Shadowstruck

Chapter 16 Part 1

The two of them made their way around the back side of the castle, neither making a noise.

They stopped at a flight of stairs. Noah crept up it, waving Cooper to follow. They snuck along the balcony wrapping around the side of the castle, stepping quietly and carefully.

"Come on," Noah muttered, quietly trying a door. Unlocked. He pushed it open, glancing up and down the hall. The walked in, quicker with their footsteps muffled by the carpet. Cooper was half-paying attention to Noah, the other half fixated on the castle. It had wide, twisting hallways with flickering lights on either side of them. 

The two of them heard footsteps coming down the hallway. Noah looked towards Cooper, worried. They were too close for them to have a chance at hiding.

Ides raced through Cooper's head. Time was running out. He had no choice.

He grabbed Noah's arm, closing his eyes and concentrating. Just as the people came around the corner, he opened them, noting the hazy purple glow around everything.

"Wh-" Cooper clapped a hand over Noah's mouth, glaring and shaking his head. He pulled both of them to the side of the hall, out of the way of the source of the footsteps. Now was not the time to freak out over how close he was to Noah, or how their faces were just a few inches apart, or how Noah grabbed his hand tighter, or shit he was freaking out about it-

"...I'm just saying that they aren't stupid." The taller boy spoke first. "They're probably going to come and try to be heroic or whatever. And when that happens, we need to be prepared."

"Chill out for two seconds, Alex, will you?"

"He's got a point, Aki." They walked past Noah and Cooper without so much as a second glance. "The five of them are going to come for us sooner rather than later."

Cooper and Noah looked at each other and followed curiously.