Descendent of the Sky

Missing-- KAYA POV

Hands are gripping me, shaking me into the first lights of the day. Instinct hits me first, and I grab the dagger out from under my pillow and thrust myself on top of whoever it is in a straddle, knife at their throat.

"Kaya! I'm sorry! I didn't mean to frighten you!" A female says, voice shaking.

I blink through the last hold of sleep and focus on the face in front of me. Frightened, blue eyes stare back at me.

"Julia," I breathe. Her lip is quivering. "Why are you here?"

"Your mom never came back after leaving suddenly yesterday.. I thought maybe she would be here," she whispered, and then looked pointedly at my hand, still holding the dagger at her throat.

I practically jump off of her and give her a sheepish smile, "Sorry about that."

"Well, don't stop on my account," Melani chides, striding into the inlet with scrutinizing eyes towards both Julia and I.

I stare at her like a fish out of water.

"It's not what it looks like," I mumble, but Julia interjects over me.

"Kaya's mom, Heidi, is missing."

Melani's eyes flash with surprise for a brief second, I think... Maybe I imagined it? Too quick to tell.

"When did this happen?" Melani asks.

"Yesterday she left in a hurry- I thought maybe she had been sick. She'd turned white as a sheet and then hurried off saying she had to do something..." Julia trails off, looking to me. "Did you see her at all yesterday?"

Guilt and anxiety burn through me. I hadn't been home. I'd been dicking around with Ronan, Sai and Deirdre.

"No," I whisper, feeling heat burn my cheeks as shame consumes me. I look down at my hands, not wanting to meet Julia's gaze. Melani, however, has a stare that can grip you from anything. We lock eyes and her stare is all-knowing.

"What are you even doing here?" I ask incredulously.

Melani raises her eyebrows at me, "You didn't show up for training last night." All business.

Embarrassment, guilt, disappointment, anything negative, you name it. My chest is full of it. 

"I thought that was tonight."

"Well, it was yesterday. I'd say we could reschedule for tonight, but it seems you'll be occupied finding your mother. I'll help in any way I can." She says, sounding more military than friendly. "Where were you last night, Kaya?" Her gaze is stern, calculating.

"I was with Ronan, Sai and Deirdre... We lost track of time and it was so late when I came home I didn't even notice my mom wasn't here." I grimace.

Melani's aura had changed to slightly smug.. She knew what I'd been up to yesterday, she just wanted to see if I would lie. I never know how she does it, but she always seems to know what I'm doing. She gets a kick out of trying to catch me floundering over little details, especially when she knows it's something I'll be ashamed to admit.

I'm at the point where I don't even try to weave my sentences into something that is more palatable or filled with niceties. If I don't like something she made for me, she somehow knows and likes to prod at me until I tell her it sucks. At this point with Melani, I just have to be blunt. It's kind of nice, throwing polite conversation to the wind. She sees me for what I am.

"If you already know, don't bother asking," I snap, sinking my head into my hands. I've only just woken up and today already sucks.

I start to work on getting dressed and brushing my teeth, following the conversation as it goes.