X 1979. The year the Psy race became Silent. Became cold, without emotion, without mercy. Hearts were broken, families torn apart. But far more were saved. From insanity. From murder. From viciousness such as unseen in the world today. For the X-Psy, Silence was a gift beyond price, a gift that allowed at least some of their number to survive childhood, have a life. Yet over a hundred years after the icy wave of the Silence Protocol washed away violence and despair, madness and love, X-Psy are, and remain, living weapons. Silence is their safety switch. Without it . . . There are some nightmares the world will never be ready to face. Chapter 1 HAWKE FOLDED HIS arms and leaned back against the solid bulk of his desk, eyes on the two young females in front of him. Hands clasped behind themselves and legs slightly spread in the “resting” stance, Sienna and Maria looked like the SnowDancer soldiers they were—except for the fact that their hair straggled in a wild mess around their faces, matted with mud, crushed leaves, and other forest debris. Then there was the torn clothing and the sharp, acrid scent of blood. His wolf bared its teeth. “Let me get this