Several hours later, Kayla woke up with Carl’s arm draped over her. Warm and content, she cuddled up next to him and watched him sleep. He normally kept his dark hair pulled back in a ponytail, but it fell loose around his face while he slept. She definitely preferred it down. Part of her was surprised he’d stayed, but she was secretly pleased. He looks so relaxed and peaceful. She lightly traced her fingers along the contours of his face.

His brown eyes opened, and she offered him a smile. He pulled her closer, and she kissed his neck, teasing the sensitive areas with her tongue. She felt him shiver, and she hid a smile against his skin, loving the effect she had on him.

Continuing to kiss his neck, she moved down toward his chest, taking her time to tease him along the way with small flicks of her tongue. Seeming impatient, his hands found her waist, and he pulled her on top of him. His voice was husky in her ear. “Your kisses are driving me crazy.”

Resisting the urge to smirk, Kayla continued her tactile exploration with her hands and lips. He’d been driving her crazy since the moment she’d met him. If she could return the favor through sensual torture, she’d somehow manage to suffer through it. Especially if the benefits were as delicious as the previous night.

Shifting so she was straddling him, Kayla ran her fingers down the course of his firm chest, delighting in his reaction. As though unable to help himself, Carl reached up to cup her breasts, rubbing his thumbs against the hardened buds. When he sat up to take one of her nipples into his mouth, the pull went straight to her core. All reasoned thought deserted her, and she ran her fingers through his hair, pulling him close to her. To hell with sensual torture. She wanted this man, now as much as ever.

Carl’s commlink flashed and beeped, interrupting them. Kayla felt a moment of annoyance but ignored the call, going back to kissing his shoulder. She ran her hands down his muscular arms, and he cursed when the commlink beeped again. Reaching over and glancing at the communication device, he hit the button to enable audio. “What is it?”

Cruncher’s voice came over the com. “Sorry to bother you this early, Boss, but we’ve got two riders approaching.”

“Thanks.” He cut off the call with a sigh.

Kayla sat back. “You have to go?”

He cupped her face and kissed her deeply. She melted into his embrace, disappointed when he pulled away.

“I can’t tell you how much I wish I didn’t, but Cruncher wouldn’t have called me if it wasn’t important.”

She slid off his lap. He stood and grabbed his clothes off the floor.

“Do you know who it is?”

Pulling on his clothes, Carl tied his hair back from his face. “I’m not sure, but I suspect it’s the representatives from OmniLab.”

Kayla groaned. “So the impressive Omnis actually decided to come down from their lofty towers and slum it with the rest of us.”

He held out his hand for her and helped her up. Pulling her close once more, he lowered his mouth to hers. “I’d rather be here right now than anywhere near those lofty towers.”

Her stomach fluttered at his words, and she smiled at him. Grabbing her shirt off the floor, she pulled it over her head. “I’m going to go take a nice long shower and think about all the things I want to do to you when I get you alone again.”

Carl stared at her with a mournful expression. “You’re an evil and cruel woman, Kayla.”

Kayla laughed and pulled on her shorts. “Go take care of your guests. I’ll see you a bit later.”

Once he was gone, Kayla poked her head out of her private quarters. Most of the other privacy dividers were still enabled, indicating people were still sleeping. She pulled out some clean clothes and headed to the lavatory.

She was feeling much better. The soreness from her injuries was barely noticeable. After checking in the mirror, she decided the bruises had pretty much completely disappeared. She went through her morning ritual unhurried before wandering out to the common room. Xantham and Lisia sat at the table eating breakfast and chatting.

“Good morning,” Kayla called out as she walked over to the food preparation area.

Xantham grinned at her. “It’s always a good morning when you’re around. Want to join us?”

She returned his smile. “Yeah, one sec.” She programmed the computer to heat her food before bringing it over to the table.

Xantham patted the chair next to him and she slid into it. Lisia gave her an annoyed look before going back to her meal. Kayla was determined to not let Lisia’s attitude get to her. “How are you, Lisia?”

The blonde stiffened slightly but replied, “I’m fine.”

