the cab. He climbed over Rhane with less grace to sit in the passenger seat. Rhane glared at him. “The last time you did that, I hit you and pointlessly felt bad about it.”
He didn’t ask why Bailen had traveled two hundred miles to find him. Rhane already knew. Kalista was in trouble.
Chapter 12
Warren answered on the first ring. “Bailen is with me,” Rhane said and waited for an explanation.
“That’s good.” War sounded both relieved and anxious. “I sent him.”
“Where is Kalista?”
He blew out a preparing breath before answering. “I don’t know. She didn’t come home straight after school. Bailen returned to the manor not long after York left to meet you. We knew something was wrong then. Rhane…we’ve looked but we can’t find her.”
“Tell me what you did find.”
“The trail ended at the school. Whatever went wrong, it happened there.”
“Okay. I’ll call again when I have her.”
Rhane hung up and hit the accelerator. It was another twenty minutes to Ridge Creek High School. He was going to get there in ten.
#
Somewhere in the nearly deserted building, the school band was having a disastrous practice. The harshness of their disharmony hurt Rhane’s ears. He was grateful when the heavy doors of the pool auditorium closed and effectively sealed out the clamor.
Any spoor would have been hard for him to trace in the chlorine flooded atmosphere. Good thing Bailen was there. His sense of smell was far more powerful than Rhane’s. Hitting on the trail, Bailen followed it to the girl’s locker room. Away from the overwhelming chlorine, Rhane was able to match the markers uniquely Kalista’s. Another spoor rode hers closely—a familiar one. He had smelled it many times before in faint undertones on Kalista’s person and within the Metts household. His mind matched a face to the scent. Callan. Why had he been in the girl’s locker room?
The scent of fear became strong near the community showers. Kalista’s fear. Callan’s smell was stronger there as well. Rhane’s hands tightened into fists.
Something in the boy’s markers differed from before. It was a peculiar change, one that triggered a distant memory and teased the corners of Rhane’s mind. Standing in the large stall, he did a complete three-sixty. From there, the trail simply vanished as if she’d never left the locker room. Rhane went through it again. Outside, he tried once more. There was nothing. He looked back at Bailen, sitting behind him. Rhane knelt to meet his eyes. “Help me find her.”
Bailen whined. His dark body shivered.
“Please. Take me to Kalista.”
Bailen didn’t make a move.
Rhane sighed. He didn’t understand what could be holding Bailen back. He could definitely understand English. There was no doubt about that. But why he chose not to vocally communicate in the ancient language of the war skins, Rhane wasn’t certain. The canine’s befuddling behavior didn’t make things easy.
He tried again. “Whatever happened, I can help her. I will help her.”
Bailen’s honey eyes searched into his. Then he huffed softly. The tightness that gripped Rhane’s chest loosened. “Okay. Away with you then.”
#
They ran for a solid hour. The town of Ridge Creek and its neighboring city became a distant dot behind them. No road. Only trees. Rhane hadn’t spotted a sign of human habitation for miles. Still, Bailen did not slow the pace. Then the rain started.
It was a downpour actually. Water dumped in buckets from the heavens and drenched the earth. In less than a minute, Rhane and Bailen were soaked. Thunder rumbled. Lightning split the air. The darkening sky rippled and flashed.
“Stay on it!” Rhane yelled over the storm.
The rain fell even harder. Liquid sheets thickened into blankets that didn’t allow Rhane to see a foot in front of him. Keeping track of Bailen got extremely difficult, especially when the kin pulled too far ahead. Bailen seemed to realize this.
He didn’t ask why Bailen had traveled two hundred miles to find him. Rhane already knew. Kalista was in trouble.
Chapter 12
Warren answered on the first ring. “Bailen is with me,” Rhane said and waited for an explanation.
“That’s good.” War sounded both relieved and anxious. “I sent him.”
“Where is Kalista?”
He blew out a preparing breath before answering. “I don’t know. She didn’t come home straight after school. Bailen returned to the manor not long after York left to meet you. We knew something was wrong then. Rhane…we’ve looked but we can’t find her.”
“Tell me what you did find.”
“The trail ended at the school. Whatever went wrong, it happened there.”
“Okay. I’ll call again when I have her.”
Rhane hung up and hit the accelerator. It was another twenty minutes to Ridge Creek High School. He was going to get there in ten.
#
Somewhere in the nearly deserted building, the school band was having a disastrous practice. The harshness of their disharmony hurt Rhane’s ears. He was grateful when the heavy doors of the pool auditorium closed and effectively sealed out the clamor.
Any spoor would have been hard for him to trace in the chlorine flooded atmosphere. Good thing Bailen was there. His sense of smell was far more powerful than Rhane’s. Hitting on the trail, Bailen followed it to the girl’s locker room. Away from the overwhelming chlorine, Rhane was able to match the markers uniquely Kalista’s. Another spoor rode hers closely—a familiar one. He had smelled it many times before in faint undertones on Kalista’s person and within the Metts household. His mind matched a face to the scent. Callan. Why had he been in the girl’s locker room?
The scent of fear became strong near the community showers. Kalista’s fear. Callan’s smell was stronger there as well. Rhane’s hands tightened into fists.
Something in the boy’s markers differed from before. It was a peculiar change, one that triggered a distant memory and teased the corners of Rhane’s mind. Standing in the large stall, he did a complete three-sixty. From there, the trail simply vanished as if she’d never left the locker room. Rhane went through it again. Outside, he tried once more. There was nothing. He looked back at Bailen, sitting behind him. Rhane knelt to meet his eyes. “Help me find her.”
Bailen whined. His dark body shivered.
“Please. Take me to Kalista.”
Bailen didn’t make a move.
Rhane sighed. He didn’t understand what could be holding Bailen back. He could definitely understand English. There was no doubt about that. But why he chose not to vocally communicate in the ancient language of the war skins, Rhane wasn’t certain. The canine’s befuddling behavior didn’t make things easy.
He tried again. “Whatever happened, I can help her. I will help her.”
Bailen’s honey eyes searched into his. Then he huffed softly. The tightness that gripped Rhane’s chest loosened. “Okay. Away with you then.”
#
They ran for a solid hour. The town of Ridge Creek and its neighboring city became a distant dot behind them. No road. Only trees. Rhane hadn’t spotted a sign of human habitation for miles. Still, Bailen did not slow the pace. Then the rain started.
It was a downpour actually. Water dumped in buckets from the heavens and drenched the earth. In less than a minute, Rhane and Bailen were soaked. Thunder rumbled. Lightning split the air. The darkening sky rippled and flashed.
“Stay on it!” Rhane yelled over the storm.
The rain fell even harder. Liquid sheets thickened into blankets that didn’t allow Rhane to see a foot in front of him. Keeping track of Bailen got extremely difficult, especially when the kin pulled too far ahead. Bailen seemed to realize this.
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