Shards of Hope (Psy-Changeling 14)

His fingertips met a thin-skin bandage. “Any permanent damage?”

“I can’t tell.” White lines bracketed the medic’s mouth, his leaf green eyes grim. “Whatever it was you two had in you, it was jammed in—hack job. You probably did less damage taking the things out than was done putting them in.”

Aden couldn’t risk testing his telepathic muscles. If he suffered a backlash of pain, it might leave him helpless again even if it didn’t do any further damage. As it was, he didn’t think the news would be good—he’d consciously dropped his psychic shields when he woke. Instead of sensing a loud background hum that denoted the minds of the people around him, he’d heard only echoing silence.

The fact that he was around changelings didn’t explain that silence. Changelings might have strong natural shields, but they existed. And from things Judd had said now and then, he knew most packs had human members as well. He should’ve at least felt a faint murmur that was created of the surface thoughts of a group of sentient living beings.

Controlling his psychic need to reach out took harsh effort. Akin to a changeling leashing his animal, or a human not using her dominant hand while attempting to complete a delicate task. “The current date and time?” he asked, trying not to think consciously of the absolute silence inside his head . . . and of what that silence would do to Zaira if she was in the same condition.

When Remi answered his question, Aden did a rough calculation and realized his and Zaira’s captors had only had him for twenty-three hours prior to their escape. Zaira had to have been taken after him, else he’d have heard of her abduction. Rushing the surgery had been their unknown enemy’s biggest mistake. A longer time frame and the implants would’ve likely become too deeply embedded to easily remove.

“I’d like to take your vitals.” Not waiting for an answer, Finn picked up what Aden recognized as a top-of-the-line medical scanner and closed the distance between them.

Cooperating with Finn’s requests because the medic clearly knew what he was doing, Aden said, “You didn’t contact the squad?” It was very possible this unknown pack had no contacts in the PsyNet, and thus no way to get a message back to Vasic and the others.

Remi shook his head. “Communications are out because of the storm. We figured you’d get in touch with your people once you woke.” He tapped his temple in a silent reference to Aden’s psychic abilities.

“I’d feel better if you had a specialist look at you,” Finn said, putting down the scanner to physically check Aden’s wounded leg. A lock of his light brown hair fell across his forehead but he ignored it to continue his task.

Flexing the limb for the medic and feeling no pain, Aden said, “You appear to have done an excellent job.” It was simple enough to seal a minor wound with the correct laser, but repairing all the tiny blood vessels, torn ligaments, and other shredded internal mechanics would’ve taken hours of concentrated and careful work.

And Aden’s wound had been far less complicated than Zaira’s.

Finn didn’t speak until after he’d tested Aden’s reflexes on that side of his body. “I’m a qualified and certified doctor as well as a healer,” he said, switching to the other side, “but I’m no neurosurgeon. I can’t guarantee I didn’t miss something.”

Remi stirred, eyes locking with Aden’s. “I don’t want to end up with two dead fucking Arrows in my territory,” he said with brutal frankness. “Call in one of your teleporters, go see an M-Psy.”

Aden had to make a decision—tell the truth and reveal his vulnerability, or make up a lie. For now, he decided on the lie. Remi could’ve killed him while he was down, but the leopard alpha’s assistance could also be a cunning double cross. Remi had been in the same isolated area as their captors, after all. Aden couldn’t afford to trust the alpha or his packmates until he’d categorically confirmed their lack of involvement in his and Zaira’s abductions.

“I’ll need to realign my mind before I can make contact,” he said, banking on these changelings not being close enough to a Psy to know his words meant absolutely nothing. “The insertion of the implant disoriented my pathway to the PsyNet.”

Remi frowned but nodded. “It’ll be at least a day, maybe two before you can get out if your people can’t get in. Rain’s caused landslides lower down the mountain, blocked most of the roads, and last forecast we caught before the systems went down say this weather isn’t going to let up anytime soon.”

There was a massive boom just then, the thunder loud enough that both changelings visibly reacted, Finn with a grimace and Remi by going preternaturally still. Acute hearing, Aden realized, had to be a disadvantage in these circumstances.

“I have technical training,” he said. “I might be able to jerry-rig a transmitter.”

“You’re welcome to try.” Remi folded his arms. “But the conduit lower down the mountain has most likely been fried by lightning and my techs tell me the interference caused by the combination of the weather and our location makes it unlikely any lower-strength signal will get out.”

Aden wasn’t certain that was a drawback—because if this pack was friendly, then he and Zaira had a safe haven in which to recover from their physical and psychic wounds. Their psychic blindness could well be seen as an invitation for further violence in the outside world.

Aden, in particular, couldn’t afford to have his lack exposed. It would pin a target on the entire squad’s back if their leader was shown to be “human” in his vulnerability. Arrows survived not just because they were dangerous but because people saw them as dangerous. Else they were simply threats who needed to be put down.