"Nor is he in the near vicinity," Azriel said.
Damn, this is all we needed. Not that it was Tao's fault. He was trying his best not to succumb to the elemental, but the desperation in his eyes haunted me. He was losing the battle, and he knew it. "Have you tried the café?"
"Of course. And I rang Stane, but he's not there."
"God," I muttered. "I hope the fucking elemental hasn't gotten hold of him again."
"How was he when you last saw him?" Ilianna said.
"Jittery." Scared.
But wherever Tao was, whatever he was doing, I just had to pray he was in control rather than the thing inside of him. Because as much as it tore at me, he couldn't be my priority. That honor belonged to finding the keys and saving Mirri. "I'm sure Stane will keep an eye out for him."
"He is," she said. "He's aware of the elemental problem, Ris. Tao must have mentioned it."
He might be aware, but he was as helpless as the rest of us.
"Then there's nothing else we can do. I've got keys to find and the clock is ticking."
"I know." She hesitated, her expression suddenly holding a touch of fear. "How is the search going? As badly as I fear?"
"Yes and no. We've uncovered a few clues, but they've led to dead ends."
"Well, you are dealing with a dark sorceress. They don't make things easy for anyone, including themselves."
I frowned. "Meaning what?"
"Meaning dark magic is usually based on the strength and the blood of the practitioner. To summon as she does would take a toll on her physically and mentally."