6

TERRORIST

“GODDAMN IT.”

Revik clicked out of the Barrier, his jaw clenched. When he glanced at Wreg, the broad-shouldered seer gestured in understanding.

His dark eyes held a flat lack of surprise though, a near shrug.

“I told you we should have kept a detail on her...” the Chinese-looking seer said. “She’s the Bridge...not some worm-loving dirt blood from Outer Reach. She’s not going to be that easy to manipulate, brother...”

“She’s in the fucking basement,” Revik growled, cursing. “I told him to wait with her up there...to keep her in the damned room. I know he heard me...”

Wreg gestured in acknowledgement, his eyes still showing that he wasn’t particularly surprised.

Revik looked out over the charred ruins in front of them.

The armored vehicle they sat in stood in the circular driveway before the lobby of the five-star hotel they’d just left. Black smoke poured out a large hole in the wall from the armored car and the initial blast. Humans still stumbled out through what remained of the glass front doors, but the numbers were small now. Most came out alone or in small clusters, half covered in blood and white with debris and powder from the crushed cement blocks.

Revik saw a few of his people pick off two of those stragglers as they passed by the detail standing in the shadows by the front doors. The seers waited until their targets were well out onto the red-carpeted drop-off area before firing...likely so they wouldn’t block the doors.

They must have been on the list.

That, or his people were having a little too much fun.

He sent up a prayer to his ancestors for their souls, then focused back on Wreg. Briefly, he receded back into the Barrier, watching her.

“...They almost shot her.”

“They won’t now,” Wreg reassured him.

Revik grunted, not looking at the other seer.

Wreg’s gaze followed him, however, when he crawled into the back of the darkened van. The walls of the vehicle were lined with dense panels of organics, but Revik ignored those, going for the table standing near the back doors. He still felt Wreg’s eyes on him as he pored over a selection of small arms, finally picking out two guns, shoving one in a holster under his jacket and another into his belt at the small of his back. He added a few more clips to his pockets.

“Where are you going?” Wreg said. “They won’t hurt her, Dehgoies...”

Revik just gave him a hard look.

“She is likely coming up now,” Wreg said, more conciliatory.

Revik climbed back up to the front of the vehicle, fitting his earpiece back around his head.

“They don’t need us here...”

“So far. We aren’t done with this yet.”

“You can stay, if you want,” Revik said, looking at him.

After a pause, the Chinese-looking seer clicked softly, a near sigh.

“Why don’t you just bring her in?” Wreg said. “Why leave her in the hands of incompetents? You will give yourself a stress heart attack, laoban..”

Revik gave him a hard look. “I will, if I have to.”

“Meaning what? If she is shot?”

“I want to give her the chance to come in willingly first...”

“Why?” Wreg said. “What difference does it make?”

Revik gave a low laugh, shaking his head.

He looked at the older seer, even as he pulled the gun out of its holster, checking the clip on it again and loading a bullet into the chamber. He motioned for the seer to drive him towards the entrance to the lower parking levels.

Cars stood at angles between them and the garage entrance, most of them covered in ash and several with crushed hoods and roofs. A table-sized chunk of cement from the initial blast pushed one limousine into the cracked pavement. Revik saw at least two other vehicles on fire.

The garage entrance itself was blocked off already. Four emergency vehicles stood there, sirens revolving silently on top.

“You’ve never been married before, have you?” Revik said.

“I was once, actually...” Wreg’s eyes grew opaque. “She was killed by the fucking French...after they made a whore of her.”

Revik looked at him. “I am sorry, brother.” When the other’s expression didn’t change, he shrugged with one hand. “...All I meant is...coercion and marriage are not good bedfellows. I’d rather not force her.”

“She is your mate,” Wreg said, his voice emphatic. “It won’t be coercion for long, Nenz. She will get over it...trust me.”

Revik grunted again, feeling his jaw harden as he flipped the gun in his hand, re-inserting it in the holster. He pulled out the other gun, checking it, too.

“You don’t know Allie.”

“True,” Wreg conceded with a hand gesture. “But I know you fucked a room full of humans and seers and she saw you do it...yet she still didn’t kick you out of her bed tonight...” Wreg observed.

