Edwin lowered Kayla’s unconscious form to the floor. Alec knelt beside her and looked up at his father in anger.

“She was upset because she found out I was reading her thoughts. If you’d given her a few minutes to calm down or let me talk to her, this wouldn’t have been necessary.”

Edwin gave his son a hard look. “This was inevitable. She’s her father’s daughter in every sense. I haven’t seen anyone with this much raw talent since he died.”

Alec returned his father’s look. He should have known his father wouldn’t be reasonable where Kayla was concerned. She was too headstrong and too much like her father for him to view her as anything other than a threat. He’d hoped his obvious interest in Kayla would be enough of a deterrent. “And what do you plan to tell Seara? Or her friend Veridian?”

Edwin walked over to the communications device on the wall and pressed a button on the control panel. “Seara will be told the truth. She has no choice but to accept it. I made that clear to her tonight. Kayla’s little outsider friend is of no interest to me. Send him away.”

“Send him away?” Alec asked dryly, trying to keep his temper in check. If he lost it now, he wouldn’t be in a position to help anyone. “You think he’s just going to accept the fact Kayla’s disappeared and doesn’t want to even say goodbye?”

“Then you’ll have to make him accept it,” Edwin ordered as the door opened. Director Borshin and another man entered the Tal’Vayr family quarters.

“Borshin, Cessel.” Edwin nodded at the two men he summoned. He gestured to Kayla. “Take her to Observation Room A. Cessel, I want her outfitted with a bracelet immediately.”

Director Borshin scampered out of the room to retrieve a transport while Cessel looked down at Kayla as though examining a specimen on a microscope. “Forgive me, but we received reports of some disturbing fluctuations in the energy field. Was this woman the cause?”

Annoyed with the callousness of Edwin’s head scientist, Alec corrected the man. “This woman is Mistress Kayla Rath’Varein.”

Cessel’s eyes widened, and he backpedaled quickly. “My apologies, Master Tal’Vayr. I didn’t intend any disrespect.”

“Enough,” Edwin ordered. “What do you mean by ‘disturbing fluctuations’?”

Cessel cleared his throat and looked at Kayla’s unconscious form on the floor in front of him. “There was a significant energy drain on our pooled resources. Five of your sources have been temporarily depleted.”

Alec’s head jerked up. “It took five people to subdue her?”

Edwin regarded Kayla with new interest. “Cessel, I want you to attune her bracelet directly to me. I want to test the limits of her strength.”

Alec stared at his father and clenched his fists, furious at the covetous look on his face. It took everything he had not to give in to his impulses. Forcing his body to relax, he shook his head. “Absolutely not. She’s untrained. If you try using her that way, it could kill her.”

Edwin regarded his son coolly. “Then feel free to train her. But my order stands.”

Director Borshin returned with Seara following on his heels. He pushed the medical transport cart into the room. “My apologies, Master Tal’Vayr, but Mistress Rath’Varein saw me in the hallway.”

“Edwin, what have you done? We all felt the drain on the energy pool.”

When she saw Kayla, she gasped in horror, ran over to her daughter, and knelt beside her. She looked up at Alec pleadingly. “Why now? You said you wouldn’t do this now.”

Her look of betrayal pained him. He shook his head, holding out his hands in regret. “I’m sorry, Seara. I didn’t want this either. It wasn’t my decision.”

Seara stood and turned to look at Edwin, hate filling her eyes. “You bastard! She’s of no use to you right now. She doesn’t remember anything of her past with us, and she hasn’t been trained yet.”

Alec stood and approached Seara. He rested his hand on her arm, allowing his thoughts to flow through to hers. Her eyes filled with tears as he shared what had transpired and she learned what Edwin had ordered.

“Please don’t do this, Edwin. Putting a bracelet on her now without the support of all of us to tamper the flow will destroy her. She couldn’t possibly know how to properly channel that sort of energy.”

