Page 7 of Detonation
A sinking feeling in my stomach weighs me down, telling me that I’m fooling myself.
What if Anshar came back and took her while we slept, unaware?
Are we un-fucking-prepared or what?
Yesterday, when Anshar had that barrier blocking the doorway, it put into perspective just how unequipped we are to handle this right now. Even if no one wants to admit it out loud.
Kicking Luke again, I whisper-shout, “Get up.”
He mumbles something incoherent and flips his head away from me on the pillow.
I’m trapped in bed, with him on the edge, Zedd and Hale on my other side. Hale has now spreadeagled in the space that Lana had occupied.
Guess I’m going to have to use a little force.
Pressing my palm into Luke’s back, I slide him closer to the edge of the bed.
Right as he’s about to fall off, he wakes with a jolt and swats at me behind his back. He turns to me, the annoyed expression on his face illuminated by the soft glow of the moon coming through the window next to the bed. “What the hell, dude?”
I put my finger to my lips, gesturing for him to shut up. Shooing him out of bed, I follow him to standing and lead him out of the room, making sure he’s stumbling behind me, half-asleep. He looks to the bed once, checking to see if Lana is there like we all do, his brow furrowing at her absence.
Once we’re in the hallway outside of the bedroom, I turn to him, spitting it out so we can get into action. “Lana isn’t in the room. I have a bad feeling.”
His face contorts in fear before he immediately shuts that down, plastering a mask of calm as he catches himself. His typical response.This is why I need him.
He nods once and heads downstairs. I trail behind him like a lost puppy, careful not to make any loud steps to avoid waking the other two.
On the first-floor landing, we come to a halt beside each other, checking for any sign of our mate.
Nothing.
Luke calls out, a light tremble in his voice, “Lana?”
The panic in my chest swells, bile churning in my stomach.No.
We rush through the whole floor but she’s not there. Luke escapes through the front door as I stand there, paralyzed, already aware what he’ll find. He comes back inside, shaking his head.
She’s gone.
She’sgone.
With no one here besides my twin, I don’t cling to the walls that shield my emotions or scramble for a joke. I break.
The zip tie bites into my wrist as I rub my hands together, attempting to wiggle my small wrist out of the binding. Pain flares from my raw skin, the harsh edges of the plastic peeling away layers that are beginning to bleed. Sweat runs down my forehead from the heat beating down on me.
“Where did Mom go?”
I look to my twin, similar marks on his wrist and tears streaming down his face.
“I’m scared, Leo,” he continues. “I don’t like this.”
I don’t have an answer for him.
I don’t know why Mom did this to us. I don’t know where she went.
She has to be coming back, right?
Someone’s shaking my shoulder, pulling me out of my thoughts to the sight of blue eyes looking at me with concern. Eyes that remind me I’ll never be alone in this life. I’ll always have Luke.