“I was saving her life. In D.C....that op. I was there for her.”

“She is seer. Do you think she really cares why you did it?”

Revik fingered his cheek with the bruise. “Maybe not.” He glanced at Wreg. “And she may have let me tonight, but I don’t think I’m off the hook for that one yet, brother...if I force her, it may be years before she lets it go. I need to show her it’s the best for everyone...”

“Is she in pain?” Wreg said. “She must be.”

“She is.”

“She doesn’t care? Or is she dealing with it some other way?”

Revik felt his jaw turn to granite. He looked at the Chinese seer.

Wreg waved off his expression. “I am not implying anything, brother...just that fucking Adhipan prick, Balidor, you know? He seems too close to her. It is not respectful...and he is a pious fuck, you notice...?”

“I noticed.” Revik didn’t speak for another moment.

Then he forced his voice level, shrugging it off.

“I understand why she’s angry. Hell...I more than understand. If she’d done that to me...” For a moment, heat flared in his light, making it hard to see. He forced a swallow, shaking it off. “...The point is, I know I’m in the wrong. I need to be persuasive right now...not give her more reasons to want to get back at me. I hurt her in D.C. And she doesn’t like this...” He waved his hand towards the building. “...The Bridge part of her isn’t fully awake yet. And she was raised around humans. The only family she’s ever known was human...”

“You’re her family now, Nenz.”

“I know that,” he growled. “I’m just saying, she’s bound to be sentimental. I can’t get pissed off at her for giving a damn. Not when I want her to feel the same about me...”

Without changing expression, he motioned towards the flashing lights with the hand that held the gun.

“...What do you suggest? Should I go on foot?”

“It feels like she is all right. The men will protect her. We should not leave the team up here without us...”

Revik glared at him. “I asked how. What do you suggest?”

Wreg sighed, gesturing in defeat. “We can get past. We’ll push them.”

Revik nodded, placated. Still, he felt his shoulders tense as he watched her from the Barrier. Jon was with her still. The human looked stressed...probably from being shot at. Then he saw the male seers looking at her in the torn dress. He felt arousal on more than one of them, and his jaw hardened more.

Fuckers. He should have left her clothes. He’d thought if he left her without it might convince her to stay in the room.

He should have known better.

Wreg aimed the van for the sub-level entrance, maneuvering around the stopped cars covered in ash and debris. As they approached the parking entrance in the armored vehicle, Revik glanced at the other seer again.

“You really think I should take her now?” he said, resting the gun on his thigh. “Just make her come with us?”

“I think you want to,” Wreg said, steering around another car. “I think you’re already in pain again, laoban, and it’s only been a few hours...”

Revik frowned. “She’s my wife, Wreg. This isn’t just about my dick.”

“No.” Wreg smiled. “It’s not. But...it strikes me as very reckless, Nenz. I know you want to respect her feelings, but we cannot afford to lose both of you to her stubbornness. Not when we both know she will have to come around to reality in the end...even if she wants to salve her pride, first.”

When Revik gave him a sharp look, Wreg shrugged.

The older seer’s scarred mouth curled in a grin then, right before he slapped the Elaerian on the shoulder.

“Do not worry so much, Nenzi! I saw how willingly she followed you tonight, brother. The pain is only making her anger worse. A few months of steady fucking, she’ll forget why she was mad at you...”

Revik grunted. Still, he remembered the way she’d looked at him after and found himself unconvinced.

“I’ll give her until after we make the run on the Registry,” he said. “Unless things get too hot. Then I’ll pull her...or sooner, if it looks like the humans are getting too close...”

“Five months can be a long time in wartime, brother,” Wreg warned. “Keep your eyes open, okay? Those fucking Seven are reckless with her life, and with their visibility to the humans...and so is she, if you pardon my saying it, sir...”

“I do,” Revik said, smiling a little. “...Pardon it. She’s nuts.”

Remembering her as she spoke to that crowd of humans in that dress, a sliver of pain made his groin react. Inevitably, he found himself remembering her expression later that night, in the penthouse room...the look on her face as he finally got deep enough that her nails dug into his back. She’d been rough with him, too. Not long after, she’d hit him...probably after she’d felt some remnant of his time in D.C.

