Chapter 55
Rafe
Shadows slammed through the heavy doors on the police station, almost ripping them off the hinges. Several officers jumped to their feet, shouting in shock as I entered the building, but quickly stopping when my mother entered right behind me.
Then everyone dropped to their knees.
The officer at the desk spluttered, peeking up at me from behind the desk, still on his knees. He moved to stand, then dropped back down, like he wasn’t sure what he should do. Raaz entered behind us, a little winded since we hadn’t waited for him.
“Y-your Majesty. Hey– Hello. Can I help you? To what do I owe the pleasure–”
My mother cut him off with a scoff, looking down her nose. “I have just learned that a member of the younger Royal Chain is being held here, along with members of his family. Is this true?”
The officer’s eyes bulged, and he shuffled around on his knees, looking to his colleagues for help.
“Is this true?” My mother raised her voice. “You will answer me.”
“I…yes. Yes, it’s true. A student was murdered. The–”
“Enough,” my mom cut through the babble. “Take me to him. Now.”
I anxiously followed my mom while Raaz anxiously followed me. Technically he should have been walking ahead of me, but he was in full guard mode, defensively watching my back while I pretended to watch my mom, who didn’t need either of us here, actually.
She wore a deep green power-suit, impeccably tailored to her figure. She had her favorite emerald necklace and earrings, along with a small tiara. I’d thought I was going to die when I had to wait an extra thirty seconds for her to affix the tiara to her braided hair.
The moment I’d seen Aiden’s text, I’d full-blown panicked. He was with Skye, who was injured, and Isaiah. Wyatt, Willow, and Mia had been arrested. My mind had splintered, indecision paralyzing me for too many long seconds before my mother took charge, declaring we were going to get Wyatt.
She was right, of course. Isaiah was with Aiden and Skye, he’d take care of them, but Wyatt in a cell for too long would result in psychosis.
My mother’s boots clicked along the concrete as we made our way down a flight of stairs, descending into the underground basement where the prison cells were located, and I shivered.
This reminded me too much of the dungeons where Wyatt and I had almost burned to death.
It bothered me enough to slow my steps, but Raaz was right behind me.
In a surprisingly fatherly gesture, he clasped his big hand around the back of my neck, pushing me forward to keep moving.
We didn’t speak, but I relaxed. I didn’t have to be the head of a Chain right now. I didn’t often let my mother handle things for me, but when I saw the news headlines coming out of the academy, I was glad I’d let her take charge.
Mia had killed someone.
The media was already having a field day, throwing Richard Craig’s name into every article as if he had anything to do with his daughter’s Link going homicidal.
It was a wonder he hadn’t beat us here to rescue his children, but we were lucky.
I didn’t want to imagine Mia’s fate if Richard had gotten here first. He’d never forgive such disrespect.
The videos I’d seen were…
Unfortunately, they were fucking awesome. Skye and Willow looked like a pair of assassins, their movements so coordinated it appeared planned. It certainly didn’t look good that three fourths of the younger Royal Chain were involved in a public squabble, though. So that sucked.
The cells were dingy, the scent of mildew strong as if we were closer to the coast. I shivered involuntarily, the damp air once again reminding me of the still-destroyed dungeons at the Palace.
Wyatt needed me.
I was here for Wyatt. Here for our sister. They needed me first.
Then, we would go to Aiden and our Key.
I saw Wyatt first, sitting against a concrete wall. The cell bars in front of him weren’t as straight as the others, and as I drew closer, I realized they appeared bent.
“Rafe!” Wyatt dove for the damaged cell bars, his fingers settling into some divots that weirdly matched his grasp. I reached through the bars, taking his shoulder, and he did the same, his eyes frantically looking behind me to my mother.
“Rafe?!” Willow’s voice called next, and I moved over a foot so I could see her in the next cell.
She sat on the ground, close to the wall so she was close to her brother, looking shattered.
Her makeup was a mess, black streaks tracking down her face onto her neck.
She had a freshly healed cut along her cheek that would probably give Richard a coronary, and the old blood still stained her face and the top of her dirtied pink blouse.
“Release them,” my mother’s voice cut through our reunion. “Why is the girl not with her Link? What kind of inhumane operation is this?”
Wyatt and I winced as the officer lurched forward, fumbling with his keys while Willow practically vibrated against the bars. The moment the door was open, she flew out into the hall, knocking right into me and making me stumble.
“Is Mia okay?!” Willow rushed out before pulling me back to stand. She grasped Wyatt’s hand. “She hasn’t said anything. Did they hurt her?”
My mother watched as the officer unlocked Wyatt’s cell, then she looked to the other officer. “Where is the other girl? The third one from the school?”
The officers shared a look full of confusion, and my stomach began to churn.
Wyatt emerged, embracing me. When we parted, Willow attached herself to my side, anxiously looking down the rest of the walk.
I strode away from Wyatt’s cell, Willow still clinging to me, and I stopped at the end of the walk, my heart pounding at what I found.
These cells were empty.
Wyatt met my gaze, his eyes widening before he spun around, checking the other cells for himself.
