Page 74 of The Order: Rise of the New Empire

"Please, take a seat, won't you get a drink for our guests, my dear?" Elyon questions forest, both of our asses being forced down into a seat.

Standing up, she tugs a blade free from her father's side, tossing it back and forth in her hand.

Casually approaching the eldest of the Marked slaves, his small voice screams, begging for mercy, both Fallan and me flinching at the noise.

She looks utterly unbothered.

"Please, Forest, you're supposed to be our Apparatus-"

"Shhh," she whispers, getting eye level with the child, grabbing his hand. "What kind of person would I be to drain you in one go?" she questions, snapping her fingers, urging her father to bring over two fresh glasses.

Holding the boy still with her Hold, she slides the blade over his palm, tears rolling down his face as his wound fills the cups. Gravitating her hand over the cut, she forces the skin back together, healing the boy's wounds with a great deal of strategy.

Eyeing his daughters work with surprise, a lingering jealousy in the abilities Forest carries infiltrates Elyon's mind.

"No need to cry when you still offer so many uses," she smiles, patting the boys head, nudging her chin in our direction.

"Well, go serve our guests."

"Why don't you, my dear?" he questions, handing her off the drinks, her eyes scanning the man up and down.

"I would be delighted."

Winnowing in front of us, she holds the drinks filled with the child's blood, looking us over with a look I can't quite decipher.

"Drink," she demands, handing us the cups, a great deal of hesitation in Fallan's expression.

"For fuck's sake, Forest, that's a child-"

"I said drink, you fucking traitor," Forest snaps, forcing the glass's rim on Fallan's lips, tipping the drink until it has forced its way down his throat.

Wide eyed and fearful, Fallan holds back a gag as he finishes off the drink, his throat gasping for air once she has pulled the cup away.

Turning her head towards me, she glances at my full glass.

"Do you need some extra motivation too, Commander?" she questions, her face unreadable.

"Please, I know given the circumstances this might be harder, but, please, just drink,"she whispers in my mind, her face not breaking its cold facade once.

Tipping the cup, I regrettably enjoy the taste of the blood, taking in every ounce of power flooding through me, only stopping once the cup has run dry.

"What do you want from us, Forest?" Fallan questions, entirely in the dark to any of her motives right now.

That's best.

The less that know, the better.

“Mason and the Revolutionists have the metal from the waters. Metal that can kill me and my daughter. As well as that, they have the Shifter's support. You boys are close to them. We need that metal back.” Elyon snaps, answering for Forest.

Confused, I shake my head.

"What the hell are you talking about? Mason or Bekah would have radioed one of us if they had found something like that," Fallan shrugs, leaning back in his chair.

"That might have been true before, but it would seem, given Xavier's loyalty to my daughter, they chose to keep you out of it. One of my guards oversaw Mason retrieve the metal. He was alone, unable to get the upper hand on two Marked like that. I myself knew the metals might emerge at some point. It wouldseem mother nature is ready to rid herself of her own creation," Elyon hisses.

"Metal that can kill you and Forest?" I question, confused.

"You think just any blade could defeat the beginning and the end?" Elyon questions, confusion finally flooding Forest's expression. "The Earth always provides answers for its mistakes and your little weasel of a Shifter was the first to get his hands on that answer," Elyon smiles, glancing toward Forest.

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