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He would hurt everyone.
Gasping for air, I reached for death, remembering how it felt to touch it, ignoring how awful it felt against my skin. Tammie kept backing us up, but death came forwards to greet us. I dashed in front of her, letting death reach for me instead, holding it close, refusing to let it reach past me. I imagined a barrier made of ice, watched it manifest and build upon itself until it was solid, until it protected us, until it pushed back at death.
But I was the barrier, and death gathered around me, pressing against me but unable to penetrate as long as I held on. Except I couldn’t hold on forever.
Jorge came to mind, his advice about using my power as a weapon screaming in my ears. I couldn’t keep defending. I had to at least try to fight him off.
I almost sank to my knees, ignoring Tammie calling my name, feeling blood drip from my nose. The cold reached out from me this time, pushing back at Eli, who looked half-delighted, half-horrified.
“What are you doing, you monster?” he whispered.
My legs trembled. The cold was inside me, filling me up completely until I wasn’t sure I was even breathing. But I had sent at least some of it towards Eli, and he had backed up to lean against a wall. Alison whimpered, Tammie hovered close to me as though afraid to touch me, while Eli backed away to avoid the death I was pushing towards him. It hurt. Every inch of my skin felt shattered, but that was nothing compared to the stabbing pain inside. I couldn’t keep holding on. Why didn't the others run?
A siren rang out in the air. Eli looked around, irritated, before running in the opposite direction. The sounds of life came back to me all at once. I had been in a bubble of death, surrounded by it, breathing it in. Finally, the spell had broken, and it was time for me to meet the consequences. I sank to my knees, panting, unable to speak. Tammie knelt next to me, putting her jacket around me as she coaxingly called my name.
I had held death off, even managed to use it, but I couldn’t let it go, couldn’t figure out what to do with it now that it was inside me.
“Is she injured?” A man’s voice asked.
“She’s in shock. I’ll deal with it. He ran that way, left down the end of the alleyway. Hurry!”
“No,” I moaned. “Don’t.”
Two uniformed police officers dashed after Eli, ignoring me. If they caught him, he would hurt them. I couldn’t stop him without hurting myself.
Tammie helped me to my feet, Chloe immediately stepped up to support me.
Alison stood a foot away, her arms wrapped around herself, shivering.
“I’m sorry,” I whispered.
“Oh, shut up,” Chloe said, her eyes full of tears. “That creep is not your fault.”
“That was insane. I was so scared I couldn’t move,” Tammie said as she inspected me for injuries. She tutted at my neck. “He’s left the makings of a bruise. Your voice is a little hoarse, but I don’t think there’s any permanent damage, thankfully.”
“I’m f…fine.”
“You’re not fine at all. Emma’s calling your parents for me.”
Tammie brought me inside a pub with the others. We gathered in the warmth, drinking coffee until my parents arrived with Dorian and Nathan Evans.
Tammie spoke to my parents and Nathan while Dorian sat next to me. I wanted to burst into tears as soon as I saw his face, but once he squeezed my hand, I was able to hold it in.
“Alison warned us,” he murmured. “Everyone’s out searching for him. I’m so sorry. Another harbinger arrived, and everyone was tracking him, but he must have been a distraction so that Eli could slip in some other way. We screwed up.”
I shook my head. “It doesn’t matter. We can’t beat him. He’s too much.”
“Don’t talk now,” he said. “We’ll figure this out, okay? While you’re at the police station, I’ll track him with the others. His scent is all over you. I’ve marked him well. Trust me.”
Shivering, I held his gaze. “Can you come over later? Please?”
“Okay,” he said. “Let me know when you get home. The police are outside, talking about dragging everyone who was here to the station. Nathan has to bring Alison, so I’ll head out, join the others, then meet up with you later.” He squeezed my hand, warming up my half-frozen fingers, then moved out of the way for my parents to fuss over me.
Despite my protests, my parents agreed with the police that I needed medical attention, so we spent some time at the hospital before heading to the police station. Everyone else was still there, giving statements. Nathan was with Alison, who hadn’t looked me in the eye since the attack, but he had no news from the others.
By the time I got home, it was the middle of the night, and I was exhausted, but Dorian came over barely half an hour later. My parents didn’t protest when he appeared, but Mam looked uncomfortable.
“I’m cold,” I explained. “And I’m scared.”
