Kayla dismounted from her bike and stared up at the huge towers. The buildings were larger than she’d thought. Curious, she touched the wall with a gloved hand. It was somewhat reassuring to know it was just a regular building.

Veridian put his hand on her arm to get her attention. “You okay?”

Feeling sheepish, she pulled her hand away from the wall and nodded. Veridian gave her a reassuring smile. Taking a deep breath, she put aside her reservations and followed Master Tal’Vayr 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.”

“M-my apologies if I have offended, M-mistress Rath’Varein,” the young man stammered. He seemed troubled at the possibility he had displeased her.

“What the hell?” Kayla jerked back, alarmed by both 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 were suppressing a smile, and he handed over his equipment. “It’s fine, Melvin. You may call her Kayla, if that’s her preference.”

Melvin 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. The floor tiles sparkled and shone, and the walls were a brilliant white. A desk sat in the center of the room with flowering, green plants on both sides of it providing a splash of color in an otherwise sterile environment. 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 sixteen years.”

“Great,” she muttered, following 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.”

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 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 were adamant you were going to find something special.”

Kayla shook her head. “I’m sorry, but I don’t remember.”

Seara nodded sadly, clasping her hands together on her lap. “You were very young. If you want, I have some videos of the three of us together. Maybe you’d like to see them at some point?”

“Sure, I guess.”

Alec gestured to Veridian. “Seara, Veridian’s mother was the one who saved Kayla from the ruin collapse. They grew up together.”

Seara’s gaze turned to Veridian again, her face filling with gratitude. “Your mother sounds like a truly great woman. I’d be honored to meet her one day and offer my thanks.”

“I believe she would have enjoyed meeting you too. Unfortunately, she passed away almost two years ago.”

“I’m sorry to hear that.” Seara’s expression darkened. The depth of the emotion on her face made Kayla’s heart go out to the older woman. “It’s incredibly painful to lose someone you love. I owe you and your family a great debt for the life of my daughter.”

In an attempt to lighten the mood, Veridian bumped shoulders with Kayla and teased, “I could have gotten worse in a little sister, but not much.”

Kayla laughed, relaxing a fraction, and gave him an affectionate shove. “You jerk. Your life would be impossibly dull without me. Admit it.”

Veridian chuckled. “You’re definitely right about that. I wouldn’t have gotten into nearly as much trouble.”

Seara smiled at them. “It sounds like you two have quite a few stories to tell.”

“ They’re mostly Kayla’s stories. I was usually just along for the ride to try to keep her out of as much trouble as possible.”

“Oh, please.” Kayla crossed her arms in a playful pout. She knew he was trying to make the situation easier for everyone, and she loved him all the more for it.

Veridian leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “There was this one time when she was about thirteen, and she was really getting into scavenging. She heard one of the other scavengers in our camp talking about how there wasn’t anything of value in a particular sector. So she snuck out of camp the next morning and dropped down into the ruins. She ended up coming back to the surface a couple hours later with almost five thousand credits worth of loot.”

“You know, the way I remember it, you were just as anxious to go down there as I was.”

Veridian winked at Kayla and continued his story. “Mack, the scavenger who had been complaining, was furious. He was convinced she was trying to make him look bad. He went to Leo, our camp master, and demanded she be grounded on the surface until she learned her place.”

Seara leaned forward, her hands resting on the edge of her seat. “What happened?”

Kayla grinned. “I clocked him.”

Seara’s eyes flew open. “You hit him?”

Veridian nodded and laughed. “This little, dark-haired, skinny girl went right up to Mack, who’s actually a pretty big guy, and… Wham! She punched him right in the face and told him to suck it up. She told him if he couldn’t handle a little competition, he should go play in the tech room.”

“Oh my,” Seara gasped. “What did he do?”

“He was pretty pissed, but it got him to wake up. When he realized Kayla wasn’t a pushover, he actually started to respect her. Most of the other scavengers did too. Mack ended up teaching her quite a few of his tricks in the pits.”

Kayla smiled. “He’s a good guy. He’d freak out if he saw me here in the middle of OmniLab.”

Seara sat back, pride shining in her eyes as she beamed at Kayla. “It sounds like you have a lot of your father in you. There was a fire in him, and he never let anyone or anything hold him back. It was one of the things I admired most about him. I believe you have that same fire, Kayla.”

Veridian snorted. “She’s a freaking inferno.”

Kayla stuck her tongue out at him.

Alec, who had been quiet up until then, cleared his throat. “It’s getting late. I’m sure there’s much more you’d like to discuss, but if you don’t mind, my father is expecting us for dinner tonight.”

Seara stood and smoothed the wrinkles from her dress. “Oh, of course. If you’ll find something suitable for Veridian to wear, I’ll take Kayla to my room. I believe I have something appropriate for her.”

Kayla followed her down the long hallway, stopping when Seara paused outside a door. She turned around to face Kayla, her expression hopeful. “Would you like to see your old room? The furnishings are the same, but most of your things were put in storage years ago for safekeeping. I’ll have them brought back up for you. They might jog some of your memories.”

“My room?”

Seara nodded and pressed the button outside of the room to open the door. Kayla stepped inside and looked around, not sure what she’d been expecting. A large canopy bed stood in the center of the room. The walls were a pale-blue while thick, cream-colored carpeting covered the floor. An expansive mural of the sky was painted on the ceiling. As Kayla stared at it, the mural seemed to change, and she realized it represented the time of day. The sun was beginning to set, and the room was filled with soft pinks and gold. A large desk stood on one side of the room, and there were two other doors on the opposite wall.

