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You can find him at the warehouse in Varius on the corner of 3rd and Juniper. Come alone.
I’d hurry if I were you.
I let the paper fall from my hands and watched it float down onto the bed as my whole world flipped upside down.
They have Bennett.
???
I gave myself no time to think or turn back as I ran towards what was certain to be a trap created by the Red Bones themselves. I didn’t care if I ran straight towards death, I’d walk through hell to get Bennett back.
I changed into my leathers as quickly as I could, slipping on my favorite pair of boots and strapping my golden dagger to my thigh. I cringed as I thought about how it was a gift from Pater, but I would bring a new memory to it, one that involved saving his son.
I threw on my cloak quickly and slipped out of my room. I made my steps as light as possible as I worked my way through and out of the castle. I didn’t know who I could trust anymore, and I couldn’t let myself be seen by anyone.
I left through the back entrance in the kitchen, sure that no one had seen me, and began to run as hard as I could toward Varius, the gambling city where I first discovered the name of the Skull King. Every step I took was faster than the last and I thanked the stars for shielding me from light since the sun had set.
As I ran through the kingdom, I stayed on the brick sidewalks and ran through back alleys to keep from drawing unnecessary attention.
The emotions I blocked when I first read the little note were starting to reach the surface as anxiety began to seep in.
Please be alive, Bennett.
I would kill whoever had taken Bennett, and I would do it happily. I still couldn’t wrap my mind around how Bennett was taken right under my nose. He was strong, and an excellent fighter. It had to take someone with extreme talent, and I couldn’t think of anyone who could overpower him.
Is Pater in on this? Is this why I was called to his office, so I would be distracted?
I had no idea what I was walking into, and I began to overanalyze the situation. All I had on me was my golden dagger. I was so caught up in the rush of leaving that I didn’t even think about bringing any more weapons, which was the stupidest thing I could’ve done.
What the hell was I thinking?
It was just me. There could be hundreds of Red Bones. Thousands! I could easily be outnumbered. What if I couldn’t save him?
I continued running as I turned into another dark alley, but my chest tightened so much that I couldn’t take in a breath of air. The alley was empty and quiet aside from the pounding in my head. My knees buckled and I fell to the ground as I thought about losing Bennett.
I never told him I loved him. He tried so hard to bring me back this past month and I kept denying my feelings for him. Denying him access to my heart. Denying myself the freedom to feel how I did towards him. It was always Bennett. It had always been Bennett. I’d known it from the very first moment I met him, which was why I was always so frustrated with him for not seeing it how I did. And when he finally showed me his heart, I stupidly declined it. I told him to wait. I never should have waited.
The one person who had kept me centered this past month was gone, and I was afraid I would break without him.
“STARS, PLEASE!” I screamed as I tried over and over again to fill my lungs.
They did this to me, they took him from me. I clawed at my neck, leaving scratches as I tried to keep my throat from closing up. I grew dizzy and my vision blurred.
Why would they do this to me? They gave him to me, then took him away, and right when I got him back, they did it again. Was my life just a game to them?
The panic became overwhelming. I wasn’t prepared for this, I wasn’t ready. I couldn’t fight them; I couldn’t lose Bennett. I—
My chest ached so bad it felt like it was going to shatter.
Hot tears spilled down my cheeks as I continued to gasp for air.
Every part of me ached for Bennett and the loss of him and what we never got to be. My skin burned and my eyes stung with tears.
I couldn’t fall apart. Bennett needed me, and I hadn’t lost him yet.
