Tangent (A Liminals prequel novella) by Maree Anderson

Tangent: Chapter Seven

Tangent

By Maree Anderson

Chapter Seven

Rix waited for one of them to order him to elaborate. And when no one did, was forced to conclude his big secret hadn't come as much of a surprise. Someone—Kade, most like, if the kid's interest in the dead plant in Rix's room was anything to go by—had already put two and two together, and filled them in. Rix didn't have to like it but he couldn't really blame the kid for spilling his guts. In a place like this, you did whatever it took to make it through another day.

He met Vaughn Kincaid's gaze. "You already know about me—that I'm a siphon."

"Very good, Rixon." Vaughn beamed at him like a teacher proud of a good student. Or an owner praising a clever dog. "Although, in the interests of full disclosure, I must confess that until now we had no proof you possessed such a fascinating ability. And it is fascinating, is it not?" He paused expectantly.

"Fascinating!" Little Miss Sunshine dutifully enthused.

"I believe the term 'siphon' is rather apt for your ability." Vaughn rubbed his chin, playing at being human.

Hah. Rix doubted anyone in this room—including Little Miss Sunshine—was foolish enough to believe the act.

"Siphon. Yes, I like it. We'll keep it." And you, Vaughn's cold eyes seemed to say. "Now that you're prepared to cooperate, perhaps you would be so kind as to explain exactly what being a 'siphon' entails. It's always best to go right to the source for accurate information, don't you think, Rixon?"

Rixon smothered a wholly ridiculous impulse to start his explanation with "Once upon a time, a young boy named Rixon discovered he could kill things." Instead, he said, "When I get low on energy, I can take it from living things. Plants and insects and small animals—rodents and suchlike." He shrugged like it was no biggie. "Comes in handy sometimes. Have to be cautious how much I take, though. People start finding dead things around the place and it freaks them out."

He stroked his dreads, screwing up his nose like he was thinking real hard. "Don't know how I do it, exactly. Best I can describe, it's like when a lim partially phases—doesn't go subliminal all the way—and all the senses sharpen so you can see and hear and sense the energy vibrations of everything in range. Only I'm not partially phasing but I'm still hyper-aware of the energy a thing gives off. And then I kinda tap into that energy and you know, absorb it. Sometimes I can do it from a short distance. Other times, I have to be touching the thing I'm taking energy from."

He loosed a nervous-sounding laugh. And then, hoping to deflect suspicions that he was omitting something crucial, he volunteered another piece of information. "Tried it on a cat, once." Pause for a beat. "Ended up with a wicked migraine that laid me flat on my back for hours. I reckon cats are too smart. They sense what's happening and, I dunno, fight back or something."

The best lies always contained elements of the truth. Vaughn Kincaid didn't need to know that Rix had successfully siphoned energy from a cat—a poor little beast that he'd found badly injured after being clipped by a car. Rix hadn't been able to afford to take it to a vet. Draining its energy had been the most humane way he could think of to end its suffering.

And Vaughn Kincaid definitely didn't need to know that Rix had drained a human to death, too. But rather than keeping the energy he'd stolen, using it, he'd headed for the nearest park and fed all the energy he could spare to every bush and tree he could lay a hand on. He'd over-compensated, and afterward had been weak as a kitten, his head aching so bad he could barely focus. A small price to pay for insuring there was nothing left of that depraved scumbag inside him, though.