†

It took twenty-three train rides to get from the New Order residence to the capital. That meant going through fourteen different stations, looping back through Central then pretending not to understand that the conductor of the sub-station underground wanted you gone because he didn't want-as he kindly put it-no tech flashing hussies jumping at his rails.

Dawn had always hated trains but the hate became real when she had to seat next to. . .-the train swerved dangerously along the tracks and she narrowed her eyes at him-a fiancé that may or may not have belonged to her.

"Are you okay?" Sebastian dared to ask, and once again Dawn scowled, holding down whatever bile the man's existence had conjured up.

Roger flashed her a knowing grin from across the other end of the near empty railcar with his tongue stuck out, his face scrunched up and his thumb centimeters from jabbing at Sebastian.

Rhea Lee hit him on the arm then threw an apologetic smile her sister's way-though Dawn was a hundred percent sure that it was for Sebastian.

Oh, how she hated the silence-the sound of rolling wheels in the background did nothing to abate it, and if the phenomenon was a physical entity she would have it hung by the neck this very instant. For some inexplicable reason Dawn was very irritable today.

"So," she wiped her face with the back of her hand and traced her fingers round her scalp, habits she was getting used to now that her hair scratched at her neck constantly, "tell me about yourself, Sebastian, so deeply in love with my sister that you decide to put a ring on me." She didn't even try to hide her disgust.

Rhea Lee coughed like she was down with a case of instant tuberculosis, and Dawn imagined that the sickness must have been terrible when it still existed. But she couldn't help but wish she was in the 21st century, at least the trains they had then were legal, and people actually got sick-life was much more exciting when every Tom, Dick, and Harry didn't think they were a god.

"Well," her sister mumbled something that must have been vulgar, coughed some more, then went on mumbling. "It was actually my idea."

"Ah," the professor let her hair be for the first time in eighteen train rides, "I knew that the devil in you could not be appeased by just finding love! You had to go ahead and ruin my life too."

"I did not intend for things to turn out this way."

"And when will this charade end? At the engagement party or on the wedding day when we've said our vows and are tearing at each other's clothes like lustful savages?" Dawn raised her eyes to her sister's flaming cheeks then let her gaze fall back to her own fingers. She smirked. "Red suits you, sister."

"That was uncalled for, and you know it." Rhea Lee huffed and turned away, hiding her blush like it's very existence was a crime, a degradation of her inhumanity. She seemed to forget that the Nobil were higher beings-they weren't supposed to know embarrassment.

"Not as uncalled for as whatever act of adultery you're making me commit." Dawn drummed her fingers on her lap then crossed her arms, unsettled with the way the conversation was ending. She turned to Sebastian and rolled her eyes just to show him her annoyance with the whole arrangement.

His thick head of shiny black hair once slick and tidy was now unruly and in chaos, he wore his three-hour tried smile naturally-like he had worn it his entire life. He reeked of wealth and Dawn hated it-much more than she hated trains.

"Aren't you going to defend your precious little lover?" She snapped, and his gaze finally moved away from her face.

"Not if you're going to bite off my head about it," his answer was cool and composed, much unlike the the twinkle in his eyes-red eyes that looked so stunning aflame, "I'm neither stupid nor suicidal."

"Good for you," Roger spoke up suddenly and shifted away from the window behind him to show the view outside. "We're reaching the next station, brace yourselves."

The train groaned and moaned, it's wheels screeching to a deafening stop, the force nearly throwing it's passengers off their seats. "Everyone, get out!" The conductor yelled from somewhere and Dawn shot to her feet, ecstatic. The joys of illegal train travel!

Dawn was glad that trains were banned in the north, but she couldn't deny that they were great for moving around unnoticed. Still, it wasn't the proper thing for the leader of the Cipher Squad to do. She expected that she would receive a citation from the Order the moment she stepped foot in the capital-maybe earlier than that.

The moment Roger and Rhea Lee rushed to the open doors of the train, very eager to jump out and carry on with the two remaining train rides-Dawn had slept through three of them-sirens started blaring. The night was colored in blues and shimmering whites, and the wail of alarms filled the air.

"Surrender or face immediate termination!" The familiar warning punctuated the conductor's speedy departure as he fled the scene in the rickety train once Dawn's group landed on the platform waiting at the station.

"Great," Dawn pressed her hands together and slumped into the bench behind her. She had hoped that Sebastian had been left behind on the train, but here he still was, fawning over Rhea Lee like she was a goddess.

Roger raised his coat, pretending that it was a meaningless action, and showed Dawn the discrete handgun that hung from his waist. The professor shook her head and Greenly stood down, moving closer to Sebastian-acting like he didn't know what was going on.

Dawn watched with an inexistent smile as the three of the laughed like they were in a real conversation. It took a while to remind herself that she was doing the right thing. They'll be fine.

This wasn't her father sending people to attack them, it was the Order with that long awaited sanction. It was best not to give them more reasons to act rash.

