Page 18 of The Order

“Move it higher up the blade to get some resistance, or else it will keep breaking,” she says, pushing away from the wall. She's called back onto the mats by a few Untouchables needing a new sparring partner. The previous one limps away with silent curses.

Max repeatedly strikes down the Unfortunate, delivering him enough blows that he can't get up. I stare at his strikes, watching his back move with each precise motion. I imagine him and my sister. The visual of his lips on her is something I could never see her allowing. I let my gaze linger on him before returning to my now-repositioned hilt. With each swipe, I slice it in the air, getting no resistance this time.

“She was right,” I whisper with a small smile.

“It wasn’t me!” a boy shouts. My head spins, landing on the brown-haired Unfortunate from earlier being dragged away by two Officials. He thrashes his arms away from the men, trying his best to escape. They hold light sensor prods to his side, sending his back into an arch. His teeth grind in between shallow breaths. He struggles to take a full breath. His legs let off hard kicks in the air, eventually becoming a drag.

“I didn't steal it,” the boy pleads, his words becoming faint.

“Save it for upper leadership, pig,” an Official spits, continuing his drag of the man out of the classroom and down one of the school's long hallways. I watch them through the window, hauling around the brunette as if he’s weightless. The light sensor prod stays pressed to the man's side, leaving him immobile. Max wipes the sweat from his face, dragging up his shirt to expose a torso I try not to linger on.

“What was that about?” I question, watching him take a few long drinks from his water.

“Some of the Officials’ supplies have gone missing. They believe Unfortunates are stealing them to make quick money,” Max says. I watch the other Untouchables snicker in their small groups now formed around the room.

“You sure it wasn’t one of us?” I question.

“I know it was,” Max says with a smirk. “But what's the fun in telling an Official that?” Max finishes as his attention pulls back to the sparring groups.

Valerie lies slumped, holding her side after receiving a harsh blow.

I expect to find humor in the situation, as I always do.

Today, for some reason though, I don’t.

Chapter five

Forest

Mybrother'shairclingsto the sweat on his forehead. Max’s mane is pushed away from his face, only showcasing the Vega’s naturally enthralling looks. Max’s walk is energetic, but Kai drags behind him, looking physically beaten from their last class. Kai's blade pokes out from his bag. The detailed wrapping around his blade clashes with Max’s worn blade strapped to his leg. A few girls smile at Max, taking the time to observe his sweatier figure. I smile, giving him a thumbs up. His eyes only roll. Rae and I lean against the wall outside the art room, waiting for the boys as usual.

“Ladies,” Max mutters, standing closer than usual as he moves into an open space beside me. I mess with his blade, observing the small streak of red coating its edge.

“Hard day in class?”

“I may have had some fun with an Unfortunate,” Max says with a grin. Kai shifts uncomfortably, only tucking his blade deeper into his bag.

“Sounds like you had as much fun with them as Josh did with Forest,” Raegan mutters. I hit her arm, narrowing my eyes at her angrily as both men now look a little less relaxed.

“What did Josh do?” Max questions. The playful banter has left his voice.

“He wanted me to ask you about a Student Advocate position, and hemighthave taken a brash approach to convince me to ask you,” I say, staring down Raegan even more. Max’s eyebrows raise, showcasing his frustration as he looks to his twin for clarification.

“By digging his nails into your leg?” Raegan questions. I shake my head at her, ready to toss her into the nearest wall for getting them both so worked up. Max reaches down to my leg, pressing down on each of my upper thighs until I wince. I slap his hand away, biting my bottom lip as I rub away the pain that the pressure of his hand had left behind.

“There's no way in hell I am helping him with an advocate position-”

The art room door opens, leaving Max’s words floating between us. Fallan watches us all, keeping his hands buried deep in his pockets. I hadn't noticed till now how much taller he is than my brother. In most scenarios, Kai looks down on people, not the other way around. Fallan glances toward my brother, looking even further down at Max, whose chest is suddenly more pushed out than it was a few seconds ago. I keep my position on the wall, motioning for Fallan to move past us. With a gentle shove, I hold Max’s leg back with my own, stopping the kick meant to meet Fallan’s ankle. Fallan watches the motion, shaking his head at no one in particular, letting that familiar smirk line his face. His shirt still has stains. It’s now smudged, indicating he’d tried his best to eliminate the result of Josh’s malice during class as much as possible. He moves to leave, ignoring Max’s frustrated grunts at the feeling of my back pressing him against the wall. Eventually, he lets up, letting me stay leaned up against him.

“You can't stop me from beating his ass,” Max whispers, letting his arms rest around my neck from behind.

“Your hand is already destroyed,” I say, motioning to his cut knuckles, now raised in both of our lines of vision. “That's enough for today,” I whisper, leaning away from him, only to feel the accidental brush of Fallan’s arm on my lower stomach as he moves through the group.

Immediately, it felt like there was a fire scorching through me. Every defensive bone in my body burns hot, screaming and clinging to the brief touch. Every part of me heats, sending a fleet of fear and pain through me. I clutch my lower stomach, feeling my lungs make a sorry attempt at breathing in between a strained gasp. Fallan continues his relaxed walk, turning into nothing in our vision once he turns the first corner down the hallway. I grasp Max, feeling the sudden pain slowly slip away with each passing second. Max’s eyes explore me with nothing but worry. Kai and Raegan even pull away from their conversation to focus on my gasping figure.

“What's wrong?” Kai questions, as if I have an immediate answer.

The heat slowly fades away, starting from my core and ending at my fingertips. I take in a full breath, feeling a sudden emptiness as the fleet of emotions all leave me.

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