Unshaken

Chapter 16

Chapter Sixteen

Where was Robyn? Kyzel paced the length of the suite’s common room.

She had not answered her phone last night when he had called.

And all his calls today had gone into her voicemail.

It was possible she was busy at work and had turned off her phone, but the faint itch between his wings had never let him down before. Something was not as it should be.

“Would you please cease your incessant pacing?” Rol growled.

“I cannot.” He shifted and turned on the ball of his foot to move toward his friend.

Rol heaved a sigh and tossed the book he had been reading on the side table. “Why not?”

“My mate seems to be missing.”

Rol opened his mouth, then snapped it shut. “Perhaps she is avoiding you.”

“Does that sound like normal behavior from someone who invited me to go away with her for a few days this weekend?”

“No. It does not.” Rol glanced around the room. “Your friend—”

“Mate.”

“—is not the only one missing. Where is Elder Kai?”

“No idea.” Kyzel gave a dismissive one-handed wave. “He seemed determined to go out, so I sent Fyad with him.”

“He could ignite at any time. Should he not be with us when that happens?”

“As he is an elder, I am certain he can handle his personal situation without our assistance.” It would not be the first time a Firewing would do so.

Kyzel paused by the window and gazed out at the pale blue afternoon sky, and the lengthening shadows. It had been several hours since he’d last called. Time to try again. He dug his hand into his pants pocket and closed his fingers around his phone.

“Are you truly calling her again?”

“She is my mate, Rol.” He locked his gaze with his friend’s and suspicion reared. Did Rol know something? “Why do you ask?”

Rol averted his gaze to the book on the table and shrugged. “What if she is not your mate?”

“She is my mate as surely as you are my friend. You are my friend, yes?”

There was probably nothing in the universe that could refocus Rol’s attention on him faster. “Always. Even when we do not see eye to eye.”

The sudden feeling of unease faded with those words. “Thank you.”

He pulled his phone from his pocket, and his gaze snagged on the screen updates.

New voicemail from Nixy Vogel.

“Ms. Vogel called.” He pressed the button to retrieve messages and raised the phone to his ear.

“Hi, Mr. Raptorclaw, this is Nixy Vogel at Silverstar. Please call me back on my personal line as soon as you can.”

Hope flared in his chest. Maybe she knew what was going on with Robyn.

He pressed the speed dial for the agency.

“Nixy Vogel.” The agent’s greeting was threaded with…exasperation?

“Good afternoon, Ms. Vogel. This is Kyzel.”

“Kyzel, great. Thank you for getting back to me.”

Rol stepped up next to him. “Ask her about Elder Kai.”

Why in the fair currents would he do that? Kai was the least of his worries, and certainly not the reason for calling Ms. Vogel.

“Is that Rol?” Ms. Vogel asked. “Tell him I have excellent news—”

“Ms. Vogel.” Her name came out sharper than he had intended, and yet not sharp enough. “I am not a messenger service for either of you.” He cast a narrow-eyed glare at Rol, who took a step back. “I am calling to alert you that Robyn seems to be missing.”

“Missing?” She seemed genuinely taken aback. “No, that’s not possible. I received a text from her around twelve thirty this morning.”

“You did? What did she say?”

“Erm.” Ms. Vogel cleared her throat. “Well, please understand that in cases like this, the Silverstar Agency will honor—”

“The message, please, Ms. Vogel.” He forced the words out between his teeth.

“Yes, of course. Sorry. Ms. Donahue has informed me that she wishes to discontinue her relationship with you and has withdrawn her application from further consideration.”

No. Pain lanced through him, and he reached out for the window frame to steady the floor-surging-under-his-feet sensation. This could not be happening. Why would Robyn say such a thing? Why did she not tell him herself?

Rol grabbed him by his biceps. “Kyzel?”

“She…has rejected me.” His mate did not want him.

An undetermined emotion flickered in Rol’s eyes, and was gone. Surprise, perhaps?

He swallowed hard around the stone of grief in his chest. “Ms. Vogel, did she say why?”

“No. Silverstar does not require an explanation from its clients. No means no, Mr. Raptorclaw. I’m sorry.” She did sound very apologetic—not that it helped. “When you’re ready, shall I resubmit your profile for a new match?”

“No.” The word was like gravel in his throat. “She is the one.” The only one.

“I understand,” Ms. Vogel said. “I will remind you that your contract states you are not to attempt to reestablish contact, is this clear?”

“Yes.”

“Good. I’ll put you in the inactive file for six Earth months in case you change your mind.”

