defenses, and I’d only go and get myself killed. With everyone I cared about imprisoned in that tower and on the brink of being turned into mindless automatons, I couldn’t take a risk like that.
So I was going to make someone take a risk for me.
“I’m still not sure I can do what you’re asking, Kyle.”
I looked to my right. Vortex hovered by my side. She looked concerned. I’d reached out to her individually and asked for this favor. I knew Orion wouldn’t sign off a Resistance move like this. Vortex and I saw eye to eye on a lot of things. Besides, I’d saved her life more times than she’d saved mine, so she owed me a favor. “I’ve seen what you’re capable of. I know if you just focus, you’ll be able to control his mind.”
Vortex shook her head. “It doesn’t work like that.”
“It doesn’t? Or are you just too afraid of what might happen if you push too far?”
Vortex looked me in my eyes. Her ginger hair looked dull, its glow weakened by the stresses of war. “You’ve no idea what it’s like to be in my mind.”
“You make people have nightmares. I imagine you’re pretty used to seeing horrible things—”
“When I create the nightmares in other people’s minds, I have to… I have to let my own demons in. Now I’ve got to a point where I can just see them in the corner of my mind, locked away. But… but when I try to push further, I have to let them out.” Her hands shook. “And I don’t know if I can let them out.”
Vortex’s eyes were wide. She rubbed her arms. I’d never seen her looking this uncomfortable. “What are your demons?” I asked.
She opened her mouth to respond. Then, she closed her lips and shook her head. “They’re something I’d rather not talk about right now.”
I wanted to push Vortex further, but I respected her decision not to speak. I looked back down at Nycto. He was sat there in his gear, all but his helmet. He looked totally at peace, like he was meditating or something. “We go down there. I pin him down. You get inside his head. And when you’re in there, you go back to Saint’s tower and you get my people to safety.”
“What about everyone else locked up in that place?”
“We deal with them in time. Together.”
“And what if… what if I can’t do it?”
I put my hand on Vortex’s. “You can. I trust you.”
For a moment, as Vortex looked into my eyes, I felt warmth inside. Not saying I had a crush or anything like that, but it definitely felt like we had a special kind of friendship. I’d liked Vortex ever since we’d first met. Okay, maybe not since we’d first met, since she’d made me see my dead sister in my very first Vortex-induced nightmare. But since then, we’d always got on. We had each other’s backs.
“Okay,” she said. “I’ll try.”
I smiled.
We lowered down toward Nycto. The tropical sounds of the stiflingly hot Amazon echoed all around. Something seemed weird about all this. I’d spent so much time tracking Nycto down, and I finally found him sitting silently in the middle of the rainforest? It didn’t seem right. It didn’t add up.
Then again, when had anything Daniel Septer did ever truly added up?
We descended closer to him. I held on to Vortex’s hand, passing my invisibility on to her. I lifted a hand and got ready to freeze Daniel. I wanted to paralyze him with minimal fuss, then Vortex could get on with invading his mind. But I had to play this right.
I was just meters away from him. I held out my hand. Built up a huge ball of ice.
“You ready?” I whispered.
Vortex nodded. Her eyes started to roll back. “Ready.”
“I know you’re there, idiots.”
I heard a blast behind me.
When I looked to my right, Vortex was gone.
“What did you—”
Nycto flew into my chest. He pinned me down on the ground.
I tried to fight back but he covered my mouth. Then, in his hands, a massive fireball grew.
“Shut up and stop fighting.”
I kicked back. I tried to teleport
So I was going to make someone take a risk for me.
“I’m still not sure I can do what you’re asking, Kyle.”
I looked to my right. Vortex hovered by my side. She looked concerned. I’d reached out to her individually and asked for this favor. I knew Orion wouldn’t sign off a Resistance move like this. Vortex and I saw eye to eye on a lot of things. Besides, I’d saved her life more times than she’d saved mine, so she owed me a favor. “I’ve seen what you’re capable of. I know if you just focus, you’ll be able to control his mind.”
Vortex shook her head. “It doesn’t work like that.”
“It doesn’t? Or are you just too afraid of what might happen if you push too far?”
Vortex looked me in my eyes. Her ginger hair looked dull, its glow weakened by the stresses of war. “You’ve no idea what it’s like to be in my mind.”
“You make people have nightmares. I imagine you’re pretty used to seeing horrible things—”
“When I create the nightmares in other people’s minds, I have to… I have to let my own demons in. Now I’ve got to a point where I can just see them in the corner of my mind, locked away. But… but when I try to push further, I have to let them out.” Her hands shook. “And I don’t know if I can let them out.”
Vortex’s eyes were wide. She rubbed her arms. I’d never seen her looking this uncomfortable. “What are your demons?” I asked.
She opened her mouth to respond. Then, she closed her lips and shook her head. “They’re something I’d rather not talk about right now.”
I wanted to push Vortex further, but I respected her decision not to speak. I looked back down at Nycto. He was sat there in his gear, all but his helmet. He looked totally at peace, like he was meditating or something. “We go down there. I pin him down. You get inside his head. And when you’re in there, you go back to Saint’s tower and you get my people to safety.”
“What about everyone else locked up in that place?”
“We deal with them in time. Together.”
“And what if… what if I can’t do it?”
I put my hand on Vortex’s. “You can. I trust you.”
For a moment, as Vortex looked into my eyes, I felt warmth inside. Not saying I had a crush or anything like that, but it definitely felt like we had a special kind of friendship. I’d liked Vortex ever since we’d first met. Okay, maybe not since we’d first met, since she’d made me see my dead sister in my very first Vortex-induced nightmare. But since then, we’d always got on. We had each other’s backs.
“Okay,” she said. “I’ll try.”
I smiled.
We lowered down toward Nycto. The tropical sounds of the stiflingly hot Amazon echoed all around. Something seemed weird about all this. I’d spent so much time tracking Nycto down, and I finally found him sitting silently in the middle of the rainforest? It didn’t seem right. It didn’t add up.
Then again, when had anything Daniel Septer did ever truly added up?
We descended closer to him. I held on to Vortex’s hand, passing my invisibility on to her. I lifted a hand and got ready to freeze Daniel. I wanted to paralyze him with minimal fuss, then Vortex could get on with invading his mind. But I had to play this right.
I was just meters away from him. I held out my hand. Built up a huge ball of ice.
“You ready?” I whispered.
Vortex nodded. Her eyes started to roll back. “Ready.”
“I know you’re there, idiots.”
I heard a blast behind me.
When I looked to my right, Vortex was gone.
“What did you—”
Nycto flew into my chest. He pinned me down on the ground.
I tried to fight back but he covered my mouth. Then, in his hands, a massive fireball grew.
“Shut up and stop fighting.”
I kicked back. I tried to teleport
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