Beneath the Fallen City - Jamie A. Waters (large ebook reader .txt) 📗

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.”

Kayla frowned but let him lead 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 typically closed to the general public. It will take us directly to the Inner Sanctum.”

They stepped inside the elevator, and Alec pressed his hand against the panel on the wall. “Welcome, Master Alec Tal’Vayr,” a computerized voice greeted them. A moment later, the elevator shot upward.

Veridian let out a low whistle and looked out the glass window. Kayla looked down, her eyes widening as the levels flew past. They were traveling at a fast rate toward the top of the tower. Kayla pressed her hand to her stomach, the sudden rush of speed similar to the feeling of riding on her speeder. It was exhilarating, but nothing was familiar.

When the elevator stopped, Kayla couldn’t help but stare. A miniature river flowed through the corridor surrounded by trees and foliage. The soft sounds of burbling water echoed throughout the passageway. Soft, ambient lighting cast a warm glow over a cobblestone path that twisted through the landscape. She bent down beside the water, unable to resist dipping her fingers into the cool stream.

“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 when you were a child. Your family’s quarters are down this way.”

She bit her lip and looked in the direction Alec had gestured. An older man was walking down the path toward them. Kayla stood, rubbing her wet fingers against her pants. Alec straightened, his entire demeanor changing as the man approached. Kayla had thought him uptight before, but his body language was now almost rigid. She glanced over at Veridian. He shook his head, letting her know he’d caught it too. Wary now, she turned back to the newcomer.

The man inclined his head. “Mistress Kayla Rath’Varein, I presume?”

Alec gave a shallow bow to the man. “Yes, however, she prefers to be called Kayla. Kayla, please allow me to introduce you to my father, Master Edwin Tal’Vayr, leader of our High Council and a member of the Inner Circle. I’ve also brought a close friend of hers to visit. This is Veridian Levanthe.”

Kayla studied the tall man in front of her, trying to see a resemblance between him and Alec. They both had the same golden hair, but his 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.

Unlike Alec, he carried a bit of extra girth around his midsection. She couldn’t call him soft though. This was a man confident in his own authority and who commanded power. If her time around the ruin rats had taught her anything, it was that showing weakness around someone like him would be a mistake.

There was a weight to his gaze, as though he were assessing her. She lifted her chin, returning his gaze evenly. After a long moment, he gave a curt nod. “Welcome back to the towers, Miss Rath’Varein. It’s been far too long since you wandered these halls. We were quite surprised to discover 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. His title has been stripped, and we will appoint a replacement within the next few days. Unfortunately, Ramiro’s disappeared from his camp. We’re monitoring the surrounding areas and will detain him once he reappears.”

Great. She resisted the urge to wrinkle her nose. It didn’t say much for these Omnis that someone like Ramiro had given them the slip. “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.”

She glanced back and forth between father and son. “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 turned back to Edwin and cocked her head. “Where’s yours?”

Edwin studied her for a moment. “I’m the leader of the High Council, dear. I’m known on-site.”

“Right.” The man’s creep factor was off the charts. She hadn’t survived this long by buying this guy’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.”

Kayla gaped at him. Holy shit! Is the freaking Omni hitting on me?

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 escort 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. Veridian gave her a nod of reassurance as though saying she could do this.

“Yeah, I guess,” she managed. “That’s why I came, right?”

Taking a deep breath, Kayla squared 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.

She turned to Alec. “What’s this?”

“These are your family’s quarters. Your mother has been informed of your arrival. Go ahead and press your palm against the panel by the door.”

Kayla stared at the door, gathering her courage. It was now or never. She pressed her hand against the small, white panel, and the door slid open to reveal a large circular-shaped living area. The room was airy and bright, decorated in soft creams. Several flowering plants were positioned throughout the room. Curved sofas provided seating and were centered around a small, gurgling fountain in the living area. The room was decorated simply, but it was warm and elegant.

A petite, dark-haired woman rose from one of the sofas when they entered. Her hand flew to her mouth as she stared at Kayla.

Alec stepped forward. “Mistress Seara Rath’Varein, allow me to introduce Mistress Kayla Rath’Varein and her friend, Veridian Levanthe.”

Kayla stared at the beautiful, middle-aged woman in front of her. This was her mother? 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. Her face was kind and younger than Kayla had expected. The only signs of age were the small lines etched around the corners of her lips and green eyes. It was her eyes, though, that were the most startling. Kayla had spent her life looking at those same eyes every time she’d seen her reflection. They were the same as hers.

Seara took a tentative step forward, her eyes filling with moisture. “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.”

Following Veridian’s lead, Kayla took a seat next to him 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 sat across from them, still staring at Kayla as though trying to memorize