Page 80 of Whispers of Wisteria

Bryce turned on her, jaw clenched. “She disappeared in a full-blown panic attack. She didn’t even recognize him.” He gestured sharply at Titus. “And now we have no idea where she is. I have every right to be pissed.”

Gloria folded her arms. “You’re not wrong. But anger won’t help us.”

Bryce exhaled sharply, shaking his head before running a hand down his face.

Joe exhaled sharply. “Gregory, do you know where the limits of her abilities lie?”

Gregory’s expression was unreadable, but he didn’t respond right away. However, when he did, it wasn’t encouraging.

“No,” he said, slipping his glasses back on. “She’s going to be stronger than we are.” He gestured at Bryce. “Wecan blink slightly over a hundred feet in distress. Besides, there’s always the possibility of certain traits—ones that had been locked away for many lives—resurfacing. She’s… different.”

“Than Mu?” I waved my hand in the air dismissively. “I know. We’re notexactlythe same, after all. We—”

“No, her power is different than expected,” Gregory replied. “Can’t you feel it?”

“Feel…what?” I drew my brows together, trying to root through everything I felt—and knew—about Bianca.

“It’s not relevant to this moment,” Gregory was saying. “But she feels a bit like all of you.”

“Regardless, that isn’t our concern right now,” Joe replied, shooting Gregory a look. “We need to narrow down—”

Joe’s statement was cut off when Titus suddenly stood, squared his shoulders, and started down the hallway without a word to the rest of us.

“Where are you going?” Bryce demanded, stepping in front of him.

Titus still didn’t look at him. “She’s upstairs.”

Bryce stilled. “You’re sure?”

Titus finally met his eyes. “Yes.”

“Wait, she’s afraid of you,” Bryce continued, stepping closer to Titus. “Do you think…”

Bryce’s statement trailed off as Titus growled, and even my senses turned on full alert. He was ready to kill anyone who tried to stop him.

Bryce took an instinctive step back, but it didn’t matter. Titus stepped past him anyway.

I glanced between the others, gesturing for them to stay, before I followed.

Titus moved quickly,taking the back stairs two at a time before he stormed through the second-floor hallway. He walked with a singular purpose, as if he knew exactly where to go.

It was impossible to ignore this growing sense of foreboding.

Titus turned left, passing multiple darkened doorways, before stepping into a room at the very end of the hallway.

I knew this room. We’d been here multiple times over the last few weeks.

My heart pounded when he opened the door, and I followed him, expecting this to be the end. That, once we crossed into the room, Bianca would be there.

I hadn’t wanted to think about what condition she’d be in, and my stomach twisted in preparation for the very worst.

But… it was empty.

It was darker than the rest of the house here—the only light was from a window half-covered by a piece of plywood—and no carpets or rugs covered the pockmarked wood floors. The bare walls showed the remains of a once-blue and white wallpaper that had long been neglected.

A small, thin, yellow mattress was centered in a white bed frame under the window. There were no sheets or blankets—not even a pillow. And on the other side of the space, a chair lay broken.

“She’s not here,” I said, my voice sounding loud in the space.