Beth paid no attention. She didn’t even seem aware of the outbreak of cheers from the other team. She just stood there, head cocked, as if trying to catch a distant melody.
Finley jogged over, Ignatius and Archie on his heels. “Beth? Is something wrong?”
“I’m not sure,” Beth whispered, eyes unfocused. “I can’t…where is he?”
“You mean Rufus?” Archie asked. “He headed off to show his aunt around the camp.”
“Not Rufus.” Beth bit her lip, looking worried. “Shan. I can’t find him anywhere.”
Estelle shrugged. “Maybe he’s out patrolling the woods again.”
“He hasn’t done that for a while,” Finley said. “Not since Alder-in-Winter confessed to being the ghost. Beth, where’s Leonie?”
Beth closed her eyes for a moment, concentrating. “In her cabin, I think. Alone.”
“Oh, no,” Ignatius muttered. “Notagain. If they’ve had a dramatic last-minute break-up, I flatly refuse to get involved. Let the idiots sort out their own problems for once.”
Estelle was already heading off. “It can’t hurt to check. Come on.”
With half a dozen packs running around playing Ultimate Frisbee, it was easy to slip away unnoticed. The five kids headed for the staff cabins, staying low and darting from building to building.
“Stay here,” Finley whispered to the others when they reached Leonie’s cabin. “I’ll check on her.”
He cautiously crept round the cabin until he could peer through Leonie’s window. He immediately ducked out of sight again, returning to the other kids.
“She’s there,” Finley reported. “I couldn’t see her face, but she’s taking all the sheets off the bed.”
Archie’s brow furrowed. “Her sister comes to visit and…she’s doing laundry?”
“Oh no,” Beth breathed. “Archie, quick. Go check Shan’s room.”
“Me? Why me?”
“Well, I can’t go into the boys’ cabin, can I?” Beth gave him a shove. “You can run faster than Ig or Finley. See if Shan’s things are still in his room. We’ll stay here to keep an eye on Leonie.”
Archie blurred into a bear, galloping off. The other kids waited in uneasy silence until he returned.
Archie shifted back to human form, tugging his elasticated shorts up. “Most of his stuff is still there. But his suit isn’t. His gloves and sunglasses are gone, too.”
“I knew it,” Ignatius declared. He folded his arms,radiating vindicated disgust. “Itoldyou all those idiots would still find a way to mess this up.”
“I don’t understand.” Beth wrung her hands. “They were perfectly fine earlier.”
Ignatius heaved an exasperated sigh. “Clearly, they’ve fallen out over some ridiculous misunderstanding. No doubt one that would have been solved if they’d justtalkedto each other. I swear, it’s like recognizing your mate makes every brain cell dribble out of your ears.”
“Well, what are we going to do about it?” Estelle said pragmatically. “Beth, do you know when he left?”
Beth shook her head. “I wasn’t keeping track of them. Why would I? I didn’t notice he’d even gone until my pegasus nudged me.”
“He can’t have gone far,” Finley said. “Not on foot. And we’d have seen him if he’d flown away.”
“Yeah, but we can’t go after him,” Archie pointed out. “Not if he’s already left the camp. We’ll get expelled for sure if we sneak out again.”
They all looked at each other, at a loss.
“I think,” Beth said at last, “we’d better find Rufus.”
CHAPTER 34
