I was practicing killing people.
Behind me, I felt his presence withdraw. It left gradually, almost reluctantly, leaving a faint whisper of nausea in its wake.
“Any more news of Jon or Cass?” I said.
I didn’t wait for an answer before plopping down on the enormous, faux-suede couch in front of the wall-length monitor. The feeds ran as a gentle hum on that same monitor, the sound low, text running beneath flickering and morphing images.
Mika flopped down heavily beside me, gesturing what I now knew to be a “yes” in seer sign language.
We had just come from the kitchen. She handed me a glass of grapefruit juice and half a sandwich filled with something called iresmic, a chutney-like spread made by seers, so weird-tasting in the extreme. Still, it was better than most of the stuff they’d tried to give me, half of which made me gag outright.
Mika, who was the same, short, Chinese-looking seer from that first night I’d gotten there, gestured at the monitor.
“Your friends have been moved by the government,” she said. “Your mother, too. It is good, Allie...it means they are handling it through the humans.” Mika rolled her eyes, smiling faintly as she finished swallowing her bite of sandwich. “...It is the Rooks’ new favorite toy, to call everyone a terrorist.”
I tried to smile back. I couldn’t quite feel the same relief the seers did at my mom and brother in a federal prison.
“I suppose breaking them out is out of the question?” I said.
Mika laughed, poking me in the ribs with a finger. “You human-borns are all the same. It is all pow-pow with guns...”
“Yeah,” I said, exhaling. “That’s me. Gun girl.”
Mika smiled, but her eyes remained serious. “The Rooks have infiltrators all over the human government, Allie...and in every branch of law enforcement. It would be very dangerous for your family if we were to try such a thing. They will let them out soon. Our intelligence tells us that your mother should be out in a few days...maybe less. And in some ways, they are safer in there. The other humans may harass them once they are out.”
I frowned, not really reassured by that, either.
From above us rose a loud bang, like someone knocking a table to the floor.
I glanced up, then back at Mika.
When the seer didn’t react, I forced a shrug.
“Yeah,” I said. “I figured there was a reason.”
“We will monitor the situation closely.” Mika hesitated, then added, “I know Dehgoies feels very responsible...”
I looked back at the television, keeping my face neutral. “I really don’t know enough about what he could have done differently to blame him,” I said honestly. “Anyway, he didn’t make me a seer. I don’t know why he thinks this is all on him.”
Mika patted my leg. “We will get them out as soon as they are released. Do not worry, Bridge Alyson.”
The banging above us started up again.
It grew louder, more rhythmic, broken by thick female cries.
I glanced up, then smiled wanly at Mika. “Someone’s having fun.”
Mika clicked in irritation, shaking her head. “Kat...always Kat. ‘Llysa should give her a soundproof room, or at least one away from the common areas. Poor Ivy...their rooms are next to one another.”
She noticed my expression then, and her irritation faded.
“Oh. Sorry, Allie.”
I shook my head, taking another bite of the sandwich and chewing.
Mika sighed, staring back at the ceiling. “It is not you, you know. She would never admit it, but she has always been weak for him.”
I let the sandwich drop to my lap, suddenly not hungry at all.
Mika clicked her tongue. “It is no excuse. She would not be doing this if you had been raised seer. If it were me, she would wake up missing an ear.”
Briefly, I was tempted to press it. If anyone might tell me what was really going on with me and Revik, it was Mika. I’d already asked her, of course, but every seer in the place had taken some kind of vow of silence. Mika at least seemed to feel bad about not telling me.
I forced a smile. “Wow,” I said finally. “Remind me not to piss you off.”
Mika only made an irritated sound, aiming it at the ceiling.
Hesitating, I started to ask, but she gave me a direct look.
“I can’t, Allie,” she said. “I really can’t. Please don’t ask me.”
I gave her a wan smile, nodding. It had crossed my mind more than once that Revik had made them all take some kind of blood oath not to tell me anything. But that seemed paranoid.
“No,” Mika said, glancing at me again. “It’s not.”
I opened my mouth to speak, but she cut me off.
“I can’t tell you, Allie,” she said, sighing with a soft clicking sound. “We all promised. You will have to ask him.” Mika gazed up at the ceiling when the banging started up again. Her voice grew apologetic.