Chapter Five – Part IV

Echo

I was lying when I’d said everyone knew I was there. I figured it’d scare Undertaker, which it totally did. I thought I was completely alone, the only person who knew about his little hideout and his plans to kill the girl who is apparently my half-sister. But my little lie tuned out to be true. Just seconds after my battle with Undertaker, two people showed up ready to save Wynter from Undertaker yet again. Turns out that guy is hard to kill.

And I guess I really didn’t need to save her after all.

I should have known as much was true. Though we are related by blood, we have absolutely nothing else in common. Wynter has people who care about her. No one cares about me. My parents don’t even know what happened to me, and if they did, it’s not like they could ever hope to save me. They’re just humans in a world controlled by talents.

Surely they will capture me again, force me back into another cell–one Undertaker hasn’t secretly altered with fancy accessories. I can’t let that happen.

Wynter wants to know what happened. Everyone turns to look at me.

So I run.

Wynter

I wipe the water off of my face and look over, just in time to see Echo make a break for it. “WAIT!” I shout, trying to get to my feet and almost falling over. “I was kidnapped–and I just had a really nasty dream, but if they say you saved me, I believe them,” I say.

“We need to call Prince,” GM says, grabbing Vixie by the arm, “c’mon, let’s let them talk while we do.”

“Anything you say,” Vixie says, following him. “If you need us, just shout, okay?” she calls over her shoulder.

“Thanks, Vixie,” I say, pushing my hair back and trying to clear my mind. “He was going to kill me,” I whisper. “I was going to die at that psycho’s hands.” I look up, hoping that Echo actually stuck around when I asked her to. I need to thank her. And… you know, find out where she’s been all this time. Probably nowhere nice. Suddenly I feel guilty for leaving her there.

She saved me. I guess that means she’s not the one that set me up at the school, after all, huh?

Echo

I’m barely out the door when I hear her call for me. I know I’m not her favorite person, but she wasn’t mine until I learned that we are related. Blood is thicker than water and all that. Sure, we didn’t like each other, but she’s the only tie I have to who or what I really am. That has to count for something, right? I should keep running, but something nags at me, making my feel slow to a stop.

“Yeah, I saved you,” I say, my back to her. I can feel her watching me, feel how she wants me to continue and explain myself. I can’t tell if that’s just a gut feeling or if it’s part of my talent, the guessing-what-people-will-say part.

I take a deep breath and turn around to face her. The other two people who came to save her have slipped away, leaving us alone. “I’ve been kept in a bare prison cell that I’m pretty sure isn’t an actual prison, but more like Velvet’s secret place to keep people she doesn’t like.” I’m not sure how much I should tell her, but I let my instincts take over when I speak again.

“I shouldn’t have found out, but I did. I saw Undertaker’s private computer and figured out his plan to kill you. I think he was mad that you were going to take over the corporation before he was, so he wanted you dead. And, well . . .”

I take in a ragged breath and just spit it all out. “Since we’re half sisters and all, I had to save you. I couldn’t let him kill the only family I have.”

Wynter

I stare at her. I can’t help myself, she just said something really, really strange. “Half… sisters?” I repeat, since my mind can’t quite wrap around it. “What do you mean, half sisters?” I mean, sure, the eyes–but strange things are common in the Talent world. If you don’t have a strange marker of some sorts, YOU’RE the strange one–

“Wait… my mom was a norm,” I say. “So you’re saying my dad–you’re accusing my dad of–” Well, no, I think after a second, I hardly know what my dad would have done. He was always running around working, he was famous, there’s a good chance that– “I mean, I guess it’s possible…” I look at her, trying to see the similarities. The eyes, although they’re opposites, but the hair is different, and…

“I am even MORE confused right now,” I say finally. “Why do you think we’re half sisters?”

Echo
“Because I read it online,” I say, realizing that’s probably the stupidest answer ever. The internet also says that the loch ness monster is just a hoax when we’ve all seen what it can do when it gets angry. Taking a deep breath, I try to explain myself some more. “LabRat discovered that I have half alien DNA, so that must be my mother. And while I was snooping through Undertaker’s computer, it told me I have only one living relative–you.”

Running a hand through my messy hair, I gnaw on my bottom lip. “So maybe it’s wrong, but I think it’s right. Actually . . . I might be able to prove it.”

I’ve heard that some Talents can only be taken down by their own flesh and blood when they go rogue. It’s because often, their talents don’t work on the people they’re related to. This might be a long shot, but I have to try.

Using my talent, I yank hard on the last few seconds of Wynter’s memories. If nothing happens, then I’ll have all the confirmation I need. If she does forget . . .

Wynter

I jerk as I fee something inside my head, freaking out. “HEY!” I say, jerking back and glaring at her. “Out of the head! I already had a freaky dream about this ghost Undertaker trying to get in my brain, I don’t need you doing it, as well,” I complain. “Were you just trying to wipe my memories?” I ask. “Like, oh, I was lying, so I’ll just wipe the whole ‘sister’ comment from the ledger?” I get to my feet, slowly, almost falling over.

“I think he stuck me with something,” I say after a second, looking down at the red spots on my forearm. “I think I’m going to be sick–” I jerk, trying to keep it down.

“Antony’s on his way,” GM says from the doorway. “He says to make sure both of you stay put. He wants to talk to you.”

I look for a bucket or something, a bit desperately. Wait–I should have LET her wipe my mind, right? That was a really traumatizing experience.

Oh, look, a bucket. Awesome, just what I needed, I think as I grab it.

Echo

“That’s what I thought,” I say, turning away since Wynter suddenly looks sick. “My talent didn’t work on you, which means we’re most definitely related.”