“Glad to hear it.” Kayla took a bite of the rehydrated prepared food and considered Lisia. The girl stared down at her plate with a dour expression and picked at her food. Her curls were pulled back in a high ponytail away from her heart-shaped face. Her skin was fair, and her eyes were a pale-blue Kayla thought was rather nice.

Aware Kayla was watching her, Lisia looked up and snapped, “Don’t you have anything better to do than to stare at me?”

Kayla raised her eyebrows in surprise. “No harm meant. I was just thinking that you have pretty eyes.”

Lisia’s eyes narrowed as she glared at Kayla.

So much for playing nice. Kayla leaned back, considering her options. If she were back in Leo’s camp, she’d have already smacked Lisia down. Since she suspected that wouldn’t go over well, she’d have to call her on her bullshit instead. “You know, I think this is the first time I’ve sat in the same room with you for more than five minutes. I’m just wondering how long it’ll take before you stop looking at me like you wish I’d go ruin diving without a cable.”

Lisia pursed her lips. “We should both be so lucky. Obviously, Carl’s personal ministrations last night have you feeling much better.”

Xantham’s eyes widened. “Oh man, if you two are going to start a catfight, let me know. I’ve gotta get a video of this.”

Kayla took another bite of her breakfast and shrugged. Inwardly, she agreed. It was hard not to feel much better, thanks to Carl’s “personal ministrations,” but she wasn’t inclined to discuss that with Lisia, although the look on her face might be worth it.

“If Lisia needs a catfight to get this out of her system, I’m down. But she doesn’t strike me as the type.”

Lisia gave her a look of disgust and stood, dumping her plate into the recycler. “I don’t know what Carl sees in you. You walk in here and act like you own the place and everyone starts swooning over you. You’re unreservedly pathetic, crude, and even Carl thinks you’re reckless and irresponsible.”

Kayla stood up and leaned over the table. “Watch it, Lisia. Right now, I can empathize with what you’re going through, but if you keep walking down this line, you’ll find out how much of a bitch I can be.”

“I think I’ve already figured that out,” Lisia replied and strode out of the room.

“Damn,” Kayla muttered and sat back down, poking at her breakfast.

Xantham gave her a sympathetic look. “It’s okay. She’ll eventually get over it.”

Kayla shook her head. “No, not that. That was a damn classy exit. I hate not getting the last word.”

Xantham roared with laughter. Kayla grinned at him and took another bite.

“Did I miss something?” Kayla turned to see Cruncher standing in the doorway watching them.

“Nah,” Kayla said dismissively.

Cruncher shrugged. “Kayla, if you’ve got a minute, Carl’s meeting with two representatives from OmniLab. Couple of strange characters, if you ask me. They want to meet you though. Carl thought you might be interested in joining him now since they’re going to start negotiating on the items you scavenged.”

“Fun stuff. I’ll be there in a minute.”

“Thanks. Come on into Carl’s office when you’re done.”

Xantham let out a low whistle. “Omnis are here? This is turning out to be one strange week. I’ve gotta go outside and check out their bikes.”

He jumped up and practically ran toward the entrance. Kayla couldn’t blame him. If she thought she could get away with blowing off the Omnis, she’d do it. With a sigh, she dumped her plate and headed to Carl’s office. The door slid open when she pressed the button on the wall.

Carl looked up and smiled at her in greeting as she entered. “Thanks for coming. I’d like you to meet Director Borshin and Master Tal’Vayr from the OmniLab Towers. Gentlemen, this is our newest recruit.”

Director Borshin was an older man, shaped a little like a barrel. He was completely bald with a smooth, polished dome and gray eyes that regarded her with polite interest. He was dressed in UV-protective gear that looked similar to the equipment Carl had acquired from OmniLab. The Director could possibly pass as a trader or as someone on a trader’s crew, but the other man was a different story.

Master Tal’Vayr appeared to be a few years older than Kayla, but he had a commanding presence. He was tall, with fair skin and blue eyes. His golden hair fell neatly to his shoulders. He wore a long, white tunic over a pair of white pants and several pieces of gold jewelry. Kayla thought he was a little too polished for her tastes, but she couldn’t deny he was an extremely attractive man.

He sat in a chair next to the Director, and two of his fingers tapped against the Director’s wrist. He watched Kayla with mild curiosity as she stepped into the room.

