Page 1 of The Order: Rise of the New Empire (Order #4)

Forest- New Hope- Months Prior

" H er name was Dove."

Bile settles into the airways of my throat, every thought entering my mind one of a vile nature. Taking several seconds to compose myself, I blankly stare at Elyon. His face is stuck in a cold mask.

"What did you say?" I question, as if hearing him repeat the name a second time will make it any more tolerable to hear.

"Dove Morgan," he sighs, looking over the picture once more. The image settled behind the glass of the frame is now much more challenging to stomach.

Where there were initially two women, both beautiful and enthralling, there is now a primary focal point. His daughter. With her straight black hair and cold, dead eyes.

I've seen those eyes before.

Giving me an up-and-down look, Elyon runs his hands through his hair, his body warily rising from behind his desk.

"You look unsettled, Forest. I do hope I haven't said anything to displease you."

Forcing myself up and out of the chair, the air feels much colder, the space around me closing in as if every breath I take pulls me further away from a cognitive state. Taking a step toward me, Elyon holds his hands up with confusion, my eyes on the man, my body a shaking mess.

"Stay right fucking there," I hiss. A pounding headache creeps into my mind. The fleeting images of the very woman in the picture are now in my memories.

It's distant.

A memory locked away, not meant to be seen by my eyes.

"I wondered if mentioning her name would warrant this reaction," Elyon sighs. My palms sweat as pain crawls along the back of my head.

"What the hell is happening?" I question. His eyebrows raise as he leans into his desk.

Only minutes ago, I was surrounded by the comfort of all that I love, needing nothing but Fallan's arms wrapped around my body and Xavier's blood painting the floor.

Now, I can barely stomach the idea of Fallan's hands being anywhere near me.

"Despite how hard your mother worked on your chip, that medication, and the amount of energy I exerted on my Call in your mind, it would seem few words still seem to be your fail-safe for flooding distant memories into your mind," he sighs, looking me over as if every reaction I am having is one he could have guessed would happen.

"Your Call isn't in my fucking mind!" I snap, a pounding headache developing behind my eyes.

"Is it not?" he questions, his mind as open as ever.

"Do you honestly believe that?" he questions silently, his voice caressing every quiet space in my thoughts.

"How did you-"

"Come on, Forest, I know you're a smarter girl than that. I wouldn't have kept you alive if I thought you could not exceed my expectations. In some ways, I suppose you owe me some gratitude. I wasn't the happiest to receive the little gift you gave me on these compound steps oh so long ago," he smiles, more broken memories forcing their way into my mind.

I see fleeting images, each one more confusing than the last. There is the girl, Dove, her thoughts wicked and deceptive, the blood she spilled the blood of my own.

The blood of the Revolutionists.

The blood of the Marked.

Gripping my chair, I fall to my knees, my head pounding, begging for some form of relief. Sensing him creep closer, the warmth he radiated moments ago fades away, the presence of something new tucked away in the depths of his desk.

No, not new.

My blood.

Crouching down on my level, his hand grazes my face, his fingers as cold as ice.

“She was my sweet Dove. Innocent and pure like the bird, unscathed by our brutal society," he continues, Fallan's exact explanation for my nickname now spilling free from Elyon's mouth.

Little Dove.

Dovey.

Dove.

All names so very distant from Forest.

But that's the point.

"I'm not Dove," I whisper, my nerves unbearable.

"To me?" Elyon questions, staying eye level with my figure as he holds my chin up. "Not in the slightest. Initially, after you killed her, I had assumed ripping your body limb from limb would have been euphoric. That is until I took a deeper dive into your little blood samples Jonah was able to obtain for me," he smiles, the name of the doctor who had treated me my first few weeks here clinging to me.

"W- What the hell are you talking about?" I question, slapping his hand away from my face and getting a firm grip on his front. My body leans into his seemingly less frail figure.

Wait... he's using-

"Deception?" Elyon questions, his mouth curling into a nasty smile. "Took you long enough to figure that one out."

