Page 59 of Claimed by the Fallen
My whole world stops spinning.The living room walls blur, and I feel like I can’tbreathe.
My parents aremissing.
Another knock sounds against the door. Then, like someone pushing a reset button, the scene before me flicks back to life, moving at a normalpace.
Back in control of my senses, I rush to the door and fling it open. The wood bangs against the rubber stopper on the wall. “What did yousay?”
The two light angels stare at me, surprised by my suddenappearance.
“Veronica,we—”
“What do you mean?” I interrupt. “How can my parents bemissing?”
Mr. Cohen says, “When your parents didn’t return this afternoon, Gabe and I decided to go into town. We went to the diner where they had breakfast. Only… they never made it there thismorning.”
My gut clenches with foreboding. “How do youknow?”
“We spoke with a waitress,” Gabe reveals. “She worked this morning, but she didn’t see your parents comein.”
Lake Valley is a small town, and my family goes to Miss Macey’s often. I don’t doubt the waitress would have noticed my parents if they hadarrived.
I want to think I’m in the middle of another nightmare, but Mr. Cohen’s expression makes that impossible. He’s distressed and worried. Neither of those emotions arereassuring.
“This can’t behappening.”
“I’m sorry, Messenger,” Mr. Cohensays.
I refuse to believe it. “They aren’t gone. They can’t be.” I think about this morning, and how I decided not to go meet them. “They probably got caught up spending time with Uncle Jasper orsomething.”
I look at the clock and the time makes me cringe. It’s four-fifteen. It’s unlikely they would be delayed thislong.
“Where can they be?” My gaze swings between the four angels around me. I’ve forgotten about my frustration with the whole soulmate thing. All I can think about is my parents, and I can’t shake the feeling something bad must’ve happened tothem.
“We need to search the house,” Gabesays.
I don’t know what he expects to find, but I nodanyway.
Gabe and Adrian disappear to search for clues. Zeke and Mr. Cohen stay with me. I wrap my arms around my body, physically trying to hold myselftogether.
“Do you think the demons got them?” I whisper the dreaded question. The thought demons might target my parents has never crossed my mind. The angels said the monsters were hunting me; they never even hinted my parents might be indanger.
Is this myfault?
“I don’t know,” Mr. Cohen admits. For a moment, I worry he’s answered my unspoken question. But I realize he’s talking about thedemons.
“I’d be surprised if they did,” Zekeadds.
My worried eyes swing to him. “Why?”
“Yancor demons are violent, but they aren’t the brightest creatures. Organizing an abduction of your parents just to get to you seems above their level ofstrategy.”
Mr. Cohen bobs his head inagreement.
My fears are not abated. “It isn’t like my parents todisappear.”
“We’ll find them, Ron,” Zeke assuresme.
I bite my tongue. Voicing my doubt won’t do any good. My parents are missing. If the demons are behind their disappearance, I need the angels’ help—no matter how much I wish that wasn’ttrue.
