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Screams pierced the air after that. They were screams I’d never forget. They were worse than mine. Like an animal having its skin peeled off when they’re alive. Those types of screams.

“What is that?”

I could smell their fear. Whoever was closest to me was violently trembling.

“You hurt her.” Benji’s eight-year-old voice no longer sounded like an eight-year-old’s. It was inhumane, filled with malice.

It slithered down my spine.

“That’s not human!” Another shriek.

“We need to get out of here.”

“No.” That was Noah, a low growl.

“The door’s locked.”

“OH MY GOD! SHE’S LEVITATING!”

“You hurt her.” Benji again.

I couldn’t see what was happening, but I felt it. His anger. His power. It was coming off him in waves. Pulsating through the small hallway.

“I think—she’s in here!”

A rattling sound.

Thump!

“The door’s locked. We can’t get in.”

Noah growled, “Hurt her, Benji. Slam her back down.”

I reached out, but my hand just hit air.

I needed—“No,” I croaked. “Benji, no. I just wanted you to stop them.”

Someone was throwing up.

Someone else was crying, praying.

“They were hurting you.”

“Benji, you can’t hurt her back.”

“Fuck that, Cole. They don’t get away with this.” Noah was beyond reason too.

“Noah.” I was desperate. “They’re going to blame me.”

“They can see him. They know.”

“They’re not going to tell them that. It’ll make them look crazy. They’ll blame me. They’ll say I did this and that’s why they hurt me.”

The door was rattling again.

“We need the fucking keys.” That was Cassian. “Nimrod, grab that janitor.”

“Noah, open the door for them.”