Page 22 of The Order: Rise of the New Empire

Feeling his body press into my own, I let myself melt into the kiss, thinking of every lonely waking thought I have suffered through during the past several months. Feeling him kiss me with a need far deeper than anything I have felt before, I let my hands cup his face, feeling wet blotches paint my face in allthe places the tears have managed to escape his eyes. Keeping him as close as humanly possible, his body burns with heat, the desire to have him open up like this to me eating us both alive. Kissing the man until there is no air left in our lungs, he pulls away, keeping his face settled between my hands.

"Please, be the one thing that loves me and doesn't let go," he sobs, Kai's true emotions finally present.

"I've come this far, haven't I?" I smile, leaning into him once more.

Initiating the kiss this time, I let his lips land on my own, rolling my thumbs over his cheeks and wiping away every tear I can. Moving away from his lips, I kiss his cheek, working over to his jawline before closing into his ear. "So help me Sanctum, if you confide in Xavier again over me, I will pummel our Commander," I warn, my deep-rooted jealousy revolved around their connection something I can no longer hide.

"Pummel me?" Xavier's voice questions. His arms are crossed as he watches us.

Not immediately pulling away as he has done in the past, Kai hides his smile. He looks back toward the water as I stare down the grey-haired brute.

"I really hope you are not insinuating you could ever get an advantage over me," Xavier mocks, a lick of sarcasm ridding his tone. "Unless you'd like to try. I have a feeling you'd feel more pleasure than you would rage in hand-to-hand combat with me," he smiles.

It's the first smile I have seen on his face in months.

"So, he smiles and jokes now?" I question, taking a glance at Fallan's stoic figure positioned on the deck with the others.

"Today is a good day, Aaron," he smiles, taking a seat next to me. Mason's brooding figure approaches our trio.

"Care to enlighten me?" I question, his eyebrows raising with delight.

"Depends. Do you plan on telling Kai more lies on how you plan on 'pummeling me.'" Xavier questions, his sarcasm intact.

Creeping closer, Mason tucks his hands in his pockets, keeping a safe distance away from us.

"What the hell did you do to him?" I question, wondering how long Xavier can hold his smile before cracking. "I thought you had bad news."

"I did," Mason snaps, his eyes narrowing at Xavier. "Apparently, all news is good news to him when it involves Forest."

"We know where she is," Xavier smiles, letting his head crane back as he enjoys the rays of the sun. "That sure as hell is good news to me, golden eyes," Xavier says giddily. Mason's only response is a smirk.

"What did you give him?" Kai questions, now, just as wary as me.

"Information," Mason sighs. "Seems at least one of you was fond of what I had to say."

"Love birds?" Xavier questions, giving us both a thrilled look.

Keeping Kai leaned against me, we both raise our brows, wondering at what point we will understand the root of Xavier's joy.

"Yes?" I ask with fake thrill, nudging Xavier in the leg with my foot.

"I have a simple question for both of you," Xavier smiles. Both of us lean forward in anticipation.

"Have either of you ever been to the Precipice?" he questions, Kai and I exchanging a look of confusion.

What the fuck did Mason just pull us into?

Chapter six

Forest

"Why are you doing this?" the man questions in between gasps.

Bleeding out onto the floor, his nails are ripped clean from his fingers, his eye pulled from his socket well into the first ten minutes of Elyon's unprompted interrogation.

Having only spent fifteen minutes wandering the downtown portion of the Precipice, it took Elyon seconds to spot a Marked. He was crafty in the ways he chose to hide his apparent runed skin.

Despite the thick layer of makeup the man wore on his skin, one clean swipe from Elyon with a damp cloth unveiled the true power festering in the man's blood. Now crammed into the depths of a back alley distant from observant eyes or closely listening ears, the man remains bound, a thin IV taped to his forearm, slowly filling a bag with the rich liquid Elyon savors so deeply.

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