Z
Tomari
For a while I couldn't see anything. I couldn't hear anything, and I was pretty sure I hadn't breathed in ten minutes. I guess this is what they called shock. Then again what else are you supposed to feel when you are sent a disturbing picture of someone you'd known since eleven years of age?
It wasn't long before I got my answer. Once the symptoms of shock disappeared anger replaced it almost instantly. I welcomed the emotion with open arms.
"Who the hell would do this?" I growled through clenched teeth. "Why?"
No one answered.
Z was innocent. He never did anything wrong. Sure he believed shifters didn't exist and hid my books whenever he got the chance because he knew it irritated me, but that didn't mean he was a bad guy. He was one of the best humans I'd ever met, and I was pretty sure it wasn't a human who did this.
"Who?" I asked in a lesser voice that could be considered much calmer. "Who would kill-"
"We do not know he's really been killed Mistress." Tori cautiously pulled me into his chest as if he was afraid the moment he touched me I'd lash out at him. The tension within my body eased. But only a little.
"Well... By the looks of the picture I'd say otherwise." Devlyn chimed in.
Tori shot him a deadly glare before turning his attention back to me. "Let's not assume the worse." He grabbed my clenched fists and gently opened them. I winced; glancing down at the palms. Something red seeped from my skin. Blood. I'd dug my nails too deep.
He pulled me into his arms once again and tears streamed down my face. I don't know what triggered the need to cry. Maybe it was the close contact with Tori or just the pictures themselves, but what I did know is that I wanted nothing but to wish for this to be a dream.
Tori's large hands caressed my head, rubbing my back as the tears continued to fall. He mumbled gentle words of comfort into my ear. I think that made me cry harder. After I'd all but balled my eyes out everyone gathered around the island counter with the three pictures on display.
"So what do we know?" Devlyn asked. "Besides the obvious of course."
I slid one of the pictures my way. It was of Z bounded to a chair against the wall. I don't know why but seeing him barely beaten in this one gave me some relief. I pointed. "There's no light reflected anywhere here. He must be in some kind of basement or, due of the chains surrounding him, a dungeon."
Tori peered in closer over my shoulder. Any other time I probably would have argued about him being so close, but this wasn't a normal day. One of my best friends has just been taken. I needed Tori to get through this.
"The stone of the wall is Limestone." He told us. "Where ever he is he is for sure near a river."
"How do you know?" Devlyn asked.
"Limestone is formed from Marines and freshwater. When the Egyptians built the Great Pyramid of of Giza, they used the Nile to help form it. The Giza was externally made entirely from limestone."
"Well whoever took him must be somewhere within this city right?"
"I'm not sure actually."
I slowly blew out a breath. "I think I know someone who might know something." I slid the three photos into the manila envelope. "I'll be right back."
"Mistress?"
My gaze connected with his. "No, you don't have to come. Its just a hunch but I'm sure Derek might know what's going on."
