SLAM Read Free Page A

left alone. He never made her feel like she had to put
on a front, even though he was just a kid. Now, when Serena has one
of her frequent nightmares, there’s no small, squirming body
climbing into bed to give her a cuddle before she even wakes. No
little hand to hold hers and tell her it’s all going to be okay, in
that utterly self-possessed way he’d had ever since he started
talking. One of the benefits of being a Psionic is the truly
intimate emotional links you can form with people; especially
talented Readers like her brother. He knew her inside out. He would
understand, even now. He’d understand why she needs to
fight.
    She is strong, but small; small enough that
the idea of her being a soldier would be ludicrous to anyone not in
the know, which is most of the world. But here at ARC, physical
size is irrelevant. The power you wield and the control you have
over it are all that count. Mastery of your Talent takes years of
hard practice, but she works harder than anyone. Up at dawn,
physical training in the gym, tactical training, and school on top
of that. She’s barely breathed for years. As the daughter of the
man who now leads ARC – the freedom-fighting group, those who are
sick of being hunted down by the Institute for the threat they pose
to the power-hungry government – a lot of eyes are on her. But it
isn’t this that makes her so desperate to succeed.
    Damon will be seven now, if he’s still alive.
She hasn’t seen him in two years. An ARC team caught sight of him
just over a year ago, but was overwhelmed by the Institute soldiers
guarding him, and had to retreat. She wishes she’d never watched
the vid from the operative’s helmets. Her newer nightmares are of
the moment her brother’s eyes landed on the stocky figure of their
father as he held the soldiers back with his psionic powers,
struggling to reach his young son. Instead of showing recognition
or hope, Damon’s soft, childish face had remained blank and
unanimated. Empty. The brown eyes that had always lit up when his
daddy entered the room looked right through him, like he was a
stranger.
    The memory chills her to the bone,
and she moves the icepack away as though it is the cause of her pebbling
flesh.
    That’s what the Institute does to kids, to
people like her … people with powers. They take young telepaths
away and wipe them out so the organization can use their gifts as
tools. The Institute abducts whoever is found; anyone Talented and
unlucky enough to be born inside a major City is usually captured
at birth. Even in the rambling and dilapidated townships, you’re
lucky to avoid their hunters for long. A few of the slum dwellings
are made from old shipping containers, and the metal can help hide
psionic signal. Some escape, that way. But the larger your psionic
Talent, the stronger you are, and the more difficult it is to
control. Readers find it easier to remain unnoticed, because their
power is passive, but Projectors, especially those strong enough to
have telekinesis rather than a more subtle skill like mind control
... that’s harder to hide. And once you get on their radar, they’ll
stop at nothing to track you down. ARC tries to fight, to take back
the stolen and rehabilitate them, help them learn tricks to protect
themselves and keep themselves safe. After that, they can do what
they want. Leave, if that’s what they desire, or stay and join the
fight.
    The fight Serena chose to join.
She has Talent, and it’s too dangerous for her to be out there
alone until she’s able to cloak herself. For now, ARC keeps her
safe. The education teaches her how to protect herself, and
the defences give her a shield against
the soldiers of the Institute. But she’s training to be an ARC
soldier for one reason, and one reason only: The better prepared
she is, the more likely she’ll be able to get to
Damon.
    And that’s the only thing that
matters now. After all, it is her fault he was stolen.
    Closing her eyes, she tries to