Destined to the Hellhound: BEAST

Chapter 21

"Kat?" I whisper, clutching the phone like it's going to try to run away.

"Robin!" She screams and immediately starts crying.

"Shh!" I try to calm her as quickly as possible. "Don't get Mom or Dad yet."

"What?"

"Just give me a minute. I need to talk to you. Okay?" I don't know why I'm whispering, he brought me here and showed me the phone. I'm allowed to be here. This feels like doing something forbidden.

"Okay," she whispers, confusion lacing her voice.

"Kat, has Dad been looking for me?"

"Of course! Search parties are going out every day!" There is nothing hidden in her voice. She's completely innocent in all of this.

"Where are they searching?"

"Everywhere."

"No, specifically, where is he sending them to search?" I've been clinging to this thought of my family. In my mind, there is still a small piece of me that is holding out hope that he's lying to me. I know he's not. My dad knows exactly where I am.

"Um," I hear shuffling on her end of the line, then muffled whispering. "Mykle says that they have left no stone unturned or cave unsearched on Misty Mountain. They are going to look in the Moving Forest next. They are running searches night and day, Robin. I promise you."

"I'm not in the Moving Forest. I'm not on Misty Mountain! Why would he be spending so much time searching there?" I'm yelling at her even though I know none of this is her fault.

"He's trying his best, Robin." She whimpers.

"The creatures that came and took me away, where were they from?"

"The Underworld?" She hesitates, acting unsure of the answer that is crystal clear.

"Then why would he be wasting so much time looking for me in places that I'm definitely not? Tell him to call off the searches. I'm not coming home."

"Wait," the desperation in her voice is the only thing that keeps me from hanging up the phone. "I'll go get him! I'm sure once he knows where you are he will send the entire kingdom down to get you!"

"Kat! He knows where I am! Tell him I know everything."

"What does that mean?"

"Just tell him. I love you."

"Wait!" I hear her beg as I end the call.

Walking down the hallway, I feel an emptiness I never knew was possible. It's as if my entire body has been gutted, and I'm only an empty shell. I knew it was true. The truth is in my bones. I need to talk to Cerberus. I don't know what else to do. I'm here, our souls are bound, and I'm stuck. This is my place in the world, here, with him, but I can't get over what he did to my wings. Somehow we have to find a way forward.

A spoon clicks behind me, catching my attention.

His little hand waves for me to follow him, through the house and down the main stairs. A smell fills the air, something rich and warm, my mouth starts to water.

In the kitchen, he's standing with his back to me, chopping something. His broad shoulders and back have no business looking like that. All of the things I wanted to talk about are suddenly shoved with force to the back of my mind.

"Hungry?" He doesn't look up from what he's doing.

"Yes."

"How was the phone call?"