Eternity Falls had never felt so empty.
Outside The Crimson Veil, life carried on as though nothing had changed. But for me, everything was different.
All because I hadn’t seen Isadora in days.
Not since the night she walked out of Ella Black’s house without so much as looking back. Not a word. No phone calls, no messages, not even a whisper of her presence in town. She’d simply vanished. And for the first time in my long lifespan, I found myself uncertain of what to do with the ache she’d left behind.
My office door slammed open, and a pint-sized werewolf stormed in.
“I swear to the fucking moon, if someone doesn’t tell me where she is, I’m setting this place on fire.”
My gaze leapt to Thorne. She’d pulled her hair into a topknot, the strands more chaotic than usual, and she wore an oversized band tee that hung loose over her slight frame, for comfort’s sake.
She walked into my office, her limp slight, but still noticeable.
According to Ricky, with whom I’d maintained a steady line of communication, Selene had been stopping by the Wolfe estate to pass along a series of healing draughts she’d recently cooked. The draughts had helped drastically, clearing up the majority of her wounds. All that remained was her limp and a light scarring along her ribs. But apparently Selene was confident she could handle both.
Isadora had changed everything and few realized it. Before her arrival, our three families would never have helped the other out of the goodness of their hearts, and here we were, communicating and contributing to each other.
All because of her. And she wasn’t even here to revel in her glory.
“Well?” Thorne demanded.
“You know as much as I do,” I admitted, though it pained me to say so.
She froze, her mouth parted as though she’d expected me to lie. “Wait, seriously?”
I didn’t answer. There really wasn’t anything else to say.
Thorne cupped the back of her neck. “She wouldn’t just leave us, would she? Not without saying goodbye at least?”
“Maybe she just needs time,” I said.
Though I’d been telling myself that for almost a week now. So much had happened to her—it seemed logical to assume that one would need some time and space. She’d ended Trystan’s life. I didn’t like saying “killed” because that felt unfair. She’d saved him, released him from madness. But at the end of the day, his blood was still on her hands. I couldn’t begin to imagine how that felt.
I kept telling myself to be patient, but honestly, if this went on any longer, I had plans to visit New Orleans. It was the only place I could think of to find her.
According to Selene, Isadora and I were true mates. I had no intention of losing that or letting her disappear from my life.
A knock sounded on the doorframe, and Elias stepped inside, a stack of paperwork balanced in his arms.
“I come bearing offerings,” he said dryly, crossing the room. “Juliette sent all this for you. Something about revised permits, updated event schedules, liquor invoices, the works.”
He strode across my office and dropped the stack onto the corner of my desk. Juliette’s way of telling me to stop pining and get my ass back to work.
I sighed and dragged the stack closer.
Elias turned and spared Thorne a sidelong glance. “Nice to see you up and verbally assaulting people again.”
Thorne offered him a flat look. “Nice to see you still playing vampire butler.”
“Play nicely, kids,” was all I said.
Elias chuckled, then turned back to me. “Also, your mother has requested a visit. She said—and I quote—‘Tell Lucien, if he doesn’t come and speak with me soon, I shall drop in unannounced. And we both know how much he loves that.’”
I cringed. I’d been avoiding my mother for days now. I knew exactly what she wanted to discuss—Isadora’s disappearance. Word among my siblings was she believed I’d chased Miss Laurent from town once and for all. I’d wanted to wait for Isadora’s return before I assuaged my mother of her incorrect assumption.
But it seemed Seraphina had grown impatient. As she so often did.