He would not change his mind, nor would he give up so easily. A sense of determination surged up like a wave and washed away the pain.

“All right.” But there was nothing right about this situation. Not one single thing. “Thank you. Goodbye.”

He flicked his thumb over the disconnect button and strode toward the door.

“Where are you going?” Rol sounded mildly panicked.

“To find my mate.” It was time to get to the bottom of this situation. “Let Fyad know. I may need his help. Meet me at Robyn’s office directly after.”

Kyzel paced in the darkness, the swish of his sandaled feet through the emerald green grass in Robyn’s front yard seemed to say, “Wesh, wesh, wesh.” Gone, gone, gone. But to where? She had not shown up to work today. The lights were off in her nest, and her car was not in her driveway.

“Ms. Donahue has obviously had a change of heart, just as Ms. Vogel stated,” Rol reasoned from behind him. “I, for one, believe it is a sign as to the fickle nature of Earthlings.”

Robyn was not fickle. He turned and strode back in Rol’s direction. A handful of feathers spun and floated around his ankles.

Rol sighed. “You are molting.”

Kyzel paused and lowered his gaze to the trail of feathers on the lawn. He raised his wings and snapped them open and closed. Three more feathers fluttered free. Stress molting. It happened sometimes, but never to him.

“Kyzel, listen to reason. You gave it your best wing, but this experiment did not work. It is time to go home, to find your true mate.”

“She is my true mate.” His shout echoed through the yard. The volume of the incessant night song chirped out by the little Earth insects Robyn called crickets diminished. “I will not leave her. She might be in trouble.”

“How could she be in trouble? She texted Ms. Vogel.”

“I do not know, Rol. Something is not right about this.”

“Yes.” Rol stood taller, suddenly full of conviction as the headlights of a passing car flashed over him. “Yes, something is not right. Getting involved with Earthlings is not right. Not for you. Not for a monarch.”

“How am I any different than you? Or Fyad. Or Elder Kai for that matter?” Except for the lifespan differences between Firewings and the rest of the clans.

“Because you are our leader, and you set the example for all Raptorclaws.” Rol made a pleading gesture with his hands. “Please, Kyzel. I have stood by you this far. Now it is time to go home.”

Kyzel stepped close to Rol, nearly nose to nose. “I. Am. Not. Leaving.”

“Hey!”

Kyzel turned toward the unexpected voice.

Meryl slammed her car door and marched toward them. “What the hell is going on here? Why are you guys having it out in the dark in Robyn’s front yard?”

Relief coursed through him as Robyn’s friend approached. “Do you know where she is?”

The question seemed to startle her. “I thought she’d be with you.”

“I have not seen her since yesterday morning.” Looking beautiful as the morning sunlight had danced over her pale hair. When had he become so poetic? “And her supervisor said she was not at work today.”

The woman had stayed late to cover Robyn’s caseload.

True concern shone in Meryl’s eyes. “That doesn’t sound like her. Did Jayla say anything else?”

“She said Robyn was happier than she’d ever seen her yesterday morning, but quiet and withdrawn after lunch. She did not know why, though.” Somehow the change in her demeanor had to be linked to her disappearance.

“This is your fault.” Meryl moved like a predator toward Rol, eyes flashing with anger, teeth bared. “You just couldn’t leave her alone, could you?”

Rol’s eyes widened and he took a step back, but there was no escaping the demoness Meryl had become.

“I warned you to stay out of their business, but noooo. And now, she’s disappeared.”

She had warned Rol about what? “Explain, Rol.”

Rol sighed. “I intercepted Ms. Donahue yesterday when she was walking back to her office with her lunch.”

Meryl made an impatient rolling gesture with her hand. “Go on. Tell him what you told her.”

“I mentioned you were looking for a replacement mate.” His friend’s face darkened as he lowered his gaze to the ground.

“You…you….” The words wheezed out of him. “Why would you do that?”

“I…my intent was not to get her to run away, merely discourage her.”

Meryl raised her fists as though ready to pummel them against Rol’s chest. “But that’s exactly what happened. And now no one knows where she is, not even me.”

Rol grasped her wrists. “I take full responsibility for this, Ms. Faulkner.” He met Kyzel’s gaze. “I have made a grave error in judgement, kee mohap.”

Kyzel curled his upper lip. “Yes, you have.”

“Y’wanna help, buzzard breath?” Meryl growled at Rol. “Then find her.”

Rol shook his head. “I do not know where to begin.”

