MAGE CHRONICLES: THE BEGINNING

23. Firing Squad.

AX.

"What do you mean she's gone?"

I wince as my dad's voice blasts in the office.

"We were... distracted at the party, but I left her with Aarya and her mate. She was Okay with them. When we went back, she had already left with them."

"I went up to her room to check on her but she wasn't there so I went looking for them," I point to where Aarya and Damon are standing, the former almost hiding behind her mate, not that I could blame her, we were literally facing the firing squad.

"They thought she had gone up to her room too. That's when I realized something had happened, she wouldn't just up and disappear."

"Well, maybe she is just somewhere secluded getting the night air, the girl likes her space," says mom her face intense.

"She's not here," bursts Killian as he and Mor sift back into the office, "We looked everywhere, even Dru helped."

"Well, where the fuck did she go? Her signature traces don't lead from the academy compound!" dad barks again.

We look away from my dad, and I know I'm not the only one feeling helpless here, the rest of the guys are leaning on the other side of the office solemn expressions on their faces.

"Well on a positive side, if she were taken it must have been a non-evil person otherwise the wards wouldn't let them in," says Roan.

"We don't know that," dad mumbles exchanging cryptic looks with mom and I'm surprised to see her shudder then turn with a pointed look towards Killian and Mor who looks like she swallowed something nasty her counterpart looking a little too green.

As the supreme monarch of faery, mom often comes off as invincible, what on Faery could scare her?

"What's that supposed to mean?" asks Aarya suddenly brave.

"We hope you never find out," mom says, muttering something else under her breath.

I turn to where my dad is pacing as Rain moves next to me whispering, "I know we are all worried, but isn't the dean's reaction a bit extra?"

I look at my dad noticing how agitated he really was, behind that was worry and pure unadulterated fear, I didn't even want to think Why? What? or Whom? the fear was for.

He suddenly sifts out and we all turn to mom, and despite the put-together facade she has on, I could tell that she too was really worried.

"Mor and Killian, with me, the rest of you go back to your rooms, act normal or as normal as you can while well...inebriated and not a word of this to anyone, are we clear?"

"But..." I start protesting.

"Are we clear?"

"Yes, your highness," we chorus.

"Go, we'll update you in the morning."

We all trudge out, minds swimming leaving Mor and Killian, I exchange a look with the guys and once Damon and Aarya disappear from view we stop.

"Something's up," starts Axel.

"Yeah, no shit Sherlock," Rain says.

"Are we all thinking the same thing?" I ask.

"Andrei?" Roan asks.

We all turn to him and he turns incorporeal in the next minute, I look down and when I don't see my body I turn to the others seeing nothing.

"Let's go before we miss the good parts."

We all turn and head back to the office being careful not to jostle each other or anything, good thing about being invisible was the ability to walk through walls, Andrei gets mad when we call his little secret that, claiming it was more than just being invisible.

They are standing right where we left them, only difference being that my dad was back looking a bit more collected.

"We have to find her, and fast too before those bastards do anything," he says firmly.

"We aren't sure it's them," says Killian.

"Not to downplay your concern but I think Killian and I would appreciate knowing why you two are so worked up, I'm sure the kids noticed it too."

"Damn right we did," jumps in Roan but Rain shushes him.

My dad goes silent rubbing a hand over his face, a tell he denies every time.

"I thought it a crazy coincidence with the hair and her highness being involved but her age shot that out the water but I see it now," murmurs Killian almost to himself and I move closer, the heat beside me telling me the rest did too. This was getting interesting.

"No way," murmurs Mor.

"Remember the time I was away for some time, the vacation?... well, I have no recollection of that time except me cradling a child with platinum curls, the next thing I remember is waking up in my bed and Ellie acting like no time had passed by at all."

At this point, the looks on Killian's and Mor's faces are almost comical.

"Bro! No way" comes from beside me followed by grunts of agreement from the rest of the guys.