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  “So she’s a second victim.” I sank back to a sitting position, feeling as though I weighed five hundred pounds.

  Nox climbed into the nest to join me. “If something’s happened to them… yes.”

  “I don’t know what other conclusion to draw at this point,” I said, rubbing my tired eyes with one hand. “As much as I hate to say it, I think we’re looking at a rescue operation.”

  “Any news on your end at all?” Nox asked.

  “None.” I shook my head.

  He put a hand on my shoulder. “When was the last time you slept? Or ate?”

  I shrugged him off. “I’m fine. I’ll sleep when they’re found.”

  “All right then,” he said, his voice filled with determination. “We’ll call all our allies. I’ll contact my bandmates. And Nic. He can get his sister Estelle involved. And I’m sure Ava can convince Asher to come home and bring Alessia and Wes with her.”

  “No. I don’t want the Ancient Court involved in our lives.”

  Nox gave me a strange look. “Lad… they’re already involved. And we’re involved in theirs. And all of our lives are intertwined with the humans, though they’re unaware of it. Just think, if we’d refused to work with Nic and Macy and Alessia and Wes… the Plague would have spread unabated. The whole human population could have been wiped out. Ryann’s family, Ryann herself—she has human blood—she might have been susceptible to the infection. We’ve worked together before, we can do it again.”

  “This is different. We don’t know who took Ryann. It might very well have something to do with the Ancient Court. Alessia’s father was pretty darn interested in her and our baby when I was over there.”

  “So, let our friends in the Ancient Court find out.”

  I shook my head. “They’re outsiders. Trusting outsiders is what got us into this mess in the first place. We’ll handle this internally.”

  Nox stared at me for a long moment before twisting his head to the side then looking up to the heavens. Finally, his gaze met mine again. “Fine. I’m here for you. What do you need me to do?”

  “You’ve got a car?”

  “Yeah. I picked up a rental. Need me to take you somewhere?”

  I nodded, getting to my feet. “I was remembering when we were all in L.A., and Ryann called out to me mind-to-mind when you two were in trouble. That was a huge city, and I heard her.”

  Nox smirked. “I remember. At the time I wasn’t too thrilled about that. Of course, I would have ended up dead if you hadn’t.” His eyebrows lifted. “Have you heard her since she went missing?”

  “No, I wish. But she might be able to hear me. If we travel around the area and I call out to her. Maybe she’ll be able to respond and tell me where she is.”

  “It’s worth a try. Let’s go. But we are going to go through a drive-through or something first. Maybe you can go days without food, but I’m starving.”

  We started in Oxford, traveled up to Memphis and then back over to Tupelo. Ryann’s father told me by phone that the county sheriff had agreed to circulate the photo of the missing girls and to contact the local cell service provider to try to find the location of her phone. Michael said Ryann’s friends were all searching now as well.

  By nightfall, Nox and I had gotten full use out of his rental car’s unlimited mileage policy, covering all of North Mississippi and going south as far as Jackson. My mind was frazzled from concentrating on reaching out to her for so long.

  There had been no response. Either Ryann was incapacitated and unable to answer me or she was no longer anywhere in the area. I had no way of knowing which it was—both possibilities drove me insane to think about.

  The highway south of Jackson stretched out before us, and my eyes burned and blurred as I studied the road map in my hands. It hit me how very large just this one state was. It would take days to drive through every town, and whoever had kidnapped Ryann and Linnea could easily have driven them over state lines by now.

  “What next, boss?” Nox asked, sounding rather fatigued himself. He’d been driving nearly non-stop for more than twelve hours with only short breaks to pick up food or go to the bathroom. “Want to keep going south to the coast?”

  I looked over at him, at his large form hunched over the steering wheel and the cramped angle of his long legs.

  “No. Let’s turn around and head for home.”

  His eyes left the road to meet momentarily with mine. “Really? I’m fine to keep going if you want to.”