When Edwin didn’t reply, she reached for his arm. “She’s my daughter, Edwin. I’ll do whatever you want, but please don’t do this to her.”

Edwin gave her a bored look. “Seara, once upon a time that offer may have intrigued me, but I already control you. You have nothing left to propose. Your daughter, on the other hand, has potential.”

Director Borshin pushed the medical transport into the center of the room. Tears ran down Seara’s face as they moved Kayla into the transport and activated the privacy setting to hide her from view.

“At least tell me where you’re taking her,” Seara begged.

“Oh, don’t be dramatic,” Edwin said in annoyance. “She’s going to Observation Room A. They’ll put on the bracelet, and she’ll be returned to you tomorrow.”

Alec gave his father a dark look before turning back to Seara. He put his arm around her, trying to offer some reassurance. Where his father was concerned, he couldn’t make any promises. “Seara, I need to speak with Veridian and explain things to him. When I’m finished, I’ll check on Kayla for you. In the meantime, let me take you back to your quarters.”

Seara nodded and wiped away her tears. Borshin and Cessel pushed the medical transport out of the room. Alec led the older woman out of his family’s quarters and toward her rooms. When they were outside, she turned to him. “I don’t understand, Alec. What happened?”

“Kayla was angry when she realized I could hear her thoughts. My father overreacted and thought she intended to leave the towers.”

Seara stopped and looked at Alec harshly. “You haven’t listened in on private thoughts since you were a child. Why would you do such a thing?”

Because he was a cad? Because he enjoyed experiencing Kayla’s refreshing way of looking at the world? Alec resisted the urge to flinch under Seara’s accusatory stare. “It wasn’t intentional in the beginning. I suspect we have similar talents. I was able to hear her without touching her. She hasn’t learned how to guard her thoughts, and I wanted to give her some time before explaining this to her. She seemed apprehensive about our abilities.”

Seara’s eyes widened as she absorbed the news. “She can read thoughts too? That’s not something that usually runs in our family.”

“I don’t believe she can read everyone. Perhaps because I’m already sensitive to it, she’s able to tap into it somehow. I’m not sure. But that’s what originally caught my attention. She appeared to be able to hear me influencing Director Borshin while standing on the opposite side of the room.”

They approached the door to Seara’s quarters, and she clutched his arm to stop him. “I have a request, Alec.”

He looked at her expectantly as she explained, “When you speak with Veridian, be kind. I owe him and his family a debt which can never be repaid. Kayla seems to care about him a great deal.”

“Of course, Seara. I’ll try not to upset him, but this is necessary.” He didn’t need to remind her of what his father would do to Veridian if he didn’t leave the towers of his own volition.

She nodded and opened the door to find Veridian sitting inside the common area. When he didn’t see Kayla, a look of confusion came over his face.

“Where’s Kayla?”

Alec walked over to him and held out his hand to shake it. “It’s been a great pleasure meeting you, Veridian.”

Veridian accepted the man’s handshake. “You too. What’s going on?”

The moment Veridian touched his hand, Alec wove a subtle thread of influence around his next words. “I gave Kayla a toy from her childhood. It triggered a number of memories. She asked to be alone for a while so she could sort through her thoughts. She wants you to return to Trader Carl’s camp.”

Veridian shook his head and tried to pull away. “That doesn’t make sense. She wants me to leave without her?”

Alec was surprised at Veridian’s resistance. The bond between Veridian and Kayla must have been extremely strong for him to believe his convictions so vehemently. Alec increased his influence. “Yes. She wants some time to sort through her memories. She’ll contact you when she’s ready.”

Veridian’s shoulders slumped. “I guess… I guess I should go back now?”

Alec released Veridian’s hand. “Yes. We can have someone escort you back.”

Veridian scratched his head and turned to Seara. “It was nice meeting you, Seara. I’m glad Kayla found you.”

“Goodbye, Veridian. Thank you,” Seara said softly.

