He must note the shudder in my voice because he finally looks up. “No, Dascha. I don’t have them.Youhad them… Are you saying you don’t now?”
“I can’t find them.” I chew vigorously on my lower lip.
Kemper stands up, taking my face in his hands. “It’s okay, baby. Take a breath.” Doing as he says, I inhale long and hold it. “They probably just fell out of your pocket somewhere in here. We’ll find them.”
“What if they fell out in the woods?” I shiver.
“Dascha, look at me,” he commands softly. “You’re fine, okay? It’ll be fine, no matter what. The only thing I can’t have you doing is panicking. So just focus on me, or Luthor and Ren, or Byron or Felix—”
“B-Byron and F-Felix are l-leaving,” I stammer, sniffling and dropping my face into the crook of his neck.
I pull in a deep whiff of his yummy, masculineKemper-smell. It always works to calm me down. Because he’s real. He’s here, and he’sreal, and he smellsso good.
But there was someone else…
You know it.
“Fuck,” I croak, struggling to focus on the feel of his arms around me. “I haven’t taken them since last night.”
“I thought you took them this morning,” he rasps, halfway between scolding and uneasy.
I shake my head. “No. I didn’t. Because I didn’t want to feel tired or lethargic when we got here.” I whip away from his hold. “But I’m not tired,orlethargic, Kellan. I’m wide the fuck awake, and I cantellthere’s something going on here.”
His forehead lines in concern.
“They’re trying to tell me something, Kel,” I whisper shakily, glancing around the room at all the people. All the familiar-unfamiliar faces. “They know the truth, and they’retryingto tell me, baby, and I’msorry, but you’re probably not gonna like what they have to say…”
I’m in a full-blown frenzy now, tears clouding my vision, lungs grappling for oxygen.
Kemper hushes me, pulling me off to sit on a crate and calm me down while I gasp and everyonestares.
I can feel it… They’re hands on me.
My hands on them.
Eyes… open.
“Dascha…fuck, stay with me, baby…” Kellan calls.
But it’s too late. They’re back…
Officer Kemper… is here.
All of them.
“I am what you are…”
“Baby, don’t go…”
“Don’t forget me…”
“Eyes open…”
“Mouth shut.”
Then…
Uncertainty is a weakness.