“Wow, it’s big,” Kayla said in surprise. “Where do those doors go?”

Seara smiled. “I’ve always loved this room. That door leads to your private bath area, and the other is your closet.”

“All this space for one person?”

“Yes. This room is actually smaller than some of our others. We selected it when you were a child because we wanted to keep you close to us. Our room is down the hall. We would have given you larger and more private quarters as you grew up.”

“Will I be staying here tonight?”

Seara nodded. “It’s yours for as long as you want. If you’d rather have a different room, you can take your pick. Veridian can stay in the room next door, if you’d like.”

“No, this is fine. Thanks.” Kayla trailed her fingers along the edge of the desk, not quite believing this was real. The varnished wood was smooth to the touch and had been well tended over the years. This one piece of furniture was more beautiful and elaborate than anything she’d ever seen.

She caught her reflection in the mirror and paused. With her faded clothes and tousled hair, she was a stark contrast to the richness of her surroundings. Kayla bit her lip, feeling out of place. She was better suited to wielding a wrench than living amongst this luxury.

“You don’t need to thank me, Kayla. All of this belongs to you. It’s as much yours as it is mine.”

Kayla jerked her hand back and frowned. “Uh, let’s just say it’s yours for now. This is a little overwhelming.”

“I understand,” Seara said quickly. “I don’t want to pressure you.”

Kayla slipped her hands back into her pockets to resist touching anything else. “So what’s this thing about dinner? Why do we have to change?”

“Right. Let’s go to my room.” Seara led the way back down the hall. “We occasionally have formal dinners. This one is political and social. The High Council will be there, along with many from the Inner Circle. They’re entertaining some prospective traders and will decide on one of them in the next few days. I imagine there will be more people than usual since you’ll be there. They’re going to be curious.”

“Great, more people staring at me,” Kayla muttered.

Seara smiled at her daughter. “Well, we’ll make sure we give them something to really stare at then.”

She led Kayla a few doors down the hall and stepped into a large room that was almost the size of Leo’s entire camp.

“This is your room?” Kayla asked in amazement, trying to take in everything at once. There was a large, intricately carved canopy bed against the far wall. One wall had a mirror with lights and a counter filled with strange bottles. Ornate pieces of furniture, including a seating area, were placed throughout the room. This ceiling also had a similarly strange mural that seemed to reflect the outside sky.

“Yes. The closet is through here.” Seara pressed a button on the wall, and a door slid open. Racks of clothing lined the inside with floor-length mirrors on the back wall. Seara stepped inside and began browsing through her clothing. Kayla walked over to the closet and stared in shock.

“These all belong to you? You have a whole room for clothing? I think you have more clothes than Leo and Carl’s camps combined.”

Seara paused, turning back to Kayla with an apology in her eyes. “I’m sorry. I know this is new to you. I’ve heard some stories about what life is like outside of the tower, but most people only hear things second-hand. Is it bad?”

Kayla shook her head. “Not at all. It’s not anything like this though. I suppose it’s what you’re used to. Your entire bedroom is larger than the camp where I grew up.”

“Were you… happy growing up?”

Seara’s worried expression tugged at Kayla’s sympathy. It was as though one more emotional blow would topple her. Something about her provoked Kayla’s protective instincts. “I suppose,” she said with a shrug. “Happiness isn’t really something you think about. I mean, I love scavenging and being in the ruins. There’s nothing like the freedom and feeling you get when you race your speeder across the district. So yeah, I guess so.”

Seara smiled, looking relieved at her response. “You seem like you really enjoy it. Veridian appears to care about you a great deal too. I’m glad you had someone like him growing up. I used to wonder what you would look like or what you would be like as you got older. I’m so glad to have this chance. I…” Her voice broke as tears filled her eyes.

She stepped toward Kayla and hugged her tightly. Kayla floundered, startled at the unsolicited display of affection. Not sure what else to do, she tentatively returned the embrace.

Seara stepped back, wiping away her tears. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have done that. I’ve wanted to hug you since I first saw you.”

“Uh, that’s okay,” Kayla said, not wanting Seara to feel uncomfortable. Despite the awkwardness, the hug was sort of nice. “I’m just not sure how to handle this yet.”

“I understand.” Seara took a deep breath and turned back to the clothes in the closet. She selected a dress and held it out to Kayla. “I think you would look fabulous in this one.”

Kayla cocked her head and stared at the long skein of white fabric, trying to figure out how she was supposed to put the thing on. She reached out to touch it, the fabric impossibly soft as it glided across her palm. “You expect me to wear this? It’s beautiful, but how the hell do you guys get anything done dressed like this?”

Seara laughed. “I would imagine it’s not suitable to ride on a speeder or go scavenging in the ruins, but it works nicely for dinner. I’ll show you how to put it on and help you with your hair.”

Kayla pulled back and touched her hair self-consciously.

Seara frowned at the gesture. “Oh dear. I hope I didn’t offend you. You have beautiful hair, but these dinners tend to be formal affairs.”

Kayla stared at the dress with skepticism. No matter how much you polished a waste-recycling canister, it wouldn’t change its function. She looked up, prepared to voice her doubts, but words failed her at the eager look on Seara’s face. Kayla swallowed and managed a weak shrug. “All right. I’ll give it a shot.”

Seara’s eyes lit up in excitement as she clasped her hands together. “Wonderful! Let’s get started.”