Page 49 of The Order

“Turn me in, I don’t care. I am not begging for your answers anymore. I know you know the truth, and you will give it to me, one way or another,” I whisper, watching his jaw clench as he registers his inability to speak freely with so many eyes and ears around.

Mark looks over the exchange with wide eyes. Still, I offer the gentleman a soft smile, ensuring he knows it’s for him. My shoulder shoves past Fallan, meeting a chest much harder than I expected. A few of the regular riders peer at my smile toward the driver, giving me a few looks of surprise the closer I move to my standard seat. Fallan clenches his hands as he sits at the end of the bus. I stare at him, only pulling my attention away to eye down a fellow passenger whose eyes have yet to leave me. I’ve seen them around the Academy a few times, but not frequently enough to put a name to the face.

“What?” I question toward the watchful passenger. The accusation lingering in their stare is enough to make anyone snap. Utilizing their better judgment, they look away immediately. My gaze moves to my brother and Rae as they get on board with no acknowledgment to Mark.

Not that they ever do.

“Since when do you smile at that bus driver?” one of the girls asks in a genuine tone.

I’m caught off guard by her question, cocking my head at her with annoyance.

“I’m not sure. Maybe I’m feeling benevolent,” I say, not caring to hide the lack of desire I have to interact with her.

Even from here, I can hear Fallan quietly chuckle at my response, making my blood run hot with anger at the idea of bringing him any joy.

Kai and Rae sit next to me, neither one of them trying to engage me for the rest of the ride to the Academy.

Chapter fifteen

Kaiden

Izipupmyjacket,wanting nothing to do with the brisk weather or my task for Ecology class trying to find a few perfect leaves that haven’t been trampled by the feet of my classmates. The Academy grounds are so well kept you almost wouldn’t know it was fall or that only yesterday, the grounds had been destroyed by an unnamed deviant Unfortunate wanting to ruin the beautiful koi ponds that took our parents months to petition for. Remnants of the movie night still linger, with a few missed popcorn bags tucked away beneath the booth window that was used last night for concessions.

I’ve been fighting back an unbearable headache. Rae mentioned having one this morning and Max was too preoccupied with my sister and the Officials even to acknowledge my question if he had one too. I sometimes pity Max when I see how hard he tries for Forest. I’m half convinced the only reason he’s interested in talking to Xavier about the Official’s Training Academy is because of my sister’s sudden interest in the charming blonde, who isn’t him.

I know she was hoping I didn’t see anything when we came around the side of the house this morning, and for the most part, I didn’t. Never in my life had I seen Forest willingly allow someone to be that close to her. The way they looked at us when they pulled away from each other, you'd think they had just committed a crime.

Maybe Forest finding some sanctuary in Xavier would be good for her. She can’t spend her whole life making poor decisions and hoping I will be there to help her brace for the fall. Maybe if she cozies up to an Official, he’ll have more luck than me in regulating her sudden mood swings.

I drop another broken leaf, questioning how possible it is to get away with just taping two similar ones together and making my teacher work with it. I notice a small area of the grass in front of where the tarp for the movie once stood is withering away, pale and void of color, dying while everything around it thrives. I run my finger over the dry grass, removing my hands as the intense smell of bleach and weed killer hits my nose. I quickly shove down the gag trying to reach my throat, doing my best to wipe away the residual odor on my pant leg.

A motion of activity in one of the farther bushes lining the grounds creates a clatter of noise. I take my focus from the patch of dead grass, looking over towards the movement with curiosity.

Without thinking, my legs begin moving, pulling me further away from the patch on the lawn and closer to the shaking branches. My hands are tucked deep in my pockets, far enough away from my nose I don’t have to catch another whiff of whatever laced the dead grass. I finally spot a uniform-clad figure kneeling behind the bush, covering themselves in the dirt around their white stockings.

I see her brown hair wound tightly into a ponytail on her head. Her sharp jawline and green eyes scan the area in front of her, clawing her hands into the surrounding dirt to make more room for whatever is in front of her. I have to stop myself from yanking her back by her ponytail, ready to question why she’s digging around in the ground at ten in the morning.

“Forest?” I begin, ready to hit her with a line of questioning while dragging her away from the foliage.

Her body shifts out of its position, giving me a clear look at what it is that has her knee deep in the dirt. Her eyes shift up to meet mine. Her jaw clenches as she gives me a moment to observe what’s in front of me.

What seems to be a significant claw mark tattoos the rock she’s dug up. The wood and greenery around the slashes are scorched, all burned away as if a lighter had lingered on the space for several minutes. The indent of an animal's paw is pressed into the earth.

“I think I saw something hiding here last night,” Forest says, pausing as she looks over the space around her.

I see now just how many branches are broken. Something large had to be standing where she now kneels to cause the amount of damage abundantly obvious here now. “It must have left this behind in the process,” she finishes, rising from her knees to finally join me on the other side of the bush. I help her wipe away the dirt from her clothes, trying to prevent brown smears from coating her legs.

“Wouldn’t the Officials have noticed something big enough to leave these marks?” I question.

Her nose scrunches at the mention of Officials, turning upwards as it usually would have had I mentioned the Unfortunates. A feeling of unease comes over me as I continue to look at the scorched space. Her hands fumble in her bag, pulling out her sketchbook. She begins to trace a quick image of the area in front of us. Her hands work quickly yet carefully, and I can tell she’s trying to be as detailed as possible. I hear a small scoff leave her throat once she fully processes my question.

“I don’t think the Officials even knew it was there. They must have been too preoccupied handling other affairs last night,” my sister says, hiding many emotions I can’t quite pinpoint.

“What are you even doing outside of class?” I question, pushing the bush back to its normal position to stop her rapid sketching. She looks over the paper with little satisfaction before shoving it back into her bag. Her hands are now covered in charcoal. She glances toward the wilted grass.

“I never showed up to my first period. Why are you out here?” she states, keeping her eyes on the bleach stain in the grass behind me.

“I need some leaves for Ecology. Do you know what happened there? The ground is covered in chemicals,” I question. Once more, her nose scrunches anxiously, giving me my answer on whether or not she knows more than she’s letting on.

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