Page 10 of The Syphon King

The concern in her tone for him brought hot currents in his ink. “Because I see and feel too much of what they carry.And I can also take the wrong things from them.”

“Oh no. This must be very lonely.”

Her tone puzzled him. Almost like loneliness was a good thing. “You know something of this,” he said as they came to the wooden walk bridge.

“I do and yet don’t. I mean...I know it by feeling but not by understanding. Somehow.” She went silent for a bit then asked, “Are you afraid of what you will see in me if you touch me?”

He considered his answer carefully with her. “Touching isn’t an issue except with you. The true burden of my gifts are in my eyes where certain wavelengths of light that hold emotional energy are detected. When I choose to look and see, I absorb it and it interacts with my biochemical processes, influencing my thoughts, feelings, and perceptions.”

“Are you an empath?” she wondered, curious.

“Somewhat. When I see these things in people, my brain triggers a mechanism that entangles their emotions with mine, allowing me to draw these energies into myself. I can self-maintain these levels in usual circumstances. But when performing some siphons, I must use the Voltorium toneutralize what I absorb to prevent an overload.”

“The lightning,” she marveled. “Is that what it was doing?”

“Yes,” he said. “It’s linked to the biometric tattoos on my body for controlled release.”

“Your tattoos do this?” she whispered, astonished.

“Yes.”

“And...the Seer,” she said, stopping in her tracks. “What did he do to you? There was an explosion of light. Was this him or the Voltorium?”

“That was all him,” he said.

“And that amazes you,” she noticed.

“I have never experienced such a power greater than all the electricity in the Voltorium.” He regarded her as they walked. “Withoneword, he stopped a legion of malevolence.”

“How remarkable,” she said, his tattoos hungrily devouring the passion in her words.

“I have to be careful,” he remembered. “As I mentioned, I can also absorb the good things from people which can hurt them.”

“Like what?”

“Like peace and joy and happiness. Before I understoodmy gifts, those I cared for fell into soul crushing depression. I didn’t realize I was sucking the good things out of them.”

“Oh no,” she said, her lament like a balm. “How tragic and yet...you must not be using your gifts on me. I’m very happy and every second I walk with you, it growsstronger.”

He paused his steps and she stopped, aiming her pure, exhilarated gaze at him as he pondered her words.

“Did I upset you?” she worried softly, her caring again getting devoured by his gift.

“Did you feel anything just now?” he asked.

She barely shook her head. “I don’t think so. Other than...a very strong need to console you. Like Jinxxy does.”

His body erupted as images of her consoling him like Jinxxy filled him.

“What’s wrong?”

“I’m trying to understand your gift.”

“I have a gift?”

He lifted his lensed gaze to her curious one. “You seem to be unaffected by mine. And yet...I siphoned everything from you.”

“But...you only took the bad things?” she carefully hoped.

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