Page 113 of Elex

I looked at him, confused.

“I already tranced,” I said. His eyes widened.

“I’ve never seen you do it that quickly before,” he said. “What did you find?”

“There’s about thirty of them, I think,” I began. “They’ve got everyone in the barracks. There are a couple scattered throughout the complex, mostly in pairs, but they have our people in the barracks. I don’t know how many Elusians they have with them, but it must be a lot,” I said. “To control this large a group of Mageians.”

“How many do you think you can take out?” he asked.

“I…don’t know for sure,” I said. “You saw that guard?” I asked, nodding towards the now-headless corpse.

Hel nodded.

“I didn’t mean to cut his head off. I was just trying to knock him out,” I said.

Hel grinned wolfishly at me.

“So you’re telling me you don’t know your own strength?” he asked.

I shrugged.

“Guess it’s as good a time as any to find out,” I said.

Chapter 21

Helios

The anger that pulsed through my veins was like a living creature, and completely unlike anything I’d ever experienced in my life.

I didn’t say anything to Elex, but the rage that came with my transformation was more than a little frightening. I’d heard stories of some Somas who became berserkers, killing anyone in sight, be they friend or foe, before finally having to be killed. I was holding on to my humanity with a thread, and that thread had Elex’s name on it. Only his voice calling my name had allowed me to retain tenuous control over my emotions.

“So most of them are in the barracks?” I growled.

He nodded.

“There are a few in the kitchen, I think? They seem to be waiting for something,” he said. “There’s a group of them at the front of the barracks.”

A plan began forming in my mind.

“We need to get to the storage room past the kitchen,” I said. Elex didn’t question, just nodded.

Twice, Elex stopped us in time to take out a pair of guards posted at a crossroads. I caught Elex looking at my hands and I realized my claws were dripping blood.

I scrubbed my hand against my pants, trying to get rid of the blood. Before I could do it again, he took my hand in his, threading our fingers. His gaze held mine for a long moment before nodding.

“No surrender,” he said.

I nodded. He and Luke had shared the mantra.

“No retreat,” I said, taking a deep breath, slowly reining in my emotions.

How had they found us? I know the medallions trackers were rendered useless by the layers of rock and metal around us. Had they found some other way to track the Mageia?

We paused outside the common area where I’d taken Elex the first night. I felt a weird tickle in my ear as he somehow opened the Air shield around us, allowing us to hear what was going on around us.

With the sound came smells. Terror, anger, and blood filled the air. At least a few people were hurt. My fury grew as I recognized some of the scents. I could smell Betts blood, Luke’s, and others. Some of it belonged to strangers, so I smiled at that.

I peered around the corner. There had obviously been a battle in the kitchen. Flames had scorched the ceiling, the ground no longer smooth but studded with flowing earth that had solidified mid move. Water sat in puddles in parts of the kitchen.