Phoenix

Chapter 25

       Intercontinental

Phoenix's POV
Before Ian had the time to question me, my phone rang for the fourth time. I pick the phone out of my pocket and read my father's contact on the screen. Then the memory of Elizabeth calling out after me appears in my head, and I figure he must already know.

_ "Phoenix?" His irritated voice calls out from the other end of the line. I could hear a tinge of hesitation in his tone, before he paused, as if trying to figure out how to break the news to me.

_ "Essence is missing" I deadpan.

_ "Kidnapped" he corrects.

Rarely do I get mad, I inherited my mother's calm nature. But in this moment I felt livid. My nails dug into the skin of my palms as I clenched my hands into fists, my face remaining completely inscrutable.
As if sensing my emotions through the phone, my father calmly yet cautiously tells me to join him in his office. I immediately hang up and return my attention to Ian, who didn't even bother covering up the fact that he was in rage.

_ "Come on, we'll figure this out in my fathers office."

We push through the hoards of students outside, jogging back to their dorms as raindrops fell upon the campus. My mind was racing a million miles per hour, trying to recollect any signs warning that this might happen.

I burst through the office doors for a second losing my cool.

_ "When and how the fuck did this happen?" I spit menacingly once I get to the surveillance room. The security guard flinches at my tone before my father steps in.

_ "Essence was last seen Monday at 8 pm leaving with a brown haired boy." My father begins as the footage of that night was being played on one of the cctv screens. "She must have surely been kidnapped outside of the academy's premises, as the felon surely couldn't of have abducted her here and went unnoticed."

_ "What brown haired guy? There are hundreds of them here." Ian bawls out. Although he had a composure to him, his voice held undeniable rage.

_ "That's what we've yet to find out." Says the dean.

Flashbacks of Monday dart through my mind. Training, the kiss, the elevator ride, the meeting...

The elevator ride!

Without further notice, I sprint out into the cold dreich afternoon. As I reached the boys' dormitories I pause.

Shit.

I didn't know his room number. I search for our team's group chat and type a message saying "meet up in the main hall in 5". Making sure I hide it from Marino, I click send and rush to the main hall.

5 minutes later, the brown haired boy walks right into my trap. As soon as I see him, I tackle him, pinning his back against the wall.

_ "Where's Essence you asshole." I hiss, my face inches away from his.

_ "W-What are you talking about?" Grayson struggles to choke out as his face turns red under my grip. As he tries to break out of my grasp, I slam him back against the wall forcefully. The loud thud caused by the contact between his head and the wall echoes through the empty hall, a painful grunt following suit.

_ "I won't repeat myself more than once Grayson: WHERE IS ESSENCE!" I could feel the bile rise in my throat, the sight of his face, acting all dumb, pushing my last buttons.

_ "How should I kno-"

_ "So help you god if you so much as touched a hair on her head. I will cut your dick off and shove it down your throat." I seethe, enjoying the flustered look on his pathetic face.