Feeling his hand slam into my chest, the headache, coupled with the strength of his Hold, forces me across the floor. My body skids across the weathered wood, splinters dragging across my skin. Unable to take a full breath, my lungs gasp for air frantically, my mind buzzing with what feels like one of the largest adrenaline highs of my life. Stuck in place, my back stays plastered to the floor, my eyes shifting to the man's figure walking towards me with careful steps.

As if each step melts away another layer of facade, the feeble old man who held me close fades away, replaced by the silver-haired image of a man comparable to my father's age. Like ice melting from the heat of a flame, his image is entirely new, youth and power flooding his features, new uncertainty shaking my core.

"Fallan-"

"I wouldn't do that if I were you, Forest Flower," he mocks, the nickname sending chills down my spine.

His voice.

Pain circulates my already throbbing head.

His voice is not the one who should be saying that name.

"You'd be right," he snaps, slamming his foot down on my wrist, his hand clamping over my mouth before I have the time to process screaming. "Xavier was much better at picking out nicknames for you. I mean, calling you my dead daughter's name?" Elyon questions, the images in my mind becoming clearer with each passing second, taking inklings of my life force with it. "How fucking pathetic could Fallan be?"

Solidifying the images within my mind, the name Dove becomes clear.

Dove.

Fallan's Dove.

Fallan's lover.

Feeling my heart break in every possible way, a violent sob exits my throat. The gag trapped in my throat finally comes to fruition. Snapping his hand back, I release the sputter, watching the blood drip from my mouth. The pain from the hazy memories is killing me from the inside out.

"God, that's got to be hurting lover boy in the cells," Elyon smiles. "And to think, I already have my men giving him a wonderful birthday treat, with some new scars to go with it."

Thinking of Xavier, his hard eyes suddenly become that much lighter. His off-putting demeanor is now a source of calm in my mind. Running my mental hand through the connection Fallan and I share, the validity it carries falters, something foreign in the way it has been formed. Gravitating toward the pull I share with Xavier, it's as if I am seeing our connection for the first time. Every staggered breath entering my lungs fuels the fire burning between us.

"Fallan, he-"

"Fucked you with the intent to kill you?" Elyon questions. "You must be one hell of a woman for him to look past the decapitation of his lover to share a bed with you."

Once more feeling the twang of pain that comes with each revelation, I cough up again. Elyon's knee stays positioned on my chest, the weight of his large figure making it that much harder to breathe.

"I suppose it's unfair for me to have you in this position and feel as if I have an upper hand. All those false memories bleeding together with reality, your bind to me urging your mind to reject the truths, forcing your body into submission. I'm sure this is all a lot for you. Given Fallan's relation to my hot-headed daughter and the realization that your fiancé is suffering in this very compound-"

Fiancé?

Feeling my own spine arch so hard, it fractures. Elyon stifles yet another scream with his hand. My eyes haze with tears. My body's violent reactions to new information are unbearable.

"I wonder what Xavier thinks right now," Elyon whispers, his lips inches away from my ear. "Do you think he is crouched in that cell now, wondering why every thought he is having is causing him pain? How long do you think he can handle being in the very position you are in now-"

Forcing my gnarled hand forward, my Hold shoves the man back. My teeth sink into his wrist before he can stumble to the floor. Clamping down as hard as I can, his blood fills my mouth, every part of me going into hyperdrive at the feeling of one of the richest bloods grazing across my tongue. Taking several large gulps, the pain in my back subsides. The wounds quickly heal. My mouth hungrily devours until he has delivered me a harsh slap across the face.

Winnowing before he can get a grasp on me again, every thought I embrace is a mix of truth and a facade. Inklings of reality bleed into my very existence.

Looking at the man now, I see that it's not just Elyon.

I know you.

And you know me.

This whole time.

This whole fucking time you've been here.

Grasping my head, I stare the man down.

"Why the hell is my blood in your desk?"

Observing the nasty bite marks left on his wrist, the wound quickly heals. His head shakes with annoyance.

"There goes Xavier's pain. I was hoping you'd hold off on that long enough for me to utilize your two's little connection a little longer-"

"Who the fuck are you?!" I snap, my consciousness phasing in and out as if I no longer hold the reigns to the face in which I am presenting.

"The Prophet," my internal voice screams as loud as it possibly can.

