Code(22)

When he straightened, his eyes burned with golden fire.

I nodded. “Good plan.”

Eyes closed, I reached deep.

SNAP.





CHAPTER 12





Pressure. Pain.

A thousand needles danced on my flesh as fire coursed through my veins. Sweat burst from every pore. Shocks of energy burned through me, spiking the hairs on my limbs. My hands shook like leaves in a storm.

Seconds later, it was over. I flared.

I’d dropped to my knees, panting raggedly, waiting for the world to stop spinning. Suddenly, a large pink sea slug attacked my cheek.

“Blech.” I shoved Coop’s snout away. “Thanks, boy.”

Inhaling deeply, I got to my feet. Wobbled. Tried to harness the adrenaline pooling in my extremities.

That was a bad one.

Beside me, Shelton had removed his glasses and was rubbing his forehead, eyes brimming with golden light. Ben’s back was to me. His fists clenched as he struggled to tap his canine DNA. Hi had stepped to the window and was peering inside.

“Gotcha.” Ben straightened and flexed his powerful shoulders. “Contact.”

When Ben turned, his dark eyes danced with yellow light. Already handsome, flaring took his attractiveness to a whole new level. Ben’s coppery skin practically glowed in the evening light. I turned quickly, surprised by the color rising to my cheeks.

Then I noticed a thrumming in my brain. A subtle shift, like gears slotting into place, connecting my consciousness to a larger system.

I closed my eyes. My perception billowed outward. I could feel the other Virals, could point to each without opening a lid. Even Coop.

Flaming ropes appeared, linking the five us.

My pack.

Concentrating hard, I pushed slightly, in a way I didn’t understand, sweeping my awareness outward. My mind brushed the invisible boundary separating my thoughts from theirs. Hi. Coop. Shelton. Ben.

At first, a low buzzing. Then scattered feelings, too chaotic to follow.

I tried to pull back, mindful of invading the other Virals’ headspace. I hadn’t asked permission to attempt a link.

Abruptly, my perspective zoomed forward, like a comet being sucked into a black hole. I lost control. My mind seemed to untether from my body. Then my thoughts abruptly fired down the closest glowing cord.

Colors flashed. Red. Orange. Yellow. Black. Then a fuzzy image cut through the haze.

Me. Standing on the grass before Castle Pinckney. Eyes closed. Green-faced. Swaying.

“Stop it!” The voice was angry. Nervous. “Get out!”

The harsh words severed my fragile connection.

The universe snapped backward.

SNAP.

My eyes flew open. Ben’s fingers were digging into the flesh of my shoulders. Strongest by far, with his power unleashed he could have broken my bones.

From the look on Ben’s face, he was considering it.

“Stay out of my head,” Ben said through gritted teeth. “You didn’t even ask.”

“Sorry,” I squeaked. “I’m not sure what I did.”

Coop nudged between us, eyes fixed on Ben.

Ben took a breath, seemed to realize how hard he was clutching me. His hands dropped as if burned. He backed away, cheeks flushed, sweat dampening his brow.

I placed a hand on Coop’s head. The wolfdog sat, but his eyes tracked Ben’s every move.

“It was an accident, Ben.” I couldn’t catch his eye. “I didn’t mean to link, but somehow my mind was . . . pulled into it. I can’t explain it very well.”

Awkward silence.

“Hey, no sweat, Tor.” Hi forced a laugh, anxious to defuse the tension. “Just throw us a warning next time, you know? We might confuse you with an alien abductor, or a CIA operative. Can’t have that, right?”

“Everything’s cool.” Shelton worked his ear. “Whatever you did, we know it was an accident. Don’t we, Ben?”

“Our minds aren’t toys, Tory.” Ben’s voice was conciliatory, but he didn’t meet my gaze. “You can’t barge inside them without warning. Or permission.”

He was right. I told him so.

“I screwed up. I swear I’ll be more careful next time. No more mind games without explicit agreement. Promise.”

“Okay then, that’s done with!” Hi rapped the castle wall with his knuckles. “Daylight’s wasting, so let’s get back to the game.”

“Do we have a play called?” Shelton asked.

“We go inside, genius.” Hi’s glance swept the group. “Everyone still flaring?”

Nods all around. Hi pointed into the gloom. “Then get crackin’, soldiers.”

“Why don’t we look before we leap?” I suggested. “Literally.”

“Good plan,” Shelton agreed. “A little clichéd, but good.”

Focusing my hypersenses, I noted minute cracks spiderwebbing the stone windowsill. My nose detected dank, earthy scents wafting from the darkness. Molding leaves. Moss. Stagnant water.

“We spend a lot of time in these places,” Shelton observed. “Some might say, too much time.”

“Builds character.” Hi squatted down to examine the chamber’s ceiling. “Makes you tough. Manly.”