Now, though, she was beginning to doubt they’d even find that.
Nikhail moved towards the door, spinning a gust of wind above his outstretched left hand.
Brynleigh’s brows furrowed.
“He’s blocking us from the cameras,” Indira whispered, answering Brynleigh’s unasked question.
He strode to the door, put his hand on the knob, and turned.
And it…
Swung open.
Nikhail glanced over his shoulder and raised a brow. He tilted his head towards the interior, putting a finger on his lips.
“This doesn’t bode well,” Indira muttered, following the air fae.
Brynleigh’s shadows writhed in agreement. She trailed the pair, keeping her footsteps silent as they entered the warehouse.
Only, they didn’t have to worry about being quiet because?—
“Fuck!” Brynleigh screamed, horror twisting her stomach into knots. “This isn’t right.”
Her words echoed through the empty warehouse, the walls singing them back to her as if laughing at her awful predicament.
“This is the right place,” she said, mostly to herself. “I shadowed us directly here. This is where the fight club and all the meetings I attended took place. There should be a clue here. Something.”
And yet, the warehouse was as empty as the Void.
Even the air had somehow been scrubbed of anyone’s presence. The only scents were those of dirt, dust, and stale air.
“Let’s walk around and see if we find something,” Nikhail suggested.
Brynleigh didn’t think that would help, but standing still wasn’t an option.
Walking through the massive space was like entering an abandoned cave. Every footstep echoed; every whisper was like a shout.
Soon, it was clear they were the only living beings around.
Despair curled Brynleigh’s stomach in knots, making her want to fall on the floor and collapse in defeat. “I don’t… there’s nothing here.”
What were they going to do now? She didn’t want to return to the Hall of Choice and sit by helplessly, waiting for someone else to act. Especially if the Chancellor continued refusing to negotiate. She could very well let all the men die.
On the one hand, Brynleigh hoped that even Ignatia Rose wasn’t that cold-hearted. After all, her son-in-law was in the group. On the other hand, the fire fae was a Representative, and Brynleigh wouldn’t put it past her to sacrifice a dozen lives to hold onto power.
And that just wouldn’t be happening. Not if Brynleigh had anything to do with it.
She had been through too fucking much to lose Ryker now. They’d worked too hard and come too far. By the gods, she wasn’t done with him. They had so much life left to live.
There had to be some way to get to her husband. Some way to find him without knowing where he was. Not after everything they’d been through.
If only they had a bond, a link?—
Brynleigh’s eyes widened, and her gaze shot to her left arm.
“Of course.” She turned to Nikhail, who was running a hand through his hair and scowling at the empty warehouse. “I have an idea.”
The air fae raised his brows. “What is it?”