Marked By Lies: A Reverse Harem Series (The Marked Series Book 1) by Paige Orr (best english books to read for beginners .txt) 📕

Every room that we pass is completely barren, and if I didn’t know any better, I would think that no one had been here in months. I trust Annika though; she hasn’t led us wrong yet, so I really should believe in her. With each empty room that we come across, I can feel my stomach sinking, and without even checking the other hallway, I know that we won’t find a single clue. Stopping once I reach the last room, I turn back to the others with a shake of my head.

“I think you guys know as well as I do, that there is no point in continuing this search. Maybe we’ll get lucky and the reason that we can’t find Melissa, is that she caught one of them leaving and followed them.”

Morpheus turns towards the wall, lashing out with his anger, and I stand silently as I watch his hand go through the layers of plaster. I can understand why he’s so upset, but he should know better than to lose his cool like this. He spins back around, stepping up until he’s face to face with me.

“Have you maybe stopped to think that we can’t find her because these fuckers have hurt her!”

“Of course I have, but we can’t find her. We have searched this house top to bottom, which means if they do have her, she isn’t here anymore. Once we get back to the apartment, Annika can try a spell to loathe her, but until then there isn’t much we can do.”

“How the fuck can you be so calm right now?! Our people are suffering and now on top of that, Melissa might be too!”

I finally feel my patience snapping, and I grab him by his collar, spinning and slamming him against the wall. We bare our teeth at each other, ready to tear each other apart.

“You think I’m fucking calm?! Are you really that fucking stupid?”

Elias and Zaphyr approach us, holding their hands out placatingly. They pull us apart, holding us away from each other as we struggle to get out of their grasp. I know that I’m acting irrationally, but after the amount of pressure I’ve been under since the disappearances began, I really can’t be arsed with Morph’s shit! Eli, ever the peacemaker, tries to calm us both down.

“If Melissa has been taken, do you think you two killing each other will do her any good? Or our people, for that matter! We need you both to be on the same side, this shit is exactly what the cult wants!”

Finally, his words seem to penetrate through the red fog that is consuming us both, and I relax into Eli’s hold. I don’t know what came over me, but this shit needs to stop. We need to have each others backs.

“He’s right, this isn’t helping anyone. I’m sorry, Morph.”

“I’m sorry too, I usually have better control of myself than that.”

“I think the pressure of it all is getting to us, next time we feel like killing each other though, maybe we should get some air.”

“Yeah, that would probably be best.”

He offers me his hand, and I grasp it in mine, giving it a firm shake. If we can manage to keep our cool, then maybe we can actually do something about this shit. Because Eli made some great points, we can’t exactly help anyone if we’re dead, all because of our fucking egos.

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Melissa

I slowly begin to come to, and I feel my head throbbing in time with my heartbeat. It takes me a few minutes to remember what happened, but when I do, I jerk forward in my seat. I don’t get very far though, as something digs into my wrists, pulling me back against the seat. I try to open my eyes, finding that I can’t see a thing, and the feeling of what smells like someone's sweaty socks sits across my eyes.

Seriously, you would think that whoever tied me up, would have at least used a clean bit of cloth. But no, instead I’m going to have to scrub my skin with bleach when I get out of here. I have no idea how long I’ve been here, but surely the guys and Annika must be looking for me by now.

I hear someone tutting from close by on my right side, and my body tenses. How I never noticed someone in here with me, I’ll never know. I thought they said that your other senses become heightened when another is taken from you. I listen closely as whoever it is stomps their way across the room before crouching before me and placing their sweaty hand on my shoulders.

My heart rises into my throat, knowing that whoever has me wouldn’t be making so much noise if the others were still here. I don’t want to let my fear ride me, but the thought of facing the whole cult on my own has my stomach sinking. I guess I’m just going to hope that luck is on my side, but either way, I need to get away from this fucker and find the abducted Fae. I sure as hell ain’t leaving here without them!

“I have to say Miss Greene, I’m rather disappointed in you.”

I suck in a shocked breath through my teeth, recognition filling me at the sound of the same sleazy voice that sat across my desk from me when Morpheus and Zaphyr came to my office. I seethe as I address my captor with a sarcastic sneer.

“It’s lovely to meet you again too, Mr. Sullivan. Although I must admit, I don’t usually let anyone tie me up on the second date, usually I at least wait until the third.”

His hand comes at me out of nowhere, striking me across the cheek, and the taste of blood fills my mouth. I spit, hopefully