“I’ll walk you out,” Alec offered, sensing the man was still having difficulties making sense of the story he’d been given. He led Veridian out of the Rath’Varein quarters and back toward the main elevator. They rode the elevator down in silence. When it arrived on the ground floor, Alec took him to the main entrance area where they’d first arrived. Melvin looked up in surprise and bowed low when he recognized Alec.

“Melvin, contact Director Borshin and tell him to come down. I want you both to escort Veridian back to Trader Carl Grayson’s camp.”

If Melvin was surprised, he didn’t show it. He merely nodded. “Right away, Master Tal’Vayr.”

Alec turned once more to Kayla’s close friend. “Veridian, I wish you the best of luck.”

Veridian nodded. “Thanks.”

Without another word, Alec turned and left the room, knowing his request would be fulfilled. He headed straight for the observation room where Cessel was holding Kayla. Dealing with Veridian had taken more time than he’d expected, and he didn’t want to leave Kayla alone longer than necessary. Upon entering the large laboratory, he found Cessel arguing with his assistant.

“Cessel? What’s going on?”

Cessel frowned and shifted his weight from foot to foot. “We have a small problem. I contacted Master Edwin Tal’Vayr and asked him to come down.”

“What sort of problem?”

“We ran a blood test on Kayla to properly configure the bracelet. Unfortunately, she must have some sort of metabolic booster in her system because we’re unable to get a stable reading. Was she given something within the past few days?”

Alec nodded, keeping his face impassive. “I believe so. She was injured the other day. They probably gave it to her then. Why is that a problem?”

Cessel gave a long, drawn-out sigh. “The bracelets are sensitive devices. If I can’t get a stable reading, I can’t properly attune it. It’ll be worthless. It could take several more days for the booster to get out of her system.”

Alec’s initial relief quickly dissipated. This news wouldn’t deter his father from pressing forward. He’d insist on keeping Kayla here until the drug was out of her system.

“Is she awake yet?”

Cessel shook his head. “Not yet, but soon. She’s in restraints at the moment. We weren’t sure how she’d react.”

“You put her in restraints?”

“Well, of course. The energy reserves are low. Five people are drained, and we won’t be able to subdue her again easily without more drastic measures being taken.”

“Release her,” Alec ordered, resisting the urge to pummel the man. “Now. She’s untrained. She won’t hurt you.”

“Of course.” Cessel hastened to the door where Kayla was being held. Alec followed him into the smaller observation room.

Kayla was lying on a table with her eyes closed. Her arms and feet were bound with electronic restraints. Cessel walked around the table and deactivated the restraints. Once she had been released, Alec crossed the room to stand over her.

Alec looked down at Kayla and frowned. He hadn’t been feigning his attraction to her. If things had been different, he would have enjoyed taking his time getting to know her. After what happened tonight, though, he doubted she’d ever trust him again.

Pushing aside his regret, he brushed his hand against her cheek. He caressed her tenderly for a moment before opening his senses toward her. Closing his eyes, he found himself surrounded by darkness.

“Kayla?”

She remained silent, but he could sense her. He tried to navigate toward her but found it difficult without being able to see the familiar threads of thoughts and memories. He sifted through the darkness and hit a strange sort of wall. Confused, he tried to feel his way around it, but it resisted all of his advances.

Understanding finally hit him and shocked him to his core. She hadn’t been subdued; she’d crafted some sort of mental wall to keep the assault at bay. Her lack of consciousness was of her own design. It was an instinctual method of self-preservation.

“Kayla? You can lower the wall. I’m not going to hurt you.”

“Alec?” she asked, sounding hesitant and unsure.

“Yes, it’s me. I won’t hurt you.”

The wall dropped suddenly. A rush of anger and fury hit him. The sudden assault left him reeling. Her thoughts and emotions swirled around him, and he struggled against her assault.

“Kayla, stop,” he thought in her direction.

