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“I’ll grab the last one,” Tandi tells me, rushing to the top of the hill while Clarice leads the last of the children inside with Peter. Liam and Dustin carried the tubs in while Trey was helping tug the clothes off the line with the servant.

“Come on, Tyson,” I tell him, holding my hand out to him. Only when I look down do I not see him.

“Tyson?” I call, turning and looking for him.

“Tyson!” I yell out, and I look at Tandi.

“He was just here!” I tell her.

Tandi looks around from the top of the hill, looking around frantically, just as the wind starts howling loudly.

“Tyson,” I scream when Trey runs over.

“What’s going on?” he asks, jogging over.

“I can’t find Tyson!” I say, panic bubbling in my throat.

Chapter

Forty-Four

AZALEA

Trey looks toward the tree line of the forest, and Tandi does the same. “He couldn’t have gone far,” Tandi says, moving towards me while my head twists from side to side, searching for him.

“I’ll go check the forest edge,” Trey says.

“What’s going on?” Liam and Dustin yell out simultaneously when they see us staring in every direction.

“Tyson, I can’t find him!” I yell out over the howling wind. Dustin and Liam exchange looks before Liam jogs over to us.

“I’ll check the cemetery,” he says, running off and calling out Tyson’s name.

“Clarice is checking inside in case he somehow got past one of us,” Dustin tells me. Tears prick my eyes at the thought of losing him. Abbie would never forgive me if something happened to him. I just don’t understand. I turned away for only a second. Is he hiding?

“I’ll check out the front,” Dustin says, sprinting off before I hear the mindlink open.

‘Azzy, what is going on? Why are you upset?’Kyson mindlinks.

‘I’ve lost Tyson!’I admit while frantically searching the gardens. Tandi scans all the cubby holes surrounding the castle.

‘All guards, look out for Tyson, Gannon, and Abbie’s son,’Kyson yells across the link.

‘What about Tyson?’Gannon booms through the link. Dustin answers him while Kyson continues talking to me.

‘I’m on my way back, love. We found Larkin’s empty car,’he tells me, and I’m about to ask what he means when Tandi calls out.

“He isn’t inside in the kitchens or laundry. I checked the cellar too,” she says, an edge of panic in her voice.

“I just don’t get why he would run off,” I say just as he reaches me.

“We’ll find him. He couldn’t have gone far,” Tandi tells me, looking around, trying to reassure me. The storm has really picked up. The clouds close in and take the light with them as thunder booms loudly and lightning streaks the sky with flashes of light.

“He was right here, though. He was right here, tugging my shirt, looking at them...”

“The ducks!” I blurt, my eyes going to the stables. The ducks are no longer on the little hill above the stables, and my heart flutters in my chest.

“The lake!” I shriek in panic as I take off toward the stables. I rush to the narrow path and look down toward the lake and small pier. I can’t see him anywhere when Tandi nudges me.