“Wonderful,” Twobble muttered. “I was worried tonight lacked enough horrifying atmosphere.”
My phone buzzed in my hand before I could answer anyone, and every nerve in my body instantly tightened.
Keegan.
Relief hit me first, but dread followed right behind it because Keegan would not interrupt this meeting unless something was wrong.
Very wrong.
I opened the message quickly.
Celeste wasn’t at her apartment.
The words blurred for half a second before my stomach dropped clean through the floor. She knew Keegan was coming. She wouldn’t have left.
“What is it?” Nova asked immediately.
I couldn’t answer right away.
The corridor suddenly felt too warm, too crowded, and too far from my daughter.
Keegan sent another message before I could even breathe.
Her roommate said she left an hour ago after getting a phone call. She told them there was an emergency with you.
Ice flooded my veins.
“No,” I whispered.
Every conversation in the hallway died instantly.
Caleb stepped forward. “Maeve.”
I looked up at him, and I knew my face gave everything away because Stella’s expression changed sharply.
“What happened?” Stella asked, worry etched her features.
My fingers tightened around the phone so hard they hurt.
“She’s not at her apartment.” The words scraped out of my throat.
The entire corridor seemed to tilt, and even Twobble stopped chewing.
Bella pushed away from the doorway so fast her fox ears flashed into view before she smoothed them back.
“Where is she?” Caleb asked, taking a step toward me.
“Keegan doesn’t know.” My voice cracked slightly, and I hated it. “Someone called Celeste pretending there was an emergency with me.”
Nova closed her eyes, and the Academy lights dimmed overhead.
“She’s drawing the lines tighter,” Nova murmured. “She’ll stop at nothing.”
“I’m a mother first.” My heart hammered so hard it felt painful.
Stella and Nova exchanged looks.
Keegan’s third message came through.
