"Naina! Are you okay?!" Two hands were shaking me by my shoulders. I opened my eyes. Noah's brown eyes were staring into mine, concerned. He was sitting at the edge of the bed. His skin was glowing with a golden hue due to the fireplace behind him. I was sitting in the bed, still shivering from the horrible dream I had. It took me a few minutes to realize I was safe in Kevin's cottage now. Well, relatively safer than in my dream. It was the daytime now. I could see the snow falling outside the window.

"I'm fine," I said pulling the blanket tighter around me. Noah's tense expression relaxed.

"I was really worried about you," Noah said, smoothing down my tangled hair. He was about to say something else when Kevin approached us with a steaming cup in his hands.

"It's hot chocolate." He offered it to me. "Drink it. You'll feel better."

That was when I saw a small kitchen counter and an oven in that cottage.

Nodding gratefully, I took the cup from him. The cup was hot in my hands, causing blood to rush through my palms. I placed the cup against my cheek enjoying the warmth. Kevin went away and returned with a pair of jeans and a t-shirt and a belt.

"Try them on. I don't think you could survive in that dress for too long." He said placing them on the bed. "Noah, help me shovel the snow away."

Noah got up from the bed and after giving me a wink, he lifted a shovel in a corner and followed Kevin out of the cottage. After finishing the hot chocolate, I changed into the jeans Kevin had brought. It was loose but the belt had secured it alright at the waist. I was not in a position to worry about my fashion. There was also a hoodie in the pile and I shrugged it on. I finally felt human and not an icicle.

I got out of bed. My legs ache like hell from all the running last night. I walked slowly looking around the cottage. There was a small cupboard fitted into the wall. A picture of Mitchell and Kevin took in some park was glued on the door of the cupboard. Seeing her made my muffled thoughts come back with full force. The nightmare I had last night and the words written in blood on the wall. I could still see that picture in my mind.

You're next.

I was the one who had the pearl after Mitchell. Obviously, I was the next target. But, was the pearl safe? Mrs.Lewis hadn't found it. Then it must be still in the apartment or with Noah. I walked to the window and looked out. Noah and Kevin were shoveling the snow away from the path. They were talking nonstop. There was a light in Noah's eyes I had never seen before. He got his best friend back. But how? How did they meet? What was Noah doing here? Was the pearl with him? I intended to find answers to all these questions.

I stepped out of the cottage rubbing together my palms, to stay warm. I had never been outdoors in this type of terrible weather before. Give me the tropical heat any day rather than this bone biting coldness. I pulled the hoodie onto my head to prevent the cold wind from rushing into my ears.

"Hey," I said approaching the boys.

"Hey," Noah replied with a Cheshire cat grin. He couldn't seem to wipe that grin off his face today.

"Can we talk about what happened last night?" I asked both of them directly. Noah looked at Kevin and Kevin looked at me. He nodded.

"Let's get in," Kevin said, already walking towards the cottage. Noah and I followed suit. He went into the kitchen. Not understanding what he was doing, Noah and I sat on the bed.

"I can't believe that old bat kidnapped you," Noah said, taking my hand in his. I couldn't help but laugh at his name-calling.

"I can't believe that either." I sighed. I didn't want to even think about it.

"Do you have the pearl with you?" I asked Noah. He patted his jeans pocket.

"I have it." He said

"I can't believe she lied that convincingly to my face when I asked about you. She said that she never saw you after Christmas dinner. She was in her apartment after your kidnap, Naina. How did she travel that far in such a short span?" Noah said with a thoughtful expression on his face. Mrs.Lewis seemed to be his favorite topic of the day.

"Maybe it was an apparition," Kevin said handing each of us a cup of hot chocolate. Kevin knew how to make me like him. I took the hot chocolate gratefully. This could be a great dilute for the impending storm of information to come.

"What do you mean by that?" Noah asked, taking a sip from his cup.

"She might have projected a part of her into the apartment while she was with Naina in that shack. Some witches and wizards can do it." He said casually like he was talking about the weather. I shook my head. This conversation was going to be so weird. The weirdest conversation of my life.

"How did you get here?" I asked Noah. That was the question that was bugging me mainly since I saw him at this cottage.

"I drove to that cave Naina. I didn't know how, but I only knew I had to save you. That was the only possible location I could think of to find you. So, I came. I was thinking of how to get in and then Kevin came from behind the trees all of a sudden. We were both surprised to find each other there. Then I told Kevin why I came down there. He told me he knew where to find you and gave me directions to this cottage. Before I could follow him, he sprinted off into the forest. Thank God you are safe." Noah shuddered. I kissed him on the cheek. He smiled at me. I couldn't understand how I ever doubted him. He was the best. Then I turned to Kevin, one of the biggest question marks in my life for the last few days.

"Thank you for saving me," I said realizing I hadn't said the words out loud since we escaped last night.

"I would have never left you in danger, Naina." He said and then his voice became rough. "Mitchell liked you so much."

"Did you kill Mitchell?" I asked Kevin. He looked sharply at me.

"Did you believe that for even one second, Naina?" Kevin asked, his face showing the pain, the memory of Mitchell caused to him.

Noah and I shook our heads collectively even if the question was directed only at me. I was glad I got that out of the way, first. No matter how much he talked, I wouldn't have trusted him without this answer. Now, I knew he was telling the truth. His eyes couldn't lie. The picture on the cupboard couldn't lie.

"Why did you run away from the police?" I directed my next question to him.

"I had to." He said leaning back into the chair. His palms were linked across his stomach. "I had to stop them from getting the pearl."

"Okay, who are these people we are running away from? Who killed Mitchell? Why did they want this bloody pearl?" I asked frustrated. I couldn't take secrets anymore. This had to be the day that everything had made clear to me.

Kevin's eyes got a faraway look as soon as I posed the question like he was reminiscing something.

"I'll tell you everything," He said. "It all started when we were fifteen."