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As I wildly look for someone to pass on my work, a man steps forward. “I’m the duchess’ man. I’ll take care of the rest of this, miss,” he says in an even tone.

“Thank you,” I breathe, handing him my clipboard and pen before chasing after the booming voice. Fuck, what could have happened? “Grayson!”

He pops his head around the corner, his arm wrapping around my waist to throw me over his shoulder. “I have longer legs. We gotta go,” he grunts.

“Can you tell me what’s wrong?” I gasp. I’m not used to being thrown around, though it doesn’t bother me. I just know there has to be something wrong for his legs to be eating up the ground beneath us.

“Isaac! Have you seen Sidney?” Gray calls out.

“I’ll get him. Are we going somewhere?” Isaac asks.

“We’re following a wayward traveler. We gotta hurry,” Gray explains, opening the front door to walk out. I can hear Isaac's feet pounding up the stairs and I’m about to lose my damn mind with questions. “Kenzo left his house and is headed away from here. There’s no reason why he should be driving that way. Where could he be going?”

Where would I go if I was severely depressed? The sound of water and the breeze off the cliffs fills my mind, making me bite back a curse.

“What if he went to the town we were at the other day? Peony!” I remember.

“Why would he go there?” Grayson muses, his eyes scouring for someone who may have the garage key. “Does anyone have the garage key for the royal cars?”

“I do, Sir,” a groundskeeper says, stepping forward. He’s not the same person that’s part of the Underground. I met him earlier today.

“Thank you, we need to go out for a bit, but need a car,” Grayson murmurs. “Can you help us?”

Nodding, he walks us to the garage, opening it. Grayson places me on my feet, and I blink to help with the dizziness. “Don’t leave us!” Isaac calls out, and I can hear feet pounding on the stone pavers.

“Keep up then,” I tell them, grabbing the keys to the SUV, and tossing them at Grayson. I need to learn how to drive. Maybe I’ll learn with Silla. I know she doesn’t know how to either.

Getting into the car, I glance at Grayson. “Do we need to check for bugs and all of that?”

“Yeah,” he sighs. “I’ll ask Isaac to do it.” Leaning out of the car, Grayson says,”Can you please make sure the vehicle is clean?”

“Gods, yes. Get the fuck out of it, right now,” Isaac growls. I scramble out of the car while Grayson rolls his eyes and gets out slower.

Isaac does a quick check for things, and I arch my brow. “What all are you checking for, Isaac?” I ask.

“Bombs, trackers, and bugs,” he grunts. The groundskeeper gasps, and I look over at him. “These cars are checked over several times a day, and very few people have the key. Traigor gave me his keys before he left in case you all would need them.”

Traigor is the groundskeeper I met. “That all tracks,” I mutter. “Thank you.”

I’m practically bouncing from foot to foot by the time Isaac is done, and Sidney careens breathlessly into the garage. “Fuck, I was worried you’d leave me. What the fuck is going on?” he gasps.

“Get in the car and I’ll tell you,” I tell him, getting back into the vehicle. I’m done waiting. He better get moving. Anxiety prickles along my skin, making me feel like a live wire. I know deep, dark, unrelenting sadness and despair, and I think Kenzo was tossed deep into that pit. Silla doesn’t need to lose another person. Please, please let us get to him in time.

Isaac, Sidney, and Grayson pile into the car, and I bite my lip. Are we overreacting?

“I think Kenzo is headed to Peony,” I burst out. “He was at his house, and then he jumped back on the road headed in that direction.”

“It would be a nice resting place for his brother, but the cliffs there make me nervous with his state of mind,” Sidney says carefully. Grayson is already pulling out of the garage, and I’m glad the groundskeeper rushes in to lock things back up. “Call Silla and tell her we’re picking her and Ayden up.”

“On it,” I mutter, pulling out my phone. I hope we make it in time. Come on, Kenzo, don’t do anything you can’t come back from.

KENZO

The ride into Peony is curiously peaceful. It’s predawn, so there weren’t any cars. Snow starts to swirl around the car as I arrive at the small town, but I’m not really worried about it. It’s too soon in the year for the ground to be frozen.

I’m able to drive the vehicle right up to the forest, grateful it’s too early for the people who live in the clearing to be awake. Hurrying, I get out, unbuckling my brother and picking him up. I threw all of my tools into a bag in the trunk, so I can easily ease it over my shoulder. Ignoring the open doors, I start trekking into the forest.

I probably won’t need the car again. I’m sure there’s someone who can use it more than me.