Page 311 of Seer Prophet

I followed his gaze to my husband, and saw him staring back at Menlim, his mouth curled in a hard but determined frown. His light flared into seething, sparking life, a winding furnace of heat that turned into a tornado, raising the hair on my arms and head and neck, even as it occurred to me what he meant to do.

Revik thought he could kill him now.

He thought he could kill Menlim, now that he was no longer attached to Menlim’s construct, or his network.

He’d been expecting this. He’d planned for it.

Even as the realization struck, that deep voice boomed again.

Menlim’s voice.

I didn’t understand the words any more the second time than I had the first, but fear slammed my light, even before I felt the words hit Revik’s.

“Isre l’ange si nedri az’lenm. Isre ti’a ali di’ suletuum…”His voice boomed, echoing strangely in the dark, filled with silver light.“Isre l’ange si nedri az’lenm. Isre ti’a ali di’ suletuum. Sala. Sala ‘ti. Sala ‘ti, mongare sa’… Alyson. Alyson…”

Revik’s light shifted, coiling hotter above his head.

I stared at him, feeling my fear bloom into panic.

His light sparked upwards, even higher into the Barrier than before. Every piece of hisaleimiignited so swiftly it was like watching a gas main catch fire, pouring its flames upwards into the darkness of night.

His eyes ignited?

And then he was looking at me.

I knew, in that split second.

I don’t know how I knew, but I did.

He was going to kill me.

He was going to kill me, and afterwards, he wouldn’t remember he’d done it.

In through the out door…

I stared up at Revik’s face.

Time stopped, in that bare breath between seconds.

I saw the emptiness in his eyes, even beyond the pale green flames that flared brighter than I’d ever seen them. They turned his face cold, contrasting his features in shadow and light. I felt my own light spark into life in response to the threat I felt, sending myaleimihigh into those same structures in my ownaleimi?

But it was already too late.

In that stretch of no-time after Menlim spoke, I knew it was too late.

All Revik needed were those few seconds.

I’d be dead before I’d ignited my light enough to pull the trigger.

As the realization reached my awareness, time slowed even more, long enough for a different thought to reverberate through me, without slowing the reflex of myaleimiigniting, or that rising fire in Revik’s eyes as we each responded to what we both perceived as a direct threat against our own lives.

Terian was right.

Whatever else he’d done, kidnapping the Listers, unraveling Revik’s and my bond so we’d be forced to find him, bringing us here on this night, lining us up to be slaughtered by Menlim… Terian was unquestionably right about one thing.

He’d warned me.

He’d definitely warned me.

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