Luthor stands with both arms gripping the doorway that leads to the hall, glaring at us. He won’t do anything now. Not with everyone else here. It’s not the Season anymore; there’s no more Phydus. He doesn’t have an excuse.

Victria yanks her hand out of my grasp. “Thanks,” she mutters, the sound more like a growl.

“Hey!” Luthor’s voice echoes throughout the entrance hall. Most people turn to look at him, but Victria dips her head low and hurries for the exit, abandoning me in the center of the hall as Luthor pushes up from the door frame and heads toward me.

“You think you can just walk away from me?” Luthor shouts.

“I know I can,” I say, and I actually make it a few steps closer to the exit before he grabs me by the elbow and spins me around.

I scan the entrance hall. Everyone’s watching us. A few have drawn closer, and from the worry in their eyes, I can see that they’re on the verge of coming to my aid. Still—they hesitate. Because he’s one of them. And I’m not.

“Things are different now,” I hiss at Luthor, yanking my arm out of his grasp. “You think you can take whatever you want, but you can’t.”

I step away quickly, determined to escape this room without him laying another finger on me. His laughter rings out, a disgusting sound that sends chills down my spine. “Things are different!” he bellows after me. “We haven’t got a leader anymore!”

I spin on my heel. “Elder is leader!” My voice is high and loud; it comes out as an angry screech. I can’t help but remember the message that flashed across the floppies earlier.

Luthor snorts in contempt. “You think that boy can stop me? You think that boy can stop any of us?” He sweeps his arms wide, indicating the entire crowd of people who are now staring avidly as we scream in the middle of their usually silent hall.

“We can do anything we want,” Luthor says in a low voice only I can hear. He grins broadly and looks around him, then lifts his voice in a mighty roar, “We can do anything we want!”

I see it in the faces of the people around us.

The realization that what he’s said is true.

9

ELDER

“ELDER?” A VOICE CALLS OUT AS ELDEST’S DOOR ZIPS SHUTS behind me.

“The frex?” I mutter, peering around. No one has access to this level but me.

Red hair swings around the door frame of the Learning Center. “Amy?” I ask, shocked, rushing forward.

She smiles—not a grin, just a gentle curve of her lips that doesn’t quite reach her eyes.

“I hoped you’d be here,” she says.

“How—how did you get here?”

She steps all the way out of the Learning Center and into the Great Room with me. She raises her left hand.

“Doc gave it to you!” I say, examining the wi-com encircling her wrist.