Page 154 of Eclipse Sector

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I kept pushing, gently moving strands out of the way, and searching for the true identity underneath all his mental barricades.

Show me,I demanded, swimming through the mental minefield.This is what Ashlyn meant about watching my step, to tread carefully, to not alert?—

The air whooshed out of my lungs as a concrete boulder slammed into me, cutting off my ability to breathe.

Everything spun.

Throbbed.

The world… the world… was too dark. Too black. Too?—

Ivana!Cillian shouted. Was that in my mind? Out loud? I… I couldn’t tell.

I… I don’t know where I am…

I waited for his reply.

Nothing came.

Just silence.

Darkness.

Nothingness.

Death.

CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

CILLIAN

A Minute Earlier

Fuck,Cael could throw a punch.

I flexed my jaw and ducked as I narrowly avoided getting hit again.

He growled.

I returned the growl.

And both of us went to battle with our minds, trying to force the other to submit.

This distraction wasn’t going to work for much longer. Cael knew I was up to something. He’d said as much with a thought right after I’d hit him the first time.I don’t know why we’re doing this, but I’ll play, Elite. Give me your best.

I’d responded by introducing my fist to his face again.

Which had infuriated Granger.

But Cael had demanded that he stand down. “I’m fine. I can handle this.”

“He just disrespected you,” Granger had said through his teeth.

“I said,I can handle this.”

And handle it, he had.

Shadowing all over the fucking room for the last few minutes. Throwing punches. Kicks. Verbal insults.And the occasional mental laugh.

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