Page 97 of Seer Prophet

I bit my lip, fighting to think. I didn’t take my eyes off Terian, who had folded his arms and now appeared to be waiting for me to finish speaking to Balidor. He all but tapped his virtual foot as he watched me.

“Well, I can’t help you with that,” I said. “I’m going to talk to him now. Terian. I might as well find out what the hell he wants.”

“What? No! Alyson,no!I insist you not engage with––”

Unhooking the headset from my ear, I lay it on the mattress.

I kept the channel open so the others would have a record of everything that was said. Since Balidor assumed I had access to the door, Terian and his pals must have cut the room’s surveillance feeds. I could still hear a whisper of Balidor shouting through the link where it lay next to my thigh.

“All right,” I said to Terian. “Talk.”

The virtual Terian rocked on his heels, arms folded.

He grinned wider.

“Poor brother Balidor.” He shook his head, clicking ruefully. “He really doesn’t like being cut out of family reunions, does he?”

At my flat look, his smile lost some of its coyness.

He made his voice almost serious.

“Thank you, Alyson, for speaking with me. I know my words likely mean little to you or Revi’, especially now, but Ivowto you, sister, I mean no harm to you or your mate. I certainly mean no harm to little Kami, or––”

“Kami?”I stared at him coldly, rage filling my light. “If you’re referring to mydaughter,Terry, I’d advise you to keep your goddamned mouthshutabout that––”

“Alyson!” He held up his hands. That time he made his voice openly submissive. “Calm!Calm!I beg you! I will not speak of her again. I will not. It was an error to mention her, I see that. I am sorry. So very, very sorry. Truly.”

He took a breath when I didn’t speak.

He continued in that softer voice.

“Esteemed Bridge, I knew Revi’couldnot hear me on this. Not after everything that happened.” He beseeched me with his eyes. “Can you try, Alyson? Can youtryto hear me? It is very important. A matter of life and death… and not only mine.”

I stared at him, fighting back anger, coupled with a bizarre desire to laugh. At least Terian’s self-interest was never far from the surface.

Still, doubt flickered over my light as I studied his.

Was I looking at Terian? Or Feigran?

Revik seemed to think Shadow killed Feigran. According to Revik, Shadow broke Feigran’s mind back into a few dozen fragments, just like Galaith had done all those years ago, turning Feigran back into the far more deadly Terian.

Looking at him now, I wondered.

Whoever this was, Terian or Feigran, he stepped closer to the end of the bed, making a peace gesture in the air. “Good, good.” He nodded, smiling. “Thank you, Esteemed Bridge. Thank you, beautiful, beautiful sister––”

“Don’t thank me,” I said. “Just talk.”

Hesitating, he looked over my body, his full lips pursed.

The pause continued.

I folded my one free arm around my chest when he continued to not speak, my patience ebbing fast.

“Are you sure you’re not here to distractme,Terry? Distract my team?” I sharpened my voice, saying it as much for Balidor as the Rook. “Are you here to keep me and my people occupied while your boss aims missiles at us? Is there a boarding party on its way, Terry?”

“No, no! I planned this, sister. Iplannedit! He does not know!”

“Bullshit. What are you really doing here?”

---