Prophecy

Chapter 55: Search

*Grace's POV*

As we returned home from our meeting with my father, the weight of His words settled heavily on my mind. The crisp air outside did little to soothe my anxious energy, though. We had to find these beings with little to no information, but...

I found Xavia before... or well... we found each other...

Beside me, Xavia was in quiet contemplation, and her brow furrowed as she processed our task. My father's voice echoed in my thoughts, a stern reminder of the Prophecy coming true very soon.

"So, we need to locate the people my father has mentioned will help us with our abilities," I reiterated, breaking the silence between my mate and me by saying, "All we know is their respective names, which they were called, and referred to way back when. He also gave us the location—the state—of Alaska. That seems to be the place where they have ironically been both living. However, we still have a lot of ground to cover to find them, let alone figure out where this Alaska actually is."

"Aubrey said she left her computer on so we could do research. The more information, the better." Xavia added, nodding, her expression serious.

I took a second to think about what this meant for my mate.

She will soon have to face off against her own father... I know it's going to be immensely challenging, but... I will do all I can to protect her.

We then made our way to Aubrey's apartment, and it didn't take us long as we were actually on the roof. Upon reaching the door, the familiar comfort of her home was welcoming. As we stepped inside, my eyes were immediately drawn to the whiteboard near the entrance.

There, in Aubrey's neat handwriting, was a message that made me chuckle as I read it aloud, "Please, whatever you do, don't have sex on my bed; I beg of you."

I glanced over at Xavia, and the second our eyes met, we both burst into laughter. The moment was a mix of relief and affection, lightening the tension that had been building since we spoke to my father. Our laughter echoed through the empty apartment, a reminder that we could find moments of joy together even amid uncertainty.

We quickly composed ourselves, the humor lingering as we moved further inside. The apartment was always cozy, filled with the subtle scent of lavender that always seemed to cling to Aubrey's belongings. The warmth of the space was inviting, yet it felt like a bittersweet embrace. We would be leaving it behind to continue our journey.

Together, we headed toward the desk where Aubrey's laptop sat waiting. As I opened the lid, the screen flickered to life, and I quickly typed "Alaska" into the Google search bar. The results appeared instantly, and we leaned in closer to absorb every detail.

Alaska seemed almost otherworldly in its vastness, with its sprawling wilderness and icy peaks.

I read aloud, "It's the largest state in the U.S., covering over 663,000 square miles. The population's just over 731,000... so much space and so few people."

"Which means we'll have a lot of ground to cover," Xavia noted, her brow furrowing slightly.

I nodded, feeling the weight of the distance between where we stood and where we needed to go, as I added, "Anchorage is the largest city... but it seems like most of the state is untouched wilderness. We'll have to be prepared for anything."

We studied the map together, tracing the lines that separated us from our destination. Alaska's sheer size was daunting, and the more I looked, the more I realized how much of an undertaking this would be. With its arctic chill and subarctic conditions, the climate alone was enough to make me shiver, but... I mostly worried for my mate.