Marked

Chapter Twenty-Nine

"Juan." She insisted.

His cold, lifeless eyes jerked to her face. "I am to bring you to Nicolas. Stop speaking and follow me."

"No." She whispered. "Oh, Juan, no."

She stumbled after him as he steered her towards the two doors poking out from under a triangular structure held up by six cement pillars. Shadows moved against the curtained windows on either side like sinister demons awaiting her.

She couldn't stop staring at Juan.

If he had been marked so quickly that meant everyone else she knew and loved had been marked too. Her heart was bombarded with sharp pricks of pain as she thought of everyone she loved being gone.

Yalina, Michael, Dr. Everest...Hector. They'd been marked. All of them. And now only she remained.

It really was akin to watching someone die. She mourned the loss of Juan, of his sarcasm and his honesty, all now replaced by cold calculation.

The front doors drew open, letting warm air blow across her face. Still, she did not tear her eyes away from Juan.

"Rachel." A cool voice greeted her from within the white house. She knew the voice and hated it with the fire of a thousand suns.

She peeled her eyes away from her friend and fixed them on her father.

"I'm sorry you had to see this." He gestured towards Juan. He fixed the cuff of his jacket, his eyes not meeting hers directly. "It was not my intention for him to be the one to bring you here."

"He said he had orders to deliver me to you." Rachel said plainly.

"I sent those orders out to anyone nearby as soon as I saw you at the city's gates." He cleared his throat. "He just happened to be the closest."

Rachel loosened her arm from Juan's grip. He stood there motionlessly, like a robot awaiting further instruction.

"Are you sure it wasn't part of your plan..." She muttered. "To shock me into being pliable and docile?"

"No, Rachel, of course not. Despite everything that's happened, I would never intentionally inflict pain on you."

"Then dismiss him." This time it was her who cleared her throat. She couldn't stand another moment seeing her friend in this way. It would surely tear her apart.

Nicolas nodded to Juan with some unspoken dialogue passing between them and then he was gone, leaving Rachel alone with the puppeteer.

"Your return brings me great joy." Said Nicolas. His blue eyes were indeed filled with joy. He seemed exceptionally please with himself too, probably due to his newest acquisition.

"It brings me relief." Rachel whispered, letting her shoulders slump down. It was only half a lie. "I'm tired of hiding. It's no use. I realized I can't win against you. None of us can."

"I'm happy to hear it. Fighting me would have only delayed the inevitable and put this country more at risk. This war is approaching fast now and thanks to Copenhagen's men, we will be ready."

"I'd like to rest." Rachel said, averting her gaze. It was difficult to act like nothing was wrong when she wanted nothing more than to tear the veins from his throat.

"Yes, please, this way. Are you alright? Have you eaten?" He gave her a quick once over. "Are you in need of a shower?"

Rachel wiped her palms against her dirty and tattered clothing. She ran her hand along the length of her face and felt the blood and mud that had dried there.