Page 83 of The Order

“How long have Unfortunates been around?”

Chapter twenty-six

Forest

Aclickingnoisedrawsmyattention upwards to find a security camera coming to life. I see it dial in on me, watching how its lens grows wider once it takes notice of my stare. I panic as it begins to move toward where my brother and Hunter stand talking. It can’t see Kai talking to an Unfortunate here. It's treason.

I run to the wall we came from, prying away a loose brick, tossing it once in my hand to observe the size. The boys look over at me, letting their smiles drop, watching me look up before aiming at the camera.

“Forest-” Kai begins.

His voice is cut off by my arm tossing the brick. Watching it collide with the camera, it shatters on impact. The brick and pieces of metal all fall down the side of the building, freefalling until they hit the ground inches away from where I stand. I deliver the camera one last stomp of my boot, kicking it into the dirt, feeling satisfied with how well I managed to aim.

“Can I blame you for breaking the one at home, too?” Kai questions, looking dumbfounded.

Hunter's hands are clasped together. He is unsure how to react to my sudden need to destroy New Haven property. My brother is rigid and uncomfortable from my display of defiance. I crouch down to poke the device, ignoring my brother's question.

“It was watching us,” I whisper.

“That camera looked like it hadn’t been used in years,” Kai says, crossing his arms. His face is filled with a look of disapproval. “And even then, what harm could it have done? No one did anything,” he says, clearly having a moment of forgetfulness of what rules are in place.

I look over at Hunter, watching the gears turn in my brother's head once he realizes what has me so worried.

“Easy to forget it's a crime for them to talk to us, right?” I question.

Kai has nothing to say, looking from Hunter to the camera. Hunter is nearly done loading the cart. He only needs to move a few more crates before he’s done. He sits on the edge of his cart, looking down the alleyway every few seconds with sideways glances.

“Are you waiting for Fallan?” I question.

“No, like I said, he’s incredibly hungover. Last night, he looked thrilled, rambling on about some euphoric experience before throwing up all over my bathroom floor and pelting our buddy in the face. I dragged Valerie’s cousin along with me to help here, but he’s been occupied with a shopkeeper's daughter,” Hunter says, tapping the face of his broken watch.

“Fallan 'pelted' someone?”

“Yeah, our friend, Valerie's cousin, Aaron. He was bragging about… something he had done last night, and Fallan laid in on him-”

“Who laid in on me?”

The voice is familiar and grates on my nerves. It’s the one from last night, belonging to the person responsible for holding me down so hard I couldn’t breathe. I watch him step into the light from the alleyway. I can see just how red his hair is in this lighting. Like flames in a fire, his head is consumed with red locks. His skin is scattered with freckles. He stands around the same height as Hunter, a few inches shorter than Kai. Cuts of varying sizes work up his chest, stopping on the tops of his hands from where my nails had got him. He carries a few armfuls of items, dropping them when his brown eyes meet my green ones. I lower my head at him, touching my neck, reflecting on the feeling of him trying to steal my life.

“Hunter…. Who are these two?” Aaron questions, acting as if his handiwork does not paint my neck.

“I must look different during the daytime,” I hiss, answering before Hunter can get a word in.

Aaron’s eye is bruised, and the skin is swollen, no doubt the result of being on the receiving end of a brutal hit from Fallan.

“What is she talking about?” Kai questions, pointing to Aaron with a look of confusion.

“Go ahead and tell them,” I start, taking another step forward. “Tell them what you did, Aaron,” I taunt, watching him tug at his collar.

“Is she why Fallan laid into you last night?” Hunter questions, giving his friend a shove. Gradually, his mind begins putting the pieces together. “Was she the Untouchable you boasted about 'scaring straight,’” Hunter says, angrily throwing up air quotes.

“Well, I-”

I grab the man's collar, forcing him down and onto the ground, giving him no time to think of a half-assed explanation for harming me. His back hits the Earth, jolting the contents he has indeed stolen in his pockets. With a knee pressed to his chest, I keep him down, seeing his eyes fill with fear for the first time. I draw my hand back, ready to deliver him another black eye. My eyes keep darting to his scars, thinking of Fallan’s screams while they beat him.

“Fucking hell,” I whisper, lifting the man up, only to slam him back down before angrily pulling myself off of him.

His clothes are covered with dirt, having no injury other than the one Fallan gave him. I hold my hand up to Kai, opening and closing my fists like Fallan does to calm himself. Hunter takes notice of this, staying quiet on the matter.

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