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Chapter fifty-nine

Forest

G ravel crunches and grinds under my feet. I can sense we’re back in the pit, even with the mesh bag over my head. Someone’s heavy footsteps accompany mine, their body shoving me into different directions as we walk. My feet drag across the ground, but with each step, I become more lucid. I don’t know how I got here after being gassed in the holding cell, only that it could have been minutes or hours since I saw the people I care about most in this world. Firm hands grip my arms, a searing pain radiating from my side with each movement of my body. The metal collar rubs against the skin of my neck. I can feel the raw, exposed flesh against its cool surface. As I walk, I realize the pain in my side isn’t from an injury but from a weapon being pressed there by one of my escorts.

As the pressure on my side increases, so does my pain. The blade is pressed firmer into my skin. I let out a small yelp, biting my lip to avoid revealing just how much agony I’m in.

“Quiet!” Adam’s voice commands, my resentment towards him reaching a new level.

“You put a goddamn knife in me,” I hiss, unable to move given its position.

“The dog collar wasn't good enough for you-”

“Xavier said-”

“Xavier isn’t here,” Adam hisses, his hand reaching the back of my neck, gripping the skin in a firm grasp. “I figured he wouldn't mind taking a sterner approach to managing you,” he pauses, satisfaction in his tone. “Pull it out, and you will be fighting to stop a nasty bleed.”

“Maybe I should rip it out and cut your throat for what you did to my father,” I seethe, his grasp tightening.

His lips move to my ear, my body tense at his unexpected closeness.

“Might as well cut yours too. The way I see it, his death is on your hands as much as it is ours.”

Adam’s hands shove me, the mesh bag falling from my head as I stumble forward. The lights in the arena are excruciatingly bright. Countless gold masks look down at the pit, even more than the night I’d originally fought for my life down here. To my horror and delight, the others are already waiting in the pit. They look disoriented, trying to take in the space around them. Fallan’s eyes meet mine from across the space. His hand grips a wound at his side, the blood flowing freely. I take an uneasy step and see my brother’s frantic gaze scanning the space. Hunter and Valerie are shaking.

“Don't!” Fallan yells toward me, my eyes finally adjusting on the Shifter circling the outskirts of the pit, its head turned in my direction.

Slowly, the pit lights dim, my hand clutching the knife in my side. Xavier’s eyes are the first I see when I scan the crowd. Tonight, he’s wearing a mask just like the others, and for a brief moment, I wonder why. Leisurely, he sits in his chair, a scandalously dressed woman perches beside him. While she draws the attention of other masked men around her, Xavier’s knees are nearly touching the glass as he leans forward to get a better look at the pit. My blood coats my hand. I force back another scream that threatens to leave my throat as the blade remains lodged between my ribs. His eyes stayed locked on me, glancing down at the stab wound. I move my arm from my side, pointing it in Xavier’s direction, shaping my hand into another imitation of a gun with my fingers.

Unamused, he begins shouting from behind the glass, grabbing the shirt collar of the person next to him. His words are lost in the distance between us, and the sound of my heartbeat is in my throat. The Shifter sniffs the air, its body more humanoid in comparison to the others I’ve seen so far. Fallan follows the creature with his eyes. The more I watch him bleed, the more I want to rip off this despotic collar and tear through everyone upstairs beyond the glass.

A cracking sound breaks my concentration, several voices shouting at the commotion unfolding above us.

Xavier holds Adam against the glass. Adam tries to pry Xavier’s fingers away, but he’s stuck against the glass barrier. I can’t hear him scream, but the fear painted across his features is enough to know he’s powerless. Pointing down toward me, Xavier yells louder, his free hand motioning toward one of his men. One of the servants grabs a pistol, pressing it firmly into Xavier’s demanding grasp.

Looking back at my friends, I see the creature observing what’s happening above, craning its neck toward the Lottery guests. Seizing the opportunity to group with the others, I quietly move forward, watching them follow in silent unison, doing their best not to get anyone's attention.

