Chapter 16 – Fallen and Found

Forced Obedience

Cyrus’s POV

After Kate walked out to set up her laptop, I found myself glued to her door, a cocktail of frustration and jealousy simmering in my gut. She’d been a goddamn ice queen lately, her words sharp as knives, her eyes hardened like a frozen lake, impenetrable and unyielding. I balled my hands into fists, resisting the urge to punch a wall (or maybe the Fae bastard who’d dared to touch her).

Yesterday’s training session flashed through my mind. The raw power she had unleashed, sending me sprawling, was a vivid reminder of the untamed spirit that lay beneath her composed exterior. It was a blow to my pride, but it also ignited a twisted fascination. The fierce determination in her eyes, the wild energy that radiated from her – it was intoxicating. I could still feel the phantom ache where her magic had struck, a reminder of her power. Forget flowers and chocolates, I’m getting Kate a new whip for her birthday.

Marcus’s voice echoed in my ears, advising distance and indifference. If only Marcus’s lectures packed half as much punch as her magic. I scoffed inwardly. As if I could simply switch off the feelings that consumed me, the hunger for her that gnawed at my insides. His words were like trying to calm a hurricane with a hand fan – utterly useless against the storm raging within me.

And then, the memory of the castle slammed into me, a gut punch that reignited my fury. I saw her again, her body entwined with that Fae bastard, her hands splayed against his chest as his fingers dug into her hair. The urge to rip him away from her, to stake my claim, was almost unbearable.

Their kiss replayed in my head, a tormenting loop. The soft moan that had escaped her lips sent a shiver down my spine, a perverse thrill battling with fury. I ached to be the one eliciting that sound, to have her hands clinging to me with the same desperate hunger. The thought was a knife twisting in my gut, both agonizing and exhilarating.

Even the knowledge that he’d used his magic to manipulate her couldn’t erase the sting of that memory. I saw her again, touching her lip, lost in the afterglow of his touch. A dark possessiveness coiled within me, its grip relentless. Sooner or later I would be the one to ignite that fire within her, to consume her thoughts and desires, to make her mine. And maybe incinerate a certain Fae in the process.

I couldn’t shake the need to be near her, to shield her from the darkness that seemed to follow us. It was an instinctual pull, a primal urge to protect what I felt was mine. Maybe I was just being a possessive jerk, but hey, who said love had to be logical? And who needs logic when you can have a woman who can send you flying with a flick of her wrist when she’s mad? The thought of anyone else controlling her, using her power, made my blood boil. It was a toxic cocktail of jealousy, possessiveness, and a dash of hero complex, but damn it, it was intoxicating.

Marcus was in his usual spot by the window, scanning the perimeter. His phone buzzed, and he answered it with a curt nod. “Yes, sir. Understood. I’ll inform him.” He ended the call and turned to me, his expression unreadable. I sighed. The call was short. Short calls are never good.

“Who was that?” I asked, already dreading the answer.

“Cyrus, get ready to leave. Your next mission is waiting. Kate’s new teacher arrives tomorrow.”

The words hit me like a sledgehammer. “Come on, Marcus. You can’t be serious. After everything that’s happened… Kate needs me here.”

Marcus’s eyes hardened, a clear sign he was reaching the end of his patience. “We’ve had this discussion every single day for a week now, Cyrus. You’re not indispensable. This isn’t up for debate. You have your orders and you will follow them. Kate will be fine.”

“I’m not going anywhere until you tell me who’s coming.” I argued, my voice trembling with barely suppressed anger. “You’ll have to physically carry me out of this house if you want me gone without knowing at least this much. I need to make sure she’s safe, Marcus.”

Marcus’s jaw tightened, and he took a deep breath as if summoning every ounce of patience he had left. His fingers drummed against the window ledge, the silence between us stretching unbearably. He finally met my gaze, his eyes blazing with irritation. “You’re insubordinate, Cyrus. This isn’t just about you. This is about the mission, about the organization. I’ve tolerated your defiance for a week now, but my patience has limits.”

He stepped closer, his stature imposing. “Do you think I enjoy repeating myself? Every. Single. Day?” His voice was low and seething. “You have your orders, Cyrus. Follow them.”

“I don’t care about the mission right now,” I snapped back. “Kate’s well-being is more important. I can’t just leave without knowing she’ll be safe.”

Marcus’s eyes narrowed, his voice dropping to a deadly calm. “Fine. You want to know who’s coming so badly? It’s Eric.”

The name hit me like a punch to the gut. Eric. Of course, it had to be him. My older brother, who had always believed in absolute obedience and aggressive demon-hunting tactics. He valued the cause above all else, even if it meant sacrificing lives. To him, dying for the cause was an honor, and he expected nothing less from everyone else. Basically, the guy was two horns shy of being a demon himself.

