Currey sat cross-legged on the cold, stone floor, the dim light casting long shadows across the room. The coldness never bothered him the least. Closing his eyes, he exhaled slowly, his breathing steady as he focused his inner energy.
He had never resorted to this before, but at this dire moment, Currey knew that he had to use the unusual to achieve what he wanted. The air around him seemed to shift, growing heavier with a strange stillness.
Reaching out with his mind, he tried to connect with Murray, his thoughts extending like tendrils into the unseen realm. His brow furrowed, his concentration deepening as he searched for even the faintest response.
Minutes turned into what felt like hours. The room was silent except for the rhythmic cadence of his breathing, the occasional beeps from the computers and the slight whirl of the systems.
His fingers twitched slightly, his body tense to maintain the connection. It had been a long time since Currey attempted such a thing, and this was second nature to him, but there was nothing. No flicker of recognition, no presence answering his call. It was as though he were shouting into an infinite void. His face and attire were drenched in sweat in the cold room from the effort exerted.
He had truly been worried throughout the day, but after this failed, a pang of unease crept into his chest. He pushed harder, reaching further, but the silence on the other end was deafening. He couldn’t reach either of them!
His eyes snapped open, frustration mingling with something more dangerous: dread.
"Why! Why can’t I reach him!" Currey slammed his face down into his palm,
"This is unusual," he muttered to himself, his voice barely above a whisper. He lifted his head, and his hands dropped to his sides, clenching them into fists.
The connection between the brothers was unique and had never failed him before—not .
"It’s almost like when I was in her Highness’ painting!"
Currey murmured and jumped to his feet. Raking his brains for a while, he quickly reached into one hidden compartment. He searched for a while and then facepalmed himself.
"Silly me! If a painting had swallowed them up, then wouldn’t that painting be at the scene? Why would it be here?"
He chastised himself and then added,
"Besides, I don’t know of anyone else who can do that now but the Missus!"
The shadows in the room seemed to deepen, pressing closer as if mocking his inability to pierce the barrier. Something was wrong. And the unsettling silence told him that whatever it was, it wasn’t going to wait for him to figure it out.
’What is going on?’ He wondered, but wondering never gave Currey any of the answers.
He sat back in his seat, looking at the few words and pictures that had started flickering across the screen.
Currey knew that everything from then on would be dependent on him. At that time, his mind finally settled on the one person who was still standing in all of this and seemingly unaffected,
"She caught us good if this was her plan!"
Currey furrowed his brows.
"Is she the one orchestrating this? Or is it the timeless witch? What is their ultimate play? One of these is not making any sense because I don’t sense any Fae around yet, so it should be something else."
Currey leaned back in the chair he had just sat on,
"Whoever it is, is in the dark watching.... I need to be careful!"
He had not been overly surprised when Ingrid had told him of what she had heard. What surprised Currey was that Ingrid did not overreact to be caught. From that conversation, Currey could deduce one thing,
"Aliya has not realized any of the capabilities of the children yet.... Since I am not sure what she is after or if this is related to her at all... My priority is to find Her Highness. She may be okay now, but not for long, looking at His Highness’s coma. The last time this had happened, she was also in a similar state."
Currey took in a deep breath,
"You have to hand on, brother and take care of her."
He said in the empty office as if Murray would be able to hear him wherever he was, if he was alive.
"I should have been more vocal on that issue back then...." Currey whispered. Currey spent the whole night and the next day in the cold room, checking on as much as he could while keeping track of the investigation, but then, missed one key point.
"Dear, we need to go home so that you can get some rest-" Alex whispered to his wife
"Don’t bother," She interrupted.
Geneva was beside Ian’s bed, watching his face intently. It was so distressing for her that her beloved son was the one who had been reduced to that state again.
"You need to get p, Ian. Your wife needs you!"
Geneva stood up and, taking a face towel, dipped it in warm water and wiped Ian’s face gently, tears prickling at her eyelids.
She was not sure why this was happening to her.
’Why!’ She questioned for the thousandth time with a response.
"Madam Geneva, let me do thi-"
Geneva turned to see a solemn Suzie reaching for the towel,
"Why are you still here?"
"Are all the arrangements done?"
"Yes, Ma’am, Albert was cremated a few hours ago, and her daughter has also b-"
Geneva waved her hands that she understood.
"She is steady for now but has yet to gain consciousness. Master Rocky is still with her, and the baby is stable, too..."
Geneva nodded and continued to wipe Ian gently,
"I have someone on standby to help take care of Ava as well..." Suzie added, just as Geneva instructed,
"You should go back to the estate-"
"No ’buts!’ You are better suited to handle things there now as your mistress is yet to be found...."
Suzie nodded, as this was not the first time that Geneva had told her this. She knew this, but she could not help it.