SURVIVE (THRIVE: Book Two)

Chapter 100- Repentance

While my parents and Aurora discuss plans for restoration, Kai and I sit in the back of the sanctuary, exhausted after today's hectic events. More than anything, I want to go to bed, but there's no way anyone will let that happen. Considering what happened, I'm not even sure if I still have a room upstairs.

"It's been six hours, I don't like this," Kai states, his arm draped over his eyes as he lays beside me on the bench.

"Maybe Calista found her," I say doubtfully.

"She should've come back by now," Kai sighs worriedly "It's too damn quiet around here,"

"What do you think it means?" I ask nervously, looking over at my parents, and seeing the stress and exhaustion on their faces. Suddenly, I hear footsteps approaching from the hall.

"Has anyone seen my daughter?" Roxie asks as she comes in, looking around the sanctuary, and everyone turns to look at her.

"Why, is something wrong?" my mother asks as she walks up the aisle.

"She was helping in the healing bay downstairs and went to my Sanctum to get more supplies an hour ago and never came back," Roxie explains anxiously as she realizes that she's not here.

"Maybe she couldn't find anything and went to the maid's quarters instead?" I suggest hopefully.

"No, I had plenty downstairs, she knew where it was." she explains desperately "I went down there myself and sent some of the guards around, but no one has seen her."

"Calm down, we'll find her." my mother says calmly as she takes her hands, suddenly turning to look at me "You two still have a psychic bond, right? Can you call her?" she asks optimistically.

"Oh, shit," I say, having blanked about that ability "Let me try."

Dez, are you okay? No one can find you.

We sit in silence as I desperately pray for a response, but the longer we wait, the more my body becomes filled with dread. After everything that has happened today, after everything that has happened because of them; Nadia, Nixi, Phoenix, Pearl, Jewel, we can't lose anyone else.

GAIA'S IN THE PALACE WITH CALISTA, I managed to hide for now, but she's-

Suddenly, she's cut off and my heart starts to pound.

"Dez!" I audibly shout, and everyone looks at me in terror.

"What's going on, where is she?" Roxie asks frantically as she rushes to my side.

"I don't know, but she's here; Gaia's in the palace." I say, trying to breathe "She was hiding, but her voice cut off, I think she... she..."

"You son of a bitch!" Roxie screams as she dashes to the hall "Gaia!" she screams.

"Damnit!" my father growls as he quickly runs behind her. Aurora and my mother exchange nervous glances before my mother cracks her knuckles, holding her hand out to me.

"Looks like we're doing this," she states with determination, and I feel the fire start to burn in my soul as I take her hand, dashing out the door.

"Let's go, kid," Aurora shouts as she and Kai follow behind us.

"Sister, where are you even going?" my father shouts ahead.

"There's only one place the guards weren't checking," she yells back, turning corners and hurdling debris toward the throne room. We sprint as fast as we can to the stairs, carefully making our way up and dodging a huge hole in the ground as we reach the top. Carefully looking around, Roxie slows down and peeks around the corners, looking for any sign of them when we suddenly hear screaming coming from Roxie's room.