Ethereal - Part Two

Chapter 31 - Dead Ends

I looked at the text message that Kazier had sent me and then closed my eyes, taking in a deep breath to stay calm. Kazier had already checked with her friends and any restaurant or coffee shop in the same area where she stayed with her roommate. He had found nothing.

So, I texted him back and asked him to join us instead. The more of us that were searching for a portal to Hell, the better things would be. “Kazier and Destry have any luck?” Ryelen asked me and I shook my head.

“I asked them to stop searching. It is clear that she is in Hell. They are on their way here to town to search for another portal”. “That is fine. In the meantime, let us scan over this area once more and then meet Adaeon and Torrin at the beach like we decided”.

I nodded my head and then checked the time. Twenty-five minutes. Twenty-five minutes had passed since we started searching for her. And with each minute that was added to time, the more restless I became.

Time was different in Hell than it was here on Earth. A few minutes for a mortal was likely felt to be an hour or even longer for someone in Hell. And I did not even have a way of knowing if she was being seen to.

Now that Lucifer had Mira, there was no doubt that he would not waste any time. He would drain her of her blood as soon as he could. My Mira would be turned into the demon’s personal blood bag without being cared for.

“Azriel, snap out of it” I heard Ryelen say and I raised my accusing eyes at him. Ryelen sighed heavily and then came to stand beside me. He placed a gentle hand on my shoulder. “I am sorry. I know you are not in the right space right now. If something like this had to happen to Destry, I would not deal with it well”.

“This is my fault, Ryelen. Forget about Thoren, whether he took her or he…he did not take her, forget about it. But I should have been there. I should have been the one to protect Mira”.

“You do no good to yourself to think that negative, Azriel. We were not even aware of the entire truth. If we had known that Mira was Nephilim, we would have had a head start at least”.

I scoffed and shook my head, not agreeing with my leader. “If there is anyone you should be blaming, then it is Jenziel”. I shot my head up to frown at Ryelen. “He kept the truth at bay, not only from us but from his own daughter as well. That is not what Mira deserved”.

“Mira did also not deserve to have her family killed” I whispered and interlaced my fingers in my lap. “Do not dwell on the past, for we can do nothing to change it”. “I love her, Ryelen. I love her and I did not even get to tell her this. More importantly when she finds out the truth, that I had killed her family, she will want nothing to do with me”.

“That will not help anyone, Azriel, what is done, is already done. Besides Mira does not yet know that the same person that loves her, also murdered her family. And I suggest it stay that way” Ryelen said and then typed something into his mobile device. “Adaeon and Torrin are already at the meeting point, let us search one more time and then leave from here”.