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Revik looked back at the stage. “I hope you’re enjoying yourself,” he said. “You’ve got to know you’re going to lose every single fucking body you have in this room. So I sincerely hope it’s worth it for you, this little show of yours.”

Terian chuckled. Sliding closer to where Revik sat, he slung his arm affectionately over the back of the couch. Clenching his jaw, Revik leaned forward, placing his own arms on his thighs as he watched his wife.

“I didn’t touch her,” Terian assured him.

Revik gave him a cold look.

Terian held up his hands in mock innocence. “You doubt me? I am hurt. Now that wouldn’t be brotherly of me, would it? Especially given the difficulties you two kids seem to be having of late.”

Dalejem let out a disbelieving snort.

Revik clenched his jaw. “What do you want? You called us here. Baited us with our own goddamned marital bond, blackmailed my wife into performing tricks. What the fuck do you want, Terry? Or are you just playing with us before you turn us over to Menlim?”

But Terian barely seemed to hear that last part.

He smiled, clicking a soft rebuke as he shook his head.

“You know, Revi’, you and your wife have no one but yourselves to blame. I would never have been able to do that to either of you, if you’d bonded properly. You can hardly blameme,when you and she have played this little game ever since you agreed to the vows. The vast majority of your problems over these last few years stem from this commitment phobia of yours, brother, this fear of being hurt?”

“Terry.” Revik gave him a hard stare. “Whatthe fuckdo you want?”

Terian smiled, glancing around at the others sitting amongst the different versions of him. Revik followed his gaze to Jax, who was staring in some bewilderment at the Revik lookalike. Dalejem appeared to be studying the seer with the orange-colored eyes, but Revik felt the pain in his light again, even as Dalejem seemed to be fighting to hide it.

“That one wants to fuck you, Revi’,” Terian observed, also looking at Dalejem. “Gods, he’s hungry for you, brother. He’s so hungry it’s turning me on. Were you aware?”

“Yes,” Revik said, blunt.

He looked back at the amber-eyed seer, his impatience sliding back into a harder anger. “What the fuck do you want? Are you going to tell me?”

“I need your help, Revi’.”

Revik stared at him.

Then he let out a disbelieving laugh.

“What?” he said.

Terian held up a hand. “I am serious. I need your help. I am quite desperate for it, in fact. Thus the theatrics. I apologize for that, I really do, but I knew of no other way to bring you here. I knew my buying up List seers and humans might not be enough. Not after what happened to you last year. I neededmore,Revi’. I needed real leverage.”

Revik shook his head, clicking in disbelief.

“So you went after my marriage?”

“It is only temporary, what I did! And I did not go anywhere near the structures your darling Alyson recently built in you. The ones that keep you and your precious daughter alive.”

Revik grimaced at the mention of Lily, but not only because of that. Terian knew what Allie had done, disconnecting them from the light of the Dreng. Thinking about that, he clicked under his breath, shaking his head.

“You must know I came here to kill you,” he said.

“I know, brother, I know.” Terian held up his hand in another peace gesture. “It is why I took her right away. Do you see? I had no choice.”

“The trader was yours?” Revik’s eyes shifted, narrowing on where Efrail once stood. He realized for the first time that the sheik trader no longer stood there. “All of that was a set-up? On the docks?”

“Yes.” Terian’s eyes grew borderline puzzled, as if he didn’t understand why Revik felt the need to keep asking questions. “Of course. Well… sort of. I pushed him to find you at that pier. Through the construct.”

Revik stared at him, fighting disbelief.

Eventually, he could only expel another humorless laugh.