ECHO [Rewritten - NaNoWriMo '16]

Chapter 27: Burn With Me

A/N: Hey guys! So, I know it's been a little bit since I've posted anything. I really am writing and keeping up with the story. But I have a few chapter queued up so you'll be able to continue reading. Hope you're enjoying it, thank you for reading!

26 March 2016

Between New Forest and Canterbury, England

Wren

Viper's blood was already growing cold on my skin. With each breath, it moved my hand just slightly. Enough so that a portion of blood dripped into the already small puddle onto the floor. My eyes were frozen on not only the blood on my hand, but also on the hilt of the knife that rose from the woman's temple. I had killed her; I had killed my sister's lover. And I had every reason to...so why did I feel this way? What was happening?

I don't know how long it was until I felt warm, soft hands on my wrists. I looked up to see Echo's blue eyes looking into mine. Her face...it was different. The coldness, the bloodlust, the anger that I had become accustomed to, it was gone. There was a softness, and worry in those shining eyes, that hadn't been there before. I was so startled that I didn't resist and rose to my feet as she guided me. Her hands were still on my skin as she asked, "Wren, can you hear me?"

"Yeah," my voice was barely audible. I cleared my throat and said, "Yeah, I...I killed her."

"You did." Echo pursed her lips, "I'm sorry, I didn't want you to do that."

"Why? She killed my sister," I said softly.

"You're not a killer; maybe punched her in the face, but that was all you should've done." Echo replied, just as quietly.

"She killed my sister," I repeated, insisting. It had to have been justified. What I did.

Echo seemed to understand and she nodded, "She did. She deserved what she got."

That was when I remembered the snakes covering Echo head to toe, and all that blood. "Echo, the venom..."

"It's still in me," Echo was shaking, "But it won't kill me, Viper is dead. I'll be sick as fuck, but I'll live."

I touched her cheek gently. I had come to care about this woman, and I wanted her to be okay. When she held my gaze intently without flinching, I nodded and let her help me stand. I swayed slightly on my feet, but I shook my head and continued forward. Howl and Aurora were on either of Echo, helping her we walked towards the door. It was terrifying to see her covered in blood and wounds. But I knew that she wouldn't accept any sort of help. Echo was exceedingly stubborn like that.

I opened the door and stood at the entrance, waiting for Howl and Echo. But something was off. I frowned. Paiute wasn't curled around Echo like he usually was. No, he was sitting over near the edge of the room. By what looked like a door that was in the floor. My eyes flicked to Echo, she didn't look like someone who had finally won. No, her eyes were still burning with that blue fire. And when they caught my brown eyes, they became wicked. I didn't even have time to warn Howl what was about to happen when Echo yanked herself from his grip. She grabbed him and promptly threw him through the door and right into me. We toppled to the floor in a tangled mess of limbs.

Howl shoved me away to get to his feet but the air was ripped apart by a gun firing. I straightened to see Howl frozen; Echo had her gun pointed right at him. She must have fired it, so close to him that it had made him freeze and think twice. Because otherwise he would've tried to go towards her. After a moment where no one dared to breathe, Aurora walked forward to squeeze between Howl and I so that she could stand behind us. I got to my feet and stared at Echo, "Why?"