Page 79 of Solar Shadows

She sighed again. “During the attack at the restaurant, he disappeared.”

Was this a joke? “How could he disappear?” It wasn’t possible, especially with Drake on our team.

But it turned out, the scrying witch couldn’t find him.

“He’s been trying constantly,” Mum explained, “but there’s no trace of him. It’s almost like he doesn’t exist. And the fae woman said to him he would find The Sun when he can.”

She explained what’d happened with Drake and Riley at Blue Orchard with Isaac.

I scratched at my left palm. “Has she done something?”

“I don’t know, son,” she said sadly. “We’re reviewing The Coral’s CCTV along with a team from the High Coven. And there’s a search underway across the city.” She gulped. “I’m so worried.”

You failed him…

I reached for her hand.

She gave it to me, giving my hand a squeeze. “What if he’s…” She didn’t finish.

“Don’t, Mum. Just don’t.”

But Idid. I went there hard, cursing myself for failing him, for being more concerned with Ben than him. He was my past, but The Sun was my present.

I’m sorry I’ve been a dick toward you,I thought, aching with sudden longing.

Crap. If Drake couldn’t find him, what were we going to do? I wouldn’t forgive myself if he died or got corrupted into some evil being with celestial power.

He has to be in my life…

Man, the impact of this hit me so hard, biting at my heart with ferocious teeth. I needed to hear his voice, see his face, hold him and tell him sorry because a maelstrom of guilt and defeat churned inside me.

“I’ve got to find him,” I said, trying to move.

But moving made the room spin.

“Don’t, Ollie,” Mum said, her hand moving to my shoulder. “You have to rest.”

“I can’t rest,” I complained as my head sank back into the pillow.

The monitor beeped quicker, my mind full to the brim with Isaac and terror.

There’s more beneath his surface and he’s not here…

He’s not here because I failed him…

I flinched in response to my inner voice. “What are we going to do?”

Mum took a seat in the chair beside the bed. Her phone rang at that exact moment. “Hello, Jake. Yes. Thank you. He’s awake now. Yes. I’ll see you soon.” She hung up.

“What’s happening?” I asked.

“Nothing new to report,” she answered.

Hold on, I was being selfish here. “What about Riley? How is he holding up?”

She closed her eyes. “Beside himself. Wants to be out there looking for him but things have taken a terrible turn.”

Which brought her back to the next pile of turds.