Page 57 of Seer Prophet

I released the edges of the doorframe, fighting to extract my light from his. I didn’t look at him at all as I backed out of the doorway. The sound of my own voice surprised me. Truthfully, I barely recognized it.

“Stay the fuck away from him,” I said, gruff.

My words sickened me a little, even as I wiped my face with one hand, feeling it tremble before it sank in that I was crying. I didn’t look at the other seer’s face long enough to gauge his reaction. I didn’t wait for him to answer.

I began to walk without any clear idea where I was going.

Like Revik, I didn’t look back.

Chapter13

Jealous

It didn’t feel like I was talking to that other seer for very long.

Even so, when I reached the end of the pier, Balidor stood there alone.

He looked at me warily, as if wondering what I’d done.

I didn’t feel him relax until a few seconds later… right around the time I felt Dalejem leave the guardhouse. I didn’t turn around to verify that either, but felt Balidor’s light follow Dalejem as he made his way towards the back entrance of the resort.

A pulse of relief left the Adhipan leader’s light, so tangible I snorted.

My voice came out too hard to pass convincingly for a joke.

“Did you really think I’d snap his neck, ‘Dori?”

I watched Balidor think about my words.

He smiled as he did, then clicked under his breath.

“I’ll admit, the thought crossed my mind, Esteemed Sister,” he murmured.

He sounded sincere enough to make me bristle.

His gray eyes turned shrewd, flickering over me in the pause.

As they did, he dropped the formal Adhipan thing he mostly wore around me these days. He turned back into the man I knew, the one I’d been friends with once. The one I was still friends with, even if we hardly ever got a chance to talk in a real way anymore.

“I’ve never seen you like this,” he said. “Are you all right, Allie?”

Something about the very real-sounding concern in his voice and light caused me to exhale. It felt like letting something go, although I don’t think I let any of it go at all, not really. Rubbing my face with one hand, I sighed again, still fighting to calm down.

I already felt some of my anger deflating, just from Balidor dropping his guard.

“I don’t know,” I admitted. “That didn’t help. You know. With this other… you know, crap.” Biting my lip, I stared out at the darkness of the ocean, trying to put that larger feeling into words. “It’s everything, ‘Dor. Not just him, that seer… Dalejem,” I added, motioning vaguely behind me. “It’s the List seers disappearing. It’s Revik’s light. It’s Lily, and Maygar’s. It’s Cass. My dreams are getting worse. I feel warnings all around, but I can’tseeany of it.”

Feeling what might have been the beginnings of a joke off him, I looked up, cutting him off.

“…We’re falling behind. We’re losing, ‘Dor. Shadow’s ahead of us, and this will all lead to something. He’s laying the groundwork for something. I can feel it coming, and there’s not a damned thing I can do to stop any of it.”

Balidor’s expression grew thoughtful.

I could feel him wanting to speak. I felt him hesitating on words, trying to decide what to say, right before he let go of whatever it was.

Feeling the evasion there, I had to fight to control my anger.

“…And I’m not crazy about my husband withholding information from me,” I added, sharper. “Or my own damned head of infiltration acting as his ally to that end.”

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