Cora

Chapter Fifteen

"Come on scumbag, get movin'." Emma's voice intruded my dreams and snapped me back to reality.

Groaning, I sat up. Stretching my arms above my head, I stifled a yawn and looked at Emma and two other prison guards who were hovering in the doorway. "What's this all about?"

Emma looked down at me, spectating me as if I was a specimen in a laboratory. "It's Luke," She finally confessed. "I think we found him."

"You what?" I asked in astonishment, standing up. Emma winced and slightly backed up while the two guards by the door were in a position to tackle me if given the opportunity.

"Luke. He's not dead. Get up, get moving." Emma didn't make any eye contact with me and left the room, summoning the body guards to escort me.

They stepped up to me, roughly yanking my arms and pushing me out of the cell even though I wasn't fighting.

I looked over at Shai's cell, and saw her staring at me. Her hair hung over her face as her cracked, pasty white face broke into a grin. Find her, her mouth moved without any sound coming out.

I stared back after Shai, being shoved along the way. They pushed me through the door, blocking her from my sight.

They pushed me through the neon yellow accented halls, and into another meeting room. This one, though, was smaller. It only had about twenty chairs revolving around a huge circle table, and a screen on the wall. At the table sat Emma, Dylan, and... Leah?

"Leah!" I screamed, and the guards loosened their grasps. She ran to me and I ran to her, and we hugged. It seemed like we hugged forever. My messy black hair tangled with her silly caramel colored hair, and her nails dug into my back.

"But I thought you were..?" I started, but Leah cut me off. There were tears overlapping dried tears and she spoke in a rush.

"The accident, I thought you were dead, I just can't believe you're..."

She looked at me as if to make sure it was really me. I studied her too.

She had some creases and wrinkles in her face, and a few stray gray strands. I also noticed she had henna tattoos. Other than that, Leah looked the same.

Dylan broke up our little reunion and summoned us to the table.

"Why are you here, Leah...?" I asked, suddenly confused. Leah's face went solemn.

"Luke. I know where he is. And they have my baby girl, Shai." Leah choked up on the last sentence. I didn't even know she had a daughter.

Showing no sympathy, for either me or Leah, Dylan spoke up.

"As you know Cora, we are at the Preservatory. Instead of Luke being here, we found Leah. His trustworthy sidekick." Dylan glared at Leah.

"You're lucky we didn't beat your ass to death. If you didn't know where Luke was, then-"

"Dylan. Stop. Please." Emma interrupted. "We need to know where Luke is, and you're not exactly making it any better.

Dylan gave an exasperated sighed and stood up.

"Fine then. You can explain, Emma." He stomped out of the room and slammed the door behind him.

Emma stared after him for a few seconds, then returned her attention to us. You could see a hurt expression on her face.

"Where's Luke, Leah?" Emma asked.

"I don't know, where's my daughter?" Leah retorted.

(buuuuuuurn!)

Emma glared at Leah for a long moment. "We made an agreement," Emma argued. "That you'd tell us where Luke is, and then we'd give back your daughter."

"I didn't even know you had a daughter," I spoke to Leah. She gave me this look, I'm not even sure what kind of look, but then turned to Emma.

The two girls gave each other death looks, daring one another to speak up. I broke it.

"Leah just tell her." Leah continued to stare at Emma as if she hadn't heard me. I thought she didn't hear me.

"He's here. In the Preservatory."