Beneath the Fallen City, Jamie A. Waters [ebook reader .TXT] 📗

Kayla felt Alec approach behind her, but she didn’t turn. Wrapping her arms over her chest, she tried to rub away the chill. She should be glad about what they’d accomplished with Seara’s bracelet, but she couldn’t help but wonder at the cost. She’d spent so much of her life simply trying to survive; she’d never had to think about the consequences before.

Alec took her elbow and turned her toward him. She looked away, unwilling to meet his eyes.

“There’s nothing to be ashamed of,” he said in a low voice.

She didn’t reply, pressing a finger to her lips, thinking about the kiss they shared. Was it shame? Maybe in part. After all, she’d practically thrown herself at Alec—again. It wasn’t fair to either Alec or Carl. But she was more confused than anything else. It seemed the more confused she became, the more she wanted to retreat. Running off and forming her own camp was still looking like an attractive alternative.

Carl and Cruncher emerged from the safe room, the door sliding shut behind them. She didn’t want to deal with another altercation. Looking up, her eyes locked with Carl’s. He hesitated for a moment, and Kayla thought he’d come over to her as Alec had. Instead, he turned to the table and had a seat with the rest of the crew. Her mouth curved in a small smile. They may not share a connection, but he always seemed to know what she needed, and she loved him for it.

Love? She paused, testing the word out in her head and it felt… right. She didn’t need an energy bond with him to know how she felt about him. She loved him.

Before Kayla could assess her feelings further, the door chimed, silencing all conversations in the room. Seara looked at Alec in alarm.

He shook his head. “I don’t know, Seara. My guess is my father.”

Alec reached out to Kayla with his thoughts. “I’ll protect you as best I can.”

Kayla nodded at him. Seara went to the door, nervously twisting the bracelet around her wrist. She reappeared a moment later with Edwin, Director Borshin, and Cessel.

Edwin looked around at Carl’s crew with disapproval. “Seara, your choice of company is proving rather questionable.”

Seara lifted her chin and gestured to the crew with a regal sweep of her hand. “These are my daughter’s friends, Edwin. They are welcome here as long as they’d like. That is, unless the High Council plans on interfering in more of my personal matters.”

Edwin’s mouth twitched slightly. “I understand your daughter has agreed to cooperate with us. I’ve brought Cessel to administer a blood test to determine if she’s stable enough to have the bracelet equipped.”

Cessel stepped forward, his movements stiff and wary. “My apologies, Mistress Rath’Varein. This will only take a moment.”

“Go ahead,” Alec instructed her. “Whatever happens, follow my lead. If we’re lucky, your system won’t be stable enough for the bracelet yet. Otherwise, I’ll need you to play along with me.”

Kayla stepped forward, masking her apprehension, and pressed her thumb against the testing device. A moment later, the monitor beeped. Cessel looked down at the display. “She’s stable. We can fit her for the bracelet now.”

“Excellent,” Edwin declared, rubbing his hands together. “Kayla, go with Cessel and Director Borshin. It shouldn’t take more than an hour.”

Kayla’s gaze darted to Alec, seeking guidance. He didn’t look at her, his focus on his father. “I demand my right to appeal this decision before the High Council.”

Edwin looked mildly surprised at his son’s objection. “On what grounds?”

“It’s my intent to claim this woman,” he declared in a formal voice. “I have been given an exemption from wearing the bracelet due to the nature of my talents. Any claim on her could be compromised if she wears the device.”

Seara muffled a gasp at the announcement.

Edwin’s eyes narrowed, and he demanded, “Just what sort of game are you playing, Alec?”

Alec regarded his father and moved to stand beside Kayla. He linked his arm with hers, a show of solidarity. “There is no game. She has asked me to claim her twice now. The claim has not yet been completed, but it is my intention to do so.”

Edwin perused Kayla slowly as though assessing the validity of Alec’s words. She leaned closer to Alec, hoping he knew what he was doing. “Very well. The High Council is meeting in an hour to discuss the final trader bid this evening. You may present your argument then.”

Kayla felt Alec tense beside her, and he shook his head. “That is insufficient. I require additional time to properly prepare for an appeal.”

Edwin regarded his son in annoyance, his patience clearly at an end. “Your request is denied. You have one hour. If the High Council does not grant your appeal, I will see her outfitted with the bracelet by the end of the day.”

Edwin motioned for Director Borshin and Cessel to follow him and headed for the door. When they had left, Kayla turned back to Alec. “What’s this about an appeal?”

Alec sighed and took Kayla’s hand. He led her back to the safe room so he could explain without worrying about their conversation being monitored. Seara, Carl, and Veridian followed them.

When the safe room door closed and security had been enabled, he said, “I was trying to buy us some time. We aren’t in a position where we can directly challenge the High Council. There’s no way we can safely deactivate the rest of the bracelets.”

“Okay, so I just go in there, tell them I want you to claim me, and they drop this crazy bracelet nonsense? That sounds easy enough.”

“I’m afraid not. They’ll ask several questions, and you won’t be able to lie to them. They have security features set up in the room that can detect if you’re lying. The safest approach is to give them as little information as possible while remaining honest.”

Seara looked at Kayla and added, “That’s not all. By doing this, you’re formally announcing your intention to allow Alec to claim you. It’s essentially like an engagement, only more intricate.”

The testosterone level in the room shot up. The look in Carl’s eyes was murderous. “Engaged? Why not help us get her out of the towers?”

“I know my father. He’ll throw every last resource into hunting her down. He got a taste of what Kayla is capable of doing, and he wants it for himself. I’ll do whatever is necessary to keep Kayla from wearing the bracelet.”

Seara frowned. “As much as I hate to admit it, Alec is right. Edwin’s fixated on Kayla. He’s not going to let up. As it is, there’s a good chance he’ll push for this appeal to be denied.”

“Well, shit,” Kayla muttered. This whole situation kept getting better and better.

Alec turned to look at her and said quietly, “Kayla, I’m not trying to force you into anything. If there were another option, I would do it, but we’re running out of time.”

Kayla nodded, her gaze falling on Carl. The hurt and frustration in his eyes wounded her, but she didn’t see any alternatives.