Allie's War Season Three (48 page)

It was a little hard to take, that he'd had a kid with Raven.

Not only because I didn't like her. Not even wholly because Raven helped put me in that cell in D.C., and stood by and watched while Terian nearly killed me. It was also because, somewhere in the back of my mind, I'd always known more existed between her and Revik than he'd ever wanted to admit to me. Not that I thought he lied to me about the relationship, per se, but more that I'd always felt this bond between them, something I couldn't put my finger on, but that I knew in my gut existed.

I guess it was good to know he was capable of having children, anyway.

Although not
overly
reassuring, since I had no idea if I was. I guess I'd also been hoping that having a kid together could be one thing Revik and I did as 'firsts' together.

In any case, I shook everyone out of the stupor we'd all fallen into, staring at that partial list of intermediary beings in the corner booth of Third Jewel.

"You all need sleep," I said. At Balidor's frown, I added, "...You too, 'Dori."

"What about your Lao Hu infiltrator?" Balidor protested. "He said there's a time factor involved, did he not?"

"He did," I acknowledged, rolling my eyes when I realized he'd already checked in with his team regarding Surli. "Give it to Loki and Jorag...and Yumi, if you want Adhipan there. They can handle it. Just have them wake everyone up if they find anything urgent..."

Realizing suddenly that I was probably stepping on Revik's toes, handing out orders on the military and infiltration sides of the house, I hesitated, glancing at him. He was watching me with narrowed eyes, a faint smile on his face.

Sorry,
I sent to him.
Old habits...

It's fine, Allie...
He kissed my temple, letting his hand rest on my back.
As long as you can handle the repercussions...

Which are what?
I asked, glancing back at him with a smile.
Being able to say 'Nyah-Nyah' if I'm wrong and disaster strikes while you're all taking a nap?

You're coming with me to bed,
he said, sending a more intense pulse at my light.

I answered him aloud, unthinking.

"No," I said. "I can't."
Anyway...
I added, switching back to my mind.
I already slept.

"A few hours," he said, holding me tighter.
I'm not going up there alone, Allie...so it's that or you're stuck with me down here...

Glancing at the other two, I realized they'd probably figured out what we were talking about by then. I saw Balidor studiously avoiding both of our eyes, sipping his tea and gazing blandly out the window at the indoor gardens and waterfall of the atrium. I removed my stare from his face, just in time to catch Wreg smirking at me.

"Are you two done flirting?" the Chinese-looking seer said. "Are we dismissed? I'm fine with Loki and Jorag taking this one..." Smiling, he winked at me. "Anyway, I might just get an urge to beat on that Lao Hu asshole...apart from questioning him, I mean. So it's probably better I take a nap and rethink my evil ways..."

"Well, see that you do," I laughed, but kept my eyes a warning on his. "Make sure Loki and Jorag get the message, too..." I glanced at Balidor, and he gave me a wan smile that time, shrugging. Rolling my eyes, I added in his direction, "...Maybe give Yumi permission to trank them both if they get out of hand. She can take down Loki, can't she? I heard she got him in the ring the other day..."

Wreg snorted, but that fire remained in his eyes. I knew it would be a good long while before any of the ex-rebels forgave the Lao Hu.

I couldn't really blame them. Voi Pai had gone out of her way to humiliate them...turning Garensche and Jax into house servants, using Jorag and Loki as 'attendants' to the infiltrators. She'd thrown the majority of the non-infiltrators at the mercy of their human patrons, the Chinese government, who proceeded to divvy them up as work camp fodder for the next few months.

Revik was rubbing my back with one hand, massaging me through the shirt, and I found I was having trouble focusing.

"So we'll check in with the Lao Hu infiltrator in, what? Six hours?" I said.

"Make it four," Balidor advised.

I shrugged, glancing at Revik. "Fine. But not for everyone. We don't all have to be there, not for this."

Hearing Revik click at me softly, I chose to ignore it, pointing out with my light where he was so tired he was pulling on me.

Balidor and Wreg were already vacating the booth. Finishing off the last of his coffee, Revik got up to do the same after they'd disappeared through the café doors. I watched them go as I got up to join Revik, seeing the ex-rebel and the Adhipan leader walk out shoulder to shoulder. They were still obviously talking to one another, which was weird enough. If they ended up friends after all this, someone was going to score big on that pool.

Revik chuckled, pulling on my hand to bring me the rest of the way out of the booth. I hesitated again, right about when I finished straightening to a standing position.

"Damn," I said. "With Surli and everything...I completely forgot to go to the registration desk." Running my fingers through my hair, I clicked a little in irritation. "Hell...I could have asked 'Dori. He was right here..."

"Registration? What for?" Revik continued to tug me after him, the light behind his hand holding a faint thread of urgency. "Can it wait?"

"My stuff," I explained. "I think Balidor had them move it after the shooting. I need clean clothes, Revik. I stink. I'm already going on day two with this outfit, more with the other two I left in Jon's room...and I need a shower. I'm fine with taking it at your place, but I need something to change into..."

I saw understanding spark in his eyes, even as he shook his head.

"No," he said. "You don't need to do that now. Do it later."

"Revik," I sighed. "I appreciate your generosity with your clothes...I do. But I'll at least need something to put on when I wake up. Something that actually
fits
me, I mean..."

But he only shook his head again, tugging on my hand.

