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Nadzia wouldn’t have just wandered off. Something was wrong. His heart thundered in his chest. His first instinct was to check her tracker, except he’d turned them off to get away from the Conclave.

“Nadzia!” he shouted again as he spun in a circle.

His urgent yell silenced half the terminal, and people stared at him in shock. Then like the stranger, they recognized him and began to crowd around.

She would’ve called out if she was here, he reasoned, and the anxious feeling in the pit of his stomach turned to horror.

“Sorry. Pardon me,” he apologized as he pushed through the gathering crowd around him. “Close down all the exits and I need to see your surveillance feed,” he insisted when he found one of the terminal employees.

“Yes. Right away, Premiere Servant.” The female nodded.

She tapped into her comm and all the entrances closed followed by the hold order flashing at all the terminals, signaling no vessels would be leaving.

He continued to pan the crowd for Nadzia as the employee led him to one of the kiosks, then his attention turned to the feeds she pulled up on the screen.

“My companion went missing when I was buying passage,” he informed her.

“Understood.” The female nodded stoically, as she reversed the feed.

His blood boiled seeing the pair that moved in on Nadzia then swiftly ushered her out of the commuter terminal.

“The Conclave goes too far!” They’d stolen the things he cared for in the past, claiming it was in his best interest. “No more,” he snarled in rage.

He ignored the shocked expressions of everyone around as he headed for the nearest cruiser.

“I need you to take me to the Sanctuary,” he gruffly requested.

“Of course, Premiere Servant,” the pilot nodded, hustled to the cockpit and fired up the cruiser.

“Ignore the speed restriction,” he instructed and steadied himself with a hand on the hull rather than bothering to sit as the vessel raced toward the Sanctuary.

The imposing edifice covered in verdant growth and cascading waterfalls swiftly came into view.

“Don’t bother with the hangar. Land in the courtyard.” He pointed to the front of the Sanctuary.

“Yes, Premiere Servant.”

“Thank you,” he said and marched to the exit.

The vessel had barely touched down when he yanked open the hatch and leapt out. The converging Sanctuary guards halted the instant they saw it was him, and backed away from the unexpected vessel. He disregarded their confused expressions as he marched past.

“Come out here,” he roared as he stormed into the grand vestibule. “Get out here now!”

Guards, staff, and several members of the Conclave emerged from every level, looking just as confused and worried as the guards outside.

“What is wrong?” Tellar asked as he entered the main hall.

“Have you lost your mind, shouting out here?” Axilla demanded, at the same time, from the mezzanine above.

“Where is she?!” he roared, his anger echoing off the stone walls.

“Who? The human?” Axilla asked as she descended to the main floor.

“Don’t play ignorant. I saw the guards you had following us take her,” he raged.

The Conclave stared silently at him.

“Return my weakness or I will tear down this Sanctuary with my bare hands.”