Page 167 of The Order

I feel his hand run along my back, committing to memory all the bruises and lacerations left there by his men. My body shakes, unable to hide how afraid I am.

"How many people, Unfortunate or otherwise, must I kill before you finally come to your senses?"

Unfortunates and Untouchables alike. They were nothing more than pawns in his sick game.

“No-”

“How do you think I always knew where you were?” he questions, shaking his head in disbelief. “You think anyone else would have gotten away with the crimes you committed over the last few months? For fucks sake, Forest, do you have any idea of the rules I bent for you?” he hisses, his voice growing louder.

I feel my emotions surge. My inability to feel Fallan grows infuriating. Xavier grabs me, pulling me by the front of my shirt.

“You’re with me right now. I don’t want to hear another fucking thought about him,” Xavier hisses, his lips inches away from my ear. “You have no idea how easy it was to sway those Shifters to go after that blue-eyed piece of shit. I've waited so long for a moment like this.”

His hand reaches up my shirt, my disgust reaching a new level. Once warm and comforting, his fingers are now like cold, jagged blades. He brushes his hand over my mark and yanks me closer, forcing me up and onto his lap. My arms are pulled back behind me, straining to move. His hands hold my thighs down against him. I wince in pain.

“Where are my friends?” I question, his hands squeezing tighter.

It's terrifyingly silent in my mind.

“There's no use in trying to communicate with him,” Xavier says, his fingers brushing over my thighs. “I’m years older than I may look and have had much time to channel my abilities. The noise you two heard at the Academy was just one of the many skills I could use to get what I wanted. You’re in my labyrinth now, and I can promise not everyone makes it out alive.”

“Why? Why do all of this?” I question, trying my best to reach out to anyone through my infiltrated mind.

“Our kind has never been accepted, especially in this region of the world,” Xavier says, pulling down his shirt, showcasing the extent of his mark. “Beyond the ash, there are others like us, cruel and vile in their ways, persecuting our kind, just as they have here,” he continues, his eyes glued to me. “Every Marked has an ability. Some are stronger than the rest. In rare circumstances, some are gifted with more than one ability. Have the wrong people catch wind of that, and you’re a target for life.” He shifts beneath my weight as I struggle to sit steady, my legs a shaky mess.

“Is that not what you’ve done to me? Hunted me?”

He chuckles, letting out a long sigh before answering. “I kept you safe. Something you will someday realize. I meant it when I said I'd never hurt you. The only reason you are bound is because I am not foolish enough to underestimate the power you have. Even now, forcing back your abilities drains me tremendously,” he says, running his hands along his throat.

“Where are they? Where are my friends?” I push again, his frown growing at the question.

“Are you incapable of dropping that despicable creature you slept with? Maybe killing him would-”

Forcing my hand forward, I hear the chain rattle, the rusted metal snapping free. My hand goes flying toward his throat. He quickly grabs my wrist to stop me, a look of surprise hidden in the furrow of his brow.

“I will tear your throat out and spill your blood on this fucking concrete,” I hiss, his frown growing into a twisted smile.

“There she is!” he starts, almost relieved. “That part of yourself you so desperately try to cage,” he continues, the other’s presence creeping into the open space of my mind. “Let me see that part of you,” he coos like he’s calling to something lost. “Let me embrace just how powerful you truly are.” He gravitates his lips closer to mine.

Backing away, I spit in his face. I watch him flinch, his displeasure evident in the way he looks at me.

“Where are they!?” I reiterate, his grasp on my wrist growing.

“I considered sparing your brother and the girl from the Lottery,” he says, tilting me off his lap. Stumbling forward, I find my footing to hold my ground. He stands up, kicking away his chair. “But after that little stunt," he continues, pointing to me with a shaking hand. “Consider them as good as dead.”

“Why me? Why target me? You don’t even know me!” I yell, my shoulders nearly pulling free from their sockets.

“I don’t know you?” he yells, taking several steps toward me. “You say that as if you know-”

He stops speaking. Leaning forward, he grabs his neck. Taking a step back, I move away from him, his face flustered. His hand hits the wall with an undeniable force. The concrete crumbles beneath his touch, the wall falling away, hitting the ground in pieces. Slowly pulling himself into a standing position, he closes his eyes, running his hand through his hair.

“You know nothing of what is real and what it is that you’ve chosen to see as truth,” he whispers, dropping his hands to his sides.

“Bad day?”Its voice questions silently, a small sigh of relief leaving me. Its presence is faint, safeguarded in one of the few safe spots in my infiltrated mind.

“I've never wanted to hear your voice more in my life,”I whisper back through the connection, watching Xavier readjust his uniform with a scowl.

“I can keep you out of the Lottery under one condition,” he says, crossing his arms in thought. “You accompany me as a guest in front of the High Council and sit at my side to watch the games. You would not battle. Your life is guaranteed to be safeguarded under my personal protection. I can even try to get Kaiden a seat with us above the pit,” he says, making the deal sound like a generous offer.

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