Page 50 of The Order

“As I said, the Officials were preoccupied handling other affairs last night,” she reiterates.

I reflect on how close we sat last night to that patch of worn grass.

“We were feet away from that spot. I feel like if they decided to spray chemicals last night, I would have noticed, and don’t feed me that bullshit that it happened after we left. I can see it all over your face that something is wrong. What aren’t you telling me, Forest?” I push, half expecting her to hit me with the truth and ask me for whatever advice I can offer like she always does. Instead, she stands her ground, looking me over with lowered eyes.

“I can't tell you. They won't let me,” she whispers, her response fueling me to add to the list of questions that are starting to manifest in my head.

“Who won't let you, Forest?” I question, grazing the goosebumps on her arms with a gentle touch I know she needs right now.

Her eyes dart behind me, causing her to pull away from my touch. I look behind me at the two Officials walking outside, both deep in conversation as they exchange a few laughs. I keep my eyes toward them, ready to motion them over.

“Maybe they will know what to do about the tracks,” I begin, raising my hand above my head to waive them over. I look back at Forest, dropping my hand instantly as I watch her foot cover up the track and the soot with a few kicks of her shoe, coating the track in a layer of dirt.

She arranges the branches back to their original unbothered position, even going so far as to shove me a few feet forward, farther away from the bush. She covers the damage like it's nothing, giving me no time to react as the Officials finally take notice of our presence.

“Forest, what the hell-”

“Kai. Shut the hell up and let me talk,” she hisses in a tone I’ve never heard from her. I close my mouth without thinking, letting my line of questioning die off the closer the two men approach us.

The two Officials are ones I have seen occasionally in passing, one younger, the other’s name is Adam. Forest still grips my shirt, clenching it with white knuckles. She shifts uncomfortably where she stands. The men pause in front of us, curious as to what they’ve walked over to. Adams's gaze lingers on my sister, watching her much longer than I’m comfortable with. She holds her head high, offering him a slight smile once he clears his throat.

“What are you two doing out here?” Adam questions, only looking at my sister as he speaks.

“I was helping my brother with an Ecology project. We were trying to find some….” she trails off, unsure what the nature of my scavenger hunt really is.

“Intact leaves, but the grounds are so well kept we’ve been having some difficulties,” I finish for her, finally getting my first glance from Adam and the man beside him. Forest nods in agreement at my explanation, subtly drawing in a deep breath, no doubt waiting to see if they believe us.

“I suppose we might have lost track of time,” Forest admits, tapping the watch on Adam's wrist.

I know she could care less about what period we are in.

Adam's cold stare turns into a soft smile. He relaxes as he observes her, looking around the area before landing his eyes in the air. I watch his hand reach up as a leaf twirls down from one of the high aspen trees. Its golden yellow color catches the light as his fingers carefully snatch it from the air. Adam places the leaf in my sister's hair, tucking it behind her ear. Once more, I watch her nose scrunch. It’s a gesture I am starting to realize only those who observe her often would notice.

“I’d say that’s intact enough. You both had better get back to your classes,” Adam says, pulling his hand away from my sister's face. Once again, she gives him another empty smile.

I feel her hand tug my shirt, pulling me along with her, both of us giving the Officials a slight nod.

“Of course, sir,” she says, acknowledging the other man with a curl of her mouth before dragging me farther away from the pair. I watch her hand claw away the leaf from her hair. Her eyes look wild as her slow breaths become quick heaves. Her hand is clenching my shirt so hard I can feel the anxiety controlling her grip. There’s an outline from the sweat coating her palm on my front. Only once she’s made it past the side doors and we’re back inside the Academy does she pause, dropping the leaf in the front pocket of my shirt. I ready myself to speak to her, watching her finger press over my lips, silencing me again.

“This isn't a problem you can fix this time, Kai,” she whispers, pulling away from me and moving down the nearest hallway.

I stand in silence, feeling the leaf beneath my touch as I fumble in my pocket. I still feel the place her hand clenched on my front, feeling the wet material brush my torso as one question lingers in my mind louder than all the rest.

What was she so afraid of?

Chapter sixteen

Andrew

Mypentwirlsbetweenmy fingers. As I reread the incident reports from last night’s movie screening at the Academy, I can’t bring myself to start the paperwork required to submit to the Commander.

Forest's sudden shift in demeanor earlier today lingers on my mind, eating away at every waking thought.

It’s as if there’s something I’m not seeing.

I can still see her eyes and how they looked at me when she got home last night. Nothing about her has been the same since this new school year started. I think back to Fallan’s haunting blue eyes piercing straight through me during the assembly. Five minutes alone with her is all he would need to take revenge for the sins I committed. He looks at her with hate that I know is for me.

I never thought I’d see the day he learned to hate her. I was beginning to think it was impossible despite the code.

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