Marked By Pain (The Marked #2)(46)

Chapter 30





Mackenzie





As I'm dragged up to the clifftops beside the school, I can't help but think it's ironic that I thought I was safe here, when it’s where they needed me all along. The water from Ariziadia underneath the school having some importance to whatever they are doing here. My long white dress drags in the mud on the ground. I stumble and the rebel dragging me catches me, holding me upright.

“Fucking watch where you're walking,” he growls.

“Maybe if you weren't dragging me so quickly in the freaking dark, I wouldn't keep stumbling!” I snap. “Hell, if you didn't make me wear this ridiculous dress either, that would help,” I add, practically seething. I see Kelly and the rebel dragging her catching up to us. Maybe if I can keep him talking for a moment longer...

“Fucking shut up, and come on already,” he grunts, pushing me forward, and up the cliff. I almost stumble again, but keep my footing this time.

“Fine, no need to shove me,” I mutter, as we continue up the last part of the trek to the clifftops.

When we reach the top, a group of rebels are already waiting there, my father included, and he’s standing in the centre of the semi-circle. They’re all standing around a marked-made pool of water. The edges of the pool are so flat and perfectly rounded, it has to be that someone has used their earth mark to create it and then they’ve filled it with water. I notice both Stella and her parents are also standing around the pool with the other marked rebels. They’re all wearing stupid ceremonial robes, too. Gods I hate those things.

The rebel dragging me releases my arms as we reach them, going to stand next to the others. Looking behind me all I see is the edge of the cliff, and while cuffed and unable to use my marks, jumping off the edge would be extremely dumb. I feel a raindrop hit my face, and then another. As if things weren’t crappy enough, it just had to be raining too.

“We all know why we are here,” Alaric voice calls out, and I cringe.

Is he really going to give a speech? I look around hoping to see signs of the others returning here to help, to rescue me and Kelly before it’s too late, but there’s no sign of them. I bite my lip nervously.

“Today my daughter, Mackenzie Crowe, will open the portal to Ariziadia. We will then use the power from that world, through the opened portal, to push more power into this body of water. Water that came from Ariziadia itself,” he says, pausing as if to add a dramatic flair to his speech. The winning smile on his face showing just how much he is enjoying all of this. “We will then step back into the water, as we did when we were first marked, and we will be blessed again, with enough power to rule this world the way we were meant to,” he finally finishes. I expect cheering, or at least something, but they’re all deadly calm and serious.

I hear Kelly whimpering as the rebel dragging her up here finally reaches the top with her. I look across at her, frowning in confusion as they walk her over to my father. As my eyes follow her, I notice one of the robed rebels is handcuffed like I am. I frown at the figure, but their hood is up.

“Ryan?” I shout, calling across. The figure steps forward, or tries to, but he’s held back by the rebels either side of him. Kelly seems to realise it’s him, and she starts trying to pull towards him, but as weak as she is, she isn’t able to put up much of a fight against the man pulling her towards my father. Two marked rebels move over to me. They remove the cuffs from me, but stay standing close to me so I know it would be dumb to try anything. I rub my sore wrists as I watch Alaric. He’s standing way too close to Kelly for me to try and attack now that I can use my powers again, I can’t risk Kelly getting hurt.

“We will now cause Mackenzie’s twelfth mark to activate. We previously thought this was only achievable by physical pain, but we now know the most effective method to trigger the mark is high levels of emotion,” Alaric says. High levels of emotion, what does he—

“No!” I scream, all thoughts cut off as his hands rest on Kelly, and her body twitches while she screams in agony.

“Let her go!” I shout, as I try to rush forward and get to her, a hand grips my shoulders tightly, holding me back and away from Kelly. I scream with her, for her, as he continues to use the pain mark on her. She collapses down in a heap on the floor in front of him. Tears are running down my face, but I don’t feel my twelfth mark activating.

“Nothing, Mackenzie?” he asks, and I shake my head. If it isn’t working, maybe he’ll stop? “Do you not care for your friend at all?” he drawls, crouching down, and pulling out a knife.

“Get the fuck away from her, you monster!” I screech. I try to call on my air mark to throw the rebels holding me back off from me, but I’m so panicked I can’t concentrate enough to call it properly.

Ryan manages to wriggle free from the other rebels, his hood falling down, and showing that it’s him. His mouth is covered with duct tape, and his face is covered in bruises, meaning he still hasn’t seen a healer. Alaric stands and turns towards Ryan.

“What do you want?” he asks, as he rips the duct tape off from Ry’s mouth.

“Use me,” Ryan blurts out desperately.

“No way!” I shout.

“What do you mean?” Alaric asks, looking at Ryan, paying no attention to me whatsoever as I scream.