Page 52 of Beneath the Sapphire Sky

She knew it wasn’t her fault, couldn’t possibly be when she wasn’t even in the same district, but that knowledge didn’t stop the overwhelming guilt and fear from trying to crush her.

Sheshould’ve been looking after her mum, not Adelaide.Sheshould’ve taken her to the market. She clicked the magneticbutton closed and turned to grab her handbag. Dante stood by the door, his small suitcase sitting on the floor beside his feet.

Belle stared at it, uncomprehending.

“You’re leaving, too?”

“That goes without saying.” Dante sent her a slight smile. “You didn’t think I’d let you go through this alone, surely?” He took her tote bag and slung it over his shoulder, then pulled the extender handle on his suitcase. “I checked flight times. We have enough time to get to the airport and get you on today’s flight to Bialga. I’ll follow with the car. Let’s go.”

Belle wrapped her arms around her waist and nodded. She didn’t look back at the massive bed where they’d spent all night and morning making love. She couldn’t think about it, couldn’t think about what they were walking out on, or what they were walking into.

The door clicked shut and echoed in the long hallway, making her jump.

“We’ll find her.” The confidence in his deep voice belied his worried face. “We have to.”

Chapter Nineteen

Belle leaned forwardand stared at the car heading toward the SES tent set up on the immaculate lawn of the Eco Lodge, where she stood with Mac. The day was fast draining to dusk as Dante pulled into a tight park between the rural fire brigade truck and a fully kitted-out ute.

She closed her eyes and breathed deep, trying to hold it as long as possible. He was finally here.

Mac gripped her shoulder. His silent support over the last couple of hours had been a godsend. If he hadn’t been there, she would’ve lost it long ago.

Nothing. No one had foundanything. It was as if her mother had disappeared off the face of the planet.

Belle bit her lip to try to force the rising tide of terror and helplessness down. It had only built during the excruciating flight home, pressurized, held in a stranglehold of welling grief that threatened to explode at any given moment. Not having Dante’s calming presence near her had almost been too much.

The taxi ride from Bialga had been the longest of her life.

She opened her eyes as Dante’s arms squeezed her tight. A small sob of relief escaped her. She needed him, needed his strength, his comfort. She squeezed him back, hard enough that she worried he’d protest.

He just held her tighter.

Mac’s phone bleeped. He answered and flattened the map in front of him, nodding at whatever the person on the other end was saying, and marked off another area in black marker pen.

Stark desolation chewed her bones. Belle hung on tight to Dante. She hadn’t realised until his arms went around her just how much she needed to be held.

*

“Okay. Do onemore sweep to the south-west then check in regarding your visibility. Out,” Mac said.

Mac set the two-way radio down on the map.

“Moira’s doing all she can from the air, Belle. She’s been up most of the day. If anyone can find your mum from up there, it’s Moira.”

Belle nodded. She screwed her eyes tight in an effort to find the strength not to break down in front of them all and breathed Dante’s scent deep into her lungs.

She let go of her friend and looked at the map to hide the telltale watering of her eyes. Mac had marked it up in a grid, markers placed where they’d already searched, along with the current whereabouts of crews.

Mac pointed to a marker off to his right. “As I was saying, your dad’s now with this crew here. They’re on their way back.” He glanced at his watch. “They’ve been out since lunch.”

She closed her eyes and asked the question she needed the answer to, but really didn’t want to ask. The question she’d avoided this whole time, because she didn’t think she could cope with the truth.

“How likely is it that—that she…”

Shutters dropped on Mac’s face. He looked down at the map and fiddled with a pen.

Oh, no.

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