Page 170 of The Order

Another figure lingers in the room, their body leaned against a large wooden desk. They toy with a pocket watch, spinning it on their finger nonchalantly. The shadows conceal their identity, their hand outreached toward us.

“A Marked?” I whisper, listening to their sinister laugh.

A familiar tone lingers in the gleeful chuckle.

“Observant. You’d make a fine father-in-law,” his familiar voice says. Fallan’s anger rises.

“Come over here and say that! You piece of privileged shit!” Fallan yells, his skin tearing against the bindings on his wrists.

“Keep running your mouth like that, and I'll make you watch as I fuck her,” his familiar voice says, my mind questioning everything.

“Xavier?” I question, watching the blonde's smile grow.

He flips on the lights, and the large office brightens, giving me a clear image of the space. Wearing an ivory-green suit, he continues spinning the pocket watch. His eyes burn with a sinister intensity.

“Two powerful Marked right in front of me. How did I get so lucky?”

“The Commander-”

“Don't tell me the obedient Official act fooled you, Andrew,” Xavier says with a mocking tone.

“My men are right outside-”

“My men, Andrew,” Xavier clarifies, waving his finger. “I speak, they do. Their chips aren’t needed, but they are indeed helpful when I find myself tired of making my way into their sorry little minds-”

“I will kill you!” Fallan yells, thrashing against his bindings once more.

Xavier stumbles out of his relaxed position, touching his temple with a look of anger. Fallan yells out in pain. The collar around his neck grows brighter as it activates.

“Still fighting after everything?” Xavier questions angrily, grabbing the boy's collar and dragging him right to the floor, “All those times you warned me to stay away from her, the empty threats time and time again. And what good did they do you? You still want to tell me she’s yours?” Xavier questions, delivering a punch to Fallan’s face.

Fallan smiles, spitting his blood over Xavier’s front.

“She'll never love you,” Fallan whispers.

Xavier grasps the man's head, all the energy I’d given Fallan draining instantly.

“Doesn’t matter,” Xavier begins, drawing in a deep breath. “I’ll just use your energy to fuck her and force you to listen.”

“You won’t touch her!” I yell, forcing my knees away from the ground, straining against his Hold. Grabbing his legs, I force him to the floor. Fallan kicks up his leg, hitting Xavier’s chest.

Moving with precision, I ready myself to seize his mind, planning to render him powerless.

“Do that, and I blow his brains out,” Xavier seethes, his hand raised, his pistol pointed to Fallan. I pause my fight, my hands a shaky mess. “How many Markswoods can your conscience afford to kill, Andrew?”

I freeze at the comment, overcome by my own guilt.

“You're weak,” Xavier says, shoving me away, his hand waving, a collar meeting his palm instantly. Snapping it around my neck, he kicks me back, and my body meets the ground.

“Please, know,” Xavier begins, moving closer to the doors. “Only one of you will make it out of this room by the end of today.”

He offers nothing else as he slips past the door, leaving the room in utter silence, deafening stillness.

Forest

Kai is fast asleep, his body curled up on the worn mattress in the corner of the holding cell. Looking around, my eyes land on the opened cell door, my hand raised, ready to hurt anyone who dares to come near us. Touching my throat, I run my finger along the metal collar. Leaving Kai to rest, I rise to my feet, pulling down my skirt in an attempt at modesty. I had used the bottom portion of it to wrap around my bleeding knuckles, and it was significantly shorter now. Moving past the cell door, I look around. There is no movement. Not a single Official in sight.

“Where are you going?” Kai’s voice is hoarse, and I can see the pain and exhaustion in his features. I readjust my collar, clearing my throat to try and make my response to him come across with confidence.

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