Page 64 of Sin

She nodded slowly, cocking her. “You were with Bennett.”

I let out a low breath. “It was the day my father took over the Citadel. Bennett and I were planning to stop him together, before he could reach the generators and magnify his powers.”

Her expression turned to understanding. “But then you were injured in the sinkhole.”

“Yeah,” I said, wincing at the memory.

“What happened after?”

I grinned. “Break through my mental shields, and I’ll show you,” I baited. I desperately needed to practice shielding, and she’d just presented the perfect opportunity.

She gave me a dubious look. “You’re joking, right?”

“Nope.” I held out my hand, and she eyed it suspiciously. Sighing, I wiggled my fingers at her. “Come on, Mare. I just landed myself in the hospital because I couldn’t protect my mind from Lucas’s mind control. If I want to stand any chance of not having that happen again, I need to practice.”

“You already know I think you need to practice, but like you also pointed out, you just got out of the freaking hospital, Sin.” She shook her head, though her curious gaze landed on my still outstretched hand. “You’re still recovering.”

“I’m asking you to try breaking through my mental shields, not wrestle.”

She gave me an unimpressed look, but her eyes cut to my hand. “You sure you’re up for it?”

“Definitely.” Not really. “Besides, we’re on our way to see Mend, so if something were to happen, he’d be able to help.”

With one last look of trepidation, she slipped her hand in mine. This time, I was prepared for her assault on my shields. But I’d worked hard to build them back up after waking up in the hospital and finding them still crumbled. I’d felt so vulnerable with them down, and it was one of the first things I fixed when the doctors promised I wasn’t going to die.

Mare’s power flooded my mind, circling my wall and seeking any cracks in the foundation. I was pretty sure I didn’t have any, but that didn’t mean they couldn’t form.

When her power lashed out like a whip, striking the wall, I winced but held strong. I felt her approval, just before she attacked the same spot again and again.

Me dolió. Really fucking hurt.

Steeling myself, I focused all my mental energy on repairing any damage she caused as it happened. This wasn’t like the last time. I was prepared now. I’d actually worked on my shields, had put in time and care to make sure they were strong enough to withstand an intrusion.

Because I never wanted to feel helpless like before. To be trapped inside my body and unable to kick someone out as they used me like a puppet.

Mare’s strikes weakened, and I sensed her power struggling to stay in my head.

I grinned, and she must have sensed my victory, because in a last-ditch attempt to break into my head, she played dirty.

My mother’s screams resounded in my head, and for the briefest moment, my shields faltered as the echoes bounced around in my skull.

Mare pounced at my distraction and blasted my mental shields with everything she had.

And there wasn’t anything I could do. They fissured, letting her glimpse the rest of the memory I promised her.

“Grab my hand!”

It took me several blinks to realize Bennett was holding his hand out to me through the shattered passenger window.

“I-I don’t th-think I ca-ca-can.” I reached out, trying to grasp his hand, but my fingers were too slippery. When he tried to tug me toward him, a bloodcurdling scream tore from my throat. The pain lingered, bright and hot even though he released me almost immediately.

“That’s not going to work,” he said, his frantic gaze settling on my injury. “Okay, new plan. Hold on to me.”

When he leaned across the middle console toward me, I reluctantly let go of the pipe and placed my hands on his arms.

Bennett’s body morphed right in front of me then, changing into a semi-familiar Super. Before I could process his plan, my entire body began to vibrate, like my very cells were convulsing. My stomach heaved, bile burning the back of my throat, and then I was crumpling against Bennett’s chest. I laughed, despite the pain it caused me, noticing he’d moved us out of the car with Glitch’s powers.

“Glitch, huh? Smart thinking.” A wave of lightheadedness overcame me, and I fought not to pass out. “H-how did you know that would work?”

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