We go door to door, and most of the dickheads here are letting us in, but that’s more due to Michelle than Emmet. All he’s doing is threatening everyone. But no matter how much we search, she’s nowhere.
“We have searched every area of the grounds. Where is she?” I wonder if they can hear the panic in my voice.
“You mean the cabins that we were allowed to look in. We should have just forced our way through. Knocking is for poor people,” Emmet says dismissively. His own mother rolls her eyes, how is that not teaching him to filter his words a little more.
“If she wandered off, she’d probably still be here. If she was taken… then I doubt they’d keep her close by.” Michelle rubs at her chin, before her back straightens and her head ducks for a moment.
I turn my head to see Sir walking right for us, fucking A.
“What are you imbeciles doing now? And you are allowing them to disturb the others.” He shakes his head as he flicks his eyes over his ex wife and she bristles at his attention.
“Luna is missing. What have you done with the damn guards this time?” Emmet shouts, as a few doors open right as Sir slams his fist into the side of his jaw.
Michelle is in front of him in no time, and gasps fill the air as we watch her hand connect with his face.
“Don’t you ever lay a hand on my son again. One of the Academy girls has gone missing on your watch. She is your responsibility, so you fix it,” she seethes, before she walks away, and all he does is watch her go.
That’s more worrying than if he had reacted. It means he’s planning his revenge. He pulls out his phone before tapping the screen and places it against his ear.
“Come back. Guards in the surrounding areas are not enough. A girl has gone missing and we need to get a search started. Do not make me wait, and get the guides here now!”
He puts his phone away and we wait for them to get back. It all feels rather pointless to me though, I’d rather just go out and search.
“Screw this, I’m not waiting around for them. Come on, Aeron,” Emmet says, and it feels like he’s reading my mind.
“You will wait until I give out orders,” Arthur bellows and I snicker.
“Yeah, no thanks. See you later, old man,” Emmet sneers at him before he grabs my arm and pulls me into the treeline.
“What the fuck, man? You know what he will do to you.”
“I don’t care, I’ve had enough of playing by his rules. It isn’t as though he ever rewards it. It’s all responsibility and no fun. Now, let’s go and find, Star. One of us should take the trail, and the other can take the river.” He looks around and I do the same.
“Emmet, I found her necklace back in the cabin. If they try to track her…” I can’t finish that sentence, not even wanting to consider what it means that she isn’t even wearing it right now.
“I can’t believe I never thought to check. Dad won’t make the same mistake. I’ll handle the necklace, just find her.” His eyes are like bottomless pits and I’m kind of glad we’re going in opposite directions. I do not want to be around if he explodes.
“Okay, I guess I’ll take the river. Stay safe, man,” I say, as I pat him on the back before I head toward the river and follow it downstream.
I doubt I’ll find her along here, especially with it leading to the white rapids, but we need to check everywhere. I mean, what if she did go for a walk, tripped, and fell in? She could be out here alone, scared, drowning, and thinking that no one is going to come for her.
I keep walking but I haven't seen anything yet. I pull out my phone and shoot off a quick text to Emmet and hope that he’s having better luck than I am.
Me: Anything
Dickhead E: No, we better find her soon or I’m going to fucking kiss someone!!!
Huh, he’s going to kiss someone?
Dickhead E: Ducking autocorrect, kill, not kiss!
Dickhead E: I give up, no more texting until we have some actual news to share.
I shake my head, and I can’t help but laugh as I spark up a cigarette, as my foot connects with something both hard, yet soft. I look down and my cigarette drops straight into the river.
Me: I’ve found her.
I check her pulse as soon as I drag her out of the water. She’s lucky she didn’t get dragged in. Why didn’t she? I shake my head as I pull her out of her wet clothes and wrap my coat around her. I pick her up and hold her against my chest as she nuzzles in closer, but she doesn’t stir. Her eyes are fluttering like crazy, and her lips are blue. I don’t know a thing about first aid, I don’t even know if I did the right thing in actually moving her, but it doesn’t matter.
She mumbles as I move and relief courses through me that she’s even saying anything. That has to be a good sign, it has to. I start moving faster, and it isn’t long before I see a light and then Emmet is in front of me and his eyes won’t leave her face.
“We need to get her back to my cabin.” I swear to God, if he starts to argue with me on this…
“Yeah, come on. Let’s go,” he says, and my mouth drops open as I follow him in a state of utter shock.
We get inside and I place her on the floor as Emmet disappears into my room and grabs all the sheets he can find.
“Take your clothes off. Body heat will help her more than anything else. We can’t do anything drastic. I think we need to keep her head covered as well. Do you have beanie or anything?” he’s speaking so damn fast, but I’m just about keeping up with him.
I nod my head as I pull my shirt off, and slide out of my pants before lying down beside her and wrapping us both in a blanket.
“We have her. You need to call an ambulance. Now,” I hear him say, a distorted voice comes through from the other room and I guess he’s put the phone on speaker.
“We don’t call ambulances, I’ll get the first aider to come to you,” Arthur says, and my blood boils. Maybe that will be enough to warm her up.
Emmet comes back into the room and puts the beanie over her head, he looks her over but he doesn’t seem as relieved as I’m starting to feel. She isn’t shivering anymore and she’s quiet. That means she’s settled… right?
He places a thermometer into her mouth, and we both watch as it reaches ninety-three degrees Fahrenheit, but refuses to go any higher.
“She has hypothermia, if she doesn’t go to hospital, she will die. So, the choice is yours, father. Call for an ambulance or a hearse.” He disconnects the call and throws the phone across the room.
“Do you really think she will die?” I can barely force the words out.
“I don’t think it, Aer, she will die. He better make the right call.” He storms outside and all I can do is hold her against me and hope this isn’t the last time I’ll get to.
“Come on, Little Zero. You can’t give up now. I have so much more shit you need to call me out on. You can’t leave with all that unfinished business.” My voice cracks and I feel so fucking vulnerable. “I mean it. Plus, I need more special brownies. So, there’s that as well. Wake up, darlin’. Just wake up.”
I watch as she lies there, but she doesn’t move or say anything, she doesn’t even twitch. I would tell her all of our secrets if it would be enough to get her to open her eyes, if only it worked that way.