Page 12 of Seer Prophet

Like downstairs, they wore dark, expensive-looking suits.

These suits were different, however. Embroidered images of the red-gold sun and roaring lion decorated the front. The image was subtle but unmistakable, situated in the center of their chests where their mandarin-style jackets buttoned. Muted, metallic threads caught the slivers of flickering light from the fires.

I stared at the outline of the lion, focusing on its dark gold eye.

I guessed I was looking at real gold thread.

The smallest of the three males stepped ahead of the other two, positioning himself as the apex of the triangle they formed. The same male seer wore a version of the embroidered lion and sun with additional gold thread around the sleeves of his jacket.

Hisaleimiclight sparked with unusual waves, but something about it felt almost familiar. It took me a few seconds to realize I’d tasted flavors of hisaleimiin the Legion of Fire construct. Those structures fascinated me, but I didn’t get too close, only letting myself feel the bare edges before Revik pinged me warningly with his light.

That’s when I noticed the male seer’s eyes.

His irises glowed sharp gold, so deep in color they appeared opaque, like liquid metal.

I got lost there briefly, seeing the ribbons of black that emphasized and darkened the gold, making them appear even more metallic, even more cat-like, even less human.

They were the same eyes as those of the stone lion on the wall.

I was still staring when the shorter seer spoke.

“Esteemed friends,” the small seer said.

I jumped at the sudden, sharp break in our silent bubble.

Noticing, the gold-eyed seer smiled at me in a friendly way.

“…I am Dulgar, oldest son of the Legion of Fire. We are so very honored to have you here with us.”

Those gold eyes settled on me.

I stood there, unflinching, as his gaze slid down my dress, pausing on my legs. He still stared at the area of my neckline when he smiled a second time.

“…Very honored,” he murmured.

I heard the undercurrent even more clearly.

Next to me, Revik didn’t move.

I wasn’t worried about Revik the soldier.

I wasn’t even worried about Revik the fighter.

I never worried about them. It was Revik my husband I worried about. I wondered howhewould handle this, given everything we’d been through over the past year.

I needn’t have worried, though.

His face had smoothed to glass. Even his normally expressive eyes wore an armor I didn’t see on him often, even back when I first met him and couldn’t read him at all. It wasn’t just his infiltrator mask.

It was… something else.

Seeing the faint glow whispering around his irises, likely visible only to me, I forced my eyes away. Turning back towards Dulgar, oldest son of the Legion of Fire, I smiled.

Using the formal manners I’d learned from the Lao Hu, I gave a traditional bow, switching to formal Prexci.

“We are so honored to be here,” I said, holding out a hand, palm down.

The man’s face broke into a genuine smile.

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