Game of Survival-Shadowhunters

Book Club

Echo let out a gasp when she realized that she was no longer in the place where she fell asleep. She pushed herself up in her bed to find herself in her room at the Institute with a guest sitting in the chair across the room. The blond in the chair slowly turned his head from the stained glass window to Echo. Echo's black mane of hair was in wild curls and her eyes shone with a fiery glow.

Echo looked at the blond, "I'm not dreaming am I?"

Sebastian gently shook his head, "No you're not, dear sister."

Echo heard the slight warning in his voice and could see how daunting he could really be. Echo swallowed, "How did I get here?"

Sebastian slowly stood from the chair, "Jace. He took the tracker out, by the way."

Echo immediately put her fingers against her neck and could no longer feel the slight bump on her neck. "What happened last night?"

Sebastian came up to the foot of her bed, "What do you remember?"

"We talked before I fell asleep at your apartment."

"You passed out." Sebastian corrected her, "You had an episode after we talked and you passed out. I called Jace and he brought you here."

"What kind of episode?" Echo spoke the question with hesitation.

Sebastian shifted his weight from one foot to the other as if trying to avoid answering the question, "I watched you shift."

Echo's eyes went slightly wide, "Did I hurt you?" Her words were rushed.

Sebastian shook his head, "Nothing an Iratze can't fix."

Echo was disappointed by the answer and her actions but figured she shouldn't dwell on it.

She let out a breath and ran her hands across her face before she pushed the blankets off of her. She stood up, noticing she was in the clothes she wore the night before and walked up to Sebastian. Both siblings looked into each other's eyes before Echo pushed herself into Sebastian's chest again.

"I'm not going to let them find out." Echo pulled from the hug, "Ever."

Sebastian held his breath, "I thought you would have reacted differently."

Echo pulled away, "What?"

"I didn't know how you would have reacted to the information."

Echo let out a breath and shook her head, "I won't turn you in. I promised that last night. I've been looking for you since I remembered I even had a twin. But when I heard you were alive? I was so hopeful that I would find you. The moment I knew it was you, I couldn't believe it."

There was a moment of silence before Echo had a question in her mind, "Are you like me? Do you have...abilities?"

Sebastian gently shook his head, "No. I don't know how you got your abilities. But it certainly wasn't from birth."

The word stroke a memory from Echo. She remembered how she had seen Jocelyn when she was a new mother, looking down at her twin children.

"Jocelyn, she...I'm sorry she left you in Idris."

Echo noticed that she had hit a soft spot in Sebastian. His eyes let out a painful flash and Echo bit her lip. There were no more words exchanged amongst them. Sebastian let out a small smile before he pulled Echo's head into his shoulder as he kissed her forehead. Echo embraced the moment between them before Sebastian slid out of her room. Echo watched the door close behind him and couldn't help but feel how Sebastian shifted from being her brother to putting on a mask. The bond that Echo could feel between them was clear and strong.