“Say it!” Xavier yells, his voice echoing through my mind, his anger forcing down any barriers once safeguarding his mind.

“I want to hear you say it to me, you spineless coward!” Xavier yells again, my hand touching my temple, realizing it’s not just my mind.

His voice fills the arena like waves pounding relentlessly against the shore.

The glass, once trapping all the noise from the mindless chatter above, now lies broken beneath Adam’s skull. Adam writhes in pain against the broken glass. The small cracks in its surface are enough to allow the conversations on the other side to reach us.

“I went against your orders,” Adam cowers, his voice nearly to the point of a sob.

“Which one were you not supposed to touch?” Xavier questions, scanning our confused expressions down below.

Shakily, Adam touches the glass, his finger hovering above my position in the pit. Fallan stands only a few feet away, his arm outstretched toward me.

“And what did you do?” Xavier seethes, ignoring the stir of his men as they try to get his attention.

Xavier shrugs them off, his focus only on Adam.

“I touched-”

He has no time to finish that statement.

No time to react.

Never has the sound of a gunshot silenced a room of Untouchables so quickly.

The sound penetrates the air, his blood smearing the glass, nearly reaching Josh as he stands there in shock. Xavier’s face is covered in blood and pieces of flesh. His hand releases Adam’s lifeless body as it slumps to the ground beneath him. I feel Fallan's hand touch my arm. Our group clings tightly to one another, backing away as a unit. My only weapon is the knife still stuck in my side.

“Enough of this. I want her back up here,” Xavier begins, his eyes growing wide as his hands clench his throat.

Slamming his fist against the glass, his knees buckle, his mouth unable to open.

I look at Fallan. He shakes his head in frustration.

“T- This isn't me,” he whispers, his hand still clenching his wound, his collar still active.

“What the hell-” I begin, unable to get the statement out as I realize how close the Shifter had gotten to us.

Forcing us back with his arm, Fallan narrowly avoids a swipe to his chest. All of us are a tangled mess of sprawling limbs. Letting my back hit the wall closest to us, I glance up again, keeping the creature in my line of sight. The knife shifts in my side, each movement just as painful as the last.

Xavier's hands are pressed to the glass, his eyes wide with an expression I can't quite figure out.

“Fresh blood,” the creature hisses through my mind. Its words are cold like ice.

Fallan yells out as he continues to try to tear off his collar. My eyes are still fixed on Xavier.

“Help me,” I whisper faintly, the words leaving my mouth before I can process them. “Please,” I finish, the plea in my voice, something I never thought would be directed at him again.

Even from here, I know he understands what I’ve asked of him.

Still, he remains motionless, holding his throat. My whole body goes taut as I watch him struggle to release the yell stuck in his throat.

Why does he stay kneeling? Why does he look so pained?

“Forest!” Fallan yells, shoving me out of the way of a sharp claw that was aimed directly at my exposed back.

Finally forcing my attention back to the pit, I see Fallan ready himself to fend off the creature. His stance is tottering; he won’t be able to ignore the effects of his wound much longer.

“We need a weapon!” I yell, looking for anything that might be useful down here.

The creature moves closer, the scent of our blood like a beacon.

“There's nothing down here!” Kai yells, watching Hunter force Valerie against the dirty pit wall.

The creature's head cranes as it listens to our voices, smiling as if it is debating which one of us it will drain first. Fallan’s body leans back into me, his footing less coordinated with each passing second.

“I can distract it long enough for one of you to run,” he begins, ready to sacrifice himself for the rest of us.

The creature moves, deciding on Fallan.

Fuck.

Without thinking, I move forward, pulling the knife free from my side, crying out from the pain. The small trickle of blood contained by the blade is now spurting freely. I force Fallan back, keeping a close eye on the others around me. I lunge before the creature realizes what I'm doing, and the knife collides with its hand, slicing the skin. It roars, clutching the torn flesh. A shred of confidence eases the tightness in my chest, the distress in its recoiled body a reminder that this creature isn’t invincible, and maybe we could get out of this alive.

