Page 108 of The Order: Rise of the New Empire

"Tell me, Mason, what exactly is your plan if you manage to liberate your friends?" Niverna questions, keeping her doubts about me.

Good.

Trust is a hard thing to earn these days.

"Our only goal has always been to apprehend the Prophet and take down his reign. Whoever stands in the way of that is collateral."

"Even Forest?" she questions, prodding for answers.

"Especially Forest," I warn.

"Xavier won't let you touch her-"

"Then Xavier better be prepared to become collateral."

Looking around, everything seems abnormally quiet.

Too quiet.

Something's wrong.

Waving my hand in the air, the men and women I brought with me grab their things. Keeping the vehicles parked at a safe enough distance to escape, if need be, I lead the charge toward the entrance to the city, sensing Bekah's presence as she comes up beside me.

"What's the strategy?" she questions frantically, her heart nearly beating out of her chest.

Scanning the crowd, I get a glance at Aaron, his eyes filled with a look of feral drive.

Whatever he tells the others, Kai's sudden absence has weighed heavily on his soul.

"Full honesty?" I question, a slight smile pulling up the corners of my mouth. "To shed blood."

Stepping over the motionless guards, we barrel through the front entrance, meeting the wide-eyed expressions of the citizens lingering near the front. Firing off multiple shots in the air, I make as much noise as I can. Dragging their claws acrossthe ground, the Shifters trail behind us, snapping their teeth at anyone willing to get just an inch closer to us.

"Everybody stays the fuck back!" I yell, watching as crowds of people begin to funnel out of buildings.

The city is a spectacle, one much cleaner than New Haven.

What a shame they decided to bring in our enemy.

"The Revolutionists are raiding your city!" Bekah yells, pointing her pistol at the growing crowd.

Keeping ourselves on high alert, these people are one bad move away from seeing what a group with this many Marked can truly look like.

"What do you want?" one of the women in the crowd trembles, her eyes hazed over with the Veil this city has prided itself in using.

"Elyon Morgan," I yell. "We want Elyon Morgan and his daughter Forest Blackburn-"

"Mason," Aaron whispers, tugging on the sleeve of my jacket. "Forest was not-"

"I said I am ending the Prophet," I yell, getting in his face. "I will ensure I have every means possible to do just that."

Hearing shouts in the distance, Officials and guards not sedated by Niverna's team approach our group, ready to blaze us in a haze of bullets the minute we try and make another move.

Looking at Bekah, it's clear to both of us what has to be done.

Time to give Elyon a reason to step out from the shadows.

Shoving past citizens, I set my focus on the first Official I can. Winnowing behind the man, I wrap my arm around his neck. Pressing down as hard as I can on his throat with my forearm, he gasps for air, struggling to make any noise once I have crushed his airways.

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