The Embers Of My Heart Read Online Free Page A

you have any family problems while you were home? Did something happen during your trip to the city?"
    I grinned. "I was in a completely uncomfortable and weird situation. Does that count?" It wasn't exactly a lie, but it conflated my experiences at home with my other experiences in the city.
    "Could be the cause." She paused for a moment and her expression shifted. "Are you feeling guilty about something?"
    "What?" There was no way she could know.
    "What happened to Shade. He's showing no signs of awakening from his coma. Trust me, Kevin, there was nothing you could do in that sort of situation."
    I blinked and felt tension flow out of my muscles. "Absynthe, you should know, I don't feel bad about what happened to him at all. Not in the least. Couldn't have happened to a better person. I wish whoever did it beat him as hard as he beat me."
    "I never condoned the way he treated you," Absynthe said. Her tone grew chilly. "Still, what happened to him was vicious. Not to diminish your injuries and pain, but what happened to him was destructive beyond your knowledge. His powers may be gone. The feedback from the twist may have burned out his powers, or his personality, or everything that makes him who he is. We don't understand much, but we do understand one thing. He won't be the same if he wakes up."
    I swallowed back another comment. It was either him or me, and I chose me. "Sure. Sorry. I'm just bitter about the way I was treated."
    "That's understandable." She continued to stare me down. "Another potential cause would be injuries from the rogue. Perhaps a deep lying twist that our examination missed is starting to come undone."
    "I don't think so. When I went down, other agents were there, and then Shade showed up. I don't think there was an opportunity to sneak a twist in there. They'd have to be ridiculously good at psionic multitasking."
    "That's what we presumed as well," she said. "It's still not outside the realm of possibility. I'd like to do a checkup on you later this week."
    "Fine with me. What should I do in the meantime?"
    "A mild fracture isn't serious, but could be dangerous if it lingers. If it's just coming on now, I assume it's temporary, perhaps due to stress, injury, and lack of practice. Keep an eye on it. We'll start your training this trimester slowly and make sure you're fully healed before doing anything strenuous."
    "Sure, but what can I do other than wait?"
    She shrugged. "There's always a root cause. We can provide a professional therapist if you think it's a mental issue. A doctor if it's a physical injury, though that's unlikely in your case. Sometimes they resolve on their own. Very rarely, the fracture doesn't heal, and it can have permanent effects on how you use your powers. Trust me, Kevin. We won't let that happen to you."
    I sighed. "I was hoping for more."
    Absynthe echoed my sigh. "Exercise your mind lightly on a regular basis. Keep physically healthy. If there's anything you're worried about, try to distance yourself from it. Let things settle. That's all."
    "I'll do that," I said.
    She nodded and yawned. "Excuse me. It's late and I have things to take care of before bed. Is there anything else you'd like to talk about?"
    "Nothing important enough to keep you from your beauty sleep," I said, earning a wry smile from her. "Thanks, Absynthe."
    "Any time," she said. Her presence faded and I found myself back in my own brain, still in Nikki's bed. The entire conversation had taken only a couple of minutes. It took me far longer than that to fall asleep.
    I didn't wake up until close to noon the next day. Neither Nikki nor Kaitlyn were present and I suspected that Kait had never come back that night. I found my clothes folded neatly at the end of the bed. I dressed and made the walk of shame back to my room. The door to my dorm room was unlocked and I took a deep breath before opening it and walking in.
    "Morning, Kev," Drew greeted me. I waited for some sort of comment on my absence, but he