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Carmon held his hand up. “Everyone stay on your toes today. I’m not sure who the Elementals in charge are, but you should know that some of them, the males mostly, do not find humor in most things. Emotional reactions are looked down upon unless it entertains them.”
“What do they find entertaining?” Nathaniel asked with hesitance.
“Choking Jazz, burning Dalton alive, beating us almost to death as children. Poisoning us so Jeff could learn every type of poison there is out there.” Carmon opened his mouth to go on, but Adam hit the button to stall the elevator where it was.
“What’s going on?” Carmon asked.
“Jeff’s been poisoned. It wasn’t the sugar from the cookies.”
Like everyone else, I spun to look at the pale and shaking Captain. Dang it! I really hoped I hadn’t messed this treaty up already.
“Is it the Elementals or someone attacking the treaty?” Nathaniel asked.
“I ate the cookies last night, and so did Tessa.” Everyone looked at me as Jeff spoke. “Neither of us got sick last night.”
Carmon raised an eyebrow at me.
“What? I feel fine.”
“What do we do?” Victor leaned in to support Jeff as he shook.
Jeff looked at Carmon. “I know I look like I can’t do my job, but I can.”
Carmon’s phone buzzed, and he looked at it. With a groan, he addressed the warrior-healer. “I think you’re going to wish you hadn’t said that. Alex has accompanied Mercy to the talks.”
“Shoot.” Adam hit the side of the elevator.
“What does that mean?” I asked for those of us who were in the dark.
Jeff’s shaky voice came from behind me. “Alex is the Healing Elemental. He hates me and can probably already sense the poison in my system. He’ll want to know how I could let myself get poisoned, and I won’t have a good enough answer.”
Adam looked like he’d swallowed vinegar. “But he can also tell us how it got into your system.”
“At what cost to Jeff?” Carmon responded. “Alex might not be as physically abusive as his brothers, but he can still take one of us out. Especially with Jeff in his condition. Not to mention he prefers to use his words to fight, and they’re even more abusive than a punch to the gut.”
“I can help Jeff.” I raised my hand and waved it at the Elemental in charge. “I’ve been trained in poisons and diagnoses. Nathaniel made sure of it. If I can’t help him, then we can go to the Healing Elemental.”
“How long will it take you?” Carmon asked and I shrugged.
“I’ll be as fast as I can. How long until the meeting starts?”
Carmon looked at the time on his phone. “Twenty minutes.”
“Nathaniel, can you help me?” I hated asking, but it would be better if Nathaniel and I both found the poison than if it were just me. I could pace myself if Nathaniel helped. I’d know how long it should take so I didn’t find information too quickly.
The air was warm in the elevator with all of us, but Jeff was sweating heavily, and Victor and Nathaniel had to lever him to the floor. I’d done my research before coming here. I’d looked up everything I could about different poisons. He shouldn’t have been reacting so badly. What had happened?
No, I didn’t care that he was dying. I wanted him dead, after all. It just wasn’t great timing since the treaty meeting was about to start.
Nathaniel nodded and we both put our hands against Jeff’s skin. Instantly our magic was blocked by a power that knocked me back on my butt. Nathaniel only grunted.
“You have to push past the Elemental power. Jeff’s always been the best at keeping magic out. Try again.” Nathaniel murmured as Jeff jumped under the Warlock’s magic. The jumping was normal for people who were unaccustomed to magic or hated it in them. I’d go with the latter for the warrior-healer.
Crouching before the man again, my fingers twitched at having to touch such evil once more. This time I was prepared to feel his skin beneath my fingers as I touched his sweaty cheek and pushed my magic into him.
The reaction his elements gave was the same, instant pushing against my magic. However, it only lasted a moment before another power wrapped itself around my magic and dragged it into the Elemental.
“Holy cow! Nathaniel!” I cried out as fear spiked up inside me.
