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CHAPTER TWELVE
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Marked (Mortal, Book Four) CHAPTER THIRTEEN
HeatherI watch the back of the grocery store like a hawk. There's no sign of anyone, and so I signal for Marlow to go for it.Darting out from behind his tree, he grabs a roll of bread from the dumpster and runs back into the woods, where Gregory, Brynn, and I are waiting.God, I feel so pathetic. Is this what it's really come to? Eating out of the trash like a raccoon?We're too close to Hawthorn to show our faces in public, though. School is only a twenty minute walk from here. Which means there could be Silver Hunters around."Looks like it's still good." Marlow tears the bag open. "There's only a little bit of mold."I hesitate before accepting a piece of the bread. It's not like I haven't eaten questionable food before, but this seems like a new low."We have to keep moving," Brynn says, breaking the silence. "We can't stay in one place too long or they'll find us."Marlow nods in agreement. "Yeah, we need to find somewhere to hide out for a while. Somewhere they won'
Marked (Mortal, Book Four) CHAPTER FOURTEEN
WinterAs we make our way down the path along the river, I can feel my heart pounding in my chest. Every step feels like a step closer to doom, and I can't help but feel a sense of despair as we go further and further towards our goal. The path is narrow and winding, and the trees are so thick that it's almost impossible to see through them.Suddenly, Jack grabs my arm and pulls me back. "Shh," he whispers, pressing his finger to his lips.I quiet down immediately, signaling for Alec's attention. "Alec," I hiss. "Get down."Thank God he listens. The three of us huddle behind a thick tree, watching the path ahead of us."What is it?" I whisper.And then I see it. A three-headed dog the size of a horse, with wings and a tail like a dragon's. The creature is black, with eyes the color of coal.Every hair on my body stands on end, and I freeze in place. I've seen a lot of monsters since discovering the supernatural world is real, but something about this one is particularly chil
Marked (Mortal, Book Four) CHAPTER FIFTEEN
WinterAlec and I run until we're out of breath and can't go on. We collapse onto the ground, panting heavily. My mind is still stuck on Jack, on how he sacrificed himself for us. I can't process it, can't comprehend why he would do that. But I know that he did it because he cared about us. He didn't want us to suffer the same fate.And maybe he saw his sacrifice as his last good act. A final way to make up for the horrible things he did as a Silver Hunter."I can't believe he did that for us," I whisper.Alec nods but says nothing. He still seems confused, like he's not sure what just happened.We sit next to each other, looking around. Everything looks the same next to the river, just like in the rest of the underworld. Just dark water and fog, with dead trees lining the riverbank.I'm dead hungry, so thirsty my mouth feels like a desert. Reaching into the bag Lavinia gave me, I pull out the water bottle and some biscuits. When I offer them to Alec, he shakes his head."I
Marked (Mortal, Book Four) CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Winter"Look who it is."The voice--a familiar one--sends a shiver down my spine.Turning on the trail, I face the man with a smirk on his face. It’s the same guy from earlier--the one that Jack chased off for me.And his buddy, the woman, is with him too.A lump forms in my throat. I've been through so much since arriving in the underworld. I've run and fought an endless amount. I don't know how much more I can keep this up.The woman studies Alec. "Who’s your friend?"I protectively step closer to Alec. "None of your business."We've been walking for the last few hours or so without seeing any wisps or hellhounds. We did find a spring, though, that fed into the river. I was able to fill my water bottle there. Things felt like they were looking up.But now this.Apparently I can't get more than a few hours of peace in this place."Who are they?" Alec asks.I keep a close eye on the duo as I answer. "They're assholes who have been working with the wisps. They lead the w
Marked (Mortal, Book Four) CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
DamonI stare at Winter, almost unable to believe it. The spell worked!She traveled to the underworld!At least... I hope she did."Oh, god," I murmur. "I didn't kill her, did I?"I lean closer to the table and inspect her. She's lying flat, the Golden Coin in her hand and the candles flickering around her. Her chest rises slightly with each inhale, like she's deeply asleep.I breathe a sigh of relief."Good job, Winter," I whisper. "You can do this. Find Alec and bring him back home."I pace the room, trying to find something to do. It's up to me to stay here and watch her body, and I have no intention of leaving. At the same time, though, I feel restless.I still don't know how long I was in that pocket dimension for. From what Winter and Alec told me after we met, I gather that it was at least five years.Is the world any different? Do my friends all think I'm dead?I consider turning on my cell phone and calling one of them. Maybe they could help me and Winter out b
Marked (Mortal, Book Four) CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
WinterAs we approach the dock, I can see a small wooden boat tied up to it and a figure standing on the decaying boards.It's a man, dressed in a cloak, with a hood covering his face. He holds a long pole that he uses to guide the ferry across the river.I gulp. Will the man just give us a ride across the river if we ask?I doubt it’s that simple. He’ll probably want a toll of some kind.Alec slows the hellhound to a stop as we reach the dock. The man looks up, his eyes meeting mine. For a moment, we stare at each other."Are you the ferryman?" I ask, breaking the silence.The man nods. "I am.""We need to get back to the other side," I tell him.He studies us--still sitting on the hellhound--for a long moment. "Many come here asking to go to the other side. It does not work that way, though. I ferry souls from Earth to here. This is the underworld, children. Once you arrive here you do not leave until you are ready to ascend."My heart sinks at his words. I don't want t
Marked (Mortal, Book Four) CHAPTER NINETEEN
HeatherWe make our way towards the boiler room. My heart is pounding, and my mind is racing with all sorts of terrible scenarios that could happen. What if the passageway is blocked off? What if the Silver Hunters catch us before I even get there?But then I remember why I'm doing this. Nora needs my help. She was a total badass taking on all those Silver Hunters herself, and honestly kind of my hero. I'm not backing out now, and I'm not letting her down.We manage to cross the bridge and get onto the island where the school is, probably thanks to the cover of dusk. With the light barely there, we press our shoulders against the main building and run around its exterior.The boiler room is a short distance from the main building, right next to the river. As we approach, I can hear the hum of the boiler and the sound of rushing water. But I can also hear something else. Footsteps. Coming from inside the room.I signal for the others to stop, and we press ourselves against the
Marked (Mortal, Book Four) CHAPTER TWENTY
WinterI stare at the creatures, their long hooded cloaks barely skimming the ground, fear filling my every cell.We need to run.We need to hide.I know these things are dangerous. What it is they do, I don't know. Maybe I did at some point, but it's like information is slipping right out of my brain."Run!" I point at a break between two wisps, and Alec and I duck through it.We take off, our feet pounding against the spongy earth. We sprint through the mist, our hearts racing and our breath coming in short gasps. I can hear the wisps behind us, their eerie whispers filling the air. I glance back and see them getting closer."We need to find somewhere to hide," I say, looking around frantically.But there's nowhere to go. The landscape is barren, with only twisted trees and gnarled roots around us. I can feel the wisps closing in, can feel their cold breath on the back of my neck."Alec!" I shout, my voice quivering with fear. "What do we do?""I don't know!" he yells b
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Marked (Mortal, Book Four) EPILOGUE
Marked (Mortal, Book Four) CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE
Marked (Mortal, Book Four) CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR
Marked (Mortal, Book Four) CHAPTER TWENTY THREE
Marked (Mortal, Book Four) CHAPTER TWENTY TWO
Marked (Mortal, Book Four) CHAPTER TWENTY ONE
Marked (Mortal, Book Four) CHAPTER TWENTY
Marked (Mortal, Book Four) CHAPTER NINETEEN
Marked (Mortal, Book Four) CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
