Sounds of Fire

15

Derek didn't return to the office. Lady Grace and Anatolia waited until the sun fell and all the other workers left and the night janitor was already halfway done with cleaning the building, but Derek never returned.

Anatolia felt like a piece of her was missing. Derek was always near by, always, and even when he wasn't, it was because he agreed not to be. Now that he was gone and she had no idea where he was, she felt torn. She couldn't feel his thoughts, not even his frequency.

When it was nearing ten at night, Lady Grace managed to get Anatolia into the car so they could go home. Derek was sure to show up there, if he wasn't there already. The whole ride back, Anatolia was like an empty shell. Her eyes were glossed over and she would have been thrown around the car if Lady Grace hadn't put her seatbelt on.

Lady Grace was concerned, more than concerned. She hadn't seen Anatolia act like that before, not even when they were kids. Then again, Derek had never went missing when they were kids. Lady Grace worried for Anatolia's state of mind. Anatolia and Derek were connected, in more ways than one. They were twins who had similar gifts, different sides of the same coin. They were connected by blood but also magic. Lady Grace wasn't sure what would happen if their connection was broken, but by the looks of simple separation, it wasn't good.

When they arrived home, Lady Grace helped Anatolia upstairs. The staff noticed Anatolia's vacant look, and they grew worried, too. They also noted Derek's absence, and they were all sure that something tremendous must have happened. Word got around to Nan and she came out of the kitchen to meet Lady Grace and Anatolia as they were making their way down the upstairs hall. Lady Grace brushed her off, but Nan wouldn't go. Resigned, Lady Grace allowed Nan to help her move Anatolia around.

"Derek?" Anatolia mumbled, blinking for the first time in what seemed forever.

Nan and Lady Grace looked at each other worriedly. By Nan's suggestion, they took Anatolia into Derek's room and tucked her into his bed. As they let her get comfortable, Lady Grace told Nan what had happened, in full detail. Nan listened, nodding every once and a while, taking the whole story in. She grew angrier with every word, wanting to hurt this Prentiss person. Then she became confused when how Derek became missing came about. Lady Grace didn't actually know. One moment he was there, the next he wasn't.

Worried for Anatolia, Nan went down to the kitchen to make some tea, something soothing. Lady Grace remained in Derek's room, sitting on the edge of Derek's bed. She gently caressed Anatolia's face.

"He's gone," Anatolia whispered.

Lady Grace leaned down to hear better. "What are you talking about?"

Anatolia looked at things that weren't there. "They said he left. But he'd never leave on his own. Why would he leave? Where would he go? He'd tell me. I know he'd tell me. He'd tell me where he went, wouldn't he? Was he uncomfortable with us? Is that when he left? Did someone make him leave? He's too smart for that. But they're never wrong. He must have left. I want to know where he went. He should have told me."

Lady Grace nodded along, her brow furrowed. She let Anatolia continue on, asking questions that no one had the answers to. She wondered if Derek was having the same types of withdrawal symptoms. If he was, surely he wouldn't have left on his own. Or perhaps his leaving on his own prevented him from having withdrawal symptoms. Lady Grace had no clue.

"It's okay," she whispered, brushing hair out of Anatolia's face. "He's okay. He has to be. He'll be back in the morning."

Anatolia's eyes found Lady Grace's. "Yeah?"