Lunar Zenith

Chapter Thirteen

Claire

Cassandra hadn't returned that night, and coincidentally, when I returned home, Peter was missing as well. It had crossed my mind that perhaps the two had met up somewhere else to do their thing, but when I found his room empty and his bed cold the next morning, a small feeling of worry began to gnaw in the pit of my stomach. It wasn't uncommon for Peter to be missing for large quantities of hours at a time—he often went on hunting trips with those rowdy friends of his—but this was long, even for him. So, slipping a cloak over my shoulders, I left my home and headed straight for the little house at the edge of the woods. Cassandra's house.

I knocked only once, and the door immediately swung open. Mrs. Anne stood in the doorway, a frenzied look on her face.

"Is Cassandra with you?" she demanded.

The gnawing in my stomach grew stronger. "She's not home?" I said.

But Mrs. Anne didn't respond, instead turning away and disappearing into her house, leaving the front door wide open. "She's not with Claire, Florence. Cassandra is missing."

I stepped inside, closing the door behind me, and followed Mrs. Anne into the kitchen. Cassandra's family sat around a table, each with a different level of concern etched on their face. Andra's youngest siblings didn't have a clue what was going on and squirmed in their seats, itching to return to their play.

"Maybe she's just out for a stroll," Sam said.

"Yeah," Arnold chimed in. "You know she's always loved the woods."

It seemed that her older brothers were just as unconcerned.

Mrs. Anne shook her head. "You know she would never leave without telling me."

"She's getting older, Linda," Mr. Anne said, peeking over the top of his book. "Cassandra is leading her own life now and that involves leaving her parents out of certain decisions she chooses to make."

"Decisions?" Mrs. Anne said, outraged. "What sort of decisions would she be making that she wouldn't tell her own mother about?"

"Well," I said slowly as all eyes turned to me, "last night, she and Peter were supposed to have dinner together at my house."

"She went out? Past curfew? And to have dinner with that troublesome boy? No offense to you, Claire. You are such a dear child."

I smiled. "None taken." But the smile faded soon after. "We were here together, last night, I mean. I was dressing her up for her date, but then she... left." Do I dare tell them about how Cassandra ran off into the night with a wolf, enemy number one? I'd sound insane and the chances of them believing me were slimmer than a splinter. And not only that, but Cassandra trusted that I would keep her secret. I'd be a terrible friend if I let it slip out, but what if Cassandra was in danger?

"How could she have slipped out without any of us catching her?" Mrs. Anne continued. "None of this is making any sense."

"She went out the window," I said.

"The window? Cassandra went out the window?" Mrs. Anne sat down heavily in her seat, resting a hand on her forehead. "Really makes you wonder how many times she's done this before."

Sam glanced at the door and frowned before getting up to leave. No one paid him any mind.

"What about your brother?" Mr. Anne said. "You said they were together?"

"I don't actually know if they met up. Peter wasn't home when I got back, but Cassandra had left on her own accord much, much earlier."

"And Peter, is he home?"