St George deducing the reason for his nosebleeds

“Yeah,” said George. “Madelyn said—” The spikes shot forward another quarter inch. They grew thorns. He could picture them making deep dimples across the back of his eyeball. “Madelyn said he can make people believe things. He’s from somewhere else, like us.”
She slid the bar napkin out from under her drink and held it out to him. “Your nose is bleeding again.”
“I know,” he said. “I think … I think it bleeds when I get too close to the truth. And the truth is, a crazy girl told me I had superpowers, and then she shot me a dozen times in the chest and it didn’t do anything.” He tugged at the shirt and looked down past his chin. “I think the bruise is already fading.”

Excerpt From Ex-Purgatory, pg 326
Peter Clines
https://books.apple.com/us/book/ex-purgatory/id676938479