The Society

Chapter 16: Midnight Gifts

HALE

The stone lobby of the Society building felt even icier than the last time I had sat waiting in it. The receptionist did not greet us with a warm welcome as she had before, and instead directed us to the waiting area with the wave of her hand and not so much as a word. The waterfall behind the desk no longer sounded like a relaxing trickle, but instead a harsh crash of white water that seemed to create static in my brain. But I knew that no matter how much I hated being there for a mere second time, Ella despised it infinitely more. I could see her leg shaking—she was bouncing it up and down on the ball of her foot—and I knew it wasn't from the tangible chill in the air. I wanted to reach out, hold her hand, and calm her down, but that was off limits, especially while we were here.

Ella's face had been frozen into an expression of silent terror ever since we had gotten off the plane and I'd relayed Katherine's message to her.

"Katherine Biers called," I'd said.

Her smile fell.

"She wants to meet with us."

Her jaw tightened.

"Immediately."

Her eyes widened.

"She's sent a car to the airport for us."

Ella hadn't spoken since then, and she avoided eye contact with everyone, including myself. She sat rigid in the chair next to me, staring blankly at the floor. I saw the receptionist walk away for a moment, and I took the opportunity to speak without being overheard.

"Els, are you alright?" I asked, keeping my voice low.

She glanced in my direction, but still did not bring her eyes up to meet mine. "Yeah."

But her reflexes betrayed her as she jumped at the sudden sound of the click-clack of stilettos that began to echo across the cold stone of the hallway. Fear flashed in Ella's eyes. My own heartbeat picked up pace, and I could hear the blood pounding in my ears. I was scared myself, but what truly made me terrified was that Ella was afraid. I felt what she felt.

When Katherine rounded the corner into the atrium, I realised what true animosity looked like. She took both of us in with a glare dripping with hatred, and her mouth was pressed into a seething smirk. She walked towards us forcefully, striking her heels onto the slate tile and creating a an ear-splitting sound that sent a jolt down your spine with each step. She rested her weight onto her right hip as she came to a stop into front of us, crossing her arms and sending a belittling glare down to where we sat.

"Come," she said, displeasure dripping from the word. She spun on her heel and started back down the hall without another remark.

Ella and I did not put up a fight. We calmly stood and followed her. Katherine walked slowly, making sure to elongate the uncomfortable silence between the three of us and we trailed down the hall towards her office. We reached a massive pair of doors that stretched upwards to at least four metres, and an assistant opened that door for us, keeping her head down.

Katherine marched toward the large desk in the centre of the room and took a seat behind it. Ella and I lingered near the door, but Katherine shot us an exasperated look and motioned to the chairs in front of her. We sat.

Katherine leaned back, biting the nail of her thumb and staring at us, as if she was deciding what to say. With a sigh, she leaned forward and grabbed a sleek remote off her desk, pointed it to the wall behind us, and pressed a button.

I turned around to see the video of our interview pop up on the screen. It was already half way through, to a part Katherine had specially picked.

"So neither of you feel that you are, in a sense, rebelling against the Society?" the interviewer asked, the audio echoing loudly through Katherine's office.