“Rafe,” Willow’s voice trembled, her eyes staring at nothing. “You have Mia, right? She’s with you already.”
I wrapped my arm around her, pulling her tight to me as I made my way back to the stairs. A sinking feeling in my gut told me I needed to get out of here before she realized. Although…Willow wasn’t stupid. She already knew what I knew.
“She’s not here,” Wyatt breathed. “Where is she? The dark haired girl?”
The officer who’d unlocked the cells only shook his head. “We only had the two of you. There wasn’t a third.”
A very, very quiet rumble broke through my racing thoughts, and I moved quicker, pulling Willow to the stairs.
“Well if she’s not here, where is she? You lost a prisoner?” My mother sneered.
“Mother? Outside. Now.”
Wyatt took one look at Willow, then sprinted up the stairs behind me. Raaz took my mother’s arm, pulling her to the stairs, right on Wyatt’s heels.
The rumbling grew louder. I burst through the cell hall doors, pulling a quivering Willow. She hadn’t spoken, only taking shallow breaths, her chest moving erratically against my ribs. Her wide eyes were glassy and unfocused.
Pens began rattling on desks. A few computer screens blinked on and off, and a stapler loudly hit the ground. A cup full of ice spilled, water splattering across another computer.
“Another quake,” someone said.
“We just had one,” someone else grumbled.
Fuck, fuck, fuck.
I pulled Willow outside, and shadows grabbed Wyatt and my mother. I mentally apologized to Raaz, but he didn’t react, his only focus keeping my mom safe. We stumbled into the parking lot just in time for the real shaking to begin.
“Wyatt,” Willow’s voice shook as the ground began to rattle harder, making my teeth chatter. A full earthquake now, enough to make the buildings sway and set car alarms blaring. Ominous creaking came from close by, several tall buildings groaning as they moved.
“Willow,” Wyatt threw his arms around the two of us. “Willow, you have to stop.”
“Where is she?!” Willow cried, then began to fight us. “She’s gone. Where is she, Wyatt? Who took her?!”
“I don’t–”
Wyatt, I snarled in warning. The last thing we needed was for Wyatt to put his foot in his mouth and make this worse.
The ground began to shake harder, and my stomach dropped as I heard the sound of crumbling brick somewhere behind me. Wyatt squeezed his eyes shut, hugging Willow tight to his body.
“Willow,” I said. “You have to stop.”
Willow sobbed, then wailed. “Where is she?! Who has her?!”
I was being shaken so hard, my teeth rattled, my brain feeling like it was turning to mush inside my skull. A loud groan was our only warning before a cell tower began to sway, then tumble.
Wyatt hissed through his teeth, throwing his hands out, and I hated him. I hated him so bad. I knew the bastard had been hiding something big from me.
I now owed him fifteen sucker punches.
The cell tower trembled, but stopped mid-fall. Wyatt grunted, and slowly, with several more grunts and some groans, it shifted until it was upright again.
I nearly laughed in wonder, but then, there was a mighty crack, so loud it made my ears ring. Willow and I were jostled, nearly thrown to the ground as the asphalt split. The parking lot was in two pieces now, one side shifting with the crust of the earth.
Holy shit.
She was going to bury us.
Willow sobbed harder, crumpling to her knees and taking me down with her. Shadows wrapped around us, keeping us safe from debris, but she was going to level this entire city if we didn’t do something to stop it.
I will knock her out, my mother said to me.
No, don’t try anything, I argued. She’s too volatile.
“Mia needs you, babydoll,” I gritted out. “You have to be calm. We’ll find her. I swear to you.”
“I can’t–” Willow gasped, squeezing me harder. “I can’t be without her!”
“What about Zephyr?!” Wyatt cried. “Zephyr needs you, Willow. Skye needs you.”
Willow sobbed harder, and Wyatt groaned, twisting his hands as he fought against her affinity.
“Skye is injured. Imagine her face when none of us get back to her,” I tried again, and Willow’s shoulders trembled, then relaxed a fraction.
“She needs you.” I repeated, again and again, over and over until slowly, the earth began to settle.
“We all need you. Don’t do this to us. You can stop, Willow. ”
Willow sobbed again, then simply wept onto my chest. I pulled her tight to me, ready to fight her if she tried to move again.
Around us, the earth shifted, the ripples in the landscape slowly smoothing as Wyatt worked.
The parking lot was back in one piece, though the large crack couldn’t be fixed. Wyatt swayed, and some shadows wrapped around his arms and legs to steady him. He looked to me, his eyes rimmed red with exertion, his limbs trembling with aftershocks.
You idiot, I growled. He only shook his head.
“Well done,” my mother said softly from above me. Her hand slid into my hair, ruffling the strands. “You will make a fine King, Rafael.”
Raaz pinched the bridge of his nose.
“Not now,” I growled, my cheeks heating.
“You’re right, I’m sure you’re frustrated. If a member of my Chain were hiding such an affinity from me, I’d have his balls in a vise.”
Wyatt swallowed loudly.
Willow continued to weep.
I shadow-walked us back to campus.