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I stepped pointedly out of the way. I realized only then that I’d positioned myself even more firmly between Revik and this other seer than Revik had himself. It felt uncomfortable to remove myself, like an admission of defeat.

“Semi-private,” I said, my voice holding a touch of warning.

I forced myself to make an accommodating gesture.

I felt Revik’s light react to that, too.

“We don’t have time for you to go far, brother.” I gestured towards the guard booth at the end of the pier. “That will be about as well as you can do. He’s out of time.”

The green-eyed seer only looked relieved.

“Thank you, Esteemed Bridge,” he murmured.

I watched as he motioned politely for Revik to walk ahead of him.

I watched Revik do as he asked.

Again, I fought to calm my light, feeling more than seeing the change in Revik’s. I saw hisaleimiavoid that of the other seer. The emotions I felt through our bond came through confused, bordering on angry now. He looked younger to me suddenly, almost vulnerable, and something about seeing him with the other male made me look away.

That time, I bit my lip hard enough that I tasted blood.

* * *

Crossingmy arms in front of my chest, I walked deliberately to Balidor.

I stopped a foot from where his armor and guns ended.

I stared into his face.

“Who is he?”

Balidor clicked quietly, rubbing his jaw with a hand. He looked tired.

“They are a very old group, Esteemed Sister.” Balidor still wouldn’t look at me directly. He folded his arms in a way that felt defensive. “I have heard of them, of course. I was not aware of their current activities, not until?”

“Cut the shit, ‘Dori. I didn’t ask about his Bridge-worshippingcult.”I fought to keep from smacking him with my light. “I asked abouthim.That seer. Over there. With Revik. Who thefuckis he? How do you both know him?”

Balidor let out another clicking sigh.

Turning, he narrowed his eyes. He watched Revik and the other male’s backs as the two of them entered the guard post, about thirty yards from where we stood. When Balidor looked back at me, I was surprised to see a glimmer of sadness in his eyes, along with something that might have been compassion?even pity.

“His name is Dalejem,” Balidor said simply.

Something about the way he said it made me pause. As per usual with Balidor, I couldn’t feel a damned thing on his light, even standing this close to him.

That maddening, impenetrable Adhipan wall.

The green-eyed seer had one of those walls, too?a wall that suddenly felt a hell of a lot like Balidor’s. Even Jon noticed how much Balidor and the mystery seer felt alike.

I was about to ask…

When something hit at my light.

Confusion. Sadness. Pain. Grief mixed with something like alarm, or maybe disbelief.

Anger. A fuck of a lot of anger.

The emotions pelted my light in a wash of heat, intense enough that I turned without thought. Before I could take a step, Balidor caught my arm, trying to stop me.