Revik: A Bridge and Sword Novel by Andrijeski JC

Author:Andrijeski, JC
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: White Sun Press
Published: 2023-04-25T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 13

Be Afraid Of Me

Kali tensed as he approached, more so when she felt his light glide around hers in yet another, more invasive flicker.

Again, she could tell the behavior of his light was only partly conscious, that it constituted more compulsion than direction, but the pure insistence of it, which had worsened noticeably in the intervening days since she’d last spoken to him, made her nervous.

He looked physically unwell to her, too, she realized.

Once she noticed, she frowned, assessing his body and face for real.

After another pause, she decided most of what she saw appeared to be exhaustion.

He looked like he hadn’t slept in days.

His overall demeanor appeared exhausted yet agitated, as if he was running on adrenaline and caffeine––or maybe something quite a bit stronger than caffeine. His body looked worn out as a result, his light erratic, and less tightly attached to his physical form.

But she’d already known he was a drug addict.

Uye warned her about that, too.

He’d also warned her how much more intensely addicted and obsessive young seers could get with human-made narcotics, even compared to young humans.

Again, Kali tried not to connect that too closely to her unborn daughter’s fate.

He was young yet.

It was likely just a phase, one he would grow out of. Anyway, drugs were hardly unusual in this part of the world right now, for seers or humans.

Her awareness of his probable mental state still intensified her caution when she saw the dilation of his pupils inside those clear, colorless irises, especially when she got a good look at them up close.

If he had been out walking, he must have brought some of his drugs with him.

He stopped within a few feet of her. Standing there, he rearranged his weight on his feet a few times, as if unsure why he’d approached her at all.

Something in the vulnerability wafting off him opened her heart to him again.

It also alarmed her slightly, given how different he felt from the first time they met.

Now that he was in front of her, the changes were even more dramatic than what she’d felt from a distance. She still couldn’t be sure if those changes boded well or not, for either of them, really, especially since he seemed incapable of hiding them from her.

“You should not be here,” he said, blunt.

She smiled at him, made a polite gesture. “Where should I be, brother?”

“Not here,” he said.

He glanced up at the Hotel Majestic.

She felt that tension vibrating his light worsen.

“My girlfriend…” He hesitated, and Kali saw something in his face tighten. “…One of my companions. She is looking for you, sister.”

“Is she?” Kali inquired. “Should that worry me?”

She asked more to see what he’d say, since she already knew the answer.

“Yes,” he said, unblinking. “It should.”

Another silence fell between them.

That time, Kali decided not to break it.

Eventually, he did.

“Why are you still in Saigon?” He frowned at her as he folded his arms. “You delivered your message to me. Why haven’t you left? Is there more?”

“No.” She shook her head.

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