Marked By Pain (The Marked #2)(41)
“Kenz, what are you...?” East asks, trailing off as he looks down at my shirt. “Nice bra,” he comments, and I roll my eyes.
“Yeah, you would think so. You're the one who helped me pick out which one to wear after breaking my other one when you ripped it off me earlier,” I tease. I hear a shocked gasp, and turn. Shit the classroom door is still open. I look down pleadingly at the floor. Anytime you want to open up a hole and suck me down away from this mess, that would be freaking great. East walks around me and shuts the classroom door. I turn my head left, spotting Mr Tower following Stella around the corner.
“Can't leave you alone for five minutes, can I?” East asks, as he tugs me towards him.
“You can, but please don't,” I reply, sighing as I rest my head against his hard chest.
“I won't. Don't listen to anything she said, Kenz. She's a liar,” he says, grabbing my hand and rubbing soothing circles over the palm.
“I'm not, that girl is freaking psychotic,” I mutter.
“Good, come on, let's get back to the cabin and get you into some dry clothes, or no clothes? I'm sure there are better ways to keep you warm,” he whispers huskily in my ear. A smile curves across my lips.
“I love your way of thinking, East,” I reply, pulling back and already tugging him down the corridor after me.
“And I love you,” he says, pulling me to a stop so he can kiss me. I kiss him back, feeling his soft, but firm lips on mine. I completely melt into him. East is perfect. He's always been perfect.
“I love you too, Easton Black.”
Chapter 27
Enzo
I open my eyes to see the academy on fire, pieces of stone, rocks, broken doors, and everything you could think off flying around the big blue portal in the middle of where the academy used to be. The portal is just off the cliff, and there are students fighting with rebels spread around, just as many of them alive as there is dead on the floor. I watch myself stand up, shaking off the dust and gravel from all over my clothes.
“Crowe!” I scream, running straight towards the portal, and I watch as I push the rocks away with my air mark, before jumping off the cliff.
“Everyone knows the plan? We stick together, no one acts like a fucking hero, or tries any stupid shit,” Mr Daniels tells us as the van speeds around a corner. I hold onto my seat so I don’t fall off as the vision slips away from me. What the hell was that? And why would I jump off a cliff? Logan and Locke are sitting next to me, and Mr Daniels is sitting with two other marked opposite from us in the small van. Kenzie’s dads and the other council members are driving to the other side of the warehouse, so we are attacking from both sides. Everything has been planned, and nothing could go wrong.
“We know the plan,” Locke says firmly, his hands clenched together, but his tone doesn’t sound like he’s convinced.
“Good. Nothing can go wrong,” Mr Daniels replies, frustration written all over his face. We don’t get to talk anymore as the van pulls to a stop, and we all stand up. Mr Daniels opens the van door, jumping out, and we all follow closely behind him. We walk down the quiet road, full of parked up lorries and cars, only the sounds of water in the distance to hear. The road comes out to the docks, and straight across the large river is the warehouse that we know they are in. It looks empty, but we know better. We quietly watch as three marked rebels walk past the doors dressed in all black and making them difficult—but not impossible—to see.
“Everyone remember to use your air mark to propel you through the water, we don’t need any of our own drowning,” Mr Daniels says, and points a look towards the twins who shrug. We all walk to the edge of the river, and I call my air mark, imagining it covering my whole body before diving into the water. I smooth my hands at my sides, pushing my air mark into them and it shoots me across the dark water. I roll onto my back in the water, keeping my eyes open, and watching out for the edge of the dock above the water as I struggle to hold my breath. What feels like a few minutes passes before the dock comes into view above me, and I turn my air mark off. I swim up to the top and take a deep breath, trying to keep quiet.
A few minutes later, Mr Daniels appears next to me, breathing heavily, and then not long after Locke and Logan pop their heads above the water too. No one says a word as we float under the dock, the wood creaking above us as the rebel guards walk past. Mr Daniels moves first, swimming to the edge of the dock, and pulling himself out. I swim after him, pulling myself out just as a wave of water hits me, sending me flying back into the water. I use my water mark to control the water, and my air mark to push me back out, sending me flying into the air. I fly straight back to the dock, where the council and the rebels are already fighting, some with powers and others with old-looking swords. I fly straight towards Locke and Logan, who are using fire and protection to block the water attacks three rebels are throwing at them. I pull a wave of water with me, slamming it into the sides of the rebels and they crash into the floor as I land next to them. I hold my hands over the water, pushing it down onto all three of them as they struggle to get free. Lucky that they aren’t stronger than I am.
“Freeze them Logan!” I shout as the twins get to me, knowing I will need help to hold all three of them in ice. Logan puts his hand over mine, freezing the water at the same time as I do. We both pull away just as there’s a big roar, and we turn to see Locke has shifted into his giant polar bear, and has a rogue guard in his mouth, swinging him around before throwing him into the water screaming.