Shadow (Bridge & Sword: Awakenings #4): Bridge & Sword World

by JC Andrijeski

  It wasn’t only the clothes––although those were enough to make his jaw drop. Her face looked different, partly from the make up she wore, which was probably twice what he’d ever seen on her, but also from the way they’d styled her hair, in a complicated system of braids and dark strands hanging on either side of her high cheekbones. Her green eyes stood out sharply against black kohl eyeliner, and she looked thinner than he remembered.

  He stared down at her body, flushing a little at the amount of skin showing, pausing on the thin chains connecting her wrists to her ankles. She wore a collar of ornately carved, organic metal, barely visible on her throat over the clothing.

  The outfit itself looked more Indian than Chinese to him, but it had touches that made him wonder if it had been designed more from a seer style than anything human. It showed her midriff all the way up to a beaded top that hooked at her throat and had no sleeves. The collar at her throat emphasized the slave look, as did the draping cloth of the skirt below, slit to the tops of her thighs, and her bare feet underneath. Her feet had been painted, too, wearing designs that reminded him of Indian henna tattoos.

  She stared around at all of them, the same way they must be staring at her.

  The look on her face told Jon, if nothing else, that no one told her who they were bringing her here to meet. She couldn’t hide her shock as she looked at each of them in turn.

  Her eyes paused on Jon himself, before moving to Balidor, then to Wreg. She paused again, looking between the two of them, before her eyes found Garensche, Jax and Holo standing next to Dorje, Poresch, Yumi and Garend––until finally, she seemed to put the pieces together.

  Jon saw a near fear rise to her eyes.

  The look worsened when her eyes finally found Revik.

  For a moment, the two of them only stared at one another.

  Revik had his expression under control again, but he didn’t take his eyes off her. Jon thought he saw the Elaerian scan her briefly, but he didn’t do it for long. Instead, his eyes clicked back into focus abruptly, almost as if he’d been burnt, or startled by what he’d found. The expression on his face didn’t change, however; he didn’t move his eyes off hers.

  Allie, on the other hand, seemed to be struggling to breathe. She stared at him, almost as if she’d never seen him before. Then her eyes shifted to Voi Pai.

  “What is this?” she said. “I demand an explanation.”

  She spoke the same formal Prexci Revik had.

  Jon flinched a little at how different her voice sounded. He also noticed the tall, blue-eyed seer standing behind her, right before he laid a possessive-seeming hand on her bare shoulder. He pulled her closer to where he stood, and Jon glanced involuntarily at Revik.

  He saw the Elaerian male staring at the same blue-eyed seer.

  “What is this?” Allie demanded again. “What am I doing here?”

  Voi Pai smiled. Clearly she was enjoying the show, which shouldn’t have surprised Jon, but still managed to anger him to the point where he had to bite his lip to remain silent.

  His fury flared to a blinding hatred after the Lao Hu leader spoke.

  “Be silent, Esteemed Bridge,” Voi Pai said, as casual as a blown kiss.

  Jon looked at Allie, wondering if she would heel like Voi Pai clearly expected her to. He saw the tall seer with the blue eyes squeeze her shoulder a second time, as if in warning. Allie was staring at Revik again, though. She bit her lip, as if to prevent herself saying more, then averted her gaze. After another pause, she bowed slightly to the raised chair of the Lao Hu leader, gesturing in acquiescence to Voi Pai.

  Jon felt his anger turn into something closer to disbelief.

  Revik seemed to have to work harder to pull his eyes off her.

  He turned eventually, looking up at the Lao Hu leader. She smiled at him, leaning deeper into the cushions of her chair before quirking an eyebrow at him again.

  Her voice held an open thread of humor.

  “Would you still wish to see the recording, Illustrious Sword?”

  After a bare pause, he gestured an assent.

  Leaning back in his chair, he took a sip of tea while Jon watched.

  Jon had to give the seer props. He had no idea what Revik was thinking right then; his face looked almost like it had for most of that day. Whatever was going through his mind, Jon seriously doubted it was anywhere near as calm as his expression portrayed.