"The Prophet!" I scream out, the voice no longer confined to the comforts of my mind.

"There you are, Evermoore!" he yells, each blink phasing me in and out of reality. "Show yourself, please. It has been a pleasure to watch my bind eat you alive."

Shoving back what I can of my other half, I dig my nails into the side of my head, forcing my side of consciousness.

"You're the fucking Prophet," I cry, my throat filled with sobs. "And Fallan-"

"Is using you. Or so he says he is. As much hate as he expresses to me, I know, deep down, some part of his hate has bred a bit of admiration for you."

"Xavier. Oh, my god, Xavier-" I sob, his face becoming much clearer in my mind.

The bonfire.

The cabin.

My sweet Xavier.

"And you left him. You left him to suffer because you were too weak to find a way to stop me. You were too weak to put your duty over your love. Do you know?" he questions, taking a step closer. "Do you know how often he weeps for you? His pillowcases damp from the pain he carries in light of your absence. Every day, holding that damn watch, looking at your picture, praying you find a way back to him, while being touched by the man who ensured you'd never see Xavier as anything but a monster," Elyon snaps.

Shaking my head, my legs give out. My heart beats uncomfortably slow.

"Xavier. Xavier. Xavier," I repeat over and over, the name now holding an entirely new meaning.

"Should we listen to his screams together?"

"Wait-"

Winnowing toward me, Elyon's hands grasp my head. The sounds of Xavier's cries circulate in my mind.

Aiding in my heart being ripped from my chest, Xavier's screams are painful. His voice breaks as his lungs burn with pain.

"Another candle," Elyon whispers. "Another burn."

"Forest!" he screams, blatantly unaware that anyone can hear him.

"He calls to you. He calls to you even when he knows you're not there. Every moment feels like his last when he feels the consequences of his bind, and the only thing he can think of is you ."

"Xavier-"

"There's no use in calling out to him. The only presence within your mind now is mine and your dear Raven."

"Forest, please!" he screams again, his voice breaking with each syllable of my name.

Feeling a wave of pain wash over me, every heartbreaking memory seeping through the cracks in the barriers forced into my mind sends me closer to the edge. My throat barely retains air.

Grabbing Elyon's front, I gasp, the sound of Xavier's frantic heart rate enough to make even the sanest scholar question how close they are to madness.

"Can you hear his cries?" Elyon pushes, tears flowing free from my own eyes.

Listening to the sounds flooding my mind, the sheer panic rolling through the man's tone is horrific. His body curled onto the floor. The guard's feet drive into his side as his hands cover his head.

"He thinks he is a vile monster," Elyon pushes. "His last bit of humanity nestled in the confines of memories you can barely stomach long enough to take a full breath."

Inhaling sharply, I try to push past Elyon's presence over me, tugging him just a bit closer.

"I should have made you watch me rip that bitch's head clean from her neck," I hiss, the vivid image of Dove's lifeless body touching my mind. Fallan's petrified gaze watched the exchange with fear.

He knew.

He knew what she would do to Xavier.

I had to kill her.

"I've always wondered at what point that brilliant mind of yours would put the pieces together," he mutters, tapping my head. My once rapid heart rate quickly dwindles.

I need more of Elyon's blood.

I have to push past the grasp of these new memories-

"She was your daughter!" I hiss, keeping the man close.

His focus is dead set on me.

“Yes, and you were quite prideful when you delivered her severed head to the front steps of this very compound.”

Swallowing nothing, he shoves me away. Taking a stand, he watches me with a look of taunt.

Feeling a weight lift off of me in light of his absence, I cling to the nearest wall, clawing my way into a standing position.

Barely able to stay in the light, the parts of myself I have fought so hard to keep buried come out to play. The urge to take down this whole compound creeps into my thoughts.

"Humor me, Forest. Would you care to see what an alliance with me would look like?" Elyon questions. My head shakes violently.

"Alliance with you?" I question, Xavier's screams filling my mind once more. "You can fuck right off and go to hell," I scream, my voice no longer my own.

"Even when I can guarantee him and your friend's safety?" Elyon questions, the noise in my mind settling down.