I glance at the guy in the doorway, only just now registering what he said. “Wait. Antony is coming?”

Oh no. This can’t be good. I am so screwed. Antony is Velvet’s very close boyfriend. I’m going to be locked up again.

“I can’t stay,” I say, turning back toward Wynter. “I’ve told you all I know, and now I have to leave. I won’t be kept prisoner again.”

Wynter

“You’re my sister,” I say, wiping my face with my forearm and letting all the other factors sink in. “That means you’re the daughter of Tristan Chill. That explains the brain powers, the line’s all psychic based–don’t,” I say quickly, holding up a hand. “He won’t lock you up–you’re too valuable.”

I love Antony, but I’m not stupid. “The reason he adopted me, it wasn’t because I was cute, or simply because I was the daughter of his best friend, Echo,” I say. “The reason was because I was the daughter of Tristan Chill. Had he hated my–our dad, he STILL would have adopted me. The Chill line is one of the most powerful, and old, around. And if he finds out that there are two of us–”

“Two?” Antony asks as he steps into the room. “Two of who?” With GM standing there already, the door is well and truly blocked.

“Echo,” I say, “just happens to be my father’s… love child.”

“With an alien, right?” GM adds. “He did like his planet hopping,” he says thoughtfully.

Antony looks at Echo, his expression going thoughtful. Behind him the place is being wiped out, the body removed and taken care of. Soon, the place will have never been there. “I see,” he says. “Very interesting. Yes, I can see the resemblance…”

Echo

My breath hitches. Antony is watching me, his thoughts unreadable. His eyes shift from me to Wynter and back, and he nods. I look over at her, trying to find some kind of resemblance myself, but it’s hard to see.

Panic has nearly consumed me, and even though in the back of my mind, I’m thinking I might be able to wipe Antony’s memories and run out of here, I know Wynter won’t let me get away. She seems to trust him.

Maybe I can trust him, too.

“Listen, uh, Mr. Antony, sir.” I take a deep breath. “I swear I am not the bad guy here. I didn’t know anything about my talent until recently and I certainly didn’t know about my biological parents. I didn’t attack Wynter. I didn’t set her up–I didn’t do anything, really.”

“Why are you rambling on so much?” he asks, and somehow it doesn’t sound as rude as it might seem. I think he’s genuinely interested.

“Well, sir,” I glance at Wynter, and then back at Antony. “I don’t want to go back to jail. I’ll behave. I swear.”

“Jail?” He turns to Wynter, an eyebrow quirked. “Echo was in the detainment center with you?”

“No, not that jail,” I say before she says anything. “I was in Velvet’s jail. It was more like a random locked room, I guess.”

“Well then,” Antony says, his expression unreadable. “Let’s go have a chat with my… companion.”

Wynter

Oooh, he is PO’ed, isn’t he? “Dad, can you do it yourself? I’m still sort of ick. You know, being beaten in prison, cuffed, kidnapped, and almost killed–oh, and a really bad nightmare, it sort of takes it out of a girl.”

“Oh,” he says, suddenly reacting. “I apologize, my dear,” he says, crossing the room and pulling me into a hug. “I should have realized that earlier,” he says into my hair. “Can I send you and your sister home with GM?” he asks.

“Yes, please,” I say, hugging him back. “As long as you aren’t going to ship me off to space to be experimented on again,” I add, tongue-in-cheek.

“You were hardly being experimented on,” he says. “Echo, my dear, do you trust me to take care of this little problem, or would you rather come with me?” he asks my half sister. “I promise, there will be… minimal bloodshed.”

“Velvet never was very fond of aliens,” I have to admit. Oh, she’s perfectly fine with humans of any color, gender, whatever, but she draws the line at aliens.

Echo

Antony just asked me a question that I’m not sure how to answer. If my fate were actually in my hands, I’d choose to go anywhere but here. Somewhere far, far away. Too bad the reality is that my fate is in the hands of people vastly more powerful than I am.

But at least he gave me a choice.

“I don’t want to be thrown in a cage again,” I say, clenching my fists so that at least one part of me seems strong.

“You will be going home with Wynter and GM,” Antony says. “It is not a cage.”

I shake my head. “I don’t know that. I’m not going anywhere that could potentially become a cage. I choose to stay on the move.”

Antony quirks an eyebrow. “Does that mean . . ?”

“Promise me my sister will be okay,” I say, suddenly emboldened with a desire to keep my blood safe. “She’s the only family I have and I need to know that she will be kept safer than she was in the detainment center.”

“I promise,” Antony says, standing to his full height. He glances back toward Wynter, his gaze telling her something only a daughter would understand.

“Good,” I say, swallowing. “And yes, I am going with you.”

Wynter

I look from Antony to Echo and hesitate for all of a moment before nodding. “Keep her safe, Dad,” I say. “I… I need to go home.” I feel light headed and sway slightly, only to be caught by GM. “And when this is all over… maybe we can talk,” I say to Echo, suddenly conscious of the fact that we haven’t been on very good terms so far.

This isn’t over, I know it isn’t. Even if I was kidnapped from the detainment center, it doesn’t mean I’ve done my time. And other than the fact we’re siblings, we still don’t know much about Echo’s past. Who was her mother? How did she get to Earth? Why did we only just now find out about her? Abilities usually show up when you’re young, right? And why do I keep picturing Ashes eat that black wisp?

My mind is whirling as I’m gently led away. I take the time to look back, watching Antony and Echo until they’re no longer in sight.

No, this isn’t over. But I could seriously use an intermission.

About Cheyanne

Author of books for teens and the teens at heart.

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Posted in Echo & Wynter