The next morning arrived faster than she realized it would. The again it could have been the fact she had barely slept the night before. After she left Dawson in the courtroom, she promptly ran into Garrison, who insisted he walk her back to her lonely room. She allowed him to walk her back to her room, but had sent him away when it seemed he wanted to talk. She couldn't handle anymore conversation, especially from someone she had cried on earlier.
Ellie stretched before climbing out of her bed and changing into her black uniform. Today, she would face what Dawson had labeled as the final trial. She hated that her time here was coming to an end, but regardless, she was ready to go home. She missed Mike and Bella, and Evie was waiting for her to return. She wanted to meet the sweet boy her sister had tethered to. So, she had to get through this final test. She had to show them all that even if she was dying, she was deadly until the end.
Ellie slinked to the door, trying to ignore everything she had been feeling. Today would be over before she knew it, and then one more week of certification and graduation, and she could do as she wanted.
Opening the door, she was surprised to see Garrison with his fist poised in the air, ready to knock. However, she was even more surprised to see Felicity hidden behind him.
"I'm pretty sure if they find out she's here, we're all screwed," she deadpanned, observing the hallway around them.
"Then we'll just have to keep it a secret then," Garrison shrugged.
Ellie could have sworn she saw something akin to mischief in his eyes. He knew he was breaking the rules, but he didn't seem to care. She couldn't help but wonder what could be more important than following protocol to anyone inside this complex. Even Dawson was strategically adept at avoiding breaking protocol when it came to her private studies. Something was off.
"Well, are you coming or what, Sweetcheeks?" he grinned, gesturing down the hallway. Felicity now invisible to sight.
"What are you doing?" she whispered, monitoring their surroundings closely.
"Helping you out."
"Yeah," Felicity whispered, bumping an invisible arm to Ellie's. "It's okay to trust him, El. He's not going to hurt you."
Ellie raised a brow, but didn't dispute the claim. She was beginning to see she could trust him on her own. She had a strange feeling he held a bigger part in her life than she currently understood.
Shaking her head, she decided to ponder upon it later. For now, she was actually getting to be near her friend. "How are you?"
"I'm dealing."
Ellie wished she could help her, but they both knew there was nothing to be done when it came to one of Anastasia's decisions. Her word was final.
"Do you have his location?" she asked. Surely, they had given the girl that much. He was her tether for crying out loud.
"He's been sent to some small town in America. Apparently, they needed a little extra help with a vampire problem," Felicity said. "I plan on finding him as soon as we get out of here."
Ellie smiled. At least Felicity would get a happy ending.
"So, are you ready for today?" Felicity asked.
"As ready as someone who is dying can be," she jested, her smile wavering.
Garrison cast her a look, his eyebrows crinkled, "We're going to find a way to stop it, Ellie."
"We both know the only way to stop it is for me to see my tether, and he â he..."
She couldn't finish the sentence. Instead, she focused on swallowing the growing lump in her throat. He wouldn't get any more of her tears. She had bigger things to worry about.
Garrison stopped, gripping her shoulders. "We'll find a way. There has to be a way."
"I think..." Felicity piped up. "I think the only way would be to...break...the tether."
Could they even do that? Ellie was unsure. Maybe if they had never accepted it, but obviously neither had rejected the tether. Not until recently. Ellie didn't want to get her hopes up. There would be no fixing the problem. As far as she was concerned, the only fixing would come upon her death.
The training hall was loud. Crowds lined the outer walls of the arena to watch the newest students show off their new skill sets.
From what Ellie had gathered, the final trial determined an emissary's council standing. None of them could afford to lose, which only made things harder for her. Ellie's energy was not at its peak. She was fatigued at best and could no longer conceal her thoughts from those around her.
The six training emissaries grouped themselves in threes. Ellie wondered how Zeke and Olivier would fair with her being their teammate. Sure, strategizing had gone well, but things were different now. She was a liability.
"You know the plan," said Olivier, her brown gaze sweeping the room.
Ellie hesitantly nodded; it was better not to think of the plan. She considered keeping it a secret, but she was aware they probably already knew she was going to be useless in this fight.
"I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but I'm more than likely going to be an issue," she said, pulling her bottom lip between her teeth. "My powers aren't exactly working properly."
"We know," Zeke said, throwing an arm over her shoulder. A crooked smile tilted his lips. "We've got your back... So long as you've got ours."
Ellie nodded, a smile working its way across her face. "I'll give it my all."
"That's all you need to worry about," Olivier winked, her brown eyes full of mischief. "Just trust us. We've got a plan."
Ellie didn't hesitate to nod. The three of them would fight their hardest. It was too important to let themselves lose. Not this time. Not today.
Guillermo moved to the center of the room, drawing the emissaries' attention to him. "Emissaries, if you will take your places."
Guillermo's words were sharp and to the point. His brown eyes, sweeping the room cautiously as trainees and spectators alike shifted positions.
Ellie clenched her hands into fists as she lined up with her teammates, facing her opponents. Her gaze met Felicity's, who sent a quick wink her way, before turning to face the small Latina in front of her.
Victoire Reynolds' fierce eyes were boring into Ellie as if she was prey and Victoire, the lioness on the hunt. She may have been small, but by all means, she was not going to allow anyone to take her lightly. She was a force to be reckoned with, and Ellie was curious to see how far she was willing to go to win.