For some reason she couldn’t name, Kayla felt uncomfortable. Few things bothered her, but her senses went on alert the minute she stepped through the doorway and Master Tal’Vayr’s eyes met hers.

“A pleasure to meet you,” the Director offered. He turned to Carl and joked, “I wasn’t aware scavengers were so lovely. Perhaps I should consider replacing Ramiro personally.”

“Nice to meet you both,” Kayla said, and the Director smiled at her. Master Tal’Vayr gave her a polite nod but kept silent and continued to study her.

Carl cleared his throat and pulled out the lockbox from under his desk. “We’ve already negotiated on some other pieces we’ve obtained,” he explained to Kayla. Turning to the other men, he added, “These other items were found by Kayla in the past few days.”

He pulled out the jewelry and carving she’d collected and spread them on the desk. He then reached into a bag and brought out the two toys and jewelry box. Kayla leaned against the wall to watch. Carl had promised her a percentage of whatever she scavenged, and she was curious to find out what kind of money they were talking about.

Director Borshin leaned forward and began to sort through the items. “These pieces are very well preserved.”

“Open at ten thousand. No more than twenty thousand credits total for the jewelry and the box.”

Kayla started at the sound of the voice in her head. She was sure she’d heard someone, but it didn’t appear as though anyone had spoken. Her eyes were drawn to Master Tal’Vayr’s fingers still resting on the Director’s wrist. Something about it set off her internal creep-factor alarm.

The Director cleared his throat. “I’m prepared to offer ten thousand credits for the jewelry and the box.”

Carl frowned. “These pieces are in excellent condition. I’d say they are definitely closer to being worth fifteen thousand.”

“Very well. We have an agreement at fifteen thousand.”

Kayla’s jaw dropped at the Director’s formal announcement. She had no idea the profit that traders made from their excavations was so high. She wondered how much Warig had gotten from the Aurelia Data Cube.

“Open at eight thousand. The limit is fifteen thousand for the toys. The doll is unusual.”

Goose bumps broke out on her arms at the sound of the mental voice. Kayla struggled to maintain her composure, but she was freaking out inside. Her eyes were drawn to Master Tal’Vayr’s fingers again as they rested on the Director’s arm. Was there some strange Omni ability that allowed them to communicate through thought? If so, why was she able to hear it and Carl couldn’t?

“I’m prepared to offer eight thousand credits for the doll and the music machine.”

Kayla’s gaze darted to Carl as he considered the offer on the table. It might be foolish, but she couldn’t let him agree. Not when she was due a percentage of the take. “I don’t mean to interrupt, but I’ve been scavenging for a while now. I’ve never seen a doll like that before. I think, oh, say, fifteen thousand credits would be far more reasonable.”

Carl gave her a sharp look but didn’t contradict her. Instead, he turned to the Director. “Your thoughts?”

The Director nodded. “We have an agreement at fifteen thousand credits.”

Woohoo! Kayla did a mental victory dance.

“Interesting,” the voice mused.

Kayla’s exhilaration faded, and she swallowed hard. Master Tal’Vayr was staring directly at her. Carl and Cruncher seemed oblivious to the exchange and instead waited patiently for the Director to offer on the next item.

“Open bidding at five thousand credits for the dragon carving. But accept up to twenty thousand credits.”

What the hell is a dragon?

Master Tal’Vayr gave her a startled look. The Director cleared his throat and bid on the final item. “I’m prepared to offer five thousand credits for the carving.”

Carl rubbed his chin. “I’m surprised. The material seems rare. It seems to be worth closer to ten thousand credits.”

Kayla bit the inside of her cheek to keep from saying anything. Master Tal’Vayr leaned forward in his chair, not taking his eyes off her. He almost seemed to be daring her to speak up. She shifted her weight from foot to foot. “Would you mind waiting a minute before you come to an agreement?” Carl looked as though he was about to object, but she held up a finger and gave him a pleading look. “Don’t agree to anything yet. I’ll be right back.”

Once Kayla was out of their sight, she ran toward the crew quarters. She ignored Veridian’s privacy divider and barged into his personal quarters.

