Allie's War Season Four (126 page)

Even so, I’d realized by then that I was staring at a hologram.

He wasn’t really there, like he said...even though I could feel whispers and tastes of his light, which made little sense to me through the construct. I could see the blurred edges of his body, in any case, and from my sight, I knew his image constituted something akin to a virtual reality program. The fact that he’d somehow hacked our electronic security system was still bad news, of course. But a physical breach would have meant supernatural powers beyond even the mythological ones I’d read about with Wreg in our Code classes.

It would have meant magic. Real magic.

I said the words aloud anyway, maybe to convince myself. My voice echoed strangely in the small room, especially with all of the organics silent.

“It’s virtual,” I blurted. “You’re really not here.”

“Why, yes,” Terian said, that smile still toying at the edge of his lips. “I believe I said that, didn’t I? Not real. Not in the really real sense. An electronic communique only...”

His eyes shifted down my body then, telling me––as if I needed telling––that, real or not, this transmission definitely went both ways.

“Gods,” he murmured. “It will be
most
distracting if you insist on talking to me like that, however, Alyson dearest. I would be lying to say I was unaffected. Truthfully, I am quite uncomfortable with the pain of wanting to fuck you right now. I never let myself believe for even a second that I might catch you in such a delicate position...”

My jaw hardened to granite.

“Do you think I could masturbate, first?” he queried hopefully. “Before we talk. Just spread your legs a little wider, if you would, sister...I can handle the rest.”

Grabbing hold of the bed sheet, I jerked it roughly over my body, turning slightly to my side as I did. Once I had myself more or less covered, I raised the headset I still clutched in the same free hand, fitting it awkwardly over the opposite ear I usually wore it in.

“Alyson...dearest! Wait! Wait!” Terian called out, holding up a hand. He let out an involuntary-sounding laugh, one that came across as almost friendly. “...I am only teasing you, my love. I swear it...and I promise you, I am telling the truth about my motives. I am not here for Shadow. I represent only myself in this.”

I didn’t bother to answer that obvious lie, but finished attaching the link to my ear.

“Please hear me out, Esteemed Sister!” he said. “Before you call Revi’!”

Just then, the breach alarm went off.

The sound grew quickly deafening in the small space.

It forced me to cover my ear with my only free hand, wincing, even as I sent the command to switch on the organic headset. I was still trying to think about how he could have gotten in, hoping I could even hear whoever picked up on the other end of the line, when suddenly, as if another switch had been flicked...

The alarm shut off.

So did the headset.

I stared at Terian, fighting to make sense of this new development.

Given that no one had broken down the door to the tank’s cell yet, I had to assume that Terian himself had turned the alarm off somehow...and shut off the organic headset...which startled me, I admit.

It also came a lot closer to that whole “magic” thing I’d been thinking about earlier.

Even as I thought it, my light snaked out, examining his virtual shape in more detail. I went over every aspect of it that time...at least, every aspect that I could feel...and noticed for the first time that, whatever this virtual apparition consisted of, it didn’t appear to have breached the Barrier construct around Tank-Squared itself.

Meaning, though I got tastes of Terian’s light, Terian’s light wasn’t actually in the room...nor did it appear to be reaching mine, at least not directly. In fact, when I scanned the virtual apparition, it felt as flat as Revik’s voice had earlier, over the comm.

So the flickers of his light had been virtual, too. An electronic approximation only. I wondered how he’d managed such a thing...and found myself thinking I’d have to talk to Dante about it later, see if she could pull off something similar for us.

However Terian had done it, though, it was a trick. It was a neat trick, one I’d never seen before, but the fact that it
was
a trick weirdly reassured me.

Terian always had inexplicable light, even for an Elaerian.

He was also a bit of a tech genius in his own right, according to Revik.

Once I finished my examination of the nature of his transmission, I clicked out to find him smiling at me again, his eyes focused on my wrist cuffed to the wall. Using a subvocal to try again to turn on the earpiece, I frowned when it didn’t work, even as I pulled the thin sheet tighter around my body with my free hand. At the same time, I coiled my light closer to my body, too, shielding in reflex maybe, or maybe from some less-conscious memory from when Terian held me in D.C.

Just then, the headset flared suddenly back into life, emitting a low tone.

I triggered it with my mind, and immediately, Balidor’s voice exploded into my ear.

“Alyson!” he said. “Alyson! Gods! Are you inside?”

“Check the construct,” I said. “I don’t think they’ve cracked it, but check––”

“We are checking it,” he said. “Gods damn it...what is happening?”

“Terian,” I said, frowning at the virtual version of him standing in front of me. “Some kind of electronic signal. It’s pretty sophisticated, however he’s done it, but still only a transmission as far as I can tell....physical, not Barrier, but two-way. He’s alone. Claims he’s not here for Shadow.”

“Can you get out of there?” Balidor said.

Ruefully, I glanced at my chained wrist before returning my eyes to the image of Terian.

“Not at the moment, no,” I said.

Terian chuckled, but I focused on Balidor’s voice.

“Have you tried to bypass the locking mechanism?” the Adhipan leader said. “You should be able to override it, if you simply––”

“I can’t do that right now, ‘Dor,” I said, feeling my jaw harden as I glanced at my cuffed wrist a second time. “Look. Don’t worry about me, okay? I’m not in any immediate danger. Find the hack...get Dante.” My mouth hardened. “And get my fucking
daughter
out of harm’s way. I want a squadron on her. Minimum. Your people, ‘Dor...no one else. Does Revik know?”

