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“Your timing is perfect. We’re almost ready.” On cue, Thorne enters the room.
“Thorne,” Alex says, running toward him, copying his movement from earlier.
“Hey, bud. Are you okay?”
“Yeah, I just missed you guys.”
“Well, you’re in luck because we’re all going to the zoo,” I answer. “Where is everyone else?”
“They’re going to meet us there,” Luna answers.
“The couple said they’d be there after lunch.” I glance at a clock on the wall. “If we leave soon, we’ll have time to scope everything out before they get there.”
Thorne throws a bottle of goat’s blood at me. “You might want to eat first.”
I try handing the blood to Alex, who pushes it away. “I already ate. It’s your turn.”
Three sets of eyes stare at me as I loosen the top, lifting it to my lips. Without thinking, I empty the bottle in one gulp. My eyes water at the taste, but it soothes the rumbles in my stomach.
“Let’s go!” Alex takes the empty bottle, setting it on the large bar in the kitchen area. “I’ve never been to a zoo before.”
I pull him to a stop. “You’ve really never been to a zoo?”
He shrugs. “My parents never went to one, and the zoo wasn’t the top priority on Patrice’s list of things to do.”
I laugh at his wording. His personality has changed over the past few days. He’s more relaxed, and I like it. “Today is your day.”
The four of us catch a streetcar to the zoo, unloading exactly fifteen minuteslater. I sense energy the moment we enter. “Fran’s with them,” Alex says, sensing my thoughts.
Moving to where the energy is the strongest, we find Amelia and Topher kneeling in front of a stroller, with Fran and Micah looking on. “There they are,” Alex says with a smile.
“Looks like you two got some well-needed rest,” Fran says with a wink as we approach.
“Yeah, we did,” Thorne answers.
“What happened yesterday?” I ask Fran. “Were you able to find Patrice?”
“I followed her as far as I could. Her trail ran cold around the warehouse.”
“The same warehouse we searched?”
“I sent several men to check it out this morning. There were no signs of anyone being there,” Topher preempts my next question.
“She couldn’t have just disappeared,” I state the obvious.
“I followed her trail to the water.” Fran moves closer to the stroller.
Alex looks at me. “I told you she was in the water.”
“Yeah, but that doesn’t make sense. Unless she’s on a ship?—”
“Or an island,” Thorne interrupts.
“There aren’t any islands large enough to hide anything larger than a lizard close to the city,” Topher adds.
“Alex!” a young voice calls from behind. “You came.”
“Hey, Brayden. Of course, we came.” He moves toward the human boy, patting him on the shoulder. Alex’s calm and cool demeanor amazes me.
