Ellyssa smiled at the dry humor.
“You think I’m kidding?” Trista asked.
“No.”
“It’s awful. You wait and see.”
They stepped into the empty room. The long benches rested on top of the wooden tables. Two people with olive-colored skin washed the counter where the food was distributed. They looked up when Ellyssa and Trista entered, and nodded a greeting before continuing with their chore.
Trista pulled on Ellyssa’s sleeve. “This way.” She moved in front. “Jordan’s not doing well,” she continued in a whisper, her cheerful demeanor disappearing in a whiff. It amazed Ellyssa how Trista could cycle through emotions so quickly.
“When I went to wake him this morning, he was wheezing and coughing more than usual.” She turned to face Ellyssa, her expression downcast and her eyes worried. “His lips were blue.”
Ellyssa’s forehead crinkled in concern. “Is he doing better now?”
“Once I got him standing, his lungs cleared and his color returned, but I wouldn’t say he is actually doing better.”
Trista started off again, heading down a different tunnel that opened into a magnificent room. Rows of long, thick columns jutted from floor to ceiling in spiraling towers. Minerals sparkled under the yellow lights that swung between the pillars.
Trista stopped where the light faded into a tunnel. Voices carried from a room ahead. Some were loud, others were normal; all carried urgency.
“This is the main hall, where we have our meetings. Everyone is in attendance,” she warned.
Ellyssa had expected the Renegades to have more of a problem with her than she would with them. She forced her lips into a fake smile, and shrugged. Shrugging said a lot.
Quietly, they entered the back of the room. People filled the benches, facing away from the newcomers. Jordan sat in the front on a natural platform. He was slumped over, and under the fluorescent lights, his skin appeared waxen.
Woody stood next to him, his arm around the older man’s shoulders. His ash-blond hair fell loosely around his head. Worry lined his features, cutting deep around his eyes. He tilted his chin to Ellyssa, then leaned closer to Jordan’s ear. As he whispered, the dark man’s eyes shifted toward her, and a tired smile lifted his cheeks. Jordan motioned for her to come closer. A collage of Renegades pivoted their heads toward her, their faces holding a mix of distrust and confusion.
Mumbling lifted in the air, followed by laughter when a musical voice said, “Bitch.”
Ellyssa saw Candy sitting in the first row next to Jason. She hadn’t seen the fiery redhead since the day in the dining room, which was fine with her. Ellyssa ignored Candy’s narrowed gaze and Jason’s lustful eyes, which had swept up from her feet and stopped at her chest. She stepped onto the platform next to Woody.
Jordan tried to rise to his feet, but Ellyssa shook her head. Upon closer inspection, he looked worse than she had first realized. His brown skin was shaded grey, his dreads fell limp, and his lips were tinged blue. Even though tiredness clung to him, dragging him down, his chocolate eyes still held humor.
Ellyssa blinked away the sudden stinging in her own eyes. This old man had touched her in such a short time. A true friend. She forced control over her emotions and smiled.
“As I’m sure you already know through the grapevine, this is Ellyssa, the newest member of our little family,” Jordan announced, as his eyes shifted toward Candy. “I expect everyone to treat her accordingly.”
Voices lifted. Some were pleasant, others held anger. Ellyssa glanced sideways at Candy and Jason; they were huddled together, whispering. She wished there weren’t so many people, so she could get a read on them.
She decided to chance it, anyway.
Focusing on Candy, with her brilliant red hair, pinched face and glaring eyes, Ellyssa lowered her shield just a fraction, and, instantly, images and noise bombarded her. She stumbled back. If not for Woody, she would’ve fallen. He held her upper arm while she slammed her defenses up against the onslaught. With the voices quieted in her head, she looked out into the small audience. Everyone was staring at her.
“Are you okay?” Woody asked.
“Yes. Thank you.” She turned toward Jordan. “I’m sorry. Please, continue.”
Jordan peered at her for a moment, his shoulders drooping, as if the weight of his head tired him. In just the few seconds she had been on the platform, the leader had grown even paler.
His head bobbled forward as he continued addressing the crowd. “As I said, I expect her to be treated accordingly. There is a lot we can learn from her, as much as she can learn from us. I am putting her on the council.”
Ellyssa blinked back. “What?”
Protests broke out among the people.
Woody stepped forward. “Shut up!”
As the mob quieted, a man with hair the color of pitch stood. “From what I understand, she’s from The Center.”
“She can’t be trusted,” a female in the back complained.
Candy bolted to her feet, her face as blazing red as her hair. “How can you even offer her a position on the committee without talking to us first?”
“The decision has been made, Candy,” said Jordan.
Candy’s face changed shades of red, lighting her freckles on fire. They brightened past the shade of her hair. “No one asked me.”
“You’re only an alternate.”
“What about Jason? He holds a seat.” She glanced at Jason. He turned away, his shoulders hunched defensively.
Candy’s eyes narrowed dangerously. “How dare you?” she spat. “After everything we talked about?” She faced the crowd, sweeping her arm toward Ellyssa. “She’s a spy. She’s going to destroy us.”
“Listen,” Jordan croaked.
Words never followed. The leader bent over, coughing. His face turned the color of ash, and blue flooded his lips. He hacked again and blood seeped from the corner of his mouth.
“Take his other arm,” Ellyssa ordered Woody, whose feet were apparently bolted to the platform. “We need to take him to the hospital.”
Ellyssa’s voice broke Woody from his shock, and he moved to take Jordan’s arm.
Jordan waved them both away. The old man spat reddish-green mucus onto the stony ground. “I’m going to finish this,” he said. “Then, I will go.”
Jordan’s face drew into a weathered scowl, and his eyes hardened as he looked out into the crowd. “I have led you, and our community has survived while others were captured.” His voice was amazingly strong and unwavering. “Ours survived against all odds. But it wasn’t just because of my leadership; it was because we accepted new members. We brought in new knowledge, new ideas, new ways of doing things from all walks of life. It was because of all of you.”
The elder struggled to stand, and Ellyssa assisted him. He straightened his back and leveled his gaze onto his people. “It is no secret that I am sick…and old. And as a last word to you all…my last plea. Trust me on this. I wouldn’t lead you astray.”
“No,” Candy roared. “She can’t be trusted. None of you saw her that day in the store. The way she moves, how fast she is. It’s not natural.”
Jason grabbed her wrist and tried to make her sit, but she ripped away from his grasp and whirled around on him. “And you,” she seethed accusingly. “You traitor.” She stomped from the room, her footfalls slapping against the stone.
All eyes followed her until she disappeared down a tunnel. They returned their attention to the old man.
“Trust me,” Jordan said.
Jason and Woody put Jordan on the cot next to hers. His breaths came in short, wheezing gasps.
Looking lost, Jason rocked on his feet for a moment before retreating back into the tunnel; hands shoved in his pockets. He stayed at the edge of the entrance, his eyes downcast.