Origin: A Young Adult Urban Fantasy Novel (Spectra Book 1) by Lan Chan

Author:Lan Chan [Chan, Lan]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2020-10-08T16:00:00+00:00

15

“Be careful how you choose to proceed,” Shadowman said.

I didn’t choose to do anything. Without realising I’d even made the command, every anti-psi bracelet they wore popped and sizzled. They dropped to the ground, useless.

The guard closest to me stepped forward. When he touched me, the EK flared to life. His whole body spasmed. All I had to do was nudge him and he sprang five feet into the air and landed with a hard thud. He didn’t move. Alive or dead? I didn’t care. My feet inched me closer to the Shadowman.

“Why?” I croaked.

“She pushed too hard,” he said. “I pushed back.” The click of new bracelets snapped into place. They really didn’t know what they were up against. “With me or against me. Those are your two choices.”

“When I’m done with you, they’ll have to make two choices as well,” I said. “Coffin or incinerator.”

It was definitely the wrong thing to say. All around me, triggers cocked. I tried to reach for them with my telepathy and couldn’t grab hold.

“Plastic,” the Shadowman said. I ground my teeth. “You didn’t think we’d come unprepared.”

“Then shoot me,” I said. “Because I’m not going to stop coming until I’m dead.”

“So impulsive,” he said. “Just like your mother.”

“Shut up!”

“Wasn’t she, though? But before you go and throw your life away, don’t you want to know what flash drive she was after?”

“I don’t care.”

“Of course you do. You entered a bare-knuckle fighting competition on the off chance that you could find her. Now isn’t the time to pretend you don’t care.”

The edge of my anger was starting to blend into hysteria. My mind raced with all the contingencies I could think of. If I lunged for him, they’d shoot me. If I went for them, they’d shoot me. Every scenario ended up with me getting shot. What frightened me was how little that thought scared me. Aunt Jenny’s face floated up in my vision.

“Breathe through it, love,” she always said. “You get angry, and your mind triggers. I know that’s how she’s taught you, but it’s not who you have to be. Breathe.”

I couldn’t breathe. Over and over, that little pop sounded in my head. That was all it took—my fierce, take-no-shit mother, obliterated by a single piece of metal. And then the other thought: If I’d been there, I could have stopped it if she’d taken me with her instead of just disappearing.

“Catch,” Shadowman said. In my stupor, I didn’t realise what he was saying. The flash drive clattered along the ground. I didn’t bother to reach down for it. There was nothing in my field of vision except for the caustic fury that raced through my veins. My mind was still trying to conjure up ways I could end his life. One of the guards must have picked up the drive and inserted it into the tablet. He shoved it in front of my face.

On the screen was a list of names. The guard continued to press parts of the screen, and sections opened up to reveal lists and lists with red marks on them.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.