by Suzi Davis
I hurried downstairs to find David and both of the Jensons in the kitchen.
“Where’s Sebastian?” I demanded.
David rolled his eyes.
“Morning run, I would expect,” he drawled lazily.
“He must have been up early this morning,” Mr. Jenson commented. “I’ve been up since 5am and haven’t seen him.”
“I don’t think he slept very well last night,” David replied, glancing quickly at me. Relief settled over me—good, he had come back from his walk at some point.
“Would you like breakfast, Grace?” Mrs. Jenson offered. She was flipping French toast in a frying pan and the kitchen smelled of cinnamon and browned butter. I glanced at the clock.
“I have to be at the gallery in less than an hour. I’m not sure I have time.”
“Sit down and eat, dear,” Mrs. Jenson encouraged. “It’ll only take you a few minutes and I’ll put some coffee in a to-go cup for you.”
“Thank you.”
The Jensons smiled at me, their calm, gentle ways so reassuring. I couldn’t relax. I just couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong.
Sebastian didn’t make it back before I had to leave for work. I wanted to ask David to get him to call me when he came in but he had disappeared somewhere while I was in the shower. I settled for sending a quick text message to the phone that Sebastian never seemed to check.
I love you. Missed you this morning. We need to talk tonight.
I hit send and then dropped my phone in my purse. I was running late.
I didn’t have time to check my phone again until after lunch. There was one new message which I opened eagerly—only to discover that it was the text I had sent Sebastian, returned to my phone with “unable to send” attached to it. I tried to resend it and once again it didn’t go through. With a growing sense of unease, I tried to call his cell. I was immediately greeted by the recorded voice of the operator, informing me that “this number is no longer in service”. Something was definitely wrong.
I couldn’t leave work but I knew I wouldn’t be able to focus if I didn’t do something, so reluctantly, I dialed David’s number. He also didn’t answer but I left him a voicemail, asking that he call me back and have Sebastian call me immediately if he saw him. It was all I could do for now.
I was the last one left in the gallery that evening but was proud to have been entrusted with the important task of locking everything up myself. It was dark when I stepped outside and ice had already formed a slick surface, transforming the parking lot into a sparkling rink. A frigid breeze gusted past me, nearly knocking me off my feet and tiny, delicate snowflakes swirled through out the air as they started lightly falling from the sky. I stepped slowly and cautiously, irritated that when I was in such a rush to get home I would be forced to drive slowly.
When I finally pulled into the Jensons’ driveway I was relieved to see Sebastian’s car parked ahead of me. The snow was starting to stick now and it was good to know that he wasn’t out driving in it. But then I noticed the driveway beneath his car was bare, he obviously hadn’t left since it started snowing. Had he not left the house today? What was going on?
My nervousness increased as the front door opened just before I reached it. Mrs. Jenson stood there, looking uncomfortable.
“Hello, Grace. Um… I thought I should warn you, dear. Your mother’s here,” she announced unexpectedly. The news completely distracted me.
“What? Why? What’s going on?”
“She’s brought a guest with her. Someone who just couldn’t wait to see you and meet Sebastian… where is Sebastian?” She searched the empty driveway behind me in confusion. My heart dropped.
“He’s not here?”
“No, we thought he was with you.”
“I was working late. I haven’t seen him since last night.”
My voice trembled slightly. Mrs. Jenson smiled at me, patting my hand reassuringly as she led me inside, though she too looked worried.
“I’m sure he’s fine, dear, just busy. David’s been gone all day too: they must be out together, causing trouble as boys do.”
I tried to smile but it was a weak effort.
“Don’t worry,” she repeated just as my mother walked around the corner.
“Don’t worry about what?” my mother demanded, her small eyes immediately narrowing. Mrs. Jenson waited for me to answer.
“I haven’t seen Sebastian all day and I can’t get through on his cell phone; it says the number has been disconnected.”
