Page 50 of The Order: Rise of the New Empire

This is not a new thing for Kai.

For weeks he has grown distant, colder.

I thought it would begin to falter the more time he spent with Aaron.

I suppose I was wrong.

Looking at the walls of the downtown portion of the city, faded propaganda posters from the Revolutionists barely cling to the walls, inklings of a fight now lacking a leader. Covered with posters promising to weed out the radicals, it becomes clear how little this city chooses to hide from their people.

They have made the Marked a public enemy to all.

Including those choosing to fight in the Apparatus's name.

Tearing through the air, a violent scream further down the street startles us all, a group forming in place, shielding out eyes from the horrors that could warrant such a large reaction. Pushing forward, a small pull toward the chaos festers within me, the dull warmth of her connection and mine flooding to life.

Forest.

Ready to back away from it all, Fallan shakes his head.

"There's no fucking way-"

"Keep moving," I hiss, grabbing the man's shirt, forcing him to walk despite his aversions.

Leading the group closer to the clamor of people, we all push past the fearful Unfortunates, drawing our hoods, hoping to conceal our identities as best we can. Making it to the front of the group, my blood runs cold, my focus on one person and one person alone.

My flower.

"I asked you how you got past your Expulsion test," Forest hisses, her hand coiled around the young child's neck, his mother's lifeless body settled at her feet, her dead eyes set towards my direction. Flailing in Forest's hand, the child screams for help, every single person witnessing the sight doing so with no regret.

"Dirty Marked," an Unfortunate next to me whispers, the hate these people have for our kind unimaginable.

Watching the child's face grow purple, something inside of me snaps. I need to stop this-

"Don't," Fallan whispers, his good hand grabbing my shoulder. "Elyon is watching her," directing my head toward the vile man lingering in the crowd, he observes Forest like a proud parent. "You have to let this play out."

Swallowing back my pride, I keep my head lowered, listening to the shrill cry of the child.

"I didn't-"

"You choose to defend your vile kind?" she questions, her cloak drawn, her eyes wide with confliction.

Don't do it, Forest.

Why are you doing this?

Grabbing her wrist, the boy tries to use his Hold on the woman, her rage only escalating.

"Bad move," she hisses. "Time to see Mommy."

Twisting the young boy's neck with her free hand, he goes limp in her grasp, cheers of varying volumes filling the space.

Horrified by the look of power encasing her expression, her nose scrunches the moment she faces away from Elyon, a petrified look devouring her face the longer she looks at the boy.

Feeling an overwhelming sense of pain touch my heart, her hand shakily drops the boy, her hand clutching her chest, the connection between us burning bright. Looking around the group, I lower my head as quick as I can, sensing our companions do the same, regret eating me alive.

Her regret.

He's made her do this.

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