The Lost Heir (Book I)- The Violet City

Into the Darkness

Isabella opened her eyes at the touch of Xander's hand on her shoulder.

"You okay, Isabella?" Micah, who was sitting across from her, asked. Seth turned, frowning at her when he heard Micah's question. Elyse spoke in a hushed comforting tones to a red-faced Cleo, who was ringing each of their parents' lines, including Catherine's, over and over without reply. Isabella realized that she must have only been blacked out for a second. Not wanting anyone to make a fuss, she shook off Xander's hand and took a deep breath.

"Yeah, just kinda out of it right now."

"Yeah," said Seth, looking out of the picture window beside them. He stood up and started toward the elevator up the bedrooms. Micah followed.

"Where are you guys going?" Isabella called out.

"Upstairs," sniffled Cleo. "They're probably checking to see if this is a big joke." She got up and headed in their direction. Xander followed his twin. He looked back at Isabella, then waved her on to follow. She shook her head and looked down at her lap. Xander left with his sister. None of the kids looked back at her.

Elyse sat in front of her and squeezed her hand. "Do you want some water or something, honey?"

Isabella shook her head, when she saw Rolf approaching from the corner of her eye. He gave Isabella a sympathetic look then waved Elyse to follow him to help with some emergency.

Elyse looked at Isabella. "It's okay," Isabella said. "I'll be fine. Thanks."

Elyse and Rolf disappeared, leaving her alone. Alone like she was apparently meant to be. After a long while, tears prickled then spilled down her cheeks, hot and without shame. What was she supposed to do now? Follow me, the voice had said. Follow him where? She pulled the necklace Theophilus had given her from beneath her shirt and held onto it. The warm buzz she'd felt before returned but this time it was accompanied with a feeling of peace. She closed her eyes and saw her grandmother. This time there was no fire. She was on a train next to Micah and Seth's mother. They looked over some sort of coordinates on a map. Her eyes snapped open. Isabella took a breath then shut her eyes again to try to get a glimpse of them. Nothing.

She squeezed her eyes harder. Still dark. The necklace started to burn her palm. She let it go for a moment then tested it again with the tip of her finger. Cool. It was cool and did nothing to her senses at all this time. Maybe the thing was broken. It was really old. She sighed, recalling the vision she had seen. Seth and Micah's mother with her grandmother. This wasn't a simple disappearance. This had to do with the lost heir and whatever her grandmother, Robert and Theophilus had been talking about. "Uncle Robert," she gulped. "No, Theophilus. She had to ask him." She took out her phone dialed his number, but there was no answer. She tried Robert next. Still nothing. She scrolled through her address book, heart drilling, then dialed her grandmother's number. Cleo had been calling but did she have her grandmother's cell phone or was she calling her office? Maybe she'd pick up. No answer. Isabella wanted to throw the useless phone out of the window. And she might have, if the enormous window beside her opened and wasn't just a big pane of glass.

Caution tape barricaded the elevator that led down to the theater. "What is this for? Nobody's dead," Isabella whispered to herself, irritated.

"Exactly," Seth said from behind her. Isabella gasped and turned around. He and Micah stood there, faces sallow, eyes weary. "We didn't find any clues upstairs. Did you want to check your place?" Isabella grinned in spite of everything going on. They'd come back to find her. She was sure they were going to forget about her and go off and find some relative to help them. But then again, they only had their Uncle Robert in the city as far as she knew.