Allie's War Season Four (45 page)

He sent Wreg a short, brief message in that pause, the first he’d let leave his light in the seer’s direction since they’d left San Francisco.

Thanks,
he sent.

When his vision cleared, Wreg was staring at him again. Some of the anger had left the other man’s expression, leaving him looking borderline confused. Even so, he nodded to Jon in return. They were still looking at one another when Wreg’s attention got turned back to the crowd around him when Durel tackled him from the other side.

Jon watched, feeling his throat tighten again as the dark-skinned seer shook Wreg’s hand vigorously, tears in his eyes above a more serious-looking face. Jon had never seen so much emotion on the East Indian seer before, and it took him aback, even as it brought surprise to Wreg’s returning smile. Wreg clasped the man back, though, and again Jon felt a reaction in his light, one sharp enough that he forced his eyes away.

He still didn’t know who Wreg’s ex- was, the one he’d been seeing during World War I. Revik told him that Wreg had been with the guy through most of the war, so it was possible he was one of those who followed Wreg to Salinse, and then to the Sword when Revik left the Dreng. Jon hadn’t wanted to ask before. Enough rebels remained in their ranks from both rebellions that Jon knew
some
chance existed that the man was still here, with them.

He managed to keep his thoughts from Wreg that time, though.

Well, he hoped he had, anyway.

He looked back at Revik and Allie, only to find that Revik had brought her over to their human friends and relatives. Jon felt his throat tighten when he saw Aunt Carol envelope first Revik then Allie in bear hugs. Uncle James lingered more in the background, watching Allie’s face minutely with tears in his eyes. When Revik offered his hand though, Uncle James shook it, clasping Revik’s hand with both of his. Jon found he couldn’t tear his attention away from their small group, or the faces of his cousins, aunt and uncle as they all looked at Allie, a combination of fear and hope in their eyes as they watched her face.

Jon didn’t know what Revik had told them, exactly, while back in San Francisco, but he distinctly got the impression that they were relieved by whatever they saw in Allie herself. Allie tugged on Aunt Carol’s hair then, almost playfully, despite the distance in her eyes, and Aunt Carol hugged her again, holding her more warmly that time, and tighter than before. She continued to grip Allie’s waist with one arm even after she’d more or less let go, and Jon saw her beaming, despite the tears Jon could plainly see on her face.

Then Jon jumped, shocked when voices raised abruptly in the same group.

His head turned, along with half the heads in the room, realizing in the same split second that he recognized both of those voices.

Jon just stood there, frozen, as Revik raised his voice again, holding up a warning hand towards a man Jon realized in some shock was Jaden.

You’d better go,
Jorag sent to him, making Jon jump a second time.

Jon saw Allie’s ex-boyfriend yell back up at Revik, then shove at his chest with both hands, managing to force Revik to take a step backwards. Jon only heard a fragment of the words either of them spoke, but he gaped as soon as he saw Jaden lay hands on the tall seer.

Jaden was picking a fist fight with Revik?

Fucking suicide...was he completely crazy?

A lot of seers hadn’t noticed the argument yet and were still chatting away happily, creating a fair bit of noise between Jon and the actual argument. Most of what Jon did hear had been curses. Whatever Jaden said after he shoved him, either the shove itself or those words caused Revik to take a step back towards the other man, his shoulders stiffening.

Now, Jon,
Jorag urged, his light holding a sharper warning.
Now. Get over there.

Jon nodded, once, then began pushing his way through the crowd to reach where Revik and Jaden faced off, just under the stone mural of the House on the Hill in India.

Then he saw Jaden hit Revik again, again in the chest.

That time, it was closer to a punch.

Jon felt the energetic shift, even as it happened...even before he saw Revik’s irises ignite dramatically into a pale green glow for the third time that day. Pushing faster and less politely past bodies, Jon felt his throat clench, even as it occurred to him that Revik was likely to be even less rational around Jaden right now than he had been in the past.

Fuck. He could kill him. He could actually kill him.

Revik...don’t...
Jon sent, sharp. He sent an alarmed pulse to Balidor and Wreg through the construct, fighting his way faster through the crowd.
Revik...calm down. Jesus...calm down. He’s on the list, damn it...

Jon pushed through the last few layers of human and seer bodies and into the small clearing that had erupted around Revik...probably the instant his eyes ignited into that sharp light. Only Aunt Carol and Uncle James remained close by, with Aunt Carol still clutching Allie, even though Revik gripped Allie’s free hand, holding her behind his body, as if shielding her.

Jon hadn’t really expected Revik to answer.

Revik did answer him, though. Rather than answering in his mind, however, Revik spoke aloud, his voice close to a growl, his eyes still fixed on Jaden’s face. Jon realized only then that Revik had a hold of the human by the throat with his free hand.

“Fine,” Revik said, through gritted teeth. “I’ll calm down. I’ll calm right the fuck down. As soon as you tell this asshole to keep his goddamned
hands
off my wife...”

JON GAPED AT him, then at Jaden.

Even now, he only saw anger in Jaden’s face, not fear. That fury turned closer to hatred as Jaden grappled with Revik’s fingers around his throat.

“What the fuck did you do to her?” Jaden spat, kicking out at Revik’s legs. “You goddamned monster! What did you
do
to her?”

