But his message was far from calming.Angel, Xumi is moving us. I don’t know where.
It sent me into a complete panic. Especially when his presence in the link faded.
Matt!
Drugged...And he was gone.
Gone. I spun to the window and stared out at the morning sky, toward the gate we’d come home through. We’d known Xumi would move them, but I’d hoped for more time.
We might never find them.
My panic threatened to overwhelm me, and I had to fight for coherence. Cara was in the process of “rounding up the cavalry,” as she put it. I needed to find her and tell her what was happening. Where would she have gone?
It was morning in this realm, and I glanced at the clock on the mantel. It was a rest day for the students, but somewhere out there, they’d be doing their run.
Without Sebastian.
My heart ached as I headed for the door.
It opened before I got to it. A blur of black and white blasted through—Trix planted her feet on my thighs and “rrroow-rroow-rrroow-ed” at me.
Everything I’d been through—all my worries about Matt and Talakai and Sebastian—suddenly spilled over. The tears poured down my cheeks as I stood there with my fists in Trix’s fur.
“Shatza.” Kitani put Alyssa down to be with her sister and wrapped her arm around my shoulders. “You’ve been through hell. Come. Sit.”
“No. I have to find Cara.” I fought for breath. “I’ve heard from Matt—Xumi is moving them. That’s all he said before they drugged him.”
Kitani’s eyes flashed for a few moments as she walked me to the couch. “Okay. I’ve told Cody—he’s with Cara and Amadeus. They’re discussing the rescue.”
“I should be there.”
“No, you shouldn’t. Tyrez is with them. Between those three, Amadeus had better watch his step.”
“But—Matt and Talakai will be gone. We won’t find them.”
Kitani hesitated as she again consulted Cody, then said, “He says Xumi is moving them too fast for us to come after her at that location. They will work that into the plan.”
The plan? I should never have let Cara take me away. My heart twisted as I let Kitani guide me to the couch.
The Sabre’s arm squeezed my shoulders before she removed it to take Alyssa’s hand. The twins were regarding me with huge, worried eyes.
“To get them away from Xumi, we need a solid plan,” their mother stated calmly.
She was right—my men needed more than sheer willpower and my magic touch. Kitani gestured to the couch, and as I sat, she settled beside me. Caty crawled up on my other side. Alyssa stood near where Trix sat at my knee, and all four stared at me with troubled expressions.
Kitani’s glowed gold. I tried a quavering smile on the twins. They didn’t look convinced, probably due to the tears coursing down my cheeks. I couldn’t seem to stop them.
Then a bedroom door opened, and Jacques walked out.
I had no idea he was in there. I was so mentally scrambled I hadn’t even sensed Trix coming to the door.
The Satyr was almost unrecognizable in a flowing white blouse that matched the one I wore, but it looked quite different on him. His pants still had bloodstains. His face was gaunt, and his eyes stared out of sunken sockets.
I jumped out of my seat and hugged him before I’d consciously thought about it. He was a few inches taller than me, and his arms came around me, and he buried his nose against my hair.
“Ma Chérie,I am tougher than I look. I regret that you must see me like this.” His arms tightened. “Je t’implore, do not hold it against me.” His nose moved closer to my neck, and he inhaled.
Kitani’s voice came from behind me. “She’smated, Jacques. To a Dragon, a Dire, and a Bellati. If you wish to keep all your fingers and a few other key bits that you value, I suggest you let her go.”