He remembered her crying too, both of them in a kind of sex-induced fog.

Wreg was right. He wanted more. It hadn’t nearly been long enough, not even to work out the basic kinks in their emotions from being apart for too long. Twice...almost three times. It wasn’t close to enough.

One of those, he’d prolonged, needing to hear her ask. He could still see the look on her face as he coaxed words out of her...but that hadn’t been enough, either. She’d been holding back with him. He’d seen her out of control, really out of control. He knew the difference.

Closing his eyes, he shook it off even as the other seer spoke.

“You already know the humans may decide to use her to get to you,” Wreg said. “With Feigran still missing—”

“Four months,” Revik said, his voice a touch colder. “That’ll give her time to assess her options. Even if I have to convince her after that, maybe it won’t piss her off as much...if she sees what it’s like when we’re apart. Assuming she can remain faithful to me for that long...”

Wreg grunted, making a tilting gesture with his hand.

“Assuming,” he murmured.

Revik frowned. He knew the other seer wasn’t trying to needle him, but he also knew his gesture demonstrated only a reluctant acquiescence. Like he wasn’t going to argue the point, but he still thought Revik would regret making that choice.

Revik hoped he wouldn’t.

Regret it, that is.

PULLING THE DRESS up higher, I fumbled with the ends of one strap, fighting to tie them together on my shoulder, just to get it out of the way.

I noticed Jon deliberately not looking as I did it.

Whatever Revik had said to him in the corridor earlier, it had rattled him. Jon could barely look at me since he showed up at the penthouse door.

But I didn’t have time to care about that, either.

I gave up on the strap a moment later, pulling Jon’s tuxedo jacket around me instead and buttoning the front.

I tried like hell to focus on where we were going...what I might be able to do when we reached topside again.

I felt Revik there in vague touches, watching me through the construct...but I couldn’t seem to feel much of anyone else, which told me his people still controlled the Barrier space around the hotel.

I tried to reach Balidor...Garensche...Dorje...Chandre...pretty much in that order. I still considered Chan a friend, but she’d been even more withdrawn and distant than me for the past few months. Hell, for all I knew, Chan was working for Revik again. She'd never been quite as vehemently opposed to what he was doing as the others. She even seemed sympathetic at times. She’d been almost depressed, it seemed to me...something about what happened when Terian took me really brought out a side of her I’d never experienced.

Well, that coupled with Cass trading her in for a giant Wvercian with the brain of a walnut.

Okay, so that wasn’t totally fair. I didn’t understand Cass’ new boyfriend, Baguen whatever...but I didn’t actually know for a fact that he was stupid. Wvercian aleimi behaved so differently from that of regular Sarks, I couldn’t read him much at all, truthfully.

I did know he used to work for Salinse.

The only reason he didn’t now was the fact that he followed Cass around like a rather large puppy...when he wasn’t going out of his way to protect me. He hadn’t come out and said anything, but I saw the sword and sun tat on his arm...I knew he had to be religious in one way or another. He was just like these jokers Revik had following him around, thinking both of us were some kind of holy whatevers.

Cass had the same tattoo...the sword and sun, my husband’s insignia...on her arm. She got it before Revik killed the boy, of course, so before Syrimne showed up in technicolor to be the scourge of humanity once more.

In fact, she got it before I’d been abducted by Terian...in some fit of solidarity thing with the other seers maybe. Anyway, these days, she seemed to be on her own trip with all of this stuff. I hadn’t read her to try and figure out what it was, exactly...but I knew I probably should.

It occurred to me that I was thinking about her and Chan and the others in a sideways attempt to convince myself that they were all still alive.

“What the hell is this?” Jon muttered.

He slowed the car, leaning over the steering wheel to peer up the last piece of underground ramp before us. A number of people stood outside the four cars parked there. All of them held guns. Most of those guns pointed at a van with dark-tinted windows that stood, engine idling, between the four emergency vehicles parked there with rotating sirens.

In the background, I could see smoke illuminated by the streetlights. The sound of helicopters echoed down the cement tunnel where we were parked. I heard people talking over megaphones, but at too great a distance for me to make out words. Anyway, they were probably speaking Hindi, and I didn’t understand Hindi.