My ability to fight the pull toward death is dwindling.

“Between you and I, something big is coming. Loverboy out there has a grand plan, one that will end in his supposed death.”

“Why would Fallan-”

“Because he loves Dove and will do anything he can to avenge her. Have you really not pieced together yet whose love between the two of those men has always run true?”

Knowing deep within my soul whose heart I hold closest, every vile word I have thrown at Xavier comes crashing down. The way I have chosen to look at him pierces me worse than the tip of the finest blade.

"Can you sense it?" Elyon asks, raising his brows in amusement. "Can you sense the truth buried in my words? Can you sense the way you never truly stepped into Fallan's mind? The deceit in your weak, fabricated bond with him? No wonder Xavier let you leave that little Lottery," Elyon smiles. "The lashing he received that day was devastating."

“In some ways, I think I am telling you this because I feel as if it is my fatherly duty-”

"You're not my father.”

“Am I not? You derived from my blood and seed. You have been my sole reason for creating the life I have for myself. Initially, I thought killing you was the best plan of action, but impress me enough, and perhaps an alliance is the bonding we've truly needed.”

"You're the devil-"

“And you're my legacy, Forest.”

Using his Hold to urge me forward, I stumble into the man's arms. His breath is hot with the presence of alcohol. Holding me to his chest, he keeps me still, his hands forcing what air I have left out of my lungs with a simple push to my chest.

"There's no use in me allowing you to stand here, slowly slipping away as your true memories eat away at your life force. If you were smart, you'd know showing me your allegiance will be the only thing that sets you-" he pauses, his hand squeezing my ring finger. "And the people you love most free."

“I will kill you-”

"No…. You won't. For now, you will forget our entire conversation. You will remember no part of this interaction. Your mind is mine, and mine alone. You will only remember what I want you to remember, how I want you to remember it. You will love Fallan and loathe Xavier. When and only when Josh's little trigger-happy hand kills you, will you remember this conversation and the allegiance I have offered you to show me. You won't know it then, but when the time comes, you will want nothing more than to make Fallan suffer and show me what kind of monster you really are.”

"Wait-"

Touching my temples once more, his wrist comes over my mouth, a clean cut already allowing a flood of blood to pass my lips. Keeping his grasp on my head as he feeds me, the parts of myself shoved down into the confines of my mind slip away. My eyes push past a haze as the pain, once enveloping me, suddenly becomes nothing at all.

Wondering how and why I ever allowed my mind to pull away from Fallan and the admiration I carry for the man, the thought of Xavier becomes vile once again. More and more, the conversation Elyon and I might have had slips away, bringing me back to the warm embrace we shared seconds ago.

Blinking slowly, the feeling of hands touching my head fades. The thoughts circulating in my mind are stagnant once more. Reflecting on how long I have been standing here, the name Dove comes to mind. Elyon's focus is still on the picture of his family, his eyes watching me with worry.

As if I have dreamt while standing, I take a look around the space, nothing out of the ordinary. Touching my head, all my barriers stay intact. The keycard to Xavier's cell remains nestled in my hand, waiting for me to deliver him the pain he so rightfully deserves.

Where the hell did my mind go?

"What... what the hell were we just talking about?" I ask Elyon, my mind biting at the opportunity to question Fallan about his seemingly not-so-uncommon nickname for me.

Glancing at the clock, it seems multiple minutes have passed.

That's not possible-

“We were just talking about my daughter, but I think it's time for you to get going," the old man states, his body feeble. The image I had painted of him in my mind is no longer the much more youthful completion my daydreams had bred.

Dove.

The name clings to the back of my mind.

Her name was Dove.

Trying to brush off the whispers floating in my mind, one thing is for sure. I need to speak to Fallan.

Faint inklings of a conversation conjured by my mind infiltrate my thoughts, dissipating into whispers before becoming nothing at all.

"Thank you for the key," I mutter, giving the man a gentle smile.

Saying nothing else, I excuse myself from the man's study, letting out a sigh of relief once I have made it to the other side of the door.

Xavier.

The thought of him was in my mind.

Or perhaps it was nothing more than my own delusions bred by the reflection in the mirror.