Jon held up a hand, fighting to get between them. “Jesus...Jaden. Stop! He didn’t do anything! He didn’t, okay? Back off. Back off right now!”

“Fuck you, too,
Jon...”
Jaden spat, glaring at him, still struggling against Revik’s hold. “What? Are you all some happy fucking threesome these days? Are you really okay with Allie being mindfucked and turned into a terrorist by this guy...?”

Jon felt another angry surge off Revik’s light, and again inserted his body between the two men. He looked up at Revik but the seer wouldn’t return his gaze. Jon turned back to Jaden, instead, who once more writhed like a rabbit in a snare.

“Jaden!” Jon raised his voice, if only to cut him off. “Calm the fuck down, okay? Revik!” Jon snapped, “Let him go! Now!”

There was a bare pause. Then Revik’s hand opened.

Jaden fell from his grip, coughing and spluttering, his face bright red. “Murdering
fuck!”

Jon stepped between them again, feeling another surge off Revik’s light.

“Jaden! Shut up! You don’t know what you’re talking about––”

“The hell I don’t!” Jaden turned to stare at Jon, his eyes incredulous. He broke into a humorless laugh. “This fucker is
Syrimne,
man! Didn’t you study history in school?”

Sasquatch had approached Jaden from behind, Jon realized suddenly. The big Samoan tried putting a hand on Jaden’s arm, but the other man jerked angrily free.

“Jaden,” Sasquatch said, his voice low, troubled-sounding. “Man, like...chill. This isn’t the time for––”

“Shut up!” Jaden snapped, whirling on him.

Sasquatch took a step back, his broad face reddening. “Hey! Like, don’t shoot the messenger, man, I was only trying to––”

But Jaden was back to fuming at Jon. “I can’t believe you’re
defending
this fuck. I know you’re a dick-sucker and he’s the head honcho around here, but that’s your
sister,
man. Your sister! Or were you too busy playing faggot terrorist to remember that?” He waved a ringed hand furiously in Allie’s direction. “Look at her, man!
Look. At. Her.”

“I’ve seen her,” Jon snapped.

“Then how can you defend this piece of shit? How can you––”

“I’m telling you he
didn’t do it!”
Jon shouted back, raising his voice if only to drown Jaden out. “You’re blaming the wrong person, man! Can you hear that? Can you let that sink into your stupid head?”

“Right.” Jaden let out another humorless laugh. “Right. And you know that because, what? Because he’s such a pillar of good will and––”

“I know it because
I
did it!” Jon snarled.

He shouted it without thought, but as soon as the words left his lips, the weight of them crashed down on him, making it hard to breathe.

“I did it,” Jon repeated. Tears rose to his eyes, choking his words, cutting his breath more. “You want to blame someone, Jaden? Blame
me!
Me, not Revik...not any of these other ‘terrorists’ you seem to think are responsible. A human did it. Me.
I
did it...”

“No, you
fucking well did not!”

The words burst out of someone standing behind Jon.

The voice shocked him, so familiar it jarred him down to his bones, even as it made him flinch back in near-fear. Jon hadn’t even seen the other seers emerging out of the crowd to stand behind him. When he turned, breathing harder, still with that stuck, rock-like feeling in his chest, he found himself facing Wreg.

Wreg stood there, his face dark with fury. Jon barely recognized him.

Balidor and Jorag stood there, too, along with Yumi, Neela and Illeg, as well as Deklan and Vikram, too. They must have come after him through the crowd, after Jon sent up that flare into the wider construct. After scanning faces, Jon found his eyes returning to the Chinese seer who stood closest to him, seeing the tears in Wreg’s eyes, the fury that still stood there as he stared at Jon. Wreg was breathing harder, too.

“You didn’t do it, Jon!” Wreg snarled, shoving hard at Jon’s chest.

Jon stumbled, nearly fell. He caught himself half in a crouch, still staring up at Wreg, barely able to comprehend the fury he saw on the other man’s face.

“None
of us blame you!” Wreg snarled louder, taking another menacing step towards him. “
None
of us! Only
you
think it, Jon! Only you!”

Jon felt his jaw harden. He didn’t look away from Wreg, but he felt his head shaking, nearly on its own. He remembered Revik hovering over him, Revik’s fist cocked to hit him when he’d found Jon messing with Allie while she slept...

“You pulled her out!” Wreg snapped. “You
pulled her out!”

“No.” Jon shook his head. It was the only thing that made sense to him. “No.”

“Nenzi didn’t even blame you!” Wreg snapped. “You’re the only one who
ever
thought it, Jon...even when he was at his worst, Nenz didn’t blame you. He was just so goddamned
sad
he couldn’t stand to not blame
someone.
And there you were, all too happy to offer yourself up as the sacrificial fucking lamb...”

“He did,” Jon managed. “He did blame me...”

“Bullshit!” Wreg snapped, shoving at him again, nearly pushing him into Jaden that time. “What, you think you’re the all-powerful Oz? That you can see into everyone’s mind and know exactly what’s going on? The rest of us knew. We knew damned well what Nenz was thinking. He didn’t blame you...he blamed himself. Getting angry at you was just
easier...”
Wreg’s throat moved in a stuck swallow. “Gods, Jon. We all could see it. Both of you blaming yourselves for something that psychotic bitch did...that Shadow did. They did it to both of
you
as much as they did it to your sister...and you’re taking the
fall
for those fuckers?”