“Think of the last time you saw him.”
God. When? I couldn’t think. The panic. It was too much. Too much. Too—
“Your parents’ house.” Dastien’s words cut through my panic. “Two weeks ago. We went to your parents’ house for Sunday dinner. Axel said he’d been working on gaining magic of his own. You got in a fight with him, but then you made up. And—”
“Good enough.” Lucas cut off Dastien. “Picture your parents’ house, Tessa. Now.”
My parents’ house.
I saw the yellow house in my head. The big tree in the center of the circular drive.
Axel honking the horn from his car, yelling at me to stop being such a nerd before he sped away. His hand sticking out of the window as he turned the corner.
That was the last time I saw him.
But I’d see him again.
I just had
to find him.
But how? How the fuck was I supposed to do that?
“Where is he?” Claudia’s voice was a soothing balm over my panicked thoughts.
I closed my eyes, searching for him, but all I saw was black. Inky black.
I shook my head, squeezing my eyes as closed as closed could get. “I can’t see anything. I don’t see anything!” The panic was getting worse, and it felt like someone was stabbing me in the chest, twisting the knife, until I couldn’t—
“Breathe.” Claudia’s voice was soft and soothing, but I couldn’t find any peace.
All I had was panic.
Breathe. Dastien’s calm voice invaded my mind. Push the panic away. It’s not helping you. Ignore it.
“What do you smell?” Lucas asked in his deep rumble. The old Alpha power behind his voice made a clear space in my panicked mind.
I breathed in. “Dust. And—” I gasped as fear and heartbreak ripped my soul apart. “And blood. His blood. He’s bleeding!”
I opened my eyes, reaching for Dastien, grabbing his arm. “He’s going to die.”
“Close your eyes again,” Lucas said. His dark eyes were glowing, and he nodded at me. “Close them.”
I nodded, following his lead.
“Remember the dark. The dusty place. Go back there.” He waited. “Do you see it?
I nodded. I wasn’t sure if I was making it up in desperation, but I could smell dust and blood and—
“Good. Leave the dark place. Go outside. What do you see?”
I moved before thinking to myself that I couldn’t. He was guiding me but I’d never had a vision like this. I’d never tried to go somewhere in my mind. I had to be touching something.
But Claudia was right. Axel was in my blood. In my soul. Axel was my family.
I had to assume this was real. It was my only hope, a hope I had to cling to.
I tried to move out of the vision. Wherever Axel was, it was dark. “Nothing. Nothing.” But then there was moonlight and a building and…