The Pyramid Chronicles: Tyche Point (#1)

Chapter Eleven: Two Sides

Sam stumbled into the sunlight, a few feet behind Summer and Eric. Heat swallowed him. The light amplified his headache. He lifted a hand to shield his eyes.

"Sam," Summer managed between breaths. "Can you sense if anyone's following us?"

Sam grimaced. "Sorry, I'm worn out. And my head's killing me." He threw a nervous glance back at Star City, but the silence that followed gave no indication that anyone was following them.

"Did you guys walk here from school?" Eric asked after a moment.

Summer nodded. "We came down Indigo Street, but I think we'll have better cover if we take the walking trail through the neighborhood behind the school."

It would add fifteen minutes to their walk, but there were more places to hide along the trail. After Sam and Eric voiced their agreement, the three set off.

Eric reached into his pocket and came to an abrupt halt. "Damn it, I forgot they took my phone." He groaned. "I need to let my mom and Adam know I'm okay."

"Here." Summer pulled out her phone and handed it to him. "I know your mom's number is in there, I'm not sure about Adam's."

While Eric typed out a message and Summer surveyed the area to make sure one was following them, Sam rubbed his forehead. The ache permeating his skull wasn't as bad as it had been under the arcade, but there was still a faint throb at the back of his head that stretched down his neck.

I just want to go home and sleep for a week. The voice was Eric's, but there was something strange about it.

Sam brushed the weirdness off. "Me too," he muttered.

"What was that?" Summer asked.

Sam glanced at Eric, who was still writing out a text message. "I—never mind."

I hope I didn't push Sam too hard. Summer's mouth didn't move, but her voice was clear in Sam's head. His heart jolted. His mind scrambled for an explanation.

Eric held Summer's phone out to her. "Thanks." Hopefully those kids don't find me again.

Sam could feel Summer and Eric moving next to him, that same sensation he'd felt earlier when he'd reached under the arcade: not the sensation of physical objects or bodies, but the presence of other minds. He held his hands in front of his face and realized how badly they were trembling. They closed into fists. Summer and Eric's minds pressed against his mental barrier. He pushed them away, pushed out their voices.

His power was so much more than he'd realized.

"Sam?" Summer paused and glanced back at him. "Are you okay?"

Eric looked back, too, concern in his eyes. Sam let his hands drop to his sides. He wanted to tell them, but what if they freaked out?

Who could trust a mind reader?

"Sam?" Eric tried.

May as well get it out of the way now.

"Look, I've been hiding my powers for as long as I can remember," Sam said, still processing his realization. "Not just hiding them, but actively fighting against them." He rubbed his arm and glanced down. "I guess that's why I'm having such a hard time getting a handle on them. Veronica freaking out probably isn't helping much, either."

"It's okay, Sam." Summer offered a small smile. "You have time to figure it out. Don't push yourself."

"Thanks." Sam hesitated. He didn't want to carry around a secret, living in constant fear of letting it slip. He forced himself to continue. "But what I'm saying is, I don't know all that I can do. When Summer asked me to sense people at the arcade, I had never tried anything like it before. And I think it opened up something in me. Because when I reach out with my senses, I can feel people's minds. And I can—" He swallowed. "I can read them."