Page 185 of The Order

The man I will safeguard with everything I have, even if it means my life.

All he has known is sacrifice and loss.

No longer will that be the case.

With each brush of his lips, hiding those thoughts takes all I have, but given how his smile has made this dirty cell feel safe and warm, I’d say the extra effort is worth it.

“It was never on you,” he whispers, breaking the spell between us.

“To think,” I start, my hands brushing over his face. “I thought you wanted me dead.” Both of us chuckle quietly, some of the pressure surrounding our situation released at that moment.

His lips move to my neck, working across the tender skin. I hold him close to my chest, his body a rock under me.

“I wanted to hate you…. But that was entirely impossible the second I saw you,” he whispers, my heart lurching. “Falling inlovewith you was entirely out oftheircontrol.”

My heart skips a beat at his words. It’s not talked about a lot in our society. Doing things out of love, for love, rather than the greater good isn’t commonplace.

The sound of metal clattering to the ground jolts us from our reverie.

Canisters roll to a halt right next to us, waking the others from their restful slumber. I watch the canisters explode. A plume of scentless gas emerges and fills the cell. I see Xavier’s cold blue eyes through the haze, his cold blue eyes watching me with a grin as he and his men enter the space, their faces covered in gas masks.

“I assure you, Mr. Markswood,” Xavier begins, consciousness becoming foggier with each intake of air. “Everything is intheircontrol,” he pushes, watching my friend's bodies slump, my own leaning farther away from Fallan as my limbs go numb.

“You should have gotten out when you had the chance.”

I want to understand his words.

I want to know what he means.

Forcing my back into Fallan’s motionless figure, I cover his body as best I can in an attempt to protect him. Xavier saunters into the cell with confidence, looking down at us and shaking his head.

“Still trying to protect him?” he questions, my eyes narrow, struggling to stay open.

“Until my last breath.”

His voice comes to me softly, said in a language I don’t recognize.

“Diabolus est dominus dissimulationis et multas formas accipit.”

The world flickered to black seconds later.

Chapter fifty-nine

Forest

Gravelcrunchesandgrindsunder my feet. I can sense we’re back in the pit, even with the mesh bag over my head. Someone’s heavy footsteps accompany mine, their body shoving me into different directions as we walk. My feet drag across the ground, but with each step, I become more lucid. I don’t know how I got here after being gassed in the holding cell, only that it could have been minutes or hours since I saw the people I care about most in this world. Firm hands grip my arms, a searing pain radiating from my side with each movement of my body. The metal collar rubs against the skin of my neck. I can feel the raw, exposed flesh against its cool surface. As I walk, I realize the pain in my side isn’t from an injury but from a weapon being pressed there by one of my escorts.

As the pressure on my side increases, so does my pain. The blade is pressed firmer into my skin. I let out a small yelp, biting my lip to avoid revealing just how much agony I’m in.

“Quiet!” Adam’s voice commands, my resentment towards him reaching a new level.

“You put a goddamn knife in me,” I hiss, unable to move given its position.

“The dog collar wasn't good enough for you-”

“Xavier said-”

“Xavier isn’t here,” Adam hisses, his hand reaching the back of my neck, gripping the skin in a firm grasp. “I figured he wouldn't mind taking a sterner approach to managing you,” he pauses, satisfaction in his tone. “Pull it out, and you will be fighting to stop a nasty bleed.”

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