Page 107 of The Order: Rise of the New Empire

Strapping vehicles with supplies and rallying what forces we have, Bekah eyes us down with a wary look I know all too well.

"Speak up," I snap, making my way over to her and her perplexed expression.

Looking around, she keeps her voice down.

"What if we make it in, find Xavier and the others, and they no longer stand with our side?" she questions, pacing back and forth.

"No longer stand with our side?"

"What if we are forced to put an end to Forest and Xavier entirely?" she questions, asking the one thing no one else would.

Even after everything she has been through with the Evermoore's and Blackburn's, she still chooses to see the worst-case scenario.

Just like me.

"Then that's exactly what we will do," I whisper, moving myself past her.

"Are you prepared for what would happen if-"

"If what?" I yell, looking her up and down. "The Prophet needs to die," I snap. "And there is only one way any of us know how to accomplish that. We can sit here and pretend like isolating the bastard and keeping him in confinement will be enough, but you and I both know what has to be done to fix all of this," I warn.

"Xavier will never allow that to happen," Bekah murmurs, keeping her head down.

"I fear Xavier no longer has a choice," I say with immense guilt. "Now, finish loading, we have a revolution to lead with or without its creator."

Pulling up to the grand city, the Revolutionists not residing in the Underground linger at the agreed-upon meeting point.Carrying supplies more used than our own, they marvel at what we have managed to bring with us. Jumping down from the driver's side of the vehicle, I shake hands with the woman leading the group, eyeing her up and down.

Niverna Marlins.

Our inside eye.

"Mason Veron, I presume?" she questions, a seductive undertone lingering in her voice.

Now is not the time to sit here and marvel at biological traits.

It's still difficult to process any woman looking at me with anything but disgust.

For so long I was shifted, stuck in an altered state.

Being a monster for so long, you struggle to remember what humanity felt like.

"Quite some firepower you've brought with you," she smiles, not looking at any of the supplies in our vehicles.

Great, flirting.

Something else I am absolutely horrid at.

"You sure they are in there?" I question, looking at the entrance to the Precipice, ignoring her attempts to get me to look at her with lust.

"I know they are. Watched them kill dozens of my men before grabbing Fallan," she snaps, clearly still pissed about the events that unfolded.

Why the hell is Forest doing all of this? What the hell is really going on?

"And they won't see us coming?" I question.

"The guards won't. We laced them all with a sedative. If timing is on our side," she whispers, pushing my chin to look toward the front entrance. "They should all be fast asleep."

Lying face down on the ground, the guards that normally protect the perimeter are motionless.

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