I reached out with my sight, felt the humans circling in the air.

They were in a state of panic.

Revik had already claimed responsibility.

Clicking out of the Barrier, I focused back on the van with the darkened windows. It occurred to me that whoever was inside, they could probably see us.

“What should we do?” Jon said.

“Drive up, Jon,” I said, my voice low.

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah.” I glanced around the interior of the SUV, looking for something, anything that might be useful. For the first time, it occurred to me that there might be weapons in there, if it really did belong to a human head of state or something. It was a little late to look now, though.

As we drew up closer to the van, I saw Balidor standing in front of the seers on the ground. Something in me relaxed when I saw his face...moreso when I noticed Cass standing next to him, and Tenzin on the other side of her.

Balidor’s lips were moving. I found myself thinking he was talking to someone in the van, not to the seers standing next to him.

At least nine other seers in the Adhipan stood there, too, all of them with guns trained on the van. The van itself looked armored, and sported one-way windows. I saw Dorje among the Adhipan, too, from the Seven’s old guard, and Illeg, from the same.

I touched the key on the dashboard that rolled down the window.

“Al, what are you doing?”

“Slow down,” I told Jon.

Jon let the SUV roll down to about five miles per hour, then stopped it altogether, almost directly in the path of the armored van.

Balidor’s voice grew audible, rising as the SUV’s engine idled.

“...We assumed you had him,” Balidor retorted. “Wouldn’t you be allies again these days, Dehgoies?”

I felt my breathing stop.

Jon turned, still hanging over the steeling wheel. “Did he say—”

“Shhh,” I said, holding up a hand. “Yes.”

I couldn’t hear Revik answer him, but Balidor’s voice grew louder still, his words still in Prexci. “We have no interest in Feigran...you are chasing dragons, thinking we would hide such a piece of excrement from you...”

He paused as Revik must have cut him off.

“...Why in god’s name would she?”

Revik said something else I didn’t catch.

Balidor gave a short laugh, still holding his gun steadily on the passenger window of the van. “Your delusions will have the best of you, Rook. If you weren’t such a psychotic child, I might even feel sorry for you...”

I felt the hair on my arms rise slightly.

A faint electrical current flickered over my aleimi.

“Damn it,” I muttered.

Before Jon could stop me, I snapped the latch on the door, stepping out of the SUV. Jon lunged in my direction, but missed grabbing the cuff of the tuxedo coat on me by a few inches. I slammed the door over his protests, hugging the jacket around the dress as I ascended the rest of the way up the ramp.

“Revik!” I said. “Don’t!”

I felt his light, a whisper of surprise off him.

In that split second, it occurred to me that ‘Dori was right...my shielding really had gotten better.

Then Revik was focused on me. I could feel it through the one-way glass.

“Don’t kill him!” I said again. “I mean it! He’s telling the truth...and so help me god, I’ll make you kill me if you kill any of them...”

I walked up to where Balidor and the others were now staring at me too, their mouths agape. From their expressions, I had to assume they’d thought Revik had already abducted me somewhere.

Or that I was dead.

Ignoring their stares, I continued to focus on the passenger side of the armored van. I walked right up to where Balidor stood.

“What is your deal with Feigran?” I said, speaking to the van, where I knew Revik was. “What do you want with him?”

I reached the section of driveway where I could see him through the open window. His eyes narrowed slightly as he took me in, but I was a little startled to see that my appearance there had affected him, thrown him off balance somehow.

It occurred to me again that he really hadn’t felt me there.

Noticing my scrutiny, he averted his eyes, glancing at the seer sitting across from him, who happened to be Wreg.

I nodded at the Chinese-looking seer.

“Wreg,” I said.

His eyes turned vaguely appreciative. I saw him look me over, smiling.

“Bridge.”

“Since my husband doesn’t seem to be talking, I’ll ask you,” I said to him. “What do you want with Feigran?”

“He is a menace, Esteemed Bridge,” Wreg said, his voice respectful. “We’d like to make sure he doesn’t pose a threat to us...or to anyone else...”

“Anyone else, meaning?”

“You, Esteemed One.”

