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, thatidea sounds a little better since it offers us the chance to actually get out of here.
“Both of which require us to leavethisbuilding,” 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.
Myblood.
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 ShadowDaddy 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 fallas 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.
