Page 189 of The Order

The sound of the heavy-footed Officials flooding the space above us is distant. My heart races at the thought of what’s to come. Those who weren’t ravaged by the creature clutch their heads, the chips behind their ears flashing with the faint glow of a green light.

“Run,”Xavier whispers softly through my headspace. So softly that I might have thought my blood loss was making me hallucinate.

But this isn't just his voice. I feel his energy forcing me forward, moving my legs with renewed strength.

“Trust no one.”His hand clutches his throat.

Our hastened steps turn into a dead sprint, each one of us carrying the other, our strides frantic and uncoordinated. My head, once able to move freely, stays forward. I can’t even turn back to assess the carnage we’re leaving behind. Every fiber of my being is forced forward by Xavier’s daunting power.

We continue barreling down the corridor where the creatures had made their way to the pit. I see the light at the end of the tunnel, my lungs gasping for air.

Around us, the air becomes staticky, the charge wrapping around us like a protective shield. The feeling is familiar, one I've felt in Xavier’s presence as he uses his gifts to move around through empty space. With no warning, Fallan’s eyes suddenly fly open, and his energy surges into the space around us. He wraps his arm around my waist, beckoning Hunter and Kai into the space of his other outstretched arm. Kai hugs Valerie close to his body, and they tuck in around us. Our bodies dissolve like mist and get sucked into the very fabric of existence.

One moment, we are clouded in darkness; the next, we face the ward shielding the Unfortunate sector from the ash lands beyond.

We’ve materialized directly in front of the tear in the ward.

He’s brought us here for a reason.

It's our exit to the outside world.

Our one way out.

Chapter sixty

Kaiden

Intheblinkofan eye, the space around us shifts, becoming something else entirely. The musky smell of the cells and the heavy scent of iron that formed from the blood-stained walls fall away. The familiar stench of the Unfortunate sector fills my nose, something I never thought I’d find any form of comfort in.

Barely managing to stop Hunter and Valerie from falling over, Fallan grasps Forest, his mouth leaving a trail of blood across her front in a cough that no doubt signifies the severity of his wounds. She stands dazed, her blood coating both of them in large splotches. Forcing himself onto his feet, he looks to her in a plea, his eyes darting to the poorly guarded, ash-ridden opening in a ward I thought was impenetrable.

“He Winnowed us here,” Forest says in a gasp, giving a name to the hidden ability Fallan had utilized with what little energy he had left. To our advantage, many of the Officials had gone to the Lottery to claim some time off from their duties around New Haven, meaning the already poorly guarded sector is that much more free of security. A few displaced Unfortunates watch us with wide eyes. Some whisper in fear, labeling our group as marauders, pointing frantically to our warrants plastered on every digital board in sight. The word "Marked" resides beneath Forest and Fallan’s pictures—a word I would have considered vile, but now our only means of escaping any of this.

“It's getting harder to breathe,” Fallan whispers. His skin is pallid, and his expression is labored as he struggles to keep his arms around us.

The hand of death wraps around his throat.

Listening to the growing shouts of other citizens as they take notice of our presence, I frantically look around, weighing our options.

“We have no other choice, Kai,” Forest whispers, looking at the tear, her fears painted across her face.

Fallan faces my sister and grabs her face in his hands. He swallows, gathering the strength to speak.

“Are you with me?”

The question is urgent, her eyebrows furrowed with concern.

“Always,” she whispers, her eyes hazy with emotion.

Pressing his lips to hers, his expression remains a mix of admiration and fear. With a quivering lip, she breaks the kiss, leaving her forehead resting against his for a few moments longer. A fear of this being their last moment to share with one another is a thought I know consumes her right now.

Hunter grasps my hand, and Valerie does the same.

I scan Hunter’s dark eyes, pulling him closer, his body pressing close to mine as we shake in each other’s embrace. I feel his warmth flood through me, the same warmth my sister has told me she feels each time she’s near Fallan.

The feelings I have for Hunter have deep roots in my chest, and I'm not sure what that means for the dynamic between us. I’ll have to unpack this later if we survive long enough for me to think about it again. Clinging onto both of their hands, I keep my focus on Hunter.

“Let’s move!” Forest urges, slinging Fallan’s arm over her shoulders.

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