Marked By Power (Marked, #1)

“Too late, dickhead. Kenzie, is that you?” Logan’s sleepy voice drifts over to me as he rolls over. I watch as he grins at me as he sits up in bed, shirtless and looking amazing. His blond hair is messy and all over his face but it’s not that I’m looking at. No, it’s his muscular chest, the marks covering his heart and ribs. He has quite a few, just like his twin.

“Hey,” I say, pulling myself out of the bed and stretching. My shoes and coat are missing, I notice as my feet touch the cold floor.

“What are you doing in Enzo’s bed, and why wasn’t I invited?” Logan asks with a wink that makes me blush.

“Crowe decided to pick a fight with Stella, and it didn’t go well,” Enzo answers dryly.

“Shit, your ex? That girl is fucking crazy,” Logan says, suddenly looking much more awake as his eyes widen.

“You dated her?” I ask Enzo, and he narrows his eyes on me.

“For a bit. It wasn’t my best decision. She got a little crazy,” he says.

“How?” I ask with a chuckle that makes him groan.

“She’s stalking him and making sure no girl goes near him in this place. There are some rumours going around,” Logan answers. I chuckle as Enzo uses his air mark to slam a book off the side table. It hits Logan in the chest.

“Ouch, dickhead. I didn’t say they were true,” he says.

“They aren’t true,” Enzo grits out and mutters something under his breath that I can’t hear.

“Why the fuck are we all up on a Sunday, at five am?” Logan asks, and I look over to see him on his phone.

“Crowe has training with Mr. Daniels at six. She doesn’t want to be late,” Enzo replies. Shit, how am I going to do class when I feel like this?

“I feel like crap,” I reply, and he nods.

“That’s what happens when people use the pain mark on you. I healed you, but you won’t feel good for a day or so. Stella’s most powerful mark is pain, she could have killed you and might have after you hit her. Stella will only see you as competition. You need to learn how to ward yourself,” Enzo says, his tone can’t be mistaken for anything other than a warning. I shiver as I remember the pain I felt, it was like being stabbed in every part of my body. I couldn’t focus enough to call any of my powers. I have a feeling I’m lucky Enzo was there and saved me. Again.

“She used what?” Logan asks, getting out of his bed and coming over to stand in front of me. I freeze as he brushes a stray hair away from my face. His finger skims over my cheek as I take a deep breath. Man, this guy is hot. Why are there so many hot marked here?

“I slapped her for speaking about Kelly like shit. What the hell was that party anyway?” I ask, my voice a little too high-pitched, and I inwardly groan. If Logan notices, he doesn’t say anything, and he moves away a little. I notice that Enzo has left the room, leaving the door slightly open. I didn’t even get to say thank you to the jerk.

“Stella throws a party every year, only for higher ups. It’s a shit party, anyway. Kelly didn’t miss out on much,” he says.

“Still. I hate how she looked down on Kelly for having two powers.”

“It’s our world. Now come on, let’s go get some breakfast, and I’ll walk you to class as I’m already up,” Logan says as he goes to his side of the room and gets some clothes out. I turn around when he just pulls his shorts off in front of me. Boy, this guy is confident and from what I caught a glance at, he should be. I spot my shoes by the door and slip them on. I find my coat on the back of the door and feel the pockets, finding my phone, but it’s flat. Damn, Kelly must be worried.

“Let’s go,” Logan says, and his hand slides into mine as we walk down the quiet corridor. I don’t question his hand in mine, not when I just saw what he looks like naked. Gods, I can’t stop thinking about his body.

“What classes do we have together?” I ask, remembering he was one of the students Mr. Daniels asked to watch me.

“Earth class. I was going to be in your pain class, but it clashes with one of my electives. So, unfortunately, Stella volunteered for that one. Ask Mr. Daniels to teach you how to ward, it’s easy, and I would show you if we had time,” he says. Great, more pain from the wannabe Barbie bitch.

We don’t say much more as we walk through the quiet corridors, it’s strange to see it this empty, but I know it’s because everyone is still in bed. Where I should be. Fucking detention every Sunday.

“Are the kitchens even open?” I ask, and he nods.

“Yeah, they have food out twenty four hours a day now. The transmutation students get really hungry after a shift and some of those classes are at night, depending on what you shift into,” he explains as we go down the stairs. I wonder what I will shift into?

We both grab our food when we get to the dining hall. I choose cereal as there is no cooked food at this time of day, and he gets the same as me. We’re munching on our cereal in companionable silence, when his phone goes off. He clicks it open and smiles at the phone, accepting a videocall.

“East man, what are you doing awake?” he asks.

“Kelly just came to find me, she can’t find Kenzie, and I’m—” he stops when Logan cuts him off.

“Wait, no worries. She was in our bedroom last night, that’s all,” Logan explains.

“What?” East shouts down the phone. I hear Kelly’s voice in the background, and I get up, walking around the table so I can see her.

“You could have texted me, Kenz. I’ve been worried,” Kelly says once I can see her in the phone.

“Sorry. It’s a long story, but I passed out. Enzo healed me and let me sleep in his bed,” I say, instantly regretting giving my explanation now over the phone. Shit, she looks even more worried.

“You okay?” she asks.

“Yeah, I’ll explain later. I’ve gotta go to detention. You know the one with Mr. Daniels,” I say, and she wiggles her eyebrows.

“I’m sure he can make you feel better,” she says, making me laugh.

“I doubt it, Mr. Daniels is a beast of a teacher. Everyone is scared of their classes with him, and no one has ever beaten him in a fight,” Logan tells me.

“Shit, that’s impressive. What is he doing being a teacher if he has skills like that? He could work for the council,” I reply.

“I heard his sister is a rebel, and that’s why he won’t work for them. He won’t hunt her.” East says coming back into view of the camera with a worried look.

“Makes sense, I guess.”

“Shit, we need to go. You’re gonna be late,” Logan says and turns the phone off before I can say goodbye. I look up at the clock, seeing it’s already ten minutes past six.

Great way to make an impression Kenz, turning up late to your first detention.





Chapter 12





Kenzie





I enter into the dark classroom and wonder where the heck the light switch is. It’s almost pitch-black in here.

Cece Rose & G. Bailey's books