Telepathy 4

He punched Jace in the stomach, hard. Jace sank to all fours…and peered inside the jagged, tangled corridors of Tuck’s mind.

“It must have been very frightening,” said Jace, speaking into the rusted plating.

“What did you say?” Tuck hauled Jace to his feet.

“I said that it must have been very frightening.”

Tuck stopped grinning. “What?”

“Waiting for him to come home,” said Jace.

“Who?” asked Jill.

“Knowing he was drunk,” said Jace. “Knowing he was going to hit you again.”

“Shut up,” snarled Tuck. He grabbed Jace by the throat.

“You’d pretend to be asleep,” wheezed Jace. “You had your little knife, tucked into bed with you. And every time…”

“Shut up!” yelled Tuck. He squeezed.

“Every time…y-you told yourself…you were going to fight back.” Jace’s vision began to dim. Through Tuck’s eyes, he looked blurred.

“Tuck?” said Caden.

“But you never did,” whispered Jace.

Shut up! Tuck shoved Jace, sending him skidding across the slick, cold plating of the mage-ring’s roof—toward the edge.

JACE’S ORIGIN: ABSENT MINDS