Allie's War Season Four (102 page)

Revik didn’t answer at first, but I felt flickers of current through his light.

Then, shaking his head, he clicked softly, lifting his own glass from the table.

Taking a longer drink of the blue liquid than either I or Dulgar had done, he set it down somewhat sharply once he finished, giving Dulgar a faintly amused look.

“You think we are natural allies, brother?” he said, quirking an eyebrow. “When you have just professed a preference to remain free of ideological obligations of any kind? My wife and I are religious
figures,
brother...willingly or not...at least in the old world traditions of our people. You know such things still mean much out here. Perhaps more so, now, with the uncertainty of the future of our race, and the problems both species currently face.”

Revik paused, again letting humor return to his words.

“...You must be religious yourself, brother, to trust us so much,” he joked. “What makes you so sure we would never use this power against the Legion of Fire?”

Dulgar smiled indulgently at him, in a way that almost made me laugh.

Clearly this guy didn’t see us as much of a threat.

Smiling back, Revik made another diplomatic gesture with one hand.

“Whatever you think of our motives or willingness to treat you fairly,” Revik added. “...My wife and I will be inevitably perceived in far more of an ideological manner than this ‘Shadow’ person you seem to fear so much. What makes you think we...or, more to the point, our followers...would not attempt to restrict you in similar ways, given enough control over these waters? Or enough influence over your own people, assuming any of them still adhere to the old beliefs themselves?”

Dulgar smiled again, that fainter thread of indulgence still in his eyes.

Again, I saw the very real amusement living under that look.

Gesturing politely, Dulgar gave me another lingering glance before he focused back on Revik, his gold eyes shimmering faintly in the firelight.

“You will pardon me for saying it, Illustrious Sword,” he said smoothly but again in that businesslike tone. “But you and your wife appear...currently, at least...to have little interest and few means of competing with my family directly in this new world, at least in the areas that concern us. Moreover...” Dulgar added, his voice still polite, although slipping back into oily territory. “...You appear to have little interest in fighting over the same scraps with which the rest of us are primarily concerned. Therefore, I see no conflict between your interests and mine, brother Syrimne...or with those of the Legion of Fire more generally. And while I may not be religious, myself, I have seen that most will forego religion when it competes directly with the more, ah...
basic
needs of their existence.”

Revik clicked softly, but conceded to his words with another graceful gesture.

“True,” he said diplomatically.

“So you see why I might have an interest in remaining...friendly?”

Revik’s smile grew a touch harder. “Not really, to be truthful,” he said, flipping a hand sideways in a dismissive manner. “I would think us beneath your notice altogether, brother, if what you say is true. Is it simply strength in numbers you seek? The enemy of my enemy...?”

He trailed, not bothering to complete the quote.

Dulgar smiled. That time, it almost touched his eyes.

“Brother Syrimne...again, at the risk of being tactless...I would think that would be obvious.”

At Revik’s silence, Dulgar smiled again.

“You are telekinetic, brother Syrimne...a manipulator,” Dulgar reminded him. Glancing at me, Dulgar gestured gracefully in my direction, more politely that time, as he included me in his words. “You are unique, precious beings...you and your wife. That is a powerful deterrent for us. If we could claim you allies...” His smile widened, even as he made another of those flowing gestures with his hand. “...Well, surely you see the advantage in this for us?”

Revik let out a low grunt, picking up his glass. “We will not blow up ships at your whim, brother,” he said, pausing to take a sip of the drink. “We will not scout these waters for you, either...acting as living weapons. You must know that we have our own interests in Asia.”

Dulgar seemed undaunted by his words.

“But you would allow us to publicize such an alliance, surely?” he said, lifting an eyebrow. “...Assuming we were able to come to terms regarding the matters that do concern you? The supply of infiltrators for which you have an interest, to better fight this war you are waging with Shadow and his allies, brother?”

Revik hesitated, glancing at me.

I knew that was partly for show, too, but I still returned his look.

I felt pain on him again, mixed with a darker tension almost on the surface of his light.

“Of course,” Revik said, looking back at Dulgar.

He made his voice casual once more, but that time, I heard him threading in an anxious tone, to make us sound more desperate, I assumed.

“...We would be willing to make the alliance public,” Revik clarified. “I simply did not wish you to misunderstand what that might mean, in terms of practical application, my brother.”

“Of course,” Dulgar said, smiling at him indulgently. “Clarity is always preferred, brother Syrimne...as is transparency in all things.”

I felt another flicker in Revik’s light, that time too faint to be for Dulgar’s benefit.

It struck me, in those few seconds.

Revik thought Dulgar was lying.

I glanced at him, feeling him watching me, if only with his light.

He knows,
Revik sent softly.

Seeing the look in his eyes, it hit me, suddenly, what he was saying. As it did, I realized something else.

Dulgar had no intention of letting us leave Macau at all.

Feeling Revik’s light charge up slightly in the pause, I looked at him again. I could tell from his narrowed eyes that he was watching me think. I had no idea what specific conclusions he came to, watching me in those few seconds, but I guessed that didn’t really matter, either.

Either way, if he was right about Dulgar, we were definitely scrapping Plan A.

We were solidly in B territory now.

