Page 21 of The Order: Rise of the New Empire (Order #4)

Chapter twenty

Forest

T hrashing like wild animals, Xavier and Fallan's wrists are rubbed raw from their binds, their mouths gagged, forcing them into silence. Loading our vehicles with a plethora of supplies provided by Atticus to aid in New Haven's growth, boxes of Veils are carefully packaged and slid into the backs of the trucks, guards holding them in place for travel.

Shoving Xavier and Fallan into the back of one of the armored cars, Xavier tries to catch my attention, his eyes shifting from my eyes to my torso, a look of fear eating away at his expression.

Keeping on a cold front, Elyon's men move past me, each one on edge in my presence.

Good.

Power is the only thing keeping the people I love safe.

The only way I keep anyone safe is playing Elyon's game.

Running my hand over the slight bump on my stomach, the heartbeat Xavier and I heard replays in my mind.

Sometimes at night, I hear the soft heartbeat, listening to its rhythmic tune until sleep has claimed me. At first, I had convinced myself it was my own heart, fueled by fear.

Now, I know it's a heart fueled by strength.

Fueled by love.

A love Xavier would give the little creation with no hesitation.

Yet, here I am, hiding her away from him, all to keep them both safe-

"Forest," one of the men silently utters, breaking my train of thought. "Your father says it's time to go-"

"I can tell her myself," Elyon scolds, Atticus's dirtied self trailing behind the man. Beaten and bruised, even the man's healing properties struggle to compensate for what Xavier did to him.

"I don't trust them to be alone," Elyon hisses, ready to implement any detainment measures he can on the two.

"Might I suggest ripping their fingers off and watching them bleed out-"

"I'll ride with them," I say coldly, cocking my head at Atticus, stopping the man from continuing his tangent.

"You'll ride in the back?" Elyon questions, his eyes narrowing with confusion.

"Fallan is still alive. Alive because he chose to make a poor deal and hunt me like prey. Union or not, do you not think I might find a little satisfaction in his discomfort?" I question, both men silent.

"And Xavier?" Atticus pushes, the authority in his tone making me question why I have not torn into him.

"Xavier needs to conform," I smile. "My father's ways did not work. Why not give me a chance?" I question, thoughts of torture rolling through my mind, already crowded with Elyon's presence.

Watching Elyon's mouth curl into a smile, he gives me a simple nod.

"You think you can handle them?" Atticus questions, two of his men creeping up behind him, ready to cleanse his skin of dried blood. "Don't you think-"

Watching the men's necks twist so far backwards, they are now facing the opposite direction, they become dead weight, slumping toward their Commander, his voice silenced in the presence of sudden death. Snapping his head up to me, Elyon hides his wide smile.

"I do not like being questioned, Atticus," I hiss, clicking my tongue. "Mind to remember who is in your presence next time you choose to open that mouth."

Stepping over the bodies of his men, I leave the conversation behind me, making my way to what might be a detrimental isolation.

Watching the doors to the armored truck close, both men watch me with wide eyes, their mouths gagged. Taking a seat across from them, I double check to make sure my cloak is closed, ignoring Xavier's searing gaze. Thrashing toward me, Fallan looks bewildered, my mouth creeping into a smile at his absent hand.

"I do question how I could not pick up on your deceit sooner," I snap, feeling the wheels of the vehicle roll into motion. "Though, when there is only part of me, I suppose I, too, would be able to be manipulated with ease."

Dragging down my finger in the air, the gag pulls free form Fallan's mouth, his lungs gasping for air.

"Choose to speak?" I question, cocking my head at the man. "How is the land of the living after all?"

"Don't bullshit me right now, Forest. What the hell is your plan here?" Fallan questions, trying to get insight Xavier barely even has.

Primal instinct drives Xavier right now, my Hold forcing him back, keeping him from tearing his own hands off just to get over to me.

"Plan?" I question. "I needed allies. I needed both of you. Loose ends are not anything my father and I want to entertain cleaning up-"

"What about Kai and the others? We could have been murdered by that crazy Commander. You now consider your family loose ends?" Fallan questions, my nose scrunching at the mention of my brother.

He is fine.

I had one of our men keep tabs on their vehicle, reporting back to me once they all left the Precipice safely.

A woman helped them escape.

A Revolutionist if whispers choose to be true.

How much farther can my cause spread with no leader?

"Kai is collateral damage that is better left alone," I smile. "Clearly that was not the case for Dove-"

"You want an answer?" Fallan questions, stopping me before I have even started. "You want to know why I never left?" he asks, shaking his head. "That's why you continue to bring her up. You want to know why I never hurt you."

Staying silent, feeding into this mindset is best.

Though I could give two shits why he decided not to kill me, I can't say I've never been curious about his true motives.

Deceit or not, he did things he did not have to in the name of his act.

"You were the closest thing I had to her, Forest," he sighs, shaking his head. "It was almost frustrating how different you and her were, but, eventually, I pieced something together," a look of dread spans across his face. "Dove and you were not the same because you genuinely did care about me. That is what isolated you from her. You may have shared blood, but, beyond that, you were willing to die for me. I was wrong. I made a mess of everything, and I tried to fix it. I tried to find a way to throw off Elyon's trail," he pleads, something else lingering in his mind. "I did love you, Forest. I do love you-"

"Fallan," I snap, looking over the man. "Humor me for a moment."