  Watching Voi Pai study Revik clinically, Jon found he understood something else. She’d waited to bring up the image-capture until Allie was in the room.

  Even as he thought it, the seer clicked her fingers, motioning to one of the infiltrators standing beneath the largest of the liquid wall-screens.

  When the image rose, Jon flinched, in spite of himself.

  Allie stood there, wearing another slave-girl outfit, this one a filmy white that barely concealed her outline beneath its folds. The outfit alone wasn’t what made Jon flinch, however. It wasn’t even the size of the projection, which took up half the wall.

  No, it was the seer with her––a seer who made Cass’s boyfriend, Baguen, look small. That same seer loomed over Allie’s small-looking form, gripping her breast through the thin material.

  The male’s giant hand squeezed while Jon watched, making him turn away.

  “You like that, Esteemed Sister?” he said, his voice thick.

  Allie, to her credit, didn’t sound the least bit intimidated when she spoke.

  “Are you going to be able to get it up?” she said, her voice cold. “Now that I’ve agreed?”

  Jon glanced up in time to see the giant smile at her. He could only see part of the broad face, as most of the image-capture seemed to be focused on Allie herself. Jon saw the brute staring at her though, his hand still massaging her breast.

  “I’m up, girl,” he said. “Talking to me like that is only making it harder…”

  Jon glanced at Revik, unable to stop himself.

  The male Elaerian remained in the chair, focusing up at the screen, his face immovable. His eyes flickered to Voi Pai as Jon watched, even as he raised an eyebrow.

  “You expect our sympathies, sister?” he said, below the sound of the recording. “That the Esteemed Bridge defended herself from an apparent rape?”

  Voi Pai clicked at him, rolling her eyes. “He pawed at her, Illustrious Sword. That hardly constitutes a rape. Don’t be so naïve as to assume this wasn’t part of her act in seducing him, either. She is quite schooled in the arts now, brother.”

  Jon felt his jaw harden, even as he glanced back at the screen. He couldn’t force himself to look at Allie herself, not with her image right there.

  “You’re sure?” the Allie on the screen said.

  Jon found himself a little thrown by her calm as she turned her back on the massive seer, reaching for the bamboo handle of a tea pot sitting on a low table. She poured two cups of tea, lifting them both after she’d returned the pot to its heating stone on the table.

  “After all,” she added, her voice still coldly removed. “I’m a little old for you for your usual tastes.”

  “Are you, now?” The giant’s voice was amused. “Is that what they tell you?”

  “It is,” she said. “Is that why you keep calling me ‘girl’?”

  She straightened as she said it, handing him one of the cups of tea. Again, Jon found himself thinking about Voi Pai’s words. But no, there was nothing coy or teasing in Allie’s eyes as she looked up at the broad face of the Wvercian. In fact, the look on her face reminded him more of images he’d seen of her in the Registry, when she’d––

  He glanced at Revik, realizing why he recognized the look.

  She intended to kill him. This hadn’t been spontaneous. She’d planned it.

  He wondered if Revik knew that, too.

  When Jon glanced back at the screen, the giant was ripping off the top of her filmy dress. Allie let him, still holding the tea cups, but she nearly lost her balance when he yanked at the cloth
. Jon looked away when the giant started feeling her up again.

  He couldn’t help noticing that Revik continued to stare up at the screen.

  “You want to see, Esteemed One?” the giant asked Allie on the screen.

  She didn’t answer at first, but Jon saw her jaw harden.

  Then she shrugged, her voice bored.

  “If it makes you feel better. Sure.”

  The giant only laughed. Jon flinched as he knocked the tea cups out of her hands. The china smashed on the floor, even as he grabbed hold of one of her wrists, yanking her towards him so that she stumbled. She was still regaining her balance when he grabbed her hand, forcing it between his tree trunk-like legs.

  The giant let out a low gasp, still feeling her up with his other hand.

  “How’s that, little girl?” His voice came out gruff. “Big enough for you?”

  She met his gaze, her eyes still holding that cold look. “Does it make you feel big?”

  “Is that why you refused me? Afraid of Wvercian cock?”

  Jon saw that hard look on her face again, a colder anger.

