Page 159 of The Order

“They want the girl!” It screams, pushing past Fallan’s broad frame, nearly slamming its hand down on Xavier.

Valerie rolls over the drink table, grabbing Mark and Jolie, urging them to follow her. They begin to back away together, relief passing over me as I watch them leave.

Holding my ground, I motion Kai to move, my focus set on connecting to his mind.

“Get him out of here,”I whisper into my brother’s mind. His eyes grow wide with confusion, his mouth hanging open. Forcing my brother back with a wave of my hand, his feet move, following my command.

He whispers to Hunter, motioning him to follow behind Valerie. I expect him to go along, to follow the crowd and get away from all of this, but he stays behind.

This is no longer the Kai I once knew.

This is no longer the Kai who runs in fear.

“I can try and force it-” Fallan starts, cut off by some unknown attack.

Clutching his head, he falls to his knees. Xavier and I panic as we ambush the creature. Rushing toward Fallan, I feel another presence in our mind space, its assault directed toward Fallan. His thoughts are consumed with nothing but a painful noise. It drowns out my ability to speak to him, my knees joining his on the ground. Xavier stands in front of us, shielding us from the creature. Grasping Fallan’s face, I see the pain in his expression, my fingers trailing over his cheeks.

“Someone else is here,” he says through the pain. My focus is on getting him back on his feet.

“Xavier,” I begin, grabbing Fallan’s blade. “Help him up,” I push, no longer giving him an option as I step into the blonde’s mind to deliver the order.

Xavier grabs Fallan’s arm, lifting him to his feet. The creature eyes me with surprise, my arm extended out, ready to engage.

“It's me you want, right?” I question, looking back to Fallan. “You can let him go,” I whisper, my panic growing at the feeling of Fallan’s energy draining. His nose is blee ding, his eyes rolling into the back of his head.

“I am many things, child,”the creature whispers in my mind.“But I am no coward when it comes to a fight,”it continues.“This hold is not my own… although I can assure you, his death will be savored.”

I snap.

Slamming my blade into the ground, I force my hand up, focusing on its thin legs, feeling the way its bones shatter beneath my touch.

Crack.

Wailing out in pain, it falls to the ground, my mind finally able to fully latch on and fill it with images of its own death. Watching it shakily raise its hand to its throat, I take another step, focusing all my energy on ending the creature. I’m jarred from concentration by that familiar voice again as it screams to life.

"The Apparatus will ruin this wretched world!” it screams, repeatedly yelling the phrase.

Using all that I have, I put up a barrier around my and Fallan's minds, readying to snap the creature's neck. It watches me fearfully, its mouth downturned as its expression turns despondent.

“This wasn't my choice,” it hisses, my eyes staring into the two dark pits where eyes should have been.

“Who sent you?” I question, watching it cower.

Fallan and Xavier slice their blades through the Shifter’s head. I watch as its life force is drained from its body, a regretful expression on its face. Panting heavily, Fallan forces the blade deeper, the creature’s blood spewing streaks of red across his face. His eyes are wild with feral rage. Drawing in several deep breaths, he lingers by the creature to make sure it’s dead. Xavier’s hands shake with adrenaline.

The two men stand in front of me, both in need of comfort.

I stand by my choice.

The connection between Fallan and me is now unbreakable.

Moving closer to him, I wrap him in a hug, feeling him bury his head in my shoulder. His arms wrap around my middle loosely, unable to find the strength to tighten his grip. Surprisingly, my hand reaches for Xavier instinctively, the other part of me still drawn to his presence. His eyes are cold as he watches me and Fallan, his hand still grasping the blade as if ready to use it on a new target. Pressing my head to Fallan’s, I hold his face in my hands, his eyes panning back to Xavier, before placing a small, tender kiss on my forehead.

“Someone sent that creature here… to hunt,” I whisper, looking at the two men. Xavier lowers his weapon, letting it clatter to the ground. His focus is fixed on Fallan.

“Let me speak to him,”I whisper in Fallan’s mind, releasing him from my embrace.

I move to Xavier. He looks down at me, his eyes filled with defeat.

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