The Queen Of Eternity

Can we nope out of this situation?

"Esmeray...have you seen Ocean?" Lucas asks.

I undo my handwrap as I answer, "Mom's been training me all morning. Your girl is scared of this room and won't come here."

"Esmeray. I am not kidding. Where is she?"

I keep my dagger aside.

"Maybe she went for a walk or something?"

"She always tells me where she is. Past relationship trauma and shit."

Okay...

"Ask the guards if they have seen her go in our out?"

"Do you think I am stupid? I did ask, Essie. They haven't."

I blink at him.

Something is wrong. 

"Where did you last see her?" 

"We...She spent the night in my room. She was having a nightmare, I guess. Anyways, I went to train with our soldiers as usual. She was sleeping when I left. And when I came back, she wasn't in my bedroom or hers or yours. I asked Azrael if she'd come by the medical wing and he said she hasn't."

Ocean can't just vanish.

She and Lucas are impossible to separate these days.

I don't like where this is going. 

I open mouth to say that we should check the woods but Lucas's phone starts ringing. 

His frown drops and he sighs, "Ocean."

"Pearl, where were you all morning? I was so-"

Pause.

The frown comes back. Angrier this time.

"Who's this?"

Another pause. 

Lucas's hands tighten into a fist.

"Listen here you little shit, you tell me who the fuck you are and where you've taken Ocean."

My eyebrows get drawn together in a frown as I take a step towards Lucas.

He glances towards me.

I yank the phone away from him but the caller has already hung up. 

"It was a man and a woman. They are near water. I heard like a stream or river or something. Ocean is alive. I heard gagged muffles."

I am surprised he's forming concrete sentences. He looks like he's about to burn down the forest. 

"Essie, we need to find her."

»»----♔-----««

We have been walking around the forest at least one hour now. Still no sign of Ocean or a river. Under different circumstances I would've laughed at that sentence.

     Lucas is slowly breaking down and I have to hold his hand to make sure he doesn't start doing idiotic stuff like punch trees and kill birds and god knows what.

I have never seen Lucas so worried and angry. And that's saying something.

Azrael and my mother had to stay back. I need Mom to maintain safety at HQ and I need Azrael there because I don't trust her yet.

      I don't think I can physically take the lose of another sister. The thought makes me grip Lucas's hand tighter.

"What if...What if I never see her again?" Lucas mumbles.

"Don't say that. We'll find her."

"You don't get it!" He leaves my hand and sits down on a rock, his head in his hands, "At least if we die today, Azrael will know you love him. Or have feelings or whatever. Ocean doesn't know that."

" I lied. I did not leave before she woke up. We kissed. And she got all awkward and I didn't want to make her uncomfortable so I left. And I was looking for her to ask if... y'know- if that was an accident or she actually wanted to do that. I wanted to ask her about us, Es."

I sit down beside him as punches the rock he's sitting on.

"I don't know what to tell you other than the fact that we can't lose hope. It's been few hours but if the kidnappers have taken her that means they need something. From us. They're not going to hurt her because that's the only leverage they have. We will find her, Luke. Trust me," I place my hand on his shoulder to offer some sort of comfort. Something he's always given me.

His eyes glisten and a shaky sigh escapes from him as runs his fingers through his hair.

He takes me hand in his and holds it tight enough for it to hurt. But I don't say anything, letting him calm down.