  Oblivious, the Wvercian only smiled. “You haven’t been broken in by one of my family yet, have you, girl?”

  Allie didn't answer, but Jon saw that unwavering look in her eyes.

  “I’ll be good to you, girl. Promise. I’ll treat you real good.”

  “Sure you will.”

  Jon felt sick. He wanted to yell at them to to turn it off, but he found himself listening to the conversation on the VR screen, unable to stop himself.

  “…You seem awfully angry, given that you suck cock for a living. Did I do something to you I don't know about? Did one of my family hurt you? Or is this just a general hatred for all of your brothers?”

  Jon winced again, unable to keep from looking at Revik.

  The Elaerian’s face hadn’t moved. Nor had his body where he perched on the wooden chair. Jon couldn’t tear his eyes off his expression anyway, and missed part of the back and forth before his attention found its way back to the organic screen.

  “…I know your name,” he heard Allie say.

  “Do you now?” the giant said. “Tell me, then. I’m starting to get bored of this fight, girl.” Whatever he was doing out of view of the image made Allie wince, disgust flickering over her expression, but she didn’t pull away. “Tell me my name, girl. For you to be so angry, you must know that at least. And tell me what wrong I did to you, to make you despise me so.”

  She looked up, her eyes unusually pale, dead-seeming.

  “Your name is Gerwix,” she said.

  Jon felt his heart stop in his chest. He looked at Revik, but the Elaerian didn’t move.

  Jon’s eyes followed Revik’s back to the screen.

  The Wvercian stared at her, as if paralyzed. For a long moment, he just stood over her, head positioned like he was about to kiss her. The look on his face was that of a surprised beast.

  Then his mouth curled in an angry frown.

  “Where did you hear that name, girl?” he growled.

  When Allie didn’t answer, thick, red fingers grabbed her bare shoulders. He shook her, hard enough to probably hurt her––or disorient her at least. She held up her hands as if to ward him off, but essentially, she endured it.

  “Who the fuck told you that name? Where did you hear it, bitch? Where?”

  He lifted her off the floor, gripping her until his fingers whitened, until the skin of her shoulders must have been bruised.

  “Do you know who I work for?” the giant demanded. “Do you?”

  There was a pause.

  Then Allie looked at him again. She smiled, but the look in her eyes was so cold Jon didn’t recognize her in it at all.

  “Gerwix,” she said softly. “…Nenzi says hi.”

  Jon felt Revik flinch.

  The giant seer’s eyes widened visibly.

  “What?” he said. “What the fuck did you––”

  Before he could go on––

  A loud CRACK made half the seers in the room jump.

  Gerwix crumpled.

  As he did, he brought Allie’s feet to the floor, dropping her as his fingers loosened. He continued to fall, his weight bringing him down fast––forcing her to move nimbly, almost gracefully out of the way to avoid being crushed. She slid sideways with a kind of dancing step and a gasp, her face no longer calm but flushed.

  Then she was just standing there, breathing hard, her fists clenched as she stared down at the giant’s broken body.

  The screen went dark.

  There was a silence where everyone in the room just seemed to stare up at where it’d been.

  Then Jon turned, feeling as much as hearing some kind of commotion at the front of the room. At first he had no comprehension of what he was seeing.

  Voi Pai’s head was thrown back, her fingers clawing at her throat, almost like she was scratching at her own neck. Her body appeared to be pressed too far into the silk cushions, sliding down the seat in an awkward position that partly splayed her legs. Her chin and head tilted so far upwards, she appeared to be staring at the ceiling.

  It looked almost like someone held her there––

  Then Balidor cursed, jerking Jon’s eyes sideways.

  Glancing at his pale face, Jon felt comprehension reach him. He stared back at the Lao Hu leader, and realized Revik was on his feet, breathing harder, staring up at the raised platform and chair, hands open at his sides.

  “Dehgoies!” Balidor said. “Dehgoies! Calm yourself, brother!”

  “Boss!” Wreg also stepped towards the front of the room. “Nenz… gaos! Don’t kill her, laoban! Do not!”

