Page 54 of The Order

“Markswood, Danvers! On the mats, now!” our teacher calls out, forcing Fallan and Valerie out of their insufferable moment together.

Valerie sulks to their designated mat, giving the teacher a hidden nasty look before pulling her attention back to Fallan. He focuses on her every movement as she circles around the mat with him. People begin to move closer to observe the pair. Rumor is that Fallan has bested everyone, Untouchable and Unfortunate alike. But as an Unfortunate, he should be giving us the upper hand. My body moves with the crowd, looming closer to the front than I’d like. Fallan glances at the crowd that’s now formed around him, letting his eyes land on me for a moment longer before returning to scan Valerie’s movements.

“First one down for five seconds yields,” the teacher says, pushing up the glasses on his nose as he looks over the pair.

“Better yet, the first one to get the other one unconscious wins,” Josh laughs, causing many others around us to join in on taunting the pair.

Even the teacher laughs. The heads of many Unfortunates lower following the comment.

Fallan looks irritated, unable to say anything back to him.

“Would you say that while pinned under my knee?” I snap, watching Josh's wide grin drop once he realizes who addressed him. Once more, Fallan lowers his gaze as he hides a look I can’t explain, forcing it away with a shake of his head. Josh lowers his eyes at me, giving me a grin that is nothing but trouble.

“Shouldn’t have opened your mouth,” Josh hisses, filling my body with pure adrenaline.

“Sounds like you're scared,” I mutter, hearing his friends egg him on with playful side comments and slaps to the back that only get him more worked up.

The sound of grunts pulls my gaze back to the mat. Unlike all the other Unfortunates, these two fight with precision, making sure to hit one another in the places that will keep them down the longest. Where most spar gently, Fallan aims with lethal intent. His hand grabs her wrist, stopping her from delivering a blow to his side. There’s nothing gentle about him as he forces her down onto the mat by her neck. She lets out a sharp burst of air, growing angrier the longer Fallan has her on the ground. I watch her slender leg drive into his side, getting a slight wince from him before he moves his hands away from her neck and to both of her wrists, forcing them above her head. His free hand pins down her waist, letting his knee hold down her legs as she tries to writhe away from the position. I watch his grasp tighten on her wrists, holding her down effortlessly.

Something primal inside me stirs at the image of him in control, and I want nothing more than to shove it into the deepest parts of my mind. Valerie does her best to escape him, but his hold on her is unyielding. Untouchables begin hitting the mat, counting the five seconds for Fallan. He only lets up after five seconds, immediately pulling away with a wide grin as he helps her back to her feet. She gives him a playful shove, eating up his attention as he wraps his arm around her shoulder, pulling her closer to him. Once more, I feel something stir within me at the sight, only making my want to spar with Josh grow.

“Per usual, Markswood wins,” our teacher says with a small clap, acknowledging Fallan with the tiniest bit of praise.

Fallan looks back at the group that’s formed near him, stepping off the mat as Valerie leans into his front even more. We meet each other's gaze.

It is becoming increasingly more challenging to see him with her rubbed up against him. Even when pinned beneath him in submission, she looked like she was having the time of her life. His touch is nothing new to her. Every look she gives me entices the emotions jarring around inside me. I’m starting to feel things I don’t understand.

He hates me. And she gets a version of him that I never will.

“We’re up,” Josh whispers nastily, shoving me towards the mat. I break my concentration away from Fallan as Josh shoves me aggressively once he realizes how many people are watching us. Our teacher doesn't try to protest; I'd even go so far as to say he’s amused by us pairing up.

I stumble onto the mat, now unsure of my ability to take down Josh at this proximity. Although smaller than Fallan, he’s still much taller than me, having a lot of physical advantages.

“Not so cocky when I’m standing in front of you, are you Blackburn? Are you as cowardly as your daddy?” Josh taunts, making my blood boil. I slowly turn my head back toward the crowd, watching the shake of Fallan’s head as if he were warning me not to push Josh any farther.

I take a second to scan the area where my mark lies on my body, making sure my black pants are high enough to cover all of it. I tug at the annoying gray shirt, feeling the dark gray compression top beneath it. Without thinking, I pull away the gray overshirt, revealing the much tighter compression top that hugs my spindly frame. Josh sneers as I toss the shirt off the mat, giving his friends a look that tells me he thinks he’s already won this. People whisper in groups, their eyes on us like wolves stalking prey.

“If I wanted you to strip, I wouldn't have asked you to do it here,” Josh says, getting a few disgusting laughs from his friends. Of course they’d find that funny. They’re known for getting too handsy with women.

I pause, looking over his relaxed position. I can feel the arrogance rolling off of him. I step toward him, gently caressing chest as I look up at him under hooded eyes. He looks down at me with a cocked head, waiting for me to beg for his forgiveness in front of all of these people.

“You never asked me why I took my clothes off for you,” I say silently, watching his pupils dilate at the statement.

"Why did the untamable Forest Blackburn do that for me?”

“Only one of my shirts needs your blood on it,” I hiss, watching his expression change to shock as I raise my fist, driving it as hard as I can into his jaw.

His eyes roll to the back of his skull. He staggers back, trying to ready himself to swing at me once his vision becomes clear. People around us gasp with surprise. Still, I charge forward, driving my knee as hard as possible into Josh’s stomach while forcing him down by my grip on the front collar of his shirt. His hands claw at my sides, dragging me down with him and onto the floor. I hear his flood of curses as we begin to tangle. My necklace, sure to break the dress code, untucks free from my shirt, dangling in front of us like a toy for a cat. His nail marks burn my sides as he attempts to get up. Once more, I grab his collar, forcing him back down onto the hard mat. His warm blood now runs freely from his nose and coats my knuckles.

“You fucking bitch!” he begins, grabbing the front of my collar, already tearing down a part of the front of my shirt.

I bite my cheek out of frustration, feeling the burn of my mark as a new feeling takes over me.

Strength.

Officials swarm closer, unsure how far they will let this exchange continue. I think of the helpless girl from last night and the life that was stolen from her so suddenly. I think of how alone I am in all this and how the one person who can help me can hardly look at me. I am alone, fighting a battle that has no resolution.

I drive my fist into his face again, feeling his hands release my side and front. My fist raises again, ready to deliver the final blow that I know will shut those malice-filled eyes. My hand pauses in the air next to my face. Even now, out of the corner of my eye, I can see the Officials readying themselves to pull out their light sensor prods and detain me.

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