The entire room held its breath. Fear was a smog that thickened the air and rushed into my lungs like fumes of bleach. It stung and burned, nearly making me emit a nasty cough.

You could feel the tearing and shattering of alliances, opinions being formed and beliefs being questioned.

It wasn't every day the High Table took in a potential soul-eater. Some instinctual side of me told me to use my gift, to tear the life from Marcus before he could utter another order.

Marcus