"Oh, come on, Fixer. Everyone with powers has a weakness. It's a rule of the universe."
Derek realized he had failed to unshackle Nell, so he grabbed her handcuffs and tore them apart. The metal screeched as if in pain.
She asked conversationally, "What's yours?"
Derek became serious. "If anyone other than you asked me that, I'd kill them. Now sit down so I can get the ones on your feet."
Nell flopped down and shrank away from him, and The Afterdark saw renewed fear in her eyes.
"Do you have more of those marks?" Derek pushed. He pulled apart the shackles and helped her back up.
She hesitated. "It's why I wear long sleeves." She rolled back her right sleeve and showed Derek. He snagged her wrist and moved her so he could get a better look. She flinched and jerked her arm back like she'd caught her fingers in a trap, but The Afterdark made that impossible.
"Quit it," he said, and began to examine her forearm. The lines were bright white and shiny, and much thicker here than the little ones on her neck. They were like spider webs in the way they criss-crossed and wrapped around. They stopped a few inches short of her wrist. He couldn't imagine how much it must have hurt, and that was truly fascinating.
When he let go, Nell was cringing, and he saw he'd left white marks on her hand from holding on too hard. She was frightened by his sudden, commanding behavior. He didn't apologize.
Derek realized he had failed to unshackle Nell, so he grabbed her handcuffs and tore them apart. The metal screeched as if in pain.
She asked conversationally, "What's yours?"
Derek became serious. "If anyone other than you asked me that, I'd kill them. Now sit down so I can get the ones on your feet."
Nell flopped down and shrank away from him, and The Afterdark saw renewed fear in her eyes.
"Do you have more of those marks?" Derek pushed. He pulled apart the shackles and helped her back up.
She hesitated. "It's why I wear long sleeves." She rolled back her right sleeve and showed Derek. He snagged her wrist and moved her so he could get a better look. She flinched and jerked her arm back like she'd caught her fingers in a trap, but The Afterdark made that impossible.
"Quit it," he said, and began to examine her forearm. The lines were bright white and shiny, and much thicker here than the little ones on her neck. They were like spider webs in the way they criss-crossed and wrapped around. They stopped a few inches short of her wrist. He couldn't imagine how much it must have hurt, and that was truly fascinating.
When he let go, Nell was cringing, and he saw he'd left white marks on her hand from holding on too hard. She was frightened by his sudden, commanding behavior. He didn't apologize.
