Page 202 of Cruelly Bitten
But she was quiet again, lost to her unconsciousness once more.
A vibration met my chest, my irritation over her silence and Ryder’s intrusion causing me to glower at the male before me. “I lost her.”
“I’m aware of that,” he drawled, though his tone lacked his usual humor and was instead underlined with a sense of violence that appeared to be directed toward me.
“No, I mean, she was talking to me, and now she’s gone,” I said through my teeth. “You distracted me.”
His eyebrows shot up. “If my presence distracts you that much, then that doesn’t speak highly of your connection to Ismerelda, does it?”
My fists itched to meet his arrogant face.
Instead, I ignored him and searched for the rumbling sound.
Plane,Ismerelda had said, causing my lips to curl down.
Are you on a plane?I asked her now, starting to follow.
No reply.
My forearms flexed, my irritation mounting.Talk to me, my queen. Tell me where you are. Tell me how to find you.
Silence.
Another growl reverberated inside me, one Ryder matched with his own, thus forcing me to return my focus to him.
Only, he wasn’t standing in front of me now, but in front of the screens. “Abigail,” I recognized aloud. “Why…?” I trailed off as Damien pulled up a shot from inside the car he’d been tracking, the woman’s curly brown hair identifiable.
“She used her access card to enter the city an hour ago,” Deirdre said from beside Hazel. Apparently, she’d slipped into the room without my noticing as well. “I thought she was coming to see me.”
“You clearly thought wrong,” Ryder replied, his attention still on the screen. “Which way is she headed?”
“Already searching,” Damien told him.
“I’m going to need your fastest car,” Ryder went on, causing my eyebrows to lift.
“Weare going to need your fastest car,” I corrected him.
I also considered telling him he would not be coming with me, but opted against it, as Ryder’s penchant for killing first and asking questions later might be useful.
He ignored me, which was fine. I’d either join him in the car or take it from him.
I suspected it would be the former, as he would come to a similar conclusion regarding my usefulness. I was, after all, the only one mentally connected to Ismerelda, thus making me the biggest asset in this situation.
“I’m already arranging it,” Deirdre said, one of those translucent screens hovering in front of her.
Wha…?The gentle hum of Ismerelda’s voice whispered through my mind again, followed by more of that rumbling.Where…?
Ismerelda. Can you hear me?
C-cam?she replied.Wh-where…? I don’t…
Shh, take a minute to gather your strength,I told her.Try not to move. Just… focus on steady breathing. And then tell me everything you hear.
If she could feign unconsciousness for a few moments longer, she might be able to provide me with enough details to track her down. And it would hopefully prevent her from being knocked out again.
I…She trailed off again.
It’s okay. Take your time, love. I’m here.Maybe not physically, but I would forever be there mentally.
