Sun Broken (The Wild Hunt #11) - Yasmine Galenorn Page 0,67

toy, lathered up and soaped myself all over, then rinsed off.

I wrapped my towel around me as I headed back into my bedroom. Feeling relaxed and ready for the day, I slid into a pair of black jeans, then decided to wear my green corset top. It was already laced, so all I had to do was slip it on and zip up the front. I preferred zipper corsets to busks—they were quicker and sturdier, in my opinion. The steel bones of the corset felt secure, and I shifted my boobs to where they were peeking over the top but still contained. I added a silver belt, then slid on a pair of green sandals to match. Once my hair was brushed back into a high ponytail and I had applied my makeup, I headed downstairs.

Mr. Rumblebutt was chowing down on his breakfast, and Angel was behind the counter, whipping eggs for the scramble. I could smell the bacon cooking in the oven.

“Want me to set the table?” I asked.

“You look nice, and yes, thank you.” Angel paused, then added, “DJ called me this morning. He’s excited about the new school. He’s invited me down to see the campus this summer. He won’t start till September, but he wants to show me the science labs.” She went back to cooking, but I could feel her excitement. Her brother hadn’t forgotten her.

“You’re happy,” I said, grinning at her.

“I have to admit, the fact that he wants me to come spend a weekend with him and he wants to show me where he’ll be going…yeah, I’m happy. I feel so left out of his life. I know this is best for him, but I still struggle with it. I wonder what Mama J. would have said about me letting him go.” She didn’t look as morose as she usually did when she was talking about DJ.

I had the feeling that Angel was slowly coming to grips with the fact that her brother was better off where he was. And that he had specifically asked her to come down and see his new school would go a long way in making her still feel part of his life.

She poured the eggs into a pan and began scrambling them. I finished setting the table, then began fixing my mocha. I had just taken the first sip when my phone rang. It was Kipa.

“Hey, what’s up?” I glanced at the clock. It was still only seven a.m., so I was surprised to find him calling.

“Did Raven spend the night at your house?” He sounded concerned.

I frowned. “No, we got back here around one and she headed home without stopping in. We were all exhausted. Why?”

“Because she hasn’t come home yet. I waited up half the night, then figured she probably crashed over there. I didn’t want to call, because I thought you were all probably exhausted. I fell asleep on the sofa. I just woke up to take a leak and I glanced in her room. She’s not there. I checked for her car and it’s not out front.” He paused, then—voice shaking, asked, “Do you think she got into an accident?”

“I don’t know.” I stared at the wall, thinking furiously. What could have kept her? “Are you sure she didn’t wake up early and decide to go get breakfast before waking you up?”

“No. I called her phone and it went to voice mail. Ember, I used the Find Friend app and it pinpointed her phone in UnderLake Park. I went looking for it, and I found it. I also found her purse, but nothing else. Her credit cards were still in her purse, along with some cash and jewelry. I was hoping that you’d say somebody stole her phone and she spent the night with you, though I knew it was a long shot.”

Crap. That was exactly what had happened with Chaya’s phone. It had been found on a bench. “Stay there. We’ll come over.” I hung up and turned to Angel. “Belay breakfast. Raven’s missing. We need to call Herne and head over to her house.”

I called the Herne and he said he’d call everybody else and meet us there.

By the time Angel and I arrived at Raven’s, all sorts of scenarios were playing over and over in my mind and none of them were comforting. I kept telling myself that it was all a misunderstanding. That she went out to buy breakfast for them and had lost her purse. That she had