A muffled shriek and the telltale fwump of wings beating the air pulled Kyzel’s attention to the hedge. Three heartbeats passed before a large shadow rose over the hedge and glided their way.

“What the hell…?” Meryl stepped back, bumping into Rol, who grasped her by her shoulders to steady her.

A moment later, Fyad touched down feet first in front of him, a young Earth female wiggling in his embrace. Her green eyes flashed with anger above the large hand clamped over her mouth. “Greetings, my mon…sir.”

“Fyad.” Kyzel lowered his gaze to the detained female. “Who is this?”

“This is my Earth friend, Raven Crawford. She likes spending time in shrubbery, taking photographs of you with her camera.”

“Mmm mmm-mmm.” Raven’s words might be incomprehensible from under Fyad’s hand, but the anger in her tone was not.

Kyzel gave his hand a wave. “Please release Ms. Crawford, Fyad, but do not allow her to escape.”

Fyad obliged, moving his hands to the woman’s shoulders. She immediately turned on him. “I am sick and tired of you bullying me, you dumbass. I’ve got a job to do, and you just made me drop my camera.”

Meryl jerked like she had suddenly come awake, and yanked herself away from Rol. “What kind of job requires you to skulk around in bushes taking pictures?”

“I work for Blast off!, the who’s-who in the off-worlder community,” Ms. Crawford snapped back.

If knowledge was a sun, then Meryl’s expression was a sudden sunrise. She locked gazes with him. “Who are you?”

He glanced at Rol, who shrugged, then back to Meryl. “There are four clans on Bezchi. I am the Raptorclaw clan’s monarch.”

“Well, shii-iit.” Meryl frowned. “And you didn’t tell Robyn?”

“No.”

“Men are idiots.”

He was beginning to think so as well. He turned his attention back to Raven.

Meryl waved one manicured hand. “We can deal with that part later. Right now, we need to figure out what happened to Robyn. I’ll call her.”

Kyzel gave his head a shake. “I have tried that all afternoon. She did not answer.” He bent to peer at Raven. “I know you. We saw you on the street the first night we were here.”

Raven grinned. “I know. I recognized you from pictures I’d seen.”

“And,” Fyad rumbled, “you have been following him ever since.”

Raven curled her lip, but did not reply.

Kyzel folded his arms across his chest. “Kevin Donahue claims you are his girlfriend. Is that true?”

“He what?” She seemed genuinely appalled by this information. “No. Gross. Have you seen how old he is?”

“Then why would he make such a statement?”

“I don’t know. I’ve only met him once, and that was in the rose garden outside Snodgrass’s. I was taking pictures of you at dinner, and he told me your date was his ex-wife. Then he asked about you, and I told him.”

Fyad nodded. “I can confirm that, my monarch. She has only had one contact with Kevin Donahue.”

“Oh. My. God.” Raven twisted partway around in the guard’s grip. “You’re some sort of sicko stalker, aren’t you?”

Meryl turned toward her car. “I’m calling her anyway. She’ll answer for me.”

Hope soared in his heart. It was possible.

“No, she won’t,” Ms. Crawford said. “She left town in her ex’s car last night.”

That could not be. The chirp of the crickets seemed louder in the stunned silence. “Why would Robyn go anywhere with Kevin Donahue?”

“She wouldn’t.” Meryl glared at Ms. Crawford. “You didn’t happen to see which direction they went, did you?”

“East, mostly.” Raven shifted from foot to foot. “I’m not sure if she went willingly, though. When Donahue drove past me in the grocery store parking lot, it looked like she was asleep.”

“Are you kidding me?” Meryl looked like she would happily strangle the young female. “Did you report it to the police?”

“No.”

“Why not?”

“When the girlfriend of an off-worlder monarch leaves town in her ex’s car, that screams hot lead. So, I followed them for about three hours until they turned off near the town of Miner’s Axe.”

“Well, that’s just great,” Meryl huffed.

“Hey, if it’s that late at night and they’re still going, it qualifies as a scandal. And that’s all I need to do my job.”

Kyzel gave her a narrow-eyed glare. “Your job is one of dishonor.”

She flinched, but he did not have any more time to waste with her. He turned his attention to Meryl. “What do you know about Miner’s Axe?”

“It’s a little town about ten miles away from a cabin Robyn and the dickhead owned. They sold it, but he could’ve rented a cabin nearby.”

“Do you have a map?”

“I can print one out at home for you.”

“Then we will go to your house and prepare. Fyad, Rol—” He shifted his gaze between the two, “—be ready to fly at first light.”