My stomach filled with a mix of dread and frustration. There was no way I could convince Eric or Marcus to let me stay. My brother was as stubborn as they came, and he believed in the organization’s cause with a fervor that bordered on fanaticism. Hell, he probably slept with a copy of the organization’s bylaws under his pillow.

Marcus’s voice pulled me out of my thoughts. “You have your orders, Cyrus. Follow them.”

I tried to swallow the rising tide of anxiety and anger. “Marcus, you can’t do this. You know Eric. He’s not going to care about Kate’s well-being. He’ll just see her as another weapon.”

Marcus crossed his arms, his expression unyielding. “I don’t care about your personal issues with your brother. This isn’t about you. It’s about the mission. You’re leaving, and that’s final.”

I felt the walls closing in on me, the weight of duty and family pressing down like a vice. “This isn’t right, Marcus. Kate didn’t choose this life. She deserves to be treated like a person, not a pawn.”

His eyes narrowed, a flash of irritation breaking through his stoic facade. “You’re a soldier, Cyrus. Follow your orders like all of us. This just proves why you have to leave. Your feelings for Kate are clouding your judgment and loyalty to our cause.”

I wanted to argue, to fight against the unfairness of it all, but Marcus’s sudden fit of rage cut me off. “Don’t test me, Cyrus,” Marcus hissed, his eyes blazing. “Disobedience has consequences. You’ll be cast out, stripped of everything you hold dear. Your family, your friends, your entire life – gone.”

The ultimatum hung in the air, suffocating me. I felt trapped, torn between duty and the nagging sense that something was terribly wrong with all of this.

The tension in the living room was so thick you could cut it with a knife. Marcus and I sat in stony silence, the echoes of our argument still hanging heavy in the air. I was grinding my teeth so hard I was surprised they hadn’t cracked yet. Just when I thought it couldn’t get any more awkward, Kate strolled in, seemingly unaware of the obvious tension.

“Hey guys,” she chirped, an unusually casual air about her that belied the storm brewing beneath the surface. “Any dinner plans? If not, can we get pizza for a change? I’m starving. Pretty sure pizza isn’t on the approved demon hunter diet, but we’ve gotta live a little, right?”

Marcus and I exchanged a look. He raised an eyebrow, a silent question hanging between us. I shrugged, seemingly nonchalantly, my mind still racing. Did she know? Had she overheard our conversation?

Before I could formulate a response, Marcus spoke up. “Your new trainer arrives tomorrow, Kate.”

Her smile faltered, a flicker of unease crossing her face. “Oh, okay. Anything I should know about this new guy?” she asked, her voice carefully neutral.

“Nothing to worry about,” I said, trying to sound reassuring. “He’ll make sure your training continues smoothly.”

Her casual facade crumbled, replaced by a cold, sardonic smirk.

“So, what’s the plan for your grand departure, Cyrus? Are you going off as a Houdini disappearance act, or will you go with the classic ‘leaving a note on the pillow to explain why it was necessary’ routine?”

The words hung in the air, sharp as knives. Marcus and I exchanged stunned glances, a silent realization dawning upon us. This was why she had been so cold, so distant. The knowledge of my impending departure and that we had hid the news from her had festered inside her, turning into bitterness and resentment.

Damn it. No wonder she’s been giving me the silent treatment like a mime with laryngitis lately. “Kate, I was going to tell you,” I started, but her laughter was so cold and sharp, I swear I felt a draft from the underworld.

“Sure you were. You and Marcus seem to be the organization’s poster boys for blind obedience. Why would you care about my feelings or what I want? You’re just following orders, right?”

Marcus’s jaw clenched, his voice firm but controlled. “Kate, I understand your frustration, but you need to understand that the organization has kept you safe. We provide you with everything you need, and all we ask in return is a modicum of loyalty.”

Her eyes flashed with anger. “Loyalty? I didn’t ask for any of this! You’re right, I should be kissing the ground you walk on. After all, you saved me from becoming a demon’s breakfast… only to replace it with a lifetime of fighting them. Such a generous trade-off. What about my life? My dreams? I just want to learn how to handle demons so I can go back to being an archaeologist.”

“Dreams?” Marcus scoffed, a hint of derision in his voice. “The world isn’t a fairytale, Kate. Demons are real, and they’re a threat to everyone, including those archaeologists you seem so fond of. We gave you a chance to fight back, to make a difference, and you’re throwing it away like a spoiled child.”

Kate’s cheeks flushed with anger. “I’m not a child, and I’m not throwing anything away. I’m just saying that this life wasn’t my choice. You thrust it upon me, and now you’re acting like I owe you my undying gratitude.”

