Shadowstruck

Chapter 19 Part 1

April couldn't hear the conversation going on between Noah and Cooper. The one-sided one, apparently, because Cooper didn't appear to be talking. Only walking. With that sword pointed towards Noah.

"Please, Noah," she whispered, quiet enough that no one else could hear her. "Please just try."

She knew that, at the very least, he had a crush on Cooper; that much was obvious. To her, anyway. She was looking through the flames as she saw Noah slowly raise his hands, signaling defeat.

He was going to kill him.

April felt her breath catch in her throat and she could feel the tears running down her face. "No. Please. Don't." She was mouthing them, not risking speaking and getting anyone else hurt. "Please. Don't." She saw Noah look over at her for just a second. 

That might be the last time you see him before he dies, her heart screamed. She wanted to stop time, freeze it, just keep looking into his eyes because at this second, everything was okay. Everything was fine. No one was dead.

Then he looked back and April could feel her breathing quicken and she looked away towards Koko.

Whose eyes were normal.

"Koko. We have to do something," she whispered, voice low through her tears.

"There's nothing I can do," she muttered back. "It's t-taking all my strength to keep from letting them take control."

"Where were you hit?"

"Left hand." April slowly reached for one of the arrows inside the quiver strapped to Koko's leg before dragging it across her left hand.

"Better?"

Koko exhaled quietly. "Yes."

April looked back towards her best friend just in time to see Cooper's sword thrust into him. She couldn't quite tell where it had entered, but it looked fatal.

She grabbed Koko's hand and started to run, jumping over the fire and ignoring the scorch marks on her clothes, arrow still in hand. She saw Cooper raise the sword to his throat, pulling down harshly before sprinting and kneeling at Noah's side. She dropped down next to him, Koko on his other side.

"I'm sorry," he whispered, eyes searching Noah's face. He was gripping his shoulder and his eyes were shut tight. He was clearly in a lot of pain, blood leaking out from under his hand. "I'm so sorry."

"Hey, no, it's fine," April muttered. Both of them were crying. "Not your fault."

Koko carefully nudged Noah's hand out of the way, wincing at the deep wound in his shoulder before placing her own hand over it and concentrating.

April and Cooper looked at each other before looking back at the younger girl as bright light echoed from her hand and her own shoulder started to turn red with blood.