AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“What the hell was that?”
Each word pulsed into his mind like an oncoming locomotive, her voice barreling into him with enough volume that it physically hurt. Pinching his palms over his temples, he pressed inward, desperate to relieve the escalating burn between them.
The ensuing conversation was drowned out while Remmus calmed himself, diving into his own mind to locate the source of his mental pain. His psychic canvas was blazing an angry red, a warning that seemed illogical since there was no immediate danger. Confused, he continued to scrutinize his neural map, only to come up empty-handed. Remmus could locate no source of pain or trauma for the additional darkness that’d seeped into his mind like oily water.
“Remmus!”
The sound of a near-hysterical Cortana made him casually lower his hands from his temples, an attempt to appear less concerned and assuage everyone’s panic.
“Yes, little leech?”
Relief poured into her doll-like features from where she looked down at him. “What’s wrong with you? You weren’t responding to us at all.”
“Breach in my psychic shielding.” Shaking off the last vestiges of his phantom pain, Remmus pulled up into a sitting position and braced his good hand on the floor. “All good now.”
While Riaz mirrored Cortana’s concern, Ava sneered at him as though he was gum she’d just discovered on the bottom of her shoe.
Glad to know she cares.
When Remmus finally rose to his feet, he fought a near-uncontrollable urge to pitch forward. His balance was compromised. To camouflage the awkwardness, he used his momentum to simply step towards the others.
“You look like you’re about to faint,” came Ava’s unconcerned voice.
“I’ll only ever faint for you, Blondie.”
He winked to emphasize his sappy reply, but it was obvious Ava didn’t buy it for a second. For what seemed like the hundredth time that hour, she dismissed him.
“So you’re okay?” Cortana asked.
“Right as rain.” Perhaps he’d told a lie. His parents would be so proud.
“Well, Mr. Everything’s Okay,” Ava hissed, “you’re bleeding all over our floors.”
Glancing down, he located the source of her distaste. His right shoulder had been superficially scored by a bullet, its path dragging through the top layer of skin and muscle before exiting clean out the other side. His dark cashmere sweater couldn’t conceal the spreading crimson. Blood had gathered on the floor where he’d laid, and now was pooling underneath his fisted right hand.
“Well, would you look at that.”
“Silver ammunition,” Riaz grumbled. “Did it get into your blood stream in any decent quantity?”
No one was mentioning that silver poisoning would follow—and Remmus knew it had already begun. The pinpricks of pain lodged behind his temples were throbbing a steady tune.
“I doubt I’ll keel over.”
The sudden nosebleed that followed his statement didn’t help his point.
“You’re a terrible liar.”
Remmus couldn’t help but grin at Ava’s deadpan tone while he pinched his nostrils shut. The alpha wolf was already ushering him down a corridor, leaving the women behind.
“What happened back there?” Riaz asked.
“The Raeth must have sensed my telepathic gift brushing up against his,” he explained, dabbing at the nosebleed that still hadn’t stopped. “He must’ve informed a sniper—or snipers—before I could get an air shield in place.”
“That’s what that was?”
Remmus nodded. “One of my gifts is the ability to conjure a Shield, mental or physical. I can do both at the same time, but not without a bit more prep.”
Like all Raeths, Remmus had some measure of telepathy, transfiguration, and teleportation. His immortal breed grew in strength as they aged, similarly to vampires and werewolves. The stronger a Raeth was, the higher the likelihood of additional gifts from telekinesis, to healing abilities, and everything in between. Kaien, Nina and Zeke had three talents; Remmus only had two.
