Page 158 of Interion

“You’re seeing its true form. There are three levels of consciousness: the first is the surface mind—it has no form, and it’s where we spend most of our time. The second is the submind, where we are now. You can only see it if a telepath, or someone who’s already awakened it, shows you the way. Dreams usually happen at this level. Finally, the third is the subconscious—the place beneath our feet.”

If Zion’s mind was like a turbulent ocean, mine was like the sky on an autumn day. Beneath our feet lay orange clouds, and below them, red lightning bolts collided, creating webs of light.

“Interesting. It’s quite different from mine,” he said.

We moved forward, and I felt us pass through something thin, like a film of gelatin. I let him take the lead and followed behind, my eyes on the ground, staring at the lightning bolts colliding in my subconscious. Zion stopped in the center and waited for me to finish my inspection. His non-eyes tracked me steadily, and even here, I felt hot and anxious under his gaze.

“So this is what you think when you blush.” His non-lips pulled into a half smile.

“W-what? You heard that?” I asked incredulously.

“Yes, we’re inside your submind. That film you compared to something thin and gelatinous? That was actually your natural mental barrier.”

I stared at the translucent film in amazement. Then I went back and ran my hands over it. It was so thin it didn’t even feel physical—it really did seem like gelatin. It dissolved and reformed as I touched it. A shiver ran down my spine, as if some nerve was being tugged. I started to laugh.

“And you call this a barrier?” I laughed. “It would be less embarrassing if it didn’t exist.”

“It’s not embarrassing, Kay. It’s like a muscle that’s never been used. Look, at least you have somewhere to start. If it’s already here, you just need to work on strengthening it.”

“And how do I do that?” I tried to feel something by touching the film, but there wasn’t even a pulse—it was so withered.

“You need to imagine it as something resistant, and then let your own mind rebuild it from your gift,” he explained, keeping his distance from the film but watching me.

“What did you imagine for your barrier?” I asked, frowning. His had seemed to be made of bulletproof glass before it turned black.

“At first I imagined steel, but as you can see, it didn’t work,” he said, a bit awkwardly. “Then I imagined concrete. I imagined so many things it would be exhausting to list them all. It started working when I visualized stones—more specifically, black quartz, a stone known as onyx. From there, I finally managed to create something.”

“So I should keep imagining until I create something compatible?”

“Yes, that’s how it worked for me, but we won’t know until you try. So, try.”

He waited expectantly, watching the gelatinous film, while I walked around the barrier, not knowing what to do. Imagining abstract things in front of Zion would be embarrassing.

“If it’s any consolation, it took me three days to create something even minimally physical while Serguei lectured me about how ridiculous I was. Don’t be embarrassed—you’ll fail plenty before you succeed. Just pretend I’m not here.”

How could I pretend Zion wasn’t there? How could I ignore the presence of a man like him? I’d have to fight my own submind to avoid him.

“Maybe I’m enjoying being on this side a little too much,” he teased, making my cheeks flush even more.

“Maybe these aren’t even close to my best thoughts.”

If he wanted to play, I’d play too. Zion laughed behind me.

“Charming, Kyller, but I think you should start working before we need to materialize some air freshener in here.”

I choked—if my non-throat could even choke—and coughed up red mist while staring at him.

“What did you say?” I must have heard wrong. There was no way he knew. He laughed even harder and crossed his arms, waiting.

“Come on. Strengthen the barrier!” he urged, gesturing with his chin.

I turned, even more perplexed and embarrassed. How did he know that? There was no way he could know—there had been no understanding in his eyes that day. Then I remembered Kiara, and the laugh that echoed behind me only confirmed my suspicions.

Shameless little traitor.

“Do the material’s properties have anything to do with the barrier’s resistance?” I asked, changing the subject before I dissolved from embarrassment.

“No. The barrier’s resistance comes from your elemental and mental strength. You could materialize clouds and they’d still be a strong barrier, but only if you trained.”