"Today's match will not only determine who is ready to fulfill their destiny, but where you will stand among your fellow emissaries," Guillermo's words cut through their staring competition. "Today, you will show us what you have learned and who you will become. Do not disappoint."
Guillermo stepped backward into a metal podium. With a slight nod of his head, the podium began to rise into the air. He scanned the group again, his eyes finding the blonde from whom he could almost feel the anxiety rolling. This would surely be interesting. Spreading his arms wide, he said, "Let the games begin."
Ellie wasn't sure what she was expecting, but it wasn't the fist to the face she received as soon as the words left her mentor's mouth.
Victoire was fast and didn't pull her punches. After throwing another hit Ellie's way, she pulled the blonde high into the air, ready to drop her at a moment's notice.
Ellie didn't have to wait long. The blonde felt her stomach rising into her throat as she plummeted toward the training mats. Just as she was about to smash into the flooring. She found herself slowing, her body landing gently on the padded mats.
Her eyes connected with Olivier, who nodded shortly in her direction before turning back to Emerald, who was attempting to wrap the brunette in vines. She would have checked on Zeke had Victoire not reached the ground.
Ellie aimed a swift kick in the Latina's direction, knocking her off her feet, before raising her hand and lifting her from the ground.
"You don't have what it takes," Victoire laughed, a wild smile lighting her lips.
Ellie's eyes narrowed before she tossed the laughing girl from one wall of the arena to another. As she watched her fall to the ground, a wave of nausea came over her and the room began to sway. Sinking to her knees, all of the sound in the room faded away, leaving Ellie in silence. She cast her gaze frantically around the arena, watching as the spectators and her team's opponents came to a standstill.
Zeke rushed to her side, drawing her wide eyes to his. "You okay?"
Ellie nodded and allowed the strong emissary to help her stand. "Just used a bit too much energy. I take it everything is still going as planned?"
"Oddly enough, right?" he grinned, walking the emissary to Olivier, who was concentrating on keeping the arena frozen. "Ready to end this thing?"
"Oh, am I ever," Ellie said, moving from his side and to Emerald, who had vines surrounding her, once rushing toward Olivier but now frozen in place. The blonde began to pull and rearrange the vines to tangle around the red head.
Zeke had gathered rope from one of the tapestries and knotted a still invisible Felicity into a tight hold. He smiled at his handiwork before turning to the time-wielding emissary.
"I can't hold it much longer," Olivier called, a light sheen of sweat beginning to gather on her forehead.
"Almost finished," Zeke said, moving to the unconscious Victoire and wrapping her into the tapestry like an aerial dancer. Looking to the others, he was met with questioning looks. "Just in case."
Olivier released her hold on time, bringing the standstill to an end.
Emerald's vines tightly constricted her body, bringing her to the ground, while Felicity toppled over from her inability to move and allowing herself to become visible.
A silence washed over the arena before it broke into whispers of confusion.
"It seems we have our winning team," Guillermo announced, gesturing to Ellie, Olivier and Zeke. "Congratulations, victors. You have earned your rankings among us. However, those who have fallen should not fret. You have been observed well throughout your time here at The Academy. You will be placed as seen fit. Victors come forward."
Applause broke out in the arena as the victors moved toward Guillermo, but quieted as he directed them to stand in front of him.
"You have done well. The Council recognizes your talents and welcomes you to join them for a brief word at first light," he states, his eyes raking over each emissary before him. "Do not be late."
As the emissaries were released from their training for the day and the crowds dispersed, Ellie couldn't help but wonder what the Council might have to say. She didn't have long to ponder however as Dawson had found his way to her.
"I believe congratulations are in order," he smiled, his eyes nearly twinkling with brightness. "You did well, Eleanor. I'm sure the Council will have nothing but good to say of you come morning."
Ellie appraised him, noting he still had dark circles surrounding his sapphire eyes. "I suppose we'll have to see. I've never known the Council to say nice things of my actions."
Dawson nodded, "You have had your fair share of trouble. However, I believe you might be surprised at what they plan for you."
A silence surrounded the duo as Ellie considered his words. Would she truly be surprised? She had been an outcast without a future less than ten months ago. What did she actually deserve? Where could they place her to ensure she never fell into the hands of her ex-lover again? She could only guess. She didn't feel she deserved much of anything.
Dawson watched how the blonde seemed to shrink at the thought of the Council surprising her. Surely, she did not believe she had no place in their rankings. She was a strong warrior, one of the best he'd seen in his years. Her love life was always the issue. The girl held so many battle wounds from the men in her life, it was unreal. If only she hadn't tethered to the vampire. He could prove her worth to her.
"I don't suppose you would want to give me any hints to what they could have in mind," she said, tugging at her left arm.
He sent her a crooked grin before shaking his head, "I couldn't even if I wanted to."
She shrugged, a sigh leaving her lips. "That's what I figured."
The downtrodden look that overtook her face nearly made Dawson melt. For reasons he wished were not so, he couldn't stand to see the uncertainty on her face. "I will say, you will not be disappointed. You're more than you currently understand, Eleanor. The Council does not take that lightly."
Ellie bit her lip, slowly lifting her gaze to his to see his words were true. A small smile tugged at her lips. She supposed there could be a silver lining to her life after all. Not all emissaries were monsters. Dawson Knight was an angel in an emissary's body. Of that, she was certain. And maybe, just maybe, he could be her saving grace. For now, she would appreciate what little life he was giving her because who knew what tomorrow would truly hold?