I gave in, unwilling to fight him. I followed him to the nearest bank of elevators, glancing only once, wistfully, at the registration desk and the seer who worked it. I didn't want to make a big deal, but I
wanted
my stuff...to me, it was worth the extra twenty or so minutes. I wanted all the little things. Shampoo. De-tangler. My own monitor. Face soap. The toothpaste brand I liked.
 
Moisturizer. Revik was a guy, through and through...including in every part of his bathroom gear. I was usually lucky if I could find lotion.

He must have heard some of that, because he chuckled again, pulling me closer. After he stabbed one of the buttons with his fingers, he pulled me into his arms, leaning against the back wall of the elevator car. He had a hand under my shirt before the doors closed, caressing my back as he pulled me tighter against him.

"Hey," I said, looking up. "You're going to
sleep,
you know..."

"Eventually," he smiled.

"No," I said, shoving lightly on his chest. "Not eventually. Now."

"You're getting awfully pushy, wife," he said. "It's a good thing it turns me on."

When he tried to kiss me though, I averted my face.

Undaunted, he lowered his mouth, kissing my neck instead. I found myself leaning into him when he didn't stop, feeling my light expand as he continued working his way down my shoulder with his lips and tongue. My mind drifted back to the last time we'd been alone, seemingly on its own, remembering when we'd woken up together in his room. My light opened the more I thought about it, and I felt his fingers tighten on my skin.

He tried to kiss my mouth again, but again, I turned my face away.

"Tease," he said softly.

But I barely heard him. While turned away, I also happened to notice which floor button he'd pressed.

"Why are we going to the sixtieth floor?" I asked accusingly.

"Better view," he murmured, kissing behind my ear.

I pushed at his arms again, but I could tell I was already fighting him less with my light than I should have been. When he moved his hands higher on my back, I slid an arm around his waist, leaning more of my weight against his.

"...Isn't that supposed to be a security buffer?" I said.

He shrugged where he held me, kissing my jaw. "It still is. More or less."

"What's the less part?"

He smiled, still looking at me. I saw that predatory glint in his eyes again.

"You have my stuff, don't you?" I accused.

Clicking in a kind of laugh, he kissed my face. "Sometimes you can be a little dense, wife."

"Did Balidor really okay you commandeering one of the penthouse suites?"

Revik nodded, once, adopting a more seer persona again. "He did," he said. "Took a little persuading, but not much, honestly. They'd already built a temporary construct over the floor...a private one, Allie. He even admitted to me that he'd been expecting that kind of request, so he'd worked out most of the security protocols already. In fact, all of our stuff has been there for over a week. I told the staff to move us while we were in that meeting..."

"In the meeting with Vash?" I said.

He nodded.

"The one we went to right after I left your room?"

He nodded again.

"And when did you do all of this?" I said, still somewhat thrown. "Revik, I went
straight there
after I took a shower and changed my clothes..."

"I started while we were still in bed," he said with a shrug, studying my eyes with some caution still. "...I asked if I could move your stuff, Allie...I asked, remember?"

"I remember," I said, still staring up at him. "So you were already making arrangements for us to move in together before we were even finished
talking
about it?"

He nodded again, hesitating at the incredulousness in my voice. Still studying my face, he kissed my temple, tugging me closer, so that my stomach lay against his.

"Is it okay, Allie?"

I didn't answer him at first. Staring at that lit button on the elevator panel, it occurred to me all at once that I was nervous. I'd wanted to live with Revik, sure. I'd even fantasized about what it might be like, living together, even as early as Seertown, in that period before he got back from Cairo. But the reality of it kind of crashed down on me now, making me wonder if maybe we were rushing things. There'd been that vacation-type cohabitation that Revik and I did at the rebel hideout. There was also that time on the cruise ship...and the weeks where we shared that cabin in the mountains. But this felt different.

I hadn't lived with any guy like
this
except Jaden.

Jaden, who'd still managed to cheat on me, even while we were living under the same roof.

Revik's arms tightened abruptly. "Allie. I'm not going to get 'bored' of you," he said, his voice suddenly hard. "I'm not human, okay...? We're not wired the same. Seeing you in the bathroom isn't going to make me want you any less."

I nodded, but couldn't help laughing a little in embarrassment.

"Sorry," I said. "Just had a minor panic attack."

"Is it too soon?" he pressed, watching my face. "Do you want to do the ceremony first?"

"Do you still want to do that?" I said, looking up at him.

He nodded. "Yes. I was hoping we could talk about that..." He hesitated. "...Actually, I'd been thinking we could discuss it on your birthday, Allie...since it's in a few days. I thought we could talk about the rest then, too...but also figure out a date for the ceremony while I wined and dined you..." Still holding me against him, he studied my face. "But now that we know the date of your real birthday, maybe you'd rather wait...? Celebrate it in December, I mean. We could still go on a date. I'd rather not wait two more months for that..."

I looked up at him, at a bit of a loss again.

And touched, enough that I felt my cheeks warm.

"I forgot all about my birthday," I said finally.

He shrugged, squeezing me against him again. "I figured that. But I was looking forward to taking you out. We've never really gotten to do the birthday thing together...the last one, I think you had me in a cell below those mountains. The one before that, you were hiding from me...and the one before that, I was with Terian..." Hesitating, he studied my face. "But if you'd rather wait...? We don't have to do it now, Allie..."