Even as I thought it, my eyes were jerked up, distracted by the sudden appearance of four female seers, all of them wearing filmy, nearly-transparent clothing...and at least three of them staring openly at Revik. I saw one of those three looking at his chest in particular, focusing on the scar at his neck with a not altogether neutral expression on her face.

Revik told me some seers found his scars fascinating, since most seers didn’t scar like he had done, under Menlim. Some even found them sexy, presumably for the same reason.

I frowned, unable to stop myself.

Clearly, I wasn’t the only one who thought my husband looked hot in a suit.

“Ah...sisters!” Dulgar said, opening his hands as he smiled broadly. He looked at Revik, aiming that smile forcefully at him. “I hope you do not mind, brother. Earlier, I had called them here to fetch your lovely wife, in the hopes that we might make her more comfortable. Are you still wishing to force her to stay up here with us, listening to us bicker like old men over details of our rather dull business arrangements?”

Revik looked at me again, his eyes holding a faint glow.

Again, I doubted if anyone but me could see it, but I found myself staring at him anyway.

It took a bare second for me to reach the expression there.

Before I could complete the thought, he reached for my hair, as if to pull me closer to him, maybe for a goodbye kiss, or maybe to ask me directly and discreetly if I wanted to go with these strange seers to some other part of the hotel...only he swore before he got there, catching his sleeve on the stones of my necklace. I reached up, as if to rescue it, right as his fingers hooked the chain. Revik gave a quick, sharp jerk, and the necklace chain broke.

Green stones and pale, shimmering links fell to the floor below the table with a low clatter.

“Gods...sorry, wife,” Revik murmured, caressing the back of my neck with his fingers. “Clumsy.” Kissing my cheek, he started to reach down, but I touched his arm.

“Let me,” I murmured. “It’s right by my feet...”

Still smiling at him, I bent at the waist, lowering my face and eyes below the black glass table. I picked up the necklace at once, sending a brief impulse to the organic metal while holding it in shadow under the upper part of the table itself. At that angle, I could only hope none of the seers standing above could see my hand, or the necklace itself.

With my other hand, I continued to feel around on the floor, as if looking for the fallen chain links. From above, I heard Dulgar cluck his tongue, as if in dismay at the loss of my necklace, although I could feel his eyes on me where I was bent over, even now.

Luckily it was dark enough under the table, and the table was low enough, that I had a few seconds. Once the organic reconfigured in my hand, I quickly lifted my other wrist and slid the twin blades around the organic bracelet, feeling for when the loop of band fell into the notch. Without hesitating, I squeezed sharply, using the cutters to sever the bracelet link in a single cut.

I winced a little, in spite of myself, as the organic died.

“Ah, got it!” I said brightly, sending an impulse to convert the cutting implement back into the shape of a necklace.

Sitting up, I kept the remnants of the telekinetic-restraint bracelet around my wrist, placing that hand on the leather seat to hide the cut. I pretended to look at the necklace itself for a moment, holding it to my eyes with my other hand.

Clicking softly, I glanced at Revik, smiling at him.

“I think it’s broken, husband,” I said apologetically.

He clicked, too, the sound exuding regret.

I held out the necklace to him. “Would you mind putting it in your pocket?” I said. “I think only the clasp is broken...we can fix it later?”

“My people could do it for you now, of course...” Dulgar offered, giving me a thin smile when I glanced in his direction.

I laughed, still pressing the organic into Revik’s hands.

“That is surely not necessary, brother,” I said, smiling. “I was thinking I would take you up on that offer of a swim anyway. Knowing me, I would only lose it in the pool, and then you’d have to fish it out of your filter...”

Dulgar smiled indulgently, his eyes sliding down my body once more.

“Of course,” he murmured. “...Whatever pleases you, Esteemed Bridge.”

Revik smiled at me, too, when I glanced back at him. He took the necklace easily from my fingers, making an apologetic gesture with one hand.

“Sorry, love,” he murmured, kissing my cheek. “I’ll fix it. Promise.”

Impulsively, I kissed him back, for real that time.

I didn’t plan to do it, but when I opened my light, even the smallest bit, Revik did the same, deepening the kiss as he slid his fingers into my hair. He gripped me tighter when I didn’t end it, and I felt pain pulse off him as he parted his lips, kissing me briefly with his tongue, caressing my face with the fingers of his other hand. Seconds later, he ended it himself, drawing away from my mouth as he released my face. As he did, his light exuded reluctance.

Somehow, I doubted that was all act, either.

For a long moment, I only looked at him, seeing that heat still coursing through his light.

Both of us jumped a little when Dulgar spoke.

“Ah,” he said smiling. “Young love.”

I found those gold eyes staring at me when I turned. Something about the look there made me flinch, then instinctively hide my wrist deeper in the leather cushion. I felt strangely exposed, and realized I had been...for those few seconds, at least. Being inside the construct here meant that when I’d opened my light to Revik, they’d felt it, too.

Dulgar’s eyes held an open heat now.

Along with something else. Something I realized was...

Envy.

For the first time, it occurred to me that Revik might be in more danger here than I was. Or maybe just in danger in a different way. I wondered suddenly, if I should be leaving him alone with this man, even for a short time.