“You vile-”

I swipe out again, at the same time focusing energy on breaking away the collar that confines me. The knife meets its side this time, its whole body shrinking back from me. Taking several steps back, it watches me. The onlookers behind the glass are frozen as they wait with bated breath to see who the victor of this deathmatch will be.

Xavier stands solemnly, his shoulders back as he watches the creature move. He looks ill. As ill as Fallan.

“Had enough?” I question the creature, the energy inside of me resurging to life.

“Your blood will paint the earth,” it barks back, its teeth bared.

I feel it now. Not just my energy but Fallan’s faltering vigor alongside Xavier’s commanding force. Standing where I am now, the creature's energy also floods my veins. Its rampant thoughts of consuming my friends and myself are deafening.

What is this? How is this happening?

Feeling Xavier’s energy pulsing through the air, I’m struck by a realization. I know why he looks so ill.

He’s controlling this creature.

Kai moves toward Fallan to support his body as he continues to fight blacking out.

“Does he enjoy controlling you to make me suffer?” I question, staring down the beast, focusing my mind on its own. A way inside its mind presents itself.

“More than you know,” it hisses, lunging toward me.

Stepping inside the opening of its mind, I seize my opportunity, pushing past the pain from my wound and the collar around my neck. Watching the creature's body go still, I push harder, infiltrating every corner of its mind. I feel the pure, unbridled power course through my veins as I push abilities to their limits. The potential of my Marked gifts is limitless, and suddenly I understand why my kind has been hunted for all these years.

“Bow,” I snap, watching the creature's chin dive to the ground before my feet.

Its face scrapes the ground, its arms outstretched above its head. Pressed firmly against one another, its wrists are bound by an invisible force.

“You are much more than he expected,” i t hisses, my eyes darting to Xavier.

There is a sudden liveliness in his demeanor, his hands clenched as his energy swirls around the creature. If he’s controlling it, he struggles at this moment. Narrowing my eyes at him, I fight against his hold on the creature. Our minds battle for purchase in the Shifter’s head, one fighting to claim victory over the other.

Fallan can hardly stand, and Kai is close to collapse as well. Valerie can scarcely take in a full breath, and Hunter is almost to his breaking point, his hands clenched tightly to his sides, his face stuck in a silent scream as he rocks back and forth on his heels.

This is my last chance. If Xavier wins, we’re prisoners to a life that is guaranteed to expire years before we deserve to see its end.

“What will you do, Little Dove?” he taunts within my mind, my heart racing at his voice's sudden presence in the cavern of my thoughts.

“Bring this whole fucking society to its knees.”

I wait for his power to permeate the space around us, bracing for whatever blow comes next.

But it never comes.

I snap my eyes at him, wanting to finish this, but the look on his face leaves me bemused. He nods in recognition or approval. I'm not sure which.

“Bring it all down.”

My fingers wrap around the abrasive metal of my collar as my gaze falls on the writhing creature before me. An idea enters my mind, one I share directly in its thoughts. Clicking my tongue and easing up on my hold, the Shifter pulls its head away from the ground, looking at me for confirmation of what I’d just commanded it to do. Pointing to my neck, I force its hand forward, letting its claw linger near my throat.

“Break it.”

The Shifter slashes its talon over the metal, and the collar clatters on the ground. My limbs tingle at the sudden return of energy flooding through me. People begin to panic above, their glasses falling free from their grasp. Still, Xavier remains unmoving, watching us with what looks like some twisted expression of pride.

“Forest-” Fallan gasps, my hand reaching out for him, forcing his collar away from his neck with a wave of my wrist. Relief washes over his expression, the fire of his resolve enough to restore some of his energy so he can withstand his brutal injuries for a little longer.

