Tamsin stood and nodded, then motioned for Trik to follow him.

“Come with me.” And then they were running.

Within a matter of minutes they were before the light elf castle. Tamsin lead Trik into the castle and to the throne room. He sent one of his warriors to get Cassie.

“Do you think she will see me?” Trik asked in a very rare show of vulnerability.

“I think that she is hurt and confused, but yes I think she will see you.”

The warrior Tamsin had sent came rushing back into the throne room and Syndra was on his heels.

“Tamsin,” Syndra was breathless as she approached her mate. The worry in her eyes put both Trik and Tamsin on edge.

“Where is Cassandra?” Trik asked briskly.

The warrior looked from Trik to Tamsin and it was apparent that he did not want to be the one to reveal the news, so Syndra took over.

“She’s gone.”

“What do you mean gone?” Trik’s voice was a very soft whisper and the power that had been buried deep began to pulse around him.

Syndra took a step back, and her mouth dropped open. She immediately dropped to her knee and bowed her head.

“My King,” she said “It is good to have you back.”

“Rise Syndra, Queen of the Light Elves, we do not have time for formalities. Where is my Chosen?”

“She’s gone back to the human realm. We didn’t realize she had left,” Syndra explained. One of the female elves saw her leaving through the mirrors in the bathing rooms.

“And she did not think that this was information you might need to know?” Trik’s voice began to deepen as his anger surfaced. “Where is the she-elf?”

Syndra reached out for her subject.

Ava, the female elf who had seen Cassie leave came rushing into the throne room.

“You called,” she spoke to Syndra.

“Ava, how long ago did Cassie leave?” Syndra asked.

“It’s been four or five days now,” she told them.

Trik cursed in their language and headed for the reflective walls of the throne room.

“Where will you go?” Tamsin asked.

“Enigma,” Trik called over his shoulder.

Syndra and Tamsin hurried after him, both hoping that Cassie was indeed there with her best friend.

As Trik passed through the wall he pictured Lisa’s store in his mind and emerged into her storeroom. Instantly he knew that Cassie was not there. He closed his eyes and searched for her in the human realm, seeking out her soul. Nothing, he felt nothing and he knew that she was in trouble. Something was blocking her, keeping him from feeling her soul.

He roared into the small room and Syndra who had emerged behind him reached out to touch his arm gently.

“We will get her back Trik.”

“He has her,” Trik growled. “That slime of a King has my Chosen!”

Tamsin reached out for the leader of his warriors. Within a minute Taegan was coming through the mirror.

“Liege,” he bowed his head at Tamsin and then to Trik, “My King.” Trik simply shook his head. He was leaking Royal power all over the place and the other elves could feel it. He would worry about the implications of that later Tamsin looked at Trik, his mouth tightened into a thin line. “Who would Lorsan use as his spy now that you are not at his disposal?”

“Alok,” Trik answered without hesitation.

“Find him,” Tamsin told Taegan. The warrior nodded and was gone in a flash.

“I could track him more quickly,” Trik told the King.

Tamsin shook his head. “You need to visit Lorsan. He needs to know who he is dealing with.”

Trik laughed. “Oh I imagine he knows already. That is probably what had him move against me.”

Syndra was quiet and it brought the two King’s attention to her because of her uncharacteristic silence.

“What is it my love?” Tamsin asked her.

“I’m trying to reach into the magic of our realm. You know that sometimes the wind will speak. Maybe it can tell us why Cassie left.”

They waited as Syndra sought out her answers.

Several minutes later Syndra was rushing towards the storeroom door. She called out for Lisa as she walked into the store.

“LISA!”

Lisa came around the counter to see the three elves standing there. The two males looked fierce and angry while Syndra appeared frantic, very un-Syndra like.

“Syndra what’s going on?” Lisa asked with worried eyes and a shaky voice, knowing that it couldn’t be good.

“Where is Elora? Has she seen Cassie lately?”

Just then the store’s front door opened and Elora came walking in. Her eyes widened at the sight of the elves.

“What’s happened,” she asked immediately registering that something was definitely wrong.

“Have you seen Cassie?” Trik asked before Syndra could.

Elora’s lips tightened and her eyes narrowed. “What has happened? Where is she?”

“So you haven’t seen her?” Trik asked without bothering to acknowledge her questions.

“No, I’ve been at school, why would I have seen her?” Elora looked over at her mom. “What’s going on Lisa?”

Lisa shook her head, obviously not knowing anything more than her.

Syndra closed her eyes and her brow scrounged in frustration. “Cassie received a text from you about a week ago, and agreed to meet you in this realm at a coffee shop,” she told Elora.