Go to Hell (on hold)

NINETEEN

"Where is she?" Kota Lee demanded. One two three four five six seven eight nine ten. "Where the hell is she?"

"I don't know," Silas replied. "She was mad. She's probably just blowing off steam."

"It's three in the morning. No, she's not. And you saw her last."

"Technically, it was him and Owen," Dr. Green all but snarled. "When were you going to tell us you'd met her?"

Mr. Blackbourne sat in his office chair like it was a throne. The rest of them crowded on couches and armchairs. Kota was too panicked to sit.

"I don't remember being required to report to you," Mr. Blackbourne said.

"But why interact with her at all?" Kota asked. He shoved his hand in his pocket and gripped the small velvet box inside. This night had gone so terribly wrong. He hadn't intended to leave Sang for a second, but there were people he needed to talk to that he didn't want her meeting. At least, not yet. Not until she said yes.

"I find her amusing. Don't you, Mr. Lee?"

"I'm going to marry her." For a moment, everyone froze.

"What the fuck?" Gabriel spit out. "You really want to damn her twice?"

"Guys, this isn't the time for this conversation." Nathan said. "We need to find her."

"Where would we look that we haven't already?" Luke asked. "I hate to say this, but we need to consider the possibility that she was kidnapped."

"Or that she ran away," Victor said quietly. That nearly stopped Kota's heart. He counted to himself, hoping for the thousandth time she was just hiding out in a closet somewhere.

"She's too smart to run away," said North. He glared at Mr. Blackbourne. "Unless she has a reason to be worried for her safety."

"I don't have any desire to hurt Mr. Lee's future bride." He seemed to bite the last part out. Then Mr. Blackbourne shot up and his eyes widened. "She's in the maze."

"Are you sure?" Dr. Green asked.

"Positive. It's cleaning itself out and it alerted me it came across her blood. At the center."

"Let's go." Kota was already half way out the door, fully ready to kill the maniac who made her bleed. She shouldn't have gone to the maze. She should have known it's filled with killers and monsters unfit to be with the rest of the Underworld population. He should have told her the explicit dangers of the maze at night.

Kota ran through the maze, and the walls parted for him. One two three four. There were twelve layers to the maze before its center.

He skidded to a halt when he finally go to the center.

Blood.

It was everywhere. The guillotine was covered in it. Drag marks extended back toward the maze. Vines extended out from the walls, licking up the dark liquid. The drip drip drip of it falling from the guilotine drove him insane.

"Holy shit," Luke muttered, second to the center. He walked up to the guillotine and reached out to touch it, but stopped at the last second.

The rest of their brothers arrived a few moments later. Even Mr. Blackbourne stalked into the clearing, rage contorting his face.

"I want a forensics team on this."

"No need," North growled. He picked up a familiar ring from the guillotine's neck rest. "It was Jade."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When I came to my head was pounding, a pain like I'd never known before. I looked around as I licked my lips. They were horribly chapped.