Unfastening my seat belt, I move across the space, standing in front of the man, ignoring Xavier's muffled pleas. Regrettably taking a seat on Fallan's lap, his eyes grow wide, Xavier's anger growing. Chained behind his back and to the side of the car, his arms hold him still, my knees straddling his seat, planting myself on his lap. Cupping his face in my hands, he looks as if he is seeing me for the first time, my thumbs rolling over his cheeks.

"I did all of this to keep you safe, Forest," he sobs, emotion breaching the surface.

"Would that still apply if Dove were alive?" I question, forcing emotion to touch my face.

"The love I have for you, Forest, was created despite every single disadvantage we had," he whispers, my Call creeping into his mind in ways touch can only create. Trying not to throw up at the feeling of blood flow between his legs, I move closer to the man, his nose grazing mine.

"You love me, Fallan?" I question, flooding through every single one of his thoughts, deceit hiding behind every locked door.

"Until my-"

Cupping my hand over his mouth, I shake my head.

"Your blood runs cold when you lie, Fallan," I hiss. "Shouldn't have suspected I'd actually fall for that."

Slamming his head into the wall behind him, I knock the man out cold, pulling myself off of his lap, doubling over with a gag at the feeling of his touch, barely holding back vomit, Xavier grows silent, his eyes panning from Fallan's slumped state to my nauseous figure.

Lowering my eyes, I move over to Xavier, tearing free his gag, his voice a trembling mess.

"I-"

"Don't speak."

Crawling into his lap, his hands remain bound, my self control if he were to be unbound unpredictable. Kissing the man like I never have before, I slam my lips into his, smiling once he feeds into it, the connection running through us burning hot, filling my body with serenity beneath my small bump. Coiling my fingers in his hair, I kiss the man until we have no air, letting our tongues collide, hungrily kissing his neck once he is gasping for air. Kissing the side of my face as I plant his skin in warm affection, I pull my hands to his face, cupping his warm cheeks, satisfied at the feeling of his body reacting to me on him like this.

God, how I love this man.

"Fallan-"

"Needed to shut up," I sob. "I needed to be alone with you," I cry, tears rolling down my cheeks.

"Xavier-"

Kissing me again, he does all that he can with arms behind his back, my hands wrapping around the back of his neck, pulling myself as close to the man as it may allow.

"Untie my hands, love," he whispers. "Let me feel her energy-"

"Don't talk," I sob, trying to hold it together at the mention of our daughter. "Please, don't fucking talk, Xavier. You just make things harder-"

Hearing the window to the back barely slide open, the guards silently try to listen to what is happening, ready to report back to Elyon with any news they may find.

“You think you can come back here, and things will go back to the way they are?" I question, raising my voice for the men, running my hands down Xavier's front, gently kissing his temples. "You will willingly follow mine and my father's cause, creating a divine world, void of the tainted Marked we so willingly supported," I snap, smiling once his mouth curls into a soft grin. Kissing his forehead, I continue on. "You and Fallan will serve the house of Morgan, fighting for a larger cause," moving his head to my chest, I let him listen to my heart, gently kissing the top of his head as my hands work through his hair. “If you want our gracious hospitality, you will earn it. Unlike Fallan, you hold value in your strengths-"

Closing the small window, they are pleased with what they have heard, my lungs releasing a shaky breath.

Holding him close, I am unable to hide the flood of tears leaking from my eyes, the only thing I need is the man's arms wrapped around me.

"Forest, look at me," Xavier whispers, trying to get me to focus.

Shaking my head, I bite my cheek, trying to force myself to keep him like this.

"Please, angel," he whispers. "Look at me."

Leaning back, I wrap my arms around his neck, watching the tears wet both of our clothing. Filling with a look of pain, his eyes grow watery, his head slowly shaking.

"I can't wipe your tears away, beautiful-"

"I know," I sob. "It has to be that way for now," I whisper, pressing my forehead to his, doing my best to keep it all together. "So many things are out of my control, Xavier."

"What is the larger plan here, Forest?" he whispers, filled to the brim with the fear I too carry.

"I had to gain his trust to keep you both safe," I sob. "Now, I have to find a way to keep him down-"

"I won't let you-"

"Not with my sacrifice, Xavier," I sob, trying to get him to focus. "He needs to be locked away, hidden for no one to find, fed the smallest rations and blood until I can find a way to unlink me and our girl," I cry. "I would never hurt you, Xavier. I would never willingly leave you-"

"I know that," he whispers. "I know that now."

Rolling my fingers over his cheeks, I kiss his forehead.

"So long as you follow my rules, everything will be okay," I reassure, regrettably breaking one of his binds.

Grabbing his hand before he can react, I settle it beneath my cloak, allowing him to feel the small bump, the warmth in my stomach growing.

"It will be okay for both of you."

Smiling the largest I have ever seen; he looks up at me in admiration.

"I feel her," he smiles. "I feel her strength."

"Just like her dad," I smile, his hand moving away from my stomach, cupping my face, my head leaning into the touch with closed eyes.

"And her mom," he whispers, his thumb rolling over my cheek wiping away what tears he can.

Biting my lip, I give the man one last kiss, letting it linger.

Winnowing, I give us space, taking my seat back across from him, his face flustered at my sudden absence.

"We're going back to New Haven," I warn, throwing on my cold front once more.

It's the only way to hold it together.

"That is where the real work begins."