Page 41 of The Order: Rise of the New Empire

Grabbing a jacket, Fallan shoves past Mason as he leaves, slamming the door shut with little to no care.

"I never liked him," Mason sighs, the last few drops from the bag rolling down my throat.

"I should have let you kill him that night on the deck," I seethe, wiping my mouth clean.

"Why didn't you?" Kai questions, regret filling me.

"Elyon was torturing him," Mason says, giving the shameful answer for me. "That's why Xavier tasked me to watch over her."

Giving Mason a nod of acknowledgment, I silently thank the man for his loyalty despite his avoidance of much of what we are doing.

"Are you riding solo today?" Mason questions toward me, my answer leaving me quickly.

"Yes-"

"No!" Kai, Aaron, and Valerie snap in unison, all of them shaking their heads in disbelief.

"You think we are allowing you to go to this place alone?" Aaron questions, looking at me with confusion.

"We don't know what is behind their borders-"

"Forest is," Kai barks. "That's more than enough reason to allow us to go."

"I don't know what we are walking into, Kai," I push, his head already shaking.

"None of us do. The least you can do is allow us to give you some backing."

All watching me with stern expressions, getting any of them to stay behind will be near impossible.

"And you?" I question toward Mason. "What will you do?"

"Bekah and I have more cadets that need to get settled into the Underground. If you all don't come back by nightfall, I'll make my way back to the Precipice with some resources," Mason sighs, unspoken words settling on his tongue.

"Is there more?" I question, his eyes heavy with dread.

"I don't know what you think you are walking into, Xavier," he sighs, his tone filled with pain. "At a certain point, we have toconsider how far we are willing to let the people we love spiral before someone else has to step in."

Digesting his words, I take a shaky breath.

"Have a safe ride back," I mutter. "I think I'm done with your advice for today."

Chapter twelve

Fallan

Lugging the massive bags into the vehicle, I glare at the cabin door, shoving down every hateful thought toward every single person in that cabin. Kicking the tires of the vehicle as I work, I clench my hand into my palm, struggling to get the vehicle loaded with only one hand. Replaying Mason's words in my mind, every vile action Dove inflicted replays through my mind, all ending with the imagery of her head being ripped clean from her body.

All anyone has done is vile actions to protect the people they love, what makes what she did any different?

I have allowed myself to be housed by the very people who killed the woman I love, all in the name of finding a way to find some peace in this life. Falling for Forest was the farthest thing from part of the plan.

In many ways, she was the closest thing I had to her sister, entirely different despite the blood they share. Now, I know Iheld onto her out of obligation to Dove, but at what point do the lines no longer blur?

Shoving yet another heavy bag onto the bed of the vehicle, the whole vehicle shakes, my body quickly taking several steps back, my words caught in my throat once I catch a glimpse of what rocked the massive locomotive.

Sitting silently on the hood of the car, her hood is drawn, her silver hair pulled back into a long braid. Slim in the face, her glowing eyes watch me like a hawk, her cloak drawn, her legs dangling off the side of the hood. Holding a knife in her hand, she twirls its point on the hood of the car, watching me with a cocked head.

Ready to shout out to the others, my throat feels closed, my words nothing more than a few silent gasps.

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