I’d been so sure we’d find Considine quickly.
I’d underestimated Gisila.
Finished with my breakfast, I wiped my hands off on the napkin Sunshine had thoughtfully included, looking up just in time to see Sarge march into the meeting room with the fury of a storm.
I reflexively put my hand over the top of my paper cup of tea—if Sarge got angry he’d affect all water in the room.
“We have found nothing,” Sarge snarled, not giving the team enough time to turn their attention to him, or even for Sunshine to slip out before he launched into muster. “No new leads, no new finds. Tutu is either unable or is choosing not to give us any possible useful information about her sister. There are no updates.”
Sunshine started to stand, but she sat back down and cast a worried look in my direction.
Sarge braced himself on the podium and heaved a sigh. “Because we haven’t found any new information, the department will be switching its focus to searching for the oracle as we have more leads on that end.”
My fingers twitched, the only rebellion from my body as I forced myself to listen.
My teammates were not so controlled.
“You’ve got to be kidding me,” April said.
Brody leaped to his feet. “Gisila has one of us! We can’t just abandon Considine!”
“We’re not abandoning Considine—although I understand the sentiment.” Sarge said. I could tell by the way he gripped the top of the podium that he wasn’t very happy about this change either. “The Cloisters is still dedicating significant resources to searching for Considine, and the Drakes and Dracos vampires will continue with their efforts as well. But Gisila successfully captured Considine because of a prophecy. She could be avoiding all our efforts because of additional prophecies.”
Tetiana leaned back in her chair, her red eyes brighter than usual. “You think if we find the oracle, we’ll cut off resources she needs to stay ahead of us?”
“That’s the hope,” Sarge said.
Medium-Sized Robert shifted in his chair. “But if the oracle is under Gisila’s control, how are we going to find it when we can’t find any sign ofher?”
“We know that the oracle was consulted by two other groups of supernaturals,” Sarge said. “It’s likely there are more groups that received prophecies. We just haven’t found them. Those individuals will be infinitely easier to locate than Gisila herself.”
I wrapped my hand around my lukewarm cup of tea, desperate for the warmth on my fingers. “What if the oracle isn’t under Gisila’s control?”
Sarge’s angry expression cleared as he met my gaze. “What do you mean?”
I paused, and for a moment felt the weight as every gaze in the room turned to me.It doesn’t matter if it’s a less than perfect theory. I’m not willing to risk leaving any idea behind as long as Considine is missing.
“The timeline doesn’t match,” I said. “Gisila has been gone since I was hospitalized, and we found those two groups ofsupernaturals while she was missing. If she already had the oracle, she wouldn’t have left Magiford. It seems more likely that she returned to Magiford because she found out there’s an illegal oracle in the city.”
Sarge slowly nodded. “That is certainly possible.”
“Maybe she found out about the oracle and stole her—or him—when she got back to Magiford?” Juggernaut suggested. “Or hired the oracle directly to her payroll.”
Sarge rubbed his temple, and I saw the rings under his eyes that matched my own and so many other team members’. There was no doubt in my mind that he was trying just as much as I was to find Considine. “Another valid point,” he said. “The truth is we don’t have enough information to do more than speculate. However, the specialist is due to arrive tomorrow morning. He’ll have better ideas on how to search for and find an oracle. Tonight we’ll remain focused on searching for Considine, the priorities will make an official switch tomorrow once the specialist arrives.”
My mouth was bone dry, and I couldn’t swallow.
It’s been two days. Two days!
My heartbeat pounded in my ears, and despite my best efforts to remain focused and professional, I started to shiver.
The Cloisters are shifting their focus to the oracle. But Considine…
Anxiety slammed into me like a hurricane, and my heart physically hurt.
I couldn’t let this go. Considine was in Gisila’s clutches, there was no telling what she was doing to him. I was in love with him. He’d sacrificed himself for us, his teammates. And now we were shifting our focus?
No. No—I’m not letting go. But what can I do?
