Page 188 of The Order

“Bow,” I snap, watching the creature's chin dive to the ground before my feet.

Its face scrapes the ground, its arms outstretched above its head. Pressed firmly against one another, its wrists are bound by an invisible force.

“You are much more than he expected,”it hisses, my eyes darting to Xavier.

There is a sudden liveliness in his demeanor, his hands clenched as his energy swirls around the creature. If he’s controlling it, he struggles at this moment. Narrowing my eyes at him, I fight against his hold on the creature. Our minds battle for purchase in the Shifter’s head, one fighting to claim victory over the other.

Fallan can hardly stand, and Kai is close to collapse as well. Valerie can scarcely take in a full breath, and Hunter is almost to his breaking point, his hands clenched tightly to his sides, his face stuck in a silent scream as he rocks back and forth on his heels.

This is my last chance. If Xavier wins, we’re prisoners to a life that is guaranteed to expire years before we deserve to see its end.

“What will you do, Little Dove?”he taunts within my mind, my heart racing at his voice's sudden presence in the cavern of my thoughts.

“Bring this whole fucking society to its knees.”

I wait for his power to permeate the space around us, bracing for whatever blow comes next.

But it never comes.

I snap my eyes at him, wanting to finish this, but the look on his face leaves me bemused. He nods in recognition or approval. I'm not sure which.

“Bring it all down.”

My fingers wrap around the abrasive metal of my collar as my gaze falls on the writhing creature before me. An idea enters my mind, one I share directly in its thoughts. Clicking my tongue and easing up on my hold, the Shifter pulls its head away from the ground, looking at me for confirmation of what I’d just commanded it to do. Pointing to my neck, I force its hand forward, letting its claw linger near my throat.

“Break it.”

The Shifter slashes its talon over the metal, and the collar clatters on the ground. My limbs tingle at the sudden return of energy flooding through me. People begin to panic above, their glasses falling free from their grasp. Still, Xavier remains unmoving, watching us with what looks like some twisted expression of pride.

“Forest-” Fallan gasps, my hand reaching out for him, forcing his collar away from his neck with a wave of my wrist. Relief washes over his expression, the fire of his resolve enough to restore some of his energy so he can withstand his brutal injuries for a little longer.

“Are you hungry?” I question coldly to the creature, both my palms clenched.

The glass above begins to break. With each exhale of my lungs, another crack appears in the divider between those who put us down here and the beasts below.

“Terribly,” it hisses, both Fallan and I smiling at the response.

“Then feed,” I order, looking at the petrified onlookers above.

The Shifter takes the command without hesitation, its talons breaching the wall, scaling up and onto the broken pane where Adam took his last breath. Shards of glass fly through the air as it breaks its way through. Focusing on the huddle of Officials trying to make their way to the bottom of the pit, I watch them aim toward the creature, readying to bring it down. Raising my hand, I focus on my desire for them to feel pain. A mix of screams or panicked movements come from above. None of the elites are able to protect themselves from the Shifter. I help Hunter support Fallan’s body around his waist, Kai beside us carrying Valerie. We move to the exit, stepping over the fallen bodies of every Official whose mind I had turned to mush.

The Shifter devours anyone it can, filling the space with screams loud enough to burst eardrums. More of the glass panels surrounding the top of the pit begin to break away bit by bit. Fallan’s pained groans carve into my chest as we stay on course, his wound still heavily bleeding.

The blood from my own wound trails down my leg, its sticky warmth uncomfortable. The adrenaline coursing through my veins masks some of the pain, but I don’t know how long that will last. The pit is in shambles, surrounded by the stench of death.

“We need to make a break for it,” Hunter cries, all of our attention toward the exit.

I look up one last time and see red staining almost every pane of glass. Xavier stands quietly in an open threshold between the pit and the event space, sipping his champagne as chaos unfolds around him. There is no fear in his expression, only an air of satisfaction.

He’s the very reason I’ve lost so much. Even if I leave now, I can't promise myself that I won't come back to kill him. The only part of me that could have cared for him died the moment I watched the light leave my father's eyes.

I force the thought toward him, his eyebrows scrunching in betrayal at my admission.

The Shifter lowers its head at Xavier's presence. My stomach is unsettled at how easily the creature submits to his will, my own Hold over the creature broken.

This whole time, Xavier has had the upper hand. He could’ve overpowered me easily. Why allow me to have control of his pet for so long?

Kai tugs on my tattered shirt, Fallan’s eyes now struggling to stay open.

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