Page 31 of Onyx Queen
Your precious Queen’s light will dim,
Her heart will pay for all past sins.
The end is closing in on all,
To break the bonds, one must fall.
Silence reverberated through the room. No one spoke, not even a breath could be heard.
“Does this mean he’s going to kill Dimitra?” Sarifena spoke, breaking the hush of the room.
“We can’t let this happen!” Onika blurted out, “We need to find her! Amalee… please tell me you’ve read the damn journal.”
Amalee dipped her head, “I cannot find it.”
“What do you mean you can’t find it?” Rory sighed, her tone laced with frustration.
“I…” Amalee gulped, “I locked it in my safe, but when I went to retrieve it, it was gone.”
“Jesus fucking Christ.” Onika stood, her chair falling with a deafening thud. “Why didn’t you just read the thing when you got it?”
“Look,” Emersyn stood and placed her hand on Onika’s arm, “We don’t need to yell at each other. We can’t fall apart now. It will make us vulnerable.”
“Do you think whoever has her, knows you lost the diary?”
“We have to act on the belief they have no clue. Amalee, you need to search your castle high and low. Maybe you moved it and don’t remember.”
“Maybe… I’ve been so tied up with other things, it’s possible.”
“I’ll double the search for the area Jason told us she would be taken. If we could figure out that damn riddle, maybe then we could end this.” Commander Critcher spoke, slamming his hand down on the table causing a pop to resound through the screen, “I will not stop until we find our Queen.”
“Commander, let me know how we can help more. My men are at your disposal.” Onika took a deep breath, “We have to keep searching. And Emersyn’s right… we can’t be at each other’s throats. I’m sorry for yelling at you, Amalee. Let me know if I can help you.”
They disconnected the call, leaving Emersyn and Onika alone with their thoughts.
“What are we going to do, Onika? If they kill…” she stopped midsentence, her breath hitching.
“They won’t. We need to start digging into the past. Figure out how this is all connected to the Emerald King – our father. I don’t know how, but I feel he is the center of everything.”
Emersyn nodded, “You’re right. I’m going to go and look through the office again. Maybe I missed something. I sure hope Amalee finds that journal. My gut says it holds the answers.”
“I’ll show myself out. And I agree… that book is the key to everything.”
Chapter 30
Night had fallen, casting the sky in a deep blue hue. Stars littered the air, giving an ethereal glow to the land. Lost in thought, Onika didn’t hear Luca step out onto the porch. She jumped slightly as his arms wound around her middle and his chin came to rest on her shoulder.
“You all right?”
“I didn’t hear you.” She glanced over her shoulder, casting a smile at him, “just in thought. I know we’re missing something big – just don’t know what.”
“We will figure it out. I just hope Amalee finds that damn book.”
“Me too… I’m certain it holds the answers.” She sighed, turning her body so she was facing him. “Do you think Dimitra is ok?”
“I know it sounds weird, but I do. From what Anthony told us, I believe this Jason character is protecting her somehow.”
“I hope so. It makes me sick to my stomach to think she is all alone somewhere. Has anyone figured out what they put on her wrists when they took her?”