“Gratitude is exactly what you should feel,” Marcus retorted, his voice rising. “You’d be dead if it weren’t for us. We’ve given you a purpose, a way to fight back against the darkness. Don’t you dare act like we’re the villains here.”

I shifted uncomfortably, caught in the crossfire of their escalating argument. I understood Kate’s frustration, but I also knew that Marcus wasn’t entirely wrong. The organization had saved her life, and they were trying to protect her, even if their methods were questionable. Besides, who was I to judge? I’d signed up for this demon-hunting circus too.

“What’s the plan, then?” Kate demanded, her voice a low hiss. “You gonna lock me in a cage if I try to leave?”

Marcus’s gaze was like ice. “You’ve only scratched the surface of what we’re capable of. If we don’t want you to leave, you won’t. Trust me, you’ll soon understand why it’s in your best interest to stay.”

“Or what?” Kate challenged, her defiance evident. “You’re going to hold me hostage until I give in and become a demon hunter? Is that the kind of organization you are?”

“We’ll do whatever it takes to protect our own,” Marcus said, his voice cold and resolute. “And right now, you’re one of us, whether you like it or not.”

A wave of nausea hit me. This wasn’t right. We were supposed to be the good guys, but our methods were starting to feel a lot like those of the demons we hunted.

Before I could intervene, Kate’s anger exploded in a blinding flash of energy, a focused blast aimed directly at Marcus. He barely managed to dodge the brunt of the attack, but the force of it still sent him staggering back.

“Damn it, Kate!” Marcus roared, lunging at her with speed that reminded me why he was the most feared instructor in the entire organization.

Kate wasn’t going down without a fight. She raised her hands, conjuring a shimmering barrier just in time to deflect his first blow. The impact reverberated through the room, the sheer force of it rattling the windows.

They circled each other, predator and prey, each waiting for the other to make the first move. Kate, her eyes blazing with defiance, launched another energy blast, but Marcus anticipated it, ducking under the shimmering projectile and closing the distance between them.

He grabbed her arm, attempting to twist it behind her back, but Kate was too quick. She spun out of his grasp, her other hand glowing with energy. A bolt of pure force slammed into his chest, knocking him back several steps.

“Not bad, kid,” Marcus grunted, wiping a trickle of blood from his lip. A flicker of pride warred with annoyance in his eyes. “But you forget who taught you everything you know.”

Kate’s lips twisted into a feral sneer. “You taught me how to fight,” she spat, “but you didn’t teach me how to surrender.”

With a guttural cry, she lunged forward, the barrier dissolving into a concentrated beam of energy that struck Marcus square in the chest. He stumbled backward, a pained grunt escaping his lips.

“You’ll regret that,” he growled, his eyes blazing with fury.

He charged again, ignoring the obvious pain in his chest. Kate tried to raise another barrier, but her movements were too slow, her energy reserves clearly depleted. Marcus, anticipating her every move, seized the opportunity. With a swift, calculated maneuver, he slammed her against the wall, his forearm pressing against her throat.

Kate’s eyes widened in shock, her breath coming in ragged gasps. Marcus held her there, his grip unyielding, his face inches from hers.

“It’s over, Kate,” he said, his voice low and menacing. “You’re outmatched.”

She struggled and tried to ram her knee into his midsection, but his free hand moved with lightning speed, striking a pressure point on her neck. Kate’s body went limp, her head sagging against the wall.

“Marcus, what the hell?” I shouted, rushing forward.

He released Kate, letting her slide to the floor, then turned to me, his eyes cold and unyielding. “She needed a reality check,” he said simply.

I stared at him, a mix of anger and disgust growing in my stomach. This wasn’t the Marcus I knew, the mentor who had always preached discipline and control. This was a stranger, a cold-hearted tyrant who used violence to assert his authority.

He ignored me, hoisting Kate’s limp body over his shoulder and carrying her towards her room. “She’ll thank us later, Cyrus,” he said coldly. “Sometimes, tough love is the only way to get through.”

I watched helplessly as Marcus dragged Kate to her room. He limped to the kitchen, visibly injured from the battle, and grabbed a towel before using it to tie her hands behind her back. The weight of the situation crushed me. We were supposed to be the heroes, but we were acting like villains. And I was trapped in the middle, torn between my loyalty to the organization, my feelings for Kate, and the growing realization that everything I’d ever believed in might be a lie.

Marcus turned to me, his eyes hard and unforgiving. “You have a choice to make, Cyrus,” he said. “Fall back in line, or leave. But choose wisely. The organization doesn’t take kindly to traitors.”