Shield (Bridge & Sword: Awakenings #2): Bridge & Sword World

by JC Andrijeski

  Revik bit his tongue to keep back a retort.

  Finally, he shrugged with one hand. “Fine. I am playing along. Is it important to you that I seem to care? Fine.”

  He nodded, once, gesturing politely with a hand.

  “Salinse,” he said. “What is it that you would like me to do to fulfill my end of the contract with you?”

  “No, no,” Salinse shook his head, clicking softly. “I would not dream of playing such games with you, nephew. And perhaps you are right, this is not the time for us to have that discussion. But it pains me to see you so willing to hand your freedom away, whatever the ultimate purpose behind it. I wished only to appeal to your reason… and the ideals I knew us to share in your youth.”

  Revik gave him an incredulous look.

  “Yeah?” he said. “And what were those, exactly?”

  “To ensure the safety of your people,” Salinse said. “To fight for a cause that is just. One that would improve the plight of all the races.”

  Revik didn’t answer at first. Folding his arms tighter, he sat up straighter, adjusting the position of his hurt leg.

  “I thought I was pretty clear. I don’t remember much of my early years.” Letting out a low snort in spite of himself, he looked at the old seer. “And for whatever it’s worth, this ‘glorious ideals’ version you’re referencing is a new one on me. If I can believe what others have told me… including your own men… my youth consisted of a lot more drinking and fucking than selfless posturing.”

  The old seer purred in the back of his throat, a sound of sympathy.

  “Nephew,” he said. “I recognize that you are angry. I recognize also that you fear deeply for your mate. I am asking you to rise above the traumas of your youth, as well as any that have occurred since. There is more going on here than simply a rescue operation. The world has changed in very dark ways since those early years. Surely you see that.”

  He leaned closer, clasping his long hands.

  “This cannot go on. These back and forth squabbles among seers. The Displacement is coming. We can no longer afford to fight one another… over ideology, treaties with the humans, money, power, sex, or whatever else. It is time to declare a truce among our different viewpoints. We have maintained the luxury of isolationism for far too long.”

  The Sark paused, watching Revik’s face.

  “We are reaching a critical point. You must see that, too.”

  Revik returned the seer’s gaze, then shrugged.

  “You want me to trust you, Salinse?” he said. “Then tell me. Who am I to you? Really? Why not stop with the hints and allusions to my past and just tell me?”

  There was a pause before the Sark leaned back on the bench.

  “No,” he said carefully, shaking his head. “No, I do not think we should have that conversation now, either, Revik.” Leaning back somewhat, he sighed. “For now, suffice it to say, I am one of those people from your past you do not remember. I think any detail beyond that should come after you return.”

  At Revik’s narrowed gaze, Salinse added, “I am not toying with you. I am trying to respect your professed wishes. If we begin that discussion, it will take time. Time we do not currently have. You must rescue your mate. That has to take priority.”

  Pausing, he folded his hands in his lap. “We now have confirmation that Terian has taken her out of Asia.”

  Revik stared at the old Sark’s face.

  In the silence that followed, a swell of pain rose that made it difficult to remain still. He tried again to find her with his light. Again, he hit a wall. He needed solitude. He also needed to be outside of the Rebels’ construct.

  After a pause, he made a polite gesture of acknowledgement.

  “Thank you. As I said, I would appreciate any help your people could give me. Anything at all. Including simply letting me leave.”

  Salinse smiled. “I think we can help you a great deal more than that.”

  “Do you know where he has her?”

  Salinse gestured affirmative. “You are aware of the boy?”

  Revik nodded. “Yes.”

  “Good. This is very important, nephew.” The old Sark’s eyes grew very still. “Terian is not your problem. Not anymore. He is not the one holding your wife. It is the boy. It is essential that you understand this.”

  Revik didn’t speak, focusing his eyes on the fire grate.

  After a pause, he nodded. “I gathered that, yes.”

