“All in one year?”Erik’s tone hitwhat-the-fucklevels it hadn’t since training.“We didn’t hear any of that.I mean, my Younger and I didn’t.”Jake would have said something—unless he was better at keeping secrets than Erik ever dreamed.
Which was possible.But Ignatius should have briefed them both, and they should have been pulled back for active defense.
It boggled the mind.Where was their Control?Just who had Erik’s Father been talking to?
“So it seems.”Grigori indicated the hallway and Erik fell into step beside him with a nod of thanks to the Younger behind the counter.It was like keeping up with Ignatius, only far less comforting.“However, there is some good news.There’s been a spike in the number of potentials found recently.”
“Good news that might not be,” Erik muttered.Humanity tended to produce those capable of becomingliraiin waves, usually in response to stressful events—like any species, struggling to evolve and survive.
Striding through the halls, other Sons glancing curiously at him but going about their business, a Father leading the way up several flights of stairs—it was like rain in the desert, and he hadn’t realized how much he missed it.Bright snow-reflected sunlight pierced windows broad and narrow, and the entire stone fabric of the temple hummed, happy to holdlirai.The counterpoint of thrumming basso power from the Sons only served to make that vividness more marked, morereal.
His internal map told him they were heading for the eastern tower, and his palms grew damp.He was going to see her soon.
“Indeed.”Grigori’s pace, an even glide, was inalterable as fate.“Now I have something else to tell you, Erik.”
“Proceed.”It was a fairly good Ignatius impression.Maybe he’d shift to Father in a while, if his hair developed a grey streak.
A few months ago, he might have been pleased at the notion.Now he wasn’t so sure.
“Would you be surprised to know your Younger Jacob called a very old dropline the evening before last, asking for teams to bring himself and a potential to Rochester?”
“I wouldn’t.”The relief was instant, and total.“He must’ve called right before I found them, after thesarnakiattack.”
“Yes.”Grigori nodded.“My lord Daniel says you held off two of the spear-wielders.An accomplishment.”
Erik’s throat had gone dry.There was nothing to say, and they reached the top of a long sweeping spiral, another hall studded with shafts of winter sunlight stretching before them.At the end, a pair of iron doors etched with a life-sized dreaming-tree stood, and two Elders on guard duty bookmarked either side.They eyed him curiously as well; Erik set his chin.
“Courage, my son.”Grigori’s pace didn’t slacken; he obviously felt some things were best done quickly, like ripping a facehugger off a drained corpse.
Yeah, I think I’ll need it.He waited for the Father to knock, and an irritable noise from inside managed to filter through the waterfall of baffling over the door.
She sounded just the same.
The right leaf of the door opened a crack.A Younger—sienna skin, short red-black hair, and a proud high prow of a nose—peered through, and his expression went through several small changes before settling on profound relief.“Is it him?”he asked, sweeping the door wide and beckoning Grigori.
“In the flesh,” the Father replied, somewhat sardonically, and moved forward.
Erik followed, helpless not to.
“Thank the Dreamers.This one’s a handful.”The Younger stuck out his hand in Erik’s general direction.“Dakshi, brother.Well met.”
“Erik.”They clasped forearms, a greeting already ancient when Rome was a collection of mud huts on a riverbank.“Let me guess.She’s making lists.”
“Youdoknow her.”Dakshi’s rueful grin was far more expressive than Jake’s, even if he felt a little older.“Come in.Let’s not keep our lady waiting.”
Theliraimwas beautiful, the kind he would have wanted for her to begin with.The floors were stripped pine, the furniture spare and more modern than he’d expected.A dove-grey linen sectional couch, comfortable wide overstuffed chairs, a coffee table’s sinuous pale ashwood curve—maybe she wouldn’t like it, but he thought it suited her perfectly.
And there, her arms crossed, a wide-necked black sweater slipping to one side to show a slice of her collarbone and the hollow before her shoulder, dark hair damp and braided back tightly, Liv Stellack regarded him over acres of sunnyliraimair that suddenly refused to fill his lungs.Theoneirosgleamed against her breastbone, the jeans made her legs look longer than ever, and she had a pair of black sneakers he remembered packing for her a few days ago.
It felt like a lifetime.
“Oh, thank God,” she said, and theoneiroslit with a warm pulse that flashed through him and away, rattling all the sitting-room furniture.“Erik.”
“Liv.”There was something in his throat.She wasn’t looking like she hated him.In fact, she dropped her hands and took two steps forward.Three.Straight for him, and he braced himself for a slap, for a screaming woman, for aliraito be pried off him as she pummeled her betrayer and he stood absolutely still, because he deserved it.
Liv flew across the remaining distance, threw her arms around him as far as they would reach, buried her face in his chest, and hugged with surprising strength.“Youasshole,” she hissed into his T-shirt.“Took you long enough.”
A Live Snake
