echo [completed]

chapter 16

"and where do you think you're going with my key?"

cora turned around and saw ms. eden blocking the only way that would lead her to kyle's room.

"someone was trying to steal it."

"and that someone is you." she paused to check her nails. "oh. don't act so shocked, dear. your naivety makes you look weak." the woman chuckled. "besides, i can hear your thoughts - your intentions - since you walked inside of my territory."

"what are you?" cora asked, clutching the key tightly and bared her claws.

"something you don't want to mess around with."

cora didn't have time to process all the things ms. eden had said because she got caught around the throat and was thrown on the ground.

"you three would help our building prosper."

"what the hell are you talking about?" she asked gruffly as she struggled under ms. eden's choking hold.

"you see -"

ms. eden's body was flicked away from her for unknown reasons until she saw two bodies - one standing tall and the other limping - emerging from the darkness.

the familiar blonde hair glinted and she rushed straight to him.

"kyle. kyle, how did you do that?"

"apparently he's a wizard now." said the boy carrying her friend.

his face was hidden because the moonlight seemed to avoid hitting his face, but she remembers that voice and the click of realization hit her.

"isaac?" she whispered softly.

he moved to a better position and it was, in fact, him.

cora let go of her grip on kyle's shoulders and hugged isaac. she almost bursted out crying, but she stopped herself.

"nice little reunion, i see."

their focused returned on the woman struggling to pull herself up.

"two wolves and one wizard. how fascinating." she flicked the dust off of her and smiled smugly at the group of young adults. "looks like i've hit a jackpot."

"it's 3 to 1, eden, you wouldn't stand a chance."

"who said i can't take all of you down with jus-"

a couple of shots were fired from a few blocks away and all was quiet, except for the running footsteps.

"andrew!" cora surprisingly said his name with such emotion. "andrew, you saved our lives!" she was almost ready to run to him - to give him a hug, but isaac barricaded her path.

"stop - cora. i can hear his heart. it's beating fast, but it's not from too much running or adrenaline rush." isaac whispered as he continued to be cora's wall against andrew. "he's seething with rage."

"that bullet was meant for you!" andrew screamed at cora, a pulsing vein on the surface of his forehead.

cora and isaac looked at one another. the face of confirmation evident on their faces.

"you see, i'm not just a butler in this building, cora, i'm a son. a son of the man you killed."

"what the hell? why are you blaming that on me?"

"oh, i don't know. maybe because i saw you leave my dad's office, rushing, and when i got there he was lying on the floor, his chest never went back up." he sniffled and held the gun up, still standing in the same position he was at where he mistakenly hit eden. "you killed him. you killed my dad, you little bitch!" he fired shots again, but badly missed.

the trio scrambled to the door as andrew continued his fail attempts. he began running towards them and changing his empty pack.

cora pulled the keys and jumbled through them, hoping that the first try would be the right one, but luck wasn't on their side for that one.

it took five tries before she was able to click the lock open.

before cora had the chance to close the door shut, one of andrew's bullets scraped past her arm and broke through her skin.

"it's all good, isaac." she hissed through the pain. "now go! we wouldn't have much time. once he reports back to the control room every door would be on lock down and we'll be as dead as the dry turkey they serve."

isaac's stomach grumbled under their heaving breathes and they laughed it off.

the sirens went off, but they were too late.

the trio had already made a touchdown in the forest.

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they scouted for a few more hours, stopping for a few minutes to rest and continued as daylight slowly approached them.

the walk back to the cabin felt like a burden to them, but they were all in euphoria at the sight of it.

kyle, even though he was still tired from the usage of witchcraft, rushed inside to check on chloe while the other two settled on the logs designated for 'relaxing'.

"you look great, cora, love the rips paired with the converse." cora rolled her eyes with playful annoyance that he didn't notice.

"too soon?" cora simply gave him a 'you think?' face - a hale family trademark.

the front door to the cabin jolted open, alarming both isaac and cora from their one sided conversation.

the look on kyle's face wiped the playfulness off of cora's face and was replaced by seriousness.

"what's the matter, kyle?"

"they took her...they took chloe." kyle's red-rimmed eyes became moist and soon water flowed down his cheeks.

cora went to his side to comfort him. she took the letter from his hand and read it.

"one, two
you're down to two.
three, four
oh, wait there's more.
there's one more clue
for you to see.
inside this letter
i will give.
the ring i slipped out
of her finger.
time is running out
but you have yet found
my hiding place, kyle."

"a ring? i don't remember chloe wearing a ring." kyle looked at cora, confused. "you don't think-"

"kyle, i think they have your wife with them." isaac finished.

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A/N: (totally late but whatever) HAPPY NEW YEAR GUYS!! i'm so glad that 2015 is finally over and we get to make new memories this year! hopefully everything flows smoothly :)

01/01/2016

- lani