Page 264 of Hunters and Prey

I didn’t need their fucking help.

Once I was listening again, I could hear nothing but silence.

I waited for it to end, for that smart-ass male presence to return.

The silence didn’t end. He didn’t return.

No one approached me in that dark, seething space.

Feeling my defensiveness rise, the longer that silence stretched, I found myself speaking into it.

Is that all you got?I sent angrily. Are you finished?

I stared around that dark space with my light, listening.

I felt no one, heard nobody.

Why aren’t you laughing now?I sent, fighting to breathe through that pain in my chest. You got me to react. I reacted. Now what? What do you want?

I was still scanning, staring around me in that dark void of the Barrier, when a presence approached me. I felt flickers of it, enough to know it was the one who’d been hitting me before, who’d been goading me into a fight.

Think you’re pretty fucking clever,I snapped at him. Get the scared little girl rape victim to fight back. You must be so proud of yourself.

He didn’t speak. I felt nothing off his light.

You know I’m a psychologist, right?I sent. You think I don’t know what you’re doing? Or do you think I’m stupid, too… in addition to being some kind of child?

Realizing they were trying to help me, that I was acting out, just like countless numbers of my patients had acted out with me, trying to avoid their pains and traumas, I fell silent.

Embarrassment washed over me.

They were trying to help me.

They came here for me.

And I’d basically just punched one of them in the face––energetically-speaking.

I’m sorry,I sent, my thoughts subdued. I do know what you’re doing. I appreciate it––

My thoughts cut out when he enveloped me with his light.

He crushed me to him, strong light arms, a dense, sun-like presence, a high, blue-white light that was so still, I found myself falling silent.

When I fought to close down to him, to avoid the stillness of that presence, he only grew more and more still.

You know how strong you are,he told me. It’s why you don’t let yourself fight back.

Looking down at me, he smiled.

That,he added. And I suspect you had it trained out of you at a young age. I’m sure you’re right, that he did it to protect you, but you need to shed your father’s training, Miri. Before it gets you killed.

Seeing that angular face carved out of light, the sharp eyes, I stared up at him, riveted.

…Believe it or not,he added wryly. I can relate.

I’d known it was him.

On some level, I’d known it was Revik who’d been hitting me in the dark.

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