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He shook his head.
“Not even the waiter?”
“He no longer works there, and no one seemed to know how to reach him.”
“Did you have any luck at Châteaux Relais?”
“Since Zeppelin filled in for Rogue, we decided against visiting the resort. Oh, Macht has an update about the man responsible for the fire.”
My stomach clenched.
“I believe Ares will soon as well.”
I looked in his direction and saw him talking on his cell.
“I think we’re waiting until everyone returns to the compound to debrief all at once. Do you want to take a walk?”
I nodded. “I need a break before I can view any more photos.”
“Wait. Ares is motioning to me. Rest your eyes, and I’ll be back as quickly as I can.”
I must’ve dozed off, but woke when I felt Magnet’s hand on my arm.
“Come upstairs with me. I have some other news for you.”
He led me into the bedroom and over to the sitting area in front of the fireplace. He sat beside me and took my hands in his. “What I have to tell you is good news, Prisca.”
“Your expression belies it being so.”
“Ares was talking to Drachen about the fire, and he asked which house burned. Was there more than one on the property?”
My eyes opened wide. “Yes, the main chalet and a guesthouse.”
“It was the property closest to the road that burned, Prisca. The one farther down the hillside wasn’t touched. While the flames got close to it, the firefighters were able to extinguish the blaze before it got that far.”
“Are you certain?” I whispered, steeling myself from getting my hopes up.
“It will be a while before some of the others return. Would you like to see for yourself?”
“Do we have time?”
“The debrief can wait for us, and before you say something about inconveniencing the others, don’t. No one downstairs feels that way.”
“Is this really necessary?”I repeated when we left the compound in a caravan of three SUVs. Reaper and Flick, who had returned without Macht, rode with Magnet and me. Fuchs and Drachen were in the SUV ahead of us, while Verity, Zeppelin, and Ares were in the one behind us.
Magnet, who was in the rear passenger row with me, squeezed my hand but, otherwise, didn’t say anything.
When I’d asked the first time about the necessity of so many people going to the chalet with us, Verity was the only one to respond, and she’d said she was riding along because she wanted to see where I grew up.
My heart sank when we got closer and I saw that the guesthouse was gone. It hadn’t been used as such for many years. In fact, there was very little in the place.
“Keep going to the next turnoff,” I said to Reaper when he was about to pull up to it.
“There it is,” I said, pointing when we were partway down the hillside and the home where I spent the first nine years of my life was visible through the trees.
“Has Macht been here before?” Magnet asked.
“No one has. Drachen’s parents’ chalet is just up the road, though. I should’ve thought of the possibility it was the other building myself.”
