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A pinpoint of light pierced the veil. It grew, and the light emanating from it had a strange quality, like they were underwater. An impossible wind picked up, pulling her hair forward.
Lenore’s gaze sought Baris again.
The cogs and gears moving around them gained speed. It vibrated through her entire being. She couldn’t place this wistful feeling. A yearning for something she almost had.
Soldiers barked orders for everyone returning to Earth to form a line. Slowly, the line moved forward as technicians urged people forward. One by one, people walked into the light and vanished.
Lydia’s grip on Lenore’s arm tightened. “That doesn’t look like the portal that took me here.”
“It doesn’t, but it works,” Lenore said.
“Does it? How do we know it works?”
“The people are gone.”
“Right, but they could have been vaporized for all we know,” Lydia said, worry creeping into her voice.
“No one is getting vaporized,” Lenore said, ready to squelch these last-minute nerves.
That was when it all went wrong.
CHAPTER TEN
LENORE
Vibrations surrounded her, coming from all directions at once. The floor. The walls. The very air. It got right down into her bones, rattling her soul.
“What’s happening?” Lydia clutched her arm.
“I don’t know.” Nothing good. Even she could see that.
Ahead, the line dissolved into chaos. People shoved, desperate to get through. Guards tried to hold them back. Technicians barked orders.
“We have to hurry.” Lydia raced forward, only to have a soldier grab her around the waist and hold her back. “Let me go!” she shouted, feet kicking uselessly in the air.
Metal groaned overhead. A giant cog came undone on one side, hanging in mid-air. For a moment, it seemed as if the cables supporting it would hold, then came the unmistakable noise of the cable snapping.
People—humans and Arcosians alike—scattered. Screams filled the air.
Lenore gripped the straps of her backpack, ready to dash into the portal while there was still a portal. Pushing her way through like a linebacker wouldn’t work, but she could be nimble and quick. She darted through the crowd, avoiding collisions with other panicky people. The light from the portal grew blinding. It emanated a hum, drowning out all other sound. There was the pounding of her heart and the pull of the portal.
A strong hand grabbed her arm, yanking her back.
“The tunnel is collapsing,” Baris shouted. “If you go in, you’ll never come out.”
Looking around, she believed him as she saw the Arcosians doing their best to keep the last of the humans from the portal.
The floor quaked, shaking the entire station. The hanger grew darker, which made the light radiating from the portal seem all the brighter. The giant cog finally made good on its threat, another cable snapping. It swung in an arc, knocking people over until it crashed into a pillar. Arcosians in the crowd sprouted large feathery black wings, using those wings to shield themselves from falling debris.
The soundtrack to the world turned off. She felt suspended in a strange bubble in the quiet.
Then, the world tilted.
Panic raced through her as gravity seemed to disconnect from reality, and she was lifted off her feet in a disturbingly familiar sensation. The portal had her—only this time, there would be no coming out the other side.
Baris grabbed her with both hands, baring his teeth and bracing his feet against the floor. Fingernails dug into the delicate skin of her wrists, sure to leave a bruise.
Debris flew by, clipping Baris on the shoulder. He stumbled forward. Lenore was now fully in mid-air and parallel to the floor. He was going to let go. He had to. His arm was stretched to the point of tearing ligaments. No one could hold on, and why would he risk injury for her, a stranger?
