People. Jesus.
Terian’s goons followed at a distance, but the orange-eyed seer had vanished. I only marked the location of the guards with the bare edges of my light, focusing most of my attention on the group of seers waiting for me just inside the black, double doors of the club.
Revik stood in front, next to the Terian with the auburn hair.
I struggled to look at Revik as I got closer to where they all stood.
It wasn’t embarrassment, really. I’m not sure what it was.
All I know is, I found myself adjusting the short dress I wore, smoothing it down so that it covered as much of me as possible. I still wore the crazy-high, fuck-me stilettos, the dark eye makeup I didn’t bother to take off, and my hair was damp from the shower, hanging down past my shoulders, but I did my best to face off with my armor-clad brothers and sisters like everything was normal.
I felt Revik’s eyes on me, and when I got closer, I felt his relief, enough that I glanced up.
His eyes held mine a few seconds longer than usual. Then his gaze drifted lower, looking at me in the skin-tight black dress. His eyes lingered on my legs… then the shoes… before making their way back up to my face.
“Do you mind?” I smiled in spite of myself, smacking his arm. “Jeez, husband. Be a little subtle, why don’t you?”
Something in my words?or maybe the smack?seemed to knock him out of his trance.
He held up a hand in a seer’s apology, right before he used that same hand to catch hold of my arm, and pull me up against his body. He wrapped his arm around me before I could get my breath, or even my balance, and then I was fighting not to react to the currents I felt sparking dangerously through his light.
That relief was still the strongest, however.
“There,” Terian said from next to us. “You see? Safe and sound. As promised.”
Revik gave him a look that could have cut glass. His eyes sparked with light in that same pause, and I wrapped my arm around him tightly in reflex. Feeling him respond to my touch, as well as the heated coil of light and reassurance I sent through hisaleimi, I fought to calm both of our lights down, and help him regain control.
I sent him a more subtle pulse once I felt him relax, reminding him he couldn’t go telekinetic in here, whatever Terian was up to.
Menlim would have eyes all over this place.
Terian’s gaze flickered directly to mine.
“I have you shielded, sister.” His face and voice turned grim. “If I did not, trust me when I tell you?we would not be standing here right now.”
“You have a means of circumventing the construct?” Revik asked him.
“Of course,” Terian shrugged.
Revik frowned, glancing down at me, right before he looked back at Terian.
I felt skepticism in his light, but like me, he seemed to have decided to take Terian’s claims at face value, at least for now.
“Fine,” Revik said, gruff. “Are we going?”
I could feel part of the source of that gruffness in his light, even as he squeezed me tighter against his side. I heard the relief in his voice that time, too.
“Of course.” Terian beamed, motioning gracefully towards the door. “I have transportation waiting for us. It’s just outside.”
I glanced up at Revik, who returned my frown.
Again, I felt the part of him willing to follow this a little further, if only to find the List seers. Whatever Terian claimed or didn’t claim, he was a part of this construct. He had to know it well by now, given who he was. Moreover, he could have called Shadow and his minions any time he wanted. Either he was telling the truth about needing our help?
Or, yeah, this was a trap.
Revik glanced at me again, gripping me even tighter.
Terian was smiling at both of us when he glanced back in our direction.