Chapter 21: Her Own Little Escape...
"Morning, sunshine," Viola purred inside Emerald’s head the moment her eyes blinked open. "Sleep well? Or were you too busy tossing and turning with thoughts of leather jackets, secret assassins, and hot Alpha dates?"
Emerald groaned, dragging a hand across her face. "Viola. Please."
"What? You’ve got a date with the firecracker today. Adrien, remember?"
"I have more important things to do," Emerald muttered aloud, swinging her legs out of bed.
The soft creak of Nessa’s breathing from the other side of the bed reminded her she wasn’t alone, so she tiptoed to the washroom, took a quick, cold bath, and dressed in something plain, just enough to function.
Her mind wasn’t on Adrien; it was on the assassin. And more importantly... the one who helped him escape.
—
Less than an hour later, Emerald stood in her study, hair still damp from her bath earlier. Darius stood on one side of the large oak desk, arms crossed. Across from him, Gamma Rowan, head of her guard and military units, awaited instructions with a tense jaw and an even tenser stance.
"I don’t care how many patrols we have out," Emerald said firmly, pacing the length of the room. "If we don’t find him soon, he’ll disappear. Or worse, someone will make sure he can’t speak."
Rowan nodded. "We’ve swept the eastern woods and expanded out toward Frostmere Valley. So far, nothing. No scent. No prints."
"He’s either dead, or someone’s hiding him," Darius said grimly.