“V, get up.” She climbed on the bed and shoved him awake. “I need your help.”

Veridian sat up, rubbing his eyes. “What’s wrong? Are you okay? Did Ramiro come after you again?”

She grabbed his pants off the floor and threw them at him. “No, I’m fine. Get dressed. I need your help. Hurry up.”

Confused, he pulled on his pants. She gestured for him to move faster. “I need you to tell these guys the carving we found is a dragon, and it’s extremely rare. Tell them you believe it’s worth twenty thousand credits. I don’t care what else you say, but insist on that number.”

Veridian pulled a shirt over his head. “Kayla, what are you talking about? What the hell is going on?”

“Just do it.” She grabbed his hand and dragged him out of the crew’s quarters. “I’ll explain later.”

Veridian tumbled after her. When they entered the office, she pushed him forward unceremoniously. “This is Veridian. My previous camp considered him to be an expert at appraising artifacts. He told me some interesting things about that particular piece. I thought you should hear them before deciding on a final number.”

She stepped back, leaving everyone staring at Veridian. He scratched his head, looking bewildered, and turned to give her an annoyed look before smiling apologetically at the newcomers. It was obvious he’d just stumbled out of bed by the state of his disheveled hair and wrinkled clothing.

He cleared his throat. “Uh, right. The piece she’s talking about is a dragon carving, and it’s extremely rare. Based on my extensive experience appraising artifacts,” he glared at Kayla, “I’d have to say it’s worth at least twenty thousand credits.”

“Interesting,” Master Tal’Vayr commented and stood from his seat. Kayla blinked at him. It was the first time he’d spoken, and his voice flowed over her like a caress. He crossed the room toward them. “I’m curious though. You seem well versed in the appraisal amount. But do you know the lore behind the dragons?” He directed his question at Veridian without taking his eyes off Kayla.

Veridian hesitated, glancing nervously at Kayla. She ignored his “What the hell have you gotten me into?” look.

“Uh, sadly, my experience is limited to only how much it’s worth.”

“How unfortunate.” Master Tal’Vayr turned to Kayla. “It was quite industrious of you to bring your friend here to appraise the piece.”

She shrugged. Sticking her hands in her back pockets, she rocked back on her heels. “I’m just trying to be helpful. I figured V’s experience would help you agree on a reasonable amount.”

“And how much do you think the dragon carving is worth?”

She looked into his cool blue eyes, feeling disconcerted. “I’m just a scavenger. But Veridian seems to think it’s worth twenty thousand credits.”

He gave her a curt nod and picked up the small dragon carving from the desk. He studied it carefully before walking back toward Kayla.

“Trader Carl, we have an agreement at twenty thousand credits,” Master Tal’Vayr announced. Then he turned to her and held out the small dragon carving. “I want you to keep this artifact as a gift. I suspect it’s more suitable than you realize.”

At her confused look, Master Tal’Vayr explained, “A dragon is what some people believe to be a mythological beast. Some others believe they have withdrawn to other worlds. Either way, the sculpture is a reminder of the reverence and belief in something greater.”

Master Tal’Vayr reached for her hand, and she gasped at his touch. Electricity seemed to flow through her as she tried to pull her hand away, but he gripped her hand tightly. He placed the carving into her palm and covered it with his other hand.

Images and thoughts seemed to flow through Kayla at a rapid pace, making her dizzy. Master Tal’Vayr stared at her in shock and demanded, “How… Who are you?”

Kayla snatched her hand away, nearly dropping the artifact, and exhaled deeply. She took an uneasy step back trying to distance herself from him.

Master Tal’Vayr turned to Carl, who had watched the exchange. “This is the young woman who discovered the Aurelia Data Cube?”

“Yes,” Carl said, glancing at Kayla in confusion.

Master Tal’Vayr’s eyes narrowed as he studied her. “How old are you?”

“None of your business.” She’d be damned if she was going to answer his questions. She didn’t understand everything that was going on, but this whole situation was getting out of hand. “I’ll either answer questions about Ramiro or not, but my personal business is my own. It doesn’t concern you.”

Master Tal’Vayr stared at her in shock, clearly not used to having his orders questioned. He turned to Carl. “You obtained her DNA when she signed the contract?”

