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“Release him, Tessa.” Nathaniel’s voice was calm, but I’d known him long enough to know there was an underlying worry there. “Pull your magic back and into yourself.”
“What’s going on, Nate?” Carmon’s voice was close.
“Jeff’s Love element is reacting weirdly to Tessa’s magic. The Healing element acted normally, trying to push the magic out. That was until the Love element took over. Now the Healing element is allowing the Love element to do as it wishes. In short, they are both pulling magic from Tessa like crazy. They’ll drain her in under a minute. Get her hand off him.”
I’d never known such an aggressive power before. What was happening?
The magical drain I was experiencing was cut short when I fell back onto someone. Gasping for air, I just stayed put for as long as I needed. It was only then that I realized I was lying against a male’s hard chest. And I had a feeling it wasn’t one I’d enjoy.
Stiffening, I sat up and looked back at the blue eyes of the commanding Elemental. My temper wanted to fly. Why could I not stop touching such foulness today? Instead, I merely mumbled a thanks and he stood. I had my first good luck for the day when Torres reached down to help me up.
“Are you okay, Miss?” the Vampire asked.
“Yeah, it was just weird. Thanks.”
“Would the poison do that?” Adam asked.
I shook my head. “No. It wouldn’t.”
Everyone stayed quiet for another ten minutes before Nathaniel had finished investigating.
“Well, the poison is moving quickly even though it is usually a very slow-processing drug. It’s not going to kill him, but he’s far from over the effects. We need to get out of this box because he’s going to start throwing up soon. It looks like it was infused into some of the cookies he ate this morning.”
My forehead crinkled in confusion. “This morning? How quickly is this poison moving?”
Nathaniel buzzed his lips as he thought. “Jeff’s an Elemental and a Light. It’s an odd combination that probably has the drug acting faster than normal. The good news is, I do not believe it was an act to harm the peace talks. I think it’s a case of grabbing the wrong package of cookies. There’s not enough infused with the poison for the whole package to be affected. I’d say Tessa and Jeff were only lucky last night.”
The Warlock stood and wrapped me in a hug. “Are you okay, Tessa?”
“I’m okay. And for the record, Nathaniel, it wasn’t me who poisoned him. I know you get all suspicious of me since I was a stinker as a kid.” I smiled at him, and he laughed lightly and shook his head.
“I never suspected it was you for a second.” He placed a kiss on my forehead and then stepped back. “Adam, get us going again. We need to get Jeff to a bathroom. After that he’ll be good to attend the meeting, but he’ll still be sick.”
Carmon nodded to Adam, who turned the machine back on and pressed our floor again.
Carmon then directed his words to the rest of us. “Everyone, try to keep at least one of us in Jeff’s vicinity. Alex will at least verbally tear him to shreds if he gets him alone.”
Verbally tearing the Elemental to shreds wasn’t such a bad idea now that I knew the peace talks were safe. I wouldn’t mind if he went as far as tearing the Elemental to shreds physically. It would check the Elemental’s death off my list.
The elevator arrived on our floor, and everyone disembarked, with Nathaniel and Victor aiding Jeff to the bathroom. Adam, Torres, and I stood outside the bathroom while Jeff was sick. It did not sound pleasant, and I wished I didn’t have to stand there and wait for the man and my mentor.
Sounds of sickness had stopped a few minutes prior to the men aiding Jeff out of the bathroom. He looked pale still, but they’d cleaned him up well enough and he no longer sweat so profusely.
“If it’s okay, Nate, I’d like a word with Tessa before we go in there. Follow Adam. You’ll be safe. We’re late anyway.” Jeff nodded for my mentor to follow Adam and stood on his own as the Witch and Vampire released him.
The rest of the group had turned a corner and were out of sight and earshot when Jeff turned to me with anger in his eyes.
“Are you alright?” I asked, stepping back. Nathaniel’s warning from breakfast came back to me again.
“You poisoned me, Tessa,” he hissed out, stepping closer to tower over me.
I opened my mouth to deny the charges, but he had his hand around my jaw, squeezing my cheeks and jawbone, before I could make a peep.
“Do not insult me by speaking more of your lies.” He pushed me against a wall, and my heart raced. “The only reason I do not take your head off right now is because it would hurt our world’s chance of peace. Now, I’m going to release your mouth, and the truth had better come out of it, or I’ll beat it out of you, and no one will be the wiser because I can still heal you, poisoned or not. Now, why did you poison me?”
My fear fled at his threat, and the hatred I’d buried deep leaped out. I took him by surprise with my slap to his face.
“You murdered my people, you animal. More importantly, you and your precious brothers murdered my mother.” Magic built under my skin at my hatred and need for revenge, but I kept it in check after what had happened in the elevator. “I don’t care how long it takes or who gets in my way, I will have my revenge: all of your heads on a silver platter, starting with yours, healer.”
