Alex in Wunderstrande: The Clairvoyance Clock [BOOK ONE]

Chapter XXVII: Recollections From War

"Did you see where Jayce went?" I asked Castor and Sheridan, but they looked just as surprised by her sudden absence.

"No, I didn't even see her slip away," Sheridan replied, his eyebrows creased in worry.

"Shall we search for her?" Castor offered.

I chewed uneasily on the inside of my cheek. "She couldn't have gotten far," I replied, frantically scanning the crowd.

"Come on," Castor said urgently, leading Sheridan and me through the thick assembly.

Pushing through city-dwellers was like fighting a merciless current, and it didn't take long before Castor and Sheridan disappeared as well.

Swearing under my breath, I navigated amid the multitude of Wunderstrandians. Confusion consumed me as I tried to pinpoint the reason behind Jayce's swift departure. Was it something Henrie did? Was it something Chancellor Gage said?

Needing to break away from the nauseating stimulation of the main thoroughfare, I rerouted down an alley that stood in stark contrast to the lively glow of the inner city. I stepped vigilantly into the backstreet, shrouded in abysmal darkness.

The insistent city noises died down almost immediately upon crossing the threshold. After only a couple paces, a shuffling noise temporarily rendered me motionless.

"Jayce?" I called out hopefully.

No answer.

Slowly, cautiously, I approached a trash receptacle and nearly jumped out of my skin when I saw Jayce slumped against the wall, her legs pulled up to her chest and head buried in her arms.

"Jayce?"

"Go away, Alex."

"W-what's wrong?" I asked. I knew it had to be something terrible. In the short time that I'd known her, I undoubtedly caught on to the fact that she never referred to me as just 'Alex' unless she was upset over something.

She lifted her head and hurriedly wiped her face with the back of her sleeve. "God, I've gotta get out of here."

"Why?"

"You know why."

I sighed and slid down the wall to sit beside her. "Look, I get it, you hate Wunderstrande—"

"No, it's so much more than that," she interrupted me, running both hands furiously through her hair. "Wunderstrande took everything from me..."

Jayce's voice trailed off. While the lack of words left the silence ringing in anticipation, the darkness in her eyes clearly communicated in their place.

"They killed her."

"Killed who?"

"Emmeline."