“Oh, Grace, you can go a day without seeing him, really! In just a few weeks, you’ll be seeing him every day for the rest of your life. You might as well enjoy this time apart while you have it,” my mother dismissed. She smoothed back her short, blonde hair with one hand, drawing attention to the sparkling diamond earrings at her lobes and throat. She had never come to the Jensons’ house before and in all her snobbish finery she looked completely out-of-place. In fact, she seemed even more done-up than usual. I wondered what the occasion was?
“Sebastian often forgets he owns a cell phone, Grace,” Mrs. Jenson gently reminded me. “I wouldn’t be surprised if he forgot to pay the bill. He’s been quite distracted lately. Don’t worry, I’m sure the boys will be home soon.”
“Come, come,” my mother instructed, speaking over Mrs. Jenson. She eyed me critically, brushing snowflakes from my hair and inspecting my outfit. “There’s someone waiting to see you in the living room.”
“It’s not Clarke, is it?”
“Why on earth would you ask that? Clarke and Tanya are actually still in Jamaica. They’ve been having so much fun, Miranda’s barely heard from them! Except for an email announcing that they’ve decided to extend their honeymoon for several more weeks. I already told you all this, Grace, don’t you ever listen anymore?”
There was no safe way to answer that so I chose not to respond.
“Come, say hello,” my mother instructed, practically dragging me around the corner and into the Jensons’ cozy living room.
“Grace?”
A young woman was sitting near the lit fireplace. She rose as I entered, her slim brows arched, her brown eyes large and round. It took me a minute to recognize her; there was nothing short or plain about the girl who stood before me. She was tall and slim, and beautiful in a very distinct way. Her makeup was simple but flawless, emphasizing her green eyes that looked a little too large for her small face and distracting from her slightly snub nose and overly full lips. Her long, brown hair was loose and fell in waves so perfectly and precisely formed there was no way it had occurred naturally. Her clothes were stylish and obviously expensive; I recognized the black and white sweater she wore from a fashionable boutique my mother had dragged me into recently. She held a gold, patterned clutch in her hands, a Louis Vuitton symbol peeking out from under her shiny, manicured nails.
Everyone was staring at me expectantly, waiting for my reaction. Mr. Jenson smiled encouragingly. I remembered this young woman as a shy, intelligent, pretty little girl. The only similarities between the beautiful teenager who stood before me and the girl of my memories was the hesitant smile she offered me now.
“Bridgette. Wow. I can’t believe you’re here!” I forced myself to smile, trying to forget about Sebastian. We shared a quick embrace. “What are you doing here? The wedding’s not for three more weeks!”
“I know, but I couldn’t wait! Since your mother asked permission for me to come and be your Maid of Honor, I’ve hardly been able to stop thinking about you. I had to come. And since I’m doing that distance education thing, I convinced my father that it would be alright to come early and bring my school work with me. I’m staying at The Queens Hotel; my father has booked me a gorgeous suite for the next few weeks.” She spoke confidently, holding her head high and tossing her long hair over her shoulder. Bridgette had attended a bilingual high school and she spoke English perfectly with just the faintest trace of her German accent.
“You
’re doing a distance education thing? Is that like home school?”
“Sort of… didn’t you read my last email?” She looked hurt for a second, her eyes widened, her pout deepened.
“I did,” I lied, “but I’ve been so busy lately with work and the wedding and everything else that’s going on, I must have forgotten.” It was my usual excuse but one people seemed to accept. Bridgette didn’t look entirely convinced.
“Oh, yes, of course. I hardly have any free time either,” she added, her mood quickly changing to dismissive. She tossed her glossy hair again, rings sparkling on her fingers and a Cartier watch decorating her wrist. “We have so much catching up to do. You’ll have to come and meet Lena, my chaperone and tutor. And I can’t wait to tell you about all the adventures I’ve been having: shopping in Paris, meeting royalty, and my new boyfriend.” Her green eyes sparkled, I tried to share her happiness.
