Jamie A. Waters [Waters - Shadow of the Coalition

Shadow of the Coalition 2018 by Jamie A. Waters

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the author.

The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, or events, is coincidental and not intended by the author.

Ruins of Fate

Beneath the Fallen City

Shadow of the Coalition

Tremors of the Past

Drop of Hope

Flames of Redemption

Spirit of the Towers

Kayla got down on her hands and knees, eyeing the space between the floor and a collapsed ancient wall in Sector Twelve. It would be a tight fit, but shed navigated worse in the past. Taking a deep breath, she sucked in her stomach and squeezed through the narrow space.

She stood, brushed the dirt off her helmet visor, and shined the flashlight around what appeared to have once been a common room. Living room, she corrected herself, although there definitely wasnt anything living in the room now. Only the remnants of an old fireplace stood in the corner while pieces of broken furniture remained scattered on the floor, a thick shroud of dust and debris coating everything within the room.

Closing her eyes, Kayla took a deep breath to help focus her thoughts. Using what she now knew as energy threads, she opened up her senses to explore the hidden world beneath the surface. The darkness fell away, and Kayla embraced the energy that now swirled in the ruins. The surrounding energy vibrated, its wordless demand inviting her to tap into it. She shivered, her blood humming with a rush of power. Her fingers unfurled as the energy became a tangible thing.

She basked in the warmth and excitement of the intoxicating power. As the energy flowing through her increased, it was a little easier to ignore the strange ache and sense of longing she suspected came from being separated from Alec.

It had only been a month since shed left OmniLabs towers. After she helped restore control of the towers to those who would look after the best interests of its residents, Kayla had found herself irrevocably bonded to Alec, the new co-leader of the High Council. Even though he was enigmatic and alluring, the shared energy bond scared her more than she wanted to admit.

It might have been easier to remain in the towers and allow Alec to train her, but history had taught her to be cautious. She wasnt willing to blindly trust someone she barely knew and risk being exploited again, especially when it came to these supernatural talents she didnt understand. So shed spent the past month secretly exploring her ability to manipulate energy within the confines and solitude of the ruins. Once she got a better handle on this aspect of herself, shed eventually need to face him again and figure out the rest.

Alec was likeable enough, but Kayla had only spent a handful of days with him. Theyd exchanged a few messages since she left, but she wanted to proceed cautiously. Trust took time. Kayla had never wanted to rely on anyone before, and the thought shed need to return to the towers because of this bond was more than a little unsettling, so she was determined to push the limits, train on her own, and figure things out in her own time. Besides, even though they shared a metaphysical bond, she wasnt in love with Alec. It was an OmniLab trader named Carl who had truly touched her heart.

Her face warmed at the thought of Carl, and it wasnt just from the stifling heat in the ruins. Even though theyd known each other for a year when her ruin rat camp had moved to his district, it wasnt until she recently joined his camp that she began to see him differently. Through his altruistic actions, hed challenged her beliefs about traders and even OmniLab, forcing her to look beyond the surface. Sure, she was still cautious, but a darker side of human nature could be found anywhere, whether it was in the towers or on the surface.

It was a constant challenge to live as a ruin rat on the surface when survival was sometimes dependent upon outsmarting the OmniLab traders and their crews. Kayla enjoyed the challenges Carl provided, pitting her will against his. He was willing to let her go her own way for the most part, but he wasnt beyond resorting to some unethical tactics to prevent her from going too far. The man had a quick mind and was incredibly devious, two traits she greatly admired. More than anything, he understood her. Of course, it didnt hurt that he was sexy as hell too.

With a sigh, Kayla pushed away the errant thoughts in order to focus again on the dilapidated room. Her former camp was depending upon her to continue providing them with tradable credits they could use to purchase vital supplies. Since shed left them a month ago, theyd taken a hit to their productivity and had been struggling to make up the difference. If she managed to find enough tradable materials on this scavenging expedition, it might be enough to put them back in the clear for another few days, or even a week if she were lucky. She couldnt afford to spend time daydreaming when there was work that needed to be done. Hopefully, tapping into her new energy abilities might help expedite things a little bit.

The energy continued to flow around her, and she channeled it until the mental image of the room shifted and transformed the dingy walls into brightly painted surfaces covered with family photographs. A child played on the floor while her parents sat on the couch and watched an antique vidviewer on the wall.

Kayla opened her eyes and stared at the verisimilitude of the ruined room. A wave of vertigo swept over her as the mental image overlapped with reality. Shaking her head, she pushed aside the image, but the memory of the past refused to leave completely.

An old photograph caught her attention, and she crossed the room toward the cockeyed frame. The glass was cracked and the picture faded, but she gasped at the sight of the image. The family looked exactly like the one shed imagined. The energy flow around her shifted dangerously, and she swallowed nervously as she tried to regain control.

Kayla? Veridians voice interrupted over her headset. You okay? Your vitals just spiked.

Uh, yeah. Sorry about that, she said in a rush, not wanting to alarm her scavenging partner on the surface. Hed been monitoring her progress for the past hour. I just found an old photograph that surprised me. Thats all.

Okay, Kayla, keep it together. You know this energy shit is freaky and you havent figured exactly how it works yet. Just relax.

A slight vibration under her feet caused her to freeze. The floor felt secure, but vibrations didnt usually happen without reason. More curious than alarmed, she bent down and pressed her gloved hand against the ground. The vibration grew stronger.