  Salinse’s light flickered palely once more, skirting the edges of Revik’s body. When Revik looked up, the old Sark sighed.

  “You do not understand,” he said. “Your experience with Terian has blinded you to the reality of what is occurring now. I do not blame you for this, but I ask you to hear me… to think about my words. The balance of power is shifting again. That which sits at the top will change once more. Very soon.”

  His voice grew sharper.

  “Galaith had his faults. He was overly ambitious in many ways, and had no regard for the free will of our people. He was also far too committed to seeing his own vision fulfilled with the humans.”

  He clicked softly, making a flowing movement with one hand.

  “…and yet… and yet… he was quite effective at organizing all of our peoples. He minimized dissension, used treaties effectively. He worked out compromises with the humans that kept them from overreacting to seers’ continued existence in their world. Most of all, he created order within the Barrier.” Salinse smiled faintly at Revik. “I understand we had you to thank for that, in large part.”

  Revik frowned, still looking at the fire.

  Salinse let out another clicking sigh. “Without Galaith, we can look forward to nothing but chaos as the Displacement arrives. Terian will only make that worse. He lacks Galaith’s strength. He also lacks his predecessor’s ability to inspire.”

  Revik didn’t look over, but found himself thinking.

  He nodded, shortly. “That is true.”

  Salinse said, “We are on the same side again, Revik, although that may not be so clear to you now. Terian, by himself, would have imploded in time. He was only ever marginally a leader, even with his ties to the Dreng.”

  Shaking his head, he added softly,

  “But if he finds a way to control the boy through your mate… if he owns the Bridge, in addition to the boy… everything changes.”

  Salinse met his gaze, his eyes now sharp as cut porcelain.

  “You must kill the boy, Revik. My people can handle Terian.” His fingers pointed at Revik’s chest. “That is my only contract with you. Kill the boy, and our debt is settled.”

  Revik didn’t answer. He found himself turning over the seer’s words, looking for flaws, a trick of some kind. He could find none.

  “Done,” he said, nodding once. “We have a contract.” He gave the old seer a half-smile. “And you should have bargained more, Salinse. I would have done that for free.”

  He struggled to his feet, straightening with an effort.

  “One last thing,” he said, looking down at Salinse. “If it’s relevant.” At Salinse’s accommodating gesture, he said, “How do you know about the boy at all? Did you have people watching me before now? Or were you aware of what occurred in Sikkim?”

  Salinse didn’t hesitate.

  “I was contacted by Terian himself,” he said. “He came here, looking for materials on the first war… on Syrimne, specifically. He wanted our help. He wanted it badly enough to come in person, and we were able to get enough imprints from his light to track him afterwards.”

  “Why?” Revik said, genuinely puzzled.

  Salinse gave a wry smile. “Well, apart from him having the only direct line to the Dreng, he was acting suspicious. Highly suspicious… and his questions were too pointed, too specific to be wholly academic.”

  “No,” Revik said, shaking his head with a frown. “Not why did you track him. Why did he come to you? The records are clear enough on Syrimne––Barrier and otherwise. Th
at’s unlike him, to risk exposure.”

  Salinse made a vague gesture with one hand.

  “I do not know the answer to that, nephew. But he was very interested in the psychological profile of Syrimne. He wanted detailed, first-hand accounts of his motivations, fears, strengths, weaknesses. Any likely triggers or instabilities.”

  Revik felt his throat tighten. “What did you tell him?”

  “Very little,” Salinse said. “He is not an ally, although he sought such a relationship with me. It was Galaith with whom we had, shall we say… an understanding.”

  Revik felt his jaw clench.

  “What did you tell him?” he said again.

  Salinse sighed. “I will be blunt. He wanted to know about Elaerian mating habits. He wanted to know if finding him a female companion might calm him… or if there was some other method that might work better.”

  Revik felt his face drain of blood.

  He knew. Somehow he knew, even at that school at Sikkim… even before he saw the little monster lay a hand on her. The kid would head straight for Allie.