“Not yet, no, but––”

“Good. Don’t tell him until you have to. If he comes down here, tell him to keep an eye on our daughter. She’s top priority...I mean it! That’s an order!”

I could practically feel Balidor’s frustration through the link.

“Allie, Lily is fine!” he burst out. “It’s
you
we’re worried about! We have your daughter, all right? We have access to every tank but yours. Where is your husband?”

“How the hell would I know that?” I said. “I’m not
in
the construct, remember? Can’t you feel him out there?”

“No.”

Biting my lip, I shrugged with one hand, not taking my eyes off Terian, who had folded his arms now, and appeared to be waiting for me to finish speaking to Balidor. He all but tapped his virtual foot as he watched me look at him.

“Well, I can’t help you, then,” I said. “I’m going to talk to him now,” I added. “...Terian. I’ll find out what he wants.”

“What? No! Alyson...no! I insist you not engage with––”

Unhooking it from my ear, I lay the transmitter down on the bed, keeping the channel open so the others would have a record of everything said, in case Terian had already cut out the room’s surveillance capability, too. Of course, in some ways, I was kind of hoping he
had
stopped the surveillance feed, given how I must look.

I could still hear the faintest whisper of Balidor shouting through the link where it lay next to my thigh. At least my body was mostly wrapped in the sheet now.

“All right,” I told Terian. “Talk.”

“I appreciate that,” the virtual Terian said, rocking on his heels. “And I know my words mean little to you at this point, but I vow to you, Alyson, I mean no harm to you or your mate, in coming here. I certainly mean no harm to little Kani, or to––”

“Kani?” My face grew abruptly hot. “If you’re referring to my
daughter,
Terry, then I’d advise you to keep your damned mouth shut about––”

“Calm yourself, Alyson! Calm! Please!” He held up his hands again, his voice and face submissive that time, openly pleading. “I will not talk about her again...I will not. It was an error to mention her, I see that...I am sorry.”

Taking a breath when I didn’t speak, he continued in a more subdued voice.

“Esteemed Bridge, I waited until the sensors showed your mate to be absent, on the off-chance I could convince you to hear me.” Taking a breath, he said, “Can you please try, Alyson? Can you
try
to hear me on this? It is very important...a matter of life and death.”

I stared up at him, fighting back my anger.

Even so, I felt a flicker of confusion course through my own aleimi as I stared at him.

Was I looking at Terian? Or Feigran?

The last time I’d talked to Revik, he seemed to think Shadow had killed Feigran, for all intents and purposes. He told me Shadow ripped the mind and light of the being, Feigran, back into a few dozen fragments, the way Galaith had, all of those years ago.

Which should have turned Feigran back into the far more deadly Terian.

Even as I thought it, Terian raised his hands, making another nervous peace gesture in the air. As he did it, he made his body posture even more submissive. I couldn’t help being somewhat disarmed by the display.

He certainly was
acting
a lot more like how I remembered Feigran.

Of course, my brain didn’t shut off entirely. I knew I couldn’t trust him, whoever he claimed to be. I knew I couldn’t believe for a second he wasn’t here for Shadow. But the urgency in his voice and expression still managed to surprise me, if only for the newness of the tactic.

As if sensing or seeing some flicker of my thoughts, Terian held his hand higher in that peace gesture, his mouth curling into a faint smile.

“Ah, good,” he said. “Thank you, Esteemed Bridge...thank you.”

“Don’t thank me,” I said. “Just talk.”

“I really do mean you no harm,” he said. “It is just that...I have had
such
trouble trying to decide what to do with this information...”

“You still aren’t talking,” I said, irritated.

Terian smiled, making a vague gesture towards me with one hand.

I saw a flicker of what might have been confusion in his eyes, or perhaps distraction. I couldn’t read him, either, given the walls of the tank, but I found myself staring at his amber, cat-like eyes anyway, wondering what the hell I was seeing. His mind appeared to go even further off-track as I watched.

I continued to stare at his face as he looked over my body, not angered so much as confused. Did he really want to talk to me? If so, he had to be aware that his window was swiftly closing. Balidor would already be trying to break in. Once Revik got involved, it would be over in seconds, rather than minutes.

I wondered if maybe more of Feigran lived in the old Terian than we’d realized. I also wondered if maybe he was as much Feigran as Terian now, whatever game this was.

Even as I thought it, a pained look came to those amber eyes.

That time, it looked less contrived.

“Gods, you do look delicious.” His virtual eyes focused intently on my cuffed wrist. “My compliments to Revi’, for his good sense in taking full advantage of that fact...I must say, it’s long overdue. Tell me. Did he only do the one cuff so he could turn you over easier? Or does he want your hand free for some other reason? Perhaps to give you options while you suck off one of his subordinates...presumably as he fucks you from behind?” His eyes flickered down me once more, even as those amber eyes slid further out of focus, growing almost thoughtful. “I would have tied all four limbs, if it was me...but then, I’m a traditionalist...”

I felt my jaw harden more.

“Really, Terry?” I said. “Really?”

“I do apologize, Alyson...I told you, I find your current state...distracting.”