Five's Betrayal Read Online Free PDF Page A

fatigue, gritting my teeth and imagining myself standing over Nine as he begs for mercy.
    Ethan tosses me something small and shiny that I catch with my telekinesis and float over to my hand.
    “Do the stone, not the band,” he says as it travels through the air. I don’t understand until I realize that I’ve got a diamond ring in my palm.
    “No problem,” I say, touching the gem with the tip of my pinkie. My skin hardens and takes on a brilliant shine. The tips of my fingers are completely clear. I float over to the steel table and drag one of my fingernails along the top of it, engraving the numeral “5” into it.
    “Now this could come in handy,” I say.
    “Sure,” Ethan says. “If you want to be the target of every weapon on the battlefield. Your skin is too shiny. It would be impossible to be incognito. But keep this form for now. Let’s see how long you can hold it.”
    I wave my arms around in front of me and watch the light bounce off them, sending reflections all around the room.
    “I think I met some people down in Miami who would have me chopped up into pieces and sold off for millions if they could see me now.”
    The harder I concentrate while I touch the stone, the clearer my body gets and the harder my skin becomes. But it takes work. And the more I focus, the more my head starts to pound, and I start to feel like I’m losing control of my body. When I first developed the Externa ability, I was terrified that I’d never be able to revert back to my normal form again. Suddenly, that same fear attacks me, and my heart rate and breathing go through the roof.
    I must look like I’m afraid, because when Ethan says, “Five, calm down, buddy,” his voice is steady and low. He sounds like that only when he’s concerned.
    So I take a few deep breaths, close my eyes and let the ring fall to the ground as my feet find the stone floor again. I tune out the world for a few seconds and just concentrate on my normal body and how much I want to be back in it. When I open my eyes again, my fingers are pink and soft. I’m back. But my head is still pounding.
    “Ow,” I say, raising a hand to my right temple. “Headache?”
    “Yeah.”
    “We’ll get you some aspirin,” Ethan says. “But, hey. That was great. This is where we’ll start focusing our training from now on.”
    I think of Nine, and how Deltoch doesn’t think I look like much of a soldier.
    “I’m fine,” I insist. “I can keep going.”
    “I don’t want you to hurt yourself.”
    Ethan must think I’m weak too.
    “I’m not some kid, Ethan,” I say. “I’m a superpowered Loric and the guy who’s going to be the Mog officer in charge of this country. If I say I can keep going, I can.”
    Ethan looks a little taken aback. Before he gets a chance to say anything, the door bursts open, and Commander Deltoch enters. A flash of annoyance crosses Ethan’s face as he turns to his superior.
    “Commander,” he says with a little nod of a bow, “to what do we owe the pleasure?”
    “You’re needed, Ethan,” the Mog says. “Report to Central Command.”
    Ethan waves at me. “Come along, Five. You should go back to your room and get some rest.”
    “The Loric stays. I have a surprise for him.”
    There’s a moment when Ethan and Deltoch just stare in defiance at one another. Deltoch must win in the end, because Ethan shrugs, gives me a fleeting glance and then turns on his heel. Just like that he’s gone, and I’m left alone with the Mog commander. I don’t realize how accustomed I am to Ethan always being there until he’s gone.
    I wonder if today is the day. If they’re taking me to try to kill Nine.
    “Five,” Deltoch says through his sharp, dark teeth. “How is your training going?”
    “It’s good,” I say, nodding fervently, which only makes my head hurt more. But I ignore that. “I can show you if you want.”
    I blink, and in the course of doing so, the chairs all fly out from under the table, spin around the