  I shook my head. “You’re a good friend.” After a pause I said, “And you were right. We can’t do this alone. I was being stupid. When we get back to Altum, I’m going to send out messengers to the other Light Court leaders and ask for help. And…”

  “And?” he prompted.

  “And we should reach out to our allies in the Dark Court as well.”

  A new light came into his face and his tone.

  “Now you’re talking. Who do you want me to call?”

  “Everyone. Anyone you think might be willing and able to help bring her home.”

  He broke into a wide grin and lifted his phone from the center console. “You got it.”

  Nox made a series of calls, leaving messages whenever he was unable to get through. The first to call back was Nic’s sister Estelle, who was, like so many Elven women, a stunning and successful model.

  She was from Corsica, an island off the southern coast of France, but she happened to be in California visiting Nox’s bandmate Anders. After speaking to her a minute, Nox handed the phone to me.

  “Lad?” The girl’s lightly accented voice was filled with sympathy. “Nox told me what happened. I’m so sorry. I’ll do anything I can to help you find Ryann and whoever took her. Any place you want me to start?”

  “Do you have any connections in the Italian Dark Court?”

  “Yes. As you know, my family’s at odds with some of the Ancient Court leaders now, but I’ve still got friends I can count on—well, friends might be the wrong word. There are a few guys in Italy who’ve let me know they’d be ‘happy to hear from me’ at ‘any time.’”

  I could practically hear the eye roll through the phone.

  “Excellent. See what you can learn about the Italian king, specifically if he’s traveled overseas recently, or if he’s sent agents to our area.”

  “You think he might be involved?”

  “Just a hunch. Maybe I’m way off, but it’s a place to start,” I said.

  “Okay, I’ll check it out. You should talk to Alessia, too. She’s kind of on the outs with her parents after marrying Wes, but she might have some insight to share.”

  My empty stomach curdled at the mention of the Ancient Court princess and her bond-mate, who was raised in a family of witches—Earth-wives, to be exact.

  “Thanks for your help, Estelle. I really appreciate it, and I look forward to hearing from you soon.”

  “Okay then. I’ll call as soon as I find out something.”

  She hung up, and Nox asked, “What did she say?”

  I answered him, leaving out her suggestion about calling Alessia. “She said she has some contacts in Italy. She’ll reach out to them and let me know what she finds.”

  “She’s a nice girl,” Nox assured me. “She’s spent a good amount of time in California recently, and I’ve gotten to know her. I know she’ll do her best.”

  I nodded. “I hope her best is good enough. And hopefully the police and the cell company will be able to find Ryann’s phone.”

  I’d used the word “hope” more times in the past two days than I had in my whole life. At this point, it was all I had.

  6

  Chapter Six

  LAD

  We reached Altum around midnight. I was so fatigued I actually tripped a few times while walking through the woods from the parking area to the underground entrance.

  Nox gripped my shoulder. “You’ve got to get some sleep, man. You’re no good to Ryann or anyone else like this. You can
barely function.”

  Heaving a heavy breath, I said, “I might take a short nap once I give the messengers their assignments and put out whatever fires have arisen in the kingdom while we’ve been gone.”

  “I can handle that,” he offered. “Just go to your quarters and eat something, take a shower. I’ll take over for a while.”

  We descended the winding earthen tunnel to Altum’s grand common area. Even in the low light of the glowing phosphorescent stones that lit our way, I could see the dark circles under Nox’s eyes.

  “You’re not exactly looking well-rested either. Did you sleep last night?”

  He made a no-big-deal face. “I dozed a little on the flight. I’m good to go. And I’m not under the same amount of mental strain as you are. I care about Ryann, and I’m worried and determined to get her back, too, but she’s your bond-mate. I know what that means. And God-willing one day I’ll know what it’s like to be expecting a baby with Vancia. At this point I can only imagine how difficult this has to be for you.”

  I gave him a grateful smile. “Thank you. For being here and for your offer. Maybe I will rest for just a short while.”

  When we reached the palace though, the news that met us wasn’t exactly relaxation-inducing.

