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When I stepped onto the porch, it creaked under my feet. The door was slightly ajar.
I threw it open, breathing hard.
The cabin looked like a hurricane had been through it. The warped windows were broken, curtains were off their rails, half-hanging to the floor, ripped. The furniture was upside down, like there had been a struggle.
I ran to the room, expecting the worst. Blood everywhere, death. Lorraine’s body, mangled and hurt.
The bedroom was a mess, too. The quilt had been ripped off the bed, the curtains were on the floor, and the closet door had been broken off.
There was no sign of Lorraine.
“Lorraine?” I called out.
The cabin was quiet.
“Lorraine?” I bellowed.
I breathed hard, my mind spinning. Panic threatened to choke me. My blood rushed in my ears, and I tasted my heart in my throat. What if they’d killed her? What if I’d been too late?
“Oh, gods, what happened here?”
A woman’s voice sounded, and when I rushed to the front room, Philotes stood in the doorway, staring at the destruction.
She looked up at me. “Ash, where is she?”
“They took her,” I said, my voice cracking. “I don’t know if they killed her.”
“How did they find her?”
I shook my head. It was too much to process. “What if they killed her?”
“Ash, calm down,” Philotes said, coming to me. “You need to breathe. You can find her.”
“How?”
“Through the bond you have with her.”
I shook my head. I’d never done something like that. I hadn’t known it was possible.
“Take deep breaths,” Philotes commanded. “Slow your pulse and try to focus on your bond.”
Panic was still a live thing, pushing against my skin like a giant hand.
“You can’t let the panic take over,” Philotes said firmly. “You’ll never find her that way.”
I nodded and tried again. It was hard to calm myself.
“Deep breaths through your nose.” She breathed in, encouraging me to copy her. “And out through your mouth.”
I did as she said, and slowly, I got control over my panic. My heart slowed.
“Okay, now focus on your bond,” Philotes said.
I closed my eyes and tried to find it. Until now, I’d done my best to ignore this stupid bond. It had been the start of all my troubles.
“Can you find it?” Philotes asked.
I found it. I was connected to Lorraine as if a golden thread was spun between us. I nodded.
