“I was hoping you could track her based on cellphone pings and credit card transactions. Can you do that?”
“As long as the cellphone is on. The transactions will be easier. Text me your information. The line is secure.”
Graeme sighs. “Thank you all. My priority is finding her. I have to. I need… I need to find her.”
Graeme ends the call just as Gerard and Colin join us in the study.
“What seems to be the matter?” Gerard asks, voice low as he shuts the door to the study behind him and Colin.
“One of the omegas has disappeared from the castle,” Cassian explains.
“Do you want my help tracking her?” Colin offers, and Simon gratefully agrees.
I think back to my fight with Cora. She wants to help. I can only guess that she saw the map on Simon’s computer. If she did, this is all my fault.
“I think she’s heading to New Jersey,” I say, my voice thick with emotion. “She’s going to investigate the facility my father is using.”
“She purchaseda ferry ticket to the mainland about an hour ago,” Simon says, drumming his fingers on the desk in the study. “Are you sure she’s heading to New Jersey?”
“It’s my best guess.” I sigh, taking a heavy chair and dragging it beside him before Ian steps in to help me. “We fought about it yesterday. She said she wanted to help.”
“Her magic is too new,” Ian protests.
“That’s what I told her,” I say. “She didn’t take it well.”
Ian shakes his head and shuts his eyes. “This isn’t good. She’s practically defenseless out there. You said her shield work is poor still?”
“As poor as mine was after you taught me to call my magic. She’ll need a lot of work before she’s able to defend herself, but she does have her affinity. She’s lightning fast, so hopefully she can flee at any sign of danger.” Not that I think she will. She was acting like an omega possessed with the need to make herself useful, to help our cause.
“She’s heading south,” Simon mutters. “She just stopped at an ATM and took out fifty bucks. How did she know Graeme’s passcode?”
“She must have followed him out of the castle at one point and caught him taking money out,” I guess.
“She’ll be harder to track if she’s dealing in cash,” Simon says with a sigh. “We can only hope she runs out quickly. For what it’s worth, she’s heading south. She’s about an hour south of New Brunswick already.”
“Damn, she’s fast,” Luca says with a whistle.
“She is,” I agree. “Her affinity is basic, but incredibly powerful.”
As the party dies down, we remain in Gerard’s study, left to our own thoughts.
Jack calls us an hour later, just as frantic as Graeme was. “Anything?”
“Juniper thinks she’s heading to a facility in New Jersey,” Simon tells him. “She’s made one purchase and one ATM withdrawal from Graeme’s account.”
“She’ll need the money,” Jack says. “Her affinity burns a lot of calories, and she goes through running shoes very quickly.”
“That’s great intel,” I encourage. Saints, Jack and Graeme must know Cora better than anyone, and I think I know why.
“She’s keeping Graeme’s cellphone off,” Simon tells us. “She’s being smart about this. It’ll be hard to get ahead of her.”
“We have to get her back,” Jack says, his voice low, full of emotion. “She’s too important…”
To them, I realize. Cora is incredibly important tothem.
“I’ll talk to my dad about using the plane,” Cassian promises. “If she lingers anywhere, we can head in and grab her.”
If only he knew how fast Cora truly is. This is going to be a race against time and speed, and I don’t know if we’ll win.
