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The force threw Jon’s assailant harder into Jon’s body.

Jon’s knee buckled, partly from the blunt force and partly out of shock. The next thing he knew, he was on his back, and the person lay on top of him, unconscious.

“Jesus Christ!” he gasped. “Get her thefuckoff me!”

Maygar leaned down. He caught hold of the clothes of the young female lying on Jon?Jon still couldn’t tell if she was seer or human?and yanked her unceremoniously off him by the back of the leather jacket she wore.

Jon let out a longer cry.

The pain in his side abruptly worsened.

Maygar tossed the woman unceremoniously to her back by the row of fuzzy barstools. Jon caught a glimpse of the long blade in her hand, covered in dark-red blood. Letting out a gasp, he clamped a hand over the hole in his side, fighting not to pass out.

“Are you all right, brother?”

Maygar’s voice sounded worried. He went down on one knee next to Jon.

Jon looked up, biting his lip and grimacing, in part to keep from yelling at him.

Still looking at Jon, and now apparently seeing the blood, Maygar glanced at the female on the floor, seeing the bloody knife she clutched in one, white-knuckled hand.

“Gaos,”he said. “The bitch got you.”

He reached for the wound, but Jon pushed his hand away.

“No,” he managed. “Cover us, goddamn it. See who else is back there… just becareful.I’ll send the ID to Wreg on the one you just knocked out.” Fighting to breathe, and to think, he pulled his hand off the stab wound, peering down at it. After a pause, he shook his head. “If you talk to anyone on the carrier, don’t tell them about this.”

“Why the fuck not?” Maygar frowned, his hand halfway to his earpiece. “Shestabbedyou, brother. There could be internal damage.”

Jon let out a humorless laugh.

“The thoughthadoccurred to me. But I’m not sure how making Wreg flip out and send in the calvary to shoot the place up is going to heal my side, brother. The bad news can wait. Let’s find the Lister, first.”

Jon winced as he braced his weight, fighting his way up to a seated position.

He pressed his palm harder over the hole.

Maygar let Jon’s “brother” go by without comment, just like Jon had with him. Clicking under his breath, the dark-eyed seer exhaled.

“Fine. But let me put a field dressing on it, at least?”

“In a minute.” Jon motioned towards the curtain, wincing. “Look back there, first. Or all of this is for nothing. Just be careful,” he repeated, harsher. “I mean it, Maygar. I don’t want your ‘Dad’ stabbing me a second time.”

Maygar grunted, flushing. “Whatever.”

Adjusting the rifle in his hands, Maygar turned towards the red velvet curtain.

Before he could take a step in that direction?

The curtain parted a second time.

A person walked out that time, their steps slow, unhurried.

Jon found himself staring at a muscular seer.

He was damned tall. He had to be close to Revik’s height.

It was definitely a seer that time too, no question, with black and gold-streaked hair and light green eyes, almost the color of Allie’s. An unusual ring of pale violet circled the outer edge of his irises, reminding Jon strangely of Revik and Allie’s daughter. While the colors weren’t the same, he’d never seen ringed eyes like that on anyone else.