Page 78 of The Donor’s Dilemma

Theo took a deep breath before reaching for her again. This time Verity couldn’t find it in herself to refuse his touch. She knew him. Knew that whatever was happening, her Theo wouldn’t stand for it.

“How do I look for someone if everyone tells me that nobody is missing?” he asked.

“But she is.”

“I know, Angel, but I’m telling you, between us,” to shot her a look at between us, “everyone is telling me that nobody is missing.”

“But…”

“I know.”

That couldn’t be right. It would have been reported, her dad wouldn’t be going to protests and not telling the police. But… if Theo already knew…

“There’s others,” she said. It wasn’t a question.

Any remaining irritation left his face as he nodded. “I believe so. The reports… from Harris. I don’t know what’s going on but things aren’t adding up.”

The theatre approached. From one grand building to another. All excitement for the evening, for the play and the box and her date with Theo evaporated, leaving a hollow pit in her stomach.

“I will get to the bottom of this,” he swore, pulling into the car park. “I just… it’s complicated. I need to be careful.”

“Why?” she asked.

They stopped in the valet queue and he turned to her.

“Because if my figures are wrong, if my information is being tampered with, then someone is doing that, and I don’t know who.”

Oh gods. Her mind went blank. So many thoughts and fears filling her that they turned to white noise.

“Just get through tonight,” he said, brushing a stray hair from her face. “Just act like everything’s fine. No talking about missing people and donors…”

“And Cliffhaven?” She asked.

“What about Cliffhaven?”

“Why was Abe there? It’s supposed to be quarantined.”

Theo’s frown turned beseeching. “I don’t know.” The car in front pulled away and he closed his eyes a moment. “I’ll tell you whatever I know, just… later.”

“Promise?”

He sighed as a man approached the car, ready to open the door.

“Later,” he said with a nod.

A promise of later was as good as she could get right now so she nodded, plastering a smile on her face.

“Birth of a god, hey?” She tried to sound excited, but the words came out as hollow as she felt.

Chapter Twenty-Two

The audience burst into laughter as a dog ran across the stage, snapping Verity from her daydream.

A woman stood centre stage, watching after the pup as she bounced the babe in her arms. Her waist length red curls blended into the flames of her dress, the jewel encrusted bodice shining like embers against her pale face. The casting was perfect, if someone told Verity that the woman before her was a goddess she might have actually believed them.

But every time Verity saw those bouncing curls, it was another woman she saw. A smiling face at graduation. A desperate father.

“Come dearest one,” Pyraea, Goddess of Fire crooned over the babe, a bone white doll intended to play Phoenar. “Do not mind your sister, for you shall be the saviour of this land.”