Chapter 28 Elodie
ELODIE
Standing at the top of Institute Thirteen, a blanket draped around my shoulders, I lean against the man beside me.
Thorne.
A visit to the attic to learn of my past, while he slept, reuniting with my father, his father’s dearest friend, brings us together, looking out over the carnage we’re faced with.
He wasn’t lying when he said there was a sea of students camped out waiting to attack, ready to follow Jude’s orders the second I dare to step foot outside.
With the promise of my parents waiting, and a closer connection to my magic than ever before, I feel torn. While it’s safe in the fortress Thorne has created, we have no interest in hiding out forever, but fleeing isn’t as simple as thinking the word. Instead, we must figure this out, and fast.
Clearing my throat, my eyes narrow on a group of guys snarling up at us, baring their teeth as they let their threat sit silently in the air. “I hate how much weight Jude’s words carry,” I admit, anger boiling inside of me at the fact.
Thorne hums in agreement. “It’s part of his tactics, too; putting more barriers between him and us.”
“We don’t have time to waste on any of these people,” I grumble, spying familiar red curls among the fray of people, the sight of my least favorite person here frustrating me even more.
“We need to get out of here. The Vale doesn’t offer anything anymore. Their defenses have changed, and I can’t access their magic now,” Thorne explains, his jaw set in a firm line as he struggles to contain his annoyance too.
“What’s our best option, then? Back to the basement in Institute One?” I ask, unsure what use it would be, but the desire to destroy it is thick in my veins, hoping to send this entire place crumbling.
“Possibly. That, or head to the portal room in the academy building,” he offers, and I nod, that idea sounds a little better since it offers us the chance to actually get out of here.
“Both of which require us to leave this building,” I confirm, tightening the blanket around my shoulders as I try to find a break in their mass, but there’s not one, not even a sliver.
“You’re right, Echo. Let’s go and figure it out with the others,” he murmurs, opening the door behind me, and I slip through. As he locks it behind us, I unwrap the blanket from my shoulders, folding it neatly before dangling it over the top bannister.
I take a second, running my hands over the material as I inhale sharply, holding it for a beat before I exhale slowly. I need a clear head, we all do, but that seems easier said than done.
Thorne must sense my struggles, and he reaches for my hand, lacing our fingers together as we head down the stairs in silence, each lost to our own thoughts. We’re only pulled out of them as we reach the fourth floor to find four people waiting.
I don’t really recognize any of their faces, but the blazers they’re wearing confirm they’re Institute Thirteen, just like us. Yet the glint in their eyes makes it clear we’re not on the same team without them even having to open their mouths.
Three girls. One guy.
Thorne instinctively takes an extra step, a barrier between them and me, but that only seems to rouse a heightened desire for blood.
My blood.
The blonde in the center rakes her eyes over me as she inches forward, half a step closer.
“I’m so glad you decided to leave those four walls,” she says sweetly, pointing over her shoulder to the dorm.
“We were worried you were never going to come out,” she adds, her hands curling into fists at her side as her eyes narrow to slits.
“Can I help you?” Thorne asks, interjecting, and she preens, sweeping her hair back over her shoulder as she turns her attention to him.
“I’m good, Shadow Daddy. I'll come back to you soon enough,” she says with a wink, and I choke on my own saliva.
“Did she just call you Shadow Daddy?” I sputter, enjoying the tick that flickers at Thorne’s jaw, but it seems nobody else sees the humor.
Instead, the bitch in question turns to me with anger vibrating across her features. “I’ve been looking for you, Miss Blackwood. The games have changed,” she states, sending a wave of unease trickling down my spine.
“How so?” Thorne asks, my little Shadow Daddy coming off far more casual than I expect, and she shrugs, but the guy beside her speaks before she has a chance.
“Well, it's been brought to our attention that if we don't aid in capturing Elodie here, we're as good as dead too. We don't plan on dying for something that we weren’t involved in to begin with,” he grunts as the others nod in agreement.
I work out my jaw, trying to ease the tension that ripples through me.
Adrenaline seeps through my veins, the need to react raw, but I’m distracted by the touch from Thorne as he blindly reaches behind him, grabbing my hand once again. But this time, he doesn't lace our fingers.
His thumb presses into the center of my palm as he lifts my hand in the air. “Do you trust me, Elodie?” he asks without tearing his gaze away from the newfound enemies before us, and I frown in confusion.