“Of course,” Carl replied with a frown.

“Put her information on the display.”

Carl entered the command to pull up her information on the monitor in his office. Master Tal’Vayr barely glanced at it, completely fixated on Kayla. “Run a cross-check through OmniLab records for the past twenty years. Use Clearance Code X59BN23.”

Carl entered in the information. The computer began scanning through its databanks.

Kayla had a sudden sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. She didn’t like the way this was going or the way this Master Tal’Vayr guy kept staring at her.

A minute later, the computer beeped, and a warning displayed on the screen. Carl looked up in confusion. “It’s blocked. Restricted Access.”

Master Tal’Vayr turned to the computer. He pressed his palm against it and announced, “Override System Access. Master Alec Tal’Vayr. L561N836.”

The computer beeped in acknowledgment and an image appeared on the screen. Kayla stared at the eerily familiar child with dark hair and large, green eyes. She looked at the name next to the image and shook her head in disbelief. She stepped back, whispering, “No. It’s not true.”

Master Tal’Vayr looked at her sharply. “You’ve been missing a long time, Kayla Rath’Varein.”

Carl looked shocked at the mention of the name. “Rath’Varein? That’s impossible.”

“Apparently not.”

Carl stared at the picture of the young girl and scrolled through the text. He looked up to meet Kayla’s panicked expression. “Veridian told me Leo found you after a ruin collapse. OmniLab thought everyone had been killed, including you.”

Veridian scratched his head. “Uh, Kayla? What’s going on?”

“Oh, hell no.” She shook her head, denying the implications of what they were trying to tell her. “You guys have been sucking on vent exhaust for too long if you think I’m an Omni. No freaking way. Forget it.”

Master Tal’Vayr took a step toward her. “DNA doesn’t lie, Kayla Rath’Varein.”

“I’ll tell you exactly where you can shove your DNA crap. And quit calling me that. My name is Kayla. Period. That’s it.”

“This woman belongs in the tower,” Master Tal’Vayr announced. “Her contract is null and void. She’ll be returning with me.”

His words were like cold water pouring over her, and anger flooded through her at the idea that this stranger—this Omni—was trying to control her. “The only thing you’re going to be getting from me is my boot up your ass if you think I’m going to take one step inside those freakish towers of yours. If you want to cancel my contract, great. Fantastic. Wipe your ass with it for all I care. But I don’t belong to OmniLab, and I damn well will not be going to that tower with you.”

“You are a member of the Inner Circle by right of birth. You have no business being outside the towers. It was a mistake to allow you to set foot here sixteen years ago.”

“To hell with this. I’m out of here.”

Finished with the conversation, Kayla turned to head toward the door, but Master Tal’Vayr made a grab for her. A rush of energy flowed through her the moment he touched her. Sights, smells, and sounds flooded her mind. She felt as though she were drowning in a river of someone else’s memories.

You belong with us, Kayla Rath’Varein. I can guide you through this, if you’ll let me. Open yourself and let me show you how to navigate.

Dizziness threatened to overwhelm her, and she started to falter. Suddenly, without knowing how, she found a calm oasis within the storm of senses raging around her. Kayla managed to get control of herself enough to realize Master Tal’Vayr was toying with her. It pissed her off.

Something inside her snapped. She pushed the foreign images out of her mind and back toward Master Tal’Vayr. He stumbled backward and broke contact with her.

“Unbelievable,” he murmured in shock, gaping at her. “You’re untrained. How did you do that?”

“You revolting, puerile, slack-jawed, drooling piece of garbage,” Kayla snarled. “If there’s such a thing as a higher being and he decides to give the planet an enema, you’d better run like hell because anywhere you’re standing is a suitable place for the insertion.”

He blinked, as though her words confused him, and shook his head in disbelief. “You didn’t just resist me. You completely deflected my influence.”

Kayla’s eyes narrowed. “I don’t know what kind of world you live in up in those towers, but you’re in my playground now. You guys may go around zapping each other with electricity left and right, but I’m not into that freaky shit. Don’t fuck with me.”

She spun on her heels and stormed out of the room.

Too bad Lisia didn’t see that exit.