Page 103 of Seer Prophet

His blue eyes looked distant now, and it struck me that I was in pain, which probably wasn’t helping. Nor was Revik’s absence, considering it was definitely making my pain worse. I felt pain on Jorag, too, inside our tiny construct, enough that I grimaced, averting my eyes when he didn’t avert his.

Looking back at Balidor, incredulously that time, I tugged the sheet higher up my body, gripping it with my free arm.

“Um… get the fuck out?” I said. “Now?”

For a second, all six of them just stared at me.

Then they all seemed to move at once, shuffling backwards and sideways and essentially walking into one another and banging their rifles together to get back through the hatch. It might have been funny if I hadn’t been handcuffed to a wall.

As it was, I could only sit there, jaw clenched, waiting for them to leave.

I don’t think I let out my held breath until the door shut.

I watched the light over the door turn from red to blue, indicating the seal on the small Barrier construct was back in place. I was still lying there, staring at the ceiling in a kind of angry disbelief, when the earpiece I’d tossed on the bedspread let out a low tone.

Rolling my eyes, I let go of the sheet. I half crawled to that side of the bed so I could scoop the danged thing up in my hand.

“Hello?” My voice was deliberately annoyed now.

“Alyson, I sincerely apologize––”

“I know, ‘Dori. Forget it.”

“No, I am very, very sorry. I should have contacted you via the transmitter before we broke in. You’d already told me it was a virtual invasion. We have the tech team working on it, of course, but I thought you might still be in danger, especially if––”

“‘Dori, I said forget it.” Sighing, I combed my fingers through my tangled hair. “Does Revik know yet?”

“I do not know. I saw him upstairs earlier, but not since the breach. He said he had some errands to run before he went downstairs––”

“Yeah,” I grunted, exhaling. “I bet.”

The line went silent. I could practically hear Balidor hesitating on the other end.

“What else, ‘Dori?” I asked. “What is it?”

He let out a sigh.

“We could really use your help for the construct side of this, Alyson,” he admitted. “The infiltration team wishes to pull imprints off you related to the specific conversation you had with Terian. Would you be willing to let us debrief you? Only when it is convenient for you, of course.”

Clicking under my breath, I exhaled.

“Of course. Fine. When?”

“Are you available later today?”

Looking up at my cuffed wrist, I felt my jaw harden. “I can only hope.”

That time, he let out an involuntary snort of laughter.

“Oh, go on…” I grumbled. “Laugh it up. I’m sure you’ve been dying to do that for the last ten minutes.”

His voice turned into a grin. “You know you’ll never hear the end of this, right?”

Rolling my eyes, I sighed. “The thought crossed my mind.”

Sharpening my voice at his chuckle, I added, “Just remember, Revik has a tendency to be a bittraditionalwhen it comes to his subordinates seeing me in compromising positions. Maybe you and your pals should justrestrainyourselves. For a change.”

“Are you threatening me with your husband, Esteemed Bridge?” Balidor asked innocently.

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