His brow furrowed. “I can’t sense her.”
Anxiety flooded her.
Jared stared at Seth as if he didn’t want to believe it. “She’s gone?” he asked in a soft, tortured voice.
Seth opened his eyes. “No. I would’ve felt it if she died. I just can’t sense her. Something is blocking me.”
Aidan abruptly appeared, his hands on Cliff’s and Emma’s shoulders.
Both mortals were armed and garbed like Seconds.
Aidan took in everyone’s expressions. “Tessa’s missing?”
Seth nodded. “I’m going to Duke with Jared. She was last seen there.” He motioned to Nicole, Sean, Cliff, and Emma. “Take them to David’s place. Have Darnell call a meeting. Then round up every Immortal Guardian and their Second in the area.”
He and Jared vanished.
“Huddle up,” Aidan ordered, face grim.
Nicole swiftly took Emma’s hand while Sean gripped Cliff’s shoulder.
The room darkened and fell away as weightlessness engulfed her. This time, it didn’t frighten her. She was too worried about Tessa.
Seconds later, Nicole found herself back in David’s office.
Darnell sat at his desk, his brown eyes glued to the large desktop screen while his fingers flew over the keyboard. Unlike Nicole, he didn’t jump at their abrupt appearance. But he rose when he saw their expressions. “What happened?”
“Call a meeting,” Aidan told him. “Let everyone know I’m coming to get them.”
Darnell snatched his cell off his desk. “I’ll send a group text.” His thumbs darted over the screen. “Done.”
Aidan teleported away and returned a second later with Dana at his side. Dipping his head, he pressed a quick kiss to her lips, then vanished again.
Dana swept them all with a worried look. “What happened?”
Darnell nodded, seconding the question.
“Tessa’s missing,” Nicole told them. “And Seth can’t sense her.”
Dana paled. “Does that mean she’s…?”
Darnell shook his head. “Seth would’ve felt it if she’d died.” He turned to Nicole and Sean. “Fill me in.”
Dana left them and went to arm up in the armory while they gave him a swift rundown.
“Has anyone contacted Chris yet?” Darnell asked.
Nicole glanced at Sean. “I don’t know. I don’t think so.”
Darnell reached for his phone again.
Sean met her gaze and jerked his head toward the door.
Nicole followed him to David’s enormous living room, which—for once—was empty.
“Aidan is teleporting everyone directly to the armory,” Sean said. “Do you have enough ammo?”
“Enough ammo for what?” she replied helplessly. “We don’t even know what or whom we’re dealing with. The last we heard, Seth was following Marge while David monitored the airport. The bad guys think Becca is dead. So what the hell could’ve happened to Tessa?”
Pulling her into a hug, Sean rested his chin on her head. “I don’t know. Honestly, I’m hoping she just snuck away to visit her family or something.” Since Tessa’s family believed she and her twin brother had both died in an accident, that would be a huge no-no.
“Seth could find her if she had,” Nicole pointed out.
He sighed. “I know.”
Richart suddenly appeared, his arm wrapped around his wife. As soon as Jenna stepped away, he teleported away again and returned with Krysta. Left. Came back with Étienne. Left. Popped back in with Sheldon. Then teleported once more to retrieve Étienne’s Second, Cameron. The immortals all wore wet coats, having been out hunting. The Seconds sported the usual black cargo pants and shirts but lacked weapons.
Staggering sideways, Richart started to topple.
Jenna leaped forward to steady him. “Honey?” Wrapping an arm around his waist, she steered him toward the kitchen. “Come on. Let’s get you some blood.”
Younger teleporters ran out of energy faster than the elders did.
Sheldon and Cam nodded to Nicole and Sean as they headed past them to join the others in the armory.
Sean released Nicole but kept an arm around her, needing her close.
Krysta eyed the two of them, her sharp gaze noting every point of contact. “Tessa’s missing?”
They nodded.
She looked up at her husband. “Let’s get some dry clothes and arm up for bear. We don’t know what we’re dealing with, and I want to face it with more than swords.”
“Agreed.”
The couple darted away.
Jenna and Richart emerged from the kitchen and followed the others, the latter walking a little steadier while he held a bag of blood to his lips.
Nicole looked up at Sean. “I hope Tessa’s okay.”
He pressed a kiss to her forehead. “Me, too.”
Seth stood beside Jared, an unrelenting downpour assaulting them. “This was the last place you saw her?”
Jared nodded. “You’re sure she isn’t dead?”
“I’m sure. Calm yourself.” Resting a hand on Jared’s shoulder, Seth infused him with peace. “You need your wits about you.” He had never seen Jared so rattled.
“The rain had not yet begun.” Some of the anxiety left the Other’s voice. “The campus was quiet, with few out and about. She said she was going to Sean’s place. I offered to teleport her, but she wanted to run. It soothes her the same way it does the vampires. And I thought she would enjoy the freedom of it. She hasn’t been alone since joining us, always watched or escorted by others, but…” His eyes flashed golden with regret. “I should have insisted.”
Seth patted his shoulder. “Your eyes are glowing.” While Jared closed his eyes and struggled to keep his emotions in check enough to reduce their luminescence, Seth studied the buildings and light posts around them. The campus was darker than usual, the heavy rains defeating the many lights that usually brightened it. He had been here so often that Seth knew the locations of most of the security cameras. “You searched the campus?”
“Yes. North to south and east to west.”
“Any signs of a scuffle?”
“If there was one,” he said with a despondent shake of his head, “the rain washed away any evidence of it.”
Imhotep, Seth called telepathically.
Yes?
I could use your postcognitive abilities.
As you will.
I’m on my way. Seth stepped into the security cameras’ blind spot and teleported to Imhotep’s home in Egypt.
Sun blazed through the windows, a startling contrast to the darkness Seth had left behind.
Imhotep awaited him, having swiftly donned his hunting togs. His Second, Amun, stood beside him.
Seth nodded to Amun. “I shall return him shortly.” Resting a hand on Imhotep’s shoulder, he teleported him to Duke. “Tessa is missing.”
Imhotep’s brow furrowed. He had guarded Tessa a time or two when she first joined them and had spoken highly of her.
Seth led him to Jared’s side. “Jared last saw her here a few hours ago. The rain is keeping most students and employees inside, so I’m hoping you’ll pick up something.” Postcognitive abilities could be tricky. Using them to view the past was similar to collecting forensic evidence. If events had just transpired and no one else had crossed the scene, Imhotep could see what happened as clearly as if he were watching a video he’d just rewound. But the more time passed and the more traffic disrupted the scene, the muddier the view became. It was easier, for example, to identify the footprints of a killer in a deserted area than to do the same on ground that hundreds of people had since trodden upon.