“Are you hungry?” I question coldly to the creature, both my palms clenched.

The glass above begins to break. With each exhale of my lungs, another crack appears in the divider between those who put us down here and the beasts below.

“Terribly,” it hisses, both Fallan and I smiling at the response.

“Then feed,” I order, looking at the petrified onlookers above.

The Shifter takes the command without hesitation, its talons breaching the wall, scaling up and onto the broken pane where Adam took his last breath. Shards of glass fly through the air as it breaks its way through. Focusing on the huddle of Officials trying to make their way to the bottom of the pit, I watch them aim toward the creature, readying to bring it down. Raising my hand, I focus on my desire for them to feel pain. A mix of screams or panicked movements come from above. None of the elites are able to protect themselves from the Shifter. I help Hunter support Fallan’s body around his waist, Kai beside us carrying Valerie. We move to the exit, stepping over the fallen bodies of every Official whose mind I had turned to mush.

The Shifter devours anyone it can, filling the space with screams loud enough to burst eardrums. More of the glass panels surrounding the top of the pit begin to break away bit by bit. Fallan’s pained groans carve into my chest as we stay on course, his wound still heavily bleeding.

The blood from my own wound trails down my leg, its sticky warmth uncomfortable. The adrenaline coursing through my veins masks some of the pain, but I don’t know how long that will last. The pit is in shambles, surrounded by the stench of death.

“We need to make a break for it,” Hunter cries, all of our attention toward the exit.

I look up one last time and see red staining almost every pane of glass. Xavier stands quietly in an open threshold between the pit and the event space, sipping his champagne as chaos unfolds around him. There is no fear in his expression, only an air of satisfaction.

He’s the very reason I’ve lost so much. Even if I leave now, I can't promise myself that I won't come back to kill him. The only part of me that could have cared for him died the moment I watched the light leave my father's eyes.

I force the thought toward him, his eyebrows scrunching in betrayal at my admission.

The Shifter lowers its head at Xavier's presence. My stomach is unsettled at how easily the creature submits to his will, my own Hold over the creature broken.

This whole time, Xavier has had the upper hand. He could’ve overpowered me easily. Why allow me to have control of his pet for so long?

Kai tugs on my tattered shirt, Fallan’s eyes now struggling to stay open.

The sound of the heavy-footed Officials flooding the space above us is distant. My heart races at the thought of what’s to come. Those who weren’t ravaged by the creature clutch their heads, the chips behind their ears flashing with the faint glow of a green light.

“ Run,” Xavier whispers softly through my headspace. So softly that I might have thought my blood loss was making me hallucinate.

But this isn't just his voice. I feel his energy forcing me forward, moving my legs with renewed strength.

“Trust no one.” His hand clutches his throat.

Our hastened steps turn into a dead sprint, each one of us carrying the other, our strides frantic and uncoordinated. My head, once able to move freely, stays forward. I can’t even turn back to assess the carnage we’re leaving behind. Every fiber of my being is forced forward by Xavier’s daunting power.

We continue barreling down the corridor where the creatures had made their way to the pit. I see the light at the end of the tunnel, my lungs gasping for air.

Around us, the air becomes staticky, the charge wrapping around us like a protective shield. The feeling is familiar, one I've felt in Xavier’s presence as he uses his gifts to move around through empty space. With no warning, Fallan’s eyes suddenly fly open, and his energy surges into the space around us. He wraps his arm around my waist, beckoning Hunter and Kai into the space of his other outstretched arm. Kai hugs Valerie close to his body, and they tuck in around us. Our bodies dissolve like mist and get sucked into the very fabric of existence.

One moment, we are clouded in darkness; the next, we face the ward shielding the Unfortunate sector from the ash lands beyond.

We’ve materialized directly in front of the tear in the ward.

He’s brought us here for a reason.

It's our exit to the outside world.

Our one way out.