Despite the uncertainty, I speak the truth. “Yes.”
“Good, because I trust you too,” he states, yanking me forward before slamming my palm against his chest.
A startled cry rips from my lungs as his magic courses through me, but he doesn't stumble and fall as I anticipate. He winces, but plants his hand on my chest too, curling his fingers around my shoulder as if keeping his balance.
“What the fuck?” one of the girls yelps, rearing back, drawing my eyes to hers as I gasp, black smoke wrapping around my free hand, and I realize what Thorne is doing.
“We’ll take him down together, Echo,” he rasps, not waiting for a response as he takes a step toward them, tugging me along with him as the black smoke floods the room, engulfing them, one by one, and all I can do is stand as an extension of his abilities.
“You're doing so well, Echo,” he praises, tilting his head to press his lips against the tips of my fingers.
It calms my rattled soul, quilling the fear thrumming through me.
As he lifts his free hand, mine follows suit until we’re a reflection of one another. His hand curls into a fist abruptly, and I watch in disbelief as mine does the same and the four of them drop to the floor.
Exhaling sharply, I drag my hand away from his chest, falling against the wall that manages to prop me up.
I blink in disbelief.
“Are you okay?” he asks, and I shake my head in disbelief.
“Me? Are you okay?” I retort, my voice sharp with panic as he runs his fingers through his hair and smiles.
“I’ve never been better,” he replies as I turn my attention to my trembling hands.
“What was that?” I ask, and he shrugs.
“I’m not back up to one hundred percent yet. As much as sleep invigorated me, I thought it was a good idea to try something I'd been thinking about,” he explains, but it still doesn’t make any sense to me.
“You could have been hurt, Thorne,” I grumble, my eyebrows furrowed as he wraps his arm around my waist, lifting me clear off my feet so we’re chest to chest.
Taking another deep breath, I cautiously wrap my arms around his neck, making sure not to touch him with my palms. Only then do I let my gaze settle on his, and it’s overwhelming to see how heated his eyes are.
“You are so hot when you’re lethal, Echo.” My breath lurches. “I can't wait to see what else we can achieve,” he breathes before leaning into me.
His lips brush against mine and I melt into him, but the second his touch deepens, the sound of a door swinging open cuts through the space, snapping our attention toward the noise.
We turn to find Kael, Rion, and Ocean peering out into the hallway, confusion marking their foreheads as they blink to us. Rion’s eyebrows rise as he stares at the lifeless bodies on the floor.
“We've got a clean up on aisle four. Clean up on aisle four,” he hollers, and I snicker, clapping my hand over my mouth as Thorne lowers me to my feet.
It’s startling how little I feel when I look down at them. Murder brought me here, and now it’s everywhere I look, but if I don’t defend myself, it’ll only be me lying on the floor.
“I didn't think anybody could get in,” Kael grunts, folding his arms over his chest as he leans against the door, and Thorne rolls his eyes.
“I didn't realize we needed to protect ourselves from other Institute Thirteen students. Alas, they've been dealt with, but I think it's time we come up with a plan to leave, because there's only so much it can hold off, and I'm sure others will find a way soon enough.”
Ocean nods in agreement as she tucks a curl of hair behind her ear, and I get that familiar sense when it comes to my friend.
“What are you thinking?” I holler, and she shakes her head.
“Nothing. Honestly, it's insane. Don't worry about it.”
“Share it with the group. It’s got to be better than what we have so far, which is nothing,” Thorne states, and Ocean nervously shuffles from foot to foot.
“And nothing is too far out there. We did just share my magic to make this happen,” he adds, making everybody's eyes widen, but I wave my hand for Ocean to carry on.
“The reality is, we all know we need to leave, and we all know that the people waiting on the other side of those doors are looking for Elodie. But what if we could get Elodie to leave without her looking like Elodie?” she offers, alluding to, but not confirming, what she’s talking about.
Rion shakes his head. “If you're talking about doing some more weird with your magic and somebody else's blood, I don’t—”
Ocean scoffs as she interrupts. “You can't do stuff like that.”
Rion throws his hands up. “Who knows when it comes to you? You’re psychotic, remember?” he grumbles, earning a smile from my friend.
Our friend.
“I was thinking more along the furry line,” she clarifies, and I frown.
“Furry line?” I repeat, and she nods.
“It seems it might be a good idea for you to take some abilities from another one of your harem members.”