She refused it, got to her feet on her own, and hurried toward the utility road.
He grabbed her shoulders and turned her back around. She almost lost her balance as he shoved her toward the brush at the base of the ravine. Had he gone mad? She balled up her fists and turned to take another swing at him.
He held up his hands to ward her off. Pointed to his chest, and then to the road. He pointed at her, and then to the hill. She dropped her fists. Agreed silently. He would search the road and she would stay. Go over the hill again.
She didn’t like it. It felt like a diversion, but his stance said he wouldn’t budge. Standing around to commence with a power struggle wouldn’t accomplish anything.
Tumbling rocks startled her. She whipped around, full of hope, only to find Gabriel standing atop the ridge. He looked at the two of them and dropped down over the edge.
He cleared the treacherous cliff faster than Nathaniel had, the urgency tugged at her heart. The extra set of eyes would help.
Gabriel and Nathaniel went ahead to the utility road and she clawed her way up and down the steep hill, examining each shrub and thicket.
Perhaps Sage couldn’t call out or answer because she was unconscious. That had to be it. Liberty looked back toward the road, saw movement halfway to the blacktop, still just two figures.
Liberty focused on a possible injury. Even that was better than imagining the set of muddy tracks had anything to do with Sage being gone. Head down, Liberty desperately searched for Sage’s aura.
The rain finally stopped, but had come down so heavy and for so long, they could no longer trace their own scents. Though they knew they’d covered the entire thirty acres of their side of the property.
They stayed in the woods all night. Searched the eastern property even, though it was quite a distance from where Adrian had last seen Sage. Liberty returned to the cavern twice, checking if her daughter had somehow made her way home. Same answer from Katie each time, no word.
When daylight crept over the horizon they were forced back to the cavern. Liberty’s normally strong legs trembled with fear and weariness, they’d buckled a couple of times and she’d gone down as she made her way.
Nathaniel was there to lift her, even though he’d searched just as hard, if not harder. She found herself semi-numbed. Straight ahead the path was clear but her peripheral vision was a complete blur, couldn’t even see auras.
Liberty reached the hatch, lifted it, and stumbled down the shaft. Lying at the base of the ladder in a puddle of mud, Liberty sobbed. Nathaniel came down behind her, took a soft robe from the hook in the wall, wrapped it around her shoulders, and coaxed her to her feet. She collapsed in his arms, refused to move.
Gabriel stood halfway up the ladder without saying a word, unable to get down.
“Sage?” Katie entered the alcove, whispered their daughter’s name. A question.
“She’s gone, Katie,” Liberty struggled to get the words out, “disappeared into thin air.”
Nathaniel peered over Liberty’s shoulder toward Gabriel, and Liberty saw a look pass between them. “Don’t you do that! You’re wrong. Nobody took her. She’s out there, Nathaniel.” She pleaded with her eyes. “We just can’t find her.”
Adrian appeared next to his mother, face puffy and eyes swollen.
“What happened out there, Adrian?” Anger rose, and Liberty tried to pull away from Nathaniel. He held fast.
“I’m so sorry I left her.” Adrian started to cry. “I didn’t know what else to do.”
Katie put an arm around his shoulders, rubbed his chest and hushed him.
“Why protect him?” Liberty nearly growled. “He didn’t protect Sage.”
“Now wait a min—” Katie started.
“No, you don’t dare talk to me.” Liberty jabbed a finger at Adrian. “I want your son to tell me what really happened out there.”
Nathaniel rubbed her back, still holding tight. “Shh, Lib, listen–”
“It’s all his fault.” Liberty shook her head, eyes fixed on Adrian.
Liberty noticed the look in Katie’s eye changed as she turned her son around and led him down the corridor.
Gabriel made it down the ladder and without another word, squeezed Liberty’s shoulder and left the vestibule.
“Please go out and look again.” Liberty looked at Nathaniel. “Please. Go to Mitch.”
His voice was calm and low as he helped her toward their bedchamber. “I will,” he said. “I’ll go in a little bit.”
She cried, called Adrian neglectful, accused him of hiding something. Passing