Page 129 of The Order

“What?” I question, pulling my focus back to him.

“Did you hear what they said? About the ward?” Kai questions, my eyes darting to Fallan once more.

“Who the hell was that?”I question anxiously.

“I have no idea… and I doubt they know either,”Fallan whispers back, motioning to the gaggle of Officials and upper leadership trying to regain order.

Adam steps free from the crowd, holding up his hands in an attempt to draw everyone’s attention.

“Ladies and gentlemen, it seems someone took the opportunity to pull a prank during tonight’s festivities,” he says.

Adam scowls, pointing to one of the men working on the sound system.

“Shut it down,” Adam hisses, giving the crowd a long look.

The men switch off the electricity, taking the lights and static with it. I swallow nothing, feeling uneasy at how many Re-Regulation Devices surround us. My father pushes Xavier, questioning if he knows who this could be. The men draw blanks. Officials command the Unfortunates to go back to their sector.

The back of my neck tingles as I feel an unknown presence loom behind me. A weight presses down on my shoulder, like an invisible hand is trying to draw my attention. The same voice from the intercom quietly whispers in my mind.

“Find us, Forest.”

The pressure in my skull intensifies. I close my eyes, focusing on the well of power inside me to try and force the presence out of my mind.I feel the blood drip from my nose and move down across my upper lip as I strain to gain control.

“Forest!” Kai yells, shaking me in a rush. My eyes fly open. I still stand in the same spot. The crowd grows thinner as people begin to dissipate. My hand quickly wipes away the blood from my nose. Fallan’s has moved closer to me, undoubtedly aware of what had just happened to me. He looks ready to touch me, stopping once he takes notice of Xavier and my parents are close by.

“Get out of here,”I whisper, watching him pause, his jaw clenched.

He glances towards my parents again and moves toward me quickly. Once he’s in front of me, he scans my face, trailing his fingers softly along my cheek and then under my nose to wipe away the remaining blood. Kai’s body shields us from the crowd, and I feel Fallan’s mental shield dissipate.

“I don’t have the strength I need to keep you safe,”he says silently, running his thumb along my cheek.

Taking a mental note of my face, he backs away.

His words are cryptic, and I ache to have more time with him so that things can be clearer.

I lean into Kai, turning away from Fallan, wanting nothing more than to follow him. Xavier and my parents finally make their way to where we’re standing. Xavier’s eyes land on the small bloodstain on the front of my dress that I hadn’t had time to hide.

I try to sense if his mind is still open to me but find no way in.

"Did you hear that voice?”I question silently to the monster in my mind, still unsettled by the eeriness in the man’s tone.

“I heard everything.”

“And?”I push.

“He's going to regret stepping into our mind.”

Chapter forty-two

Forest

Isituncomfortablyatthelarge table, feeling the way the dark green gown clings to my body. My hair is pinned up and away from my face, highlighting my slender facial features. My mother had spent over an hour in the bathroom with me earlier on my updo, spraying an ungodly amount of hairspray to keep everything in place.

She was meticulously focused on our family's appearance for this dinner, going on about Kai’s upcoming Judgment Day and the risk to more scorecards if anything went wrong tonight. Her dark hair is wound on top of her head similar to mine. Her tiny body sports a black dress she rarely wears. My dad and brother are both adorned in formal wear. To my father’s surprise, Kai needed to borrow one of his suits, no longer the gangly boy he was at last year’s solstice dinner.

The dinner is hosted at Adam’s house, and to my dismay, Josh will be there. Every year, I try to avoid him, and every year, he only becomes more aggravating. Unfortunates serve at the event, keeping drink glasses and bellies full. A few other Officials and upper leadership have children that attend, though they rarely seem to make it my way, not that I complain. I'd prefer to be left alone.

I look out of one of the large windows in the dining space, listening to the tunes of the grand piano as I’m comforted by the smell of fresh bread.

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