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She aimed that finger at me.

“Shadow wants you dead, Bridge. Shadow wants you dead so badly he can taste it. Your husband’s right to be worried. Maybe he’s right about a lot of things you don’t really want to think about.”

I didn’t answer.

My mind turned over Tarsi’s words. I could feel the rebuke. Even so, as understanding filtered over my light, I didn’t feel chastened.

I felt pissed off.

That rage gradually filled my light.

It wasn’t just rage at Menlim.

It was rage at all of them. It was rage at the lengthsallof these fuckers were willing to go, no matter how much ground they’d won, no matter how much power they had, no matter how many people they’d killed, no matter how many lives and beauty they destroyed.

It was never enough.

It would neverbeenough.

They would never be satisfied. There was no appeasing them. There were no half-wins, or compromises, no areas of alignment or agreement. They were bottomless pits. Their hunger was endless. They existed only to ruin the world for everyone else.

Maybe that was part of Tarsi’s message.

Maybe I needed to be willing to cross lines I hadn’t wanted to cross, take risks I hadn’t been willing to take, break rules I’d left unbroken.

They had no lines, no rules, nothing they wouldn’t destroy.

Maybe it wouldn’t be enough to take the road I’d always taken. Maybe it wouldn’t be enough. Maybe beating them meant sacrificing myself.

Maybe it meant sacrificing people I loved.

The idea terrified me. It terrified me beyond reason, especially when I thought about the people seated around this table, much less Lily and Revik.

I also felt Tarsi thinking I should be giving Revik his head more, especially in those areas where he excelled. I found myself thinking maybe she was right. Maybe I was holding him back. At the very least, maybe I was refusing to take advantage of who and what he was.

Behind me, I felt Revik agree.

Exhaling, I leaned deeper into his chest.

Fair enough.

But if Revik wanted a free head with this, he had to give me one, too.

I exhaled. “Menlim is doing this, trying to break our bond? Him specifically?”

Balidor and Tarsi exchanged a look.

Then Balidor looked at Jon, who grimaced.

“Not Menlim, no––” Balidor began.

“Terian,” Jon leaned back in his chair. He folded his arms, glancing at Wreg. “I felt Terian there. So did the rest of us who know his light.” He looked directly at me. “But I suspect you already knew that, Al, given how you asked the question.”

I didn’t bother to confirm. “How is he getting through?”

Jon shrugged. I couldn’t help noticing how seer he looked in his leather jacket and dark red shirt, which somehow made him appear more Wreg-like than usual.

“Presumably through Revik,” he said. “Maybe Menlim’s helping him. Or maybe Menlim’s using Terian alone for this.” He frowned, folding his arms tighter. “Either way, it definitely felt like him. And it definitely felt like it’s coming from Dubai. So whatever other bullshit he fed you when he showed up in the tank, he probably told you the truth about where he is. This is probably another attempt to get you there. Maybe he thinks if he screws with the two of you enough, you’llhavecome to him.”