Chapter 22- Loxley
“HEY, AREN’T YOU―?” With that, the line cuts off, and I don’t hear any more of Gordy.
“G-G-Gordy?” I stammer. The line is dead, so I try calling again. It keeps going straight to voicemail, so I pace in my room. What was that? He said he was waiting for a bus, but he didn’t see it. Instead, it was just some car.
After trying a few more times, anxiety burns through me.
Nothing about that sounded like a goodbye.
What if something bad happened to him to cut off his call?
He could have simply dropped his phone in the gutter, but that doesn’t sound right.
What if someone found him and took him, realizing he’s a big turtle man?
My instinct was telling me to talk to him even though I despise phone conversations. Was I supposed to hear him get hurt or kidnapped? There’s still that looming threat, stealing magic. Gordy was alone after work…
Cauldrons. What if someone took him, knowing he’s a being of magic? After biting my nail, I begin to text furiously. Maybe nothing happened, but I’d rather be safe than sorry.
Ten minutes later, I’ve gathered Boysen House for my first-ever coven meeting that I’ve initiated. Because of my speech impediment, I typed out the situation and had Auntie read it. The other four witches stare at us in confusion.
“So, you were chatting with Gordy, and his call got cut off abruptly?” Auntie asks.
I nod, and Anika stands up. “Oh, darling, maybe his battery ran out.”
I shake my head, and Kenta remarks, “It takes a lot for a battery to run out. Phones nowadays last a while.”
“Maybe there’s another reason. You don’t need to call us all together just because your boyfriend hasn’t called you back yet,” Anika says.
Scrubbing my eyes, I focus on the tenuous connection I have with Gordy, even from a distance. Something isn’t right; I don’t sense him anymore. Why can’t the coven see that? Or better yet, why can’t I say it?
“Your instinct is telling you that your familiar is in danger, right?” Taina asks with sincerity.
Dropping my hands, I nod at her, grateful someone is listening to the words I can’t say.
“If something happened to my chicken, I’d know it for certain,” Shugo says, and Kenta nods along.
“Alright, so he might be in trouble,” Auntie says, playing with her hair in concentration. “What do you propose we do?”
“Call Seb,” I say.
“I’m on it. He and the Jade Lion should be able to help.” Taina stands up and exits the living room, and I’m once again grateful that she’s one step ahead of me.
“I feel for you, Loxley, really I do. But let’s think pragmatically. Maybe his phone broke on the way here,” Anika says.
Once again, I shake my head at her skepticism and pace around the room. “If the pull to your familiar is distressing you this much, something must be amuck,” Shugo says. “Maybe he tripped and hurt himself?”
Biting my lip, I shake my head again. I wave my hands like I’m desperately trying to find the words. “I don’t…feel him. At all.”
Shugo and Kenta share looks of alarm. “You’re an empath witch. And you’ve forged a bond with him,” Shugo says.
“And he’s one of the Four Guardians.” Auntie plays with her hair and exchanges glances with us. “I assumed you could feel him no matter what.”
A sob escapes my lips; she’s implying that something awful happened to him. I nod and whisper, “I…used to.”
Before I can break down even further, Taina returns.
“Seb told me Gordy didn’t come home from work.
” I gasp, and Auntie saddles up to my side, holding me.
“And he texted me the address of where he dropped off Gordy for work earlier. You said he went to a bus stop?” I nod, and she continues, “Then let’s go investigate at the nearest bus stop from there. Kai and Seb will meet us there.”
Auntie rubs my arm and looks at the others. “Anika, you stay here. There’s no room in the car. Hold down the fort. You two.” She points at the Kondo brothers and continues, “You’re with us. We need all the magic we can get.”
The pair nods and immediately follows Taina to the front door. “Yes, of course. But are you sure an entire witchy search party is warranted?” Anika asks.
“Last time a member of the Four Guardians was kidnapped, we didn’t believe his fated mate.
” Auntie looks at me. “We won’t make that mistake again.
” Seb told me what happened several months ago, and I’m touched that my coven wants to help me protect Gordy.
With a quick nod at Anika, we quickly make our way to the car.
Wherever Gordy is, I pray we can get to him soon.
By the time we pull up to the bus stop, it’s dark. The single streetlamp barely illuminates the area covered in dense foliage. Another car parks on the large road, and Seb and Kai get out to meet with us.
