Marked (Hues of Ink)

Well, he found it. But at what cost?

With the weight of the school now on his shoulders, and beneath his feet, Scott flexes his underdeveloped acting skills to keep up the façade... and keep his ribs intact.

Just until a window opens up, until someone else knows, until everyone else knows-

Until Scott and his friends stand at the dance's entrance and wait for the other shoe to drop from a boy that burns from the inside out.

Because this is what Koresh wanted, right? War.

"Scott, keep me on the line."

The smoke cleared around the snack table, now crushed beneath the wings and body of Novak Chicane. Tessa had him straddled with their combat boot shoving his chin away. They looked up at me, fear soaked into their pores and their lip quivering. Novak laid there, dazed.

"Just hurry." I whimpered. Then, hung up.