  There are visitors, Langnon informed me. From Europe.

  My exhaustion was replaced with an electrifying adrenaline surge. Dark Elves? I asked him.

  Asher and two others. One is from the Dark Court. I’ve put them in the receiving room. Under guard.

  I patted his back. Good work. I’ll handle it.

  Nox kept pace with my quickened stride as I hurried toward the receiving room. “What’s up? News about Ryann?”

  “We’ve got some unexpected guests. Apparently, Asher brought them. Prepare yourself…”

  The two of us entered the room, and Asher got to his feet. Beside him stood Alessia and a man I’d never met. It had to be her bond-mate Wes. He was human but as tall as the typical Elven man with thick, dark hair and intense blue eyes. The three of them bowed.

  “Asher,” I said. “Welcome home. I take it Ava called you? Have you seen her yet?”

  He stepped toward me and gripped my arm in a friendly greeting. “Not yet. Should be here any minute. I just let her know I’ve arrived.”

  He exchanged greetings with Nox while I darted a loaded glance at his companions. “I assume there’s a good reason you’re not alone?”

  Asher stepped back beside his travel companions. “They’re here to offer their assistance. You remember Alessia? And this is her husband… uh, bond-mate, Weston Rowan. I’ve been staying at their house on the Isle of Eigg while training Alessia.”

  “I heard.”

  I wasn’t thrilled he’d brought them along without securing my permission first, but I was literally too tired to muster the appropriate amount of ire at that moment.

  As if reading my mind, or more likely, reading my tone and expression, Alessia said, “We’re sorry our arrival has taken you by surprise, Your Highness. Asher was afraid you might not welcome us with open arms—which I understand—but please be assured our only intention is to help in any way we can.”

  Switching to mind-to-mind communication, she went on. Your people did so much for me. Wes would never have been cured without you, and we wouldn’t be together. I want to return the favor, to help in any way possible. I’ve sent for my tracker. He’s already on a plane from Italy and should be landing soon. We’d like to go pick him up at the airport and bring him here if you’ll allow it.

  I studied her sincere expression and reminded myself it was impossible for her to lie when communicating in the Elven way. I’d only known of one Elf who could do that, and he was dead now.

  Still, I was unsettled by the idea of a virtual stranger from the Ancient Court coming here to our hidden home. A stranger married to a man with witch blood. But I was desperate. This was a new source of hope in a situation that didn’t offer much. I couldn’t afford to turn her down.

  “You’re certain he can track Ryann and Linnea?” I asked her.

  “The tracker?” Nox asked, trying to keep up with the conversation.

  Alessia nodded enthusiastically. “I’m confident in his abilities. His glamour is very strong. He’ll just need to be provided with some of their belongings, visit their quarters to get a sense of them. He successfully tracked Macy and Anders all over this country. If it weren’t for Anders’ exceptional luck, he would have caught up to them before Nic had a chance to intervene.”

  “Nic said the guy was always right behind them,” Nox added.

  I let out a long breath. “Very well. You may retrieve him from the airport when he arrives and bring him here—for a short visit. He will, of course, be guarded closely the entire time he’s in Altum.”

  “Of course. I understand.” Alessia smiled and squeezed Wes’s hand.

  “So will you,” I added.

  Now Wes spoke up, his English accent strong and his voice deep. “We mean you and your people no harm, Your Majesty. If it’s my family connection to the Earth-wives that has you worried, you shouldn’t. They’ve never had a quarrel with the Light Elves.”

  He glanced at his bond-mate with loving eyes. “They’re not too happy I chose to marry a Dark Elf, but they had no say in the matter. Anyway, I’m not involved in Earth-wife business at all.”

  “Be that as it may, you two will have ‘escorts’ to show you around while you’re here, I said. “They’ll ensure you and your tracker have everything you need to assist in the search.”

  The next words were more difficult, but I forced them out. “And please accept my thanks. It’s good of you both to come.”

