Imprinted Hearts

Chapter 16: Leaving

"She's not picking up her phone," Lucien said, panic seeping into his bones.

"Let me try," Ethan said, dialing her number. It rang and rang, but no one picked up on the other end. He sent a text, but no answer came.

"Alexis," Louie said. "Ask your cards. Has something bad already happened to Hope? As in, that's why they can't get a hold of her?"

"The cards say good luck," Alexis said, dread in her voice.

"Fuck," Ethan muttered.

"What do we do?" Louie asked. "What do you need from me?"

"Get a hold of Leo," Lucien instructed. "Tell him what's going on. I'll keep calling Hope to see if we can't get a hold of her."

"It's going straight to voice mail," Ethan said. "She's turned her phone off."

"Alexis, do you have anything that can help us locate her?" Lucien asked.

"I have a pendulum, but I'd need a map of the tri-county area to locate her whereabouts," Alexis replied.

"Ethan, go to the travel section and find a map of Alabama," Lucien instructed further.

"On it," Ethan said, moving off into the store.

Louie was already on the phone with Leo, giving him the rundown, and Alexis was digging through her bag for the pendulum. When Ethan came back, he spread the map out on the table and after a second; they found the tri-county area and began performing the location spell. Lucien was pacing now, and Alexis made a noise.

"There's something blocking her from being found. I can't get a purchase on her," Alexis muttered.

"Can you try harder?" Ethan asked, panicking.

"Wait," Lucien said. "I tracked her down once through the feeling of the bond we share. Would that help?"

"It couldn't hurt. And with there being two of you, it might blast through this block," she replied.

"What do we need to do?" Ethan asked. He sounded hopeful again.

"Put your hand on mine and hold as still as possible," Alexis instructed. They did so, and she swirled the pendulum around again, and focusing hard. A blip of light showed on the map, then expanded into a circle around the pendulum as it cracked down the side. "Hold ooonn," Alexis warned, brow furrowing. The pendulum began rotating in place and the map caught fire, but all around one specific place. "There!" And the spell broke. A flash of light went up, making them all jump back, and Alexis quickly put out the flame before it could cause a disturbance.

Picking up the piece of paper that had a hole burned around it, Ethan looked at the map.

"It's centered on the interstate in Montgomery. Exit nine from the looks of it," he said. "That's where we are..."

"Maybe she's just shopping at Eastchase too," Louie said hopefully.

"We'll see," Lucien said. "I just texted Rune we can't get ahold of Hope and to see if it's just us or if it's him too."

"What did he say?" Ethan asked.

"Right now he's left me on read," Lucien replied.

"Prick," Ethan grumbled.

"Let's look for her. Her van is pretty easy to spot. We can split up." Lucien began giving out instructions for teaming up. "Ethan, you and Alexis go in one vehicle. Louie, me and you will go in the other. This way, both teams have someone that can sense her and Ethan has someone that can help should we come across something trying to hurt Hope, but can't fight in public. Louie can go with me, so I have the same thing."