Chapter Thirty-Five
Adriel
The maid’s words hang in the air, turning the entire room into a suffocating vacuum.
Pregnant.
My mind stumbles over the word like a broken record. The shock and the sheer magnitude of it crash over me, threatening to pull me under.
I can’t think straight. The world around me blurs. It’s almost funny how, in a flash, the world can look like an entirely different place: I was ready to tease Danae just a few moments ago. Ready to make her laugh. I walked into this room expecting her to be there, vibrant as always, maybe rolling her eyes at one of my jokes. But she wasn’t there.
The grin I wore when I stepped in vanished, giving way to a feeling so horrific that I don’t even have a name for it. The clearer it became that something was wrong. I’ve never felt so alarmed before, and it isn’t just me.
The way Silas stiffened as soon as he realized her clothes were gone. How Joseph’s face fell when he told us she’d left. The hollow ache of panic had settled in my chest then, but now? Knowing she might be carrying a child…a child that could be any of ours. The ache has evolved into a razor sharp need to act.
“We have to do something,” I say, my voice breaking through the thick silence.
Silas is already moving. He turns to Joseph, his tone commanding. “Call the airport. We have to stop her from leaving. Something’s not right. She wouldn’t just run because she’s pregnant.”
Joseph nods quickly, pulling out his phone. For a fleeting second, there’s a look of hope on his face, as though this one call will fix everything. But I can’t share in that hope. Not yet.
The room feels like a time bomb as Joseph dials. The seconds stretch unbearably long until someone picks up on the other end.
“Hello, this is Joseph Cane,” he says, his voice steady but tight. “I’m calling about a private flight scheduled for Ms. Danae Walker.”
I step closer, straining to hear the response, but all I catch is muffled static. What I do see is Joseph’s expression crumble.
“Please,” Joseph presses, his tone growing more desperate. “This is important. The weather is terrible. They should never have been cleared to leave.”
The look on Joseph’s face tells me everything I need to know. My chest tightens. Without thinking, I lunge forward, snatching the phone from his hand.
“This is Adriel Jorg,” I bark into the receiver. “What’s the status of that flight?”
There’s a brief pause before a flat, professional voice answers. “I’m sorry, sir, but the flight has already departed. Would you like…”
I don’t let them finish. My thumb jabs the button to end the call, the rage boiling inside me too hot to contain. I mutter under my breath, “We have to do something. We have to.”
Silas grabs my arm, steadying me with a sharp look. “Let’s go there now. They have to land that plane.”
“Or we’ll board ours and go after her,” I say, my voice sharp and filled with urgency.
We don’t waste another second. Joseph is already sprinting for the car, and Silas and I are right behind him. The storm outside has worsened, rain slashing against the windshield as we speed down the road. The wind howls, battering the car like it’s trying to keep us from getting to her.
“Faster,” I snap, my fists clenched against my knees.
Joseph doesn’t answer, but the car lurches forward as he presses harder on the gas.
The airport looms ahead, the glowing lights blurred by sheets of rain. We pull up sharply, tires skidding slightly on the wet pavement, and we’re out of the car before it even comes to a complete stop.
Inside, the sterile brightness of the terminal feels jarring against the chaos outside. A young man at the counter looks up, startled, as we storm toward him.
“We need to speak with someone in the control tower,” I demand, my voice like a whip crack.
The young man stammers, his wide eyes flicking between us. “I’m sorry, but that’s not possible.”
“Not possible?” Silas cuts in, his voice low and dangerous. “This is life or death.”
“Danae Walker,” I growl, leaning closer to the counter. “We need to contact her flight. Now.”
Before the man can respond, another figure approaches. He’s older, his face drawn and pale. He whispers something to the young man, who nods and quickly steps aside.
The newcomer looks at us, hesitating. There’s something in his eyes that sends a chill down my spine.
“I’m sorry,” he says quietly, his voice barely carrying over the hum of the terminal. “But there’s been a mayday message from that flight.”
The words hit me like a physical blow.
The man nods grimly. “They reported severe turbulence. We’re trying to establish contact now, but…”
I don’t hear the rest. My ears are ringing, and my vision is narrowing to a pinpoint. Silas grabs my shoulder, his grip firm enough to ground me.
“Adriel,” he says sharply, forcing me to meet his gaze. “We’re not giving up. She’s out there, and we’re going to find her. Do you hear me?”
I nod numbly, my brother's words offering a faint lifeline. But in my heart, the panic is still clawing at me.
Danae, hold on. Please, hold on.
The man from the airport hesitates again, clearly overwhelmed by the force of our presence. “The control tower is doing everything they can. But we fear there might have been…a crash. Our efforts to communicate with the captain haven’t been successful, and we lost their radar signal.”
A crash?!
I feel my limbs quack at his words. My mind is in a daze. The first sensation of vomiting gnaw at my throat.
“Where?” Silas demands. “Where might that aircraft be right now?”
“We’re trying to pinpoint their location,” the man admits. “But the storm is interfering with our systems. We lost their radar signal just on the outskirts of Howl’s Peak. Shortly after takeoff, near the mountains. That’s the last location we have. It’s likely the plane came down there.”
The words knock the air out of me.
“We’ve contacted search and rescue,” he continues, his tone clipped, as if efficiency can mask the gravity of the situation. “A team is getting ready to depart for the area.” There’s a brief pause, the kind that carries unspoken complications. Then he adds, “The helicopter, unfortunately, can’t leave because of the weather.”
Silas looks like he’s about to tear the counter apart with his bare hands, and I’m not far behind him.
“We’ll go ourselves,” I say suddenly, the decision crystallizing in my mind.
The man turns to me, his expression sharp. “Sir, emergency services.”
“No.” I cut him off. “We’re not waiting around. We’ll track her down.”
Joseph nods. “I’ll drive us to the mountains.”
The man at the counter looks alarmed. “You can’t…”
“We can, and we will,” Silas growls, stepping forward. “Do not get in our way.”
The man shrinks back, clearly realizing he’s not going to win this battle.
Every second feels like an eternity. The storm outside is relentless, the rain pounding against the windows like a heartbeat.
Danae, wherever you are, hold on. We’re coming for you.