would only detract from your presence.”
Holy shit! Is the freaking Omni hitting on me?
Kayla gaped at him.
Alec coughed and looked away. Kayla's eyes narrowed suspiciously but before she could question him, Alec composed himself and turned back to his father. “If you’ll excuse us, I’m going to finish escorting Kayla to her family’s rooms. I’ll bring her to dinner this evening.”
“Very well, Alec. I’ll see you later this evening. Make sure you take special care of our guest.”
Alec bowed again to his father. Turning to Kayla, he gave her a charming smile. “Are you ready to meet your mother?”
The ground fell out from under her and reality crashed in. She'd known it was coming. It was the whole reason she was here. She swallowed, shoving her hands in her pockets, and resisted the urge to run. She glanced at Veridian and he gave her a nod of reassurance.
“Yeah, I guess. That’s why I came, right?”
Taking a deep breath, she straightened her shoulders and followed Alec down the path until it stopped at an ornate door. It was an old-fashioned wooden door carved with several Old World images. A large tree encompassed most of the design, with strange flying creatures perched in the branches.
“What’s this?” she asked Alec.
“These are your family’s quarters. Your mother has been informed of your arrival. Go ahead and press your thumb against the plate next to the door.”
Kayla stared at the door, gathering her courage. The moment she pressed her thumb against the small white panel, the door slid open to reveal a large circular-shaped living area. The room was decorated in soft creams and was airy and bright. Several flowering plants were positioned throughout the room. Curved sofas provided seating and were centered around a small fountain in the living area. The room was decorated simply, but was warm and elegant.
A petite, dark-haired woman rose from one of the sofas when they entered. Her eyes met Kayla’s and her hand flew to her mouth.
Alec stepped forward. “Mistress Seara Rath’Varein, allow me to introduce Mistress Kayla Rath’Varein and Veridian Levanthe.”
Kayla stared at the beautiful middle-aged woman in front of her. She was slender and dressed in a long white dress with a light, almost translucent robe thrown over her shoulders. Her dark hair was pulled back from her face and pinned up in an elaborate style. There were small lines around the corners of her green eyes. Her eyes filled with moisture as she stared at Kayla.
She took a tentative step forward. “It’s true. I never wanted to believe you had been killed, but…”
Her voice trailed off. Kayla bit her lip and turned to Veridian in a panic. He stepped forward to intervene. “It’s nice to meet you, Mistress Seara Rath’Varein.”
Kayla peered around him and watched the woman wipe her eyes, giving a nervous laugh. “I’m sorry. I kept telling myself not to make a spectacle, but you know what they say about good intentions. Please, call me Seara. There’s no need to be formal.”
“Thank you, Seara,” Veridian said politely. “I imagine this must be shocking to you.”
She gave him an appreciative smile. “Please, all of you, have a seat. I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable, Kayla.”
Kayla took a seat next to Veridian and rubbed her hands together, feeling like she was about to come out of her skin. She'd never thought of herself as self-conscious before but then again, she never thought she’d be in this sort of situation. “That’s all right. This whole thing is sort of awkward.”
Alec walked over to Seara and leaned against the column next to her. Seara looked at Kayla for a long time as though trying to memorize her. “You’re even more beautiful than I imagined. I wish your father could be here to see you. You were so little when I last saw you. I’ll never forget the way you looked when your father agreed to take you down to the surface. Your eyes lit up with excitement. You announced you were going to find something special.”