Tired of being jerked around, I started a melee between the clans right out in the open, not knowing that blood would draw the Teras, awful winged monsters that sweep across the plains like a plague, eating everything in sight. And because of an evolutionary boon, you can’t see them coming—just hear the sound of their wings.
Despite my best intentions, I can still hear the Gunnar warriors screaming as they were swept away on that hungry tide, an unseen army of claws and talons rushing around me in the dark. I shiver. No more thinking of that. Not now. It’s safe here behind the electrical perimeter, and nobody is bleeding.
I make myself smile at Keri. “I swear I didn’t intend for this to turn into such a—Doc!” I spot him about thirty meters out and take off at a dead run.
Part of me had worried I’d never see him again. What if Vel had lied about leaving him in a trunk when he took his place? That’s how the bounty hunter managed to snag me; he pretended to be Doc. So there’s some truth to the Syndicate’s worry that Sliders—a human slang term for Ithtorians, or Bugs, as they’re also called—present a threat to our way of life.
But Vel didn’t lie. There Doc stands, solid and sturdy, still wearing his salt-and-pepper goatee, and his hair shorn close to his skull. Come to that, we have the same haircut now.
He breaks into a broad smile and meets me halfway. His hug practically pulverizes my ribs, but I don’t care. My eyes sting. Doc was the first one to treat me like I wasn’t dangerous or criminally insane, responsible for the lost lives on the Sargasso. I’ll never forget him for that.
“I missed you,” I say shakily. This probably isn’t ambassadorial behavior, but I don’t give a shit. “You’re really all right?”
“I’m fine, Jax. Good to see you, too. Er, you can let go now.” Yep, it’s definitely Doc. I expect him to comment on my fragile appearance, but he has more tact than that. I’ve been surrounded by the likes of March, Dina, and Jael too long.
My bodyguard says, “They’ll have you on the news, speculating about an illicit affair with him, by morning. Possible impropriety by the New Terran ambassador?” he intones, just like one of the talking heads.
“Please. Nobody cares.” But I step back nonetheless.
Doc scans all our faces and seems to focus on Vel. “You. I believe you mistook me for luggage on our last meeting.”
Since Vel looks like everyone and no one, it’s a logical leap, and Doc excels in that area. I can’t imagine what he makes of the situation we currently find ourselves in. Hopefully, he’ll be able to help me. I can’t think too long about the possibilities otherwise.
“Sorry about that.” I must say, Vel doesn’t look sorry. “Farwan supplied me with erroneous information.”
For a long, tense moment, I think cool, calm pacifist Doc might sock the bounty hunter in the nose. Then he says, “I suppose everyone makes mistakes. Let’s go inside, shall we?”
The gutter press follows at a discreet distance, filming the whole time. I’d suggest feeding them to the Teras, but that might strike a sore spot with Keri. I’ve already hurt the poor girl enough.
March throws brooding looks over his shoulder now and then. I bet he’d like to pound them on principle. Mary, I don’t know what to do about that. I know I’m hurting him. And I want him; I miss him. But I can’t let myself need him, not because I’m physically incapacitated. And if he doesn’t understand that, then he doesn’t know me at all.
Just from this short walk, my fingertips have gone numb, the icy wind ripping right through me. When I picked out the vest, I forgot it was still winter here. Time is fluid, so the moments where everything feels perfect pass in a wink, and those where you’re on your knees in despair drag on like the death of a thousand cuts.
As if he notices my discomfort, Jael presses up against my right side in a manner that’s destined to provoke March in the worst way. The merc can be such an asshole—he’s just doing it for the entertainment value. I pretend I don’t notice either of them.
Fucking men.
We pass into the warmth of the house and shut ourselves away from prying eyes. I hope. I muster a smile, even though I’m already tired as hell. Yeah, just from that short hike. Couldn’t have been more than half a kilometer.
Keri’s home is lovely as ever, with all the elegance that surprised me the first time I visited. The place possesses the old-world charm of handcrafted moldings, shimmering marble tiles, and carpets so thick I’m afraid to walk on them. They’ve redone the foyer since I was here last, though: red and black now, a little more foreboding than the chilly silver and white elegance her grandmother had favored.
The tiles form a pattern I can’t identify, though I’ve seen it somewhere before. I stare down, absently rubbing my hands up and down my biceps. Up the stairs, she offers capacious guest suites, and hallways lead in either direction. An enormous silver-gilt mirror with acid-etched leaves dominates the far wall, offering distorted hints of the people standing in the foyer. I can’t help but shiver, as if we’ve been granted a glimpse into the afterlife, nothing but vague shapes and shadows.
“Looks beautiful,” March says. “It’s completely you, Keri.”
“Thank you.” Her cheeks pink with delicate color as she turns toward him.
Just like that, she forgets me. I’d also forgotten the huge, unrequited crush she had on March the last time we stopped here. The little darling—she’s all of nineteen, fights like a chi master, and had started to learn advanced feats before her grandmother passed away. On top of all that, at her age, she acts as joint chieftain to her clan. Keri has smooth skin, a sylph’s shape, a spill of night-dark hair, and eyes that gleam like pale jade. And by March’s smiles, he’s noticing for the first time how lovely his mentor’s granddaughter has grown to be.
I fucking hate the bitch.
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CHAPTER 26