Page 169 of Villainous Intent

My anger faltered, replaced by a creeping unease.

“They convinced my parents I needed an experimental procedure.” His voice remained emotionless, detached, as if he were reciting someone else’s medical history. “They drilled into my skull, they said it was to better map my brain activity.”

I felt sick. “Cipher⁠—”

“I woke up during the procedure. The anesthesia wasn’t sufficient. I couldn’t move, couldn’t scream. I was paralyzed, but completely aware. I felt everything. They realized I was conscious when my heart rate spiked.”

“You were just a child,” I whispered, my earlier anger forgotten.

“Yes.” Something flickered in his eyes, a momentary crack in his perfect mask. “I was.”

Oh god, I’d fucked up. I’d fucked up so badly. I stared at him, feeling like the world’s biggest asshole. Here I was demanding honesty, forcing him to relive childhood trauma just to prove a point. The game felt cruel and pointless.

“I’m sorry,” I whispered, taking a step toward him. “We don’t have to do this. I shouldn’t have⁠—“

“What’s your cuff for?”

His question was delivered in that same detached voice as he slid out of bed. I watched, frozen, as he began pulling on clothes, but his eyes never left my face.

“I...” The words died in my throat.

“You wanted honesty,” he reminded me. “An answer for an answer. No secrets.”

I’d never told anyone, not even Dawn. Only Havoc and a handful of high-ranking officials knew what my cuff really did.

I stared down at it. The weight of it had become so familiar I barely noticed it anymore. Until moments like this, when its purpose crashed down on me.

“Someone tried to hurt me.” I had no idea how to explain what I’d done. “They did hurt me,” I amended. “When they did it, their power leeched into me. The cuff contains the power. It makes sure I can’t hurt people.”

I’d never said it aloud before, had barely even allowed myself to think about it. I wiped angrily at the tears that had started to fall, hating myself for showing this weakness, hating him for his detachment. What had I expected? Some grand revelation? Some moment of connection?

“Your turn,” he finally said, his voice still flat and emotionless.

I stared at him, feeling hollowed out and my mind went blank. What could I possibly ask that would matter now?

“Why did you save me?”

His brow furrowed slightly. “When?”

“On the roof,” I clarified. “When I fell.”

“You’re valuable,” he answered without hesitation, his voice clipped.

Of course. I was a resource. An asset. Nothing more.

I nodded slowly, feeling something inside me shrivel and die. What had I expected him to say? That he cared? That he couldn’t bear the thought of me being hurt?

I’d been a stranger, and I was such an idiot.

Cipher fired another question. “How can you find Trueborn Supers?”

This was dangerous territory. Too close to the truth about Havoc, too close to revealing another power I’d absorbed. “I have an extra sense,” I said, choosing each word carefully. “I can feel them.”

Cipher’s lips curved into a smile that never reached his eyes.

“What do I get if you lie, Annie?” His voice was soft, almost gentle, which somehow made it more terrifying.

“I didn’t lie.”