“You want me to stop? Get the hell out of my mind, you decomposing, maggotous bungweed!”

“It’s a little difficult to withdraw when you’re attacking me,” he gasped.

The assault stopped abruptly, and he caught his breath. The darkness had been stripped away and he could see the vibrant lines of thought and energy linking them. Kayla’s thoughts were clear and well-defined. For a moment, he was captivated by the brilliant rainbow of color.

“Kayla, I had no idea you could do this. It’s beautiful. How did you learn to do that?”

“Do what?” Her mental voice was cautious.

“The intricate weaving and the colors. I’ve never known anyone who could craft something like this without years of training.”

He could sense her anxiety, confusion, and fear. She was probably weaving these complex energy fields intuitively.

“I’m not trying to frighten you.”

“Get out of my mind!” With a great force of energy, she pushed him out of her thoughts.

The connection to Alec vanished, and Kayla’s eyes flew open. She scrambled off the table and backed away from him. Her eyes darted around the unfamiliar room. “Where did you take me?”

“Kayla, it’s going to be all right. I didn’t bring you here. My father did.”

“Why?” Alec didn’t reply immediately, and her eyes narrowed at his hesitation. “Don’t you dare lie to me, Alec.”

He sighed and clasped his hands behind his back. “My father and some of his scientists developed these bracelets several months ago. He wants you to wear one.”

“What are these things? Seara was upset when I asked her about it.”

“They call them security access bracelets, but that’s not exactly an accurate representation. Kayla, those of us in the Inner Circle have special talents. The bracelets harmonize with your DNA and actually connect to the energy you’re able to channel. It siphons off your energy into a pool that can be tapped into when someone needs it to do things that wouldn’t normally be possible.”

She blinked. What the hell kind of freak show had she fallen into?

“What are you saying, Alec?”

“My father has created an energy pool he can use to enhance his own abilities or divert it to other areas. The goal was to discover untapped natural resources throughout the planet. Our towers are no longer fully self-sustaining. We were only supposed to live here until the world was viable again. We need to supplement our resources with whatever we can find.”

Well, that’s interesting. Looks like the Omnis aren’t much better off than the ruin rats. “Why was my mother upset about the bracelet then? And why don’t you have one?”

Alec frowned. “My talent is unique, and it’s more beneficial for me not to wear one. The bracelets siphon off your energy. You don’t have any control over how much is taken or how it’s used. Seara and many others originally agreed to wear the bracelet to help OmniLab. They felt it was their duty, but they didn’t realize what that meant. None of us did.”

“Your father isn’t trying to help the towers, is he?” she guessed.

“Yes, he’s trying to find resources to help the towers.”

Silently, he added, “He’s also using the bracelets to control the Inner Circle and High Council into doing his bidding. He’s become power hungry. Be careful what you say, Kayla. He’s probably watching right now.”

“I see.” She still didn’t like that he could pick thoughts out of her head, but it might come in handy. She just wished she could read him as easily and figure out his angle. “Why not take them off then?”

Alec sighed and thought back, “It’s not that simple. It’s linked to your DNA. If you forcibly remove them, it destroys your ability to properly channel your energy. It’s essentially a death sentence.”

Kayla shook her head and declared aloud, “I won’t be a puppet.”

“As long as you’re here, you don’t have a choice in wearing the bracelet. But I need to train you properly. If too much power is channeled through you and you’re not prepared, it could hurt or even kill you.”

She laughed. “You think I’m going to let you near me? Go ahead and try it. I can’t remember the last time I wanted to break somebody’s fingers so badly.”

Alec looked at her for a long time and then shook his head. “I’m not your enemy, Kayla.”

The door slid open, and Kayla’s eyes narrowed as she studied the newcomer. He was a short and thin older man. His dark hair was cropped close to his head, and he seemed overly nervous.

“Who are you?” she demanded.

