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Chaos watched Zenon for several silent seconds. The tension was so thick Mia wanted to squirm. “Suit yourself, but if you interfere, you’re out.”
Zenon didn’t reply, but she got the feeling he wouldn’t be easy to remove if that was what it came down to.
“Mia, look at me,” Chaos all but barked. She jumped and turned away from Zenon, but could feel the heat of his stare burning into her back. “What were you thinking right before you killed that demon?”
She flinched. She couldn’t help it. It was stupid. That thing would have killed her if she hadn’t done what she had. Still, it freaked her out that she was capable of destroying another living creature with her bare hands. She heard Zenon shift behind her.
Chaos sneered. “You don’t like that you killed that monster?”
“No, it’s just that I—”
“They would have tortured you, Mia. Taken turns with you. Mutilated you until you were barely recognizable.”
Her stomach lurched. “Stop. I don’t need to hear this, I—”
“What were you thinking?”
“Why are you—”
“Tell me now.” He was yelling at her, but Mia knew he still had complete control.
Oh God. She didn’t want to think about that night anymore.
He stepped forward and got in her face. Mia stumbled back. “Have you lost your mind?”
“Are you a coward, Mia?”
“No…I’m—”
He moved back in, crowding her. A quiet growl came from behind her. Zenon.
Chaos’s angry gaze darted behind her then back. “You know what I think? I think you’re afraid. You’re afraid of gaining your full powers because then you’d have to start all over again, start a whole new life, and that terrifies you.”
She shook her head. “No.”
“Yes, I think—”
“I was thinking about my sister,” she yelled. “Of never seeing her again. The pain losing me would cause her. Missed experiences…never knowing what it was like to be…”
“What?” Chaos shouted.
“Loved, all right? Of never knowing what it was to be loved, the way Lazarus loves Eve, like Kryos loves Meredith.” The room went silent, but it was too late. That feeling built inside her chest, and like that night it didn’t stay buried there. It flew through her limbs. “Oh God,” she moaned. She couldn’t see them, could only hear the sound of their boots on the floor, moving toward her. “Stay back,” she screamed as energy shot from her fingers.
Once it left her body, she collapsed to the ground.
There was a shout followed by shuffling feet, then it went quiet, deathly so. Mia didn’t open her eyes, couldn’t. The acrid smell of burning plastic hit her the same time someone grabbed her shoulders. “Mia?”
Zenon.
She forced her eyes open and gasped. A basketball-sized hole was singed into the padded wall behind him. “I did that?”
“Yeah.” He brushed the hair back from her face.
“Oh my God. I’m a monster.”
He looked down at her, fierce, tender. “No, you’re not.”
“Mia?” James crouched down beside her and she felt Zenon’s grip tighten. “I know that was hard, but you did really good. Trust me, it can only get better from here on out.”