“Why don’t we all have lunch at my house tomorrow? Grace, you can bring Sebastian. Then afterwards, you can take Bridgette to her dress fitting and catch up,” my mother suggested.
“That would be nice,” I agreed but I was barely listening. I was distracted by the sound of the front door opening. My heart leapt into my throat. I craned my neck, trying to peer down the hallway to see who it was. I was disappointed to see only David.
“Hello,” David greeted politely as he walked into the room. His eyes immediately went to Bridgette, taking her in from head to toe and lingering just a little too long.
“This is my friend, Bridgette,” I informed him, suddenly feeling protective. It was true, I had once thought of Bridgette as a little sister and no matter how much she had changed, I still felt the instinct to look out for her. “She’ll be staying here in Victoria until the wedding—she’s my Maid of Honor. And she’s sixteen.”
The gleam in David’s eye faded. He smiled, almost apologetically.
“How nice to meet you, Bridgette.”
“Yes, you too.” She held out her hand expectantly and David smoothly leant over to kiss it. I threw Bridgette a withering look but she wasn’t looking at me, she only had eyes for David. Mrs. Jenson and my mother shared knowing, amused smiles.
“Where’s Sebastian?” I demanded. I felt like I had been asking the same question all day.
“How should I know?”
The Jensons were both frowning now. Worry ate away at my stomach. I completely ignored Bridgette and focused all of my attention on David.
“You weren’t with him? Didn’t you get my message? He’s been missing all day. I haven’t seen or heard from him since late last night—after we got back from my mother’s.”
Now David was frowning too.
“Didn’t you see him this morning?” he demanded.
“No, you said you saw him this morning. You said he went for a run,” I reminded him. I had a really bad feeling and was starting to feel sick.
David’s eyes flicked between myself, my mother and the Jensons. He looked distinctly uncomfortable, an unfamiliar look for him when he was typically so cool and self assured.
“What’s going on, David?” Mr. Jenson joined in. His features were still pulled down in concern. “Have you seen Sebastian today or not? Do you know where he is?”
“No. I… I didn’t actually see him this morning,” he admitted. My stomach dropped, icy fear filling the empty space within me. “I, uh, I heard him and Grace talking in her room last night. There were some unusual noises coming through the wall, I assumed he spent the night with her. I was just trying to cover for you this morning,” he added, turning to me apologetically.
My face burned red hot. By ‘unusual noises’ he obviously meant the bumps and thuds of me throwing Sebastian off the bed and Sebastian punching the bed post. I couldn’t exactly explain that, not that it was my biggest concern anyway.
“Grace Lynn Stevenson!” my mother cried, sounding scandalized.
“He didn’t spend the night in my room. We were just talking and we got into an argument. He was upset and he left around midnight, he said he was going for a walk… Oh no.” My voice was rapidly losing strength, my words barely louder than a whisper as I finished. Everyone seemed to hear me. The silence that followed rang in my ears. I wanted to throw up.
“I’m calling the police,” Mrs. Jenson announced, abruptly leaving the room.
“Grace, stay here—keep trying his phone and call anywhere that you think he might have gone today,” Mr. Jenson instructed, quickly taking charge. “David, come with me. We’ll take the Audi, it has all wheel drive and should be good in the snow. We’ll check his usual spots.”
“I want to come with you,” I objected.
“No, you should stay here, Grace. If we find him… he might be in rough shape,” David told me quietly and seriously. Mr. Jenson shot him a warning look.
“What do you mean?” My heart was beating too quickly, my breathing shallow. I wondered if I were about to faint.
“She should know,” David said to Mr. Jenson, who slowly nodded his agreement.
“Grace,” Mr. Jenson began, his eyes large and kind. He gently took my hands. “Sebastian has been going through a lot since you came back from Greece, as I’m sure you’ve noticed. He’s fighting a very serious depression. He didn’t want you to know, only because he didn’t want to worry you and he was so sure that he could get a handle on it but… it’s very serious Grace. He’s been having some suicidal thoughts.”
