and took his hands in mine.
“What do I do?” he said.
“I have no idea. Just...wait, I guess.”
It took about ten seconds for the transfer to start. I knew to expect it now, and when the unpleasant prickling feeling started moving up my arms, I didn’t draw back. I could see it in Paulie’s face as he started losing his empathic connection with me. His eyes widened and then relaxed, and he gave a small, blissful moan. The rush of adrenaline hit me a few moments later.
“Oh,” Paulie said, a soft sound.
I recognized the panic for what it was this time—a physical reaction to the energy I’d stolen from Paulie. That didn’t make it any less intense. I had to fight a false, instinctual urge to run.
“Are you okay?” Paulie asked, but he was already looking back the way he’d come.
“I’ll be fine.” Hopefully I wouldn’t have to set something on fire every time I did this.
“Thanks, Mina. You really are the best.”
“I don’t know how long it’ll last. Probably not more than a couple hours.”
“It’s enough.” He was already picking up his bag. “I gotta go. I’ll see you later?”
“Hey, wait! Do you have a key? Can you let me in?” I kicked at the locked door.
“Huh? Oh, sure.” He unlocked it for me absently, almost letting it close again before I could catch it.
“Thanks,” I called after him, but he was already walking out of the alley. I shook my head as he disappeared and let the door slam behind me.
The only light in the hallway was from a couple of weak, bare lightbulbs. It was enough light to tell that the concrete tunnel was dirty, but not exactly with what. Maybe that was something to be grateful for. My mind spun with the possibilities of disease-laden rat droppings and poisonous spiders hiding in the shadows. Had the door locked behind me? I scrabbled at the knob frantically until I recognized the panic for what it was—the energy I’d stolen from Paulie.
I took a deep breath. The day before the panic had taken hours to dissipate—I couldn’t walk around like this all day. I had to find a way to dissipate it consciously.
Back when I’d been learning how to mindmove, my mother had taught me how to access my shadowmind. It was a little like searching for a memory, or replaying a song in my head. A specific kind of concentration.
Jackson had said it was my shadowmind that Cass rewired. If it was my shadowmind that was grounding people, then I should be able to control it like I had before. Theoretically.
I stayed where I was with my hand on the doorknob. Years of practice I thought I’d never need again came back to me. The way my mother had taught me to focus my power on a single spot until I could tie knots in thread with my mind, the way I’d learned to bait hooks telekinetically out fishing with my uncle. How I’d learned to scan a crowded room for a crush when I was in high school. I reached for that feeling again, that sense of connecting with something vast through the tips of my fingers. The rest of the world wasn’t
there
the way I’d grown up experiencing it, but the hectic power in my body was. I let out a pent-up breath, and the energy I’d absorbed flooded out of me. It happened all at once, a surge of power arcing through my fingers fast enough to send a shower of sparks between my hands and the metal doorknob.
“Ouch!”
The door swung open, and there was Malik, rubbing his hand and frowning. His keys still hung in the exterior knob.
“You the new security system?”
“Oh God. I’m so sorry.” This was definitely not how I’d hoped to ask if I still had a job.
Malik pulled out his keys. “What’s going on?”
“I...uh...” No point trying to lie to a telepath. I explained what had happened with Paulie.
“Lazy bastard,” Malik said. “If he’d just focus a little instead of watching porn in his mamma’s basement, he’d be all right.” He shut the door and started down the tunnel. “So what are you doing here so
“What do I do?” he said.
“I have no idea. Just...wait, I guess.”
It took about ten seconds for the transfer to start. I knew to expect it now, and when the unpleasant prickling feeling started moving up my arms, I didn’t draw back. I could see it in Paulie’s face as he started losing his empathic connection with me. His eyes widened and then relaxed, and he gave a small, blissful moan. The rush of adrenaline hit me a few moments later.
“Oh,” Paulie said, a soft sound.
I recognized the panic for what it was this time—a physical reaction to the energy I’d stolen from Paulie. That didn’t make it any less intense. I had to fight a false, instinctual urge to run.
“Are you okay?” Paulie asked, but he was already looking back the way he’d come.
“I’ll be fine.” Hopefully I wouldn’t have to set something on fire every time I did this.
“Thanks, Mina. You really are the best.”
“I don’t know how long it’ll last. Probably not more than a couple hours.”
“It’s enough.” He was already picking up his bag. “I gotta go. I’ll see you later?”
“Hey, wait! Do you have a key? Can you let me in?” I kicked at the locked door.
“Huh? Oh, sure.” He unlocked it for me absently, almost letting it close again before I could catch it.
“Thanks,” I called after him, but he was already walking out of the alley. I shook my head as he disappeared and let the door slam behind me.
The only light in the hallway was from a couple of weak, bare lightbulbs. It was enough light to tell that the concrete tunnel was dirty, but not exactly with what. Maybe that was something to be grateful for. My mind spun with the possibilities of disease-laden rat droppings and poisonous spiders hiding in the shadows. Had the door locked behind me? I scrabbled at the knob frantically until I recognized the panic for what it was—the energy I’d stolen from Paulie.
I took a deep breath. The day before the panic had taken hours to dissipate—I couldn’t walk around like this all day. I had to find a way to dissipate it consciously.
Back when I’d been learning how to mindmove, my mother had taught me how to access my shadowmind. It was a little like searching for a memory, or replaying a song in my head. A specific kind of concentration.
Jackson had said it was my shadowmind that Cass rewired. If it was my shadowmind that was grounding people, then I should be able to control it like I had before. Theoretically.
I stayed where I was with my hand on the doorknob. Years of practice I thought I’d never need again came back to me. The way my mother had taught me to focus my power on a single spot until I could tie knots in thread with my mind, the way I’d learned to bait hooks telekinetically out fishing with my uncle. How I’d learned to scan a crowded room for a crush when I was in high school. I reached for that feeling again, that sense of connecting with something vast through the tips of my fingers. The rest of the world wasn’t
there
the way I’d grown up experiencing it, but the hectic power in my body was. I let out a pent-up breath, and the energy I’d absorbed flooded out of me. It happened all at once, a surge of power arcing through my fingers fast enough to send a shower of sparks between my hands and the metal doorknob.
“Ouch!”
The door swung open, and there was Malik, rubbing his hand and frowning. His keys still hung in the exterior knob.
“You the new security system?”
“Oh God. I’m so sorry.” This was definitely not how I’d hoped to ask if I still had a job.
Malik pulled out his keys. “What’s going on?”
“I...uh...” No point trying to lie to a telepath. I explained what had happened with Paulie.
“Lazy bastard,” Malik said. “If he’d just focus a little instead of watching porn in his mamma’s basement, he’d be all right.” He shut the door and started down the tunnel. “So what are you doing here so
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