All Chapters of Marked (Mortal, Book Four): Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

WinterI jog along the path, which twists and turns its way through the trees. Just when I think I'm done crying, another tear slides down my face. I hastily brush each one away.What happened to Lucy is so unfair. She seemed like such a nice person.Did she do something to deserve what happened to her? How could anyone deserve having their soul consumed by one of those wisps?The questions about Lucy lead to bigger questions. Is this the place that everyone comes to when we die? Are we trapped here forever?God, I hope not. That seems too cruel. This place is nothing but a wasteland with evil floating around it.The path levels out again, and I'm back in an even area. The trees are still the same, though. Scraggly, nearly black, and with sharp branches that remind me of claws.My legs are getting tired, and for the first time I realize how thirsty I am. Picking a tree, I sit on a thick root and open the bag Lavinia gave me. The water is cool and refreshing, and I drink nearly

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'

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

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

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