  Turning to Asher, I said, “You too. I’m glad you’re home.”

  “Me too,” he said with a smile.

  That smile grew exponentially as the receiving room door opened, and Ava dashed through it, beaming and throwing her arms around him.

  “You’re here!”

  “Hey city girl.”

  Asher hugged her so tightly her feet left the floor. Then he looked up at me, his face nearly glowing with anticipation. “Permission to take my leave, Your Majesty? I’d like to go to our quarters and… freshen up.”

  I grinned despite my fatigue and ever-present sense of underlying anguish. I knew why he wanted to be excused to go to his quarters with his bond-mate.

  “Of course. I’ll see you both in the morning. We’ll regroup and discuss a search strategy then.”

  The happy couple exited the room, and the guards I’d called to escort Alessia and Wes stepped into it. I communicated their duties to them silently then turned back to the visitors.

  “Please let me know if there’s anything I can do to make your stay more comfortable. And I’d like to be notified as soon as the tracker arrives.”

  “Of course, Your Majesty. Good night.”

  We said our goodbyes, and I went to the suite I shared with Ryann. It was the first time I’d been there since she’d gone missing. The rooms felt wrong without her. Her hairbrush lay atop the bedside table. The nightgown she’d worn the last time we shared our bed was draped across the pillow.

  I stroked the silky fabric, a spiky pain twisting around my heart. Then I lifted the garment and rubbed it against my cheek, inhaling to take Ryann’s alluring fragrance into my lungs. The twisting pain became a vise, squeezing until it seemed my heart would burst.

  I didn’t realize I’d started crying until my irregular breathing turned into sobs. I didn’t want to be in here without Ryann. But I didn’t want to be anywhere else either. I couldn’t even look in the direction of the small, attached room she’d started decorating as a nursery.

  Where are you, my love? Just tell me, and I’ll move Alfheim and Earth to get to you and bring you home.

  Overcome with grief and exhaustion, I fell onto the bed and into a fitful sleep, plagued by dreams of Ryann calling to me, begging me to come get her. The most frightening one presented images of a weeping R
yann, clutching her flat, empty belly and saying, “The baby’s gone. Where’s the baby?”

  I woke with a start at the sound of knocking on my door. Instantly on my feet, I went to the door and flung it open. Nox waited outside.

  “Your mother-in-law is here. She’s got a lead.”

  I didn’t bother walking to the receiving room where she waited. I ran. Nox kept up with me. When we stepped through the door, Maria greeted me with a hug and a kiss on the cheek.

  “Hey Nox. Good morning Lad. Did you manage to get some sleep?”

  “It’s morning?” I asked. “I didn’t realize I’d slept that long.”

  “It’s very early—six a.m. But I got some news, and I thought you’d want to hear about it right away.”

  “Of course. What is it?” My heartbeat whirred in my ears, creating a rushing noise.

  “We found someone who ran into Ryann and Linnea in Oxford. Actually, Emmy found her. She’s a local girl. Her name is Laney. She says she knows you and Ryann… all of you.”

  Laney. Culley’s bond-mate. Her older brother had been a close friend of Asher’s before his untimely death from S addiction in Los Angeles. She and Culley were now a couple and lived in Deep River.

  I still had an uneasy relationship with him. Our past was thoroughly stained with bad blood, but he seemed content to keep his distance from Altum and maintain a simple life these days with Laney in town.

  We were no longer enemies—we’d even worked together to stop Audun and end the S epidemic. But after the things Culley had done the first time I’d allowed him into my kingdom, after what he’d almost done to Ryann, we weren’t exactly friends either.

  “What did she say?” I asked Maria.

  “Well, Emmy is the one who spoke with her. But Laney might have been the last one to see the girls before they disappeared. I thought you’d want to talk to her, see if she has any information that might be useful.”

  “Yes. Absolutely. I do. Thank you.”

  “Want me to have her brought here?” Nox asked.

  I turned to him. “No. I’ll go to her.”