“I spoke to his last job site,” Seb says. He hooks his thumb behind him, “It’s this large manor up the road. Anyway, they swear he did a good job, put away the lawnmower, and left. This must be the place.”
“You believe he was taken?” Kai asks.
I shrug, and panic creeps up my throat. He left work, but maybe this is a dead end? I would be thrilled to know that I led my coven out here for no reason, that Gordy is fine, taking a turtle nap in some swamp nearby. But none of that makes any sense.
Before I can spiral further, Kai takes my shoulder.
“You used to feel him, didn’t you? The magical tether to your fated mate, the Ruby Turtle.
It’s a connection you forged, yes?” Self-consciousness prickles my face, and I glance at the others.
Auntie and Taina gaze at me expectantly.
While we haven’t hidden our relationship, I don’t know how I feel about everyone knowing we’re fated mates.
We haven’t even defined our relationship, for crying out loud.
But there won’t be a relationship if someone took Gordy. I nod and say, “I…used to feel him. When we spoke I c-c-could sense him, but…”
“Now you cannot,” Kai says. When I nod, he drops his hand and shares a look of concern with his own fated mate.
“Guys,” Kenta announces. We all turn to see him crouching near a bush behind the bus stop. When he stands, he’s holding what appears to be a broken cell phone. After pushing to the front of the little crowd, I study it, then the blood drains from my face.
It’s Gordy’s. Letting out a gasp, I cover my mouth and pace down the road. Where is he? What happened? So many concerning questions flood my heart. It feels like there’s a vice grip on my soul. Gordy has assuredly been taken, but how? And how can I get him back?
The voices of the others are drowned out as I pace up and down the street in front of the bus stop. As I struggle to keep my mind clear, one idea comes to mind.
Standing up straight, I stride up to Kai. I pull him to the grassy side of the road, and everyone else follows. We’re far enough away from any potential cars, so I tell him, “Infuse me with arcana.”
“What?” he asks.
“I’m…an empath witch. I need…to scan…and find him. They…couldn’t have gotten far.”
“Whoa, what?” Seb asks, and everyone else talks over him. I drown out their argument, all of them telling me to rethink this, but I don’t care. This is my calling as an empath witch.
As I sternly look at Kai, I hope he knows how serious I am. With a deep breath, his eyes turn green, and the seven of us are instantly surrounded by fog. No mortals can see what I’m about to do.
But can I handle it? Every time I’ve tapped into the auras of more than one person, the pain has been unbearable.
Then I glance at the broken phone in Kenta’s hand. Gordy needs me. With another nod, I say, “Do it.”
Kai shares a concerned look with Seb, then turns back to me.
He raises his palm above my head, and I close my eyes.
The wild magic warms my skin. It’s nothing like when I’m with Gordy, but it will have to do.
With this burst of arcana, I focus on my magical instincts and tap into the auras around me.
I’m an empath witch; this is my destiny.
With another deep breath, I allow my magic to go far and wide. Mortals are all over the city, all over the county, and their auras soon flood my ears. Thousands of people’s desires threaten to overload my system, and I hiss.
When I feel something in my hands, I open my eyes; Auntie is holding my right hand, and holding her other hand is Shugo, who’s holding Kenta’s hand. To my left, Taina holds my hand as well. The Boysen House witches, my coven, are all here to help.
So, I shut my eyes again and allow my magic to go farther. I can’t find Gordy’s aura, but someone has to know him.
“Augh.” I grunt and hiss as the waves of auras burn through me. But I must endure.
“I have a huge crush on her…”
“I need a new outfit for my interview since…”
“Why would anyone want to use generative AI to…”
“I hate my boss and his…”
“We should undo capitalism because the environment is dying and…”
“I captured a giant turtle freak, but won’t get to sell him. This is bullshit…”
There!
Letting go of the others, I reach forward and place my hand in Kai’s. “I…found him,” I rasp.
“What?” Seb and Auntie ask in disbelief. Before they can say more, I send a magical thought to the powerful mage in front of me. When I open my eyes, brilliant rays of green float around us.
Kai has taken the aura that I found and is showing us an illusion. We can see the man who knows what happened to Gordy. He’s at a bar right now, drinking, and we have his exact location.
Hope pulses through my chest as I stare at my target. This is our only lead, and it will have to do. If he stands between my fated mate and me, I will tear him apart, but I pray it doesn’t come to that.
“Gordy,” I murmur. “We’re coming for you.”