8
The hall erupted in violent shouts. The people jumped to their feet and shook their fists, their faces contorted with anger. They crowded the aisle and pushed into us in their struggle to reach the mayor. She backed up behind the table and beat her gavel, but nobody heeded her yells.
The weight of so many people suffocated me. Orion swept me into his arms and put his shoulder in front of him. He shoved his way through the crowd and we emerged at the doors. Behind us continued the chaos of people pushing and shoving, each trying to get out or in.
Orion set me down. I tried to stand, but my legs felt like jello. The mix of confusion, fear, and the strange ache inside me disturbed my body and mind.
“Can you walk?” Orion asked me. I closed my eyes and shook my head. “Then let m