  Terian was simply his errand boy.

  Salinse blinked a pair of transparent lids, studying Revik’s face. As if coming to some sort of conclusion, he folded his hands.

  “I am trying to help you, nephew. And to warn you. This boy, whoever he is… he seems to see himself as your wife’s true mate. As a result, he will view you as a direct threat.” The Sark paused. “Terian has no idea what he’s dealing with in this. The boy has been alone… for far, far too long. He will not be able to control himself. There are things you probably have not yet had an opportunity to discover about your wife.”

  Pausing again, he gentled his voice.

  “Elaerian are not Sarks, Revik. They bond with creatures differently than we do.”

  Revik tried to hold onto logic, to think about this rationally, but he found himself remembering her light, what it had done to him. Not just that first time, but every time after. It never stopped looking for that counterpoint in him, something he hadn’t been able to give her. Avoiding the pain that tried to rise, he forced his eyes back on the room, pulling himself out of the Barrier.

  He gestured to the old seer that he understood.

  “You said they’d left Asia,” Revik said. “Where are they, exactly?”

  Salinse smiled wanly. “I suppose Terian thought it would be an unlikely place,” he said. “In a way, it is… and it makes sense he would take her where he felt best able to protect her.” He met Revik’s gaze with those clouded eyes. “They are en route to the mainland of the United States. We haven’t pinpointed a final destination yet, but we’re working on it.”

  Revik nodded, backing towards the door.

  “Can we be out of here by the end of the day?” he said. “I’d rather do any tactical planning en route.”

  He was already calculating times in his head.

  Twenty hours, minimum, to most parts of the United States from here. Possibly more, depending on what they had by way of transport, how long it took them to gear up, and how long to reach whatever served as an airstrip in this part of… wherever the hell he was.

  Salinse gestured affirmative. “Of course. Wreg will assist you.”

  Seeing Revik’s hard look, Salinse clicked softly.

  “He understands the importance of this mission… and he is loyal to the Bridge.”

  “I’m in charge,” Revik said. “That’s non-negotiable, Salinse. They do what I say, or I go alone.”

  Salinse smiled faintly, then bowed to him, using the formal version.

  “You are in charge. Of course, nephew.”

  His smile grew more subtle, containing a flavor of something Revik didn’t much like.

  “…As it is all entirely as it should be,” the old Sark quoted, softer.

  35

  FALLING

  REVIK LEFT THE elevator and walked out to the main floor. Tightening his shields around him a little, he looked around the hangar-like space.

  He felt conspicuous suddenly, but he didn’t have time to be shy. He reached out with his light, found Wreg almost at once. Clicking out, he sought him with his eyes, making out his uniformed outline among a group of similarly dressed seers.

  Before he could shift the direction of his feet, someone clasped his arm.

  He jerked violently, turning.

  He’d been half-ready to fight.

  Instead he found himself staring into a pair of hazel eyes he’d never expected to see again, at least not with life in them.

  “Revik? Revik! Jesus… what are you doing here?”

  The human’s voice was full of relief.

  “Damn, it’s good to see you! But what happened to your leg, man?”

  Revik gazed blankly into the face of Jon.

  Something about being face to face with the human, the adopted brother of his wife, threw him completely out of his calm, out of any semblance of linear thought. Without fully acknowledging it to himself, he had assumed Jon and Cass were dead, or at the very least, captured by the Americans.

  But it was more than that. The human’s open face and light, his obvious happiness to see him, hit like a blow to the face.

  Jon released his arm.

  He looked up at him, his smile faltering. His eyes took in how Revik looked, the expression on his face.

  “Revik, man… what’s going on?” Jon said. “Where’s Allie? Is she here?”

  “No,” he said.

  Revik cleared his throat, but found it difficult to speak. He was still trying to pull words together, when two other people converged on him from the other side, throwing off his equilibrium even further.

