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EITHER DARCIE'S HEART IS ABOUT to explode, or she's due a panic attack — the very first one in years. Out of everyone, Darcie had least expected Callum to be in danger.
From instinct, Embry's hand knots with Darcie's to calm her nerves. Inside the house, Darcie can hear Riven demanding what's going on, along with Lewis advising him to give the two some space; her Fae ears had become a curse once again.
"It's complicated," says Embry. "The whole situation, really. To keep up with appearances, Lewis had no choice but to report you as missing after Callum disappeared."
"I don't understand," Darcie tells him, frightened for the reality of when she did.
"Callum noticed something had changed," Embry explains. "When you left, Lewis decided to say you were home with Mono — you know our usual lame excuse. The Cullen's returned, so the doc wrote you a medical letter to help."
"Carlisle did?" Darcie asks, surprised.
"Yeah, we were a little shocked too," says Embry. "Callum told me that you were gonna go to an interview with him in Seattle—"
"Cornish College of the Arts in Seattle," Darcie recalls, already feeling guilty. "He got offered a place on a summer programme."
"Yeah, well Callum never returned from the interview," Embry informs Darcie, keeping a strong hold on her hand. "The last person to see him was the interviewer."
Darcie's heart breaks at the words. "How long ago was that?"
"Just over a month ago," Embry confesses. "Callum's parents knew you were supposed to go with him, so the Sheriff came knocking to speak to you."
"And I wasn't home," Darcie finishes.
"Lewis had no choice but to report you missing," Embry explains. "That it happened around the same time as Callum disappeared, so right now the police are speculating that you've both run away together."
"But what happened to Callum?" Darcie asks.
"We don't know," Embry answers. "Jake, Quil, and I have searched for him ourselves. We've even joined the search parties looking for Callum, but we can't find him. The troubling part is that there are multiple disappearances in Seattle, so it's not just Callum. Sam's ordered us to stay away now, so we don't have a choice but to follow his order."
Darcie frowns at that. "But you guys could find Callum."
"Our duty is to protect the community from here," says Embry, rolling his eyes as Sam's words annoy him. "That there's nothing we can do for a missing teenager."
"But it's Callum," Darcie argues, finding that more than enough reason. "Are the police at least looking?"
"Not at the moment, not when their main lead is the two of you running off together."
