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Tammie sucked in a deep breath and met my gaze as I gasped for air. Pressing her lips together, she pulled off her shoe and whipped it through the air at Eli. He lost his concentration as the shoe hit his shoulder, and I felt a huge weight lift from my lungs. I choked out a cough as many footsteps approached. I couldn’t think straight. All I felt was cold.
Eli lashed out at me wildly, but the incoming cold built around me as though to protect me. It wasn’t me, nor Vira, but a half-dozen older men working together to beat Eli back. In his weakened state, he didn’t stand a chance.
He looked comically surprised as one of the men approached him without a second glance at me.
“You fools,” Eli snarled, falling to his knees. “We could have won.”
The old man slithered his long fingers across Eli’s neck. “If you wanted to win, you shouldn’t have wasted your chance fooling around with petty matters. You merely gave us the time to see what you were planning. It’s all over now, Eli. You’ve gone too far. There’s no more forgiveness to be had.”
“Father,” he protested.
“Address me as Elder Ammon,” the old man said with a cold smile. “Now, how about a trip to the sensory room?”
CHAPTER36
Dorian
Six old menstrode towards us then kept walking without a glance our way. The cold darkness followed them. I shivered, unable to stop my body from shaking.
Vira came running after them, pausing by us momentarily.
“Harbingers?” Victor asked, his teeth chattering. At least I wasn’t the only one.
“It's all right,” Vira said breathlessly. “The Elders are here for Eli and the others, not us.”
“Are you sure?” I asked.
She let out a sharp laugh of relief. “They finally listened to me. It's over.”
Byron and several others were dragging harbingers into the hall. I didn't wait. I ran after the group of old men alongside Vira. As the Elders dealt with Eli, Vira and I hurried to Margo’s side.
She looked ready to pass out. Dried blood crusted around her nostrils and the corners of her mouth.
Vira pressed her palm against Margo’s cheek. “Did he hurt you?”
Margo grinned, a self-satisfied exhausted grin. “I got him, Vira. I took the spirits away, and I stood my ground. I didn’t let him scare me. He didn’t win.”
“You’re very brave,” Vira whispered. “I’m proud of you.”
Margo nodded at the old men. “They took their time.”
“I never thought I’d be happy to see them again,” Vira said, and she looked hopeful for the first time since I’d met her.
Margo coughed. “Oh, right. Tammie,” she said hoarsely. “She needs help.”
Tammie was sitting across the room on the floor in her bare feet, staring into space.
“She’s better off in here for a bit,” I said. “I’ll send Alison in to help her once we put some space between her and the harbingers.”
Vira and I helped Margo back to the performance hall. I hurriedly called over Alison and Victor and bade them to check on Tammie.
A large group of harbingers were on their knees in front of the seats. They looked terrified. The Elders shoved Eli next to them then began talking to Byron as though it was all completely normal.
I helped Margo to a seat. Vira stood in front of her, an oddly defiant look on her face. Eli looked small and pathetic, staring at the floor as though his world had ended.
“This was far too dangerous,” one of the Elders said. “Exposure could be the end of all of us.”
“If you had listened to me earlier, Elder Ammon, we could have avoided all of this,” Vira said. Her voice shook, but she stood tall, brave in the face of the Elders.
