Echo Into Darkness: Book 2 in The Echo Saga (Teen Paranormal Romance) by Skye Genaro

all my money?" I asked.
    "They're not people, they're government. The more you make, the more they take out as your contribution to society. By now I'm contributing, like, two hundred bucks per paycheck." He stuck his chest out. "But that's because I'm management. One day, I'll be District Manager and they'll take out a lot more than that. Pretty awesome, huh?"
    I shook my head. "You're weird." I stuffed the check in my pocket.
    "Hey, respect authority. And you have a customer." Joe went into the back.
    Jaxon leaned on the counter, his mouth caught somewhere between a smile and a smirk. His eyes trailed over the completely unimpressive shop. "Fruit drinks and arcade games. I've really been missing out."
    I squinted one eye. "If you've come to hassle me, this is a bad time."
    "Not on my agenda tonight." He dovetailed his fingers and curled them together. Tapped his thumbs. "Do you have time to talk?"
    I blew out a cheek full of air. The place was empty except for a grade-schooler and his parents who passed by my counter and went straight to the arcade.
    "I dunno. I could be mobbed at any minute." I let the sarcasm flow.
    Jaxon looked at me, and then away. "I wanted to apologize for not…" He drummed his pinkies on the counter.
    "Not what?"
    "Well. Protecting you. From the Mutila or you know, whoever came after you on your way home from the skatepark."
    "You made it pretty clear you weren't going to come to my rescue. Ever. I shouldn't even expect a fistfight on my behalf because, according to you, I can take down an entire super-soldier army on an as-needed basis."
    "Can't you?"
    I sighed. "I hate violence. Besides, the idea terrifies me. My ability isn't exactly predictable when I'm scared."
    "Not even to save yourself?"
    "Even then. It locks up when I'm freaked out."
    Defending myself against Solomon had driven that weakness home. I had no reason to believe I'd recover from that mental block, and prayed I'd never have to find out. A lump formed in my belly. Time to change the subject.
    "You've never told me what your skills are." I gave him a friendly nudge. "You spent the last nine years living in nirvana. You must be an expert at something. Postcognition? Pyrokinesis?"
    "Nope." Jaxon's gaze jogged along the counter.
    "A healer? No? Okay, let me read your aura. I bet I can guess."
    His lip curled. "Don't bother."
    "Isn't that cute. You have a shy side."
    "I'm part of the twenty percent." He crossed his arms.
    "Twenty percent?"
    The corners of his eyes dropped and he flashed a pout, like do I really have to explain it to you? Then I remembered. "Eighty percent of West Region citizens have at least one gift."
    "The rest don't. Since I was born here, it's no surprise," he added.
    "But everyone in West Region gets training." That was the key to bringing out talent in some of the kids.
    "It was a big waste of time. Nothing ever developed," he answered.
    As his eyes found the far wall, I gave his shoulder a squeeze. Living in Connor's world without any ability must have made him feel even more out of place, and that I could relate to.
    "No wonder you're not afraid of the factions," I said cheerfully. "You're free from all this paranormal junk. They won't want anything to do with you." I'd meant it as a sort of compliment. Like, look on the bright side.
    "That's another reason I'm glad to be back in my own time. West Region doesn't respect you unless you have some sort of gift."
    That couldn't be true. Connor had said…No. Forget what he said. Forget all about him. My life was about moving forward now.
    "Well, I think you're lucky. You'll fit in fine here," I said.
    His chocolate brown eyes softened. That sensation came over me again, from when he kissed me the skatepark, like there was a storm slowly brewing between us.
    "What about you? You as gifted as they say?" he asked.
    I lifted a shoulder. "I can do a few things." I slipped off my magnetic bracelets. The shop and The Cave were safe for now, so I let my aura trail along