else.”
“The ability to inflict minor burns and terrify people?”
“No—you’re like some sort of grounding wire. You’re taking energy from a shadowmind and dissipating it. Like pulling in reverse.”
“But not permanently. Right?” It was more hope than conviction.
“Only in the moment, maybe for a few hours afterword. I recovered. Paulie’s powers are back, too, by the way.” He clenched his fist. “He shouldn’t have done that.”
“It’s okay.”
“Let me know if he keeps giving you trouble.”
“I can handle him.”
Jackson looked as though he wanted to argue, but he let it go. “Regardless, you’ll have to learn to ground out the power. Otherwise it seems like it discharges on whatever’s handy.”
I couldn’t help glancing at his chest. “I’m really sorry. I didn’t know—”
“They’re almost gone. I think it wasn’t as severe because I wasn’t using my powers when I was close to you.”
That surprised me. “You weren’t?” I figured he’d at least been skimming my thoughts.
He met my eyes. “I don’t go invading your head without your permission.”
“Then how did you know how I like my coffee?” I blurted it out, surprised to hear myself.
His mouth quirked up. “You did live with me for a couple of weeks last year. I paid attention.”
“Oh,” was all I managed to say. His expression stayed light, but something else crept in. Hurt that I’d thought he’d skim without permission? The moment lengthened, and my lips parted. I wondered what he would find if he invaded my head now, and my heart pounded with a different kind of fear. I broke eye contact first.
“So how do I dissipate it? I don’t want to go setting things on fire any time I touch a shadowmind.”
“Yes,” Jackson said with a small smile. “That would be bad.”
“No kidding. I don’t suppose you know someone I could ask about this.”
“No. No, this is unprecedented.”
“Great.” I was going to have to quit my job. If I still had a job after running out like I had. I mentally erased my time-to-a-security-deposit calculation.
“It might not be as hard as you think.” He slid a little closer to me on the couch and gently took my coffee. “Are you still carrying a charge from earlier?”
“From Paulie? I don’t think so. Maybe it dissipated while I was walking?”
“Here.” He held out his hand. “Let’s see if we can figure it out.”
I shrank back. “You want me to do it on purpose? No way.”
“You’re going to have to learn how eventually.”
“Not if I never touch another shadowmind.”
He opened his mouth and closed it again. “Well—I mean—if that’s what you—What about the speakeasy?”
“Gloves?” I was only half-joking.
“Come on,” Jackson said. “It’s not permanent. I don’t mind.”
I shook my head. “But I do.”
Chapter Six
The next day I reluctantly asked Jackson if he was willing to help me move my few belongings into storage. I almost hoped he’d turn me down—at least if I hired some of the storage company’s workers to help me, I wouldn’t have to stress out about accidentally touching them—but of course he said yes.
Jackson drove us to the U-Store-It on Brannon Street and parked in their surprisingly ample lot. I’d reserved the smallest unit they had, plus a pickup truck for the morning. When I unlocked the unit and rolled up the metal door, he looked doubtful.
“Are you sure your stuff is going to fit in here?”
“There’ll probably be space left over. Are you sure you don’t mind doing this?” I wished yet again that I could have asked Avery to help instead, but I couldn’t ask a pregnant woman to haul furniture.
“I’m sure. Come on.”
With Jackson helping—and using telekinesis whenever he could—it took us less time than I’d anticipated to load up the furniture and the half-dozen boxes of books and cheap cookware I’d accumulated over the past year. It wasn’t much by most standards, but
“The ability to inflict minor burns and terrify people?”
“No—you’re like some sort of grounding wire. You’re taking energy from a shadowmind and dissipating it. Like pulling in reverse.”
“But not permanently. Right?” It was more hope than conviction.
“Only in the moment, maybe for a few hours afterword. I recovered. Paulie’s powers are back, too, by the way.” He clenched his fist. “He shouldn’t have done that.”
“It’s okay.”
“Let me know if he keeps giving you trouble.”
“I can handle him.”
Jackson looked as though he wanted to argue, but he let it go. “Regardless, you’ll have to learn to ground out the power. Otherwise it seems like it discharges on whatever’s handy.”
I couldn’t help glancing at his chest. “I’m really sorry. I didn’t know—”
“They’re almost gone. I think it wasn’t as severe because I wasn’t using my powers when I was close to you.”
That surprised me. “You weren’t?” I figured he’d at least been skimming my thoughts.
He met my eyes. “I don’t go invading your head without your permission.”
“Then how did you know how I like my coffee?” I blurted it out, surprised to hear myself.
His mouth quirked up. “You did live with me for a couple of weeks last year. I paid attention.”
“Oh,” was all I managed to say. His expression stayed light, but something else crept in. Hurt that I’d thought he’d skim without permission? The moment lengthened, and my lips parted. I wondered what he would find if he invaded my head now, and my heart pounded with a different kind of fear. I broke eye contact first.
“So how do I dissipate it? I don’t want to go setting things on fire any time I touch a shadowmind.”
“Yes,” Jackson said with a small smile. “That would be bad.”
“No kidding. I don’t suppose you know someone I could ask about this.”
“No. No, this is unprecedented.”
“Great.” I was going to have to quit my job. If I still had a job after running out like I had. I mentally erased my time-to-a-security-deposit calculation.
“It might not be as hard as you think.” He slid a little closer to me on the couch and gently took my coffee. “Are you still carrying a charge from earlier?”
“From Paulie? I don’t think so. Maybe it dissipated while I was walking?”
“Here.” He held out his hand. “Let’s see if we can figure it out.”
I shrank back. “You want me to do it on purpose? No way.”
“You’re going to have to learn how eventually.”
“Not if I never touch another shadowmind.”
He opened his mouth and closed it again. “Well—I mean—if that’s what you—What about the speakeasy?”
“Gloves?” I was only half-joking.
“Come on,” Jackson said. “It’s not permanent. I don’t mind.”
I shook my head. “But I do.”
Chapter Six
The next day I reluctantly asked Jackson if he was willing to help me move my few belongings into storage. I almost hoped he’d turn me down—at least if I hired some of the storage company’s workers to help me, I wouldn’t have to stress out about accidentally touching them—but of course he said yes.
Jackson drove us to the U-Store-It on Brannon Street and parked in their surprisingly ample lot. I’d reserved the smallest unit they had, plus a pickup truck for the morning. When I unlocked the unit and rolled up the metal door, he looked doubtful.
“Are you sure your stuff is going to fit in here?”
“There’ll probably be space left over. Are you sure you don’t mind doing this?” I wished yet again that I could have asked Avery to help instead, but I couldn’t ask a pregnant woman to haul furniture.
“I’m sure. Come on.”
With Jackson helping—and using telekinesis whenever he could—it took us less time than I’d anticipated to load up the furniture and the half-dozen boxes of books and cheap cookware I’d accumulated over the past year. It wasn’t much by most standards, but
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