Synergy (See #3)(97)

“That book isn’t at my house. I looked,” he said quietly to me.

“It’s at mine, under Madison’s bed. At least that’s where I left it.”

He glanced to where Madison was. Preston and Libby, Willow’s baby sister, had met us in the field. Draven’s pupils expanded. “Still there,” he mumbled.

I stood at his side, waiting for it to appear in his hand. I expected it to happen instantly, but it didn’t. I guess he was making sure everything was legit at my house. I was kinda sad. I wanted to go, but I knew my mom had told me not to return until she told me to. Draven knew that, too. I guess that’s why he was going before I had the chance.

Brady pulled up in a Jeep. They had all of our bags loaded before Draven’s eyes returned to green and the black book appeared in his hand. Something was wrong; I could feel it. I couldn't get him to look at me. He put his hand on the small of my back and urged me into the back of the Jeep.

Five minutes. I was able to enjoy the bliss of Chara for all of five minutes. Now, I felt dread. I felt like I was in trouble. Like I was still standing in The Realm. In that wicked forest.

Draven kept his stare with the open fields, refusing to look at any of us. Madison and Aden noticed instantly, but Draven wasn’t letting any of us see him at the moment. This was not good, not good at all.

I nodded along as Landen and Brady talked about Chara and their family, whom we were about to meet. They took us to Willow’s house. August was on the front porch with a host of other people. Draven held my hand as we walked up the steps. He handed the book to August and whispered something to him. August’s eyes grew concerned, then he introduced us to everyone: Willow’s parents, Landen’s, their grandparents, and Brady’s soul mate. I could barely grasp the names; I was too focused on the way Draven was acting.

August nodded for me and Draven to follow him up the stairs. He opened the door to the second room. “Take all the time you need,” August said to us, then he left the room.

Draven let our bags fall to the floor as he closed the door.

“Why do we need time, Draven?” I asked as I glanced around at the guest bedroom we were in, to the balcony doors, which were slightly ajar.

He turned around slowly and urged me to sit on the bed. He then knelt down in front of me and looked at up at me with sorrow in his eyes.

“I love you, Charlie.”

“Love you,” I said as a sick feeling came to me.

“Do you remember how I told you when we were just kids that I would always take care of you? That together we could figure anything out? That we were our own family?”

“Draven,” I said as I clenched my hands on the edge of the bed. He was terrifying me. I didn’t see a goodbye in his eyes, but I saw sorrow; I saw him bracing himself for my heart to break.

He reached gently to hold the side of my face. “She’s missing.”

“Who?!”

“Your mom,” Draven said as he swallowed hard.

“What? How? How do you know that? You were only there for a few minutes. We left, like, yesterday.”

“You know I was there longer than that, baby. Nana was at your house with the police. Your mom hasn't been seen in seventy-two hours.”

“I saw her two days ago, Draven. She saw her way to me.”

“You saw her; no one else has. Charlie...your dad isn’t at the house either.”

“Then he’s either looking for her or with her. He’s always with her.”

Draven moved his head from side to side as his eyes glassed over. “Charlie...they disappeared the hour we came face to face with that evil angel.”

“So this our fault?!” I said as I stood. “We have to find them.”

Draven reached to pull me to him. “Wherever they are, they’re together -- and they chose to be there.”

“How do you know that?!” I argued as I pushed him away and leaned forward on my knees. I felt so sick.

He pulled me up and forced me to look him in the eye. “Charlie, I’ve analyzed everything you showed me about your parents. I tried to get you to talk to me about it before we even left for here – remember?”

I nodded once as tears glassed over my eyes. I was so stupid; all I cared about when he’d asked me why they told me goodbye like that was leaving, getting him and Monroe to people that could help them.

His thumb caught the tears that spilled out of my eyes and brushed them away. “Your mother is brilliant; so is your father. She chose every word carefully when she told you goodbye. They knew this was coming.”

“So what are they, some kind of sacrifice? Ransom? Is that what you’re saying?!”

“I’m saying that there are no goodbyes, and if they’re being held against their will – we’ll find them, Charlie. We’ll figure this out together.”

“We’re figuring it out now,” I said firmly.

He moved his head from side to side. “Nana saw me, and she nodded to a calendar written on it was ‘Kids leave for Paris’ on the date that we left. They’ve constructed a cover story. We need to lay low for a few hours. Then we’ll go figure out what Nana knows. We’ll get these people to help us.”

“I’m not going to sit here and lay low when something is wrong with my parents. What about Kara? I’m sure she’s insane at this point.”