I fought to keep my guards up, tried to hide who I was, what I was, but all the while I could see what was happening to Lincoln. He was being beaten to death and his pain was taking me over even as Drenson pushed into me – all I could concentrate on was Lincoln.
And that’s when I realised – that was the other reason they were doing this. Seth was pounding Lincoln not just to force me to let Drenson look into my power – but to force me to lose my concentration and let down my guard. When that happened – they would see everything.
Lincoln took another punch to the face, his head jerking back. I was sure he’d already had his nose broken and a number of ribs.
But instead of screaming for them to stop, instead of running in to fight with him, I fought every natural instinct and … I closed my eyes. I blocked out the sounds of his body being pounded. One by one, I put back the bricks that had slipped from my defences. I put back the barrier that kept me safe. That kept us all safe.
Drenson was powerful. He pushed, he shoved hard and didn’t bother being polite. I could feel his energy edging around my bones like a serrated knife, scratching and slicing, looking for a way in, eager to reach the well of power that lay within me. But even as he pushed more, even as I felt the tears slip from my eyes with the pressure and felt the trickle of blood from my nose, I held strong.
I was strong.
Drenson gripped my hand tighter until I started to feel the sharp snaps. He was crushing it like someone would juice an orange. But his own hand was starting to tremble and that gave me all the encouragement I needed. He was weakening.
When Rudyard had first used his power on me, I hadn’t been expecting it and I was new to the game. A lot had happened since then and I was stronger than I had ever been. I opened my eyes and stared right into Drenson’s.
‘If you haven’t got what you were looking for by now, I suggest it might be worth considering you are never going to get it.’ I knew my words would be taken as the threat I had intended them to be.
His nostrils flared and he tightened his grip on my hand. More small bones crunched. I didn’t react.
‘That’s enough,’ Wil said from behind Drenson. ‘This isn’t getting us anywhere.’
Drenson’s eyes were locked on mine and I knew that I had not made a friend in him today. But we were both going to have to find a way to deal with that, because I wasn’t going to let his power steamroll me. As long as I was breathing, I wouldn’t let anyone control me like that.
He dropped his hand, the release sending a wash of relief through my body. It made me want to scream in pain as the blood returned to my hand. Instead, I held it behind my back and turned to where Lincoln and Seth had been fighting.
Lincoln was on the ground. He was breathing. I could feel his heart beating. But he’d been pulverised. I forced myself not to run to him.
Griffin went over instead and crouched beside him, checking his vitals as Seth made his way back to his chair. When Seth passed me he paused and glanced at me briefly, yet somehow seemed to look right through me, as if I was nothing more than a small distraction.
‘Nothing personal. He won’t be so easy to best next time, I imagine,’ he said, then continued.
‘Why Seth, I think that might be the nicest thing you’ve ever said,’ Rainer chimed in.
I half expected Seth to rip her out of her chair, but he actually turned to her, gave a small bow and – shock horror – smiled. For like, half a second.
‘If we are done here we’ll be taking Lincoln to his room,’ Griffin said, standing now with Lincoln in his arms, unconscious. Griffin’s face was a mask of calm but I doubted anyone could miss the fury in his eyes. Lincoln was one of his.
My stomach sank looking at the damage that had been done to my partner.
Breathing shallow. Shoulder definitely dislocated. Cuts over both eyes. Broken nose.
‘Surely Violet can heal him?’ Josephine threw in, innocently. ‘We’ve all heard so much about her extraordinary healing abilities. Perhaps a demonstration would help us understand a little more.’
Yet another motivation for having Lincoln thrashed.
I took a deep breath and tried to stay calm. ‘Josephine, you have my parents locked up. You have had my partner beaten to within an inch of his life. I’ve just been subjected to an incredibly intrusive power struggle …’ I moved my mangled hand out from behind my body. ‘And my hand is all messed up. We came here at your request. I intend to stay and abide by the Assembly and Academy rules while I’m here.’ I glanced at the other Assembly members. ‘I would very much like to do anything I can to help stop whatever Phoenix and Lilith are planning. But right now, instead of standing around here playing games with you, I’d really prefer to take my partner away so that I can rest before what will no doubt be the rather exhausting job of healing him.’