Chapter 10 · Rift Protocol - Chapter 10: Echoes in Her Head

"Who gave you that scar?"

Dalen's hand is still on my wrist. His thumb sits right over the raised line, the one that runs from my pulse point halfway to my elbow. I don't pull away. I don't know why.

"I don't remember," I say.

"Try."

"I am trying." I twist my arm so his grip loosens, but he doesn't let go. "Every time I close my eyes, I see pieces. A room. White tiles. Someone screaming. But I don't know if it's me or someone else."

He's watching me like I'm a bomb he's trying to defuse. His jaw's tight. His breathing's controlled. But his fingers are still warm on my skin.

"You're lying," he says.

"I'm not."

"Then why does your pulse spike every time I ask about your past?"

I yank my hand back. "Maybe because you keep pointing a gun at me."

He doesn't answer. He just stands there in the dim light of the relay station, shoulder against the cracked concrete wall, eyes locked on mine. The place smells like rust and old smoke.