Page 96 of Moonlit Nights & Northern Lights
My phone buzzed in my pocket. Seb, perhaps, responding to my earlier updates?
I pulled it out, surprised to see Kit’s name instead.
Kit
Just got to Killigrew Street to find out that Priya and Felix have gone to Scotland. I don’t know how on earth Priya convinced Seb it was a good idea, because I wasn’t there last night when it got decided. But it isn’t safe, especially for Felix. They need to come home.
Rory’s already on their case. In the meantime, we’ll look after them. Don’t worry about Felix. He’s in his element.
I quickly snapped a picture of Felix, who was now squinting at his tablet in the sunlight, lower lip caught between his teeth in concentration.
Felix looked up. “What was that for?”
I hit send.
“For someone who’s missing you.”
Confusion clouded his expression. “What?”
I pretended to concentrate on avoiding thorny brambles, and my phone soon buzzedagain.
Thank you. Can you tell Rory to call me back? I’ve left him about twelve voicemails. Priya said Callum attacked him?
He hasn’t had much time to call you since that happened, to be fair. We’ve been busy. I promise that he’s okay.
The vague path we were following narrowed, then disappeared entirely. What had been challenging terrain became an obstacle course of fallen trees, dense undergrowth, and sudden dips where water had carved gullies into the earth. The forest closed in around us, branches reaching like grasping fingers, dimming the drizzly daylight.
“Still on track?” Rory called back, after some time marching through this, his voice tight with strain.
Felix nodded, though his earlier enthusiasm had faded. “About half a mile to go. We’re heading straight for the signal location.”
I watched Rory’s shoulders rise and fall with a deep breath. Priya moved closer to him, her hand finding his elbow.
“Try not to imagine the worst, Rory.”
Rory gave a hollow laugh. “He’s hardly going to be sitting around having a picnic by himself, is he?”
As we continued walking, my brain couldn’t help but imagine what would happen if we did find Dev’s body. Rory would be absolutely devastated. Someone would need to make sure he didn’t touch the body, contaminating evidence. Someone would probably need to comfort him.
A sudden image of him sobbing, throwing himself at my chest blared to life in technicolour clarity. That would be typical behaviour for mortal enemies, right? I would be allowed to wrap my arms around him and hold him tight while he grieved?
Though comforting Rory would be Priya’s job, wouldn’t it? She was the one with her arm linked through his now, murmuring reassurancesI couldn’t quite hear. The one he truly trusted. The one who hadn’t arrested him and thrown him in a cell during a full moon.
The forest grew thicker still. Branches snagged my jacket, thorns catching on my trousers. The air felt heavy, laden with moisture and the rich scent of decomposing vegetation. Twice, I had to save Felix from slipping, both times imagining Kit’s face if he returned to London with a single scratch on him.
“We’re getting very close,” Felix said, voice barely above a whisper, as if speaking too loudly might disturb whatever—or whoever—waited for us ahead.
I nearly collided with Felix when he stopped abruptly, tablet held out in front of him like a divining rod.
“This is it,” he announced, his voice carrying an unnatural cadence in the dense forest. “We’re right at the centre of the ping radius.”
The location itself was unremarkable—just another patch of undergrowth surrounded by towering pines. No buildings, no clearings, nothing to suggest why Dev’s phone would be here of all places.
I scanned the area, slipping into detective mode. “Spread out,” I instructed, keeping my voice calm and authoritative. “Look for anything unusual—disturbed ground, personal items, footprints. Stay within earshot.”
Rory immediately pushed forward, trampling through ferns with desperate energy. Priya took the opposite direction, methodically examining the forest floor. Felix hovered near the centre, still staring at his tablet as if it might reveal more secrets.
I moved in a wide arc, eyes sweeping back and forth across the ground. The forest felt oppressively silent, as if holding its breath.