  “Revik!” Cass bounded up, her arms wide. She looked different––almost like she had before the events of the past year, even with the scar on her face.

  She looked almost happy.

  “Revik! You’re here! Thank gods!”

  Before he could move out of the way, she threw her arms around him, crushing him in a hug. He just stood there, unmoving. Without meaning to, he met the gaze of the man walking up from behind her. Balidor gave him a smile as well, but it stood out on a more emotionally complex face.

  His eyes full, he patted Revik’s shoulder affectionately as Cass let him go.

  “It is good to see you, brother,” he said. His voice sounded like he meant it.

  Revik thought a question, but never got it out.

  Balidor answered him anyway.

  “There isn’t much left of us,” was all he said.

  Revik looked around the giant hangar, as if seeing it for the first time. Over half of it appeared to be full of what were probably refugees from Seertown, he realized. Camped out on the floor with blankets and bedding next to piles of scattered belongings, rugs and food, cooking utensils and even domestic animals, they appeared to be bunking down for the night at least, probably until it was safe to return to their homes.

  Assuming it ever was. Safe, that is.

  “This can’t be everyone,” he said.

  Balidor made an affirmative gesture. “It is not,” he said. “Many went to Delhi. Others went deeper into the mountains, and to friends and relatives in China. Some were transported out by what remained of the Americans. This is only one place.”

  Revik looked at him. “The Adhipan?”

  “Assisting refugees. I sent most of them back to the Pamir. For now.” He hesitated. “…with Vash,” he added. “Tarsi, too. Most of the Council. Several others among the older monks. Those we cannot afford to lose.”

  Revik nodded wordlessly. He understood the Adhipan’s charge.

  Jon’s voice brought his eyes back.

  “Where’s Allie?” Jon said, sharper. He was staring hard at Revik when he turned. “Revik? Where is she? Why isn’t she with you?”

  Cass looked at Jon, then up at Revik, releasing his sleeves where she’d still been holding onto his arms. Frowning, she did what Jon had done, taking Revik in with new eyes. Her gaze landed on th
e cast around his thigh, the angle in which he stood, then returned to his face, the expression he wore.

  She touched his arm, gentler that time.

  “Revik?” she said. “Are you all right?”

  Balidor was staring at him, too. From the look on the Adhipan leader’s face, Revik thought he might be reading him.

  He didn’t care. He didn’t want to have this conversation.

  It was one thing to speak tactically about what had happened to Allie, with someone like Salinse. He couldn’t deal with the emotional reactions of her friends, or the look that would come to Cass and Jon’s faces when he told them who had her.

  After what happened the year before, he couldn’t predict how they might react.

  And he couldn’t help them with it.

  “You should stay here,” he said, after too long a pause. He looked at Balidor. “You’ll stay? Keep things together here?”

  From the look on Balidor’s face, the Adhipan leader had read him, after all. Something behind his eyes had dimmed, despite his infiltrator’s mask.

  “Of course, brother. I am at your disposal. You do not want me with you?”

  Revik thought about it for a long pause, then shook his head, glancing at the refugees huddled against one half of the hangar.

  “Not for this,” he said. “I could use you, but… no. I thank you for the offer.”

  “Any of my people? There are ten here, in total.”

  “Salinse has offered me numbers.”

  Balidor hesitated, then made a short gesture that he understood.

  Jon and Cass exchanged looks.

  Wide-eyed, the two of them looked to Balidor when Revik wouldn’t return their gaze. Jon seemed to catch on first, which didn’t surprise Revik. He’d seen a lot about Allie’s two closest friends, collared or not, while all three were captives of Terian. Despite being human, Jon had near-seer abilities at times.

  In fact, Revik had wondered more than once if Allie had restructured his light in some way, knowingly or not, as they grew up together.

  But thinking about her brought another hard pulse of pain, enough that Balidor flinched, then gripped his arm.

  “Brother,” he said softly. “Where is she?”