“I see.” I folded my arms, looking back at Revik. I felt my jaw harden when I saw the smoke and ash on his face, and on the dark sweater he wore. “Proud of yourself, husband?” I swallowed thickly, fighting the emotion that tried to rise. “I suppose it wasn’t enough to kill a few million in one war—”

“Alyson,” he cut in. His pale eyes met mine. “What are you doing?”

“Keeping you from killing my friends,” I said. “Why are you still here? Haven’t you done what you came for?”

His jaw hardened. I saw him glance at Balidor, then at the rest of the Adhipan fanned around the emergency vehicles, guns raised.

“You’re not safe with them,” he said finally.

I laughed. I couldn’t help it. “You’re right. No one’s safe with you running around...certainly not me.”

“Alyson...” he growled.

“Look.” I folded my arms, holding his gaze with an effort. “I appreciate your services tonight...I do.” I saw his eyes flinch and fought my reaction off my face. “But I don’t think I’ll be needing them again. I’m going to ask Vash to sever us.”

I paused, to make sure he’d heard me.

“...That should free you up to pursue your other goals,” I added. “Without you having to worry about me.”

His eyes changed while I watched, until I swallowed, in spite of myself. I found myself looking away when his expression solidified. The look there was colder than anything I’d ever seen on him.

“I want you to go now, Revik. I don’t ever want to see you again.”

“It won’t work, Allie,” he said, his voice dangerously quiet. “Even if you mean what you’re saying...Vash can’t do what you’re suggesting. I told you that, long ago. It’s too late to back out of this thing with us...”

“You might be right about that,” I said. “But I’m sure Vash would be willing to give it a good college try, if I asked him to. I think Tarsi might help out with that, as well.” I folded my arms tighter. “Either way, we’re done, Revik. It’s over.”

His jaw hardened.

I glanced at Wreg, saw that he’d paled, just before he glanced at Revik.

“Did you hear me?” I said. “So you can go fuck all the prostitutes you want, brother Syrimne. You can do whatever you want...I’m rescinding any and all claims on you. I expect you to do the same for me...”

Revik’s eyes met mine once more.

I found myself hesitating at what I saw there. His irises sparked vaguely with light as I watched, but he didn’t seem to be doing it consciously. I was still staring at him, trying to understand what I was seeing, when he looked away, wiping his face with one hand.

I realized in a dim kind of shock that those were tears in his eyes.

“Allie,” he said then. He looked at me again. His voice was cold but almost soft, impossible to read. “It won’t be enough. We’re not just mates. You won’t be able to get rid of me that easily...even if you do sever it.” He met my gaze, his eyes empty. “And you won’t sever us, Alyson. I won’t let you.”

For a moment, we just looked at each other. I could almost feel our light pushing up against one another’s, a wall of electricity crackling between us in the space. Then his aleimi backed down, right before he looked away.

The look on his face made me swallow again.

“Maybe you’re right,” I said, quiet. “But I’m sure going to try.”

Revik turned then, looking at Wreg.

“Let’s go.”

For a moment, Wreg didn’t seem to be able to tear his eyes off me. Then he jumped, as if stung, and reached down for the control panel to the car.

The car revved to life. Wreg backed them out of there so fast I smelled rubber burning on the cement. Slamming into another car behind it on the driveway, Wreg wrenched the wheel sideways while I watched, executing a turn before hitting the accelerator again.

I saw Revik through the passenger side window. He was still staring at me.

I didn’t let out my held breath until the van disappeared behind the wall of concrete delineating the edge of the tunnel.

When I turned to look at the others, I saw them staring at me.

Balidor’s face held an open shock, his mouth nearly ajar.

“Allie,” he said then, closing it with a snap. He seemed at a loss for words. His hand grabbed my arm. “Alyson...what are you doing?”

I gave him an incredulous look.

“What am I doing?” I said. “Isn’t that exactly what everyone wanted me to do? Swear off the dangerous psychopath I married?”

“Yes, Alyson...but gods.” Balidor swallowed, stroking my arm. “Don’t you realize, Allie? You just marked Vash for death. You may have condemned the entire council of Seven...”

I stared at him. Then I felt something in my chest collapse.

“Where is he?” I managed. “Vash? Where is he, ‘Dori?”