Page 40 of The Order: Rise of the New Empire

Holding onto Kai's optimism, I smile at the man.

"It would seem your love is allowing you to look past the obvious fault in just charging into another one of Sanctum's hubs," Mason says, shattering any hope of optimism.

"And what would that be?" Kai questions, eagerly awaiting the opportunity to snap at the man.

"Elyon is still with her, as well as any other resources he and Forest have rallied during their bloodshed. There is no swift and clean liberation mission of Forest. Clearly, if she wanted to come home, she would have."

Hit with a wave of pain by the man's words, his blatant honesty is suffocating, sometimes aggravating.

Standing now, the man holds a certain authority he lacked during the weeks after his initial transition. Much more clean-shaven, and his body more filled out, he is one of the largest presences in the room, holding his authoritative posture despitehow many glares make their way in his direction. As far as I know from Valerie's word, he has swiftly moved up the ranks amongst the other Marked he and Bekah have overseen, becoming a deadly force, one I know better than to take my full focus away from.

Friend or not, Mason stands with the side of his people.

I sometimes wonder if his side is still my own.

The art teacher's group was welcomed into Bekah and Mason's development, finally finding some sanctuary amongst a similar populous fighting for their cause. Despite the eagerness the group had to join Bekah and Mason, one bright-eyed redhead was absent from the group, making it easy to clue Auburn in on staying silent around Mason when mentioning Rowan.

He trailed the girl for god knows how long and found nothing.

The last thing he needs right now is another reason to distance himself from the rest of us.

Mark has been distant, his mind slowly gravitating away from him, leaving his visits from Kai to end with the names "Andrew and Katiana," more than "Forest and Kaiden."

Kai does his best to ignore how much Mark's faltering mind has affected him, but given how cold he's been, it's hard to tell much of what the young man is thinking.

Rolling up his sleeves, Mason's inked skin stands out to all of us, the intricate symbols seemingly etched into his skin meant to be seen. Taking several seconds to observe the rune like symbols, he eyes down the group, waiting for someone to bring up the elephant in the room.

"What's with the ink?" Fallan questions, observing the man's skin with wide eyes.

"They're runes," Mason snaps, ready to tear Fallan's throat out each time he speaks. "Some of the Marked, with time, had a few genetic shifts. I had the honor of getting this one."

"Genetic shifts?" I question. "As in, abilities altering?"

"I have yet to see a Marked with new abilities, but I suppose it's possible," Mason sighs. "Many of the Marked in the Precipice carried these runes. I suppose that's why I had a vested interest."

Marked with altered DNA.

What could that mean for Elyon?

Could the power truly shift if Marked were able to evolve?

Feeling a wave of fatigue wash over me, the events from last night made it impossible to sleep, making it impossible to focus on much of anything.

"Mason?" I question, narrowing my eyes. "Do you have-"

"You're lucky I like you, Evermoore," Mason warns, reaching into his back pocket, his hand holding up a reasonably sized bag of blood. "Fresh out of the vein, just like you requested, your majesty," he jokes, his humor a rare sight.

Tossing me the bag, I silently thank him in his mind, letting my mouth rip into the bag's contents, taking in every drop of power rolling down my throat. Watching Fallan's face contort at the sight, the irony in his avoidance of the drink is almost comedic.

"I knew Dove, you know?" Mason says, finally getting Fallan's attention.

Waiting for Mason to continue on, Mason's mouth pulls into a grin.

"She ripped the jugular from a child. Makes this look sanitary."

Dropping his head, Fallan tenses his jaw, excusing himself from the room.

"I'm going to get some fresh air."

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