He bowed to her. “I am Cessel Witlanger, Mistress Rath’Varein. I’m a scientist here.”

Alec turned to him. “What is it, Cessel?”

“Master Tal’Vayr has been advised of the situation. He has insisted Mistress Rath’Varein remain here until she’s stable.”

“What the hell are you talking about?” Kayla demanded.

“You were given a metabolic booster when you were injured the other day. Cessel won’t be able to fit you for a bracelet until your system stabilizes. My father intends to keep you here until then,” Alec explained.

“Right.” Kayla snorted. She had no intention of sticking around long enough to receive a new piece of jewelry.

Alec looked regretful as he said, “I’ll let you get some rest. There’s a private bath through that door. If you get bored, there’s a computer on the wall for you to view. Access is restricted though. If you need anything else, ask Cessel to call me. I’ll check back with you tomorrow.”

“Gee, I can’t wait.”

“Goodnight, Kayla,” he said quietly and left the room with Cessel trailing behind him.

As soon as they left, Kayla studied her surroundings. Her eyes were drawn to an air vent high on one of the walls. The bed, a small counter, and the computer were the only furnishings in the sparse room. There were two cameras installed in the ceiling that provided complete surveillance coverage of the entire room.

Kayla crouched down to examine the bed. As she suspected, it was affixed to the floor and couldn’t be moved.

She headed for the private bathroom, where she quickly determined surveillance didn’t extend to this room. There was a sink, a shower station, and a toilet, along with some basic toiletry items. Another vent was situated high on the wall. She picked up the comb and wondered if she could use the edge to pry off the vent cover.

Kayla held the comb between her teeth and hiked up her dress. She’d known this formal gown wouldn’t be conducive to life as a ruin rat. Next time she was invited to an Omni party, she’d wear her own clothes.

She carefully climbed on top of the toilet and stepped over to stand on the sink. Stretching as far as possible, she reached up toward the vent. Dammit. She was too short.

Blowing out a frustrated breath, she climbed back down and headed out to the main room. She tapped the comb thoughtfully on her hand, surveying the room again. Out of curiosity, she pressed the small panel next to the exterior door. Nothing happened.

Of course they wouldn’t make it that easy. She studied the cover plate carefully. If she had some tools, she could probably override it. But then what? She didn’t know the layout of the towers or their security system. It didn’t matter either way. The panel cover was securely affixed to the wall.

Annoyed, Kayla walked over to the computer and turned on the screen. She entered a few keystrokes and realized Alec wasn’t exaggerating when he mentioned the limited access. She scrolled through the menus on the terminal, considering her options. The biggest problem was the surveillance in the room. A plan formed in her mind, and she dimmed the monitor before shutting it off.

Kayla made an elaborate show of yawning and stretching before grabbing some additional blankets off the counter. She spread them out on the bed as though getting ready to sleep and then turned off the overhead lights. Once the room was flooded in darkness, she yanked the blanket off the bed and threw it over the top of the monitor, making sure it reached the floor. She crawled under the blanket and turned the monitor back on.

Satisfied the thick blanket was keeping the light from showing, she used the edge of the comb to pry off the bottom front panel of the screen. As she suspected, they had simply disconnected the communications line. Using her nails and the edge of the comb to pull apart the wiring, she twisted the wires together and connected them to the computer.

Kayla bit back a grin when the computer linked to the communications system. She typed in a few commands and was able to pull up the entire database of residents within OmniLab. She located the name Carl Grayson and pulled up his information. This next part was a bit tricky. She worked her way through the system until she was able to access his communications account.

Kayla tapped her finger quietly against the screen and typed in a quick message, marking it as urgent and saving it as a draft. An outgoing message might raise a flag in the system, and she wasn’t willing to risk it. She just hoped Carl would notice the message.

Now to figure out how these bracelets work.

She cleared the screen and pulled up a new command prompt, determined to learn as much as she could about what Edwin Tal’Vayr was planning.