Dawn hoped that she wouldn't be charged with treason, or something unreasonable like that, but she doubted that she would be granted leniency. The Order had never been happy with her-or anything she did-and she didn't think they would be thrilled found out that she had recreated the Book of Revelation.

The professor kept her smile, ran her hand through her hair and stood up to greet the man that had appeared a few feet in front of her, the shimmering wall that cloaked him falling away. "Hello, your holiness."

Of course, it had to be him of all people.

The man didn't reply, instead he signalled the two men in black that flanked his sides. "Arrest her."

Dawn groaned as they stepped forward and grabbed her by the arms. "Be gentle."

Roger stared at her with panic masked as interest, but said nothing. This had already been discussed. If the Order came for her before she managed to reach the capital then the rest of them would continue the journey without her. If anyone was shown to have association with her then they would be arrested too, and right now Dawn needed people she trusted around Corey, especially now of all times.

"You thought you could hide, Draekon? The Order is displeased." The man stopped in front of her and hissed.

"I didn't think I could do anything, Damien." Dawn spat as the two men dragged her away. "Take that stick out of your ass."

The professor did nothing to evade the the slap that came her way-not that she could have if she tried. She couldn't feel the pain anyway, a familiar numbness had already started to set into her bones.

"You will hold your tongue."

"I will do what I want, you mother-" unfortunately for Dawn she was knocked out before she could end her quip, and it was going to be a damn good one. "Bitch."

This was going to be a long day.

†〰†

"Wake up, Draekon."

Dawn would have jumped if not for the fact that her limbs were tied to the chair she sat in. "What the hell?" She slowly peeled her lids open and glared at the black dots in her vision till they disappeared. "Damien? Is that you? For the love of god, let me go already, it has been hours-days?"

"There is no god," he crossed his arms, "only the Code. A sacred being who you violate time and time again."

"You make it sound so damn dirty." The professor let out a sour laugh. "How long are you going to torture me?"

"This is an interrogation. . . torture makes it sound like you don't deserve it." He snapped his fingers and a black roll of cloth was dropped on the table. "And this I can assure you, you deserve every ounce of pain you feel."

Dawn was too tired to raise her head or turn her gaze, she didn't know why people always saw the need to drug her. If not for her special constitution she would already be dead with all the cuts that littered her once flawless skin. Her father and Damien were both cut out of the same nasty cloth-bloody sadists-though she wasn't sure that it was her father who had interrogated her back in New Order, her memories from then where still hazy.

He slowly rolled the cloth on the table and with the clang of metal various implements were slowly revealed. "Now," Damien slid a shiny scalpel out of it's strap and held it in front of her, "easy or hard, it's your choice to make."

"A man must not be force out of his conviction-what he knows is right in his heart of hearts-and laid bare to suffering, for the sake of conversion, for the righteousness of the Code," Dawn relaxed in her bonds and stared him in the eye, "for our savior only accepts those who come willing."

"Well," Damien chuckled, "it is a good thing you are not a man." He threw the scalpel into her shoulder and smiled. "You are going to make this fun, Draekon."

"When Corey finds out what you're doing he will-" Dawn growled through gritted teeth.

"That's just the thing, love," Damien leaned to her ear and didn't forget to press on her shoulder, "he won't do a bloody thing, not if he wants to continue on as a minister supported by the Order."

The professor glared at him through a thin film of pain. "You wouldn't dare."

"Try me, Draekon." He sat back in his chair. "I wish this could continue, but I know that you won't say a thing even if I break all your fingers and chopped off your arm."

Dawn snorted as he pulled the knife from her arm. "It's not like you haven't done that before."

"Hm, yes," Damien stared at the blood that dripped off the scalpel. "I learn from my mistakes." He snapped his fingers again and one of the goons that stood off to the side walked forward and set a cup filled with a sloshing blue liquid on the table.

The professor eyed the murky glass with a suspicious look. "I think I'd prefer torture, please."

"You don't have much of a choice, Drae-"

"Stop calling me that." Dawn said with a tired sigh. "You can get your revenge now, kill me or whatever. I don't care."

"Kill you?" Damien laughed. "I don't want to kill you, I want to make you suffer," he nudged the cup towards her, "so drink up, Princess."

"You must really hate me, uh?"

"More than you can ever know."

The moment Dawn thought about drinking the blue liquid the ropes that kept her fixed to the chair slacked, her fingers touched the the glass and she winced. "Fine," she tipped the cup against her bruised lips and took everything in with one tasteless gulp, "I hope you're happy."

He smirked and rubbed his palms together sinisterly. "We'll see."

†

I didn't describe Damien because he's probably going to die. Don't get too attached folks.

Poor Dawn, she's been tortured way too many times today, I think we need a time skip. And the Order finally makes an appearance! The Book Of Revelation is causing a lot of problems, how do you think Corey will react?

This chapter is dedicated to urvajaved because she is amazing. And her story Inked is equally as amazing, so check it out when you have the time (or when you're just bored out of your mind).

Also, thank you ItsDraekon, for letting me use your name (again).

Question of the chapter

What is the blue liquid?