  Jon watched Voi Pai’s face start to turn a darker red.

  Revik had some kind of stranglehold on her throat, and she was choking, her fingers fighting to remove invisible fingers from her skin. Her eyes widened, even as she gestured to other seers in the room. Revik’s eyes darted sideways, then around at the other infiltrators.

  “I feel anyone’s light move, and she’s dead,” he said.

  His voice was clear, unnervingly calm.

  “…Guns, gas, anyone move towards me or try to take me down in the construct, and she’s dead.” He glanced briefly around for emphasis. “Obey me, and she’ll come through this just fine. All I want is my wife…”

  Jon looked at Allie, seeking out her face for the first time since they played that godawful recording. She was staring at Revik, disbelief in her green eyes that bordered on shock. When she spoke, he heard both in her voice, along with a near-anger that held enough grief it made Jon wince.

  “Revik! What are you doing?”

  Revik glanced at her. His expression didn’t move, but Jon saw a flicker of pain there, enough that he felt almost like he shouldn’t be looking at them.

  “You’ll start a war,” she said, that pain in her voice, too. “What are you doing? I told you not to come for me… I asked you not to come!”

  Revik’s jaw hardened, but his eyes didn’t move from hers.

  “You said I could come if I needed you,” he said.

  “Revik––”

  “I need you. I’m not leaving here without you, Allie. So if you stay, I’ll stay. I’ll work the other half of the contract. I’ll work the whole goddamned thing…”

  She stared at him, her eyes lost, like she couldn’t believe what he’d said.

  “Revik, it’s not just about us. The Lao Hu––”

  “––Aren’t our friends,” he cut in. “This war is already happening, Allie. They’re just lying about it. Your being here won’t make any difference. You’re not keeping the peace, you’re just giving them leverage.” He swallowed. For the first time, the infiltrator’s mask wavered. “Gods, baby. Please. Please come with me…”

  Her expression wavered as his did. Jon saw her eyes brighten.

  Finally, she nodded.

  Looking at the blue-eyed seer behind her, she motioned at her collar.

  “Take it
off,” she said.

  He shook his head, once. “No, Esteemed Bridge. No.”

  Jon was surprised at the emotion he heard in the tall seer’s voice, even before the seer turned, glaring openly at Revik.

  “Not for him, Alyson. I won’t free you for him.”

  Clicking at him angrily, Allie started to move away, to walk towards the Rebels and Adhipan, when the blue-eyed seer caught her by the arms. Turning her around, he pulled her against him, kissing her before Allie seemed to realize what he was doing. Jon saw her kiss him back, briefly, just before her hand raised to his chest, pushing on him to separate them.

  Revik’s voice rose as she turned her face away from the blue-eyed seer.

  “Brother!” he said. “Brother… stop!”

  The Lao Hu seer let Allie push him back. He glared at Revik, still holding her arms.

  “She told me what you did to her,” the other said coldly. “You don’t deserve her. I don’t care what you are… intermediary or no. She will only leave you again.”

  “That’s probably true,” Revik said. “But she wants you to let her go. If you don’t take your hands off her, I’m going to have to hurt you.”

  His voice held pain again.

  “…Please, brother. Whatever you think of me, you’re hurting me right now… and her.”

  The Lao Hu seer released her, after staring a long moment into her face.

  He only stood there as she stepped back, his eyes pained as he watched Allie pull her arms around herself. She barely glanced at the rest of the Lao Hu seers, some of whom were looking at her with as much emotion in their faces as the one who kissed her.

  Without looking directly at any of the Adhipan or Rebels, either, Allie walked deeper into the room. She paused a few yards from Jon, then seemed to hesitate, uncertainty in her eyes when she didn’t go any further. Feeling a tightening in his throat, Jon took the remaining steps to close the gap between them, and grabbed her hand, clutching her fingers tightly in his.

  He wanted to give her his jacket, his shirt––anything to cover her up, but he knew it would probably only make her feel worse.

  He could see her avoiding all of their eyes, holding herself upright as her jaw hardened. Finally, she stared at Revik, who still had his back halfway to them from where he stood at the front of the room.