Page 279 of Psycho Gods

The energy shifted, and suddenly the sweltering room felt freezing.

“Jen and Jan,” Jinx whispered, her voice barely audible. “They were twins.”

“What happened to them?” Sadie asked.

“Randomly, some people are immune to my—abilities. Like Warren. I don’t know why or how it happens.”

Sadie stated harshly, “They were immune. What did you do?”

Jinx’s eyes were wide like she’d seen a ghost. Her broken fingers tangled in the fabric of her ripped shirt. She said nothing.

“What happened to them?” Sadie asked, her voice hard as steel.

“The leader killed them because I couldn’t wipe their memories.” Her voice cracked. “I tried to save them.” She shuddered. “But he killed them.”

“You wiped our memories,” I whispered. “We don’t even know their names.”

Sadie covered her mouth as she made a wounded noise.

Jinx curled up like she was trying to make herself smaller and whispered, “They made me do it. And now you’ll never be able to remember.”

No one spoke another word.

This time, the silence hurt worse than the physical pain.

Chapter 56

John

BLOOD TRAILS

Erythrophobia (noun): morbid avoidance of the color red.

DAY 36, HOUR 12

“We’ve checked everywhere. They aren’t here!” I yelled with frustration and kicked debris down the corridor. I pressed my hand against my chest and focused on the empty feeling inside. It was the only thing that kept me from losing it completely.

“Where are you Aran?” I whispered dejectedly as I stepped over the burned remains of ungodly.

The world was colored in shades of gray. Every breath I took pulled at the freshly healing wound that covered my back, which hurt far worse than any ordinary injury.

I welcomed the emptiness.

The coldness.

The pain.

It all meant one thing—Aran was still alive.

Luka gripped my bicep; his eyes were unfocused as he stared down the empty corridor. He hadn’t spoken since we’d realized Aran had gone missing, and darkness shimmered, stretching around him in an amorphous mass.

He looked how I felt.

Haunted.

“They aren’t here,” Cobra hissed, slit pupils glowing bright green as shadows writhed across every inch of his pale skin. “My snakessss have combed the structure. They’re gone.”

Xerxes rubbed at his chest. “Our bond is growing fainter, which means she’s injured. We need to find her soon.”