Beyond the Empyreal Stars

1o.

1o.

"You're still worried, aren't you?" Lizzie asked her brother as the Suburban pulled up in front of Waller Academy.

"How can you tell?" Duke snapped. "It's been four days, Liz. They haven't been at school, I've tried calling, I've gone to their house, and even Clark said Padric hasn't shown up for work."

It wasn't just that, though. They'd missed Monday night dinner, which hadn't happened since they'd come two months before, the Jeeps were never in their driveway, and every window in their house was covered, keeping him from playing Peeping Tom and checking out the inside.

Lizzie was still looking over at him. "Do you think they went back home?"

"And not tell us anything?"

"Or maybe there was an emergency and they had to leave in a hurry."

"Odette would have called to let me know what was happening."

"You sure about that?"

"Shut up, Lizzie."

Lizzie grumbled, picking up her backpack from between her feet and pushed open the door. Duke followed, stalking toward the school doors and throwing them open. When he didn't see Odette, Nova, or Bas at their lockers like he would have a week earlier, he turned back and strode toward the front office.

"What can I do for you, Mr. Mitchell?" Ms. Jenkins asked kindly when he entered.

"Has Odette Simon, Nova Lane, or Sebastian Earl called to say why they weren't in school? I haven't seen them since last week, so it's kind of worrying me."

She gave him a pitiful look. "It seems like you're a little more than 'kind of' worried."

"Can you give me anything?" Duke asked through his teeth.

She looked behind her, making sure there wasn't anyone else around. "I'm not supposed to give out information about students to other students, but I think you should know they came in Monday morning right when I got here. They withdrew from school, but didn't give the reason as to why, exactly. Usually it's for moving to another school or..."

"They...withdrew?" Duke repeated, feeling like he'd suddenly been punched in the stomach.

She looked confused. "You and Odette were really close...did she not tell you anything?"

He shook his head as he backed slowly away from the counter. "No. No, she didn't."

"I'm so sorry then," she frowned. "I don't know what else I could give you..."

Before she even finished, Duke was stalking back out of the office, completely blowing past Lizzie, Carson, and Maeve, and jogged out of the building. With his backpack hitting against his back with every stride, he made it back to the Suburban just as Blackwell and Massey jumped out.

"What's going on?" Massey demanded, his hand resting on his pistol.

"Take me to Odette's," he demanded.

As he jumped in the back, he saw them give each other a look before Massey got in the front and starting the engine, while Blackwell stayed behind with for Lizzie. Just as Duke was buckling his seatbelt, they were pulling away from the curb and headed down the street.

Duke's knee was bouncing up and down as they drove toward Odette's house, passing Clark's and going to the end of the street. When the Suburban pulled up in front of the house, Duke instantly knew no one was home. His hands fisted in his lap as Massey looked back at him.