My mouth dropped open.
“No,” I gasped, shaking my head. I couldn’t believe my ears. “He wouldn’t… he would never…” But the truth was, I didn’t really know what Sebastian would and wouldn’t do anymore.
I began shaking all over, my whole body violently trembling.
“Calm down, Grace, it’s going to be ok.” I was surprised to find my mother comforting me. Bridgette sat silently, wide-eyed in the corner. I didn’t need my mother’s stiff words and awkward touch, I wasn’t upset—I was furious. How dare he go through something like this without ever telling me? How dare he confide in others? Confide in David and not me! And how could he ever even remotely consider the possibility of harming himself or taking his own life! No, there was no way. I wouldn’t allow it. There was no way I would lose him just like that.
“Sit down, Grace. You’re shaking all over,” my mother instructed. She tried to push me into a chair but I shook off her hands.
My whole body vibrated with anger, pain, fear, and pure, raw ancient power. I clasped my necklace tightly in one fist, its smooth, round shape fitting perfectly in the palm of my hand. The small piece of amber at its center burned red hot.
“No.” Everyone turned to stare at me. “No!” I repeated louder and ran out of the room. I rushed out the front door, breathing heavily, my head spinning. “This is not happening. I will not allow you to hurt yourself. This is enough!” I yelled to the darkness, my voice tormented with pain. I harnessed the indescribable power within me and focused it through my necklace, directing it to flood out into the night as I screamed desperately, “I want you to come home! I want you to be fine and I want you to come home!”
The torrent of invisible magic poured from me and filled the air. It sliced through the quiet night as a boom of thunder, reverberating all around me. The electric charge of it remained in the silence that followed, causing all of my hair to stand on end.
My shaking had stopped, my voice was raw from screaming and my knees weak from the huge amount of power I had just embraced. I tried to take a step forward but my knees buckled, and I collapsed to the ground like a puppet whose strings had been cut. I hated using the Lost Magic when I had promised myself I wouldn’t but in this situation, I had no regrets. It was worth it to save Sebastian, anything was worth it to keep him safe.
“I’ll do whatever you ask of me,” I whispered to the spinning sky. I knew somewhere, the spirits were listening. I could sense them in the shadows at the edge of my thoughts. “Just bring him back to me.” And with those last words, I tumbled
into the waiting darkness.
Chapter Nine – Allies
Even in unconsciousness, there was no escape for me, there was no respite. The fog rolled in, thick and icy, soft and warm. It surrounded me.
“Caoilinn,” she called, her voice echoing all around.
“Leave me alone,” I growled.
“Caoilinn, I don’t have long. I’m here to help, if you can swallow your damned pride long enough to let me!”
That caught my attention. I glared into the misty cloud.
“My name is Gracelynn. And I don’t have time for your games, spirit. Leave me alone.”
I spoke loudly and clearly but once again, my voice seemed to bounce back off the cloud as if I were speaking directly into my own ear. There was a long pause, for a minute I thought she might have actually listened to me.
“This is no game. You can still save Sebastian but you’re going to have to fight for him and you will need to accept the aid offered by others.”
“He should be home when I open my eyes. I summoned him with my magic. I don’t need your help,” I denied.
“It won’t work, he’s too far gone.” Her voice echoed all around me, sending shivers down my spine.
“You’re wrong!” I yelled, my voice sharp with anger, my stomach twisted with fear. “Where is he? What do you know? What have you done to him?”
“He has been taken from you but not by any of the spirit world. He is in grave danger; you should not fear for his life, you should fear for his very soul! He has been taken where even I can’t reach him but you might be able to. If you’ll accept the others who wait for you, if you will guide them.”
“Is that what this is about? You’ve taken Sebastian somewhere to try to manipulate me into fulfilling my promise? I already said I’d do it. I’ll do whatever you need me to but I swear, if you don’t leave him out of this you will all regret this. Living or dead, I will hold you accountable.”