Shades of Gray - By Jackie Kessler & Caitlin Kittredge Page 0,105
small favors.”
Protean, Lionheart, and Nevermore formed up around Kindle as he stood with his hands out, sweat beading on his forehead. “You all right?” Nevermore said. She actually sounded like she cared.
Well, Kindle was sort of cute. If you were into old guys.
“Be fine,” he gritted. “Just don’t break me concentration.”
Iridium knelt next to Lester and slapped his face gently. “Dad.”
After a moment he opened his eyes, and groaned. “Bloody hell, Calista. You strobed me.”
“I had to,” Iridium said crisply. “Only way to break Hypnotic’s hold.”
“Callie.” He caught her hand. “You have to know I had no control over what I was saying. Seeing. You have to know I didn’t mean any of it, girl.”
Iridium looked at his hand on hers, his eyes, which were clear and warm once again. But those words were still there, ugly, hanging over her head.
“Bloody hell, Callie. Say something.”
“You already said it.” Iridium pulled away and helped him up. “We need containment, backup, and crowd control before—”
There was a massive crash, scattering the group of Blackbird inmates.
From nowhere, Doctor Hypnotic suddenly appeared, groaning as he sat up. Iridium saw Jet nearby, her fists clenched, Shadows leaking between her fingers.
Protean, Lionheart, and Nevermore scattered from Hypnotic like he was radioactive. As they scampered, Jet slowly approached him, Shadows writhing around her.
“Impressive, Joan,” Hypnotic slurred. He pulled himself up, swaying like a drunk, and a deep gash in his forehead spoke to a concussion. “But can you keep the whispers away long enough to finish me?”
Jet hesitated.
“Just what I thought.” Hypnotic purred. “You can’t do it. You know what’s inside you and you’ll never let it out. The Darkness has its teeth in you, Joan, and it’s consuming.”
Jet’s forehead furrowed. “Don’t make me hurt you.”
Iridium stepped up beside Jet. “What are you waiting for?” she murmured. “Finish him off.”
“He …” Jet let her hand drop. “He took away my Shadow. It was … it was …”
“Wonderful,” Hypnotic purred.
Iridium felt a strobe grow reflexively. “You shut up.”
“I don’t have to say a thing,” Hal said. “Joan’s a prisoner of her power.”
Iridium looked away from him, trying to block out that smooth tone, that seductive voice that could give her anything she ever wanted. “No, Joan,” she said softly. “He’s lying to you.”
Twin tears worked their way down Jet’s face. “We can’t beat him.”
“I can’t,” Iridium said softly. She put her hand on Joan’s shoulder. “But you can.”
Jet shivered under her touch.
Iridium put a little light heat into her grip. “You don’t have darkness inside you, Joannie,” she whispered. “You have bright, beautiful things. I know.”
Jet sniffed hard. “How do you know?”
Iridium sensed Hypnotic looming closer, and she tightened her grip. “Because I know you, Joan. I know you.”
Iridium turned, and before she even thought about it, she released the heat in the hand that had been holding Jet. Jet’s creeper hit Hypnotic at the same time.
“You think that’ll stop me?” he bellowed, staggering. “Nothing stops me! I’m Doctor Hypnotic!”
Iridium strobed him again, and Jet’s Shadow creepers grew ravenous.
“Christo,” Jet said tiredly. “Shut up, will you?”
Hypnotic crumpled to the ground.
Iridium kept strobing him, and realized she was screaming. She didn’t care, didn’t stop hurting the monster who’d taken her mind and now her family from her.
Gloved hands pulled her away and Taser wrapped his arms around her, making her still.
“It’s over,” Taser whispered. “Callie, stop.”
Iridium felt his heart beating under his Kevlar, the rapid rhythm in time with her own.
“Callie? Can I let you go?”
Iridium forced herself to breathe. She looked at Hypnotic’s bloody, still form on the floor and nodded, slowly and shakily. “It’s over.”
JET
Sighing, Jet stared at the fallen man. Doctor Hypnotic looked so old, lying there on the floor. So helpless. Difficult to imagine he’d entranced hundreds of people … or that decades ago, he’d caused the deaths of hundreds more, scarred the minds of thousands.
scars and screams and sweet sweet sounds …
She clenched her fist. Shut up!
The voices giggled, and receded. For now.
“Well,” Taser said. “That’s a big win, yeah?”
Someone brushed past Jet, nearly pushing her off her feet. Rubbing her bruised arm, Jet glowered at Arclight, who knelt and inspected Hypnotic’s face. He was silent for a long moment, then he spat on the unconscious man’s cheek.
“Hey,” Jet said, affronted.
“Don’t you ‘Hey’ me, little girl. You don’t know what he made me see.” Arclight sneered at Hypnotic’s crumpled form before he pulled himself up to his full height.
“He’s sick,” Jet said quietly, only somewhat surprised that she was making excuses for one of